I’d left my jacket in the car, and I stepped into the vestibule like I owned the place.
Zeno was sitting at the stool next to the interior door that would open to the Son’s private bar, complete with posters of half-dressed women, pool tables, and a bartender serving up beer, whiskey, and weed.
“Jesus, Krystal. You look good enough to eat. Seriously.”
I smiled at him. He’d been Moses’ best friend in the Sons, and he’d taken Moses death as hard as I had. He and Joker were the only members of the Sons that I hadn’t slept with, and I realized that maybe I hadn’t slept with Zeno because he wasn’t the asshole that some of the guys were. He didn’t treat me like I was stupid or order me around just because I was a woman, and consequently he hadn’t really turned me on. Shit, I seriously needed to get my head on straight.
“Hey, sugar,” I purred, as I threw one arm around his shoulders. “Bug here?”
Now, I knew damn well that Bug was there, because I’d seen his bike in the lot, but I figured that just in case I wasn’t going to break up with him that evening, I should hedge my bets.
“Yeah. He said he was expecting you, but he didn’t tell me you were gonna come in here dressed like a wet dream. You look gorgeous, girl.”
“Bug told me to get fixed up. Just trying to please your VP,” I said with a wink. “Gonna let me in?”
“Wish I could keep you out here to myself, but I guess so.” Zeno reached for the doorknob and paused. “Hey — you’re never gonna guess who’s here.”
“No clue, sugar.”
I didn’t really care who was there because I was looking forward to seeing Bug’s face when I walked through the door, but I figured that I should be polite to one of the few decent guys in the MC.
“Joker’s here, and he brought his son.”
Now that actually was news. “His son?”
“Yeah. Tall blond guy.”
“Holy shit. Does Sable know he’s got a kid?”
“It’s their kid together, that’s the crazy thing. Sable gave him up for adoption when Joker was in the service, and he never knew until today.”
“Wow,” was all I could say.
In hindsight, I guess maybe I should have put the pieces together, but since there was absolutely nothing that connected a guy who could afford a suite at the Ritz Carlton with Joker and the Savage Sons, I had no idea what I was walking into.
Zeno opened the door, and I saw Bug and J.C. in their usual places right away. Bug preferred the very end of the bar facing the front door so that he could see everyone come and go and keep tabs on the room. When I walked in, he had a beer bottle halfway to his lips, and he froze. He looked me up and down, and I couldn’t decipher his expression. What I could tell for sure, though, was that he thought I looked good.
I took my time walking over to him, making sure that I stopped to greet every single man between me and Bug. He watched and I could tell that his temper was coming to a simmer. I wanted to make a point, but I most definitely didn’t want him to boil over.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” Bug said to J.C. as I got closer.
“More like the cat’s meow, man,” J.C. said before dissolving into laughter.
J.C. wasn’t very smart, but his comment had been pretty funny. I came right up to Bug, almost touching his knee, and I stopped.
“This what you had in mind?” I asked in a sexy voice, as I slowly turned around to let him take a long, hard look.
“You look good,” he said. “If a man’s looking for a hooker. You’re on your own, sweetheart, if you have trouble with guys wanting to handle your merchandise.”
I pulled myself up to my full height, supplemented with the sexy heels I wore. I realized that it felt amazing to look down at Bug, especially when I knew how good I looked. “You said you wanted me to look hot. I was just doing what you asked.”
“I didn’t ask, Krystal. I told. And I also told you to bring some money. Why don’t you head over to the bar and take care of our tab?”
The fuck I was gonna pay the man’s bar tab.
“Hm,” I said, as if I were upset. “I seem to have forgotten my purse.”
Before I knew what was happening, Bug’s hand shot out and he grabbed my elbow — the one next to the bar, so that no one else in the room but J.C. could see it.
“Do not fuck with me, you cunt,” he hissed into my ear.
Tears came to my eyes as he squeezed the pressure point at my elbow, threatening to make my knees buckle under the pain. He had called my bluff, and I caved.
“Bug, honey, don’t be mad at me. I really did forget my purse. I’ll get you some money in the next day or so.”