Page 35 of Blue

So, he shot a text to his mother as he strolled back down the small hallway toward the kitchen. The hushed squabbling was music to his ears. This might be a dark time, but he could see dawn on the horizon. He could feel things were on the cusp of getting better.

Staring at his phone, he scrolled through the names and found her. Her bright smiling face illuminated the picture of the contact entry. His thumb hovered over it. Just one text. Just one line to let her know he thought about her. Hell, he could tell her about the house. That was a step in the right direction.

But not yet.

It wasn’t enough yet.

He needed to offer her the world. She deserved more than bits and pieces. He just hoped he had enough time to get his plan all together.

He just had to eat shit a bit longer before everything would be alright.

“Cut the shit out,” he hollered in his best dad’s voice as he entered the kitchen. “Let’s have a nice, civilized meal, okay?”

CHAPTER 11

Blue

The rest of the day at the tattoo shop flew by in a blur. Sweeping floors, wiping down cabinets, and taking inventory of inks was just the right amount of mind-numbing. “Can’t Take This Away” by Avoid played over the speakers as Blue reached for the last trash can to empty.

Crumpled eagle sketches mocked her. Renewed anger bubbled in her chest. That prick had played her. Set her up and then knocked her down before asking her out, yeah no. She didn’t engage in those games.

Muttering to herself, she yanked the bag out of the plastic bin and tied it in a knot.

“You okay?” Stella asked from behind her.

Mammoth had left for the night, and it was just the two ladies closing.

“Yeah,” Blue said with a sigh. “Just annoyed at myself for getting so excited about a tattoo only to have it turn out to be a creep.”

Coming to her side, the other tattoo artist nodded. “Yeah. It’s one thing you have to look forward to as a woman tattooing. The skeezy guys are all over.”

Blue pulled the replacement bag from the bottom of the bin. “I guess.”

It might not have hurt so much if she hadn’t needed a win so badly. Everything was up in the air. Tomorrow, when Mooky came into the shop, he could fire her. He could tell her to kick rocks and find a new place to apprentice.

She should have prepared for that. Why didn’t she set up her Plan B?

He was a biker, and they had egos. Since communication on runs was forbidden, her time at the shop could’ve just been an accident. Now that he was back and she’d broken up with him, anything could happen.

Her own inaction was going to bite her in the ass.

“You wanna get a drink or something?” Stella broke into her thoughts.

Letting the trash can fall back onto the ground, Blue nodded. “Yeah. That sounds great.”

“There’s this great Mexican place. They have the best margaritas.”

Mooky

Mooky hadn’t been this nervous or early for church since the day they voted on his patch. His personal problems spilling over onto the club was unacceptable. It was one thing to use the club lawyer. Having a cop sniffing around his soon-to-be ex-wife, his woman, and the club businesses was another thing entirely. He’d brought trouble to his brothers, and now the club would fix it—no matter the collateral damage.

He’d gotten a beer from Basketball Tits at the bar but had little interest in it. If Blue had been the one to bring it to him, he’d probably have felt different. She had a way about her. Having anyone else hand him drinks at the club felt weird.

Between his anxiety and the lack of Blue’s presence, the vibe in the clubhouse was off. There was a giant void. Her energy made all the difference. He needed to bring it back.

Letting out a sigh, he glanced at his beer. With only two sips missing, he used it as something to occupy his nervous hands. He twirled the bottle on the table, watching the little water rings it left behind.

Every so often, one or two of his brothers would wander into the room for church. Laughing with each other, drinking, or doing shots as they came in. They had no knowledge about what the cause of the meeting was. Mooky knew, and the weight of it bore down on him.

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