He parked and headed inside. Three tables of customers were buying drinks. Vincent checked his wristwatch: only eleven and already slamming beers? He waved to Sheila behind the bar and made his way to his office. Several messages were waiting for him on voicemail and email. He replied to his president and vice, assuring them everything was under control, then called Dog Tag.
“Bring Saline and J.T. to my office.”
“Be there in five minutes.” Dog Tag disconnected.
Summits weren’t just for Austin. If Vincent could pull off a peaceful meeting on neutral territory and convince the officers of the Man-o-Wars to stand down and understand why Saline left Crash, things would stay the same. But blessed with radar-like instincts, Vincent knew retaliation was coming. Honor demanded it. Old ladies didn’t walk away from their clubs unscathed. Not without bloodshed, especially if they accepted the patch from a member of a rival club.
Dog Tag, Saline, and J.T. filed into his office and sat down.
“Close the door.” Vincent motioned to J.T.
“You’ve had a couple of days to think things over, Saline,” he said. “You know the rules. Once you commit to this club, there’s no going back.”
Her gaze flicked from Dog Tag to J.T., then back to Vincent. “I’m already wearing your ink.”
Vincent understood, but he still needed to toss the bone out there. Her dedication to the club mattered the most. Pussy came and went, but the Brotherhood always stood. “Have the other old ladies been treating you with respect?”
“A couple are leery of my presence, but most sympathized with my story.”
“I made her show them her scars,” Dog Tag added.
Vincent leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers underneath his chin. Playing the heartstrings…brilliant move to foster support. “Pity and respect are two separate things.”
“I’ll earn it,” Saline said.
“How?” Vincent asked.
“Tell me what to do.”
Tension coiled in the room for a minute.
“Hard work never killed anyone,” Vincent observed. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a new old lady join us. And just like everything else, there’s a pecking order with the women. Several Brothers live at the clubhouse full time and require three squares a day. Report for kitchen duty every morning at seven. Teresa and Kelly are in charge. They’ll show you what to do.”
Dog Tag squeezed her hand.
“We have club business to discuss now.” He dismissed Saline.
“Thank you for giving her a chance,” Dog Tag said as soon as the office door closed.
“Don’t think you’re getting a free pass for what you did. The rules are clear: I should confiscate your colors and walk away. But like I said before, those scars on her back change things. We’re going to invite the Man-o-Wars to a sit-down.”
“Here?” J.T. asked, sounding surprised.
“Fuck no. Neutral territory,” Vincent clarified. “Outside, with no civilians around. I don’t trust the assholes as far as I can spit. But we don’t have a choice. Reach out to their sergeant-at-arms. Limit the guests to five members apiece. Saline will go with us. Those scars on her back are the key evidence in this case. Unless she lied to you, Dog Tag, and did something to break their code. I’m guessing their president doesn’t know. Even those maggots have rules to follow.”
“Security?” J.T. questioned.
“Leave that to me,” Vincent said. “Make the meeting happen soon.”
Dog Tag and J.T. left.
Vincent slammed his fists on the desk, frustrated. If he could castrate Dog Tag, that would take care of any future complications with women. But the man whore had never expressed long-term interest in a woman before. So seeing Saline wearing his patch changed things. Maybe the boy was growing up a little after all. Of course, Vincent could apply the same thoughts to himself. He’d let lust cloud his judgment last night. Not that he regretted it. Tina deserved either all or none of him.
And now that he’d tasted her, been buried so deep inside her that there were no more secrets between them, he knew what a fool he’d been all these months. Her phone number was programmed in his cell. He had her email address and they were friends on Facebook. Why had he waited so long?
What scared him? Being with her was a pleasure, and she’d already resurrected his heart. The thought of losing her, that’s what kept him awake all night. How did a man like him keep a woman like Tina satisfied? There was never a question about their compatibility in bed—he’d fuck her five times a day if given the chance. But her education and aspirations to climb the corporate ladder meant they lived in different worlds. And now he was scheduled to meet her family on Thanksgiving.