The Biker and the Loner (Oil and Water #3)- S. Ann Cole Page 0,48
arm. He’s looking up at her with that sexy grin of his.
I'm not jealous. Club Cats don't give a shit. I've been around long enough to know how this place works. I’ll know where I stand based upon how Scratch reacts when he sees me.
When I look to the bar again, Judge jerks his chin at me and raises his beer in a salute, amusement on his usually serious face. Wow. Getting any kind of acknowledgment from the president of the club, as a woman, is huge around here.
Heady from his acknowledgment, I grin like an idiot and direct my steps toward the mustard couch. When Scratch finally notices me, his smile that was aimed at the Club Cat melts. He takes a pull of his joint.
"Holy shit, is that you, Pretty Ley?" Ranger calls from the pool table across the room.
On a small, battered table next to Mask, I set down the food tray then turn and wave at Ranger and Bully.
"Yep. What's up?"
"What's up is that you stopped comin’ around," Bully replies.
I scratch a nonexistent itch on my nose. "Uh, yeah, I've been dealing with some stuff."
"Someone messin' with you?" Mask asks from beside me with murder in his eyes. "Name and address and I'll put 'em in the ground for you, Pretty Ley."
Mask is the most violent of the bunch, always ready to "put ‘em in the ground."
With an eye roll, I reach down to playfully tug his ear. "Calm down, Mask. No one's messing with me."
"Hmm, that feels good," he says, leaning his ear closer toward me. "Do it again."
Laughing, I tug his ear again. "Anyway, I brought you guys subs and sides from Owly’s."
"Now that's what I'm talking about," Ranger rumbles as he throws down his pool stick and starts across the room. I pick up the food bag I’d marked as Scratch’s and walk over to him.
"Get gone," he tells the Club Cat without taking his eyes off me. "My woman's here."
"Yo, if there's a meatball sub there, it's mine," Judge growls from the bar as the men flock the takeaway tray.
As the Club Cat pouts and leaves, Scratch grabs my hand and yanks me down on his lap. He takes my jaw with one hand and kisses me roughly, swiftly, before ripping his lips away. "You took a while."
The taste of his joint lingers in my mouth. "A bigger order meant a longer wait.”
"Why’re you spending your money on these assholes?"
"You never used to complain before."
"You weren't my woman then," he argues.
"And I'm supposed to change who I am because I'm your woman now?"
He thinks about it then shakes his head. "Nah." He chucks my chin. "Just thought my sub was gonna be special delivery. Not lumped with these assholes."
"Stop being a little bitch," Onyx says from beside us around a mouthful of food. Eavesdropper.
Scratch ignores him.
"But your order is special. I got you an extra-long, with double steak serving, provolone, American, and whiz cheese."
He licks his lips. "My baby keeps hitting the nail on the head." He tugs up the V of my shirt that, it would seem, is showing too much cleavage. "Now tell me about this friend you're going to see."
"Oh, it's Zac. He's getting a new tattoo for his birthday coming up and he wants me to be there for support."
"Zac…" he muses with a frown. "Is that the little turd from the bar?"
"He's not a turd," I defend.
Scratch lifts a brow at me. "Why you gotta be there for support? Why not his girl?"
This makes me laugh. "Probably because he has too many of them."
He scoffs. "What kind of a pussy needs support to get new ink anyway?"
"Stop it," I chide, punching his shoulder. "He's more Kenny's friend than mine, but since she's not here I've been doing a lot of filling in."
Tapping my leg, he mumbles, "Ease up a bit."
When I do, he pries his phone out of his pocket and pulls me back down. After entering his passcode, he pulls up Kendra's contact.
Scratch: SIS. YOU THERE?
Kendra: Yo
Scratch: QUESTION ABOUT THIS ZAC TOOL.
Kendra: Isaac? Shoot.
Scratch: DOES HE WANT IN LEY'S PANTS?
Kendra: Oh most def. But he knows he doesn't stand a chance. So he's cool.
Scratch: JUST GIVING YOU A HEADS UP THAT IF HE TOUCHES HER HE'S A DEAD MAN
Kendra: *eye roll emoji*
Kendra: The only way he'll touch Ley is if she wants him to touch her.
Scratch closes the chat and lifts a questioning brow at me. “So?”