if I’m Chaser, I’d prefer it on and buttoned to the top.” He touches his chin.
“Thanks,” I grumble. “Very helpful.”
“Are you nervous about meeting his family?”
“No, I’ve met them before.” I doubt Stump cares what I’m wearing. On second thought, I can’t seem to sit still. Maybe seeing the club explains some of my jitters.
“Are you sad the tour’s over?” I ask to take the attention off me.
“Yeah.” His lost puppy face returns. “Not looking forward to going home to an empty house.”
“You better hope there’s a house to go home to. Pamela was mad enough to burn it down while you’re gone.”
“Shit.” He rubs his hands over the back of his neck. “I didn’t think of that. She wouldn’t…would she?”
“What you did was pretty gross.”
He glances away. “Would you burn Chaser’s house down?”
“No, I’d cut off his dick,” I answer without thinking. “A house is a small price to pay.”
He sits back and rubs his crotch. “Jesus Christ. I never knew you were so scary, Mallory.”
I shrug.
“Knowing Chaser, it’s just a bigger turn on,” Alvin says, winking at me.
“True,” I agree.
“It’s kind of hot.” Andrew pulls a sketchpad out of his backpack and flips it open. “How long are you and Chaser going to be gone?”
“At least a week. We can’t be away too long. He has to leave and record the album.”
Alvin presses his palms together prayer style. “Please, dear spirits don’t let this recording go like the last one.”
“Nah.” Andrew waves off Alvin’s concern. “Mark won’t put up with any shit. Plus, Jacob’s been good.”
Maybe one positive thing came out of Andrew getting shot—Jacob’s sobriety.
Andrew turns the sketchpad toward me. I admire his comic book style drawings as he flips through each page. “Is there anything you’re not good at?”
“Keeping my dick in my pants,” he answers with a straight face.
“Well, you’re self-aware.” I pat the top of his head. “That’s a start.”
Alvin covers his face with his hands and cough-laughs.
Ignoring both of us, Andrew continues flipping through the sketchbook. “I’m thinking of starting a side project. Like a T-shirt company. Vicious Vandals-inspired. Kyle’s dicking me around about using the band’s name, so I might end up calling it Kyle’s-A-Cocksucker but I think it might be fun.”
I chuckle at the casual way he mentions disagreements with his bandmate.
“You think you’d be interested in modeling for me?” he asks.
“T-shirts?”
“Yeah. I mean, you’ve done modeling, right? Frederick’s of Hollywood, Secret Nothings—”
“Wait, how do you know that?” Those jobs were before Chaser and Andrew met. I can’t picture Andrew sitting around flipping through old lingerie catalogs…on second thought, yes I can.
He shrugs. “I don’t know. Pamela probably mentioned it. But you have experience with regular clothes too, right? L.A. Gear, Guess—”
“Gina-Marie Johnson did the Guess campaign.” I tilt my head. “Do all blondes with big boobs look the same to you?”
He scratches his head. “Not really.”
“I’d let Gina-Marie ride my Johnson any day of the week,” Alvin adds.
“Pipe down, over there,” I say over my shoulder.
“High-five, bro.” Andrew throws his palm up in the air.
The door swings open. No more time to scold the guys. Chaser enters, followed by his dad, Tally, and a few other guys I recognize from the clubhouse.
“Stump!” I rush over, happy to see him.
His usually intimidating, scary biker face softens as I approach. He opens his arms wide and scoops me up in an affectionate hug. “How you doin’, princess?”
I’m too caught up in his comforting leather-and-cigarette-smoke scent to answer right away. “I’m so happy to see you,” I mumble against his shoulder.
He sets me down but holds onto my hands. “You all right?”
Wow, I forgot how penetrating his stare can be when he’s probing for information. “I’m good.”
His gaze shifts to Chaser. “I heard you had a visitor yesterday.”
“We did. It was weird, but Chaser handled it.”
“Good. I had the message. Planned to let you know today. Didn’t have a way to get a hold of you when you were on the road. Didn’t think he’d be such an impatient asshole about it. Sorry, princess.”
“Not your fault, Stump.” I drop my gaze. “I’m sorry you’re caught up in the middle…”
His fingers brush my chin and he tips my head back. “Don’t apologize.”
Chaser coughs and takes my hand. “She talked to the lawyer last night. Everything should be okay for now.”
“Chipmunk!” Tally shouts.
Stump grunts and searches the room, his face lighting up when he spots Alvin. “Get over here, son.”
Tally gets to Alvin first, lifting him up in a great big bear hug and bouncing