“No, I’ve got to bring the booze out. The guys are going to want their drinks. Also, we need to fill the main room with balloons. Nash’s orders and he got them approved by Tiny. I don’t know what it is with the balloons, but I’m not going to argue with him.” Running fingers through her hair, Eva walked back into the clubhouse. Tiny was going over some figures while he sat at the bar.
She’d not been to bed with him for two days, not since he’d lied to her.
Approaching him, she glanced over his shoulder to see all the numbers he was looking over.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Eva wasn’t jealous of his first wife, far from it. She knew his first marriage wasn’t as perfect as people thought.
“I’m fine. Is Tate okay?”
“She will be. She’s getting stronger every day.”
“I’m starting to think she’s not cut out to be an old lady.”
“The club takes a lot of getting used to. Tate’s been through a lot. She’s expecting her second child. Please, Tiny, give her a chance.”
He shook his head. “It’s not just about dealing with the everyday crap. I don’t believe she’s cut out to be this kind of person. She’s nothing like you or some of the other women.”
“You can’t cut her off.”
“I’m not going to cut her off, Eva. She’s my daughter.”
“Where is all of this going? Why would you be thinking about Tate in my role?”
Tiny shrugged. “I’m not going to be the president of The Skulls forever. I know my time is coming to an end. I’m just thinking of the future.”
She chuckled. “It’s going to be some time yet.”
“Even so. I’m old, baby. I’ve got to start preparing for the future. I don’t want to be riding my bike and dealing with this shit into my seventies.”
“It’s over twenty years away.” She made to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her go.
“No, it’s not that long, Eva. You think it’s that long, but time goes by so fast. Before we know it I’m going to be seventy, and I don’t want to spend my days riding and dealing with shit.” He spun in his chair and pulled her closer to him. “I want to be with you. Loving you, spending my time with you.”
“Are you trying to suck up to me?” she asked.
“No. I’m trying to let you know that no matter how much I disappoint you, I’ll always love you, no matter what. I’m sorry for lying to you. I just can’t stand the fact you’re scared. It pisses me off.”
Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “That’s okay. You can make it up to me later.” She leaned in, kissing his lips. “I love you, Tiny, and I’m sorry for being a bitch.”
He gripped her ass, squeezing her flesh. “Love you, too, baby.”
Reluctantly she pulled away from him to go searching through the cupboards for all the alcohol. She found a trolley to load up so she could have drinks all around the compound.
“It’s hard to be happy and sad at the same time,” Lexie said, coming to join her. For once the other woman didn’t have a child on her hip. That had been two occasions she’d seen Lexie without a child, and it was nice.
“What do you mean?” Eva asked, adding another bottle of scotch to the selection.
“We’re all celebrating the return of a brother who was falsely incarcerated, but we’re all still on guard. I wonder if we’ll ever be able to simply have a get-together that doesn’t involve pain, death, or fear.” Lexie held onto the trolley handle as Eva placed the last bottle to take into the garden.
“I know what you mean. It sucks, but at least we’re all still here.” They passed Sasha and Pussy on the way into the garden. The couple was cute, and it was shocking to see Pussy utterly devoted to one woman. “I wonder how long they will last.”
“They’re going to last a lifetime,” Lexie said. “He fought Devil to keep her.”
“Why didn’t Devil want them together?”
“She’s blind, and he saw her as a problem seeing as she couldn’t take care of herself. Pussy has given her more independence than any of her family. She’s doing great, flourishing. I had to convince Devil to leave them alone.”
Placing the bottles into the cooler, Eva found it strange.
“Oh, well. Men don’t really understand true love until they live through it.” Eva finished with the bottles and started taking the trolley back into the clubhouse.
“I’ve learned a lot about Devil over the last few years. He rarely allows any man into the club who can’t take care of themselves. It means a lot to him to have them on his side.” Lexie tucked some hair behind her ear. The brown locks glistened in the sun.
Tiny and Devil were totally different considering they were both presidents of MCs. Whizz was their problem at the moment. The brother could barely take care of himself, let alone support the club in a fight. What Whizz failed with his personal problems, he more than made up for with his computer skills. Whenever Tiny or the club had a problem, Whizz delivered. They could rely on him behind the scenes, which at the moment was the best place for him. He was The Skulls’ most valuable asset. Tiny wouldn’t allow anything to happen to the brother. Whizz was part of all of them, and no one would ever vote him out.
“Have I shocked you?” Lexie asked.
“No, not really. Devil never struck me as the kind of man with patience.”
Alex grabbed her arm. “Can I borrow you?”
Looking at Lexie, Eva was about to open her mouth when Alex tugged her away. “Hey, Alex. I was talking. You’re being very f**king rude.”
He didn’t stop until he escorted her through to his room. Alex led the way to his room where Tiny wouldn’t see them. She wasn’t afraid. Alex wouldn’t hurt her. They were friends before the club.
“What the hell is going on? You’ve never acted like this before.”
“Butch is the one who f**ked up Patricia’s grave.”
She gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth.
He placed a hand over her mouth. “He did it at the order of Gonzalez.”
“Butch is working for Gonzalez?”
“Yes and no.”
Frowning, she dropped her hands and pushed him away. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? You’re not making any sense.”
“I’ve got it all under control. I’m the one who sent him undercover.”