Page 8 of Rex

Attending Church was brutal to my splitting head and unstable stomach. My own fault, and I know it, but that knowledge doesn’t take the edge off either issue. Looking across the table, I almost grin at Reeves. He appears to be suffering more than me and is using his hands to hold his head up. From the looks our Prez is giving him, he’s about to get called out. I quickly rearrange my facial expression so, hopefully, I can stay clear of whatever is headed toward Reeves.

“What you’re saying then is we all need to start actively looking for prospects,” Pooh states.

“Yeah. We’ve lost several in the last few months, and we need more than just Bella. She won’t be starting for a while yet. We need at…” Gunner stops midsentence once again looking toward Reeves. After a pause, he barks loudly, “Are we interfering with your beauty sleep, Reeves?”

Glancing back at Reeves, I see his eyes fly open as his body jerks upright, letting his hands fall to the table.

“Aye is my vote,” Reeves mutters in a groggy voice.

“Aye? You vote aye?” Gunner questions while his face takes on a dark look, and the rest of the guys all laugh while looking at Reeves.

“Aye,” Reeves states a little clearer.

“Well, then, I guess the vote to pull Reeves’ patch has passed,” Gunner says and then bangs the gavel loudly.

Reeves stares at him for several long seconds before Gunner’s words penetrate his brain.

Eyes widening, Reeves hollers, “Wait! No, I don’t vote for that! What the fuck, Prez? Who brought that to the table?”

The room gets loud with the guys’ laughter and comments. After allowing it for a minute, Gunner holds up his hand and levels his nearly black gaze at Reeves.

“I’m going to bring that to the table if you don’t want to be a part of this club. Church is a requirement of being a member. I would much prefer being home with my wife and kids right now than repeating myself because you can’t be bothered to pay attention,” Gunner shouts. “Be an adult. You getting hammered out of your mind shouldn’t become a problem for the rest of your club brothers. Quit wasting our time!”

“Sorry. You’re right, Prez. It’s my problem, not the club’s. Won’t happen again,” Reeves replies in a sincere voice.

Gunner continued staring at him for another moment, then returned to the discussion we were having. I grin when I see Trigger elbowing Reeves in the ribs when he starts to droop again. The elbow wasn’t thrown hard, but just enough to get Reeves’ attention. I also know that each subsequent elbow will be harder than the one preceding it. Reeves’ ribs will thank him if he keeps his head up and eyes open.

After Church ends, we file out to the main room with each of the guys heading toward their respective families. I glance around and see Lucy, but neither Aria nor Lisa is sitting with her. I takea seat at the bar next to Horse, and Reeves sits on my other side. He promptly drops his head to rest on his forearms. I reach across the bar and grab a couple of mugs and the coffee pot. Pouring coffee into both, I slide one to Reeves and pick up the other one for myself.

“What did you guys do after the rest of us left you at the club? And if you guys look this bad, I have to wonder what Aria and Lisa feel like today,” Horse asks with a loud snort.

“Aria and Lisa?” Reeves asks without lifting his head.

“Yeah, Aria and Lisa. When we left, they decided to stay with you two and said they’d call an Uber. Did they get home okay?” Horse questions.

“Yeah, I’m sure they did,” I answer without making eye contact.

“You’re sure they did, or you know they did? Because they’re usually here for brunch, and neither one is. Shit, you idiots lost them at some point, didn’t you? I’ll call and check on them, but I’m not lying to Chubs if he finds out and comes after you two,” Horse says as he stands and pulls his phone out of his pocket.

As Horse walks away, phone pressed to his ear, Reeves asks, “Why does he keep talking about the women?”

“Better question I’d like answered is why were you sleeping naked in my tub this morning?” I ask in a low tone.

“The girls were?” Reeves asks while still not lifting his head.

Frustrated, I slap the back of his head and ignore his moan.

“You don’t remember sleeping in my tub?”

“I remember waking up naked on your bathroom floor. I didn’t realize at first it was your room and not my own. Our rooms are identical. When I walked out of the bathroom, you were talking with Pigeon, and I realized where I was, so I walked out,” Reeves answers in a low tone with his head still resting on his arms. “Why’s Horse going on about the women? I thought he still had a thing for Tessie, not Lisa or Aria.”

“He does, and he’s asking about them because they’re not here and usually are. They were at the club with you and me when the others headed home,” I reply while still trying to put the pieces together in my head.

When Reeves doesn’t say anything, I turn back to chug more of my coffee. When Reeves starts snoring, I slap the back of his head again. If I have to be awake and face whatever the hell we did last night, so does he.

“Why do you keep doing that, you sadistic ass?” Reeves mumbles.

“You were in my tub naked this morning, and when I woke up, Lisa came stumbling out of there. Pigeon watched you walk out of my room, didn’t see the girls, and is now assuming you and I are a couple that’s hiding our sexuality from the club. That’s just one of many of the reasons why I keep slapping you,” I respond with no small amount of heat in my voice.

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