Page 38 of Rex's Release

“The clubhouse. It’s for members and family only.”

“Then where are we going?”

His brows pulled together for a moment in confusion. “Into the clubhouse. I mean… later, we’ll go to the room I have in the apartment building over there.” He nodded to a long, rectangular building at the end of the cul-de-sac. “But for now, we’ll go in and have dinner… maybe some drinks. There’s a kitchen and a bar in there.”

“You said members and family.”

Realization lit his eyes, along with his smile. “Doc, everyone in there considers you my Ol’ Lady, which I will explain later, so that makes you family.”

She eyed him for a while, trying to find a kinder way to say what was on her mind, but she couldn’t. “Bikers are weird.”

He snorted a laugh and started walking them toward the brick building. “We aren’t known for being normal. That’s for sure.”

When they stepped inside the building, they entered a small foyer, before they made a left and walked into a room that looked like any biker bar in America. Wood paneled walls were covered with neon lights and beer signs. The tables were worn and the chairs were well used. Even the stools at the bar looked to be from decades ago, but they were still in decent shape.

“This is where we congregate,” he explained. “Pretty much every party, family function, and meeting happens in this building.”

She nodded to a few people she recognized around the room, but there were many she didn’t.

“Doc!” A male voice bellowed from across the large space. Then she saw Bullet headed in her direction.

Jolene looked over and shook her head. It still amazed her how completely and quickly they were able to heal. Sure, it had been months, but there wasn’t even a hitch in his step. She smiled back at him. “You look like that gut wound didn’t slow you down a bit.”

Bullet shrugged. “I’m tougher than that.” He looked between Jolene and Rex, then his eyes landed on their clasped hands. “So I was right, huh?”

The smug smile on his face had Jolene rolling her eyes. “I still don’t belong to anyone.”

Bullet chuckled, and his gaze shifted to Rex. “Uphill climb.”

“Marathon, not a sprint,” Rex replied.

Jolene looked between the two of them. “What in the hell are you two talking about?”

Rex looked down at her. “Later, I promise.”

She really wanted to push him on it, but she was willing to push it aside for that moment, especially when she was still learning the lay of the land. The second they were alone, though, she was going to get answers. She wasn’t completely ignorant of MC culture, so she could guess what the Ol’ Lady term meant, but she also realized that every club varied on certain things. Jolene wanted to hear it from his mouth.

Bullet patted Rex on the back as he laughed. As Jolene watched them, she was engulfed in a hug from a woman with dark brown hair.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” The woman squeezed. “I owe you.” When the woman pulled back and looked at Jolene with appreciation in her deep green eyes, then her gaze swung over to Bullet. “He’s my… everything.”

Jolene realized who she was and gave a smile. “Just doing my job.”

The woman –Butterfly, was it?– shifted over into Bullet, who wrapped his arms tightly around her. “Still… thank you.”

Jolene inclined her head in acknowledgment. “You’re welcome.”

“So… you’re Rex’s?” Butterfly asked with a grin.

That was the third time she’d heard something like that, and they had yet to talk about it. Jolene turned and glared at Rex. “No.”

He just smiled down at her.

“Oh,” Butterfly said as if she said something she shouldn’t have.

“Come on, Butterfly,” Bullet said through yet another chuckle. “Let’s leave these two to work that out.”

When they were a few yards away, Rex uttered, “After dinner.”

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