the wooden clubhouse was kinda glowing as light escaped it through the many cracks in the walls. Light and smoke and noise, that is, though as we entered, Ace and Stormi leading the way, it was only about half full.
As far as clubhouse bars go, this one wasn’t the worst. The bar counter and tables are of good quality dark wood, and the leather sofa and two armchairs on a slightly raised podium to the left of the bar looks like it’s been cleaned and polished as early as this morning. The club colors—a golden crown on blue—are hanging behind the sofa, printed on, as far as I can tell, actual blue velvet. Kings MC is printed in gilded letters over it. I gotta agree with the pimply kid at the motel, the effect of it all is more tacky than regal, which I assume is what they’re going for.
But this whole place looks polished, and completely at odds, everything from the tabletops, to the bar counter and little metal accents—all gold-colored—are gleaming. But for all that, the stench of booze, smoke, unwashed bodies, dust, and mud is still hanging over the whole place.
I scan the room, looking at every face as we walk to an empty table chosen by Ace as the one that gives the best view of the rectangular space. None of the faces are Brenda’s. The more optimistic part of me starts spinning the happy tale that she’s not here at all, that she didn’t leave for an old man, that this has all been a misunderstanding. But it’s too soon to listen and believe that voice.
“Monarch’s not here,” Stormi whispers. “He always sits on the leather sofa there.”
No one is sitting there now.
“Do you know anyone here?” I ask. “Someone to ask about Brenda?”
She looks around and shakes her head. “I only came here like twice.”
“We’ll just ask whoever brings our drinks,” Ace says.
A voice of caution is reminding me very vividly of the last time I walked into a bar asking for Brenda. But it turned out good that time, and I’d do it all over again, even if that wasn’t the case. No regrets.
A girl with breasts the size of melons bounces over to our table. I barely glance at her as we order drinks, still scanning the room, still hoping I’ll see Brenda any second now.
“Hey, listen,” Stormi says once we’re done ordering. “A friend of mine used to come here a lot. She’s about your height and she’s got long dark brown hair. Her name’s Brenda. Have you seen her around?”
The woman’s already pretty big eyes widen to comic-book proportions. “You mean Brandy? No she hasn’t been around since she ran out on Monarch. And she shouldn’t come back here either. He’s gonna kill her if she does. He’s announced that more than once these last few months.”
At her words, I feel like this entire building has collapsed on top of me, and it’s on fire to boot.
I’m still trying to catch my breath as the waitress leaves. Blaze is gripping my forearm, shaking it slightly.
“Calm down,” he says. “There’s a long way between threatening something and doing it.”
“And it’s a long way from Brenda’s motel to Vegas,” I counter through gritted teeth. “I’m gonna kill that bastard Monarch. I’m gonna kill him tonight unless I see Brenda walk in here on his arm.”
Every cell of my being wants that outcome, burns for it—to see her with him, safe and sound. A fucked up world and mess of things this is that has me wishing for it. But the alternative is too horrific to consider. Brenda dead? No. I won’t think of that until I see her lifeless body, her eyes no longer shining like the night sky, her soft skin cold. No!
Ace gives me a long, studying look, then excuses himself to take a leak. Blaze is still gripping my arm and I dare not look at Stormi, because the one time I glanced at her since the waitress babbled off Monarch’s plan for Brenda, I saw the same terror in her eyes that I feel in my own chest. Unbearable doesn’t even come close to describing it.
Minutes pass as slowly as fucking years, while we wait for Monarch to show. The place has slowly been filling up and now most of the tables and spaces between are packed with people. But no Monarch and no Brenda. Two fights broke out around the pool table in the back, but they