As soon as Reid took off we pulled in right behind him. A minute later a huge explosion shook the ground and lit the sky, followed by several more. I looked out the window, watching as flaming debris fell to the ground. Both buildings had been obliterated, and what little was left of them was burning out of control. I released a breath of relief and relaxed back in my seat for the ride back to the clubhouse.
If the Knights hadn’t thought we were at war before, they did now.
Chapter 22
Holly
It was nearing the end of the week, and we were still on lockdown. The men rode out nearly every day, sometimes twice a day, to take care of "club business." They often returned looking as if they'd been in a fight, scraped and bloodied, but still worked up. They would come through the clubhouse door mean and moody, and anyone close by would scramble out of their way, the wives included. First they'd hit the bar, then they'd grab their women and disappear. These men needed an outlet when the day was done, and if they didn't have old ladies, they grabbed a club girl.
Those were the times when I secretly watched Sax, waiting for him to tear my heart out, but he had yet to take any of the club girls off somewhere. He'd just sit at the bar and drink, and once in a while I'd catch him watching me, but for the most part we stayed away from each other. Where he was sleeping at night, I had no clue. After that first day he hadn't returned to his room.
I busied myself with taking care of Ava and helping out where I could, but I knew I would need to make a decision soon about whether or not I would stay. The first day of my new job was almost here, and I couldn't afford to screw things up. They wouldn't understand or even care about lockdown. They had a restaurant to open. I decided it would probably be a good idea to touch base with them, just to make sure the restaurant was still opening on time.
Ava was good, entertaining herself on a blanket in front of the TV. JoJo and Ellie were there with their toddlers. I pulled out my phone and indicated to JoJo that I needed to make a call. She nodded, and I went to the kitchen where I wouldn't be interrupted. The room was empty. I checked my contacts for the Crickets' manager who'd hired me and hit his number.
As I waited for Mr. Mathis to answer his phone I jumped up onto the island to sit. Low-key noise from the bar carried to me, but not enough to be distracting. Finally, on the fourth ring he answered.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Mathis?"
"Yes."
"This is Holly—"
"Holly?" His tone suggested that he was surprised to be hearing from me, and his nervous laughter warned me that something was not right. "I hope you're not calling to get your job back. I've already hired a new hostess."
As his words quickly sank in, my smile disappeared and my stomach dropped. What was he talking about? "I don't understand what you mean. I thought the position was mine. That's why I'm calling, to see if the restaurant is still opening on Saturday."
"Um, well . . ." He cleared his throat. "This is certainly awkward." I could just imagine the furrow between his thick, white eyebrows. "I came in Monday and had a message on my desk saying that you'd changed your mind about the job."
"What? I didn't change my mind! Who left a message?" This was not happening to me. "Did you talk to your assistant? Because I did not change my mind," I reiterated. "I need that job, Mr. Mathis."
"To be totally honest, I was surprised that you'd changed your mind, so I did speak with Angie and she said that a man had called. He said that something else had come along and that you would have to pass on the position."
A man? I digested his words, more confused now than ever. Who would do something like this? My mind raced, but no one came to mind. Someone was messing with my life. "I don't suppose he left a name?" I sighed, not expecting much.
"As a matter of fact, he did. Unusual name, too, which is why I remember it--Sax."
Sax?! Why would he do this? He didn't want me at Grinders, he didn't want me around the clubhouse. Unless he knew that I'd want to leave the clubhouse so I could start the job at Crickets, and he didn't want me to leave while the club was on lockdown. But going behind my back and causing me to lose a new job was a bit extreme, and why would he even care? It was my life, and I couldn't put it on hold indefinitely.
"Is there anything available, Mr. Mathis?" If I could just get my foot in the door…
"I'm sorry, Holly. I really am. This close to opening, everything has been filled. But I'll keep your resume, and if something opens up you'll be the first one I call."
"Thank you. I appreciate that." I wanted to cry with disappointment.
As we ended the call I fought the urge to throw my phone across the room. Disappointment quickly turned to anger. Sax had no right to interfere in my life. I needed that job, and now I had no job and no money coming in. What the hell was he thinking? That he was protecting Ava and me by manipulating our situation? The more I stewed over it, the angrier I got. I jumped down off the island and stormed out to the bar.
I scanned the crowded room for Sax, my heart pounding. By the time I found him playing pool with Cole, Colton, and Oz I was fuming. And then I saw Goldie. Perfect. She was there too, eyeing Sax up and down, her intentions so obvious that it made me sick. I made my way over to them, too infuriated to care that I was about to make a fool out of myself.
Cole and Oz saw me coming, their happy-go-lucky expressions quickly changing when they realized that something was wrong and that I was on the warpath. They were holding their pool cues and waiting for their turn to make a shot. Colton and Sax had their backs to me. Sax was bent over the table, about to take his turn. Goldie noticed me approaching and moved to his side, getting as close as she could in an attempt to get between us.
I ignored the bitch.
I didn't wait for Sax to take his shot. I grabbed his arm to get his attention. "How could you, Sax?!"
The pool cue missed the ball and hit the table as I pulled him around to face me. He turned, angry and swearing. "The fuck?!"
"You had no right to call Crickets and tell them I no longer wanted that job! I needed that job, you asshole! How do you expect me to pay my bills, huh?"
"I have no fucking idea what you're talking about!" he growled back with a heavy frown.
"I just got off the phone with the manager, Sax! He said you called him, he knew your name. Why would you do that, you jerk?! You had no fucking right to interfere in my life!"
"Settle the fuck down—"
"You settle down! I know why you did it. You're all alike! It's all about control with you guys—"
"Holly," Sax warned in a guttural growl, a flash of anger in his eyes. "Don't say something you'll regret, woman."
I knew that I was going too far. The look in Cole's eyes said it, too, but I didn't care. I was hurt and angry. "Or what, Sax? What will you do to me for speaking the truth? You had no right to make a decision that concerned me!"
"Doesn't feel good, does it?" he snarled back.
The truth behind his harsh words hit me hard, because that's exactly what I'd done to him. It took me a minute to breathe, and I tried to calm my racing heart. "You knew I'd have to leave for that job, and you wanted to keep me here on lockdown!"