Page 22 of The Beast

He smiles. “And it has nothing to do with a certain strip club manager driving you back here last night?”

“Preacher?” I laugh. “I wouldn’t sleep with that man if he paid me to.”

“I didn’t think you were the type of girl to look down on a man because of his appearance,” he says with a frown as I put a bloody Mary down in front of him.

“I’m not,” I reply as I get back to cleaning the bar. “And his scars don’t bother me in the least. But I’ve known men like him and I sure as shit don’t want to get caught up in that.”

“Preacher is a good man,” he defends. I may not know Sparrow as well as I know some of the guys, but I do know he has a good heart, and he’s as loyal as they come.

“I’m sure he is.” I stop cleaning and face him. “But he is also the type of man that can’t give a girl more than a good time. He is closed off to the world. So yes, if I was looking to simply get laid, he would be at the top of my list. But I don’t fuck people I don’t trust.”

“Shit, chica. Tell me the truth, why don’t you?” Sparrow laughs loudly. “Are you always this blunt or is it just me?”

“She’s always like this,” Viking cuts in before taking a seat beside Sparrow. “That is, until you ask her something about herself.” I flip him the bird before getting his morning coffee ready for him.

“Is that true?” Sparrow smirks.

“I’m not that interesting. But ask away. I have nothing to hide.” I realize the mistake the moment the words leave my lips. I continue like nothing has happened, placing Viking’s black coffee in front of him.

“Why are you here?” Sparrow locks his gaze with mine. I can’t back down now.

“My asshole boyfriend kicked the shit out of me and left me bleeding on the kitchen floor while he got in bed and got a good night’s sleep.”

I don’t blink as I say the words. I have long since gotten over the fact that he’s an asshole and there’s nothing I could have done to avoid the situation. My personality is too abrasive to spend time with someone like him and not set him off. None of it was my fault and I have moved on.

“The fuck, woman? Are you pulling my leg?” Sparrow looks pissed off about my revelation.

“Nope.” I turn back to continue cleaning. “You asked and I answered.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Fuck, no, I’m not okay with it.” I turn to glare at him. “But I have made peace with the fact that I didn’t do a fucking thing wrong. The problem lies with him, not me.”

Sparrow lifts his hands in a gesture of surrender. “My bad. I didn’t mean to ruffle any feathers.”

“And I didn’t mean to snap at you,” I say with a nod and half a smile. “But it’s a good lesson for you not to assume shit until you actually know what’s going on.”

Viking pats Sparrow on the back with a smile. “And this is why we kept her around. Could have sent her packing a long time ago, but it’s funny as fuck seeing you idiots put your foot in your mouth and her kicking your asses every now and then.”

“And you like looking at my ass,” I wink at the older man.

“Can’t think of a man who wouldn’t,” he says and laughs in reply.

****

My cell phone vibrates in my back pocket and Preacher’s name flashes across the screen. It’s quiet in the clubhouse, most of the members are still sleeping off last night, so I answer with a smile.

“What do you want?” I snark.

Preacher’s laughter filters through the speaker making me smile. “I was thinking of you so I thought I would call.”

“And what exactly were you thinking?”

“That I may have a proposition for you.”

I already know that neither Preacher nor I have any intention of sleeping with each other so it obviously isn’t about sex. But I can’t think of any other reason.

“You still there?” he asks.

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