Page 41 of Blackbeard
“Aside from my abuela, you’re the most determined woman I’ve ever met.”
In my side mirror, I saw Leigh grin.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said.
Twenty minutes later, Leigh and I arrived at Full Throttle Auto Repair. Near the office, Tex had set up a long table for a buffet, stuffed with dishes of his home cooked food. Friedchicken, biscuits, green bean casserole, ham and beans, just to name a few of the staples that he always cooked for the club.
A handful of Blackjacks were already here, digging into their food or sweeping up the glass that littered the pavement. Their bikes were lined up at one side of the parking lot, and I pulled in next to Vlad’s dark red motorcycle, shutting off the engine.
Hot Shot hobbled around on crutches, abandoning the lawn chair that must have been placed in the garage for him.
“You’re supposed to be keeping your weight off that leg,” I called over to him as I removed my helmet and dismounted my bike. “Don’t you know the meaning of taking a break?”
But Hot Shot didn’t respond to that. His gaze was locked onto Leigh as she approached alongside me. He jerked his chin at her.
“What the hell is she doing here?”
Leigh spread her arms wide.
“Moral support,” she replied. “I’ll sit around and look pretty, cheering you on.”
I growled and shot her a dark look.
“You just can’t resist kicking the hornets nest, can you?”
Leigh batted her lashes at me without an ounce of remorse.
“It’s part of my charm.”
I sighed. She was going to be a handful today, I could tell.
Crash scowled, gripping a broom so tightly that his hands trembled. Every muscle in his body tensed, coiled tight and ready to snap. Kingpin and Big G exchanged a glance I couldn’t interpret.
“I told Leigh to come,” I said, directed to everyone. This was my decision, not hers. I would keep her in line…as well as I could, at any rate. “She needs to start making amends, and she’ll pull her weight today, like everyone else. If we’re sharing the same territory with the Forsaken according to our agreement, we need to figure out how to get along.”
Baby Doll pressed her lips into a thin line and plucked a biscuit from the buffet table, nibbling at it. She was a master at keeping a mask in place, hiding her expressions, her feelings, her thoughts, but her silence spoke volumes. She didn’t like this. And I didn’t really blame her either.
Tex grabbed a paper plate and held it out to Leigh—a peace offering.
“Come on then, darlin’,” he said, with that thick Southern drawl. “Eat your fill. I don’t want to be taking home any leftovers.”
Without a word, Crash dropped his broom and it clattered to the pavement. He whirled on his heel and stormed into the garage. Kingpin sighed and rubbed his forehead.
“I’ll go talk to him after he cools off,” he said. “A warning would have been nice, Blackbeard.”
Guilt tugged at my stomach, but I buried it.
Part of the reason I had insisted that Leigh would accompany me today was to smooth over ruffled feathers. The Blackjacks were still prickly when it came to the Forsaken, not that the Forsaken were doing anything to change that.
But I also did it for Leigh’s sake. Seeing her drunk last night showed me a glimpse beneath her armor.
She was lonely, whether she would admit that or not. It leaked out nonetheless—in the words she spoke, in the way she kept trying to ply me with sex.
I had parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins. I had my club. I was surrounded by people who cared about me.
But Leigh only had her dad. And he sold her out to his enemies.
“You don’t warn the club when you bring Hattie around,” I reasoned, knowing I was flirting with fire by bringing his Old Lady into this.
