Page 68 of Judge
“You’ll understand one day, son,” Leo says, reaching out to ruffle Jax’s hair and missing as he dodges away. “How’s work,babe? Got space for us? Mama Debs is bringing the kids in too.”
Gazing around the diner I wave the MC to the two empty back booths. Leo drops a kiss to my lips, pats my ass and follows his brothers.
“Excuse me, biker whore, we’d like to pay,” Chelsea sneers. I have the biggest urge to kick her ass and throw her from my diner, but I do the professional thing. Paste a smile on my face and head over with her check.
She holds her card out for me but before I can grasp it she drops it on the floor with an over exaggerated “Oops!” I growl under my breath, the only thing tamping down my temper is the excited looks on the faces of the girl gang.
Running the card through the till I get a big fat “declined” and my lips tip up.
“Ah, Chelsea, sorry about this, but do you have another card? This one is declined,” I call from my place behind the counter, so sweetly it hurts my teeth.
Her head spins so fast she looks like the damned Exorcist. “Try it again!” she barks, rolling her eyes at her friends as they start sharing looks.
“Nope. Says insufficient funds,” I smile innocently.
“Burn!” The ginger kid that just walked in with Mama Debs and the big littles yells, drawing attention.
Chelsea goes bright red, hurrying over. “There must be some mistake,” she says through gritted teeth. “Use this one!” she huffs, flinging another card at me. She taps her foot impatiently waiting for my response.
My eyes dart to the girl gang, Pops and Mad Dog are all leaning on the counter, staring. Flicking my eyes back to the card reader, again I see the words “insufficient funds” on the screen. Turning it around so Chelsea can see it she lets out a stifled scream, then rummages in her handbag.
Looking behind her I see all her friends are whispering, sharing pitying looks at Chelsea who is having a shit fit on the phone with her husband.
“So, while Chelsea is having technical difficulties, do any of you ladies have money to pay for breakfast?”
A brunette who has a kid with terrible acne gives me a sour look, before handing over her card. I thank her and trip back to my till, trying hard not to grimace at the pitch Chelsea has reached over the phone. I do what I have to with the card, all for the same outcome as Chelsea’s.
“Excuse me, sweetheart?” I call out, waving the card in the air, “It seems you have the same problem as your friend here,”
The woman turns dangerously red, snatching up her phone to probably check her banking. I actually have no idea.
“Audit?” Chelsea screeches.
Snorts catch my attention from the counter where my friends, no, my family watch, eyes glued to the scene unfolding.
“Haha!” The ginger kid in the booth with the DRMC kids laughs, pointing at Chelsea and her friends.
“Shut up, you little shit!” Chelsea hisses at him, setting him off even more. The kid throws his head back and laughs his ass off.
“Ma’am, is there a problem here?” Looking up I roll my lips between my teeth trying not to burst into laughter at Fox, standing on the other side of the counter.
Nitro comes to a stop beside him, their new Rose Grove Police Department badges clipped to their uniforms. Leo had told me that Moss needed backup he could trust in the PD, but I never thought these two would be the guys who stepped up. I guess the DRMC brothers really do take one for the team when they need to.
“Ah, yes, officer-”
“Deputy,” Fox says, trying to hold his own laughter in as Nitro rolls his eyes.
“Oh, sorry Deputy -”
“Ellison.”
“Deputy Ellison. Yes, those lovely ladies -” I tip my head toward the table where Chelsea’s insufferable friends are still sitting, “are causing a scene because there seems to be a problem with their payment. It’s causing a disturbance in my diner.”
“I see,” Fox nods once, sharing a glance with the girl gang.
He and Nitro make moves to talk to the women at the table, but before they can even reach them Chelsea throws her phone at Fox, hitting him in the chest and all the women scatter.
“Wait, are they running from thepolice?” Mira asks incredulously.
