Chapter 19

ROSE

I’d met all of the Cobras. Some of them were as brash as you would expect. All of them were intimidating. There wasn’t a single one you would wanna cross.

With Ashton planning what he was, there was no point in staying away from him or his MC. And since I planned on being on my best behavior, the Bone Pit was the best place for me in Ivory.

But it wasn’t that the Cobras kept their house in order. It wasn’t even that Ashton promised me I would be safe. It was the man sitting right next to me that made me feel more comfortable than even my boyfriend could.

Doc was older than the other club members. The wrinkles from old age were beginning to appear. His hair was thinning a little and not as dark as what it probably used to be. His body wasn’t as muscular and his posture wasn’t as stout as the others. There was still something mildly intimidating about him. Doc was the perfect example that all a man needed was a leather kutte to get the kind of respect he was looking for.

The older man had a smile on his face as he watched me swallow down a double shot of whiskey.

“You’re not like the others,” he said, the grin growing on his lips.

“The others?”

“The other women Ash messed around with.”

“Hmm… Men don’t usually rat out other men.”

“I’m not ratting him out. If you’re not mature enough about knowing Ash’s slept with a lot of women in his past, you’re not the one to be with him.”

“I got involved with Ashton knowing he wasn’t a virgin, so you don’t have to worry about me.” I chuckled at his comment and sighed.

The Bone Pit was just beginning to fill up. There were enough patrons to make a stranger feel uncomfortable but the Cobras kept everybody in check to make sure nobody got out of line. Everybody important knew I was with Ashton, so I didn’t have to worry about any unwanted advances.

“What exactly makes me different from the other women? Is it because I just drank my whiskey?”

“No, that’s not it. If anything, the women Ash usually hooks up with drink a lot more than you.”

“He’s got a thing for drunks.”

“He’s only got a thing for drunks to the point he can fuck ‘em and not have to deal with ‘em after. That’s what makes you different. I can tell he cares about you. I’m sure you two kids have a good time but it’s more than that.”

I thought about what Ashton was up. “If you only knew…” I signaled the bartender for another drink. I watched him fill my glass up. The entire time, I could feel Doc’s eyes on me.

“Don’t worry about Ash. Him and Smoke have been through all kinds of shit. They made it. This whole situation with Picardo won’t be any different.”

“Smoke… You mean Grant. Why do they call him that?”

“Hmm… Funny you should ask that. We’ve been calling him Smoke ever since we known him. The two of them patched into the MC together. Ashton was Ash. That makes sense. Grant was always with him. Ash and Smoke go together. Seemed like a natural fit.”

“It’d be more fitting if Ashton’s name was Fire.”

“A man named Fire. That’s funny.”

Doc chuckled while I held my glass up and examined it. The sting of the whiskey didn’t hurt as much as it did before, which was disappointing since I needed it to numb all of the other crap I had to deal with.

“You really think Ash will deal with this thing with Picardo?” I asked.

As far as I knew, Doc didn’t know the details of just how deep things went. He didn’t know about my brother’s involvement. He didn’t know Ashton was trying to save a man who probably deserved what was coming to him.

“I know Ash. I know Picardo, too. He’s got a reputation but he’s still a man. This whole thing will blow over and everything will go back to normal.”

“Doc… Can I ask you something? And I want you to tell me the truth.”

He raised his eyebrows, that polite smile on his face like it’d been there the entire time. “I’m married, Rose. My wife and I don’t keep any secrets from each other. I don’t tell her all about club business but she’s not so stupid she can’t figure out what she’s up to by herself. I’m so used to telling the truth I don’t know how to lie.”

“Right… It’s just… You have Ashton’s back, right?”

“Of course. No question. As long as he’s wearing the patch, I’ll put my life on the line for him.”

“But is there any line you wouldn’t cross for him? Is there something he could do that would make you forget about the patch and tell him to figure out his problem on his own?”

Doc thought about it for a moment. His hesitation made my heart stop inside of my chest. I didn’t wanna think that Ashton was going through all of this by himself without even the support of his own MC.

“I told you I have no choice but to be honest with you,” he said. “You might not wanna hear it but Ash’s got some blood on his hands. He’s not some violent psychotic murderer but the truth is, there were times he’s done what needed to be done. I’ve stood by his side when he did it. I don’t regret it a single time. If I’m willing to stand by him then, I’m willing to stand by him through everything else. Same for the rest of the MC.”

He patted me on the arm and got up from his seat. “Now if you’ll excuse me, my wife is expecting me.”

“You’re already going home? The night’s just getting started.”

“I know. The big, bad biker has a curfew to go spend time with his wife. Don’t let anybody know. It’ll hurt the club’s rep.” He gave me a wink before turning around and heading for exit. I laughed softly to myself, turning my attention back to the glass of liquor.

I didn’t know where my brother was. I didn’t know where Ashton was. The crowd in the bar was growing but I still felt all alone. I swallowed the whiskey down in the hopes it would help me find some answers. The alcohol pulsed in my veins and burned down my throat. A gentle numbness made me chuckle again.

In the back of my mind though, I could still picture Picardo. The way he stared at me after he threatened me and my entire family… Knowing that my brother wouldn’t be able to get out of this alive, I wondered if the image would go away.

The entrance to the bar opened up. I turned and saw Ashton walk in with Grant right behind him. He spotted me and walked up to me quickly. I jumped out of my seat and wrapped my arms tight around him, not caring who was looking.

“I was worried,” I sighed as I looked up into those deep blue eyes of his. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He gave me a half-smile. Strange to think such a tender look could come from a man so intense. “I’m always fine when I’m with you.”

“Are you sure—”

“We have to talk. There’s something I need to tell you.”

I tried to read what he was thinking but there was nothing. Good news. Bad news. I didn’t know what to expect. Thankfully, I wouldn’t have to wait long to find out.