Jagger held out a hand. “Package.”
T-Rex paled. “I went to the address you gave me on the other side of town, but the building was empty. I walked around, checked with the neighbors, but no one was there. I called and texted you and Cade and Sparky. No one answered. I’m sorry, Jag. Maybe the guy pulled a runner.”
“So you didn’t bring the package?”
“No, sir.”
Jagger leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, raising his voice to be heard by the crowd. “I think we have a serious problem here, T-Rex. You don’t seem to be able to follow simple instructions.” He reached under the table and pulled out a package wrapped in brown paper. “Our contact got tired of waiting for you when you didn’t show up at six o’clock and dropped the package off here.”
T-Rex’s mouth dropped open. “Six? I thought you said seven.”
Admirably maintaining a stern expression, Jagger looked over at Arianne. “You were there. Did I say six or seven?”
“Six. Definitely six.”
Jagger slapped the package down on the table. “So you were late. And this was time sensitive. What the fuck kind of prospect are you? Do you think we’d patch in someone who can’t tell six from seven?”
Arianne looked around the bar at the sea of smiling faces poor T-Rex couldn’t see. Prospect hazing aside, she still wasn’t used to the Sinners’ teasing or the jokes they played on each other. MCs were supposed to be serious, no-nonsense, and all about sex, drugs, violence, and women. Or so she’d thought.
T-Rex’s shoulders slumped. “No, sir. I guess not.”
“Hand in your cut.”
Shoulders sagging, T-Rex shrugged off his prospect cut. “I’m sorry I let you down.”
Arianne dug her nails into her palm. How could Jagger do this with a straight face?
Jagger took T-Rex’s cut and threw it on the table. The crowd drew in a collective breath of anticipation.
“Open it.” Jagger pointed at the package. “I want you to see firsthand the consequences of what you’ve done.”
He was a master performer, Arianne decided as her gaze traveled over his impassive, slightly annoyed face. But not with her. She already knew to look for the softness in his eyes that would tell her he was teasing. And he enjoyed teasing her. Maybe too much.
Hands shaking, T-Rex tore away the paper. Then he stilled and looked up at Jagger. “Is this—?”
“Your cut. Three patches on the back. Welcome to the club, brother.”
T-Rex’s eyes moistened and he cleared this throat several times as he stroked his hand over the patches on his new cut. “Well, damn.”
“You showed real courage and bravery in that ambush. A man who would do what you did to save his brothers is deserving of that patch, but you also showed good judgment when you came to warn us about Arianne. You’ve done a hell of a lot for the club over the last year. That patch is long overdue, and I’m proud to call you brother.”
The bar erupted in cheers as Jagger unfolded the cut, then stood to slide it over T-Rex’s shoulders. After a manly hug and a thump on the back, he released T-Rex into the crowd all primed and ready for a nightlong patch-in party.
“You’re not supposed to be jumping up and down,” Arianne said as he settled on his chair and pulled her onto his lap. “Slow and easy. That’s what the doctor said.”
He brushed the hair away from her neck and feathered kisses along her throat. “Good plan. I’ll do you slow and easy first when we get home tonight. Then hard and fast. After that I’m gonna spank you for contradicting me.” He slid one hand between her thighs. “And you’re gonna like it ’cause I know what makes my girl wet.”
“Jagger.” She slapped his hand away, but not before he managed to slide his finger up the skirt he had insisted she wear, and flick a finger along her slick folds.
“Good girl.” His breath was hot and moist in her ear. “Wasn’t sure if you’d gotten my message about not wearing panties.”
Arianne pressed her lips together and glared. “How could I miss it? You texted, left a message on my phone, sent Bandit with your message in a sealed envelope, and then used my best lipstick to write ‘No panties tonight’ on my bathroom mirror. It was almost like a scene from a horror movie. When we move into our new house, I’m going to remove all the mirrors.”
Jagger chuckled. “It would only be a horror if you didn’t listen.” He reached under the table and pulled out another package. “But since you did, you get a present.”
“What’s this?” Arianne stared at the parcel, and the skin on the back of her neck prickled.
“Open it.”
Vaguely aware that the crowd had hushed around them, Arianne reached for the package. The paper crinkled in her hand.
“Jagger…”
“Open it, sweetheart.”