then cleared his throat. “Do you want another drink?”
“Just one more. I have to work at the shelter tonight, remember? I don’t think it’d be cool if I showed up bombed.” She smiled, but her mind was racing. He’s not telling me everything about this lady who took him in. If I press him, I know he’ll shut down. But maybe she didn’t have to know the whole story. He had the right to keep things from his past to himself, and that was okay.
“Did you want another round?” Jared asked as he approached the table.
“Yeah. What kind of music are the bands playing tonight?” Smokey asked.
“I think tonight is Reggae and Ska. Are you staying?” He shifted his gaze to Ashley, then back to Smokey.
Ashley scooted closer to Smokey. “Do you like Ska?”
Smokey smiled. “Sometimes. What about you?”
“Yeah, I like it.” She leaned forward and brushed her lips across his before looking up at a surprised Jared.
“After our drink, let’s get the fuck outta here. We have some time before your shift,” Smokey whispered in her ear.
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll be back with your drinks,” Jared mumbled before moving away.
They settled back into their chairs, hands clasped tightly together.
“Did you meet Willy in Denver?”
“No. After I left Brenda’s, I was back on the streets. Soon after, I got arrested for stealing a car. I didn’t even want the damn thing. I just wanted a place to stay that was covered and safe. Anyway, the judge was pretty cool. He put me on probation and ordered a ton of community service. My case got transferred here, and I ended up back home with my fucked-up parents.”
“That must’ve been terrible. Was your dad super pissed at you?”
“Yeah—pissed that I was back. The streets made me hard, so he didn’t try any shit with me. My PO sent me to Willy’s farm for my community service. Best move ever. Willy guided me and acted more like a dad than my old man ever did.”
“Here you go,” Whitney said as she set the drinks on the table. “Enjoy.” Giving Ashley a wink, she scampered away.
Smokey took a sip and continued. “Willy lost his son in a motorcycle crash. He was twenty-five, and it shredded the old man’s heart. He often told me I reminded him of his boy.” Pausing, his eyes took on a faraway look. “I became like a son to him. He taught me a ton of shit about motorcycles—how to ride them, fix them, and cherish them. And he never blamed the motorcycle for his son’s death, just the SOB who ran the red light. It was Willy who showed me how to build things, and by the end of my community service, I’d helped him build a garage. When I stood there, looking at what I’d helped build, I saw what I could do with my hands.”
Ashley brought his hand to her lips and kissed it. “Your hands aren’t just good with building,” she said in a soft voice.
A devilish smile spread across his lips.
“Where did the Insurgents fit in?”
“I met Banger, Itchy, Buffalo, and Rob at Willy’s, who were all longtime friends of his. Banger hung out the most at the farm. He and the other Insurgents used to look out for me, and invited me over to the club to play pool and darts. When shit got to be too much at home, I’d crash at Willy’s, or sometimes at Banger’s place.” He laughed. “That’s how I entered the world of Harleys and whiskey.”
She smiled at the look on his face. “So, did you join right away?”
“I was a hangaround until I turned eighteen, and then I started prospecting. I finally patched in at twenty. The MC saved my fuckin’ life. It gave me a purpose and the direction I needed. If it hadn’t been for the Insurgents, I don’t know where I’d be. They’re my brothers—my family. I’d give my life for any one of them, and they’d do the same for me.”
“It’s wonderful you all have such a close bond.”
“It is. There’s a closeness among bikers you don’t see, not even in most families. Citizens don’t get the lifestyle at all. Our world is a culture and way of life that’s both noble, but also primal in nature. We stick our fingers up at the world and don’t give a fuck or care about what others think.”
“I picked that up about you. It’s also one of the things I like and admire about you. You don’t try