31

Dolly

I finished wiping down a table at Paradise Brew and headed for the kitchen.

After her opening weekend, Pepper had underestimated how busy she would be during the week and called me today after I got home from my classes to see if I could come in and help. Micah hadn’t taken me or picked me up today. He had club stuff to handle, and Liam had called him to Ocala this morning for something going on there.

Happy to help my friend and not have to go home alone, I dropped off my books, stopped by to take Jeremy leftovers from last night that he could heat up, then headed to the bar. Pepper handed me a pair of black shorts and a cropped red T-shirt that had A drink in Paradise on the front and Paradise Brew’s logo on the back. Once I had changed, she had given me a quick rundown of things and introduced me to her staff.

So far, things had been going smoothly. Several of The Judgment guys came in, and I took their tables. A few college kids were at the pool tables, and some men that worked at a local power plant were at the bar. We stayed busy enough that there had been no time for her to ask me about Micah and what had happened on Friday night. I knew he hadn’t spoken to her since then, but I had texted with her a few times, assuring her that things were fine.

Momma, on the other hand, had surprised me by stopping by yesterday, and Micah’s laundry that I had washed was still folded on the coffee table. That hadn’t gone over well. She had the church prayer chain praying for my soul, and I expected a visit from the reverend any day now. Wouldn’t that be a sight if he came by when Micah was there?

“Hey, Dolly,” Tex greeted me as he sat down at the bar just as I walked back out of the kitchen to bring out some fresh lime wedges.

“Hey, you,” I replied.

“Pep got you working, huh?” His eyes traveled down my body, and a crooked grin tugged at his mouth. “Micah seen you in that outfit yet?”

I shook my head. “He’s in Ocala. This was a last-minute thing. Pepper’s been busier than she thought she’d be, and I needed something to do anyway.”

Tex nodded. “I sure hope I’m here when he gets a look at it. Might stick around longer than I planned in case he shows up.”

“Stop stirring the pot,” Pepper scolded him and slid a beverage napkin across the bar in his direction. “Miller draft?” she asked.

He nodded, then cut his eyes back to me. “Heard about what happened with Calista. You doing okay?”

I nodded. “Sure. Just fine,” I replied, wanting to get away from him before he asked me any more questions I didn’t want to answer. Talking about Calista was something I’d rather not do.

The sound of chair legs scraping the floor caught my attention, and I turned to see Grinder moving away from the table he’d been at toward the entrance.

“What the fuck are they doing in here?” Tex asked, standing up from his stool and following Grinder.

“Shit,” Pepper muttered, throwing down her bar towel and hurrying around the bar to go toward the entrance.

Two men had just walked in the door, and one of them I recognized. Bolt was a member of the Crowns MC. He’d been nice to me, but then that had been when I was with Canyon. I hadn’t known him really. Just like I hadn’t really known Canyon.

“Tex! Grinder! Step back. This is my bar, and I can serve who I want to serve,” Pepper called out before the two of them made it to the Crowns members.

“You gonna serve that Acree piece of shit if he walks in here too?” Grinder asked her, looking pissed.

Pepper put a hand on her hip. “No, but if he does, I’ll handle it. These two I haven’t got a problem with, so go on back to your drinks and let them be.” She swung her gaze back to them. “You two here to cause a problem?” she demanded.

Bolt held up his hands and shook his head. “No, ma’am. We came for a drink. We can leave if need be.”

She waved a hand at the empty tables. “Have a seat. Tonight’s menu is seafood gumbo or shrimp and grits,” she told them, then turned to shoot a warning glare at Tex and Grinder before making her way back to the bar.

When she got back to the bar, she looked at me. “You got a problem waiting on them, or do I need to go see if Jimmy can leave the kitchen to come do it?”

“I can do it,” I replied.

“Damn, your balls,” Tex said to me before taking a drink of his beer.

“It’s fine,” I assured him and took my pad and pen out of my apron, then headed to their table.

Bolt glanced up at me as I approached and smiled. “Didn’t expect to see you here, Dolly.”

I shrugged. “Can’t say I was expecting you to walk through that door either,” I replied, making him chuckle.

“Fair enough,” he said.

“What can I get y’all?” I asked him before he started up small talk. That I wasn’t gonna do.

He was still Canyon’s friend, and I hadn’t heard anything from Canyon in a month. Micah had said he’d given The Judgment the one hundred grand he owed them and that I’d have no more problems with him.

“I’ll take a Corona with a bowl of that gumbo,” Bolt told me, then looked over at the other man.

He seemed nervous as his eyes darted around the room. I wasn’t real sure that was a good sign.

“Same,” he replied, finally looking up at me.

I didn’t need to write that down to remember it so I told them I’d get the order in and be right back with their drinks before leaving the table. Heading back to the bar, I put the food order into the computer system, then went to grab their beers.

“You know either one of them, Dolly?” Tex asked me.

I nodded. “Bolt. He’s the one with the shaved head,” I whispered.

As I was turning to leave, I saw Tex on his phone. It was obvious he was texting someone. I just hoped he wasn’t stirring up trouble.

When I placed the beers in front of the men, Bolt looked up at me. “How ya been, Dolly?” he asked.

“Good, thanks. And you?” I replied, trying to be polite.

“All right. Finally got patched in,” he said with a crooked grin.

From listening to biker talk since being with Micah, I knew that meant he wasn’t a prospect anymore. He was a real member of the Crowns. Ringer was a prospect with The Judgment, and he’d explained it to me one day on the way to work.

“Congratulations,” I told him, knowing it was a big deal.

He nodded. “Thanks, Dolly. Miss seeing you around.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that, and before I could think of anything, the door to the bar opened, and I glanced over to see Micah striding inside with Country behind him. His eyes locked on me, barely giving the men at the table a glance. I could tell from here that he was angry.

“Order should be ready soon,” I told the men and made my way toward Micah.

His heated gaze took in my outfit, and I watched his jaw clench tighter. When he reached me, he grabbed the back of my head and bent down to crush his mouth against mine. This wasn’t what I’d been expecting, and like every time Micah kissed me, I melted against him, seeking more of it.

The kiss was demanding and almost painful. I grabbed on to his vest for balance just as he eased up, and then he gently bit my bottom lip before releasing me.

“You need to change,” he said to me, his expression still as fierce as it had been when he walked in.

“This is the uniform Pepper gave me,” I explained.

He grabbed my chin. “Don’t care, Tink. Go change.”

Seeing as how I had missed him today, which was a given, I didn’t want to argue right now. He had surprised me by coming back early. I was thrilled about that, but he was embarrassing me in front of the entire bar.

“I don’t see what the problem is,” I replied.

His hand gripped my waist tightly. “Go fucking change.”

“Is everything all right, Dolly?” Bolt asked.

The rage lit up Micah’s eyes immediately, and it had me grabbing his arm with both my hands.

“I’ll change. Come with me,” I urged, then glanced at Bolt. “We’re just fine,” I told him with a bright smile.

Micah took a step toward the men, and I held on to him with all my body weight.

“Let’s go, Micah.”

The fury in his expression as he glared at Bolt had me ready to call for Pepper. She had to be back in the kitchen, or she’d have been over here, handling this.

“You don’t fucking speak to Dolly. Don’t breathe in her direction,” Micah snarled.

Bolt smirked. “She’s our waitress. Might be difficult.”

“Not anymore,” Micah snapped and threw his arm over my shoulders, then began walking us toward the back. His entire body was strung tight.

I didn’t say anything until we were inside Pepper’s office with the door closed. But once we no longer had an audience, I spun around and stared up at him.

“Micah, why are you so worked up? Is it that Pepper let Crowns in the door or the fact that I’m wearing what all her waitresses wear?”

“Both,” he clipped out. “I can see entirely too much of your skin, and those bastards don’t get to talk to you like they fucking know you. Get on some goddamn clothes!”

I stepped closer to him and placed my hands on his chest. “I won’t go near their table again. I’ll have Pepper do it. But this is the uniform. Pepper is even wearing it.”

“I don’t give a fuck what Pepper is wearing. But I don’t want other men seeing what’s mine.”

What’s his? I stood there, staring up at him, trying not to smile like a lunatic. He’d just called me his. Yes, I was his, but hearing him say it when we weren’t having sex and he wasn’t talking about my vagina made my heart squeeze.

“Okay,” I said finally. “I’ll change.”

He narrowed his eyes, studying me. “You will?”

I nodded.

“Thank you.”

“On one condition,” I told him.

“What’s that?”

“When we go back out that door, you don’t cause any problems for Pepper.”

He scowled. “She shouldn’t have let the fucking Crowns in here.”

“They’re paying customers, and this isn’t a bar owned by The Judgment.”

He sighed and nodded. “Fine. But you stay away from their table. If that bastard tries to talk to you again, I’ll put his head through the fucking wall.”

I smiled then. “Noted. Now, go back out there so I can get changed.”

Micah ran his hand over my bare stomach. “I want to watch.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because Pepper needs my help, and if you watch me change, then…”

“I’ll bend you over her desk and fuck you. Is that what you’re saying, Tink?”

I nodded, feeling my face flush as my body instantly began to tingle.

“Looks to me like you want to be fucked, baby. That needy look just clouded those pretty eyes,” he said, taking a step toward me.

The door swung open, and Pepper came storming in, looking almost identical to Micah when he’d walked in the bar tonight and seen me waiting on the Crowns.

“I have three new tables out there, Micah! Stop causing problems and making a scene!” she yelled at him.

He held up both his hands. “I’m not causing any problems. I just want Tink in some clothing that covers her up more.”

If looks could kill, Micah would be dead.

Pepper stalked over to him and jabbed his chest with her pointer finger. “That’s real fucking rich, coming from a man who used to date strippers!”

Micah grabbed her wrist. “Fuck. Not date. And they weren’t Tink. You know it’s different.” He dropped her wrist then and looked back at me.

Some of Pepper’s anger eased, and her shoulders rose and fell with a heavy sigh. “FINE! Let her wear her own clothes. But please don’t say another word to the Crowns. They’re eating their food now, and since six more Judgment have walked in the door, I doubt they are going to stick around long.”

Micah smirked. “I expect several more will arrive before they’re done eating.”

Pepper rolled her eyes. “Figures. They’d just better all order lots of drinks and food.”

Micah nodded. “They will.”

She pointed to the door. “Get out so she can change.”

Micah frowned. “I hate to be the one to break it to you, Pep, but I’ve seen her naked.”

Pepper held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t. I know that. I also know the moment I walk out of here and she starts to undress, you’ll fuck her in my office. One”—she held up a finger—“that’s not an image I like to dwell on.” She held up a second finger. “And two, I need her out there, waiting on tables. Now, get out.”

Micah grabbed my chin and tilted my head back before pressing a kiss to my mouth, then turned and walked out the door.

Pepper looked at me and shook her head in exasperation before following him.