Nothing but Cooper held me to the earth.
Chapter Seven
I pulled away first. Not by choice exactly. A nagging sensation forced me to end the kiss. I’d always ridiculed people who claimed, “The devil made me do it!”, but right now, I fit right in with them. Although, the devil didn’t make me ask, “Does this mean you’re not handing me over to my club?”
The peaceful and benevolent mood we’d established disappeared.
“Hey!”
I flinched, suddenly remembering where Cooper and I had decided to make out. I sat bolt upright and sunk deeper into the pit of balls. “Oh, my God.” I laughed then covered my eyes to avoid looking at the stern and very flamboyant manager.
With multi-colored feathers hanging from his earrings and sticking out between layers on his medium-length black hair, he resembled a giant peacock. I cleared my throat, putting on my best serious face and turned my gaze on him. I kept my stare on his face rather than the pink suspenders that must have belonged to some local clown college and the knee-high lace-up boots. “Is there a problem?”
“I think it’s time you and your hooker left, sir,” he said to Cooper. “And you might want to get a refund from the looks of her. This is a family restaurant.” He made a generalized motion with both hands outstretched. “The patrons are starting to complain.”
I searched the restaurant for whom he might be referring to and found the perpetrator. In his forties, the guy with the black eyeliner, tattoos, and spikes smiled at me. “Actually, I think he likes it.” I tried to ignore his lingering gaze as Cooper spoke up.
“She’s not a hooker.” Cooper stood facing me and the manager, one leg planted on each side of me. I had an excellent view of the bulge in his jeans from this angle. “She’s just horny.”
I tried not to laugh, but honestly couldn’t hold it in. Count on me to laugh at being called horny. It was a funny word. I rolled over, burying my face in the multi-colored, germ-covered orbs and giggled until I cried.
A calloused hand wrapped around my upper arm, opposite the bullet wound, and helped me to my feet. “We were just leaving,” Cooper said.
I wiped my face with the back of my hand. “That’s right, honey. You got to get me back to the whore house.” Another round of giggles shook my shoulders.
“Did someone mix your medicine?” the manager asked as Cooper shoved me through the small opening of the jungle gym.
I slowly crawled out, refusing to think about what exactly my hand had just gotten stuck to on the floor and glanced up at him from all fours. “No. But do you have any?” I pulled my sandals on and waited for Cooper to lace his work boots. Damn, even putting on a pair of shoes he kicked my motor into overdrive.
Once we’d made it outside in one piece, no thanks to me, sobriety took hold. Exhaustion weighed me down. I leaned onto the bike, partially seated, and looked in the direction of Sin City. While I didn’t relish going back, Las Vegas had been my home for as long as I could remember. My birth certificate said State of California, but my dad had obviously grown tired of the golden state and shipped us out here. Mom had already run off by then. I didn’t even remember her. The sun had already begun its descent, streaking the sky with purple, pink, and gray. No matter where I went, it wouldn’t have Nevadan sunsets.
“Either you’re thinking about getting a colonoscopy or something worse.” Cooper’s voice relaxed the tension in my neck and shoulders. Nobody had been able to do that before. He stood in front of me, hands in his pockets, but kept his distance. I had an effect on people like that.
“Wondering where I’d go after all this is over,” I admitted. I tore my gaze away from the vibrant colors in the sky and focused on him. Straightening, I squinted up at him. “I won’t go back, Cooper.” I continued when he didn’t respond. “Handing me over won’t solve anything.”
“You don’t know that.”
His words stung. He’d already made his decision and I hated the idea of hurting him to get away. It wasn’t me, but I’d do what I had to in order to survive. “Why is the president’s seat so important to you? Satan’s Army isn’t even an established chapter. There are better choices out there.” I stepped into him, tugging on the edges of his club cut. “I have no doubt in my mind you’d move up—”
“Stop,” he interrupted and brushed my hands aside. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Cooper turned his back on me. He gazed out at the same sunset I’d lost my thoughts in.