“Yeah?” Tom questions, his tone trying to sound brave but cracking with uncertainty.
I slap the patch down on the table right in front of him, making him wince.
“Welcome to the club,” Bull laughs, leaning back in his chair, his face lifted with excitement.
Tom’s body sags with relief. He rises from his seat quickly, making the chair scrape against the wooden floor. He reaches out and grabs me, hugging me.
“It’s an honor to call you my brother,” Tom mutters, his long hair brushing against my face.
“All right, all right. Enough of the pussy shit,” Hawk squawks, his face wrinkled from age. He scratches his peppered hair, taking a tone of gray, while grumbling under his breath. He is such an ass and the oldest one at the table, for that matter. “You ready for the night of your life, Tom?” Bull adds, lighting a cigarette. Tom nods, a smile spreading across his face.
“Ladies!” Bull roars. The chapel doors are thrown open and in comes a crew of half-naked women, climbing all over Tom like he’s fresh meat.
I shake my head, laughing. The look of lust and shock on Tom’s face is priceless.
“I’m going home; you enjoy yourself, Tom Cat,” I say, slapping him on the shoulder. He’ll get more pussy, booze, and drugs than he’ll know what to do with tonight. I remember the night I got my patch very well; I had a hangover for a week and was puking my guts up for days. My mind flashes back to Dani when she was really sick.
When she had Zane, it was scary as hell. She was sick, really sick. She got high blood pressure and was put on bed rest in the hospital for a month before they had to take Zane early. I had never been so scared in my life. With Dani being so close in delivering my little girl, I am a nervous wreck. I really need to try and be home as much as I can, keeping an eye on her, but it’s damn near impossible anymore.
***
Dani
I wake up to little fingers pulling at my eyelids.
“Mom!”
I groan and try and roll over, not ready to wake up.
“Mom!”
“Yeah, buddy?” I question, still half-asleep.
“Hey, bud, you awake already?” I hear Shadow whisper, coming into the bedroom. Zane jumps across my head, little pitter-patters sounding on the carpet. I roll over, moaning from the sleep weighing down my eyes.
“How was church?” I ask, my voice cracking. I wake up nearly every morning to Shadow missing, but I know he has things to do at the club. He always comes back home when Zane and I are waking up when he can, but that hasn’t happened here lately.
“Tom was patched in this morning,” Shadow explains, picking Zane up. I smile brightly; Tom deserves it. He has been a prospect for a while now, but apparently he passed whatever the club looks for in patching someone in. There was only one other prospect I had ever met named Charlie, but after his negligence got me kidnapped a couple years ago, I never saw him again. Tom took his place quickly after. The club life is hard, and not everyone is fit to live it. I guess being a prospect is the club’s way of weeding out the unfit.
“You get some rest,” Shadow whispers, kissing me on the forehead. I don’t argue; I just roll over, clutch my pillow, and close my eyes.
“Hey, buddy, I got something really awesome to show you,” I hear Shadow whisper to Zane as they leave.
***
Waking up to little whimpers, I roll over to look at the floor and find Rex staring up at me, my pink ballet slipper in his mouth.
“Hey, little guy,” I mumble into the mattress. I throw the worn sheets off me, climb out of bed, and pick him up. I take the ballet slipper from his mouth, dog spit coating the material. I miss teaching ballet. Being an instructor to little girls is my dream job, but about a month and a half ago they put me on maternity leave. It’s killing me not to dance.
“I’m surprised Zane is not looking for you,” I mutter into Rex’s soft fur between his ears.
“You’re up,” Shadow observes, walking into the room, his bare chest displaying a guild of perfected muscle. My tongue slips out and laves at my bottom lip, and my thighs tremble from the uncontrollable thirst to have Shadow, as a sudden warmth crawls between my thighs. Rex starts going crazy in my arms trying to get to Shadow, so I slowly place the puppy on the floor, not taking my eyes off my man.
“I am awake,” I whisper, my voice breathy.
Shadow wraps his large arm around my waist and pulls me close with one tug, the puppy crying and scratching at his legs. He dives his face into the crook of my neck, making me arch myself into him in response. The smell of his aftershave and hint of leather lingers on his neck, building that pleasuring warmth into a flaming inferno.