Page 4 of Pearl (Royal Harlots MC, Phoenix, Az. #1)

Carver

T he sassy blonde and her crew of ladies follow Hawg through the club.

Damn that female is fine, no matter the attitude.

It takes effort to draw my eyes from that heart-shaped ass and get back to the business at hand.

Edge and Reeps are drinking at the bar. The minute they see me, Edge gets a big smile on his face.

“You made it in record time. You must have been flying through those motherfucking canyons.”

Lucky and I take a seat.“I wasn’t sitting still, that’s for damn sure. Not packing that much shit.”

Edge nods, takes the backpack, and unzips it.

“Yeah, lots of crews are heading in for the meet in Tucson. Did Hawg ask if you could make another run? We’re gonna need more than this.

Staying south as long as it takes to talk some sense into a few crews, if you get my meaning.

This rumble is growing fast as word gets out. ”

“Copy that. It’s all set. I’m going to crash here tonight, head back to Vegas in the morning, and make a quick turnaround. I’ll be back in time.”

Edge shakes my hand. “Good deal. Feel free to grab some beers and food. I’m going to get back to the party,” he says, eyeing up a cute little blonde who looks like she’s shaking her ass just for him.

I order a couple cold beers from the barkeep and pass one to Lucky, who is intermittently eyeing up one of the resident bunnies. “Thanks for the help. I didn’t expect you to ride all the way here with me today. I thought you had things to keep an eye on back in Vegas.”

Lucky nods. “I did, and the more I think about it, the more it bothers me. Maybe it was just a nice way to give me something to do to keep me out of their way, you know what I mean? If they wanted me with them, they would have said so. The more I think about how things got handled, the more I want to walk away. My brothers may be the same people, and I love them man, don’t get me wrong, but the dudes they’re running with, I don’t think they’re for me. ”

If anyone gets it, I do. A lone wolf through and through.

I may get along with most, but at the end of the day, I answer to me.

“Take your time man. You don’t have to be in a rush to join a crew or do anything that you don’t want to do.

If you’re feeling ill at ease, I’d trust my gut.

That instinct is what kept us alive in prison, remember that. ”

Lucky takes a pull on his beer. “Yeah, definitely not feeling a hundred percent with this crew. It’s only the loyalty to the guys that’s making the decision hard.”

“Loyalty is king man, but make sure they’re still worthy of it. You know?”

My attention strays from Lucky to Hawg as he leads the blonde babe with the sassy tongue back through the main level of the club without the other females.

She follows him through the back hall, passing by the kitchen window, probably on the way to the crew-only area.

The Phoenix Crew have their club laid out for optimal escape routes, and lower-level hide-outs.

I’ve been in the crew side of the lower level a few times during previous trips but it’s not open to many. And Pearl looks cautious and hesitant.

I’ve known Hawg for years, and he doesn’t mistreat the females, but still, that look on her face causes me concern. Maybe the little badass is planning some shit. And I’m just the man to shut it down. I turn to Lucky. “Stay here. If I don’t come back in fifteen, cause one hell of a distraction.”

He grins. “You know I will, I’m all over that shit.”

I put my beer down and follow Hawg and Pearl through the back area of the bar, listening for anything amiss as I walk down the stairs to the lower-level crew area.

The club room is much nicer than the one he left the ladies in, much nicer with a huge-ass big screen hanging on the wall if memory serves.

I stop as Hawg’s voice reverberates gruffly through the door on my left.

“It’s for their protection. Nobody knows you’re here, and no one is getting through the men in our club tonight, but we take no chances, copy? ”

Pearl didn’t seem scared or in any danger, yet there’s something about him bringing her down here alone that I don’t like one fucking bit.

Her voice carries through the door. “Yeah, I get it. It’s just been a hell of a fucked-up night.

We brought the Harlots who were at the club when we found out the ladies may have been tracked, but the others should arrive soon. You can accommodate us all?”

“I’ve got men outside waiting for them as we speak.”

“Hopefully you put the asshole who greeted me in his place. My crew won’t be as nice to him as I was if he pulls that macho bullshit with them.”

I grin. The babe’s got one hell of an attitude, that’s for sure.

Hawg doesn’t answer but clears his throat. He doesn’t usually put up with much. Maybe he’s used to her sass. “The ladies will be fine. The guys have orders to bring them in safely and take them downstairs with you and the others as soon as they arrive.”

“Thanks.”

“You should know, Duchess called and asked us to secure you for a few days as a favor to her and the Royal Bastards, and to make sure your club doesn’t come under attack.

I didn’t want to say it in front of the others, ‘cause I don’t know those girls who were rescued from Jack, but I sent some guys over to make sure no one comes calling and if they do, they get a message to leave your club alone. ”

Pearl should be grateful the Royal Bastards and Phoenix Crew have her back, but that baby has more attitude than any female I’ve ever seen.

“In most circumstances, I’d be pissed,” she says.

“The ladies and I have been doing just fine by ourselves for years, but we’ve found ourselves helping women in trouble and those lives come before my pride.

Duchess probably knew I’d feel that way. So, thank you, we appreciate the help.”

Hawg laughs. “You’re welcome, Pearl.”

It sounds like everything is under control and I’m about to head back upstairs but she starts talking again and against my better instincts, I stay to hear what it is she has to say.

“And we carry our own weight, we pay for our food, and anything else we need, and after all this is over, when you need a favor, you know who to call, deal?” Her voice is strong and commanding, just like the badass she is and it’s hard not to respect everything about her in this moment.

Hawg laughs, a deep burly chuckle, but then I hear another voice in the room. “Any favor pretty girl? Cause I can envision a whole lot of ways we could get paid back.”

My jaw locks fucking tight. Someone must have been in the room already watching TV or something, but I don’t fucking like the tone of his voice one damn bit.

Pearl doesn’t need a man to jump in and protect her, and she puts the asshole in his place without hesitation. “Anything but the sexual kind. I have a lot of respect for the Phoenix Crew, but I don’t mix business with pleasure although I appreciate the help more than you know.”

Hawg glares at the man. “Pearl, this is Pipes. Don’t pay him any mind. He’s a new recruit and should learn to keep his mouth shut.”

Pipes isn’t as smart as he should be and keeps running his mouth. “Don’t mean I won’t try to change your mind, sweetcakes. I’ll be dreaming about you tonight.”

Pearl doesn’t say anything, but I can just imagine the icy blue that heats up in a minute, that she’s turning on him now.

Hawg clears his throat. “Find something else to do, Pipes. Right now, Pearl, what you gotta watch out for is your back. Those ladies want to get to safety fast and the surest way is on a truck headed north tomorrow night at seven. Duchess has it all lined up and from what I understand will have work for them when they get to where they’re going. As long as they want to go.”

Pearl’s voice sounds edgy and tired. “Except for one thing. Angel’s twin sister Lacey is in Vegas, apparently on ice at some hole in the wall strip club just outside of town.

We didn’t know until tonight. That’s what tipped us off to the fact that we may have been tracked. She was still carrying a cell.”

The sound of a chair or bar stool moving in the room causes me to put one foot on the step in case I have to hit the stairs fast, if they get closer to the door.

Hawg may be empathetic to her plight, but he stands his ground.

“You can’t save everyone sweetheart, not at the risk of putting the other girls’ lives in jeopardy.

We can’t wait. We have to get them out of town. ”

I expect Pearl to argue but she doesn’t say a thing. She probably knows the score, has been down this road before but clearly something gives him the impression that she’s not happy about his answer.

Hawg exhales a loud breath. “Look Pearl. I’m not saying we give up on getting her sister out, but we move the ladies we have to safety first. The guys are stretched too fucking thin right now.

I’ve got some of the boys over at your place, some outside here guarding the place, and we need to be at a meet in Tucson by tomorrow night.

We’ll make damn sure your ladies get on that truck before we head out, but it’s the best we can do.

If we could miss that meet tomorrow night, we would. ”

The sound of boots moving across the room put my own feet into gear, hightailing it back up the stairs. But I still watch to make sure Pearl is on her way back to the other females before I rejoin Lucky at the bar because I don’t like the way fucking Pipes talked to her at all.

Once back at the bar, the glass of warming beer spins in my hand while I’m thinking about the conversation, inwardly swearing about the timing of that Tucson meet and the need for more supply.

They’re going to get the supply, but I’d feel a whole lot better if someone stayed here and made sure Pearl and the Harlots are okay.

I can’t be in two places at one time, and neither the Royal Bastards nor the Phoenix Crew will be here to do it after they put the rescued girls on the truck tomorrow night.

I make up my mind, right then and there, that tomorrow’s going to be a long-ass day because I’m not leaving Pearl and the women alone. With a timeline like this, I may be able to use a few of the back roads, but the main drag is going to get me there and back a whole hell of a lot faster.