Page 4 of Smooth As Whiskey

And when whatever was huddled there shifted, and their face was revealed, I felt something in my gut tighten.

Unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.

But I was the stupid son of a bitch that ignored that gut feeling.

And I wouldn’t know until years later… when I looked in the mirror, I would only have myself to blame.

Chapter 1

Irish

Almost Two Years Later

“Okay, Sutton is two months away from completing her term with us,” At Asher’s words, I felt every single eye come to me.

And seeing as that was eighteen eyes, I felt fucking naked.

Which was why I popped off, “Why the fuck are y’all looking at me for?”

Priest lifted his brow, “Cause you basically piss a circle around her any time another man gets near her.”

I scoffed, “No, I fucking don’t.”

Right?

Trigger cackled and then said, “Right. That’s why you punched the president of the Pagan’s Soldiers in the face for daring to run his hand over her ass.”

Whit nodded his head, “And that’s why you told an Immoral Saints member that Sutton had chlamydia and wasn’t starting the antibiotics until dinner time. And you said that to him right as you saw him watching her ass as she swayed back and forth to a Beatles song.”

Pipe snickered, “Or the time that guy sidled up to her in Juniper’s and asked her for a dance. It was a dance, Irish, not a meet in the back hallway. You grabbed him by his shirt collar and dragged him out the door.”

Rome, who rarely spoke to anyone, unlike Creature, who we all missed, said, “Yeah, and when she was going for a coffee witha guy who cuts hair with her. You made up some bullshit excuse that caused her to stay here. And the man would rather bone all of us than get anywhere near Sutton.”

I held my hands up, “Okay. Okay. So what? She’s a friend. All those assholes are pussies. They couldn’t handle a woman like Sutton.”

“Well, I wouldn’t call Steel a pussy. Fucking ever. That man earned his road name,” Asher said from the head of the table.

Okay, he was right. But I wasn’t referring to the president of the Pagan’s Soldiers with that pussy comment.

Priest followed Asher’s statement with one of his own, “Well, since we’ve never sampled her, we don’t know what you mean.”

I ran my hand through my hair that needed a trim. Sutton just bought new scissors, so I would have her do it tonight.

“Look, I just meant that they wouldn’t take care of the goodness in her. They would hurt her. And I won’t fucking have that.” I said.

“Like you keep hurting her whenever Cynnamin shows up at the clubhouse?” Stoney asked.

I shrugged, “Me and Cynnamin go way back.”

And I would be damned if I divulged what was really going on with me and Cynnamin.

She made me a promise, and I made her one.

And I never break my fucking word.

And yes... I saw Sutton’s face every single time Cynnamin showed up at the clubhouse and saw the hurt on her face... butthere was nothing I could do about it without going back on my word.

A man was nothing if not for his word.