Page 5 of Riot

“What’s her name again?”

“Tequila-Rose. Or just Rose to most people.”

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ.”

I smirk. “It’s okay, Prez. If we got anythin’ out of this, it’s the fact you know I’ll protect the women of the club with my bare hands if I have to.”

“There’s a reason why I keep you in this club, thanks for remindin’ me.”

“When you get an ol’ lady, maybe you won’t be such a grump.”

He looks up. “Grump? Try fuckin’ dealin’ with a bunch of teenagers day in and day out, then you’ll see how much fun it is. As for ol’ lady? Told you before, I’m done with women.”

His last ol’ lady was a real fuckin’ disaster. She hooked up with his stepbrother, Razor, and told him the kid she was carryin’ wasn’t even his. The kid ended up dying during childbirth, but I think that would have an impact on you. The feud with his brother, however, is ongoing and has been for years. Someday soon, that idiot will have it coming and he will pay. Everyone has to.

“Uh huh, you’re just the pinnacle of chastity over here,” I chuckle. “Now you're old and your hair’s turnin’ gray, that’ll have all the chicks linin’ up.”

“It’s silver, and some say it’s distinguished, not fuckin’ old. Remind me why I came here again?”

“Because you’ve always had a soft spot for me and you’re secretly worried about me bein’ too pretty in here?”

“Don’t joke about shit like that.”

“If you can’t laugh, you’d cry.”

He narrows his eyes, giving me that serious ‘dad’ face. “One day, that smart mouth of yours is gonna get you into even more trouble.”

“Like this isn’t bad enough?”

“You left the guy breathin’, that’s the only reason you’re gettin’ out.”

“Like he didn’t deserve it.”

“Yeah, but your ego got in the way. Could’ve left it, walked away after beatin’ him, but you had to go one more and drag him out onto the street.”

“Hey, I was on a roll.”

“Not sayin’ that asswipe didn’t have it comin’, but you’re gonna have to reign in that temper of yours.” The muscles in his jaw tick. “I was you once, kid. A long time ago when I was in the Devils Ink MC. One percent life back then was no life. Always lookin’ over your shoulder. Wonderin’ when it was gonna be your turn to meet your maker. I don’t want that for you.”

I’m lucky really, to have people in my life that care this much about me. It’s more than I could ever ask for, and probably more than I deserve. “I’m good, Prez. This was a slip.”

“The next slip could be death row. Think about that.”

I nod. This isn’t the time to keep making jokes. Even I know when to quit. “Not like I wanna be back in here for any length oftime. When Priest gets out, he can help me. I know he’ll be good for the club.”

This appeases him for the moment. We all know that having someone like Priest in the club will only help the brothers and let’s face it, nobody wants to admit they have problems or want to talk about shit, but having Priest on the inside has helped calm me. He has that effect on people. It’s a gift. I wonder suddenly what my gifts are? Of course, if you asked Delilah, Sparkles or Lolita, they’d tell you I have plenty of gifts. They’re just not ones I can add to my resume.

“That remains to be seen. For now, just try and keep your sorry ass alive.”

I rub my chin. “For my next visit just send Delilah. She’ll keep my sorry ass more than alive.”

He shakes his head. “Seriously. Ass jokes in prison?”

“Got knives where people will never find them.”

“Keep your mouth shut and your eyes and ears everywhere. If I get you outta here alive, it’ll be a goddamn miracle.” He goes to stand.

“You got some change for the vendin’ machine?” I wasn’t gonna ask, but since he’s been such a stick in the mud, I thought I’d try my luck.

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