else were aligning themselves with the Venomous club, yet all of a sudden they were gaining numbers in their ranks and picking off the edges of other clubs’ territories. They seemed to have money to purchase real estate. She couldn’t figure out where they were getting their money. Holden gave them work, but not the kind of money needed for the purchase of clubs and fronting the types of deals they were making.
She pressed her hands tighter into Absinthe’s abs, moving with him as he took a long curve in the road. She loved riding with him on the Harley. She suddenly was very glad he was in a club. His hand moved over hers just for a moment and then they were speeding up a slight grade and slowing for a turn off the main highway into Caspar, the other bikes close behind. He went considerably slower as he maneuvered the narrower streets of the small town going toward the ocean.
She could feel the cool breeze and smell the salt air. Looking over his shoulder, straight ahead, the ocean was a deep blue with white waves rushing toward rocks and then folding over the top of them. The sight was beautiful. They drove through an open, wide rolling gate surrounded by an extremely high fence that could turn a large lovely piece of property overlooking the sea into a fortress in seconds.
There was an enormous building looming up just ahead and Absinthe rode straight to it. The parking lot was paved. There was a narrow sidewalk in front of the building, but on the side was a long, wide field of flowers with several fire pits, large outdoor barbecues, benches and picnic tables. She could see it would be easy to have outdoor parties there for a sizable crowd.
Absinthe put her hand on his shoulder and she climbed off the bike. This time her legs weren’t shaky. They hadn’t ridden hundreds of miles as they had the first time. She removed the helmet and started to take off the jacket, but he was already off the Harley and he took her hand before she could. Two men came out of the building to greet them.
“Fatei, Hitch, keep a good lookout. If anyone from any other club gets close, warn us and shut everything down. The bar’s already been warned. Preacher’s closing early for the night.” Absinthe switched his grip from her hand to the nape of her neck. “Scarlet’s been threatened by the Venomous club and it looks as if that club won’t be the only one.”
Fatei nodded and Hitch looked grim. Both men avoided looking too long at her. She caught their quick glance and then they were moving away.
“Fatei is about to become a full member and he’s earned it. He went to the same school Gavriil attended. Most of the others were moved from one school to the other. A few were even brought briefly to our school, but it was more of a threat than anything else. Fatei’s tough and he’s loyal. Our club is really for those of us that have nowhere to go. We don’t fit anywhere and we never are going to. That’s the bottom line with me, Scarlet.”
Absinthe stopped at the door to the clubhouse, turning to face her, one hand on the doorknob, the other on the nape of her neck. “I’m fucked up. I always will be. There aren’t any cures for us. When I ask you to trust me, that’s exactly what I need from you. I’ll give you everything I am, but I’ll expect everything from you. I won’t accept less. Before you make your decision, you need to know things about me and determine whether or not you can live with them. I want honesty between us. I’m doing my best here, but I’m not getting anything back from you.”
He was right. She was protecting herself, feeling like the woman who’d retreated behind the mask she’d created for herself. She was hiding there again, terrified, afraid of believing anyone could really love her. The moment her faith in him had been tested, she’d failed. She knew it would happen again and again.
“Before you open that door and we go any further, Absinthe, you have to know that I want to be with you more than anything in the world. I came to you with that intention. You think you’re fucked up, but you don’t hold the corner on that market. I am too. I have issues