Page 14 of Bounty
They were in it to party and fuck. Not bad aspirations, but boring as fuck if that was the fucking sum of your existence. Most members didn’t join Red Rum to maim, murder, trade drugs, and pimp chicks.
Our chapter oversaw strip clubs. If the girls whored themselves to clients, Dad took ten percent for the protection he provided. He didn’t agree with that and tried to offer enough money for the women to survivewithoutselling pussy. He expected honesty, and if he discovered a woman lied about prostitution, he let them go. Johns could be brutal motherfuckers. Yeah, Dad would deal with any man who fucked up one of our broads, but he preferred preemptive measures. If they fucked for pay, one of our boys served as their bodyguard until the deed was done.
Other chapters, like Austin, shied away from the darker aspects of the life.
I could’ve spoken to Effie gentler, but that wasn’t me. Moreover, I was stewing in lust with a painfully hard cock. I was also trying to do the right fucking thing and keep the date away from my bed.
She wanted to fuck me, and I wanted to oblige her. Simple.
But so fucking complicated.
I’d fucked three or four virgins in my life. Virgins were a rare breed nowadays and, yet, they came to the club and offered themselves to me like sacrificial lambs. They understood it was nothing but a fuck.
Effie was different.
Her laughter floated to me, and something tugged at my heart.
Or, maybe,Isaw her differently. That was why I let her stew in awkward misery. I was doing her a favor. Letting her feel as if we had nothing in common.
Video calls and DMs were different from face-to-face dates. We were in each other’s space, inhaling each other’s scents, watching each other’s every move, and picking up on cues. Conversation between us always came easily. I could’ve filled in the blank spots until she relaxed and joined in.
The waitress who took our orders set my plate in front of me, then placed Effie’s in her spot.
“Another beer, babe,” I told her.
She nodded. “Coming up.”
“Where’s Donnie?” She was my favorite waitress. I’d gotten pussy from her on occasion and took her to the club to party several times. “Or has she switched to a day shift?”
“She quit about a month ago,” the chick answered and scampered off.
Two months before I earned my patch, I rode to Austin with my father and met Donnie when we stopped in for burgers and sat in her sections. We’d been fuck buddies ever since. Whenever I rode in, I hit her up.
I scrubbed a hand over my face. Or I had. When I came to town six months ago, I hadn’t contacted Donnie. Couldn’t bring myself to, wrapped in my friendship with Effie and our DM’ing multiple times a day.
Hopefully, Dad had the scoop on why Donnie quit. Pushing her out of my mind and stealing a French fry, I turned and searched for Effie.
I didn’t see her. Panic hit me and I roared to my feet. After all, I still had a target on my back and a one hundred grand bounty on my head. Logically, chances were slim to none they’d hunt me here. They wouldn’t expect me to show up in Austin for any reason, but especially for a book signing for romancewriters. As a model to boot. More importantly, Riker, Dad, and Drifter were headed to Jackson for mediation. Though Satan’s Sinners were bigger, they didn’t have chapters in Texas.
Another minute passed with no sign of Effie. I was about to leave our food when I saw her emerge from the short hallway that led to the bathrooms. Even from across the room, she was the prettiest little thing in the place.
I waved her over. She reached me just as the waitress returned with my beer, allowing Effie the chance to snap me snatching the bottle. She followed up with a few snaps of our burgers.
“Anything else?” the waitress asked. She wasn’t wearing a name tag and hadn’t introduced herself.
I should get her fucking name, but Effie’s sweet voice intruded on my intentions.
“I’d like a margarita.” Effie reached for her backpack and pulled out her ID, then held it up to the waitress. “In case you need it since you didn’t ask before. By the way, if my drink adds too much to the bill, open a new tab.”
While I appreciated her modern woman mindset, I still side-eyed Effie. “A margarita won’t break the bank, babe.”
The waitress winked at her. “It’s on the house, love.” She turned and sashayed away.
Effie’s shock followed by a gulp was so comical, I burst out laughing.
“She has good taste,” I said.
Effie looked at me and snapped her mouth shut, then giggled. “Not if she can overlook you. You’re hot.”
