Page 5 of Reid
As soon as we met up at the rear of my Jeep, we wrapped our pinkies around each other and walked into the bar.Rock music flowed through the audio system.Clinking glasses, laughter, and the low roar of voices hit my ears.Evie gazed around with a bored expression that hid her curiosity and nervousness well.If I hadn’t felt the little tremor go through her arm, I wouldn’t have even suspected she was anxious.
Heads turned in our direction as we stopped to look for Evie’s friend.A few people snickered when they saw us, but one flicker of my glare had them shutting their stupid mouths before my twin could become uncomfortable due to the snide bitches.
“There’s Abi,” Evie said, tipping her head to the side.Following the direction she indicated, I saw a group of women seated at several tables that had been pulled together.
We weaved through the crowded bar to get to them.There were several brunettes but only one redhead.When she spotted us, she lifted her hand, a bright smile spreading across her face as she waved at Evie.When we reached the table, the redhead stood, and that was when I saw a small pregnant bump poking out from beneath her Autumn’s Slumber band T-shirt.
Pushing back her chair, she stepped around the table to embrace Evie.“Yay!I’m so glad you came.”
“Hey, Abi.This is my sister, Everly.”Evie’s pinkie tightened around mine, another small tremor quaking through our linked fingers.
Abi’s eyes flicked to me, and the fact that she didn’t do a double take when she saw that we were mirror images, from our makeup to our shoes, won her points with me.Too many people saw us twinning and always had something to say about it, like the bitches who had snickered when we’d first come in.
She gave me a quick hug.“Hey!It’s nice to meet you.Come on.We saved two seats for you just in case.”There were at least five empty seats still, which made me wonder who else they were waiting on.Turning back to the group, she started introductions.
“Evie and Everly, this is Nishia.”The small brunette looked younger than me.She wore cute glasses that couldn’t distract from her pretty blue eyes.
“Delaney.”Another brunette with a sweet smile.“Monroe.”She had softer shades of brown in her hair, with gray eyes.She looked strikingly familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on why right away.
Abi continued with the other two women.“That’s Lexa, and this one is Sammy, my sister-in-law.”
Lexa sat between Delaney and Monroe, her hair pulled into a braid over one shoulder.She was the kind of gorgeous that took zero effort, and I barely noticed the scar on her cheek because I was too caught up in her metallic-blue eyes.Something about them made me feel like I knew them.My heart gave a happy yet painful kick, Reid’s face popping into my mind.
Blinking that thought away, I focused on Sammy, who was a freaking knockout with hair cascading down her back in soft waves, makeup that looked airbrushed it was so perfect, and boobs that were barely contained in her red top that was sexy as fuck.
She was the level of hot that made anyone reconsider their sexuality, just to be singed by her heat.Her gaze skimmed over Evie and me from head to toe.My sister let out a little gasp, as if she didn’t understand why another woman’s gaze affected her so intimately.It was a confusing sensation, having a quick, spicy flutter through you for another woman when you’d never considered that as a possibility before.
Evie shifted her gaze away from Sammy quickly, her pinkie almost breaking my own as she focused on the other women.They’d all waved when their names had been called, giving us warm greetings that had Evie relaxing a little.From the glitter of diamonds and wedding bands, all our new friends were married, including Sammy.
“We have a pitcher of margaritas.Or there is ginger ale, which is what Abi is drinking,” Lexa told us, indicating the glasses and the large carafes in the middle of the combined tables.“Or you can order whatever at the bar.”
Evie gave me a look, and I urged her into one of the chairs beside her new friend.“How about I get the next round?”I offered.“What tequila does everyone prefer?”
“Aw, thanks!We’re running low already, and my sister still isn’t here.She’s running late because she’s picking up Demi.And before I forget, remember that she’s only drinking ginger ale too, ladies.But we’re not commenting on that until she and Kingston officially make the announcement that she’s expecting.It doesn’t matter that all of Creswell Springs already knows, we’re letting them tell us when Demi is ready.”Monroe waited until everyone else hummed agreements, before smiling at me.“Just tell Jack it’s for us, and he will get you taken care of.”
I squeezed Evie’s shoulder, making sure she was okay before I headed for the bar.Other than the empty chairs at our table, there wasn’t a free seat in the place.Even with five bartenders behind the counter, I had to wait before I could order.I leaned against the end, watching the large men mixing drinks and popping tops off bottles.It was easy to tell all five men were related.
Brothers, fathers, sons was my guess.They shared similar features and the same green eyes.Three of the five men had varying stages of gray in their blond hair, but they all wore the same leather cuts proclaiming them members of the Angel’s Halo MC.
It wasn’t a secret that Creswell Springs was full of bikers.I’d seen plenty of motorcycles around town, and from some of my research on the community, I’d become aware of the club before our move.Having lived in Los Angeles since I was seventeen, I’d seen plenty of gang activity.There was no escaping them, no matter where we settled down.Even the smallest cities were someone’s turf.The Angel’s Halo crew didn’t scare me even a fraction as much as the members of the PCC did back in SoCal.
Watching the big men slinging drinks growl and grumble, barking the occasional laugh, was kind of comforting.These men wouldn’t hurt a woman.I saw it in their eyes when they looked at the women who ordered.Not leering or even flirting with them.Hell, they didn’t even smile at the majority of the other women around me.But I felt a sense of safety within those four walls that I’d never gotten at any club in LA.
While I waited for my turn to order, I was able to people-watch.Evie was settling in with Abi and the others.They were all laughing as Delaney talked animatedly, using her hands every time she spoke.It took me a little while to realize she was using sign language.I knew a few basic phrases in ASL, but I had never given it much consideration.No one else in the group was using it, but I noticed they looked directly at her if they spoke to her.
Keeping an eye on my sister made me aware of the people surrounding the table of women.A booth full of men was off to one corner, some of them wearing the MC cuts, but a few men who were sitting there weren’t.They were talking and laughing with one another, but every single one of them would glance over at the group of women with affection.
On the other side of the bar, there were pool tables, each of them occupied.Raucous laughter blended with the echo of billiard balls pounding together.Too many people stood between the bar and that section for me to see much of the action, but I kept hearing a few of the same men laugh.It was the belly-deep kind of laugh, gruff but loud.Every time I heard it, I found myself smiling.
“What can I get ya?”
I looked up into the bartender’s green eyes before flicking my gaze to his cut.It proclaimed him an Enforcer.I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it sounded important.“I need a pitcher of margaritas.My friends said that Jack would know what kind of tequila they favored.”
He turned his head in the direction of my table without my having to tell him.His gaze skimmed from woman to woman before landing on Nishia.She had pretty dark hair and glasses and sat beside Delaney.One side of Jack’s mouth ticked up, something in his eyes shifting before he turned back to me.“I’m Jack.Another pitcher of margaritas coming up.Anything else?”
“Cranberry and whatever lemon-lime soda you have for me.”I handed him my credit card and ID.“Can I start a tab?”
“Sure thing.Anything else I can get ya, blondie?”
