Page 34 of Renegade

Whoa. Back the motherfucking bus up.

This time it was my mouth that fell open in shock. “You’ve never done this before? So, you’re a—”

She waved her hand erratically. “No, not that. I just meant that I’ve never slept with someone I just met…not that we’d necessarily be doing a lot of sleeping, but you know what I mean. Oh god, I’m rambling again…”

Her voice trailed off and I surprised her by reaching for her hand. “Hey, it’s okay, Red. Let’s grab that drink and you can tell me more about the art world. Do you own any phallic sculptures?”

She snorted with laughter. “Wow, I was not expecting you to go there. I am a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to phallic sculptures, but really—what single girl isn’t?”

I bit the inside of my cheek. She was something else—quick, witty, and cute as hell. I gathered up the empty beer bottles and threw them away, while she grabbed her sandals and began walking back toward the event center.

“Hey, look at this!” She was stopped in front of a beach bulletin board. “Horseback riding on the beach. I didn’t know that they did this. I love horses.”

I looked over her shoulder at the ad and shrugged. “Horses are cool, but have you ever ridden a beard?” Then I bit down lightly at the point where her neck met her shoulder, eliciting another giggle from her.

By the time we reached the event center, we were hanging onto each other as if we were drunk, but I’d never been more sober in my life.

She dusted bits of sand off of her dress and then looked over at me with a small grin. “You just have a little something right here. Let me help you.” Her fingertips grazed my jaw and I kept my eyes locked on hers, not wanting to miss a thing.

“Are we ready for that drink now?” I arched my eyebrows up and down suggestively and she bit down on her lip to keep from laughing again.

“Just give me a minute. I just want to freshen up in my room. It won’t take long. I’ll meet you back down here in five.” Then she was gone, before I’d even had a chance to respond.

Five minutes.

She better not suddenly end up with cold feet or I, sure as shit, would comb every inch of this place to find her.

I scanned my card against the door and stepped into my dark hotel room.If Lauren was going to freshen up, then hell, I’d give my boys a once over and make sure they were up for tonight.

I flicked the light switch and jumped back in fright. Grey was sitting on the upholstered chair in the corner with a cigar hanging out of his mouth.

“Holy fuck, Grey! Who let you in here?” I clutched my chest and moved around the room until I was within arm’s reach of my gun.

He looked over at the nightstand and then back at me. “Don’t bother, kid. I already got that one.” My eyes darted over to the closet and he shook his head, “’Fraid I got that one too. I came here to talk some sense into you—if that’s even possible anymore. Have you fucking seen yourself? You’re getting sloppy.”

I ignored his question and grabbed a bottle from the minibar. I didn’t even bother checking to see what it was before upending it into my waiting mouth.

With a little liquid courage running through my veins, I unleashed on him. “You think I’m getting sloppy? Then start doing your own fucking dirty work. Oh, yeah, you think you’re a big guy running an empire from underground. You know what me and the rest of the goddamn world think? That you’re a fucking pussy. You’ll hide behind the club walls and let the world think you’re dead so that you get off scot free and the club’s left holding the smoking gun. You wanna talk about me? Well, guess what, mother fucker? I wanna talk about you. Where the fuck do you get off?”

Grey was out of his chair and in my face before I’d even finished talking. He grabbed me by the lapels and shoved me back into the wall, snarling, “Only one of us in this room has any motherfucking sense when it comes to running a club and that sure as fuck ain’t you, boy. No, you’re too damn preoccupied with where your next lay and drink are coming from to see the big picture. Now, I’m shelling out a lot of cash to someone who isn’t putting the club first. You care to remind me why?”

I shoved him off of me, ready for the fist that I knew was inevitably coming. Hell, I’d just barely avoided it with David after my speech at the reception. Instead of coming back at me though, he adjusted his shirt and rubbed his face.

I straightened my own shirt and stood up straight. I’d learned to stand like a man thanks to my father’s ‘guidance’ as a kid. “You’re damn right I’m not putting the club first. Wanna know why? Because I work for the City of Lubbock, asshole. My loyalty lies with the police department, first and foremost. If your club goes against that; well, then guess what, fucker? You’re going against me too. You’re gonna need more than one detective to keep all that illegal shit buried. Damn, I don’t know that even an entire police force could help you now.”

Grey ran a hand over his face again before cracking his knuckles. “Is that right? So, as long as the club was keeping your illegal shit buried it was fine, but you’re not willing to return the favor?”

I grabbed another bottle from the minibar and downed it. That one was vodka. I still wasn’t sure what the first one was. “I’m out, Grey. I’ve got no interest in covering up for you anymore.”

He nodded and sank back down into the chair. Looked like the old man was finally coming around to the voice of reason. It made no fucking sense for a cop to keep covering his ass. He had the entire club to manage that just nicely for him.

“You’re done? No talking you into staying?”

I shook my head and laughed. “Nope. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a redhead waiting for me downstairs. And I’d really like it if you weren’t here by the time we make it back upstairs.”

Grey crossed his legs and smiled at me. “Already found yourself another one. Well, it never takes long with you, does it? Imagine how good you could be if you didn’t think with your dick all the time?”

I walked over to the mirror and checked my hair and shirt before curtly responding with, “Fuck you, Grey.”

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