Page 3 of Deadly North

And even more, I hate how my body reacts every time he comes around.

Connor and Mack are with a guy I don’t recognize. Like them, he’s also wearing the Royal Bastards colors. He’s a big, tall dude, with blondish-brown hair and a big old mustache. When he gets closer, I see he’s got a patch on his right pec that says Vice-President. But he’s not the VP of the Minneapolis Royal Bastards. He must be from one of the other chapters.

“Hey, babe,” Connor murmurs to Kat, slipping an arm around her. He looks at me. “Hey, G.”

“Hey, Con,” I reply to my brother. My gaze slides reluctantly from him to King Asshole. I purse my lips but say nothing.

Mack lets out a loud guffaw. “Good to see you, too, Gigi.” His eyes glint with what I can only imagine is malice. He knows I hate him as much as he hates me. The bastard loves to push my buttons.

“Kat, G, this here’s Rocky,” Connor says, jerking a thumb toward the guy with the mustache. “He’s the VP of the Knoxville Royal Bastards. Came up for a quick visit on some club business. Rocky, this here’s my old lady and my sister, Gigi.”

“Nice to meet you, Rocky,” Kat says.

I pry my eyes away from Mack and do my best to give the Knoxville VP the friendly smile I denied him. “Hi,” I say simply.

“Hey there, Red,” Rocky drawls, unknowingly the second person of the day to decide on that nickname for me. Truth be told, lots of guys call me that, and they all think they’re original. “Fury here says you got a tattoo bus here. That’s fuckin’ cool.”

“Thanks, yeah. I’m just on a break right now. Biker rallies are usually pretty good business.”

“I can imagine.” He flashes his pearly whites at me. “I’m guessin’ you do pretty good work.”

“I’m the best,” I say truthfully.

Mack scoffs. Not bothering to turn toward him, I simply lift my arm and give a one-finger salute in his direction.

“Is that right?” Rocky muses. “Well, maybe I’ll come by and have you do some ink on me. I got a couple ideas I’ve been turnin’ around in my head.” He gives me a wink. “‘Course, that is if you’re comfortable doin’ tattoos in… unusual places.”

Oh, my.I don’t blush easily, but at Rocky’s words, heat starts to rise to my face.

“I wouldn’t let her close to any sensitive bits,” Mack butts in, cutting Rocky a glance. “She’s about as warm and fuzzy as a porcupine, with a personality to match. Not to mention she’s as likely to slice off your balls as look at you. She’s not really a fan of men.”

Instantly, the heat in my face turns into a full-body boil of rage. Mack has always seemed to take great joy in, for lack of a better word, cockblocking me whenever there’s an attractive man anywhere in my vicinity. The fact that he does it simply for fun, and not because he is in any way attracted to me, makes me absolutely furious, to the point where I fantasize about cuttinghisballs off.

“Shut it, Fuckface,” I snarl at him.

“Truth hurts, doesn’t it, Gizmo?” he tosses back, bringing up an old nickname from when we were kids.

“Oh, my god, you are sojuvenile,” I rage. I think my eyes might just roll so far back into my head they’re gonna get stuck there. My hands curl up into fists. One of these days, I really am just going to haul off and punch him.

“Okay, Jesus, enough of the Mack and Gigi show,” Connor sighs, his patience wearing thin. “Mack, give it a rest, will ya?”

“Suits me,” I say through gritted teeth. Pivoting to Rocky, I tilt my head and bat my eyes a little. “I’dloveto do some ink for you,” I say, sweet as honey. “I’d even give you the family discount, seeing as how you’re a Royal Bastard and all. Any brother of Connor’s, I mean Fury’s, is a friend of mine. Averygood friend,” I emphasize. Truth be told, I’m not at all flirting with Rocky because I’m interested in him, but I can’t resist contradicting Mack. “Anyway, I have to get back to the bus. Customers waiting.” I flash Rocky my most winning grin. “Just stop by if you want. I’m available.”

“I just might do that, Red,” Rocky says with a smirk.

“See ya, Kat,” I say to my sister-in-law.

“See you later!” she says, hugging me. “Oh, hey, do you want to come over sometime this week to hang out? I could use some company that doesn’t drool.”

“Are you talking about me or the baby?” Connor quips.

“Ha ha,” Kat retorts.

“Sure, that would be fun!” I tell her. “Shoot me a text when you’re free.”

I turn back toward the bus, pointedly refusing to say goodbye to King Asshole. Unfortunately, he doesn’t take the hint. I haven’t gone more than twenty feet before I hear footsteps behind me.

3

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