LIP
I bring the cup of iced tea to my mouth and take a cool sip, the ice cubes sliding against the glass and cooling my lips as I watch a bunch of club whores washing the guys’ bikes. I’ve been at the club a lot lately. I can’t be around Cherry. Those eyes, the way they see right through me, cuts me. I’ve been meaning to sit her down and tell her something that has turned into the blackest lie, but she pins me with those gray eyes, and that loving smile, and I just… I fucking can’t. I wanted to tell her before I was locked up, back when I realized I really cared for her and needed to get shit out in the open, but I kept telling myself one more day, or I’ll tell her tomorrow. Now that lie has grown from a small storm into a violent hurricane. I know I’m being a fucking prick to her lately, and it pains me. But I’m in over my fucking head. I can’t stand to lie to her anymore, but I just can’t be that guy she fell in love with either. It’s not me. I’m not gentle, and I’m not sweet. I have a filthy mouth, the urge to fuck hard, and pull the trigger on my gun at any bastard that crosses me. I am not the man any woman should love, especially Cherry.
“Who’s that chick?” Bobby points out, grabbing me from my dark thoughts. I glance at him, curious how long he’s been standing beside me. He is the prime example of what a surfer should look like, only he’s got tattoos and a leather cut on.
“Which chick?” I reply, looking at my glass uninterested. I got enough shit to deal with right now.
“The one who looks like a fucking doll.”
I raise my stare and look at the bunch of half-naked girls. One with dark hair that falls just above her tits stands out above the rest. Her cheek bones are a slight pink, standing out amongst her smooth porcelain skin, and her hair curls in the front. Just from standing back here, I can see her thick eyelashes. Her frame is slender and small, sporting a Harley Davidson bikini perfectly.
“Jesus, she does look like a fucking doll,” I mutter, taking the last sip of my drink. She’s hot, though; if I could, I’d fuck her.
“Dibs,” Tom Cat claims, walking up beside Bobby and slapping his shoulder. Tom Cat was patched in not too long ago; he’s all right as far as they go.
I laugh, because Tom Cat obviously knows nothing about women. If a woman heard you call dibs, she’d laugh in your face and walk away. Well, the kind I’m interested in anyway. Feisty, stubborn, hard to get.
“Yeah, good luck with that.” I chuckle.
“What, you want her? You hopping off the ol’ Cherry train there, Lip?” Tom Cat taunts, running his hand through his brown hair. I glare in reaction.
“You best shut the fuck up if you know what’s good for ya, Tom Cat. What I do is none of your fucking business.”
His face falls flat, and Bobby looks at me with confusion. I hand Tom Cat my empty glass and stride past the girls.
“Lip!” I stop and look at the group of girls, curious who called my name.
“Hi, I’m washing your bike and was curious if there was anything,” she bats her baby doll lashes at me, “special you might need.” I inhale a strong breath, not sure how to handle the first piece of ass that has thrown themselves at me since I’ve been out. She obviously doesn’t know Cherry, because every girl who has strutted into this club knows Cherry and I are together.
“Yeah, clean it. You missed a spot, Dolly,” I reply coolly, pointing to my Harley tank. Her eyes widen, and she looks back at my bike. The guys laugh behind me, clearly amused by my assholery.
“Where’s Bull? I thought we had church this morning,” I ask Shadow as I walk into the kitchen of the club. Shadow is the VP now, and is also married to the president’s daughter. Yeah, who knew Bull had a fucking daughter? That was one of the not-so-fun events I missed while being locked up. I’m not saying Bull favors Shadow now… but Bull favors him. After I got out of prison, Bull was waiting to pick me up, my patch in hand. Best fucking welcome home gift ever. We had a small party, naked chicks, booze, drugs—all of it. I didn’t fuck around, though; my mother taught me better than that. Seeing the pain she went through when she found out my father messed around on her, I couldn’t do that to anyone.
“He had an emergency this morning,” Shadow mutters, pulling out a tub of ice cream.