Page 25

Smoke

“Did you call her?”

I glanced at Poppy, who stood behind the bar with six glasses filled with ice in front of her. “Have you always been this pushy?” I asked and arched an eyebrow at her.

Poppy shrugged, and her lips quirked up into a small smirk. “I think so.”

I leaned against the counter and watched her grab a bottle of amaretto. “You think so? That doesn’t sound very convincing.”

She poured two shots of the amaretto into each cup, and her eyes flicked up to meet mine. “I mean, yes, but I don’t think I was ever comfortable with it.” She gestured around the clubhouse. “Being here has helped me sit in it.” She set the bottle down. “So, did you call her?” she pressed, her voice laced with curiosity.

I shook my head and took a slow sip of my beer. “No. I’m thinking of slipping away later. Screw Yarder. I might need a distraction, though.”

Poppy grinned, and mischief danced in her eyes. “That’s my job, and I can do that later to help distract him.”

I held up my hands in surrender. “I will take the distraction, but I would not like any details, thank you very much.”

She laughed as she added a splash of orange juice to each cup, followed by a dash of simple syrup. The combination of scents filled the air with a sweet, nutty aroma.

“Getting the girls drunk tonight?” I asked and nodded to the drinks.

Poppy shrugged and slid the cups across the counter. “It’s Friday, and we’re all stuck here. Might as well drink.”

I smirked. “That should be entertaining for the cameras.”

She grabbed three of the glasses and called out, “Dove, come get the drinks.”

Dove popped up from the card table and hurried over to grab the remaining drinks with a grin. “Come on. We’re all set up to kick Aero’s ass.”

“In what?” I asked.

“Uno,” Poppy and Dove said in perfect unison.

I chuckled and shook my head. “Yeah, the cameras are definitely going to be entertained tonight.”

If America was hoping to see a gritty and tough motorcycle club, they were in for a rude awakening. The Iron Fiends segments would be full of drunk Uno games, hasty weddings, pool matches, and endless garage renovations.

Yeah, there was no way the show was getting renewed for another season. We needed to get the garage up and running and The Cakery operating if we wanted to have any money coming in.

Poppy and Dove sauntered back to the card table, where the rest of the girls were gathered with Aero included. Yarder and Compass were at the pool table while everyone but Stretch lounged in the common area, watching TV. Stretch hadn’t been very social the past couple of days. It seemed the longer we went without any movement from Boone and Gibbs, the more on edge he got.

Sloane started dealing cards when a sharp knock echoed through the room and made everyone freeze.

Yarder slowly moved toward the door, and his expression hardened. He pulled his gun from his waistband with practiced ease.

“A knock on the door after six o’clock is never good,” Fade muttered, and his eyes narrowed as he instinctively reached for his own weapon.

One by one, the guys drew their guns and kept them low but ready. Tension coiled through the room like a live wire, and every gaze was locked on the door.

Yarder shot a glance over his shoulder and ensured we were all set before he reached for the lock. The metal clicked, and he hesitated for just a beat before pulling the door open.

“Fucking hell,” Yarder muttered under his breath and stepped aside.

There in the doorway was Dani. She held up her hands defensively. “Don’t shoot. I’m not here to blow you up.”

Yarder turned to Poppy. “Did you do this?” he asked.

Poppy shook her head, but she had a huge smile on her face. “I did nothing, but I am damn glad that someone did.”

Yarder motioned for Dani to come in. She hesitated for only a second before she stepped inside. The heavy door clicked shut behind her, and Yarder twisted the lock before moving back toward the pool table without another glance.

“Did you bring cheese?” Olive called.

“What about wine?” Adalee added with a hopeful tilt in her voice.

Dani nervously shook her head and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Uh, no. I didn’t think to bring anything. I just brought myself.”

I stood frozen.

Stunned.

I had told her not to come. I had made it clear. But there wasn’t one bit of me that was mad that she was here.

“I’ll make you a drink,” Poppy declared as she moved back around the bar. Her hands moved swiftly as she grabbed bottles. Ice clinked in the glass, amaretto in, a splash of orange juice, and a dash of simple syrup. Even I could make the girls their drinks now.

My feet felt glued to the floor as I watched Dani. She looked nervous as she shifted from foot to foot.

“Are you going to move, Smoke, or just stare at her?” Poppy’s voice pulled me out of my daze from behind the bar.

I finally managed to move, and for each step I took, Dani took a step toward me. We met in the middle of the room, and she tipped her head back to look me in the eyes.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” I replied, my voice quieter than I intended.

“Uh, I probably should have called before I came over, but I probably would have chickened out,” she confessed as her fingers nervously played with the hem of her jacket.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

She tucked her hair behind her ear again. “No, I mean, yes, but also no.”

I couldn’t help but smile at her fumbling. “Is it yes or no, angel?”

She looked around nervously, then took another small step closer. “Yes.”

My stomach tightened. Something was wrong. Had Boone and Gibbs gotten to her? Was something wrong with the shop? “What is it?” I demanded.

Dani exhaled shakily. “You didn’t call me, and I don’t want a hummingbird.”

I blinked and tried to process her words. Not calling her. Okay, I got that. But a hummingbird?

“I want Casanova.”

“Angel,” I started, but she cut me off.

“And I want that, too. I want to be your Angel.” She motioned around the common room. “And I don’t care who knows it. I know you and I just started, but I’m not wanting it to end anytime soon. I want my puffin.”

Sloane cleared her throat from the card table. “I don’t mean to interrupt what I think is a romantic moment, but I have to ask if maybe you dipped into the wine samples before you came over.”

“Did she say puffin?” Dove asked from behind the bar. “I can’t quite hear back here.”

“I’m going to Google this,” Olive announced and was already typing. “Why would you want a puffin?” she mumbled.

Dani laughed nervously. “I guess I do sound a bit tipsy. I was talking to Stan before I came over.”

“Oh,” Adalee and Fallon said in unison.

“I could see how things could get crazy when you talk to him,” Adalee said with a grin. “He is the keeper of the stinky cheese.”

Fallon wrinkled her nose. “Odd.”

“Puffins mate for life. They are also mongooses.” Dani frowned. “Oops, I mean monogamous.” She glanced down at the drink Poppy handed her. “How strong did you make this?”

“Strong, but you haven’t even taken a sip yet,” Poppy laughed. She finished the drink for Dani and handed it to her.

Dani took a cautious sip and looked pleasantly surprised. “That’s delicious.”

Poppy grinned. “I know.” She waved her hand. “Carry on with the hummingbird and puffin talk.”

Olive, still typing, muttered, “Why don’t you want to be a hummingbird?”

“Does anyone else think this shit is weird?” Aero asked.

Sloane shushed him. “This is great info for Winter. I should be taking notes.”

“I think Winter has plenty of stories to write without you emailing her everything we say,” Cue Ball muttered.

Sloane rolled her eyes. “She asks me to send her this stuff, and for your information, I’m not going to email this to her. We are going to Frisco in a couple of months to see her at the next Motorcycle, Mobsters, and Mayhem book signing.”

“Oh hell no,” Pirate called. “You are not dragging me to that bullshit again.”

Sloane scoffed. “I wasn’t asking you to come. I figured Aero and I could go together. That is where we met.”

Aero leaned toward Sloane and pressed a kiss to her lips. “We can go, baby. We can reenact us meeting.”

Dove pointed at Cue Ball. “That is where we met too, but I’m pretty sure we hated each other back then.”

Cue Ball nodded. “Yeah, we did.”

“Hummingbirds have a highly specialized diet and constantly need nectar,” Olive announced. She looked up. “Girl, do you have stomach problems?”

Dani tilted her head. “Um, no.”

“Hold on, let me word this differently.” Olive typed quickly, then grinned. “Yeah, I got you. Hummingbirds are promiscuous.”

“Aww,” Sloane sighed. “You want a puffin, not a sleazy hummingbird.”

“Hummingbirds are so pretty,” Fallon sighed. “Why do they have to be cheaters?”

“Puffins are cute, too,” Olive pointed out. “We’re all puffins at this table.”

Yarder let out a loud whistle. “Everyone shut the fuck up about hummingbirds and puffins unless you are Smoke or Dani.”

Poppy wiggled her finger in her ear. “I really don’t like when you do that,” she mumbled.

“Then stop talking so Smoke and Dani can talk.” Yarder motioned to us. “Or better yet, take this to your room. Otherwise, it’s going to take you two hours to have a ten-minute conversation.”

I looked at Dani. “You good with taking this someplace more quiet?”

“Uh, I mean, yeah.”

That was all I needed.

I swooped her up into my arms and stalked down the hallway to my room. The feel of her in my arms felt right, and the way she curled into me sent a heat through my chest.

I reached my door, opened it with one hand, and stepped inside before setting her down gently. The door clicked shut behind me, and I twisted the lock to make sure we wouldn’t be interrupted.

We stood toe to toe now, and her wide eyes locked onto mine.

“Now we’re really going to talk, angel.”