“No, you didn’t.”
“Fuck, yeah I did. It’s not my fault. It’s a real problem. If one of these broads go missing, no one will be able to find them because they’ll be searching for someone with bunny ears.”
“So, it’s safe to say you weren’t roaming dating apps this whole time.”
“No, I was sexting,” he deadpans.
“What?”
“Oh, come on, sure you and Blackie sext every now and then, don’t you? Like when he’s on the road?”
Laughing, I shake my head. Of course Blackie and I sext. We fuck like rabbits, imagine the withdrawals—no pun intended—when he goes on a run with the club. We’d never last.
“You probably want to right now,” he continues.
Well, I didn’t until this very moment.
“Nico,” I warn, still laughing.
If I was sure it was safe to text him, I’d probably excuse myself and send Blackie a photo of my boobs to kick things into gear, but he left so abruptly and didn’t look all too happy.
“I can go in the other room if you’d like,” he offers and for a second, I wonder if I said that out loud. Relenting, I shake my head.
“You’re impossible,” I say as he shrugs his shoulders.
“Just trying to pass the time,” he offers. “You looked like you were getting a little stir crazy there for a minute.”
Surprise, surprise, Nico has a personality, and he’s observant.
“Maybe just a little bit,” I answer honestly, diverting my eyes away from him. “They’ve been gone a while and I’m not really sure what’s going on.”
“That makes two of us,” he mutters, causing my attention to snap back to him.
“Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, come on, Lace, I don’t gotta tell you how this shit works. It’s embedded in your D.N.A. They don’t tell me shit,” he grunts. “I’m a glorified water boy dressed in leather.”
“So, you have no idea why Blackie left with Bianci?” I ask, not really believing that. Yes, it’s true, a prospect is more like an errand boy, but he’s gotta know something. I mean, Wolf is his father. That’s gotta give him some kind of advantage.
“They don’t tell me shit,” he grunts. “My father called and told me Anthony was picking me up and that’s it.”
“Bet you’re rethinking that chemist gig now that you’re a babysitter,” I tease.
“Cute,” he replies, rising from the chair.
As I reach for the remote, he shoves the chair out of his way and struts towards me. Taking the bowl of raisins off the couch, he leans forward and drops it on the table before taking a seat next to me.
“What are you putting on?” he questions as he drapes his arm across the back of the couch and kicks up his boots, resting them on the wooden coffee table. As innocent as the gesture is, it feels awkward sitting on a couch next to Nico and I find myself moving further away from him. If he notices he doesn’t seem bothered.
“Lace?
“Sorry,” I mutter, focusing on the task of logging into my Google Account. “A Star Is Born.”
Reaching for the raisins, he rolls his eyes as the movie picks up where I last left off when I attempted to watch it with Blackie.
“Typical,” he mutters, shoving a handful of raisins into his mouth. “What is this garbage?” he asks, pushing the bowl towards me. “There’s no popcorn in this joint?”
“It’s not exactly an AMC theater, but maybe you can leave a note for my old man. I bet he’d appreciate the suggestion.”
“That’s an idea,” he retorts. “Every safe house should have a suggestion box. Bikers and harbored guests have needs too.”
Shaking my head at his absurdness, I make myself comfortable and raise the volume on the television.
“Is that a man or a woman?”
“What do you think?”
“What the hell am I watching?”
“Shut up and watch the movie, Nico.”
“That woman just put on a pair of tits like I pull on a pair of shorts,” he admonishes.
“Have you never been to a drag club?” I question, glancing at him. His head snaps towards me and his eyes widen.
“Are you out of your fucking mind? I don’t like dick.”
“You don’t have to be gay to go to a drag show, Nico. It’s a lot of fun. You should take your next Tinder date to one.”
“The raisins are going to your head,” he mutters.
Laughing, I turn my attention back to the screen. We don’t speak anymore, and I take his silence as a sign that he’s overcome his fear of drag and is enjoying the movie. He taps his boot to the beat of some of the songs and even laughs at some parts. When Ally sings Remember Us This Way to Jack, I start to cry, and Nico grabs a box of tissues from the end table, offering them to me. Watching Jack struggle with his addiction hits too close to home and somewhere in between Ally’s climb to fame and the rock star’s downward spiral, I close my eyes and fall asleep.
Being a spoiler queen, I know how the story ends and I’m happy to spare myself the torture. When I wake, Nico is asleep next to me, his head resting on my shoulder and Blackie is sitting on the coffee table with his back towards me and his eyes glued to the screen.
I’ll Never Love Again rings through the air. Lady Gaga hits the notes and the lyrics of the ballad strike a chord deep inside me as I stare at the reaper branded to my husband’s leathers.
Pushing Nico off me, I straighten up.
“Ouch!” he groans.
Ignoring him, I call out to Blackie. Without acknowledging me, he takes the remote from the coffee table and shuts the television.
“Oh shit, when did you guys get back?” Nico questions, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His gaze darts around the cabin. “Where’s Bianci?”
Pushing off the table, Blackie stands and turns to us. Keeping his face expressionless, he shakes the hair away from his eyes and bites the inside of his cheek.
“In the car,” he replies. Clenching and unclenching his fists, his eyes lock with mine. “Get your stuff together, we’re going home.”
“Praise Jesus,” Nico exclaims. “No offense but this place is the pits.”
“You looked pretty comfortable to me,” Blackie sneers, pinning him with a glare. “You always fall asleep on the job?”
“Blackie,” I start, standing from the couch. He doesn’t give me a chance to get another word out as he walks away. Reaching the door, he pauses and glances over his shoulder at me.
“Anthony’s got someplace to be, so let’s make this quick, yeah?”
He doesn’t wait for me to answer and walks out of the cabin, closing the door behind him.
“What just happened?” Nico questions, stretching his arms over his head. Not really sure myself, I shake my head in response. Deciding I’ll deal with it once we’re home, I leave Nico in the living room and go pack my bag. Once I have everything, I step out of the bedroom and Nico takes the bag from my hand.
“Let’s get out of here,” he says as he leads me towards the door.
Outside, Blackie leans against Anthony’s SUV with a blank expression. Lifting his eyes to me, he opens the back door and tips his chin, urging me to slide in. I stop in front of him and touch my hand to his cheek.