Page 11

“Confess your biggest secrets?” I teased.

“Damn near. Coast, right?”

“Right,” I agreed. “I believe I was told you were, what was the word?”

“Crazy?” Coast asked.

“Unhinged,” Dixon corrected.

“Probably more accurate. Your brother’s not gonna give Velle shit, is he?”

“Nah. That’d be like trying to get a rock to talk. You guys planning on anything fun tonight?”

“Hitting the bar to find some girls to bring back here to party.”

“Sounds good to me. Need some light and fun after that. Feels like the guy reached into my head and rearranged some shit.”

“He won’t pry so much once you’re in. We’re just supposed to report back to Huck our first impressions of you two. Velle was trying to get as much info as he could.”

“I’m afraid he might know me better than anyone else ever has. In fifteen minutes. So, tell me about this bar.”

“Can’t. It’s new. Haven’t been there yet.”

“So, I’m hearing it will be packed. More choices. I’m gonna go take up Huck on his offer to tour the place. Tour?” he called to Caymen, who immediately got up and walked away from Velle.

“So, what’d all your head-shrinking squeeze out?” I asked when Velle made his way over toward me.

“Shitty parents. Hard times. Foster care. That part sounded mixed: some good experiences, some bad. My only real concern is that their loyalty to each other would be stronger than their loyalty to the club.”

“Didn’t think of that,” I admitted, but judging by the way Dixon gave his older brother a lifeline to get away from Velle, it did kind of suggest that their bond might always come first.

“I mean, it wouldn’t be a problem, per se, so long as they aren’t lying to the club about shit. I mean, Seeley, Levee, and Alaric had a tighter bond with each other than the rest of us too. It’s normal for some relationships to be tighter than others. Though it’s not quite as normal for someonenotto have any deep bonds with anyone,” he added.

I could feel his gaze boring into my face.

Then I went right ahead and ignored it.

“This is a weird way to ask me to Eiffel Tower some girl with you, man,” I said.

I got a snort out of Velle. But he was shaking his head too.

“Just saying: you joined a brotherhood. Be a part of it.”

With that little nugget, he walked off to talk to McCoy and Che, leaving me to ponder his words.

I wasn’t usually one for introspection. I didn’t need to get all up in my feelings, do my ‘shadow work,’ or ‘heal my inner child,’ or whatever other shit people were babbling on about.

Yeah, I’d been through some shit.

But so had everybody else.

What was the point of harping on it?

Though even as I tried to brush that off, I couldn’t help but wonder if all that shit I’d been through was the reason I didn’t let anyone within ten feet of me. Unless she had a great pair of legs and a big smile. And even then, it was just for the night.

But I didn’t like that train of thought. I hopped my ass right off, grabbed another beer, and chugged.

Luckily, everyone was in the drinking and good-time-having mood, even the OG members. They stuck around for a few rounds and some of Eddie’s enchiladas before heading back to their women and kids.