Page 37 of Zeppelin
“What the fuck?” I know it’s been over a week since we’ve seen each other. I was busy with markets this weekend, and he had club stuff here. My porch is still cut and ready tobe assembled. I’m not rushing him. There’s no timeline. I’m perfectly fine using the back stairs. If I’m being totally honest and blunt with myself, I can admit thatthisis more important than home renovations. But still. “I thought that when you asked me here, you’d actually want to show me around and we’d hang out or something.”
He stares at me like the ceiling just opened up and an alien leaped out and landed straight on my head.
Whatever. I might have recently become obsessed and did a marathon of all the alien movies with Gabe at the farm all this week.
This back hallway is lined with closed doors that have keypads on them. They’re all the same and I can only assume that this is where the men’s rooms are. Bronte told me that not all of them have houses outside of the clubhouse. Some of them live there permanently. I know that Jack did, and Zeppelin does too.
It slowly dawns on me that this is his version of asking me over.
“Hang out? Like bake cookies here or talk about bikes and cars or something?”
If he’s going to sass me about stuff like this, assuming that I wouldn’t be interested or intelligent enough to want to learn about his life, then we’re going to have an issue, and we’re going to have it right freaking now.
The heavy steps coming down the hall and the two men who turn the corner at the far end, save Zeppelin from getting a complete tongue lashing and having me walk straight back out of here. I get that he can’t be the same person at the club as he isoutside of it all the time. I’m actually thrilled that I get to see the softest parts of him, parts that no one else even knows exists. I know he’s not trying to be one thing with me and something else with his club buddies, but I don’t appreciate the assumptions.
I’ve only met Tyrant and Raiden a handful of times. Other people would probably be quaking in their boots to have to showdown with a motorcycle club’s president and vice-president, but all I’ve ever heard from Bronte and Dom about them are great things. It’s not a secret that Tyrant has done so much work to clean up Hart over the years. They both grew up here and they treasure this city. They might be rough, but they have principles. Tyrant is a father himself, and Raiden is married to a beautiful woman who teaches college here. They’re both smart, good leaders, ooze charisma even though they’re both physically imposing men.
They stop, share a not so subtle look, and then Raiden waves Tyrant off and turns back down the hall.
I swallow hard. The worst this man would ever do is kindly ask me to leave after probably explaining that the clubhouse is off-limits and apologizing to me twenty times, but still. There’s something about knowing that this is the man who all the other men in this club call Prez, who they all look up to, a man larger than life itself even though he’s relatively young, that is more than a little bit intimidating.
“Hey, Ginny. We didn’t know you were coming.” He extends his hand to me like a gentleman. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with it, so I stick mine out and shake it awkwardly.
Beside me, Zeppelin sighs.
“I- am I not allowed to be here?” I ask with a voice that trembles slightly even though I’d like it to be firm.
Tyrant throws back his head, his mane of dirty blond hair somehow illuminated like gold under the fluorescent lighting, and lets out a rich laugh. “You’re allowed to be here. But Carver isn’t here right now, and neither is Bronte. I just want to make sure you’re alright.”
Zeppelin narrows his eyes, but before he can say something stupid, I quickly respond. “Zep and I arefriends.” I emphasize the last word and immediately blush, getting flustered. Tyrant doesn’t know the situation. No one other than my family even knows that I’m pregnant, and I’m sure that Zeppelin has respected my wishes and not said anything. “I’m not…” I start, but can’t find words that don’t make this sound worse.
I’m not what? I’m not what? Screwing both brothers, one after the other? Twins yet?
“I asked her over. She wanted to come. For a break. From the farmhouse. It’s nice to have running water and power again. We’re just hanging out. Two friends who miss someone,” Zeppelin grunts. He locks his jaw, practically grinding his teeth. “I’ll make sure she gets to Dom and Bronte’s safely later. She’s staying the night there.”
That’s true. There was no way I was coming to Hart without seeing my sister and my niece, and of course Dom too.
“We were just heading to the kitchen for some ice cream and then we’re going to watch alien movies.”
I texted this man far too many times this week. I went against common sense and chatted with him like he’s a good friend.
We definitely aren’t doing any such thing and using something I told him before feels like a betrayal.
“I just wanted to check in. I’m heading to the house for a bit, but I’ll be back later. Let me know when she gets to Carver and Bronte’s house, so that I know she made it safely.”
Zeppelin nods. “Will do.”
Tyrant isn’t mistrustful. He’s just worried about me. Now that I’m here in his club and he knows that, he obviously feels somewhat responsible for my wellbeing, even if he doesn’t have to.
Zeppelin has the nerve to shoot me somewhat of an apologetic look over his shoulder as he leads the way down the hall and takes a sharp left, past more doors, down into where they eventually give way to the familiar lounge.
It’s not packed like it was for the celebration of life. There are a few guys here, but since it’s nice out, I imagine some are out riding. Quite a few of them have girlfriends and families, so a bunch are probably at their houses. There’s a bar on the edge of town that the club basically claims as their own, though mostly on the weekends from what Bronte’s said, but a few might be there as well.
The TVs on the walls are still on, tuned to baseball games, and there’s rock music playing, but there are more guys in the kitchen than in the lounge.
I don’t know everyone’s names, but I do know the quiet guy who does the club’s security. Wizard is good friends withDravin, who got Dom interested in the club in the first place. The big guy in the far corner with one eye is Odin. The name fits. He’s older, and with his big beard and a smattering of other scars, he looks like he could be cast to play the part in a movie. The other two guys are younger, but I don’t know either of them.
There’s no introduction coming either.
