Page 20 of Daddy Issues

The clubhouse itself reminded me of an expensive roadhouse bar. Mostly one giant room on the bottom floor, with a kitchen and bar on one side and the tribute hall and conference sort of room on the other side. They called that room The Chapel and it was the only room in the place I’d never been in. If you weren’t an officer, you didn’t go in.

Archer’s bike still held a place of prominence in the very center, bisecting the pool tables from the stage and seating areas. Sometimes Puck set up a tattoo station there, especially at big events and when guys got patched in, because their Desert Kings tattoo came immediately after the patch.

All these things ran through my head as I tried to remember a time when I loved it here. When I didn’t feel like all the heads that turned were judging me for what I’d done. Hell, I hadn’t even spoken to Cam since that night. I was terrified to.

“Hold the fuck up,” a familiar, jovial voice called from the seating area. Jester was tall, probably an inch or two taller andleaner than Puck. His long legs ate up the smooth wooden floor as he advanced on me. “Who do we have here?”

I had a few seconds to brace myself before he snatched me up, tossed me over a tattooed shoulder, and spun me like a little kid. So much for not drawing extra attention. My laughter was instantaneous, his joy contagious.

“Good to see you, Kenna.” He dropped me and tucked me against his chest, swaying to the music, and dropping a kiss to my head. “Where you been?”

“Working.” Not a lie. “Trying to get the fuck out of David’s place.”

“That bad?” He cast a sideways glance to where Nadine held court with the older, played-out patch bunnies. Then took a pull from the dark, imported beer bottle. “Bitches.”

“You have no idea.” I shook my head and shrugged. Jester was one of those guys who was too hot for his own good. And he knew it, so he was cocky but in an almost adorable way. And he was a fuck all good kisser.

“Yo, Probie. I need another beer,” he half shouted at Ghost.

I flinched, looking away before he could catch my eye. “He yours now?”

Jester snorted and nodded, but said nothing about Preacher or his absence.

“That bad, huh?” I tossed his words back at him and slid under his arm, hugging his side. Ever so slightly, the proverbial bandage was sliding off without ripping at my skin.

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

I elbowed him in the stomach, unwound myself from his embrace, and looked around for Puck. “Where’s the big guy?”

“Out back, got a fire going. Want me to go get him?” He studied me like he could see right through me. Then, like he found what he was looking for, the corner of his mouth twitched.

That was the thing with Jester. Around the arrogance and all his jokes, there was something deeper, darker, and far more intelligent than a lot of people gave him credit for. Truth be told, I think he liked it that way. Especially around here.

They didn’t hand out seats at the Desert Kings’ table to idiots. No matter how sexy they were.

“I’m good.” I squeezed him a little tighter. Another reason I’d stayed away. Not just avoiding David’s new girl, but avoiding those who’d seen what I’d done to myself that night. “I promise.”

Pulling myself away from Jester was hard. Not because I could still remember the way he’d kissed me. But because I felt safe there. In that same vein, it was easier to go outside and face Puck than Riley…or Cam Savage. Archer’s daughter had breezed into Dry Valley like a breath of fresh air, and then saved my life as much as Puck had.

I paused, my hand on the handle to the back door. I hadn’t seen Cam since that night, on purpose. But I’d missed Riley so much, I was willing to chance his ire. I almost walked to the bar, where he leaned on an elbow talking with someone.

Cam Savage wasn’t an immediately imposing figure like Puck or even Jester. But he was close to six feet, with blond hair cropped short on the sides and slicked back from his face. What made him scary was the sharp edge to everything he did. He was handsome, but then he’d smile and you knew immediately he’d done terrible things and it wouldn’t take much for him to do them again.

When he saw me, his blue gaze caught mine and held. I waited a breath. Months ago, my self-sabotaging partying had tugged his ole lady into something dangerous. He probably hated me for that. Or at least, had shit to say that I didn’t think I could handle hearing.

Then he surprised me. His lips slid into an easy smile, and he gestured me over to the bar in a way that told me I shouldn’t have been worried about anything at all.

He sat his beer bottle down and called over his shoulder. I couldn’t hear his words, but his lips formed the hard ‘r’ sound.Riley.By the time she slipped through the swinging kitchen door, tears stung the back of my eyes.

I was moving as soon as she was and dropped my bag on the stool between Cam and Merc. Riley squealed over the music and hugged me, hard. She smelled like sunshine and all things happy. I hadn’t seen her in months and had to fight back tears.

“Hey, hey.” She pulled back with a big, happy smile. “You look great. Purple now?” She flipped the dyed ends of my dark hair.

“Yeah.” But what she didn’t ask was how I really was. Which, now that she was here, was pretty damn amazing. I hugged her again. I didn’t have many friends, never had. Sure, there were people I knew, people I was friendly with. But Dylan and Riley were the first real girlfriends in my whole life. I’d missed them terribly.

The shame in my actions was real, but the less weight it carried the longer she held me and smiled. But when I looked at Cam, I remembered what I almost cost him. Because I was angry, stupid, and didn’t think about anyone but myself.

“I’m so sorry, Cam.” This time, the tears did trickle out. I released Riley and swiped at them with the back of my hand.

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