Page 68 of Straight to Me

VP pushes the door open and various heads immediately swing to look at us whilst heavy rock resounds out the speakers. The man I saw getting his dick sucked, Riggs, is the first to bound over to VP. They hug and pat each other on the back as he says, “Deano.”

“Riggs,” VP says. He never lets go of my hand, which I’m grateful for. “Is Skitz here?”

“Uh, yeah somewhere, pal. Haven’t seen him in the last fifteen minutes or so.”

“Okay, I need my van.”

“Skitz took it on a booze run earlier. He’s here somewhere, it must be out back?”

“Check if another one’s free. If not, we’ll wait,” VP tells Riggs. His authoritative tone to his fellow member startles me. But I remind myself he is the Rippers' Vice President.

“No problem, VP. I’ll make sure there’s one for you,” Riggs says quickly.

As we walk further inside, VP links an arm around my waist, putting his lips to my ear. “I much prefer you calling me VP than that fat fuck,” he laughs. I smile, but my heart rate quickens as we approach a huddle of men sat at the bar.

A younger man is serving drinks, roughly six-foot, well built, with medium length brown hair that’s slicked back. “Deano, what you drinking?” he asks with a nod of his chin.

VP pulls out a stool for me to perch on. “I’ll take a beer. Mads?”

Usually a wine or gin drinker, I have a look at what’s on offer. It doesn’t seem like a glass of wine place. I don’t particularly want a drink, but to decline might be considered rude?

Just keep it simple.

“I’ll take a beer too, please.”

“Two beers coming up,” the well-built barman says. When he turns, I spot the words ‘Prospect’ written on his back. He hasn’t yet received his centre patch and rockers, denoting a full membership.

He places my beer on the bar. “Thank you."

He smiles and says, “You’re welcome, darlin’.”

Another member walks up and embraces VP from behind. “Deano!” He sounds like a loud, cheerful man. I turn my head to look at him and realise his face looks anything but. It’s hard and strikingly chiselled, not at all what I had expected from this voice. He’s about the same height as VP with a bald head. His wiry eyebrows form a straight line from one side of his face to the other with only a small gap visible in the middle. His trimmed moustache joins a small beard hanging off his chin.

When he lets go of VP, a flash on his chest says 'Sergeant at Arms'. He’s quite important within the ranks. “Travis.” VP looks happy to see him as he turns to hug the man.

“You okay, lad?” Travis says, with a quick look in my direction.

It spikes my heart rate at once.

“All good.” VP pats Travis’s back with his hand before replacing it at my lower back.

“Who’s your friend?” Travis asks. Tension builds within my bones. I feel very out of my comfort zone. I sip my beer to distract myself.

“Travis, this is Mads.”Oh Jesus. I swallow my beer quickly with a little cough.

“Hi Travis.” He takes a step toward me, holding out his hand. Hesitating, I put mine in his and his big fingers cup around mine, shaking my hand gently. His features may be hard, but his eyes are soft, and I feel myself relaxing under his touch.

He stands back up straight. “I like her,” he says, elbowing VP in the ribs. “Not your usual kind.” He winks at VP before howling a laugh. VP’s face tightens. He looks like he could hit Travis for divulging that piece of information. A few others laugh at Travis’s banter. It makes VP blush before he changes conversation.

“Den, you seen Skitz?” VP asks flatly. Den checks his watch from where he sits at the bar.

“He’ll be finished soon.”

“Finished?” VP raises an eyebrow.

“He’s occupied with one of the new girls.”Code for having sex, I imagine.

“Which one?” I’m not sure why, but a pang of jealousy swipes at me when VP asks that.

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