Page 8 of Rider Daddies
“Then…what is he doing?”
“Things get a little bit wild here whenever we host a party. Don’t think too much into it. It’s just the bikers’ way of letting off some steam.”
“With knife play?”
Ash returns with the water, placing it in the woman’s hand. She necks it in seconds, then passes it back to him, empty. “Tequila, please. On the rocks.”
“Coming right up.”
She watches the bikers, eyes narrowed as if she’s trying to work out what sort of place she’s stepped into.
I study her face. Her cheeks have a pink hue to them, lips parted as she watches the night unravel.
“So,” Saint begins, squatting down in front of her. “What’s your name?”
She hesitates. “Lacey.”
“Lacey,” I repeat. “That’s a nice name.”
“Uh-huh,” she says absentmindedly, too busy watching the biker tease the knife down the woman’s bare torso. “And your names?”
“I’m Ryder, this is Saint, and over at the bar fetching you a drink is Ash.”
Lacey turns around to meet his eyes, flashing him a tight-lipped smile. “Cool.”
I watch her for a moment more, contemplating whether it’s my business or not to ask why she decided to run away from her own wedding.
“What did he do?” Saint tilts his head, brown eyes staring into hers. “Was he an asshole?”
“He snuck off around the back of the venue to make out with my best friend of nine years.”
Ouch.
I grit my teeth, circling around the chair so I’m facing her too. “That’s rough, sweetheart. I’m sorry.”
There’s no way she’s telling the truth. Any man would be a fool to cheat on such a beautiful girl. Women like her are hard to come by. But I see the look in her eye, pained by what happened, but also hardened. Lacey tenses her jaw and sticks her chin into the air, shaking it off. She’s a tough cookie. Already, I get the impression that there’s more to her than what meets the eye.
Ash puts the tequila into her hands and pulls up a chair, joining us. He studies her the hard way he always does when he knows a woman is too good for him. He’s sometimes difficult around women. I know he’s the type who goes to sleep at night fantasizing about falling in love with a girl, as opposed to cranking one out under the covers. Ash has had a fair few relationships with the girls here, but it’s never been anything deep. If he’s climbing into bed with a girl, it’s because she invited him.
“Lacey here was just telling us about her cheating ex,” Saint says.
Ash grimaces. “You did the right thing, running away.”
Lacey nods, eyes lingering at Ash’s face. She takes a sip of tequila, wincing at the strength. After the initial sting, she takes it well, gulping the drink down without flinching.
She looks around, eyes flicking between us all. “You look kinda…similar.”
“That’s because we’re brothers, sweetheart,” I say.
“Brothers?”
“Yes,” Ash says. “We’re in charge of this place tonight.”
“That’s right,” Saint says. “You’re looking at the Venom Vultures entertainment team.”
“Venom Vultures?” Lacey frowns. “What’s that?”
Ash shoots Saint and me look. We all know the score when it comes to telling outsiders about our business.
