Page 14 of Covert
I blanche as they part, making room for us to get to Scar. He wraps me in a tight bear hug, lifting my feet off the ground. I grunt at the impact but can't help the laughter that peels out of me.
When he sets me back on the ground, I'm sure I'm blushing.
"Liberty?"
"Yeah. Library-Barbie. Li-barbie. Liberty."
"A club name?" I ask, incredulously.
He sets a warm, rough hand on my shoulder and smiles through his beard. "Yeah, I figured if you were Diesel's girl, you'd get a club name anyway. And I heard one of the guys in the shop call you Library Barbie."
I wince. Yeah, Diesel and I need to have that talk. Being given a club name is an incredible honor. It means you've been accepted; that you're one of them and that you belong. He's acting like I'm Diesel's old lady already when we've only met once. It means the club trustsme and will offer me their protection if I need it. It makes me one of them. It's a scary honor.
"Scar, this is my friend Leana." Leana offers him a hand, and they shake - an oddly formal moment surrounded by a bike gang.
"We were hoping you could help us find Diesel. We wanted to give him this." I hold up the bottle of whiskey sheepishly.
Scar's gaze rakes me from head to toe, and I'm even more nervous than I was before.
"You dressed up for him."
I cough in uncomfortable silence as I feel my cheeks heat.
"I...no... she..."
Scar laughs.
"He'll love it."
I groan as Scar throws his arm over my shoulders and we meander through the crowd.
"Last I saw him, he was by the fire pit."
We navigate through the crowd, catching stares from everyone we pass. Their leader walking around with two strange women, I'm sure, doesn't happen often.
Scar tugs me closer to him so he can whisper. "I don't know what book you recommended to my old lady, but I haven't gotten laid this much since we were 20. Keep 'em coming and I might need a Viagra prescription." He gives me a little shake, and I laugh. I'm glad his wife is enjoying my recs and that Scar's reaping the benefits.
"Give me her phone number if you want, and I can give her some more recs?"
He laughs loudly. "I knew I liked you."
We round a corner of the clubhouse, and Diesel and a handful of other men are sitting on large logs around a large fire pit surrounded by stones.
There's a heavily chested redhead sitting on Diesel's lap, and I'm instantly grateful. Hopefully, that means he wasn't too serious about pursuing me.
"Hey man, look who I found." Scar's voice booms. Ten heads swivel to greet us. Diesel shoots up, essentially dropping the girl on the ground in front of him. I wince on her behalf.
"You came," he says on a sigh. The redhead huffs her annoyance and glares at me. Great, I'm here all of three minutes and have already made an enemy.
"We brought you this. Scar told me what brand you like," I say, lamely holding up the bottle. Diesel steps over the redhead and walks up to us, eyes trained on me. The redhead stands up, brushing the dirt from her skin-tight jeans, and levels me with a glare meant to kill.
"You didn't have to do that. You already paid for my tattoo." I stiffen at his words. He's talking low, intimately, as if we're the only people here. Leana snickers.
"Okay, then it's from Leana. Leana, this is Diesel. He came into the shop the other day for his tattoo," I say lamely. She already knows this, but I'm dying for her to take the attention off me. Yes, I wanted his attention, but this isn't like in the shop. This is a display for dozens of people. This isn't him appreciating my body; this feels so much bigger and deeper than I was expecting.
I really am shit at reading people.
Leana sticks out her hand for another shake. Diesel takes it briefly before his eyes snap back to mine.
