I shook my head. “No. I thought that for a second, too, but there’s no way. He’ll take Bug’s side because they’re brothers in that stupid fucking motorcycle club.”
“Wait a minute, Krystal. You say that like being brothers is a bad thing.”
“Luke, you don’t even get it. Those fuckers will back each other up, no matter what they’ve done wrong. Joker might stop Bug from killing me if we were standing in front of him, but I wouldn’t even bet on that. Bug treats me like trash, and that’s okay — perfectly normal, even — for the Sons.”
“I know you’re upset, but you can’t really mean that.” Luke put his hand on my arm. “I’ve spent some time with the Sons this week, and they’re good guys.”
“I’m sure they are good guys to you. They’re all excited about meeting Joker’s son, but if you had something they wanted, they wouldn’t hesitate to run you over.” I stood up and walked over to the window, frustrated because I knew that Luke didn’t have the history that I did with the Sons. “You don’t know them like I do.”
“Actually, Krystal, I know them better than you realize. At church on Sunday, the Sons are gonna vote me in as a member, at least, I hope they are.”
I spun around and my jaw fell open. “What the fuck are you thinking, Luke? Why the hell would you want to be a member of the Sons? You have a college degree and a good job, for God’s sake. You’re fuckin’ out of your mind.”
“Jesus, Krystal, you sound just like Sable.”
“Well, maybe you should listen to your mother.”
“She’s only my birth mother. She left me behind because she didn’t want her life screwed up, and she doesn’t have the right to tell me what to do.”
“Even if she’s right?” I felt like my heart was going to beat right out of my chest. Luke couldn’t possibly make it as one of the Savage Sons, even if they did vote him in. He wasn’t hard enough, not that I was gonna tell him that.
“Sable made her choices, and I’m going to make mine.”
“Luke, I just don’t understand. Why are you doing this? Are you leaving your job?”
“I’m taking a leave of absence, and my reasons, quite honestly, are none of your business. I’ve learned that I shouldn’t discuss club business with anyone who’s not a member.”
“Jesus,” I shook my head in disgust. “You sure learn quick. So you want a guy like Bug for a brother. That piece of shit?”
“Krystal, I don’t really know Bug. Honestly, from what you’ve told me, he doesn’t sound like a good guy, but I’m not gonna get in between the two of you.”
“Wow.” I picked up my shirt from the floor. “You’ve got a thing or two to learn, Luke Callaway.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Well, if you’re too big a pussy to stand up for what’s right, then I don’t know that I can stand to be in the same room with you any longer.”
“What the hell, Krystal? You come in here with your sob story about some shithead that you were stupid enough to get involved with, and you want me to rush to your rescue? Maybe you should be more careful about who you sleep with.”
I stood still, staring at Luke, unable to believe what I’d just heard. I walked into the bedroom, closed the door, hung up the fancy bathrobe, and got dressed. When I walked back out to the living room, I had composed myself enough to string a sentence together.
“You’re right, Luke. I should be more careful about who I sleep with, and you were clearly a mistake. I thought you might be different, and I was wrong. The only difference that I see between you and the Savage Sons is that you’re too weak to take what you want. You’re gonna back off and let Bug beat the shit out of me, and I hate you for that.”
“Krystal, I’m not gonna let Bug beat the shit out of you, but I’m not gonna get involved, otherwise. You need to work this out for yourself. He probably didn’t even mean what he said, and you need to sort out the mess you’ve made with him.”
“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into, Luke. Bug is shit, and the Sons are poison. Moses wanted to make things better, but he’s dead, and that cesspool will never change.”
I walked to the door and turned around to look at Luke, trying to decide what to say, and I decided that nothing I said would matter anyway. I opened the door, walked out, and let the door slam behind me. When I got to the elevator, part of me hoped that Luke would come rushing out of the room to stop me from leaving. He might not be as tough as I would have liked, but he was a good man, or at least I wanted to believe he was. Determined not to cry in the hallway, I waited until the elevator doors closed behind me to let the tears start running down my face.