Chapter Nineteen
For Liz, the next few days were filled with new adventures and a chance to rethink everything she’d ever assumed about life in this building. To get her work done, she used the same office as Rai did, when she did her work for Donny.
Donny called her two days after the break-ins at her apartment building to let her know that, as far as he could tell from his contacts, those acts of vandalism had nothing to do with Roberto di Stefano. Liz was very relieved.
During the time she worked side-by-side with Rai in the same office, Liz realized that Rai was a smart, professional woman, who just happened to be old lady to a biker. But when it came to doing her job, she was as sharp as anyone Liz had met in her current role.
Rai asked questions about Liz’s role, and they had an in-depth discussion about the different kinds of things Liz could do with a law degree one day. At the end of it, Liz had options to think about she never would have considered before.
Each morning, Liz helped make breakfast for everyone in the building, alongside Rai, Chloe, Meghan, Connie, Janel, or Natalie. These women weren’t mindless sex toys, waiting around to fuck their men. They were funny, charming, engaging people who kept her laughing with their descriptions of the men and their antics. They asked questions about what she did, and every one of them told her how different Rahab was since he’d met her.
By the middle of the week, she had stopped looking for apartments online. There was plenty of time for that. She was content to hang out here until she figured out what was going to happen. She hadn’t spent a night alone in the third-floor room yet. Her ass cheeks were too bruised for her and Rahab to engage in impact play for a while, but they fucked every day and slept in each other’s arms every night.
When the club was open, Liz hung out watching the dancers and talking to Rahab and the other members. She had so much fun that it was easy to forget she’d have to leave this place every day when she returned to working in the law offices next week. There was an energy here that sucked her right in, and made her want to pitch in and make it wonderful.
As she watched Meghan and the other bartenders, she understood what it was about this club that kept the regulars coming back. The dancers were really good, and she loved it that the women were all shapes and sizes. It was so real and empowering seeing them up there, confident and talented.
Everyone, from the officers and other patched members circulating each night to make sure there was no trouble, but also to ensure everyone was having a fabulous time, to their sound engineer whose road name was Jinn, and who the customers never saw, but whose role was vital to their enjoyment, each person here truly cared about this place. They wanted people to have such a great time that they didn’t want to leave, and would definitely return.
And they cared about each other. She witnessed firsthand what Rai had talked about. Even small things were taken care of quickly and with the idea behind it that because they were a family, they stuck together. And if it was something that needed to be done so the business ran smoothly, it was made top priority.
Even Gorgon seemed less intimidating now than when she’d first met him. He was gruff and scowled a lot, but it was obvious that everyone respected him and his position as President of the MC. Liz asked Rahab what his official duties as Vice President were, and he told her that besides supporting Gorgon’s decisions and acting on his behalf if necessary, he was in charge of hiring everyone who drew a salary from the club.
“In other words,” he said, winking, “I hire the dancers.”
She loved it that he teased her like this. Since Liz had never had a long-term relationship, she’d never developed a jealous streak. It didn’t bother her when a guy she was seeing talked to, flirted with, or saw other women. She learned in a few short days that while Rahab was flirtatious and he loved to tease her, he hadn’t gone near another woman since he’d met her.
While she tried not to make too much of that, it was impossible not to feel special. It had never happened to her before, and gave her a warm glow inside when she thought about it.
****
Friday morning, Rahab drove her back to her apartment to meet with the insurance adjuster. Mastema and Phenex each followed in their pick-up trucks. The adjuster took photos and cut Liz a check right there on the spot for the depreciated value of the contents. It wasn’t nearly enough to replace them at today’s costs, but it was better than nothing.
After that was taken care of, the three men plus Liz piled the rest of her belongings that she could still use into the three trucks, and then began hauling the trashed items out to the dumpsters on the property. As much as Liz still wanted to leave it all inside the apartment, she’d decided to take the high road.
Since the club was open that night, they only worked until mid-afternoon. “We’ll get the rest tomorrow and on Sunday if we still need more time,” said Rahab.
“I can’t thank you guys enough for helping me with this.”
“It’s no problem. Did you give your landlord notice you’ll be leaving at the end of this month?”
“Yep. He wasn’t happy.”
“Fuck him. You don’t owe him anything.”
“Where are you going to move?” asked Phenex, eyeing the ripped-up carpet in the corner of her living room.
“She’s staying at the club for a while,” said Rahab.
“Just until I find a new place.”
“There’s plenty of time. Stay as long as you want.”
Liz caught the grin passing between Mastema and Phenex. The thought of living there permanently no longer seemed as confusing or improbable as it once had.
“We’d better head back,” said Mastema.
By Saturday afternoon, they had emptied out Liz’s apartment and she took her keys to the landlord’s apartment. He tried to give her shit about handing them in before the end of the month, but Rahab put a stop to it.
“She’s paid her rent through the end of this month. All her utilities are paid for the month as well. Use her fucking security deposit if there’s anything you have to fix in there that she did, but you won’t find anything. The assholes who broke in did all that damage, and we have pictures to prove it. So she’ll be expecting that deposit back, too, or you’ll see her in court.”
“You can’t sue me for that.”
“Of course she can,” said Phenex. “She’s a paralegal, remember? I think she knows the law better than you do.”
“I’ll be expecting a check no later than the fifteenth of next month,” said Liz, handing him a piece of paper. “Here’s the address to send it to.”
“Fine. Fine! But I’m doing an inspection first.”
“Do it now,” said Mastema, taking out his cell phone. “We’ll record it for you.”
It was worth the extra half hour it took to document all the damage, and get her asshole landlord on video saying she hadn’t done any of it. When they got back to the club, there was just enough time for them to eat dinner before the first dancer was due on stage. Liz couldn’t stop smiling. Having bikers for friends was a definite advantage in some situations. She’d given up hope of getting back that deposit, but now she would have it. Every little bit would help.
****
Sunday morning, Rahab and Liz were woken by someone knocking on Rahab’s door. “What is it?” he called.
The door opened, and Mark Laddie, one of their prospects, poked his head in. “Emergency church. Ten minutes.”
“Fuck.” He crawled out of bed and pulled on his sweats and a t-shirt. What the fuck time was it?
“Everything okay?” Liz sat up, peeking at his cell phone on the nightstand. “It’s only seven in the morning.”
They’d gone to bed no more than five hours ago. “No clue. Gorgon called an emergency church.”
“I’m coming, too.”
He stopped her as she was climbing out from under the covers. “You can’t do that. You’re not a member.”
“Well … no. I’m not. Sorry. I’m used to being part of meetings.”
“I know you are, but you won’t be part of them here. I’ll come back as soon as it’s over and let you know what happened.”
It was obvious she wasn’t happy about being left out of this, but that’s the way it was. At times like this, it was easy to forget she’d only been here one week. It felt like she had always lived here, and that she belonged to him.
As he made his way downstairs, he acknowledged he’d have to do something about that one day, but there was no hurry. They were both happy with this arrangement, and he wasn’t hurting anyone.
“What’s happened?” asked Phenex, joining him in the downstairs hallway.
“No fucking clue.”
“Has to be important for him to drag us out of bed at the crack of dawn.”
“No shit.”
“So, are you and Liz official yet?”
Phenex’s grin set Rahab’s teeth on edge this morning. “No.”
“Why the fuck not? You haven’t gone near anyone else since she first came here. What the fuck you waiting for?”
He stopped walking and faced Phenex. “You got a lot of fucking nerve saying something like that. How long did it take you to finally tell Meghan you wanted her as your old lady?”
“Fuck you!” Phenex shoved him and walked away. Rahab laughed it off. He’d made his point.
Phenex and Meghan had danced around each other for two fucking years before they each finally stopped obsessing over what had happened to them in the past, and admitted their feelings went way beyond the close friendship they’d formed. Sure, they both had legit reasons to keep others at a distance, but that’s not what was happening with him and Liz.
He was giving her time to adjust to life here, that was all. And, he was getting used to the idea of fucking only one woman for the rest of his life. Nothing more. He wasn’t stalling. It wasn’t the same thing. Not even close.
Just keep telling yourself that.
“Settle the fuck down!” Gorgon’s big mouth and him banging his fist on the table pulled Rahab back the present. “Vassago got a phone call from Donny less than an hour ago.” Gorgon paused for a second, and a nasty shiver ran down Rahab’s spine. The room went deathly quiet.
“Pete Magano was shot, but he’s not dead. Shoulder wound, but he’ll live. He was out walking on his property last evening, just before sunset, and his dog ran out of a shed and into the woods, barking at something. Pete just got the dog and Donny speculates they didn’t know about it, so they weren’t ready for it. The guy’s aim was off because of that.”
“Was it one of di Stefano’s men?” asked Tannin.
“Probably. Pete’s wife and sons searched the property, but found nothing. Digger is trying to find out who was sent here. We do know one thing for certain. Roberto di Stefano is still in Queens. He hasn’t come here.”
“Does it matter?” asked Mastema. “He’s sending men to kill people. That’s enough.”
“Whatever happened to that sit-down Donny was trying to have with di Stefano?” asked Rahab.
“He’s still working on it,” said Vassago. “It’s not looking good for it to happen, especially now.”
“Screw it,” said Gorgon. “The contracts are signed. Donny owns Vito’s businesses. Why the fuck should he care about the sit-down now? We all know di Stefano had Vito and Tony killed. And that he tried to have Pete taken out, too.”
“It’s Donny’s business whether he wants to talk to di Stefano,” said Vassago.
Gorgon shrugged. “Fine with me. Just sayin’ who gives a fuck now?”
“He gives a fuck because he’d rather come to an understanding with this man than let what’s left of Vito’s organization become target practice for the asshole.”
When Vassago and Gorgon stared each other down, Rahab resisted the urge to grin. He had to agree with Vassago on this one, though he wouldn’t say so out loud. Donny was just trying to protect what he’d fought to acquire, and he was trying to keep di Stefano’s attention off this area. It was business, nothing more.
“Fine,” said Gorgon, finally. “I get your fucking point. Donny is protecting his turf.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay. Moving on. We need to stay alert. It can’t be a secret to di Stefano that Donny comes here often. This club could become a target if he decides to go after Donny.” He banged his fist on the table. “We’re done for now.”
Vassago lingered behind, and it soon became obvious he and Gorgon weren’t done with their discussion. It was tempting to stay, but it wasn’t his business. Rahab made his way back upstairs and to Liz, who was waiting in bed for him. He had his own problems to work out, and she was at the heart of it.