After Maggie is gone, I stumble into the shower and wash off her perfume. It’s not a bad smell, but I hate thinking about her. I suspect she makes me sad. Pathetic people usually do.
Pax is sitting alone on the deck when I walk outside. Wearing only boxers, he looks worn down. Hell, Pax doesn’t even glance at me, but stares at the swaying trees.
“Did she break your dick?” I ask, sipping coffee while checking my messages.
Pax peers back at me and smirks. “Bitch was a biter.”
I burst into laughter once I see his arms. Pax laughs too. The guy can’t stay serious when someone laughs around him.
“Sure she wasn’t a zombie, man?” I ask. “Should I keep you quarantined to see if you turn?”
“Turd,” he says, studying the bite marks on his wrist.
I pull out my phone. “Hold still.”
Pax shows me the bites while I take pictures. We find a really great one on his back that I send to the rest of the club. If the guys think having old ladies is scary, try dating a zombie bitch.
When we arrive in the Hunk O’ Love’s private backroom for breakfast, Joker pulls his gun on Pax. “Not craving brains, are you, Home Run?”
“Naw, just pussy like usual.”
Joker laughs and holsters his weapon. After Pax orders the usual for breakfast, he walks to the restroom. A minute later, Lucky enters with a slight limp. I figure his old lady isn’t happy to see him.
“Good trip?” I ask Lucky.
“Not bad.”
“Did Jenn break something?” Joker asks, grinning behind his cup of coffee.
“No, I’m getting too old to drive straight through from Hawthorne with only a few hours rest.”
“Those few hours with a pretty girl are bound to make the old lady pissed.”
Lucky rolls his eyes. “Darby’s big mouth.”
“She calls me every day to remind me why we split,” Joker says, grinning.
I smile too, even though I know their split had nothing to do with Darby’s mouth. Everyone knows the same thing, but we play along. This isn’t Dr. Phil and Joker doesn’t need our wisdom.
“Shay needs a break,” Lucky mutters in between gulps of coffee, “and I decided to give her one.”
“A philanthropist!” I declare, saluting him with my glass of orange juice. “I see a statue in your honor one day.”
Lucky sighs like a man at the end of his life, making me wonder if Jenn broke something important.
“How’s your mom?” I ask while the other guys laugh at him.
“Hanging on. Nothing will kill that old bird.”
Saying nothing, I nod. My mom hasn’t been around since I was a kid. I don’t even know if she’s alive. Most days, I don’t care. I’m really not one to swap stories with a mama’s boy like Lucky.
“This girl is legal, right?” Joker asks Lucky.
“You talked to Darby.”
“She didn’t check her ID, man.”
“She was working at a bar. So yeah, I’d guess Shay is legal.”
“If she’s hot, bring her to Suede,” Pax says, sitting down and digging into his eggs. “Slim pickings lately. All the hot girls are getting married and knocked up. The next batch of premium tail hasn’t graduated from high school.”
Lucky frowns. “You want me to bring a girl to the bar, so you can all slobber on her?”
“We’ll take turns,” Pax says, winking at me. “Draw straws to see who gets to charm her first.”
Lucky shakes his head and I sense he’s pissed. Pax senses it too, but doesn’t care. I don’t really care either, but I love playing the rational brother. It’s one of my favorite cons.
“We’ll use kid gloves,” I promise.
When Lucky nods appreciative-like, I catch Pax rolling his eyes.
“Fellas,” I hear from behind me.
Our president Trigger looks like shit. Worse. He looks weak. Walking into the backroom, Trigger moves slowly. I sense if a fight broke out that he’d pass out from the stress.
The guys all shake his hand and we keep our expressions casual. We’re thinking the boss shouldn’t be screaming to the world that he’s vulnerable. Already winded after a short walk, Trigger runs a hand over his sweaty forehead. The old fuck is doing everything wrong for the club by being here.
Joker knows this fact, but the guy just smiles. Ah, Trigger is back. Doesn’t he look great? Maybe a little exhausted from fucking the old lady so much. Oh, yeah, everything is super. Just a fucking dream.
Trigger’s had gray hair since I’ve known him. It’s long, just past his shoulders and thick like a horse’s mane. He’s always been tanned and I imagine his skin feels similar to leather. Trigger was my age before I was born, yet he always crushed younger men. These days, I doubt he can crush a beer can.
Pax is all smiles with Trigger which makes me nervous. My brother doesn’t smile that fucking much unless he’s tense. Joker is also smiling too much, but the guy’s fucking name is Joker. I don’t think it’s as obvious on him.
The club owes its loyalty to Trigger, but he’s making it damn hard. One trip to breakfast by the old man and Little Memphis knows we’re down a badass. Now, the town can show us how they feel about this new reality.
7
Shay