While I’d managed to avoid Samantha for the better part of the weekend, I couldn’t help searching her out now. She and Kim were working the kegs and getting beer for a long line of thirsty Raiders. When she looked up to see me staring, she waved. After I waved back, she grabbed a cup and headed over to me.

“Need a beer?” Samantha asked.

“While I’d prefer some Jack or Patrón, it’ll have to do.”

She smiled as she handed me the red Solo cup. “Did your meeting not go so well?”

“Meeting went good. It’s more about the bullshit that happened afterward,” I replied as I gulped down some of the foamy liquid.

“The mood must be catching, because the other guys seem a little edgy.”

“Edgy is a good way to put it.” I looked up from my cup to find her staring intently at me. “Look, it’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“That might be true, but if you’re upset, I want you to have someone to talk to. Especially since it doesn’t seem like you can with the rest of your brothers. You know, since they’re feeling the same way.”

I sucked down the rest of the beer before shaking my head at her. “It’s nice of you to offer, but I’m going to decline.”

“Still having trouble with the emotional stuff?” she questioned with a smile.

“No. It’s more the fact that the meeting dealt with club business, and you, sweetheart, ain’t a member.”

“Ah, so it’s all part of the secret society stuff, huh?”

“Pretty much.”

“Fine. Keep your secrets.”

“Pity there’s not a pool table for you to hustle some answers out of me, huh?”

Samantha laughed. “Yep. Where’s a pool table when you need one?”

As I craned my neck around the bonfire, I asked, “How’s Marley?”

“Running his ass off. I don’t think he was in the tent two hours last night before his phone was blowing up with requests.”

I chuckled. “Nothing fucking blows quite as bad as the prospect period.”

“Yeah, but Marley is working himself to death, and he’s just a hang-around.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that one. If he keeps working as hard as he’s done this weekend, I don’t see any reason why we can’t fast-track part of his prospect period.”

Samantha’s eyes widened. “Really?”

With a shrug, I replied, “Sure, why not? He’s obviously proving himself to be a real asset, and I’m not the only one who thinks so.”

“That’s awesome. He’ll be glad to hear it.”

“So we don’t jinx anything, why don’t we just keep it between you and me?”

Sam gave me a suspicious look. “I hope that doesn’t mean if I don’t tell him, then it’ll be easier for you to bullshit me.”

Holding up my free hand, I said, “Easy there. I’m not trying to pull one over on you. I just didn’t want Marley to hear that and start slacking or something. You know, like he had it in the bag.”

The fierce expression on Samantha’s face lightened. “Oh, I see.”

“Why do I have the feeling you wouldn’t hesitate to bring out your claws?”

Samantha laughed. “You probably have that one right. But only when I think that I—or someone I care about—am being taken advantage of.”

“I can promise you right here and right now that I’m not going to take advantage of you or Marley—and neither are any of my brothers.”

She slowly nodded, and I could tell she didn’t entirely believe me. “Okay.”

“Hey, Sam!” Kim called.

Glancing over her shoulder, Sam replied, “Yeah?”

“Quit flirting with Bishop and get your ass over here and help me!”

Instead of being embarrassed by Kim’s claims, Samantha grinned. “Yes, Captain. I’ll be right there.” She turned back to me. “Since I’m being paged, I better get back to work.”

“You’re a good woman to help out. The fact that Marley will have you for an old lady can only benefit him.”

Her smile seemed to stay frozen in place. “Yeah, we’ll see.” She then hurried back over to Kim and the keg.

Not wanting to dwell on Sam’s reaction to what I had said, I ambled around the bonfire, talking to brothers from different chapters. As the afternoon heat began to wane a bit, I took a seat in one of the folding chairs next to Rev and Deacon.

Both of them had their phones out and were texting frantically. “Pussies,” I muttered under my breath.

“Yeah, well, if I ever want to get any pussy again, I know to check in with Alex to see how she’s doing.” Deacon peered up from the phone to give me a look. “Being stuck with the kids all weekend is rough, especially since Mama Beth is gone on that retreat.”

I slowly shook my head at him. “Jesus, you’re not just a pussy—you’ve grown a vagina.”

“Fuck you,” he muttered as he went back to texting.

Just as I was debating getting a beer or having Joe or Marley get me one, a surge of electricity crackled and popped its way through the air, causing the hairs on the back of my neck and on my arms to stand up. It was a sixth sense sort of feeling I got from time to time when something bad was about to happen. Since bad shit often went down in my world, I had learned to roll with it. The last time I had felt this way was on the way home from our meeting with Rodriguez’s men. I had ended up shot, and Rev had been kidnapped by Mendoza.