Page 80 of The Vows We Keep

“I lied. You don’t trust me; I see no reason to trust you.”

“Let me see,” Spark says.

“No, because this isn’t show and tell,” I say. “Suffice to say I’m armed with options.” Niro tried to reassure me I wouldn’t need them for the clubhouse, but I feel naked without them.

Spark grins. “Iris, this is Catalina. She’s your bodyguard for the night.”

I don’t remember everything that Niro has told me about Iris, but the ones I do make the hairs on my neck stand on end. Abducted. Terrorized. Assaulted.

“My pleasure,” I say.

“Let’s go then,” Rae says, as she steps up onto her toes before kissing King’s cheek. “Who is driving us?”

“Martin is driving the van. Two other prospects are riding alongside.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

I watch as the women start to leave the bar.

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” Niro says.

As he says that, Iris looks back at me to check I’m following. Jesus, I couldn’t say no now if I wanted to.

“I’ll go.”

Niro kisses my lips. “I’ll see you when you get home. Call me if you need me.” He takes a roll of cash out of his pocket and unfurls two hundred-dollar bills. “Have fun.”

I look down at the notes. “I have my own cash.”

“I know you do. But this is to look after the girls.”

King bats Niro’s hands away, then presses four hundred dollars into my hand. “If Spark’s getting you to look out for the old ladies, you should at least get paid by the club. A hundred each for Gwen, Iris, Briar, and Rae.”

The move confuses me. He was so against my actual presence not half an hour ago. Niro tips his chin, encouraging me to take it. Getting paid to work feels better than being given money by the man I’m sleeping with.

And with the thought I’m doing good, I follow them to the van.

26

NIRO

“Niroandgirlfriendare two words I never thought I’d hear run together,” Clutch says, an annoying grin on his face.

“Says the man who dipped his dick into anything with open legs before Gwen came along,” I say, only half serious.

Clutch shoulder checks me. “Yeah, but that was before I knew what dipping it in Gwen Hills felt like.”

“For fuck’s sake, that’s my sister you’re talking about.” King groans, rubbing his hands over his face. “There’s not enough bleach in the clubhouse to rinse those kinds of images from my mind.”

I can’t help but laugh. I know Clutch does it to wind his best friend up.

“Says the man who told me how he was going to break my sister in front of me.” Saint’s tone could be taken many different ways.

“I was a fucking idiot. Almost want to shoot myself in the dick for what I was thinking of doing to her back then.”

“Hey,” I say. “I’m sorry for my part in that shit.” Saint looks up at me as if I just grew a second head. “What? I apologized.”

“I thought you were born without that factory setting,” Spark says.