looking for a fight to dull the pain of losing Candy. It would make her look like more of a punk than she felt.
“At least you look okay,” Vinny said, running his hand along Sasha’s cheek. “Pretty bad shiner, but—”
“Oh my god.” Sasha pushed Vinny’s arm from her face, stepping away from him. “What are people saying?”
“You really want to know?”
“No.” Sasha snatched her jacket off the floor, muffling a groan. “Did she send you up here?”
“Yeah.” Vinny sat on the edge of her bed, fishing a semi-bent joint from his pocket. “Ellen was worried. She wanted me to check on you.”
Something between a snort and a giggle vibrated Sasha’s chest. “Yeah right.” She lit her zippo, holding out the flame. “What’d she really say?”
White smoke drifted up in puffs, and Vinny leaned back, inhaling. “She said to go kick your retarded ass out of bed and drag you to the clubhouse,” he said through a long exhale, passing the joint. “Everyone’s here, so we’re gonna reconvene the vote.”
“Great.” Sasha headed toward the door, smoke trailing behind her. “Let’s go, then.”
“Yo, man. Quit bogarting my doobie,” Vinny called out, following Sasha outside.
***
“Hey, slugger,” Kev said, pretending to sock Sasha in the gut.
Sasha lifted her arms, backing away. “Aw, come on, man.”
“Don’t encourage her,” Ellen said from the head of the table. “We don’t drop loads in our own town.”
After a few snickers and grins, they all took their seats. Sasha peeked at her mother. Cold eyes glowered back, and she dropped her gaze.
“Since everyone is here,” Ellen said, sitting back in her chair, “I want to get this vote out of the way.”
Sasha tapped on the table, cutting off her mother’s next words. “Can I just say something before you vote?” She didn’t think it was possible, but her mother’s hard stare turned even fiercer. “The club is what matters, not alliances or bloodlines. I’m okay being a runner, for now, if that’s what everyone thinks is best for the club.”
While ignoring the stunned eyes leering from all sides, Sasha eased back.
“Okay then.” Ellen placed a patch in front of the empty chair beside her. “Let’s vote on a sergeant at arms.”
“I nominate Dez,” Otis said.
Kev looked at Sasha, his eyes wavering. She gave him a light nod, her head bobbing almost without her permission.
“I second,” Kev said, his gaze low.
“All in favor,” Ellen said, barely able to contain the giddy tone in her voice.
Chewy shifted in his seat, and Sasha kicked Vinny under the table.
Vinny turned, glaring at Sasha. She tipped her head, and his eyes narrowed, but he slowly lifted his arm.
“That’s three to two. Motion passes. Dez.” Ellen gestured to the chair at her left.
Sasha watched Dez strut around the table before sinking behind Vinny’s wide frame.
“And I nominate Sasha for runner,” Ellen said through a smile.
“Second,” Otis added.
“All in favor.”
Sasha rolled her eyes as people raised their hands. A patch slid down the table, brushing her fingers, but she didn’t move.
“Good. Now we just need some prospects to take care of the bitch work.” Ellen sent a set of keys with a green tab sailing down the table. It stopped beside Sasha’s runner patch. “I need you to take a run. Is there any other business?”
Heads shook, lighters flicked, and Ellen rose. “Meeting adjourned.”
Sasha stayed frozen in place as boots shuffled toward the door. Now the circle of pain was complete. Her insides felt as ugly as the bruise that stained her skin. A sigh breezed past her cracked lips just as the door clicked shut. She leaned forward, reaching for the skinny strip of fabric that represented her place in this world.
“That patch don’t mean shit,” Dez said.
Sasha flinched, spinning in her chair. Dez stomped forward, and her surprise warped to irritation.
“I might have the title,” he said,
“At least you look okay,” Vinny said, running his hand along Sasha’s cheek. “Pretty bad shiner, but—”
“Oh my god.” Sasha pushed Vinny’s arm from her face, stepping away from him. “What are people saying?”
“You really want to know?”
“No.” Sasha snatched her jacket off the floor, muffling a groan. “Did she send you up here?”
“Yeah.” Vinny sat on the edge of her bed, fishing a semi-bent joint from his pocket. “Ellen was worried. She wanted me to check on you.”
Something between a snort and a giggle vibrated Sasha’s chest. “Yeah right.” She lit her zippo, holding out the flame. “What’d she really say?”
White smoke drifted up in puffs, and Vinny leaned back, inhaling. “She said to go kick your retarded ass out of bed and drag you to the clubhouse,” he said through a long exhale, passing the joint. “Everyone’s here, so we’re gonna reconvene the vote.”
“Great.” Sasha headed toward the door, smoke trailing behind her. “Let’s go, then.”
“Yo, man. Quit bogarting my doobie,” Vinny called out, following Sasha outside.
***
“Hey, slugger,” Kev said, pretending to sock Sasha in the gut.
Sasha lifted her arms, backing away. “Aw, come on, man.”
“Don’t encourage her,” Ellen said from the head of the table. “We don’t drop loads in our own town.”
After a few snickers and grins, they all took their seats. Sasha peeked at her mother. Cold eyes glowered back, and she dropped her gaze.
“Since everyone is here,” Ellen said, sitting back in her chair, “I want to get this vote out of the way.”
Sasha tapped on the table, cutting off her mother’s next words. “Can I just say something before you vote?” She didn’t think it was possible, but her mother’s hard stare turned even fiercer. “The club is what matters, not alliances or bloodlines. I’m okay being a runner, for now, if that’s what everyone thinks is best for the club.”
While ignoring the stunned eyes leering from all sides, Sasha eased back.
“Okay then.” Ellen placed a patch in front of the empty chair beside her. “Let’s vote on a sergeant at arms.”
“I nominate Dez,” Otis said.
Kev looked at Sasha, his eyes wavering. She gave him a light nod, her head bobbing almost without her permission.
“I second,” Kev said, his gaze low.
“All in favor,” Ellen said, barely able to contain the giddy tone in her voice.
Chewy shifted in his seat, and Sasha kicked Vinny under the table.
Vinny turned, glaring at Sasha. She tipped her head, and his eyes narrowed, but he slowly lifted his arm.
“That’s three to two. Motion passes. Dez.” Ellen gestured to the chair at her left.
Sasha watched Dez strut around the table before sinking behind Vinny’s wide frame.
“And I nominate Sasha for runner,” Ellen said through a smile.
“Second,” Otis added.
“All in favor.”
Sasha rolled her eyes as people raised their hands. A patch slid down the table, brushing her fingers, but she didn’t move.
“Good. Now we just need some prospects to take care of the bitch work.” Ellen sent a set of keys with a green tab sailing down the table. It stopped beside Sasha’s runner patch. “I need you to take a run. Is there any other business?”
Heads shook, lighters flicked, and Ellen rose. “Meeting adjourned.”
Sasha stayed frozen in place as boots shuffled toward the door. Now the circle of pain was complete. Her insides felt as ugly as the bruise that stained her skin. A sigh breezed past her cracked lips just as the door clicked shut. She leaned forward, reaching for the skinny strip of fabric that represented her place in this world.
“That patch don’t mean shit,” Dez said.
Sasha flinched, spinning in her chair. Dez stomped forward, and her surprise warped to irritation.
“I might have the title,” he said,
Similar Books
