Page 33 of Smooth As Whiskey

Asher scoffed, “Yeah, fucking right. That boy made it clear you’re his a few weeks ago when he laid Dawg out.”

“Well, I told him how I felt about him. Laid my heart out, and he told me he couldn’t say anything. That he just didn’t know.” I said through gritted teeth.

Seeing the arm that belonged to the man I wanted to call mine with every breath in my body curled around Cynammin’s body, I wanted to scream.

But that would upset Maisie, and that was something I wouldn’t allow to happen.

But something needed to change.

I just needed to get away for a little while. Figure out if I really wanted Irish in any way I could have him. And since I still had a week left on my contract, that would be up to Asher.

And with that thought firmly on my mind, I looked at Maisie, then I called out, “Asher?”

He looked at me and jerked his chin, “Right here, doll.”

I looked into his gray eyes, “Do actions really speak louder than words?”

He took a deep pull from his cigar, “Yeah, they fuckin’ do. Thought you knew that.”

I shrugged, “I figured. I just wish my heart didn’t feel as though someone took a pair of pruning shears to it. Ripped into it. And shredded it.”

He growled, “Why?”

“Cause, Irish asked me if I had Maisie. And when I said that I did, like I always do, he went to her.”

I didn’t need to explain who theherwas.

He knew.

Everyone knew.

“That fuckin’ boy. He’s going to fuck up and fuck up huge, and when he does, he’s going to have nobody to blame but himself.”

And when I saw how Pipe held onto Gabby and Coal held onto Adeline, I asked, “Think you can make some calls to another club for me? Not as a club girl. But just somewhere safe for me to gather my thoughts and get away from here?

Asher sighed, “Normally, I wouldn’t do this kiddie shit. But he’s made his own bed. It’s time for him to lie in it.”

I chuckled softly, “Kiddie shit?”

“Yeah, girl likes boy. Boy knows it. Boy thinks with his dick. Hurts the girl. Kiddie shit.”

I chuckled softly again, fighting back the tears that wanted to streak down my cheeks.

I knew Asher saw it; he saw everything, and that was why he nodded and said, “I’ll make some calls, darlin’.”

“Thanks,” I whispered, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

Well, the first shoe dropped when he didn’t say anything but what he did.

The second shoe dropped when he took that woman into the clubhouse.

And the third shoe... well... I was waiting for it.

Not with bated breath.

And I wouldn’t know that the very next day it would happen.

***

---