Page 186 of Lost Lyrebird

“Yeah, babe?”

“For the love of God, I’m a lesbian and I have a girlfriend.We’ve been together for two years.You have no chance.Like, none whatsoever.Not only am I not attracted to you, I plan to ask her to marry me.”He opens his mouth to respond, and she holds her hand up.“No, you can’t be our third.Because again, you don’t have the necessary equipment for what gets us off, and in case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m the top… as in, I’m the one that does the fuckin’, so unless you’d like your ass pegged, no.You know what?Not even then.”

“You’ve had a girlfriend for two years?”We all bust a gut when that’s the question he responds with.But then he follows it up with, “Wait, wait, wait.You’re the man in this relationship?”

“Top.”

“Yeah, top or whatever.”

She laughs and shoots me a look.Bodie’s eyes track her gaze and lock with mine.

Oh shit.

His gaze pings from her to me, and back again.His incredulous look finally settles on me when Raven walks away with her hands in the air.“Just sayin’,” she calls out.“Dick and balls are not my cup of tea unless they’re the ones I’m strapping on myself.So find a new obsession, or I’m going to kick your ass.”

“Ohhhh, Goosie, you have some es’plainin’ to do,” He singsongs, and I run a hand through my hair, groaning.I already know the shit I’m about to receive from him.

“It’s been pretty obvious, man.You’ve even met her before,” Dozer adds.Bodie looks around at all the other HOCs.“You all knew about this girlfriend?And that Raven’s a top?”

A few of them shrug and nod.

“You fuckers.And you kept me in the dark on purpose.”

“We just wanted to see how long it would take you to figure it out,” Dozer tells him, chuckling under his breath.

Bodie points at Griz, who’s smirking; at Taz, who is spinning a toothpick in his mouth around a manic grin; and at Cap, who’s shaking his head in disapproval of us all.

“Asshole’s, the lot of ya.”He pouts and plops onto a stool at the bar.He shoots a glare at each of us and then says something that totally throws me off.“Well, I have a secret too.And it’s about your girl.”

“What?”

“I’m not sayin’ shit.’”

He shrugs as the corner of his mouth hikes up.Fucker.

Then it dawns on me.I sidle closer.“Oh, do you mean about your little Harley and Joker adventure?”

He shushes me before asking, “She told you?”

“Of course she did.”

“And?”

“And what?It’s not like I can do anything about it now.”

“Right.Yeah.No.That’s, uh-mmm” he coughs “kind of a done deal.No takebacks.”

“From what I hear, he deserved it and then some.”

“So we’re good.You’re not pissed?”

I shake my head and cross my arms as I lean against the bar.“Nah, we’re good.Just thankful you had her back.Means a lot to me that you did.”

His gaze stays level on me for a minute, and then he slowly nods.

“What?”

He shakes his head once.“Just good to have you back, man.Like, back back.”