Twisted Steel: An MC Anthology: Second Edition by Elizabeth Knox (top 5 ebook reader txt) 📕

“Anywhere else, I want you to keep callin’ me Tim. Or Irish. I always liked that nickname you had for me, and I especially like the way it sounds comin’ out of your pretty mouth.” He drops his head and brushes his lips gently over mine for a moment before pulling back a couple inches to stare into my eyes. “You okay with that?”

I smile. “I’m okay with that.”

“Good. Come on. Let’s go have some fun.”

He takes my hand and leads the way. We weave through the rows of bikes. A couple of men stand outside smoking cigarettes, longneck bottles in their hands. Their eyes roam over me. Green gives them a chin lift as he holds the door for me.

I step into a huge, crowded room. The sudden change from the quiet night and fresh air to the loud, smoky party inside is jarring. I tighten my hold on Green’s hand and cling closely to his back as we move through wall-to-wall leather-clad bodies, rock music blasting from somewhere. It seems like every man we pass cuts his eyes to me and gives me a once over.

I trail behind Green in the wake of his broad shoulders as he cuts through the crowd, my eyes studying everything. I look up at the high ceiling, open ductwork, and dingy multi-pane windows. The place has obviously once housed some type of manufacturing operation, but all the machinery is long gone. Now it’s filled with a bar on the right and a couple of pool tables on the left. Assorted mismatched sofas, and tables and chairs are scattered around. There’s an open staircase that leads to a second level, and I wonder what’s up there.

The cement floor is sticky with what I can only hope is spilled beer.

Green greets several men with guy hugs and back slaps. Some look like they belong to other clubs. He doesn’t introduce me to any of them, which is more than fine with me. We make our way to the bar, and Green dips his head to ask me what I want.

“Just a beer is fine,” I say, trying to be heard over all the rowdy laughter and shouts.

While Green gives the man behind the bar our order, I recognize several of the men crowded at the corner of the bar to Green’s left, from when they visited. Wolf, Red Dog, and Crash. Two others whom I don’t recognize have their heads together at the end of the bar. One is older with gray hair and smoking a cigar, the other is a younger blond man. My eyes drop to the patches they wear, president and vice president.

Top of the food chain, evidently.

I catch Green’s gaze and ask, without being obvious, “The men at the end of the bar, who are they?”

He grabs two longnecks from the bartender and passes me one. He looks over my head, and then meets my eyes. “Our president, Mack, and our VP, Cole, why?”

I shrug and take a sip of my beer. “Just wondered.”

A guy sitting at the bar gets up and leaves, and Green nabs his barstool, sliding it to me. “Here, sit down, sweetheart.”

I sit while he stands with Red Dog, Wolf, and Crash talking, and I’m happy just to soak it all in and listen to them.

“Where’s the birthday boy?” Green asks, lighting a smoke.

“He was about to do body shots off Trina when I walked over here.” Crash grins.

“Probably getting his dick sucked by now,” Wolf replies. “Hell, half of Sonny’s girls are here, and he’s of age now, so he’s fair game.”

Green pauses with the lighter halfway to his cigarette, to chuckle. “No shit.”

“If I know my son, he doesn’t have the money to keep their attention long, and we all know those girls don’t do shit for free,” Red Dog says, drawing on a longneck.

Green grins around the filter, flicking his lighter closed and taking a deep drag. “Maybe we’ll have to chip in some birthday money to the cause.”

“You do, Mary will have your ass on a platter,” Red Dog warns. “She’s got plans for the boy.”

“Oh, yeah? What plans?” Green asks.

“She’s after grandchildren; sooner rather than later.”

“Hell, he just turned eighteen, for Christ’s sake. What’s the rush?” Wolf asks.

Red Dog shrugs. “There isn’t one but try tellin’ her that. Got her heart set on getting him set up in a lasting relationship with a good woman.”

Crash lets out a laugh. “Where’s she gonna find this girl?”

“Well, her first thought was your daughter.”

Crash chokes on his beer. “What the fuck?”

“But since it’d be years until she’s of age, Mary’s decided she doesn’t want to wait that long.”

Wolf chuckles and asks, “So who does she got in her sights now?”

Red Dog lifts his chin toward the end of the bar.

The other men follow his eyes and burst out laughing.

“Oh, God, please let me be there when you tell Cole,” Crash says between bouts of laughter.

“The boy would have a better chance of dating Miss America than he would getting anywhere near our VP’s daughter,” Wolf adds. “You better tell Mary to find another contestant for this season of The Bachelor.”

“Haha. You’re all a riot. Meanwhile, I’m in a real fix.” Red Dog stared off, tipping his bottle up.

“Billy know about this shit?” Green asks.

“Nope. And I want to keep it that way, boys.”

“He won’t hear it from me, that’s for fuck’s sake,” Crash murmurs.

“Thought the boy wanted to prospect,” Green says.

“He does. Me and Cole were plannin’ on talkin’ to him about it tonight,” Red Dog replies. “He’ll need a sponsor, though. I sure as hell can’t do it.”

“I’ll be his sponsor,” Green volunteers, and they all turn to him and start laughing.

“Be serious, Green,” Red Dog snaps.

“I’m bein’ serious as a heart attack, Dog. Cole and I already talked about it.”

“You what?” Red Dog asks, his mouth falling open.

“It’s a lot of work bein’ someone’s sponsor,” Crash adds, shaking his head.

“I know what it takes.” Green barely glances at Crash, instead staring down