Page 63 of Grim

When we were done, I stopped by my room, and after a quick shower, I threw on some fresh clothes and headed out to my bike. We were still in the middle of a warm spout, so I figured I would use the opportunity to take Jenna for a ride. It was getting close to 7, so I wasted no time getting over to the house.

I pulled up into the drive and was about to head inside when Jenna stepped outside. She gave me a warm smile, and the sight of her nearly took my breath. Her dark hair was down with loose waves cascading around her shoulders. She had on a pair of distressed black jeans with a red top that accentuated her curves and a pair of cowboy boots. “Hey there, beautiful.”

"Hey, yourself.” She stepped out onto the porch as she asked, “You ready to go?”

“Ready when you are.” I felt a sense of pride knowing that she was mine for the night. I was getting into dangerous territory, but I couldn’t help but wonder if she was beginning to feel the same. “You look incredible.”

“You don’t look too shabby yourself.” She motioned her head over to my Harley. “We taking the bike tonight?”

“If it’s cool with you.”

“It’s fine, but it’s been a long time since I’ve ridden.”

“You’ll do fine.” I offered her my spare helmet, and once she had it on, I offered her my hand and helped her onto the back. “Hold on tight.”

She nodded, then positioned her hands at my waist. Her grip tightened as I eased out of the drive, and it tightened even more as we started down the main road. After a few miles, she started to relax and eased back, signaling that she was starting to enjoy the ride—which made me enjoy it even more.

I liked having her on my bike. It had been a long time since I’d ridden with someone, mainly because chicks always tried to read something into it, especially the hang arounds. It was just a damn ride, but this was different. This meant something to me, and I hoped it meant something to her. Hell, I never expected to feel this when I rescued her and Luna from the streets, but the more time I spent with her, the more I realized how much I cared about her.

When we got to the Vault, I wasn’t surprised that the parking lot wasn’t full. Wednesdays were usually slow, so I hoped Jenna would have some time to get to know the girls. Once we were parked, Jenna got off and removed her helmet before looking up at the big neon sign overhead. “Cool name, by the way.”

“I thought so.”

“You came up with it?”

“I might’ve mentioned it.”

“That’s really cool.”

“Come on. I’ll show you inside.”

I reached over and took her hand in mine, leading her to the front door. When we walked in, we were both hit with the usual scent of smoke and alcohol, and the music was blaring. The lights flickered to the rhythm of the pulsating beat, and the girls on the different stages were giving it all they had.

Jenna's eyes widened as we made our way further inside. I led her towards a table near the back and ordered us a couple of drinks. Jenna sat down, and her eyes immediately started darting around as she took in everything around us. It was a sight for a newcomer. Not only were there various dancers on stage, but scantily clad waitresses moved through the floor, taking drink orders. Jenna looked tense as she leaned over to me and whispered, “They’re all so beautiful.”

“They don’t got nothing on you, babe.”

“Oh, come on,” she huffed. “These girls clearly work out every day. They don’t have an inch of fat anywhere, and their boobs are perky and bouncy and perfect. Just looking at them makes me insecure.”

“You have no reason to feel insecure.” I leaned back and let my eyes slowly skirt over her. “Not when you’re sitting here looking like that.”

“You’re sweet but full of shit.”

“They’re good girls, Jen. You’ll see once you meet ‘em.”

“I’m meeting them?”

“It’s why we’re here.”

I spotted Star over at the bar and motioned her over. She was wearing her usual getup—tiny skirt and even tinier halter, and she was all smiles as she sauntered over to the table. “Hey, Grim. How’s it hanging?”

“Can’t complain. How’d the meet go this afternoon with the girls?”

“Pretty good. There still needs to be more training, but we’ll get it done.”

“Need anything from me?”

“No, I think we’ve got it.”

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