Page 116 of The Vows We Keep
BATES
Ipull up my bike outside the Iron Outlaws clubhouse, glad to be home in New Jersey. A long ride is good for the soul but bad for the body. Switch and I have just completed a round trip to Dallas to build connections with the newly formed Fort Worth chapter.
My lower back aches as I climb off my bike and remove my helmet. “I need a beer,” I announce. “Or tequila. Or both.”
Switch groans and reaches to touch his toes. “Whose idea was it to do a thirteen-hour stretch?”
“I think it was yours when you shook me at three a.m. and said you couldn’t sleep on a lumpy mattress, princess.”
“I’m too fucking tired to ride to my house,” Switch says. “So yes, beer, and hopefully pussy, and then I’m gonna sleep like the dead in my room here.”
I check my watch. Four in the afternoon. “Wonder which of the girls are kicking around. Dibs on Penny if she’s in.”
“Bastard. Fine. Let’s go see if King is in first.”
We step inside the cool clubhouse. Riding in eighty-degree sunshine was everything biking should be, but I’m ready for some shade, some tequila, and someone to suck my dick.
The old ladies sit on the opposite side of the bar. They’ve all got a copy of the same book on their lap, in their hands, or on the table in front of them. And they’re laughing their asses off. Rae notices Switch and I walking in and waves.
I smile at her and then see King in his office.
“How was Dallas?” he asks as we step in.
Switch drops into his seat at the table. “They got a good setup. The lot they bought outside of Fort Worth will serve them well.”
“You got ’em straight on defenses?” King asks me.
“Yup. We went through security, defenses, and shit. Switch walked them through emergency triage and set up a medical station within the clubhouse. Told ’em to try and prospect some guys from any of the medic corps.”
“Good deal. Thanks for that run.”
Laughter breaks out in the clubhouse, and King is momentarily distracted as he looks through the window at his old lady. I really hope the two of them make it, but in my experience, good women like her change their minds about men like us.
“They’re running a book club and take turns choosing the book. This month it’s Briar’s turn, and she picked a book she designed the cover for,” King says. “Did you know there’s a whole line of books in the romance genre about motorcycle clubs?”
“For real?” Switch asks.
King shrugs. “I don’t know, guess some women get lady boners for bad boys.”
“Speaking of boners,” I say. “I got plans to find Penny.”
“Think they’re all hiding out in the kitchen. Club girls are still a touchy subject for Gwen, if you remember the shit they did when she first arrived. She’s made it clear to them that if the old ladies are in the bar, they need to be somewhere else.”
I roll my eyes. “No offence, Prez, but between your twin and your missus, they’re fucking with the vibe of the club.”
“Understood. I’ll speak to both of them about coexisting.”
Switch smirks. “Good luck with that. I’ve seen the way your old lady ties you up in knots.”
“Fuck you,” King says, but the tone of his voice is lighthearted. We all know what a sucker he is for his woman. I remember what that feels like.
When I step into the bar, Iris waves me over. “Bates. I just commented how you look like the guy on the cover of our book.”
Playfully, I kiss my bicep and strike a pose. “You think I should be on a cover, sweet thing?”
Briar laughs. “I had to work with what the author wanted. Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Let me see it,” I say with my hand out.
