Page 157 of Knot All is Forgiven

Simon

I slide out fromunder the old truck, wiping my hands on my jeans. "What, Clicks?"

"Your ole lady is here," he repeats, leaning against the wall. His greasy blonde hair hangs to his shoulders, and his scrawny body looks like a good wind would blow him over.

"Thanks, brother." I hop to my feet, passing through the shop to the dingy lobby of Hawk's Autobody. "You're early!" I say, surprising my Omega.

She spins around, scowling. "You scared me!"

"You should know better than to turn your back on a predator," I growl. Silence stretches between us before we both break out in peals of laughter.

"Oh yes, Slime Knight, the most predatory of all predators," she chokes out, wiping her eyes. "Are you almost ready?"

"Eh, I got a little bit more. Wanna come watch?" She nods excitedly, bouncing on the toes of her black combat boots. She's dressed to ride today in a pair of sinfully tight jeans and a nearly see-through white tank.

I wasn't sure about introducing her to the Hawks, but after she met Nitro at the bonding ceremony, he insisted I start bringingher around. Turns out, the whole family loves her. I'm not surprised.

"Alright, Clicks?" she says as she passes the Beta.

He smiles broadly and nods. "Alright, Lady Slime."

The nickname never fails to make her smile.

I go back under the old truck, trying to finish replacing the gas line before we head out when I spot a pair of massive boots next to Jordan's smaller ones. I stop work and strain to listen to them.

"I'm just saying a rebrand is a good idea. You guys aren't what everyone thinks, Nitro."

"Yeah, well, that's on purpose, Lady." His voice is gruff, and I can picture him crossing his arms over his massive chest. "If everyone knows we're not a bunch of hellions, they may try to cross us and force us to become some."

"Maybe so. But some clubs are still heavily respected but known for the good they do. Maybe you just need that little bit of positive press."

I have to give it to Jordan. She's tenacious. For three years, she's been trying to get Nitro to let her do some PR spin for the Hawks.

It's not a bad idea. The Hawks are heavily involved in breaking up trafficking rings and busting up some crime syndicates that are getting a foothold in Lunarcrest. People may think we're a part of them, but the Hawks don't play in that kind of bullshit.

"I'll think about it, yeah?" He finally gives up and then walks away after exchanging a few pleasantries.

Once I finish up, I take Jordan around the shop to meet some of the other guys.

"Jordan, this is Quarter. He's like me, his pack isn't in the club." The Alpha stands up from the cracked break room couch, smiles, and shakes Jordan's hand.

He's big, nearly the size of Cyrus, with a round stomach and a ruddy complexion. His red beard and freckled skin hint at his heritage and give him a slight resemblance to my Omega.

"Quarter?" she asks, shaking his hand. "There's gotta be a story for that one."

He chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck with embarrassment. "I wasn't making good choices when I joined. Nitro said I got a quarter of the brains as the rest of them."

She gasps, smacking me on the chest when I laugh. "That's unkind!"

"Hey, it could be worse," he says with a shrug. "They could've called me Harvey."

The man in question jumps to his feet from where he was reclined against the wall and spins on Quarter. Half of his face is torn up with a scar from a bad bike accident. "Hey, rude. At least mine passes as a real name."

Jordan doesn't understand the comic book reference, but she laughs with the rest of us as the two Alphas get into it. Harvey eventually turns his attention to Jordan. "Nice to meet you, Lady Slime. Heard a lot about you."

Despite the scar that takes off the left side of his face, he's always been a good-looking, charming guy, and when he flashes my Omega that megawatt smile, a growl bubbles up in my throat.

"Damn, Slime, I ain't after your Ole Lady."

---