Looking up at my VP, I grin.
“I have no clue, but I hope she puts his ass through it. I’m all for Team Ava!”
“For sure! I’ll let you know if I find out. By the way, I’m happy to hear about you and Aria. You’ll make a great team, and she’s going to be a lucky woman,” Axel responds.
“Thanks, brother.”
It’s after 3am when I look at the clock again. Leaning back in my chair, I stretch my arms over my head and ignore the yawn that takes over my face. I stand, use the restroom, and leave the building. I straddle my bike, start it, and ride home on the deserted streets. When I get inside, I walk directly to the shower and wash away a few days of stench. I walk into my bedroom and collapse sideways across my bed, and I’m out within seconds.
Luckily, I had set an alarm on my phone, and it wakes me up with enough time to get dressed and make it to the clubhouse for Church. Leaving my bike parked next to the others, I walk inside and look around. It looks like everyone is here except for Lucy, Lisa, Chubs, and his family. Fuck, no Aria.
I take the stool next to Reeves and point at the coffee pot when Horse looks my way. He pours a cup and sits it in front of me just as Mac lands on the end of the bar. Waddling in my direction, he stops in front of me, head at a slight tilt.
“What’s up, Mac?” I ask.
“Where’s Lucy?” he asks.
“Not sure, buddy.”
“I need Lucy,” he states, then slaps a foot on the bar.
“Sorry, she’s not here. Maybe she’ll come later,” I answer.
“Fuck my life,” he screeches, then quickly looks around the room, probably worried Ava might have heard him.
“Yeah, I get that, Mac. I feel the same about mine,” I mutter.
In a flurry of feathers, Prissy lands next to Mac. Mac eyes her and slowly takes one large step away. Trouble in paradise, it appears. Prissy does the same as Mac, putting her close to him again. They repeat this maneuver one more time.
“If shit turns ugly, you grab Mac, and I’ll grab Prissy,” Reeves says with a grin.
“Make her move, Rex!” Mac states while ruffling his feathers to look larger.
“Yes, sir. Make me,” Prissy says while raising her crest feathers and eyeing Mac down. Prissy’s “sir” comes out more like “suh-r” with the “r” emphasized, and I grin at her accent.
While I’m grinning, Prissy strikes. When she comes away with a red feather, Mac’s screech could be heard two states over. I grab Mac and pull him against my chest, but Reeves doesn’t do his part, and Prissy’s in a mood. Striking again, I jerk my face out of her way, and Mac loses a second feather. Shooting a look at Reeves, he just shrugs and doesn’t lend a hand. Neither does Horse, who’s watching the action with a grin.
“Prissy! Stop!” I order while tucking Mac under one arm and using my other hand to hold her back.
“Save me! Save me!” Mac screams.
“I got Prissy. Calm down, Mac. You’re such a drama queen,” Axel states as Prissy steps onto his hand then onto his shoulder.
“She’s trying to end me!” Mac hollers back.
“Wonder how many pecans that would cost me?” Axel asks, and I think he’s truly considering it.
I set Mac back on the bar and watch as he does the moonwalk to be further away from Prissy. When he thinks he’s at a safe distance, he responds to Axel.
“Assman sucks ass!”
Prissy immediately flies off Axel’s shoulder and lands on Mac. She gets her beak around one of his legs and starts dragging him down the bar. Mac lets out a howl before screaming, “I’m doomed!”
Axel and I each grab a bird again, and Prissy goes back to his shoulder. To piss Mac off even more, she starts making kissing sounds against Axel’s temple as he beams in delight. This cannot be my life, I think, as I set Mac back on the bar and give him a shooing motion.
“Take it somewhere else, Mac. Go hide in the kitchen with your mommy,” Axel says in a taunting voice.
“No!” Mac shouts.