Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Felt good to have it on again, made me feel like I blended in with the boys, and that wasn’t something I’d done in ages. Memphis gave me a nod and said, “Once a brother, always a brother.”
His attention was drawn back to the crowd, and I followed suit. We hadn’t been standing there long when Goose leaned in and announced, “Couple of Coyotes were spotted driving by here last night. We need to keep an eye out and make sure the assholes don’t get brave enough to actually step inside.”
“That’ll be a mistake they only make once.”
“No doubt.” Memphis glanced over to me and said, “I’ve been meaning to ask, how you liking it over at Dad’s place?”
“It’s nice.” I ran my hand over my beard. “Too nice. I’m used to roach motels and truck stops. Not used to a place with more than four walls. Hell, I slept on the sofa last night, so I didn’t fuck anything up.”
“Glad you claimed it,” Memphis announced. “He’s been pushing Antonia and me to move in, but we want a place that’s just ours.”
“Hey, man. He didn’t say anything to me about all that. I don’t want to overstep…”
“No, no. You did me a fucking favor,” Memphis cut me off. “I don’t want to move back into that house. It’s beautiful and all that, but it holds a lot of memories that I’d just soon forget.”
“Well, if you change your mind…”
“I won’t,” Memphis assured me. “We’ve found a place we like and will be making an offer at the end of the week.”
“That’s great. Glad to hear it.”
“You didn’t tell me that you guys found a place,” Goose said, sounding wounded.
“It’s a new listing. We went to see it yesterday afternoon, and we really liked it.”
“So, you saw it yesterday?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Hmm. So, it’s like that now.” Goose shook his head. “After all these years, I’ve been replaced by a chick. That hits deep.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Memphis huffed. “You didn’t even tell me when Pres moved in, and you sure as hell didn’t tell me when you put a ring on her finger.”
“I think you two might need some counseling.”
“We tried,” Goose answered flatly. “It didn’t work.”
“Do not lie to this man,” Memphis snapped. “He has no idea that you’re full of shit.”
“Oh, I picked up that from day one.”
Memphis scoffed, then changed the subject by saying, “On a serious note, we should probably go over some of the basics.”
“Okay. Let’s hear it.”
“You have to remember that running this place is a team effort.” Goose was watching another group as they weaved through the front door and added, “If one of us goes down, we all go down.”
“Got it.”
Goose gave Memphis a look, then turned his attention back to me. “So, the girls… they’ll be about as friendly as you want ‘em to be… Some will go out of their way to help ya let off some steam or give a hell of a rub down.”
I glanced over at him, catching the grin he didn’t bother hiding, and Memphis caught it too. Memphis shook his head and grumbled, “Says the man who’s got a woman at home that will literally have his balls on a platter if he even thinks about letting one of the girls touch him.”
“There you go being difficult again.”
Memphis shrugged. “Just statin’ facts.”
“Not like Antonia would be any different.”
“Hell, no. She’d be fucking worse.” Memphis’ eyes furrowed. “She’d take my balls and my right hand.”
“That she would,” Goose chuckled. “But this isn’t about you or me. It’s about him, and he looks like he could use a little TLC.”
I might’ve been on the road for the past four to five years and hadn’t put down any roots, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t still a man. I spent time with women, plenty of them, but I kept it clean. I never gave my name, never asked for theirs, and I sure as hell never went back for seconds.
That wasn’t something I could do here, even if I wanted to, which I didn’t. I shook my head and cleared my throat. “I’m good.”
“Well, if you change your mind…”
“I won’t.”
I huffed a quiet breath, shaking my head as I kept my eyes trained on the crowd. They kept going back and forth, making sure I had all the ins and outs of how things worked, giving each other little digs every chance they got. But neither of them missed a damn thing. They clocked every face that walked in and every movement on the floor, making sure nothing got by them.
“Don’t get tunnel vision,” Memphis warned. “Most of the trouble starts off-stage. The tables, the backrooms, or even the bar. They’re all hot spots for stupid shit.”
I gave a small nod, letting them know I was taking it all in. But I didn’t need the lesson or the warnings. I was the enforcer for almost five years. It was my job, my responsibility, to keep the clubhouse and my brothers out of harm’s way. I knew what to do and not do, and most of all, I knew how to spot trouble a mile away.