“This time is different, and you know it. She stuck a fucking knife in my back, Kane,” he said as he poured himself another drink. “Talked to her dad last night. He said that she came to him asking for money, too. You know… I can’t help but think this is all my fault.”
“What are you talking about, Maverick? None of this is your fault.”
“I should’ve tried to help her. Made her go to rehab or something.”
“You did help her, brother. All the time. She was just in too deep. There was nothing you could do,” I tried to explain. “There’s nothing you can do to help her now. You know that, right? She betrayed the club, and….”
“Don’t… don’t. I know,” he said as he swallowed another shot of whiskey.
“What can I do?” I asked.
“Nothing to do, Kane. Not a damn thing.” He was pouring himself another drink when Big Mike walked over to us.
“Just got a call from Nitro. Things just got real interesting, brother,” he said as he sat down beside me.
“Tell me.” Knowing that Nitro was our arms dealer, I knew it meant trouble.
“Seems Tony just made contact with him. He’s trying to get his hands on a large shipment of weapons. Offered him seventy-five grand. Don’t know all the details yet, but I don’t have a good feeling, brother,” Big Mike told me. “Serious, trouble.”
*
Chapter 11
Allie
?
“So how long you known Guardrail?” Dallas asked as she sat down at the bar next to me. Kane had explained earlier that she was Skidrow’s Old Lady, and I was grateful that she had made it her mission to put me at ease tonight. She was easy to talk to, and I loved how her short blonde hair framed her round cheeks, enhancing her dark black eyeliner and bright blue eyeshadow. She wore a black leather mini-skirt that showed off her amazing figure. I might have been a little intimidated by her if I didn’t like her so much. I can’t remember I time where I laughed so much. The woman didn’t have a filter and said exactly what was on her mind… with no reservations whatsoever.
“Not long I guess.”
“He’s an interesting one. Always seems so fucking intense,” she said as she stirred her drink. “Like he’s got the world resting on those shoulders of his.”
“Yeah, intense is a good word for it.”
“I bet he’s great in the sack. All that pent up aggression…. Hell, I bet that man can do things….”
“You have no idea,” I interrupted. “I love it, though. I actually love everything about him.”
“Glad you two have hit it off. Guardrail’s needed a good woman in his life. I’m glad he’s finally found one that can keep up.”
“I don’t know about that. I’m still figuring everything out.”
“Has he told you how things work around here?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You know… the basics? Has he told you what it means to be a part of the club?” she asked with concern.
“He hasn’t really said much. We haven’t had much time to talk about things,” I explained.
“There’s stuff you need to know if you’re going to be an old lady, Allie. Certain expectations that go along with being with one of the brothers.”
“Such as?”
“He’ll explain all of this to you at some point, but I’ll tell you a few of the things I’ve learned. First, you never talk about the club… to anyone. Anything that goes down here stays within these walls. No fucking around.”
“Okay.”
“You don’t ask questions. Just do as you are told.”
“Really?” I didn’t like the sound of that. I didn’t like taking orders, and I had a habit of asking questions… lots of questions.
“Allie, I’m serious. Kane will make sure you know what you need to, otherwise consider it none of your business. You just have to remember that he will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. That’s really all you need to know.”
“Keep me safe from what?” I asked.
“See? That’s the kind of question you don’t ask.”
“I don’t know if I can do this, Dallas. This is freaking me out.”
“Do you love him? Do you want a future with him?” she asked.
I thought for a moment and then said, “Yeah… I do.”
“Then you can do it. Trust your man. Everything else will fall into place. The club is like a family. We look out for one another.”
“That sounds really great, Dallas. It’s one of the things I miss most… having a family. I still have my brother, but it’s different with him,” I told her. I loved the thought of having a family that would look out for me. I hadn’t had that in a very long time.
“Well, now you’ll have lots of brothers that will have your back. It’s one of the things I like most around here. They might not look like much, but these guys have heart. They are loyal, and they’ll never let you down.”
“Wow. You have no idea how great that sounds to me. What else? Are there more rules I need to know about?” I asked.
“There’s always stuff going on around here. The guys work hard, and when they’re done, they play hard. Keep your nose out of their business, and steer clear of the sweet butts.”