Page 41 of Burning Ember

His eyes narrow on me. “I’d ask, but don’t think I wanna know. Won’t touch her. Don’t need to.”

“Good.”

“Gonna do what I do best.”

Fuck with her head.

My silent acceptance is just that. Permission to do what it takes to get Doll . . . Pumpkin . . . out.

I ignore the heavy pressure I feel on my chest. After taking a couple more drags from my smoke, I flick it to the ground.

It’s for the best.

For my sanity’s sake. For the club.

So then why do I feel like this is a mistake I can’t afford to make?

I face Taz. “Don’t be too fuckin’ obvious. Dozer’s got some bug up his ass about her. Goose and Lil’, too.”

His smile flashes again. “When have I ever been caught causin’ chaos?”

I huff out a breath that almost sounds like a laugh. It’s almost not forced. “Too many times to count.” Taz is the kind of guy with the skills to get in and out without being seen. But he doesn’t use them. He loves to leave a wake in his path. He’s built quite the reputation for himself in so little time. That’s why I started calling him Taz. Not only is he fast as hell, and a menace, but when it suits him, he leaves a path of destruction with his name on it behind.

I get off my bike and we head in. “Only once by the law though. I expect you learned your lesson?”

“Yeah, I did.”

We enter the clubhouse and head to the bar. The party’s died down. Bikers and semi-naked women flounder about. Some are passed the fuck out on the floors, couches, and one girl is naked and snoring on top of the bar.

Lita pours me a drink.

I only have to scan the room for a second to know she’s not here. All I see is an ocean of gray. An image of Dozer following Doll into his room flashes through my mind and has my fingers tightening around my glass.

Star heads over. She looks up at me, but thank fuck for whatever she sees in my eyes, because she moves past me and onto Taz who accepts her affections.

Griz claps me on the back to get my attention. “Deeds called while you were out. Pappy wants a meet. And Sonny Psycho was being pretty damn adamant about it. Told him to tell his daddy-o I’d talk to you and let him know.”

I sigh out, “That’s not gonna happen. Not until every HOC is sittin’ at the table. After the party. After the vote.”

“Right. I’ll tell ’em again.”

“They comin’ to Edge’s party?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell them to stick around for a few days and after we have our vote, we’ll talk then.”

“Okay.”

Bodie stumbles over with his arm around one of the twins. I think it’s Lo, since Lita is usually behind the bar. Honestly I can never tell the two apart. They look like the same fuckin’ woman to me—long dark hair, dark eyes, and Latino with huge rose tattoos that lock together when they stand arm to arm.

Slurring, Bodie asks, “So what’s up with the new ginger snack? She really h-hands off? Because if not, and she bends over like she was doin’, I’m gonna take a bite out of her.” He growls and playfully bites at Lo’s boob.

She giggles and halfheartedly pushes him away.

His comment has my stomach knotting up. The image of me knocking his ass out rolls through my mind. I stretch my neck, trying to relieve some of the tension rebuilding there.

“You’ll be waitin’ a while then.” Griz chimes in.