Page 41 of Whiskey Shivers

“One, club business is just that, club business. Don’t ask and don’tevertell. Two, if the guys are in the chapel at the club, which is their meeting room, don’t interrupt. Seriously, wait until they’re done. And three, don’t ask about their road name and how they got it. Not everyone is open about it or wants to tell that story. Like, some take it as a grave insult. Likewise, don’t ask for their legal name, either. I’ve learned if you sit back and watch and listen, eventually, that comes out or shakes out. Or, you can just ask me. Three is at least the kind of stuff we can gossip about.”

“I always wondered how Hex got his nickname, and I did ask once. He didn’t answer me, just sort of dodged the question.”

“Oh, yeah, I think I heard something about that. Something about a look he gets when he’s beyond mad or pissed. Like he’s straight up hexing a man with that one look. Their road names are more than just a nickname,” she gently corrected. “I wouldn’t make the mistake of calling it just a ‘nickname.’ Someone is liable to get their feelings hurt, and you don’teverwant anything taken as disrespect. That’s something they hold sacrosanct.”

“I think I may have seen that look,” I said, my mind stuck on the subject of Hex’s road name, but I was definitely interested and taking mental notes on everything else she was saying. “Or at least a baby version of it.”

“Yeeeah, the fact you saw that look and there wasn’t immediate and bloody violence, means whoever garnered that look without immediate retribution is going to have a real bad fucking time for a reallongtime.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Hex is a clever man with a very long memory, honey.”

“Guess it’s a good thing he didn’t look atmethat way,” I said.

“I don’t think he could if he wanted to,” she said. I frowned but couldn’t help my smile.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” she said getting to her feet. “That I’ve never seen that man have it so bad foranyonelike he does you.”

“You keep saying that!” I said, and it sounded like a bit of protest had entered my voice. I mean, I didn’t understand it.

“I know,” she said. “And I’ll keep saying it until it sinks all the way in.”

I gave a frustrated sigh and said a little forlornly, “TMI, I know, but I wish I weren’t so hurt thathecould sink all the way in, if you know what I mean.”

She laughed wildly and said, “You totally just reminded me of my best friend Maya. That was totally something she would have said.”

“Would have said?” I raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry…” I immediately followed up when Alina’s sparkle dimmed.

“Ah, yeah, that’s how La Croix and I met, actually. Remember that wild and long story I promised earlier?”

“I’m listening,” I said, and I was.

…and that’s how she really started to get into her story, andwow, it was awful. Like something out of a political action thriller movie or something. It was alsoa lotof food for thought.

“I don’t understand how they could have such reputations when they’re like this,” I said quietly. I admit, I was troubled. I mean, they wereclearlythe good guys in all that she had to say, and I remembered the news reports about Councilman Bashaw’s suicide and how it related to some big scandal surrounding the childhood sexual abuse of his daughter. I hadn’t realized how deep or how sordid the whole thing was, though.

Alina sighed. “I fully admit, I was as scared of La Croix as I was intrigued by him in the beginning. But now, I don’t even see the ink and the intimidation. How can I when he treats me so well?”

She was going to continue, but the back door to the house opened and masculine voices wafted up to us through the long hallway. Still, the look of pure love and adoration in her expression melted my heart a little. I couldn’t help but feel positively green with envy. I mean, how long and how hard had I wanted that? How desperate had I been growing up, for a love like that and just to be… to bewantedby someone, byanyone.

That’s when Hex came back in, his eyes searching for and finding me immediately. His entire posture relaxed once he held me safely in his gaze. Alina and I traded a look and stifled a giggle. I couldn’t help it. I mean, there was no denying what she’d been saying in that moment, and I can’t tell you how despite everything dragging me down, how my heart soared with that one look from him.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

“A couple of hours?” I asked, and his smile turned apologetic.

“Club business can be like that, Fable. I’m sorry,” he said.

It’d easily been four or five hours since he’d left, and honestly, everything was as neatly put away as we could make it. Alina and I were really just sitting on the living room floor against the wall, getting to know one another than actually doing anything super useful at this point.

“Alina,” La Croix intoned and once again she went to him without a second thought, her movements graceful as she got to her feet and picked her way through some of the things surrounding us to go to his side. She leaned into him and looked up. He lowered his mouth to hers and gave her a kiss, and I think I could kind of see what she was talking about. I mean, the way they were, how tender he was with her, it was as if the scary tattoos and the weird creepy eyes – which I’d learned werenotcontacts – just sort of melted away.

You could see how much they loved each other, and it was a sweet and beautiful sight to behold.

Once again, my heart throbbed with a longing to have just that very thing, but my thoughts were interrupted by Hex crouching down next to me, slightly startling me out of my reverie.

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