Torch (Great Wolves MC) - Jayne Blue Page 0,7
um ... Torch,” she said. “Though it really wasn’t necessary.”
I jerked my chin at her. “Yeah. It was. And I meant what I said. No more trips into town with that kind of cash. Not unless me or one of the guys from the club comes along. You tell George that, or I will.”
“Okay,” she said, looking nervously over her shoulder. “I have to get back inside. I’ve got work to do.”
There were lights on upstairs. I could tell she wasn’t keen on George knowing I’d seen fit to babysit her. I had half a mind to throttle him for putting her at risk like that. But something made me stop. It was the way Sydney looked at me. Scared. Hopeful. I don’t know why it mattered so much, but at that moment, I wanted her good opinion of me.
“See you around,” I said, then. “Snow White.”
She smiled. Yeah. I liked that. I had the urge to flatten anyone who ever made her frown.
As she turned, I revved my engine. Even from here, I could see gooseflesh rise on her arms. Oh yeah. It would be something to get her on the back of my bike.
For now, I caught her watching me leave and could have sworn she was thinking it too.
When I made it back to the Den, Colt, Kellan, Joker, and Brax were waiting in the back room. We weren’t open for business yet, and Colt’s expression told me something was up.
“Where you been?” Brax asked.
I debated whether I should tell them about Sydney’s drama. I knew it might make waves for her with George. But business was business and George needed to do better. “Running an errand in town,” I said. “I, uh ... I ran into George’s new intern or something. Making a deposit at the bank.”
“Trouble?” Kellan asked. There must have been something he read on my face.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” I said.
“Intern?” Brax asked.
“Yeah,” Colt said. “She was at the party last night. Redhead. Hard to miss. She showed up dressed for a board meeting, not a club party.”
“Oh, her,” Brax said. “Perky tits, nice ass.”
Rage shot through me. I didn’t like the idea of anyone looking at Sydney like that except for me.
“Easy,” I said. “Your old lady will wear your nuts for a necklace if she heard you were checking that girl out.”
Brax smiled. “I was just making an observation.”
“You sure it’s a good idea for George to be taking on new help?” Joker asked. “I don’t know if I like him having someone we haven’t vetted in and around our shit.”
Colt put a hand up. “It’s okay. She’s vetted.”
“By who?” I asked.
“By me,” Colt answered, his eyes flashing. “She’s his niece.”
I don’t know why, but I feigned ignorance on that point.
“What’s her story?” Joker asked.
“She dropped out of college. Had some falling out with her rich daddy, George’s older brother. He’s some kind of bible thumper in Connecticut. Runs one of those holy roller churches fleecing the flock. Made a name for himself with online videos or some shit. George offered to look out for her for the summer. I think maybe he’s trying to show her how the real world works.”
“She some kind of trust fund princess?” I asked.
“Something like that,” Colt said. “But George ran it all by me. It was on my list of shit to tell you all about. We’ll probably be seeing her around the club. George wants her to learn what she can about our businesses.”
“Our businesses?” Kellan asked. “Well, then she needs to put her time in at the bar. Let the guys get to know her.”
“Yeah,” Colt said. “That’s kind of the plan. George gave me the impression this chick hasn’t worked an honest day in her life. But he said she’s smart and he’s hoping he can talk her into either learning how to be his paralegal or even head to law school down the road.”
“George looking to retire?” Joker asked.
Colt shrugged. “Not anytime soon. He knows I’d kill him. Anyway, I already talked to the head waitresses. Sydney, that’s her name. She’s going to work here a night or two a week. Now, that’s enough talk about George Bailey’s twinkie of a niece. What else have you all got for me?”
We went around the table. I had a hard time focusing on business. I couldn’t stop thinking about seeing Sydney Bailey in and around the bar, and wearing the tight tank tops the rest of the waitresses wore. She’d gotten under