Page 39 of The Souls We Claim
13
HALO
“So, you realize if you bang her, you and your dad will have done sisters?” Switch says from our spot against the bar as Lola’s birthday party plays out around us.
I tear my eyes away from Arianne. More to the point, I tear my eyes away from the way that tight jersey skirt skims her tanned thighs and makes her butt look like something I wanna bite.
Or perhaps I’ve just spent too much time with Saint, the club’s biggest ass-biter according to Gwen who shares shit from the girls’ group chat with Clutch.
The more time I spend around Ari, the more I wonder how the hell she and Mercy are related. Mercy was all shock and awe. Ballsy confidence. A manipulative streak.
Arianne, on the other hand, is quiet. Playful when she’s not terrified. Scared of taking up space. Even now, she stands on the periphery of a conversation between Gwen, Rae, and Viola. I see her looking around furtively, and I know what she’s doing.
Because I do it all the time.
She’s checking for exits. Hyper-vigilance starts in lots of ways. War. Abusive families. Always looking for the perceived threat that I want to make sure never comes for her.
“What?” I ask.
Switch tips his head in Arianne’s direction. “Arianne. Your dad slept with Mercy. You sleep with Arianne. Wrinkle would have found it funny.”
I huff. “Dad was a dirty bastard. He’d have tried to fuck Arianne too.”
“You ever bang Mercy?”
“No. Although she always made sure I knew she’d ditch Dad in a heartbeat for me. Shoved her hands down my jeans once. It’d be known as sexual assault if I’d done that to a woman.” I face Switch. “What’s with all the questions about my love life, anyway?”
He grins like he knows what he’s doing to me. “Just curious how far this sister-love thing goes.”
Brandon, one of the prospects, keeps checking out Arianne’s ass as he walks by. There’s been no sign of interest or even acknowledgment by Arianne. She hasn’t responded to him at all. Yet.
There’s something about Brandon that rubs me the wrong way. We get a lot of people who think they’re tough enough to be an outlaw. They start as hang arounds so we can get to know them. If we think they have a future, we invite ‘em to be prospects. If they survive the tests they have to go through, they get invited to be a brother.
I don’t know what it is about Brandon that bothers me. Maybe it’s because none of us saw Noah as a spy. And we totally missed Saint being undercover. But I’m suspicious of every fucker around us now.
And Brandon perhaps the most.
Bikers have a code. People might not like it, but we do. I’m not sure Brandon wants to live within it.
Mac, Iris’s service dog, whines. I glance over and see Iris is holding on to Lola’s fingers while she bounces on the floor near him. Lola’s been pulling herself up on the sofa, the edge of the kitchen stools, even my leg. Spark is sitting next to Iris, his long legs outstretched, a beer bottle in his hand, his palm cupping the back of her neck. He’s massaging it firmly, occasionally tugging on her hair. Every now and then, Iris looks up with pink cheeks and gives him a knowing stare.
It’s rare I feel a twinge of envy for that kind of domestic setup, but to find a woman who accepts you fully as you are, who’s willing to let you lead, who’ll have your child and take care of your place and give you some softness to come home to is a rare jewel.
Once in a blue moon, I find myself thinking that might be nice, but the thoughts pass quickly. But it’s the second time I’ve thought about what Spark and Iris have recently.
The age difference between Spark and Iris is similar to me and Ari. Fuck. I shake my head. There is nome and Ari.
“I think I might see if she wants to grab dinner with me one night,” Switch says.
I snap my head in his direction. “You what?”
He tips his chin towards Arianne, then looks her up and down like she’s a T-bone cooked to perfection. “Arianne. Might take her out for dinner, especially if she’ll wear that skirt for me.”
“I’m paying her to look after Lola.”
Switch scoffs. “What’s that got to do with her having dinner with me? You’re not paying her for twenty-four seven service. Because I’m sure that’s illegal.”
“Fuck off looking at her like that.”
