Page 59 of Lucifer's Hounds

My stomach sinks a bit as I turn on the lamp. He isn’t in the other bed either. I reach for my phone and there are no messages or missed calls. What the fuck?

Panic begins to creep in as I dial Cass’s number. It rings and rings until finally it goes to voicemail. He didn’t answer and he hasn’t read the text I sent before I fell asleep. I cannot lay in this bed any longer. I feel like something’s wrong. Somethings off. Right? It has to be. I step into a pair of the blue jeans and tug one of the shirts over my head. I put on the shoes I arrived in and head downstairs to the hotel lobby.

My head is reeling. If he got off work at a decent time, he should have been back here long before now. Unless he decided to go out to a bar or to see someone else or…whatever. But he wouldn’t have wanted me here if there was someone else he had to go see in that way. I don’t even know where he works. I have no fucking idea where to go to find him.Fuck!

Unsure of where I’m going yet, I call for a cab to come and get me anyway. The cab driver arrives in no time and I climb in.

“Where do you need to go, Miss?” he asks.

“Are there any biker hangouts around here?” I ask, hoping I don’t sound as ridiculous as I feel by asking that. The cab driver chuckles at my question, making my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

“Only about twenty of them. Which one are you looking for?” he asks.

“I don’t really know.”

“Are you looking for a particular MC or just any place where you can find a biker?” the cab driver inquires.

“I’m looking for Lucifer’s Hounds,” I say reluctantly, unsure of if this was a bad idea or not. Too late. Can’t take it back now.

“Lucifer’s Hounds? They have their own bar about ten minutes up the road.”

I smile at the cab driver’s words. “Take me there.”

If there were any place Cass would be, it would be at the bar his club owned. At least that’s what I’m hoping for. It takes less than ten minutes to get from the hotel to the bar. The sign outside is lit up in neon yellow with the name “Killin’ Time” blinking in purple letters. There are about fifteen bikes parked in front of the bar, but I don’t see Cass’s truck anywhere.

“You sure you want to be at this place, Miss?” the cab driver asks, looking concerned for my safety.

“I’m sure,” I reassure him.

“How much do I owe you?”

“Fifteen dollars.” I hand him a twenty and step out, my stomach in a small knot.

I steady my breathing and walk through the door. I’m surprised by what I find on the other side of the door. From every stereo-type I’ve ever heard, I expected to see strippers and half-naked women walking around, dancing and giving out blowjobs at the bar like they’re candy. However, that wasn’t the case at all. It’s seems surprisingly normal. The jukebox plays a George Jones tune and there are a few patch holders sitting at the bar drinking beer and bullshitting.

No one cat-calls me as I walk in, nor does anyone give me so much as a second glance. It’s got a laid-back atmosphere and everyone seems to be having a good time. I look at the men sitting at the bar, likereallylook at them. Almost every single one of them is Lucifer’s Hounds. A crowd of people beginhollering and whistling, drawing my attention to the back of the bar.

There’s a small dance floor with a crowd of people creating a small circle around Shorty, the prospect that delivered my clothes earlier, bouncing everywhere in the center, dancing his ass off.

“Lilly!” Shorty yells my name when he sees me.

He begins moving in my direction and the crowd around him moves, clearing a path to me.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, half out of breath.

“Looking for Cass.” I cross my arms over my chest defensively.

Shorty half-ass giggles. “He isn’t here. But you can uncross your arms. No one here is going to make you leave.” I sigh and uncross my arms.

“You want a drink?” Shorty asks, leading me over to the bar.

“Sure. Have you heard from Cass?” I ask.

“Nope. Not a word. What are you drinking?”

“Crown and Seven. Double please.” I flash him a sarcastic smile as he steps behind the bar to make me a drink.

Where the fuck is Cass? Why am I even here if he didn’t plan on being around at all? My mind is racing, making me grateful for the drink Shorty sets in front of me.

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