Page 66 of Bleed Me

Justice snarled, “Whiskey.”

The Barn exploded in laughter and howls.

Dagger gestured to beyond the bar. “Hook us up, Giver.”

I just want to get laid! Walking back there, I complained, “I thought my shitty dues behind the bar were over.”

“Hey!” argued Elle as we switched places.

I grabbed a bottle of whiskey and mumbled, “Not that it’s a bad place to be.” Due to plenty of experience back there, I easily found my way around. I grabbed shot glasses and poured, offering Elle the first one as an apology. “Here ya go, gorgeous.”

Elle took the shot. “That’s much better.”

The rest of the clowns tried to get me in trouble as I delivered shots for all.

“Damn! Already trading Captain in?”

“The fuck he is! Elle’s my girl.”

Elle shrugged. “I don’t know, babe. I’ve heard Giver knows how to give.”

Justice slammed her shot. “Must we talk about how good of a lover he is?”

Elle busted out laughing. “See? That woman is about to hump the barstool she’s on just thinking about him.”

Nodding, Justice tapped her glass for me to refill.

Filling it with golden goodness, I grinned. “I feel ya, babe. I’m about to start humping Dagger’s leg.”

“The fuck?” Dagger darted away.

I slammed a shot, too. “Damn, Dagger, you sound like your brother more and more every day.”

Dagger held out his shot glass for more. “Sorry he couldn’t be here, kid.”

It didn’t bother me. I was very settled with my new family. Diesel had done right by me. “He can’t come runnin’ every time I hit a bump in the road. Besides, I got you crazy old coots to keep an eye on me.”

All loose items on the bar were thrown at me.

“We ain’t old!”

“Ya bastard!”

“You hear this kid?”

“And this is what we get.”

“A bunch of bullshit.”

Laughing, Lynx said, “Speaking of the young and dumb, another round for all, then to the Stalls.”

I filled every shot glass to the rim. “Lynx, I don’t mean to ‘doubt your smarts’,” I winked at Elle because she said that so often, “but—”

Meatball lifted his glass. “There’s always a but.”

I swallowed my beverage. “But stalls is plural, and there is only one room in there. Don’t make sense, if you’re askin’.”

He sneered. “Well, I’m not.” He got off his stool. “Let’s go, smartass.”