Page 9 of Gotta Dig Deep
Shoving off the loveseat, Horse held his bottle out to Dale, who took it with a muttered, “Thanks.”
Following Blackie up the stairs, Horse glanced out across the ground floor room one last time before the landing turned and was surprised to find Dale still staring at him, face twisted with what looked like anger.Wonder what that’s about?Shaking off the unease the sight had caused, he entered the upstairs hallway and stopped when Blackie paused and fumbled with a cluster of keys attached to the chain of his wallet.
The lock opened with a click and Blackie stepped backwards as he shoved the door inwards. “Here you go.” Horse eyed him cautiously and the man laughed. “No fear, brother.” He yanked at the keys and Horse saw he was working one free of the ring. “Here’s the key to the door. Oaky has one as my second, but long as you have this,” he grabbed Horse’s hand and slapped the metal against his palm, “the room is yours.”
“Won’t you need it for another member?”
“Hope not.” Blackie lifted two fingers to his temple and flicked a mock salute. “Sleep well, brother. I’ll cook us a spread in the morning. I’m all about that servant mentality in my officers, gotta model what I want them to emulate, ya know?” He turned and walked away, swinging out of sight through a door nearer the end of the hallway.
Horse studied the hallway for a moment, marking how the large window at the end opened sideways, noting it probably exited onto a landing for external stairs. That would be the rear of the building, hidden from his view as they approached the structure earlier.
Turning, he entered the room and closed the door. The room wasn’t large by any means, the double bed inside took up nearly all available floor space. But it had been cleverly modified, with cabinets affixed to the walls up nearer the ceiling. Still in easy reach, but high enough he wouldn’t need to worry about smacking his head on them.No reason to open any of them.Blackie had showed ample trust in allowing a stranger to stay in the clubhouse, and Horse wouldn’t betray that confidence.
Footsteps up the stairs were loud, as was the knock at his door. It was swinging open before he got fully turned around and he had his hands up defensively before he recognized Oaky.
“Easy, brother. Easy. No, man. I’m not up for coppin’ a fine for fightin’ in the house. Fuck no.” Chuckling softly, Oaky held up his hand, showing Horse’s bag, retrieved from the back of his bike. “Thought you might like havin’ your stuff close to hand. More secure than leaving it on the bike. Even if we keep a prospect on watch at night, it’s always better safe than sorry.” He gestured behind him. “I’ve got your brother’s stuff here too. Want it inside?”
“Not a lot of room for it.” Horse grabbed his bag and stepped out of the way as Junkyard’s first bag soared through the door to land on the floor at the foot of the bed. “But I guess that’ll work.” The second, smaller bag thudded into place on top of the other one. “Thanks, man.”
“No problem. And Horse?” Oaky stuck his head back through the door. Horse tilted his head slightly in question. “Well met, brother. Without you tonight, we’d be having a very different discussion downstairs.”
He withdrew before Horse could respond, closing the door behind himself. Horse stared at the door and then glanced at the bags. He tossed his on the bed, used the key to lock the door then pulled out the ring holding his bike key and added it to that without thinking.
An hour later, he was still awake, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling when the doorknob rattled gently.
“The fuck?”
The soft mutter from the hallway underscored his unease, and he was glad he’d decided to just slip off his boots earlier. Moving carefully, he rose from the bed and stood next to the door, shoulders pressed tight to the wall.
The doorknob rattled again, more urgently.
“Fucker.”
This time he recognized the speaker as Dale.
What the hell would the prospect want?
Just in case the man had been sent up by a member for some reason, Horse quietly unlocked the door and then abruptly flung it wide.
The movement yanked the doorknob from Dale’s hand and the man’s head jerked up, guilt painting his expression.
Not sent by a member, then.
“What do you need?” Horse didn’t attempt to keep his voice quiet. Lying awake had allowed him to count footsteps up the stairs, and he knew that each bedroom had to be already occupied. “Can I help you, Dale?”
“No.” Red color moved up the man’s neck, embarrassment blazing its way into his cheeks. “Just checking to see if you needed anything.”
The door opposite Horse’s opened and Duane appeared. Naked except for a glistening condom covering his rigid cock, he looked annoyed. “The fuck you doin’ on the second floor, prospect?”
Okay, that’s new information.Horse hadn’t been aware the man wasn’t allowed up here.But if it’s off limits for a prospect, why did they invite me up here?
“Just checkin’ on Horse is all.” Dale shook his head, already moving towards the stairs. “Didn’t mean to cause a ruckus.”
Duane didn’t respond, just glared at the man until he was no longer visible before turning to look at Horse. His shoulders sagged. “Your lack of comfort is showing, brother.” Duane gestured to Horse with one hand, shoulders to feet. “I know you don’t got a sweetbottom in there, but you should at least strip to your skivvies to sleep. I get it, new place, new people and all that. Trust is earned, but you got nothin’ to fear under this roof, brother.” He glared at the stairs again. “Prospect won’t bother you again.” Then glanced over his shoulder, a grin splitting his face. “Can’t say the same for me and the smart mouth in here.” With a flip of his hand, Duane closed the door and Horse was left standing in the hallway alone.
He chuckled when a wave of feminine giggles passed through Duane’s door, then stepped back through into what he was now calling his room. Key to the lock, he paused, then turned it, locking himself in again.No harm in being cautious. Safe beats sorry, any day.With Duane’s words in his mind, he stripped down to his briefs, crawled under the covers and turned on his side facing the door.
Horse smiled, then laughed aloud as he relaxed against the mattress.
