Page 41 of Up in Flames

I glance at my watch. I have nowhere to be. “Yes. See you then. Just tell the soldiers at the front I’m expecting you. You have any trouble, let them know to reach me, and I’ll tell them to let you through.”

“Thanks, brother. Appreciate this.”

“No problem. See you soon.” I end the call and sink back in my seat.

At least tonight won’t be a complete bust.

Now I need to waste another hour doing something before NOLA Defiance arrives.

***

As I sit in the parlor drinking a sparkling water, a topless Bachelorette walks past me with a smirk. “Havin’ a good night, Cain?” she asks, taking my empty glass and handing me another one.

Normally, my eyes would wander up and down her exposed breasts, but tonight, I’m not interested. “As nights go, it’s fairly bland.”

She smirks. “Haven’t heard any screams from the warehouse, so I can understand why it’s bland for you tonight.”

I chuckle, raising my glass. “Touché,” I reply as Alfie strolls over with a walkie.

“Cain, Killian’s on the line, says he has Defiance MC at the entrance with a civilian female. Says she is with Defiance, but you know the code… no women unless they’re part of the Bachelors.”

I snort out a laugh, scowling at Alfie. “You do know what Defiance means to us, right? What they bring to the Bachelors?”

“I mean… yeah?” Alfie nods.

“So do you think denying them access to the parlor with their guests is a goodfuckingidea?”

Alfie swallows hard, then shakes his head. “Ahh, n-no… I don’t.”

“Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. You tell Killian any member of Defiance is an ally to the Bachelors. Let them in, or I will go out there and show Killian and Christophe what happens when they’re not hospitable to our guests. And I can tell you now, they won’t be able to walk when I am done with them. I am in the fucking mood—”

“Yes, sir!” Alfie cuts me off while frantically nodding as he rushes away.

I throw back my sparkling water. “Fucking amateurs!”

It only takes a few minutes before the unmistakable stature of Hoodoo—tattoos, beard, leather cut, chest all puffed out—walks through the parlor with a woman beside him. Raising my brow, she’s not the typical woman I would expect to accompany Hoodoo. This woman appears like an MMA fighter—short brown hair, arms covered in tattoos—but damn is she a looker. I’d probably hit on her if my head wasn’t so caught up in a little blonde beauty.

But not today.

And especially not with how her face is turned up like a prune while looking around the parlor at the half-naked women. There’s fight behind her eyes. She’s tough. I can see that in her already, and I haven’t even been introduced.

Standing, I head over and place my hand out to Hoodoo to shake. “Hoodoo, glad you could make it.”

Hoodoo has a firm grip and dips his head toward the tough chick. “Cain, this is the club horticulturalist, Maxxy. Maxxy, this is Cain.”

Chuckling, it all begins to make sense now. “So she’s the brains. Guessing the club can’t live without her, huh?”

Hoodoo looks at her, and I see that slight sparkle in his eye. “Yeah… basically.”

“Awww… you can’t live without me,” Maxxy quips.

“I said the club can’t. Me, on the other hand, would do just fine without you.”

“Spoilsport.” She grins wide.

Letting out a soft chuckle at the clear chemistry between these two, I gesture toward the bar of the parlor. “Let me show you around,” I offer, leading them past a few topless women.

Maxxy watches closely, clearly annoyed that these women are on display purely for the men’s entertainment. As a Bachelor slaps the ass of a Bachelorette, Maxxy lets out a clear scoff, her face scrunching in a scowl. She’s not wrong. Some of the men are pigs, and while I am never one to treat the women like they are our sex slaves, I know the majority of the men and the elite who come to this establishment think of the women at the parlor as their property.

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