GINA

 

“I never took you for the kind of girl who would be interested in a guy like Sully.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

I turned and raised an eyebrow at Needle.

His name was Blake but they called him Needle for a reason I didn’t know. He wasn’t like most of the stereotypical bikers you met. Sure, he had the tattoos and leather like the rest. But he was a blond-haired, blue-eyed pretty boy. And he knew it. There was always an aura of confidence about him. He said what was on his mind without hesitation. He seemed to enjoy getting a rise out of people. All you had to do was spend a few minutes with him to figure out what kind of man he was.

“Sully’s not like the rest of us,” Needle said.

“You say that as if it’s a bad thing. The last thing Ivory needs is more club members like you.”

I pointed an index finger at the Black Reaper and he chuckled in response.

“Hey, I love Sully,” Needle said. “Don’t get me wrong. He’s patched in. He’s a brother. But you’ve gotta admit, he’s not like the other Reapers.”

“No, he actually has something going for himself.”

“There’s no need to hit below the belt now. You know I’m right. Sully is a different kind of cat. That’s cool in my book. I’m just saying… The guy doesn’t even drink. He spends all his time in the gym or saving babies from burning buildings than he does in the clubhouse.”

“From what I hear, the feds have the clubs in this town on lock. You can’t blame Dorian for finding something better to do with his time.”

“No, I can’t. It’s nice to have someone like him in the club.”

Needle smirked then patted me softly on the shoulder.

“Try not to screw with his head too much,” he said. “Believe me, I know what it’s like for a guy when he falls for a chick. Especially someone as young as him.”

I would have been offended if I didn’t know Needle so well.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “Dorian’s a friend. I don’t plan on taking advantage of him, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Good. The last thing he needs right now is to get tied down to an old lady who’s just trying to use him.”

“I’m not like other women. Trust me.”

Needle winked then left me alone at my table.

I knew Needle along with the other Black Reapers well enough. The club was a fixture in this town, so everybody was familiar with them. With Dorian being a recent patch and me not going out recently, he was the only club member I hadn’t gotten the chance to interact with as much.

As soon as Needle was gone, I looked over at Dorian standing next to the bar counter. There was a crowd of people surrounding the bar next to him.

It was a busy night at The Grindhouse. People from all over town, not just Black Reapers, were here to celebrate anything and everything. The place wasn’t as rowdy as most places in Ivory but there was more than enough fun and entertainment if you were looking for it.

I waited patiently until Dorian arrived with my drink order. He placed the glass of beer down in front of me then took his seat. I stared at the beer and shrugged my shoulders.

“This is weird,” I said.

“What’s weird?” he asked.

“Drinking while you’re just going to sit there. Are you sure you don’t want a drink?”

“I’m sure,” he said with a laugh.

“No alcohol. No sugar. No caffeine. You’re a real straight arrow.”

“I’ve had my time with alcohol before. There’s a time and place for all of that.”

“And when is that?”

“I don’t know. Are you telling me I need to drink to enjoy my time with you?”

From a distance, Dorian had an innocent face. He took care of himself so much that he looked younger than what he really was. But when he smiled, it was hard not to notice that mature look in his eyes. He didn’t try to hide what he was thinking. It was impossible not to smile back at him.

I put my head down and shook my head while I hid my grin behind a sip of beer. I let out a satisfied sigh as I observed the scene around me.

“This is nice,” I said. “It’s nice to get away.”

“I’m sure it is. After everything you’ve been through…”

Dorian gave me a curious look. There was something clearly on his mind but I didn’t know him well enough to start probing his thoughts. Despite everything we’d been through, he was still just a man I met only a few nights ago.

We were interrupted when another man wearing a Black Reapers patch walked up to us.

“Sully! How are you doing, brother?”

“I’m doing just fine,” Dorian replied.

Dorian and the man shook hands.

“Gina, you know Garnet, don’t you?”

I looked up at Garnet and smiled. He gave me a polite nod.

Garnet was the president of the Black Reapers. He’d been around longer than anybody. I knew him just about as well as any other club member. He was a fixture in this town.

He was a few years older than everybody else, so he commanded a bit of respect just from the way he looked. Still, I wasn’t completely sure what to think of him. I couldn’t imagine all the things he’d been through after being a club member for so long.

“I heard about what happened at Amy’s,” Garnet said as he shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“Thanks,” I replied.

“It’s a damn shame. I loved those damn donuts. The whole fucking town is gonna miss ‘em.”

“Well, the place will be back up and running eventually. Not for a long time but eventually.”

“A former patch is working for that place. You tell Lydia that if she needs anything that the Reapers have her back.”

“Thanks. But I think Lydia has everything under control. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“I’m sure she does.”

Garnet nodded again at me then patted Dorian on the shoulder as he walked away.

It was nice to see that most of the other club members were so welcoming. Dorian sat patiently across the table from me while I enjoyed my drink.

“Did you ever do this?” I asked. “Did you ever take Tracy out for a drink?”

“Um… Tracy and I were still in high school when we dated. We weren’t nearly old enough.”

“That wouldn’t have stopped you from drinking. I know that because you told me…”

“Drinking is one thing. But getting into a bar and hanging out like this is another.”

“Just answer me this…”

“Sure. What is it?”

I leaned across the table and looked away from him as I asked the question.

“Did you ever get really drunk with Tracy and just fuck the shit out of her?”

I didn’t know why I asked it. My cheeks immediately started to blush as soon as I said it. I couldn’t look him in the eye as I leaned back in my seat. But I knew that he wasn’t upset as he stared back at me.

I waited a few seconds for a response but it didn’t come. I took another sip of beer and glanced up at him. The innocent look on his face was betrayed by his devilish stare.

“Did I ever get drunk with Tracy and fuck her? Is that what you’re asking me?”

“That’s what I asked.”

“…Absolutely I did.”

The big grin on his face made my cheeks blush even redder than they already were. I could only imagine what I looked like with how pale my skin was.

I didn’t care though. I was comfortable around Dorian enough to know that he didn’t care either.

“You haven’t even finished your first beer and look at you,” he said. “Already getting wild. I wonder what you’ll be like after you’ve had another.”

“Why don’t you buy me another drink and find out?”

I gave him a wink.

“Don’t tempt me,” he replied.

I giggled as I took another gulp.

“Don’t act like the innocent one,” I said. “You’re the one wearing the patch of one of the most dangerous clubs in Ivory.”

I pointed at the logo on the chest of his leather vest. A skull emblazoned with the word ‘REAPERS’ on it. It was easily recognizable but it was a special thing for a man to be wearing it.

“The Reapers,” I said as I stared at his patch. “Why the Reapers?”

“It’s like I said,” Dorian replied. “I wanted to make a difference.”

“There are plenty of other clubs in Ivory. And they’re all doing good work. You had to have picked the Black Reapers for a reason.”

Dorian nodded. He looked like he was searching for the right response in his head.

“I knew Garnet,” he said. “I knew their reputation. I thought it was a good fit. When I became a pledge, nobody objected. I saw how they did things. I saw that things got done. It was the easiest decision I ever made in my life to wear the patch. I consider myself lucky that they voted me in.”

“How is life in the Reapers? I imagine there’s a lot of… drama…”

Dorian narrowed his eyes at me.

“What are you getting at?” he asked.

“It’s no secret that the Reapers do things under the table. Are you telling me that you’re all angels?”

“You know that we’ve got federal agents in town. It’d be pretty stupid for any club to pull some shit with a spotlight shining on them.”

He leaned in close to me and smiled.

“If anybody’s pulling some shit under the table, I’m reaching into those jeans of yours and…”

He didn’t finish. All he had to do was stare at me to let me know what he was thinking.

“I’m gonna need another drink for that,” I said.

He laughed as I took another sip of my beer.

“I hear you, I hear you.”

He got up from the table and headed back toward the bar. I sat by myself and finished the rest of my drink.

I looked around and waited for Dorian to come back. I occupied by myself by observing the crowd all around me.

I turned to the corner of The Grindhouse and couldn’t help but notice there was a man sitting at a table by himself. I wouldn’t have thought much about a man enjoying a drink by himself in a bar. But he wasn’t doing any of those things.

He wasn’t wearing leather or jeans like the other patrons. He didn’t have a drink in front of him. Even more disturbing, he was looking right at me.

He was considerably older than everybody else. His beard was long and gray and the hair on his head was gone. His skin was weathered and wrinkled. He was completely out of place.

“Drink up,” Dorian said as he put another glass of beer in front of me.

He took a seat in front of me as I nervously turned back to him. Dorian raised an eyebrow at me.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

I leaned forward and whispered.

“There’s a guy,” I said. “Over in the corner of the bar. He’s staring right at me.”

“Who?”

Dorian slowly turned his head and looked in the direction of the man. He wasn’t looking at me anymore but he was still sitting there with no expression on his face.

“Do you know him?” I asked.

Dorian didn’t respond. He just squinted and examined him.

“Who is he?”

Dorian finally turned back to me and shook his head.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never seen him before. I don’t keep track of everybody who comes here. He’s probably just some bum on the streets looking for a place to stay warm for a few hours.”

“…You’re probably right,” I sighed. “I just…”

I looked down at the table. I couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling I had in my stomach.

“Gina, what is it?”

“I don’t know. I’ve just got a bad feeling about him. He was staring at me…”

“Maybe I can go and—”

Before Dorian could finish, the man got up from his table and headed for the exit as quickly as he could. Dorian jumped out of his seat. I got up and put a hand on Dorian’s chest.

“Wait!” I said. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to follow him. See what he’s up to.”

“Dorian, I… It was just a feeling I had. I’m sure he’s harmless.”

Dorian shook his head and put his hands on my shoulders like he was trying to reassure me.

“I know I only just met you but I know you well enough to know that you’re just saying that,” he said. “I’ll go make sure.”

“Dorian, please—”

“Just stay here. I’ll call you if something comes up. Garnet and the rest of the club are right here if something does happen. There’s no better place for you to be right now.”

Dammit.

I let out a frustrated sigh. I knew I shouldn’t have said anything in the first place. There was no stopping Dorian.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” he said.

I gave him a nod and he left the clubhouse. I sat by myself and stared forward at the drink in front of me.

“Where’s he going?”

I looked up and saw Needle standing right next to me.

“He had some business to take care of,” I replied.

“Don’t worry. Sully isn’t the type to bang some chick behind your back.”

Needle cackled and patted me on the shoulder before walking away.

I wish I was in a good enough mood to laugh at his distasteful joke. But I couldn’t shake the bad feeling I had, wondering if Dorian were heading into some kind of trouble.