Author's note: Thank you so much to everyone for the reads and reviews so far! It's so helpful for writing and developing, and every comment is read and appreciated more than you can imagine. There is so much trouble in Charming to come...! S x
Jax sat back in his seat, listening to the other speak as he turned the gavel over and over in his hands. Clay's eyes were fixed on him with that same, challenging expression he had had from the second Jax took the seat as Bobby went through their finances.
"Plus we've got the run tonight," Bobby said, pulling his glasses from his nose and letting them rest on the chain around his neck. "Four person escort plus one for the van, should be a simple one."
Tig raised his hand and leaned forward, closer to the table. "Prez, you, uh, mind if I skip this one?"
"Getting your hair done?" Chibs chuckled, lighting a fresh cigarette. The table roared with laughter as Tig smoothed his wild dark curls back from his face.
"Nah, gonna go scope out the scene at Diosa, check out that new Mexi broad. Bit of salsa verde, you know what I'm saying?"
He elbowed Juice with amusement and they all shared a chuckle before Jax reclaimed his table's attention by waving his hands. "Afraid she's off limits," he said, shaking his head at Tig. "Nero's kid."
"That old goat produced that hot tamale?" Chibs almost looked disappointed at the thought but Jax laughed.
"By all means, boys, charm away but nothing more. Business with Nero and the Lats is too critical to the club right now, Diosa's bringing in good money and I don't want to risk that."
Tig pouted. "I'll wine her and dine her and everything," he pleaded petulantly. Happy smirked.
"Your idea of dinner is a bag of corn chips and she can get nachos from Daddy."
Jax grinned as he brought the gavel down. "We're done, boys. Tig, take your night off, go make friends but business only." Tig nodded, annoyed, and slipped off to his own occupation for the evening.
Jax rounded up a few of the guys - Chibs, Juice, Bobby and Rat - for the ride and nodded to them to set out. The evening light was just beginning to fade and the heat of the day was just about burning off as they made their way out to the highway. There was nothing like getting out on the road in the dusk breeze, it filled each one of them with their love of the job.
The ride wasn't too long, it was always too short for men who loved nothing more than their freedom and their Harleys. They hurtled along the tarmac and turned off onto a dirt road, Chibs hanging back for just a second before speeding along to catch up.
Collection was always easy enough, a few polite handshakes and a couple of hugs. Jax paused for a smoke as he watched the others loading the van with stock from the warehouse. He pursed his lips, everything he did was for his boys. To build them a legacy, to give them the money to grow and develop and become the men he wanted them to be.
"We good?" he called to Chibs as he kicked the last crate into place in the van. Chibs nodded.
"Aye, all done. Time to head home." He rubbed his hand through his hair cautiously and moved closer. "Thought I saw some lights on the cross by the highway, brother. Want me to go ahead and take a look?"
Jax glanced around as he flicked the butt away into the sand. "Nah, there's enough of us, we'll be fine."
Tig smoothed down his black button-up as he spotted Nero's daughter sitting at the bar. He ran his fingers along his eyebrows as he slipped into the space next to her and motioned to the girl on the bar to serve them each a drink.
"You settling in okay?" he asked. She looked at him and smiled politely but edged her bar stool away from him slightly.
"I'm sorry, I'm not for hire," she said firmly, it was clearly a line she had had to use all evening. Tig smiled as he looked over her with a curious eye. In a pretty little turquoise cocktail dress exposing her long, slender legs, she sure looked like a Diosa escort, even if she didn't like the thought. Her breasts, perfect curves, were just on show beneath the meshed netting of her dress straps.
"I should introduce myself," he said, extending his hand to her. "Tig, I work with your Dad. And that blond you threw your drink over last night."
At that, she coloured and spun around on her seat. "Is he really upset about that? I said sorry but he was gone by the time I came back downstairs."
The way her honey-coloured eyes moved frantically, searching for some clue in Tig's expression, made his knees a little weak. He had every intention of taking this girl home and banging her regardless of Jax's boring instructions.
"Probably the only bath he's had in days, you're doing him a favour," he teased. "Wife problems."
Nina looked momentarily sad for him and swilled her drink around with a straw. "That is sad. Must be hard, this life and relationships don't exactly go hand-in-hand."
"Damn straight." A girl who knew what she was getting into, that thought filled him with delight. He was already fantasising about exactly how he was going to have her. Kitchen counter, kitchen table, stairs, bed. He'd take something to keep him going, he didn't even care.
"What do you do with Daddy?" she asked, blinking at him and gazing at him through those long eyelashes. Tig had to kick himself to pay attention to the actual question in preference to just staring at her mouth.
"I, uh, business." He forced a smile, Nero probably wouldn't appreciate a more detailed introduction than that.
"Funding," she groaned, rolling her eyes. "I don't want to know. Another one of his dodgy dealings, I guess." She ran her hands along the slick surface of the bar and sighed. "I just wish for once he could stay on the straight and narrow."
"Your father's a good man," Tig ventured, trying to win her over. She simply laughed.
"Daddy's a pimp," she corrected him bluntly. "And an ex-user. He abandoned my Mom to get high and work a few cheap thrills." She glanced around Diosa contemptuously. "Guess some things don't change."
Tig could see she was bitter about their relationship, he never would have guessed from the eager embrace Nero had given her the night before. He picked up his beer and nodded towards the front door.
"You want to get some air?"
He froze as he saw Nero coming downstairs and into the main bar. Nero eyed him carefully, it was a warning look if Tig had ever seen one. Unfortunately, Nina saw it too. She narrowed her eyes and stood up, taking another glass of champagne as she did. Challengingly, she rested her hand on Tig's upper arm and leaned close as she murmured,
"You know what? Yes, I would love to get some air with you."
Giving Nero the finger as they slipped outside to the front, she laughed as Tig made straight for his bike and perched on it as he lit up. He offered her the smoke, she declined it but leaned against the bike beside him. Her hand ran along the seat before straying to the handlebars.
"Nice ride."
Tig grinned proudly, he loved that damn bike more than anything or anyone else, that was for sure. Seeing the way she touched it made him shiver inwardly.
"You want a spin?" he offered, standing and pulling out his second helmet for her. Nina laughed and shook her head.
"I don't get on bikes with strange men." She leaned closer to him and added, "Even if they do have beautiful blue eyes like yours."
She didn't step back straight away and it filled him with desire, he swore he could smell her damn pheromones taunting him. Thank Christ his phone started to ring, he swallowed and dragged himself away from her to answer it.
The colour drained quickly from his face as he heard the panic in Juice's voice. Glancing at Nina, he nodded. "Yeah, man, I can be there in ten." He slipped the phone away and gave her an apologetic smile. "I... I gotta go. Accident out on the road, I gotta go to St Thomas."
She pursed her lips, it sounded exciting. Snatching up the spare helmet again, she pushed it onto her head and clipped it beneath her chin.
"Maybe I could join you for that ride," she offered. "Woman's touch, maybe I can help."