Page 167 of Fury

“Hmm.”

“Butler who recently showed up surprising everyone with his new old lady?”

She batted her sooty eyelashes. “Yep. That’s the one.”

“Ah.”

“Ahhhhhhhh,” mouthed Tania, crossing her eyes, raising her drink to her lips.

“Details another time?”

“If you want the dirty, then you must ply me with much drink first.”

“I can do that,” I said, laughing. “I’ll give you a call and we’ll go out.”

“Now you’re talking.” Tania clinked her glass with mine once again.

Cassandra got up on stage and spoke on the microphone, welcoming us to the Tingle. She was dressed like the goddess she was in a long, flowing, one shoulder, dark purple dress with a silver, ancient Roman style cuff around her bicep that I’d gotten her for her birthday last month. She introduced the male dancers and the evening officially began.

One of the dancers came toward our table, his eye on Mary Lynn. But we diverted his attention to Tania, shouting for her to go up on stage with him. She stood up. Dare accepted. She went with him, rolling her eyes, a huge smile on her face. The dancer sat her down on a chair and did his thing, and Tania gave as good as she got. From the stage, she caught my eye and gave me a thumbs up, laughing. A whistle from Butler ripped through the air.

I clapped and hooted for my girl onstage. Tania, Grace, and I were doing good, and we were here together. Enjoying ourselves, having fun, leading our lives. I sent whoops and cheers up in the air.

If only that blind euphoria could have lasted a little while longer.

48

“I’m sorry. Imust bebothering you or interrupting.” Tania’s shaky voice, her tight and shallow breaths set me on edge.

“Talk to me.” Holding my phone, I charged out of the gas station store, pocketing my change for the energy drink I’d sucked down while waiting in line to pay for it.

She said, “I’m at the One-Eyed Jacks in Meager. You need to come here—quick.”

“Tania, what’s wrong?”

“I need you.”

My chest tightened at those words, the pleading tone in her voice, the raw emotion seeping through. In all the years that we’d known each other, she’d never once called me for a favor, and now she was in emergency mode late at night at the One-Eyed Jacks?

“I’ll be there in less than an hour. I’m not too far away.”

“Hurry.”

Christ.

I tried calling Catch, but he didn’t answer his phone. Little shit. He was supposed to be with his daughter at his mother’s house while Jill and Tania were out tonight at a Jacks party. This had to be Catch-related for Tania to call me and ask me to come to their clubhouse, for fuck’s sake. What the hell did he do now?

Getting on my bike, I called Drac and Slade to drop everything and meet me in Meager. I lit out of the parking lot and made it there in record time. My bros waited for me at the turn off for the Jacks’ property. We rode up to the gate together, and the lone prospect there froze at the sight of us.

Only one prospect at the gate?

“What’s going on?” I demanded.

His mouth opened, but no sounds, no words came out.

“So we’re clear,” I said, shifting in my saddle. “I got a call from someone in there that I’m needed, and you aren’t gonna stop us from going inside.”

“Uh...there was a p-party,” said the prospect.

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