INK (The Celtic Reapers)

LYLA

I placed the last glasses into the washer and headed back to the bar. Maggie wanted me to do the glasses since no one else would.

I let out a sigh and went back in with a tray full of clean glasses, but stopped when I looked through the window of the door to see Maggie and my father laughing together.

I knew about them. It wasn’t hard not to know with everyone around here. Everyone talks, especially cum sluts. They have been talking about them lately, that they have seen Maggie leave my father’s room early in the morning in the same clothes from the night before. Some even went as to saying they heard her moan. A shiver rippled through me. I didn’t need that mental image in my head.

Honestly, I don’t care about them being together as long as my old man is happy. I am happy for him. Either she is old or young. As long as he doesn’t fuck up and make it hard on me working for her, then I don’t have an issue.

Taking a breath in and out, I use my back to open the door and step inside the noisy pool hall. Moaning could be heard all around, but I kept my eyes on what I was doing. Placing the tray of glasses on the bar, I placed the glasses back where they needed to go. I looked up and caught sight of what was going on.

Aero had his favourite cum slut on his lap, her grinding on his lap. Her hair was to one side while she rode him. I watched, but before I could look away, I locked eyes with Aero, who grinned.

Rolling my eyes, I looked back down and carried on with my job. Once the glasses were done, I placed the tray on the back shelf and scanned around to see who needed serving.

My eyes went to where Ink was, but he wasn’t there.

I felt my heart sank.

“Lyla,” Gunner called, making me look toward him. He was one of three new prospects here. I smiled and walked over. “Hey,” I said. “What can I get you?”

Gunner stared at me for a moment and grinned. “Bottle of Jack,” he said. “And you can take some time off. Aero thinks you need a break.”

I looked over at Aero, who was staring back at me. The redhead was still on his lap and moving but didn’t seem to care. He lifted his beer bottle and motioned for me to leave.

I looked back at Gunner, who was still smiling at me. “I don’t know,” I said, looking around and realizing that Maggie and my dad weren’t sitting at the bar. “No one is here to serve anyone.”

Glancing back at Gunner, he sighed. “Aero said you would say that,” he said. “He told me to tell you it is a free bar for the rest of the night.”

I frowned.

Aero wouldn’t be so stupid to do that. What the hell was going on?

“The kid is right, Lyla,” Smokey said, making me look at him. “I’m not allowed to drink anymore. I can watch the bar. You have pulled a double, even if tonight is usually your night to work. You worked last night. Have some fun. Everyone else is, why not you?”

I stared at Smokey, not knowing what to make of it. The damn man can knock a whole truckload of beer and never get drunk, but leaving him in charge of the bar while I have a break that was a new one for me.

“Come on, Lyla,” Gunner called out. “Please. I’m the only prospect here tonight, and the others won’t drink with me. Besides, most of the cum sluts are taken.”

I stared at him for a moment and let out a sigh. “First off, I’m no cum slut,” I said with a glare. I looked around and sighed, knowing that Aero would make me somehow leave. I looked back at him again. “Ten minutes,” I said. “Then I am coming back to work.”

“Longer than that, sweetheart,” Smokey said, moving off the chair and coming behind the bar. “I got this. I can monitor the place. Let your hair down. Here, take this.” Smokey grabbed two shot glasses and a bottle of whiskey. Gunner grabbed them and grinned.

I frowned at the big man before Gunner grabbed my wrist and pulled me out from behind the bar. I groaned when he pulled me toward the back area, which was out of sight of the bar.

I didn’t like this.

We headed into the room. “Let’s do some shots,” he said, placing the shot glasses on the table and pouring some whiskey in. I watched him for a moment till I sat down and looked around. Making sure my skirt covered what it could. Keeping my eyes on what he was doing, I sat on my side too close to Gunner. There was no way I was getting with him. I didn’t like him like that.

I have never been with a biker, even though I like one. Most of my boyfriends were from school. They were only with me because they liked the idea of a biker chick but never got the memo of how to treat a woman with respect or even know how to make her cum.

“Here,” Gunner said, pulling me from my thoughts and handing me one shot glass. “Cheers.”

I watched him knock the shot back in one and slam the glass on the table. He poured himself another one. I took a sip of the shot and let the cold liquid burn the back of my throat. I wasn’t too fond of whiskey, which was why I didn’t want one.

“Why aren’t you drinking?” Gunner blurts out, making me look at him. I pulled a face and placed the drink back down on the table. “Not my kind of drink,” I said with a smile.

Gunner nodded and looked around until he landed back on me. Something in the way he looked made me wonder what was going on. He never acted like that before, but it looked like he was scared or something was going on.

Gunner was one prospect Aero would send out and do dirty work for him. I knew little about most of the guys’ work, but I knew some wasn’t legal.

When Aero asked me to look at the books, I knew he meant the bar and a few businesses that were legit to the club. He would never put me in a place where it would fall back on me or even get me in trouble. He wouldn’t want me to ask too many questions.

“What do you want to drink?” Gunner asked, pulling me from my thoughts to look back at him again.

I smiled.

“A vodka and coke,” I said. “You know I could—” But Gunner shook his head, which made me stop talking. “I’ll get it,” he muttered. “I will be back soon.”

I watched him leave the room and head back into the bar, leaving me alone. My eyes went around the room until they landed on a table in the corner. It was set up for poker. The cards were still out, and beer bottles with chips in the middle. I frowned, knowing full well who was back here.

“Poker,” I muttered, staring at it. That’s what my father was doing back here. He did it every day, never going over a certain amount to get him into debt, but enough to make him hooked. The guys knew about this, hence why the chips they played with. The others would never use actual money with him, not since I had a word with Aero about his money struggles.

All the club wanted him to be in debt to them, not some loan shark. I was happy they were willing to help and keep him out of trouble.

I let out a sigh, waiting for Gunner to come back with my drink.

Where the hell was he getting my drink from, Timbuktu?