Page 2 of Gunner

I looked back at my brother and wondered if it was worth it.

“He’ll get a good night’s sleep.”

Running my hand over my face, I watched as Cash lifted the bottle to his lips. A woman sauntered over to him and ran her hand up his arm. He grabbed it before she reached his elbow.

I saw the moment he went too far.

“Call Tank,” I growled, standing from my stool and rushing to the corner booth. My hand slammed down on Cash’s shoulder, the one connected to the hand holding the woman’s wrist a little too hard.

“Easy, brother,” I whispered in a tone that said,‘Don’t test me.’

As the sergeant at arms in the club, I had earned the respect of my brothers. Both through my position, and my take-no-bullshit attitude when it came to protecting my brothers.

Sometimes from themselves.

Even through the haze of alcohol, he knew I wasn’t playing. Cash looked up at me and let the woman go. Without removing my hand, I turned to the woman.

“Sorry, darlin’. Go get a drink at the bar. Tell the bartender to put it on my tab.”

The woman looked at me, then back at Cash. The fear in her eyes I saw when I first walked up was now replaced withsympathy. Her lips parted like she wanted to say something but decided against it. Instead, she turned on her heel and walked to the bar.

She spoke to Grace, and when Grace looked over at me, I nodded, letting her know it was ok.

With my hand on Cash’s shoulder, I squeezed. “What the fuck was that?”

“Didn’t ask to be touched. Bitch should have kept her hands to herself.”

I stared at my friend.

Cash and I prospected at the same time. He was nineteen, and I was twenty-one. We were both looking for something and found it in the Silver Shadows.

He was looking for adventure, he told me. Something that would get his blood pumping. Add some excitement to his life.

Cash’s parents were an older couple when they had him. Lived in a middle-class neighborhood, worked middle-class jobs, and provided a nice middle-class life.

My parents were the opposite. I had plenty of adventure growing up, plenty of excitement. Just not the good kind.

What I had was the kind that had you sleeping with one eye open while you protected your little sister from predators your parents let into the house so they could get high.

I had lived my whole life around drugs, sex, and killing. Joining the MC hadn’t changed that fact. The only reason I joined the Silver Shadows was to protect my baby sister. She was thirteen when I joined. I rented an apartment and moved her into it.

My parents hadn’t even noticed.

I thought I could keep my club life separate from my sister. And I did for a while. Until one day after she graduated from high school, when she showed up at the clubhouse to tell me she’d gotten into the college of her choice.

She didn’t want to wait, she said.

That day, I caught one of my brothers pinning her in a corner, groping her. I beat the shit out of him and then cut ties with my sister. I sent her off to college, which I paid for, but I didn’t have contact with her. She was better than this life. It had been ten years since I’d seen her.

This life was hard. Especially on the women.

I ripped the bottle from Cash’s hand, signaling to Grace.

“What the fuck? Give that back!” He growled.

“Not gonna let you sit here and drink yourself to death.”

“Fuck you, Gunner.”

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