“Whatcha doin’, darlin’?”

Why does his thick southern drawl have to sound so damn delicious?

“Cleaning up after Piper.” I toss the wet rag in the bucket, and the soapy water swishes back and forth against the sides.

“She is a force to be reckoned with.” He chuckles and I smirk.

That is a nice way of saying she is a tornado, but before I can find myself happy about the reason for this little chit chat, I get a whiff of pure sex sweat. The smile evaporates from my face as quickly as it came.

“Go shower, Shadow. You smell like a two dollar hooker,” I grumble as I turn my attention back to my car.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? We can’t even talk now without you insulting me. Shit used not to be this way with us, Tea.”

I pivot back towards him with a scowl. “Nothing is wrong with me. You stink something awful. If you want to smell like a cheap lay, that’s on you.”

Shadow lifts his sunglasses to the top of his head, and I almost want to yell at him for wearing them at dusk. But when I notice his contacts are out, I stop myself. Very few times can I see into Shadow’s soul, and I’m not about to say something that will make him slide the glasses down and cut me out in the process.

“We used to be friends. What the fuck happened, Tea?”

My blue eyes search his soulless ones and I come to realize he’s hurt. He is actually upset that I’ve been standoffish. The thought makes my chest ache. He’s been nothing but good to me, and I’ve been nothing but an ass. He can’t help it that I am severely attracted to him, no more than he can help the way he is.

“I’m sorry. I’ll try to be less of a bitch from now on.”

He tries to move in for a hug and I swat at him.

“No way, dude. Go shower first.” I force a laugh even though it rips my heart apart to know that he just finished screwing someone else.

“Shit, sorry babe.” He chuckles as he turns and heads towards the live-in building.

I really need to go home, but Dad won’t allow it because of club business. All I want is to cry in my own damn bed until I fall asleep.

“Hey sis, what’s up?” Mace hops onto the trunk of my car.

Jesus, they’re coming out of the woodwork tonight.

“You dent my car, you’re paying to un-dent it.”

He swings his legs back and forth like a child while he tongues a toothpick back and forth between his lips. “Let’s go grab a burger. I’ll buy.”

Bonding time with my new brother is something I am always up for having. “Let me call Dad. I’m not supposed to leave the compound without an escort.”

Mace is prospecting, so Dad should approve. I reach into my car, grab my cell phone, and dial his number. Not only will I get time with my brother, but I will also get out of this club for a bit. Dad answers on the first ring.

“What’s wrong, Tatiana?” He chuckles as Storm whispers in the background.

Oh gross, please tell me I didn’t call him during that shit. I rush to get my question out.

“Can Mace take me for a burger?”

I hear more whispering before I get my answer.

“To Ma and Pop’s, then get your asses back to the compound.” As I start to hang-up the phone, he shocks me. “Thanks for calling and asking, baby girl, instead of doin’.”

Ah hell, my dad is getting all sweet. “Uh, no problem, Dad.” I click off and stare at my phone for a moment.

“That was weird. He said yes, but we have to go to Ma and Pop’s restaurant. Let’s walk, so it takes longer,” I say as I take the keys out of my car, reach for my purse, and then shut the door.

“I’m still new around here and shit, but you tend to do just about whatever you want to do, sis.” Mace laughs as he hops off my trunk.

He’s right.

“You’re maturing, little sis,” he jokes playfully as he slugs my shoulder.

“Fuck off.” I laugh, even though I know he’s onto something.

When we come to the gate, Rap wheels himself over. The poor guy only has a few more weeks left in that wheelchair. “You guys going for food?”

I nod. “Yeah, burgers, you want something?”

Rap mumbles yes and digs his wallet out of the doggy bag that hangs from the back of his chair. He hates it, but he doesn’t have the heart to tell Storm to take it off. She feels guilty about his broken legs, and when he was cursing nonstop about how he couldn’t even lift his ass to piss or get his wallet out, they came up with his doggy bag. Storm and Winter even put temporary rails in the bathroom so the man could lift himself. “I gave the prospects a night off of gate duty because I fuckin’ can’t do anything else right now and it’s driving me fuckin’ nuts,” he grumbles as he hands me a twenty. “Where you goin’ for the burgers?”

I take the money from him as Mace tells him Ma and Pop’s.

“Thank fuck. Okay, you know my usual, then, right, Darlin’?”

An honest to god laugh bubbles from my throat. “Rap, I know you all so well, I can tell each of you when you’re going to shit, before you even know it.”

I’m not kidding, either. Since I’ve spent all my life around the club and haven’t had anything else to do but watch people, I’ve memorized their patterns, whether I wanted to or not.

Rap’s smile is blinding as he hits the gate button. I’m sad for him. He finished prospecting not too long ago, and he’s been stuck in that damn chair for months. I know he is itching to do club stuff, but he’s been patient about it all, except for his little tirade about pissing and stuff.