Mayhem (Deathstalkers MC #5)(41)

"So what's your story?" Izzy leans on the bar.

I freeze. I hadn't expected her to be so forward. I don't know what to say. Being here it's almost like a fresh start for me. I don't want to tarnish it by bringing up my past.

"She's Cutter's new assistant at the club-and his girl," Lucy adds, and I make a mental note to thank her later. "She'll be hanging out tonight while the boys are on their run."

Hands wrap around my shoulders and I don't need to turn around to know who it is. I'd recognize his scent anywhere. "I need to get out of here." His voice reverberates in my ear, sending unfamiliar chills across my skin.



       
         
       
        

I turn in my stool to face him. He barely knows anything about me -he still doesn't know everything, which can't be helped because, honestly, right now, I don't really know myself, either. I went from living every day without anything to look forward to, to now . . .

I feel like there are so many different possibilities lying ahead of me and while they scare me, I'm also a bit excited.

"Everything okay?"

"It will be," I say, smiling at him.

"It will." He kisses my lips before standing up straight. "I'll be back sometime tomorrow. Take it easy on her, girls." He laughs.

"Hey, we're the nice ones. I hope you gave the same talk to Nikki and Tracie," Izzy replies, shooting both Cutter and Lucy a knowing look.

Cutter's eyes cloud over for a second, but when he spots me looking at him, he sakes it off. "They've been warned."

He winks at her before giving me one more kiss. "I have one more thing for you." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a phone. "My number is already in it. Call me before you go to bed."

I take it from him, marveling at this tiny gadget that'll allow me to speak to him wherever he is. I was never allowed a cell phone with Dylan, he said I couldn't be trusted and the only person I needed to talk to was him.

I shake my head. "Thanks."

He walks away and I just sit there staring after him.

"You guys are cute," Izzy says, before walking to the other end of the bar where a couple of brothers are waiting.

I take a sip of the water Izzy left on the bar for me. "Thanks for saving me with the whole 'what's your story' question."

Lucy nudges me with her shoulder. "No problem, girl. Everyone deserves a fresh start." She takes a sip of the drink in front of her. "You sure you don't want anything?"

"I'm good, thanks." I lift my water. "I'm not a big drinker."

"Well, that might change if you hang around here much more." A different girl behind the bar smiles at me. Her hair is dark and wavy and I see Tracie standing next to her.

"Be easy you two, she is so not ready for your particular brand of crazy." Lucy laughs. "This is Nikki. She's Pres's old lady. And you've met Tracie."

"Hi," I say, again with the addition of an awkward wave that I immediately regret.

"You give her the rundown, Mary, or you leaving that up to us?" Tracie says with a smirk to Lucy.

"Don't confuse her with your dumb nickname, Trace."

"Hey, now. That nickname was some of my best work and it stuck for four years." She laughs. 

Lucy turns to me, ignoring Tracie. "Ugh, whatever. When I first got here I was really young and super naïve and innocent. Tracie here started calling me Mary after the Virgin Mary and it caught on."

I laugh and surprise myself.

"Anyway, did you run down all the dirt for her?" Nikki says, pulling out a glass and mixing a drink. I don't know what's she's making, but it has a hell of a lot of rum in it.

"No, and trust me when I say she isn't ready. No one really ever is."

"So true." Izzy walks back over. "I think I might still be scarred from that talk. Just know that if they give you shit, you gotta give it back twice as hard." Izzy winks at me as she grabs a few bottles and lifts them onto the bar.

"You guys ruin all the fun." Nikki rolls her eyes.

Lucy drains the last of her beer and stands up. "I'm going to start getting dinner ready, wanna come with?"

"Sure." I follow her, waving good-bye to the girls.

All three of them seem like they're really happy. Like they've found their place here. That's something I want. To have somewhere that I feel like I belong. I want to find myself, and be comfortable with whoever that person is.

I follow Lucy into the kitchen and I'm surprised at how big it is. "So, tonight there is pasta and sausage on the menu. I try to only make stuff that isn't really complicated and that you can make in a big batch. These boys eat like they've been living in a third world country."