him standing in front of a broken down motorcycle, and a couple of
prospects standing right beside him as they talked about engines and blocks.
She looked at the leather cut he wore, and the MC logo patch on the back that
showed the burning phoenix that was the emblem of The Brothers of Menace MC. As
if Dakota sensed her staring at him, he slowly turned around to face her.
“Well
holy fucking shit.” He grinned but didn’t make a move to come close to her.
He
looked good—masculine to the nth degree. He was only twenty-five, but he had
several days’ worth of dark beard growth on his cheeks and jaw that made him look more mature. He also looked just like his father,
Malice.
“Goddamn,
Alexis, you haven’t changed.” He grinned again and flashed her
a set of straight white teeth. “Well, not since I saw you a couple years
ago for that big ass Thanksgiving dinner at your folks’ house.
She
smiled and nodded. “You haven’t changed at all … well, I take that back.” Her
cheeks heated because she realized how that could have been construed. He
looked the same, but older, and his body was bigger and more muscular. Yeah, he
definitely took after his dad, but all of The Brothers were abnormally large
and strong for humans. She lifted her arm and pointed to his cut. “So you
finally patched in, huh?”
He
nodded. “Yeah, couple years ago. But The MC life was always for me.”
“Yeah,
I suppose it was.” That was pretty much the same thing for most of the Grizzly
kids. “What are you doing here if you’re a Brother?”
He
lifted a dark eyebrow. His hair was just as black, but short and disheveled
along his head. “Helping these guys restore this bike.”
“I
didn’t mean it like you shouldn’t be here.”
He
started laughing. “I know, I know.” They hadn’t spoken more than a handful of
times since the altercation he’d had with Nico all
those years ago at the graduation party, but she still considered him a friend.
“So,
big time college grad, huh?” He took a step closer to her and stopped. He
shoved his hands in the front pocket of his jeans. “Your old man said you’re
going to start managing the club finances.”
She
nodded.
“I
hope you’re ready for all that.” He wasn’t saying it in a joking manner.
Alexis
knew what he meant, knew that once she did the books she’d know where a lot—not
all of course—but a lot of where the club’s money came from. Most of it was
illegal funds, of that she wasn’t ignorant of, but this was her family, and she
didn’t judge. “I hope I am, too.”
Dakota
nodded. “Hey, maybe since you’ll be in town indefinitely we can get together
for lunch or something and catch up?”
“Sure,
but I’ll probably be busy for a little bit as I get settled in, and then with Nico —”
“He
can come along,” Dakota said and smiled. “Listen, that altercation four years
ago at the garage is behind us. We have both grown, and there isn’t any
animosity between us anymore.”
“So
you guys talk a lot?” Nico hadn’t mentioned Dakota
anytime he had visited her or when they had spent time together.
Dakota
shrugged. “Okay, the whole animosity and altercation thing isn’t really the
truth. I mean I am pretty sure he’s still pissed deep down, but he is kind of a
hardcore guy when it comes to you.” He smiled. “And rightly so, but I’m over
it. Why hang onto that shit when there isn’t a point?”
“Yeah,
I’ve told him that before, but you know how a Grizzly is.”
He
chuckled softly. “Yeah, I do. But I was serious about catching up. Aside from
the few times I saw you for holidays and shit, it’s been too fucking long since
we actually talked.” He stared at her, right in the eyes actually and said,
“Besides, I actually have someone I’m dating, and I’d like you to meet her.”
That
took her back a little. “Really?” She sure as hell
hadn’t meant to say it the way it came out.
“Yeah,
hard to believe, huh?” He was
prospects standing right beside him as they talked about engines and blocks.
She looked at the leather cut he wore, and the MC logo patch on the back that
showed the burning phoenix that was the emblem of The Brothers of Menace MC. As
if Dakota sensed her staring at him, he slowly turned around to face her.
“Well
holy fucking shit.” He grinned but didn’t make a move to come close to her.
He
looked good—masculine to the nth degree. He was only twenty-five, but he had
several days’ worth of dark beard growth on his cheeks and jaw that made him look more mature. He also looked just like his father,
Malice.
“Goddamn,
Alexis, you haven’t changed.” He grinned again and flashed her
a set of straight white teeth. “Well, not since I saw you a couple years
ago for that big ass Thanksgiving dinner at your folks’ house.
She
smiled and nodded. “You haven’t changed at all … well, I take that back.” Her
cheeks heated because she realized how that could have been construed. He
looked the same, but older, and his body was bigger and more muscular. Yeah, he
definitely took after his dad, but all of The Brothers were abnormally large
and strong for humans. She lifted her arm and pointed to his cut. “So you
finally patched in, huh?”
He
nodded. “Yeah, couple years ago. But The MC life was always for me.”
“Yeah,
I suppose it was.” That was pretty much the same thing for most of the Grizzly
kids. “What are you doing here if you’re a Brother?”
He
lifted a dark eyebrow. His hair was just as black, but short and disheveled
along his head. “Helping these guys restore this bike.”
“I
didn’t mean it like you shouldn’t be here.”
He
started laughing. “I know, I know.” They hadn’t spoken more than a handful of
times since the altercation he’d had with Nico all
those years ago at the graduation party, but she still considered him a friend.
“So,
big time college grad, huh?” He took a step closer to her and stopped. He
shoved his hands in the front pocket of his jeans. “Your old man said you’re
going to start managing the club finances.”
She
nodded.
“I
hope you’re ready for all that.” He wasn’t saying it in a joking manner.
Alexis
knew what he meant, knew that once she did the books she’d know where a lot—not
all of course—but a lot of where the club’s money came from. Most of it was
illegal funds, of that she wasn’t ignorant of, but this was her family, and she
didn’t judge. “I hope I am, too.”
Dakota
nodded. “Hey, maybe since you’ll be in town indefinitely we can get together
for lunch or something and catch up?”
“Sure,
but I’ll probably be busy for a little bit as I get settled in, and then with Nico —”
“He
can come along,” Dakota said and smiled. “Listen, that altercation four years
ago at the garage is behind us. We have both grown, and there isn’t any
animosity between us anymore.”
“So
you guys talk a lot?” Nico hadn’t mentioned Dakota
anytime he had visited her or when they had spent time together.
Dakota
shrugged. “Okay, the whole animosity and altercation thing isn’t really the
truth. I mean I am pretty sure he’s still pissed deep down, but he is kind of a
hardcore guy when it comes to you.” He smiled. “And rightly so, but I’m over
it. Why hang onto that shit when there isn’t a point?”
“Yeah,
I’ve told him that before, but you know how a Grizzly is.”
He
chuckled softly. “Yeah, I do. But I was serious about catching up. Aside from
the few times I saw you for holidays and shit, it’s been too fucking long since
we actually talked.” He stared at her, right in the eyes actually and said,
“Besides, I actually have someone I’m dating, and I’d like you to meet her.”
That
took her back a little. “Really?” She sure as hell
hadn’t meant to say it the way it came out.
“Yeah,
hard to believe, huh?” He was
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