I grab him by the collar of his shirt and lift him off the ground, pinning him to the wall.
“What. The. Fuck.”
He chokes out the words, but I hear them well enough. “Savage! Chill, man. She’s working at Leather and Lace, and I just thought you’d want to know she’s on the take with the Five Aces. I saw it last night. She was taking fistfuls of cash from their Road Captain. I don’t know what she’s into, but she’s in their territory, working at a club that’s marked theirs.”
I can’t process everything he’s saying because it’s all hitting me at once.
“She’s a stripper?”
I hear my question echo off the walls. I should be more careful about drawing attention, but I don’t give a fuck who hears. This news is ripping my insides to pieces, and changes my plan about going after her. I was going to wait for the right moment, but it looks like that’s now.
“What the fuck do you care, Savage? I said she’s working with the Five Aces. I don’t know if she’s passing information or what, but I’m just the messenger, man.”
I grip his collar tighter, cutting off all the air to his lungs. I don’t care that he’s kicking and scratching at me, or that he’s turning blue. He needs to stop the words from coming out of his fucking mouth.
“Yo, Savage. You looking for another round tonight? I don’t think this one is ready for the ring, but I could probably drum up a few contenders.”
I hear Mac aka Casper over my shoulder, but I’m not hearing what she has to say. “Go back to your man, Casper. I’ve got shit to do.”
"It's just my luck I finally get him worked up enough to fuck me in public, and I've gotta hop off his dick to save your ass."
“Nobody asked you to come over here."
“I'm pretty sure little boy blue here doesn't mind my interruption, do you, kid? Besides, those fucking sweet butts and ring bunnies saw me marking my territory with Vincent. I like making him wait to cum. Keeps him ready, if you know what I mean."
I drop Bret down on the ground, and he coughs and gasps for air.
“Enough. I'm out of here" I guess my plans for a big romantic gesture are out the window. I’m going to get my woman tonight.
“Where we going?”
Me and Cas have always had each other’s backs, and I know it’s because she saw what Julie meant to me. I don’t push her away because I know it won’t do any good. When I hit the opening of the cave and go to my bike, she hops on hers, and I look over to see her check her weapons.
“Leather and Lace.”
She gives me a wicked smile. “Fuck yeah, I could use some titties in my face right about now.”
Chapter Twenty
JULIE
“Four dollars,” I yell out over the beating music, dropping the beer down in front of the newest guy who has taken up residence in one of my bar stools.
“How about twenty and you show me your tits?” he shouts back, flashing me his crooked chipped smile, thinking he’s being clever.
It takes everything in me not to roll my eyes, but what can I expect? I’m working at a strip club. I might just be working the bar, but I know what kind of environment I’ve put myself into, but it still gets old, and I’ve only been here a month.
Not responding, I make change for the twenty, putting the four into the register and dropping the rest into the tip jar, and go back to stocking the beers.
“Hey, whore! I'm pretty sure you forgot the tits I just paid for.”
“Nope, I just charged you for getting on my nerves,” I say, not even bothering to look up at him.
“You fucking cunt,” he slurs, making a grab for me over the bar. Before I can call out for the bouncer, Burnout has him by the neck. The man instantly shrinks into himself, apologizing profusely because Burnout scares the shit out of everyone, even me.
“You’re messing with something that belongs to me,” Burnout says to the man, making my heartbeat pick up a bit. Burnout has been a regular for the past two weeks, ever since he came here with a bunch of other guys, all wearing leather jackets with ‘Five Aces’ etched across the back. They look like the one I saw Lucias wear the couple of times I tried to see Abe. I know for a fact that Lucias’s father used to have his own motorcycle club, which I’ve heard Lucias now runs.
“Sorry, Burnout. I didn’t know she was property, man. I swear.”
Burnout lets the man go, just as the club's bouncer finally makes his way over to us.
“Julie?” he asks, wanting me to clear up what just happened so he knows who needs to be thrown out. I would like to say “both” because I don’t like Burnout’s eyes on me all the time, but if the club threw people out for checking us out, then there wouldn’t be anyone in the place.