Page 5 of Pearl
Hawg leads me and the ladies past Carver and Lucky and some wild-eyed bikers. Some of the female dancers have gonefull nude and are dancing on the bar’s top in nothing more than red, five-inch heels.
I roll my eyes skyward. Biker bunnies, some in every club. Taking it all off for entertainment while some of the bikers’ ole ladies slam down their beers and eye them like they’re gearing up to give them a good beatdown. And they do too, maybe not around their men, but those bunnies come too close to their men and those women know how to lay down.
The ladies and I follow Hawg across the club and down a long white corridor decorated with patches and biker paraphernalia. Carver doesn’t glance up as we pass, but the feel of his eyes on my ass heats my skin as I walk through the crowd. The smell of burgers and fries permeates the air as we pass the kitchen before we stop at a solid white door on the right-hand side of the hall.
Hawg digs in his jean pockets, produces a keyring and opens the door, then gestures with a hand as he turns on the light in the darkened space. “Ladies first, watch your step. Take a left when you reach the bottom.” The distinct sound of the jangle of his keys causes my jaw to tense, but I fucking trust Duchess, no matter that I’ve just followed the prez of the Phoenix Crew into a situation that I don’t have fucking control over.
Trust or not, my jaw tightens with angst. I do trust Duchess, but damn it this doesn’t feel good. But still, the first priority is keeping the ladies safe and if our club has been compromised, this is where we should be.
Hawg seems to sense my concern. “Don’t worry, Pearl. No one’s going to get to them here.”
I trust the Phoenix Crew and Duchess with my life and that of the ladies. But still, nothing about this night is going according to plan.
Once we’re in the lower level, I feel at least a little better. The large open space is decorated with a long brown couch, a matching love seat, and a big 90’s style puffy recliner. The bigscreen television is hanging on the wall, and the space flows into an open concept mini kitchens of sorts complete with a full-size refrigerator, microwave, and hot plate that sits on the counter. Nothing ominous or threatening in this club area.
Hawg turns to me. “There’s only three bedrooms down here, but both of the couches pull out into beds. You’ll have to fight over your spaces, but it will be safe. Pearl, let the ladies get settled in and come with me. We need to talk.” He turns on a boot and heads to the door, clearly expecting that I’ll follow.
Onyx arches her brows.
“I’ll be fine,” I tell her quietly, patting my pearl-handled Glock and knowing I’ve got two backup knives holstered just in case. Because I don’t take fucking chances.
Chapter 4
Carver
The sassy blonde and her crew of ladies follow Hawg through the club. Damn that female is fine, no matter the attitude. It takes effort to draw my eyes from that heart-shaped ass and get back to the business at hand. Edge and Reeps are drinking at the bar. The minute they see me, Edge gets a big smile on his face. “You made it in record time. You must have been flying through those motherfucking canyons.”
Lucky and I take a seat.“I wasn’t sitting still, that’s for damn sure. Not packing that much shit.”
Edge nods, takes the backpack, and unzips it. “Yeah, lots of crews are heading in for the meet in Tucson. Did Hawg ask if you could make another run? We’re gonna need more than this. Staying south as long as it takes to talk some sense into a few crews, if you get my meaning. This rumble is growing fast as word gets out.”
“Copy that. It’s all set. I’m going to crash here tonight, head back to Vegas in the morning, and make a quick turnaround. I’ll be back in time.”
Edge shakes my hand. “Good deal. Feel free to grab some beers and food. I’m going to get back to the party,” he says,eyeing up a cute little blonde who looks like she’s shaking her ass just for him.
I order a couple cold beers from the barkeep and pass one to Lucky, who is intermittently eyeing up one of the resident bunnies. “Thanks for the help. I didn’t expect you to ride all the way here with me today. I thought you had things to keep an eye on back in Vegas.”
Lucky nods. “I did, and the more I think about it, the more it bothers me. Maybe it was just a nice way to give me something to do to keep me out of their way, you know what I mean? If they wanted me with them, they would have said so. The more I think about how things got handled, the more I want to walk away. My brothers may be the same people, and I love them man, don’t get me wrong, but the dudes they’re running with, I don’t think they’re for me.”
If anyone gets it, I do. A lone wolf through and through. I may get along with most, but at the end of the day, I answer to me. “Take your time man. You don’t have to be in a rush to join a crew or do anything that you don’t want to do. If you’re feeling ill at ease, I’d trust my gut. That instinct is what kept us alive in prison, remember that.”
Lucky takes a pull on his beer. “Yeah, definitely not feeling a hundred percent with this crew. It’s only the loyalty to the guys that’s making the decision hard.”
“Loyalty is king man, but make sure they’re still worthy of it. You know?”
My attention strays from Lucky to Hawg as he leads the blonde babe with the sassy tongue back through the main level of the club without the other females. She follows him through the back hall, passing by the kitchen window, probably on the way to the crew-only area. The Phoenix Crew have their club laid out for optimal escape routes, and lower-level hide-outs. I’ve been in the crew side of the lower level a few timesduring previous trips but it’s not open to many. And Pearl looks cautious and hesitant.
I’ve known Hawg for years, and he doesn’t mistreat the females, but still, that look on her face causes me concern. Maybe the little badass is planning some shit. And I’m just the man to shut it down. I turn to Lucky. “Stay here. If I don’t come back in fifteen, cause one hell of a distraction.”
He grins. “You know I will, I’m all over that shit.”
I put my beer down and follow Hawg and Pearl through the back area of the bar, listening for anything amiss as I walk down the stairs to the lower-level crew area. The club room is much nicer than the one he left the ladies in, much nicer with a huge-ass big screen hanging on the wall if memory serves. I stop as Hawg’s voice reverberates gruffly through the door on my left. “It’s for their protection. Nobody knows you’re here, and no one is getting through the men in our club tonight, but we take no chances, copy?”
Pearl didn’t seem scared or in any danger, yet there’s something about him bringing her down here alone that I don’t like one fucking bit. Her voice carries through the door. “Yeah, I get it. It’s just been a hell of a fucked-up night. We brought the Harlots who were at the club when we found out the ladies may have been tracked, but the others should arrive soon. You can accommodate us all?”
“I’ve got men outside waiting for them as we speak.”
“Hopefully you put the asshole who greeted me in his place. My crew won’t be as nice to him as I was if he pulls that macho bullshit with them.”
