Page 2 of Rook

“Sounds like you need a drink,” Raff said, pushing a beer toward me.

Normally, I had to be careful with alcohol. Even though my previous conviction had nothing at all to do with alcohol or drugs, Nancy Bird had taken it upon herself to forbid drinking during my parole.

But I’d watched her drive out of town twenty minutes before. And given how flat this part of the state was, I could see her for many miles off.

She wasn’t coming back.

I could have a drink or two, maybe even spend the night at the clubhouse. Preferably with a woman who would make me forget all about my parole officer.

“Why aren’t we all back at the clubhouse right now?” I asked.

It was late enough in the evening that the guys should have been able to find some women to bring home and party with.

“Competition is stiffer than usual,” Raff said, swiveling on his stool to look out at the bar where, yeah, several pretty women were being chatted up by the strangers in town.

“Well, when the guys try to bring them back to Jake’s shoddy motel, they’ll come running back to us,” Coach said, moving up beside me. “Nancy?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said, tipping back my beer.

“Will be doing yoga and meditation with Vienna and Everleigh in the morning, if you need some peace.”

“Looking for a different kind of peace tonight,” I said, nodding my chin over toward a group of women who’d just walked in. All high heels and skintight dresses. Shady Valley didn’t have a club, so they had to wear their partying dresses here at the understated Irish mafia pub.

“Gotta respect that too,” Coach said with a smile as he moved away from the bar to approach the group of women.

“Lula! My heart! The most beautiful woman in any room.” Raff was laying it on thick. And Lula, as always, was rolling her eyes but smiling.

To be fair, Lula was a complete smoke show. She was all soft in face and body, with high cheekbones, a delicate jaw, big light brown eyes, curves in all the right places, and dark, flawless skin that looked edited even in real life.

This week, she had her long black hair in passion twists.

“Hey, Raff. Here again?” she asked, seeming surprised as she moved around, making herself a drink. Of the nonalcoholic variety.

“I’m grounded.”

“Got yourself into trouble in Miami?” Lula asked.

“Oh, just a little mishap with a megayacht.”

“Wait, seriously?” Lula asked, turning with her drink in her hand.

“The Coast Guard had their panties in a twist,” Raff said. “It was just a little—“

“International incident,” Colter said, lips twitching.

“So, what I’m hearing is you are only here because you got in trouble, not because you want to impregnate me with your babies as you are always claiming you want.”

“Darlin’,” Raff said, resting his arms on the counter and leaning forward. “I got free time right now. You’ve got an office back there, right? The door lock?”

“There’s the silly little horn dog I know and… tolerate,” Lula said, giving him a warm smile before turning and walking back to her office.

“Hey, what are the rules at the psychiatric hospital for family members?” Colter asked, looking over at me.

“What?”

“Could other family members of yours visit your mom?”

“I don’t have any other family.” It had always just been the two of us.

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