"I'm game. Wow. I can't thank you enough, Xavier."
The sound of his given name on her lips warmed him.
"Hey, it was no problem. Do you think you can come by the club tonight if I can set it up?"
"Tell me the time and place and I'll be there," she said.
"How about tonight at four-thirty? The bar will be going through the opening procedures, but the doors don't open until six o'clock."
"That works."
"Listen, I don't want you to feel obligated. Come down, meet with Kali, feel the place out, and then make your decision."
"Will you be there?"
"You want me to be?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll be there," he said, determined to be there if she needed him. He wouldn't trade the newfound peace he found for his thirst for revenge. He could balance them both.
§
"So who's this tart you're sending in here for me to train?" Kali asked, taking a sip of her energy drink as he leaned against the heavy oak desk in the office.
"She's not a tart," he snarled. He knew the types of girls some of the brothers brought around. He wouldn't have Kali thinking she was an easy lay looking for a good time.
"Oh ho, this is serious indeed," Kali said with a wicked cackle.
He shook his head at her obvious glee. "She's a good friend who's been through a lot. She's trying to get herself together and I'm helping."
"You bringing me some junkie biker bunny?" Kali asked. Her brow furrowed, and her lips curled up with contempt.
"No, nothing like that. She lost her family a few years back, and it screwed with her head. Put her life on pause. She's getting back out there and I want to provide a cushion and a safe place."
"I take it she doesn't know you own this place," Kali said.
"No, and I want to keep it that way."
Kali snickered. "It's your funeral."
"You think she'll be mad?"
"I know I'd be pissed if it felt like you pulled one over on me when I was trying to get back on my feet."
He thought of her small stature. "I'll take the risk."
"I hope I'm there when this blows up."
"You're so damn bloodthirsty, Kal."
She laughed. "Are you kidding me? Have you met my brother? It's in my DNA."
"You got a softer side, you just try to hide it."
Kali rolled her eyes. "Is this the blonde I've been hearing whispers about?"
"Gossiping old women, I swear," Snake muttered.
She laughed. "So that's a yes. You want me to show her the ropes, hang back and observe, yeah?"
Snake nodded. It was time he started testing her to see how well she fit into this world he'd brought her into. Loose lips sank ships, and he needed to know that she could think fast in a sticky situation. For the most part the Wild Ones operated a completely legal operation, but there were always areas of grey.
"All right, I'll do what you want. Hopefully, she pans out. It'd be nice to get some female friends around the club." She finished off her drink, pitched the can in the garbage, and walked out of the room with her full hips swaying. Dressed in a pair of skintight jeans with bedazzled pockets and a white T-shirt that stood out against her mocha-colored skin, she was as sexy as she was sassy. She wore her dark locks in a faux curly Mohawk that highlighted her oval-shaped face, high cheekbones, and full red lips. If he hadn't been blinded by grief when he first joined, he would've gone after her. Now, she was like a sister. Besides, he liked his face the way it was. Her overprotective brother would demolish anyone who tried to do more than flirt with his baby sister.
A knock on the door and a look at their cameras signaled Es's arrival. Kali returned to the bar with more clean glasses for the bar.
"Damn, you're glowing. How serious is this?" Kali asked.
"What?" he asked, turning to focus on the woman grinning beside him.
"Nothing," she replied, patting his face. "Let's go let Estelle in."
She stalked toward the door with purpose, and Snake felt a moment of apprehension. He never knew what the hell Kali was going to say or do. He rushed after her. Kali opened the door with a grin and his jaw dropped slightly. Es had on a knee-high black wrap dress that showed just how much weight she'd put on, and four-inch heels which made her legs look insanely long. He cleared his throat.
"Welcome, Estelle. It's so nice to finally meet you."
"It is?" Es said.
"I told you, my brothers are worse than school girls," Snake replied, narrowing his eyes at Kali. "Come on in, Kali will take you to the office and perform the interview. I'm a little bias I think."
She nodded. "Sounds good. I brought my resume, but it has nothing like this. I – I used to teach fourth graders in my previous life." Her eyes dimmed, and her shoulders fell.
"Sometimes I feel like I watch children for a living," Kali remarked, wrapping an arm around her waist. He watched as Kal steered her toward the back. There was a confidence in her step he hadn't seen before. Having her where I can keep an eye on her is definitely the way to go. No asshole is going to take advantage of her on my watch.
§
Estelle
"I'm sorry, but I have to ask. How in the hell did you meet Snake?" Kali asked.
Estelle glanced up from the inventory list she was helping fill out. "I don't think it's my story to tell."
"Oh, come on, just a hint," Kali said.
Estelle laughed. "It's tame. Whatever crazy scenario you've come up with in your mind, throw it out the window. I'm a really boring person, if you haven't figured that out already."
"I don't believe that at all," Kali said, studying her with an intensity which made Estelle want to squirm. She resisted the urge. She'd been around enough to know Snake's friends smelled fear, and would never let up once they saw you were skittish.
"You should. It'll save you from being disappointed," Estelle replied, returning to the wells list of vodka.
"The way he looks at you tells me differently."
"What are you talking about?" Estelle asked.
"Snake doesn't just bring people around, especially not women."
No, he wouldn't. He was stuck in limbo the same as she was, but in a different way. Sadness made her frown. Do I even contribute in this relationship? He'd given her so much.
"We have things in common that are very rare to come by."
"Usually there's nothing deep to see in his eye unless he's pissed. He hides behind a front. You bring out his humility. I'm still deciding if that's a good thing or not."
"Why wouldn't it be?" she asked.
"Not sure what you plan on doing with the power you hold. A woman can twist a man up into knots and fuck with his head."
"I highly doubt anyone could do that to Snake and I'm not into playing games," she said as her anger flared. Does she think I'm playing a sympathy card? Estelle saw the lengths some of the biker bunnies went through to be with the men.
"We'll see," Kali remarked.
Estelle took a deep breath, unsure how to approach the situation. Last thing she needed was a tense work environment. But she'd spent too many years being walked over and wasn't looking for a repeat now.
"Look, Kali, I get that you're protective. I've been around long enough to see why. But what me and Snake have is between us. You want answers, I suggest you go to him. In the meantime, know I'm not here looking for anything but friendship and a job I actually like."
Smirking, Kali nodded her head. "You got guts, I'll give you that. You'll need them around here. If anyone else told me to mind my own business, even in that nasty nice way you just did, they'd be getting cussed out. But for some reason, I really like you, Estelle. I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Make no mistake, if you fuck my boy over you'll be dealing with me."
"I'll be sleeping soundly at night," Estelle said dryly.
Kali laughed. "Hot damn, I might've made a new friend."
"I hope so. I could use all the friends I can get," Estelle replied honestly.
"Can't we all?" Kali asked.
They moved back to finishing inventory to create an order, and she observed the club. In the day it was all smooth black surfaces, chrome walls, and chrome seating. Black couches were arranged to create intimate seating arrangements throughout the large space. During the night water cascaded down the wall behind the bar that they lit up with blue lights, lending to the name, Rain. They had a mixed crowd in. It wasn't what she'd expected when Snake offered her the job.
"What do you think of Rain so far?" Kali asked as they finished their counts.
"I haven't seen it in action, but the day-to-day I can handle pretty well. I like that I'm learning the operation before I'm being thrown into the fire. I know I have my certificate, but I know doing it in a controlled environment versus performing on the fly is going to make for a learning curve."