Page 7 of The Oath We Take

The glare he gives me is unreadable. I’m not sure if he’s pissed at me because I just told him to stand down or because I let the customer get that close to me.

I’m not sure I care, because there is no way the beer in my bar is warm. I checked the settings on the fridge when I grabbed the second bottle for him, and it’s perfect as always.

Catfish looks over and sees my hand out. He turns back to the girls and encourages Atom to do the same.

“Big watchdog you got there,” Rocco says.

I humph, but I can’t help comparing Rocco’s mischievous dark brown eyes to Atom’s intense green ones. “He’s a friend of my dad’s.”

“And who is your dad? Should I be scared of him?”

If there is one thing I hate most, it’s men who try to use me to get to my father. I’ve been approached by men who took me out for dinner, then at the end of the night asked if I’d broker an intro to Nolan “Butcher” Deeks, the president of the local Iron Outlaws chapter.

I’ve been approached by men my father squeezed for money who want my help brokering some kind of peace. Some are direct. Some try to woo me to fall in love with them in the hope that Daddy won’t do anything that would hurt his daughter’s feelings.

What they don’t realize is my dad won’t care about any of that. While I know he loves me, there will always be the hint of disappointment in his eyes that I’m not the fourth-generation Outlaw son he wanted. That I’m not a good club princess who oversees the domestic duties of the club. I’m not cooking breakfasts for a bunch of sweaty men who won’t treat me as an equal.

I have a love-hate relationship with the club because of it. It’s a huge found family. There’s always someone ready to reach out with help if you need it.

But it also cost me proximity to my mom, who now lives in Austin with my stepdad. She thinks I chose the club over her, which is so far from the truth. Mom used to be my very best friend, but now, things are…strained.

And the Outlaws refuse to let me have my dad because it’s club first, last, and always with him.

He missed my high school graduation because of “club biz” that I’m never allowed to know anything about. He didn’t travel to my university graduation because he couldn’t be away from the club long enough to make the trip. And I’ll likely ask my stepfather to walk me down the aisle for my wedding, because at least I know he’ll show up and be there for me.

I’m maybe fourth on the list of things Dad truly gives a shit about. But I stayed with him because he held Lemmy over me. He knew I’d have to give my horse up if I went with Mom. Refusing to pay for stables and food if I left, knowing Mom couldn’t afford it, was its own kind of cruel.

Thing is, I’ve never understood why he wanted me to stay when he treats me as an inconvenience.

Thank God my grandparents on both sides saw through it all to see me. Most twenty-seven-year-olds don’t own a bar, but as the only grandchild on both my parents’ sides, I’ve been the beneficiary of two significant wills.

On my mom’s side there’s self-made money from investing in car dealerships. On my dad’s side is illegally attained club money. My grandpa was a canny biker who lived cheaply and saved hard.

My mom’s parents wanted me to continue to educate myself with the money. My dad’s parents wanted me to build a house on the land they left to my dad. But who wants to live so close to their parent?

So, I got a business degree, bought a bar, and live above it. Sure, I have some loans, but I’m privileged enough to know they aren’t the kind that will devastate me financially for years.

“Rocco, you should be scared of me,” I say with a wink.

He laughs, placing both palms on the bar. “You’re too fucking cute to be scary.”

I bite down on my lower lip. “Looks can be very deceptive.” I turn and ring up his drinks before taking his payment.

“Look, I get that you’re working, but what are the chances there’s a night when you aren’t? Can a guy take you out to dinner?”

“We’re out of slices,” Jada says as she walks by me.

I glance at the tray where we keep lemons and limes. “I’ll go get them.” I turn back to Rocco. “I would like that. Come find me before you leave, and I’ll give you my number.”

He grins at me. “I will. It’s nice meeting you…?” He lets the question hang, and I know what he’s looking for.

“Ember. My name is Ember.”

“Ember,” he says. “I like it.”

I push away from the bar and head towards the access to the kitchen.

“You really gotta flirt with every guy who comes in here, huh?” Atom says as I pass by him.

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