Page 23 of Dozer

I pivoted to Bullet, catching him off guard. With a hard swing, I connected with his face. Pain exploded in my hand. My knuckles split. Bullet cursed as blood gushed from his nose and mouth.

“Fuck, Dozer.” He wiped his nose, smearing blood across his face. He bent at the waist.

“Are you good now?” Blade asked me, and he handed us each a towel.

“Yeah. Thanks.” I wiped my face and head.

Bullet wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “Fuck, I hope you feel better because that last one is going to leave a mark.”

Not better, just a different kind of pain. I glanced to Pippa, but she was gone. Romeo stood next to Jazzy.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen anyone get one over on Bullet,” Romeo said. “I think you look worse, but he’s definitely taking that one home as a loss.”

“Can you give us a minute?” I asked Jazzy.

She nodded and made her way over to Bullet and Rogue.

“I wanted to apologize.” I blotted more blood from my face.

He pulled a cigarette from his pack and offered it to me.

“Thanks,” I said. He lit mine then his own.

“She’s not like us, Dozer. She’s not from the streets. Her family is solid, she goes to school, and she fucking speaks fluent Italian. I’ve never seen her lose her temper. She doesn’t fight.”

“She laughs a lot.” I took a drag off the cigarette.

Romeo leaned back against the wall. “She’s not clingy, not looking for a boyfriend, and not interested in being my girlfriend. But I like being around her. I don’t want to stop seeing her.”

My gut clenched.

Romeo’s gaze locked on mine. “But I will. You’re my brother. Patch before pussy. I’m just having fun, and so is she. I like her, but I don’t want anything, especially a girl, to come between us.”

It was too late. She’d already come between us. “Where is she?”

“She’s not a fan of fight club.”

Before I could take a step, he blocked my path. He lowered his voice. “She told me what happened. You and I are good. As for Pip, I don’t have any claim on her.”

I released a heavy exhale. “Neither do I.”

Romeo hauled me close and kissed my temple. “I think we need a drink.”

We returned to the chapel. Bullet sat with Blade and Rogue. I plopped onto a chair at their table.

“I looked at the books,” Blade said. “If we have any chance of setting the club right, we’re going to need an income stream. The bar isn’t going to cut it. Razor’s appetite welcomed the wrong kind of hang-arounds.”

“Lee is looking for parts,” Rogue said.

Blade leaned back in his chair and nodded. His gaze drifted to Hana. She sat with Levi and Jazzy.

I swiveled my head right then left. “Where’s Pippa?”

Romeo set a beer in front of me. “Haven’t seen her since she came up.” He strode over to the table and spoke to Hana.

I joined him.

“She left,” he said to me.

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