Page 15 of Knight
“Couldn’t help it. You get such a hard-on talking about all that shit. I had to give you an ice bath before you got started and overheated.” The guy gave me a lopsided grin and I chuckled at their banter. “Lake.”
He held out his hand to me and I slipped mine into it and gave a small, but firm, shake.
“Lake? Is that real or some kinda pathetic attempt at a road name?” I asked with a wide smile so he knew I wasn’t being a bitch. He laughed and his light blue eyes sparkled.
“Real. It’s not very exciting either way, huh?” He reached up and rubbed the top of his right ear. “Brass-man’s baby girl, I presume?”
“Yep, that’d be me. But I usually go by Gwen.” He was cute. His dark hair had natural hints of red highlights when the sun hit it just right. I would have put him at just under six foot and he was fit in a thin way. “I like Lake, it’s different.”
“Well, thank you.” He gave me a proud smile and I thought he was adorable. He seemed like he was being friendly but not flirty.
“Lake here is from Moon Hill,” Ky supplied.
“The mother chapter. Nice.” I gave a little nod.
“Seems like all the youngins headed down here. Well, except for the prez.” Lake said and I got what he was saying. The prez was a bit on the older side, somewhere in his thirties.
“Speaking of Iron, I’m looking for him. I need some words,” I said scanning the garage.
“He’s back in the office. Don’t think he’s getting into anything, so go on back,” Ky said.
“I’m headed that way. I’ll show you,” Lake said.
“Lead the way then. Thanks.” I turned to Ky and gave him a wave.
“See ya later, princess.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head at him. He’d taken up to calling me that after he’d heard some of the other brothers use it. He thought it was funny because, as he said, I seemed far from princess status. So that was why I let him get away with it. He was starting to be one of my favorites around here.
“Hey, Prez,” Lake said as he pushed open the door to the office. “This is from Brand.” He handed over a thick envelope that I could only assume was money. I averted my eyes because that was just what you did. I knew shit went on, I wasn’t that naïve, but that didn’t mean that it was my business. And I didn’t want it to be. “And Gwen here was lookin’ for ya. See ya later.”
Then Lake was gone, heading back the way we’d come in. Iron slid the envelope into the inside pocket of his cut.
“Hey. How ya gettin’ settled in? Knight treating you good?” He asked with an old man smile that reminded me of my dad.
“Yeah, he’s been…great.” Because what could I really say.
He’s avoided me for the most part and set it up so he isn’t the one on ‘Gwen watch.’ And when we are in the same room he doesn’t even say two words to me.
All of that was my problem to deal with. Knight had been respectful and that was all that mattered. I knew this and so I pushed on, hoping the sour tone went unnoticed when it came to the subject of Knight.
“Well, I was thinking. I want a job and I know daddy isn’t going to be happy with me getting just anything. I was hoping that maybe I could work some shifts at the bar if you had any openings.” I chewed on my lip waiting for his reply.
He rocked back in his chair and raised a knowing brow at me. I sighed internally, having a huge guess at what was coming next.
“You talk to Brass ‘bout this?”
Gr! No, I hadn’t. And there was no doubt that he knew that too. I didn’t think I was being all that slick, but there was a part of me that was hopeful.
“Didn’t think so,” he answered when I took too long to say anything. “You call him and ask him. He says it’s fine, then yeah, we could use some help over there.”
I had this, or so I really thought I did. I knew I could get him to say yes. I only hoped he was in a good mood. Not wanting to wait, I pulled out my phone and dialed him up right then.
“Daddy,” I started. I was on the verge of using my sweet,get what I wantvoice. I rarely did that because I didn’t want to be that girl, but come on, there were times it was just called for. “So, I was thinking, that I would like to find a job and work a few hours, right? Well, I know how you are and how you would probably tell me that I don’t need to get a job. But I really want to make it on my own and I want to be able to work, ya know?”
I paused and I had no doubt that his grunt of unhappiness could be heard beyond my ear.
“Well, then I thought ‘hey, I could work at the bar, that way he wouldn’t have to worry because there is always at least one of the brothers there,’ right?” I had him, I could hear it in the long sigh he let out but he wasn’t ready to give the okay just yet. “I was thinking only like two shifts a week, nothing much, just something to give me some spending cash for food and things like that. I really want to make it on my own, dad.” I added the last bit to push it home.
