went. I busied myself looking in a cupboard when she walked by. I followed. She went up to the bar in the lounge where Bronto stood with Nolan. Scott and Pudge were playing darts. Jesse was sitting on the couch, doing something on his phone.
“Hey,” she said as she got to the bar, giving flirty eyes to Nolan. “What do ya got for a thirsty gal?”
“Bronto,” I called from the doorway.
Bronto looked over at me and he looked amused. I was in my polka dot pjs with matching socks. High ponytail. Yeah. Pretty amusing.
“Christian told her to go. Time to walk her out.”
Her mouth dropped open. She looked at me with shock.
“You’re still here when the member you were visiting told you to go. Not cool,” I said.
“Hey sister, I’m just thirsty.”
“Not cool,” I repeated.
Everyone knew it. If you were visiting without visiting a certain biker, you were fine to stay as long as everyone wanted you around. If you’d been in the room of a member and got told to go and you didn’t? It could mean you wouldn’t be welcomed back.
She looked at me with shrewd eyes as she turned to go. My guess? She was trying to figure out if I’d overheard her in the bathroom. She was wondering if she’d been made.
“C’mon babe,” Bronto said. He walked her out.
“Who was she?” I asked the room.
“Name’s Juicy,” Nolan answered.
I made a face of distaste.
“She been here before?” I asked.
“Once or twice,” Jesse answered.
“With Chr---Fork?” I asked.
“No,” Jesse said, but didn’t elaborate on it further.
I stared. He stared back.
I stared some more.
In most clubs there was a caste system of women. Top rung: wives and old ladies; middle rung: girls who were considered potential old lady material; bottom of the barrel: club whores or sweet butts --- or as we affectionately called them: biker bunnies. I was an equal opportunity person and judged people not on who they fucked but what sort of person they were. Except now. I didn’t care if Juicy was up for the Nobel Peace Prize – she was after the guy I wanted to be mine.
“What is it?” Jesse asked.
“I heard her on the phone in the bathroom. She was after something. Didn’t like what I heard.”
“What’d you hear?” Jesse got up. “C’mon. Talk to me.”
He walked me into the kitchen.
“What?” he asked.
I repeated what I’d heard.
He looked thoughtful for a minute. “She’s been seen around with Paige. Paige was a mole for the Jackals.”
“Could someone in the dregs of the old Jackals be after club information?”
“Possibly. Good catch. I’ll talk to Fork. I’ll tell your pop. Get some sleep. Don’t worry.”
I headed to my room. Jesse followed and rapped on Christian’s door as I closed my door.
Friday:
I spent the day in the office helping Ella. I felt sour. I felt antisocial, too. I declined offers from Ella to go with her, Jenna, and Pippa to the mall. She looked at me with concern. I never turned down a trip to the mall and rarely turned down a chance to hang with all three of my brothers’ girls. I loved all three of them. A lot. I couldn’t have asked for three better sisters.
Ella was a bit of a mother hen, but managed to be a fun mom. Jenna and I were a lot alike. She was way more polished and glamorous than I was, as well as being very protective. Jenna had a heart of gold but loved to laugh and stir up shit. Pippa was super sweet and fun to be around and ever since she started dating my brother Spency, she was even more fun because he had mended her broken heart. I truly hoped all three of these girls were around to stay and I had a strong suspicion that they were.
“We’re going to Bath and Bodyworks,” Ella added in a singsong voice, with a smile, as if she knew that was a carrot that I’d bite.
“Next time, thanks,” I said.
She hadn’t known me long, but she looked at me with concern. Even if I didn’t need anything, I loved going to Bath and Bodyworks. Who didn’t? We’d wind up either going for dinner or for drinks afterwards and it’d be fun. I didn’t want fun.
“What’s up Jojo?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Nothin’. Why?”
“You’re having a down day.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Wanna talk about it?” she nudged.
“Nothing to talk about.”
Definitely not to Ella. Ella was one of us, but she was also Ella Forker, Christian’s cousin. And the two of them