Jenn gives me a high five, excited to see her sister. Their relationship has been difficult. I hope with her getting older, they can mend those broken fences. “Pop!” I shout and barrel down the hallway to his office. He looks up at me, even though he hates it when I yell, he patiently waits. “We are running to the store to barbeque for Ashley. You want me to get anything?”
“Cerveza y carne.” He pulls a few bills from his pocket and tosses them on the desk. “I’ll call the brothers to head over in a few hours to eat.”
“Thanks, Poppa.” I kiss his head, snatch up the money, and leave to find Jenn and Abuela. A part of me chuckles because he just lectured me about being more responsible. Here I am seconds later planning a party. That he gave me money for. He is partly to blame!
Since Abuela doesn’t drive anywhere, the three of us jump into my car. I’m not even sure if she has a license. “Abuelita, have you ever had a car?”
“Para que, mijita? For what purpose when I have had a man to drive. In Mexico, it is very different. We didn’t have money for that. We walk or ride together.” She continues her stories on our way. When her eyes become glossy from speaking about the past, she clears her throat and changes the subject. Abuela instructs me to take her to her favorite carnicería, where she likes to shop for meat.
Jenn and I end up with a cart each. Following her around, we fill both with food and beer for the party. After we get back to the clubhouse, I text my mom, along with my cousin Jazzy, to come join us. Dana is out of town with her mom on a girls’ weekend, but she made me promise to tell her everything when she gets back. The four of us spend hours cooking and prepping everything. They are my world. Everything that matters most is in this room. My mom, Abuela, and Jenn.
That’s when it hits me what I should do. I love bringing people together and finding laughs at the end of a hard day. Or a place to rest and get away from the world. I just hope I can save enough money to make it happen on my own. If I tell my father, he will lend me the money. I want to do it on my own. It’s important to me. Not that I’m not grateful, but my whole life, I have had a man there to help me. I want my dad and my brother Snake to be proud of me.
With a newfound idea, happiness shines bright with a future. I can’t wait to share it with Hawk later. The members start to fill the back yard, and I look around, not finding him. I keep working and wondering when he will walk in. It can’t take him that long, can it? With the crowd growing, I lose track of time. We invited Jenn and Ashley’s aunt to come, but she basically gave us the finger, even though the club did go to pick up her niece. I wish I knew the whole story, and maybe someday it will be told, but the bad blood between her and the MC has lasted years.
The crowd splits at the intensity of voices coming from Kilo and my cousin Jazzy. He has her shirt bundled in his fist at her chest. They scowl at each other while harsh words are being tossed at the other. Kilo is a mean motherfucker and possessive of her. Has been since they started seeing each other a year ago. Jazzy was away for a little while and just recently came back with her cosmetology license. At first, it was love at first sight. The two of them were inseparable. Everyone was envious of their love. Or what we thought was love.
He growls into her ear. Kilo is a big asshole, built like a brick wall of muscle. They should have named the dick ‘Bull’. He’s mean and stubborn as hell. Jazzy doesn’t flinch, but her eyes close for the briefest of moments. I stop myself before I charge in. I can only assume what comes next will be bad. Snake, my older brother, does jump in and darts forward. Once he has them separated, a clubwhore stands on the other side of Kilo with a smug look plastered across her face.
My mind starts to drift off into thoughts of revenge. I see the smeared lipstick around her mouth. If he just walked in with her trailing behind, no wonder Jazzy lost her shit. I maneuver around the crowd and squeeze in to back up Jazzy. That nasty bitch is playing with fire.
Snake has his back to us while Kilo glares at Jazzy over his shoulder. My face hardens, and I give it back to him. The clubwhore, Misty, snickers off to the side, and my face whips back in her direction. Our gazes collide, and she wipes the stupid look off her face.
“Take her home,” Snake barks at me, pulling me from my daydream of kicking her ass.
Being the good girl I am, I nudge Jazzy along, and she follows me inside. My temper is lit, and I am teaching this conniving cunt a lesson.
“Where are we going?” Jazzy’s voice is on edge and raw.
“To the kitchen,” I blurt.
“What?” she whisper-shouts, not believing the words I just spoke.
Halting, I explain, “I need supplies. Come with me if you want. But that fucking slut can do whatever she wants with the men, we can’t stop her. Her rubbing shit in your face, in front of everyone, is bullshit. I’m not walking
