Man of the House: A Dark Bad Boy Romance(170)

Still, it wasn’t their fault that they couldn’t tell me anything. They were just pledges after all. They had no power or anything to make decisions like that.

“I’m going to shower,” I said, “and then you two are taking me over to the club.”

“Why?” TomTom asked. “Most people will be gone.”

I stared at him. “Is it your job to protect me or to ask questions?”

He grinned. “You got it, boss.”

I smiled back. “That’s more like it.”

I walked off to get a shower and heard the two boys laughing as I left the room.



Just like TomTom had predicted, the clubhouse was pretty empty. I wasn’t sure if that was because most of the guys were out on the job or if it was just too early.

Still, despite that, there were a few guys I didn’t recognize sitting around at tables. I felt a knot tighten in my stomach, and I wondered what I was doing there without Clutch.

“Janine!” I looked over, surprised to hear a familiar voice calling my name.

Caralee was sitting at a table near the bar, waving me over. I walked over, feeling genuinely excited to see her.

Caralee was probably my closet friend in the club. I first met her a while back when she stumbled into our lives, causing an uproar in the club. She ended up married to Ford and giving birth to his little, adorable babies.

This morning Caralee was without babies. She smiled as I sat down across from her.

“How are you doing, girl?” she asked.

“I’m good. Haven’t seen you in here in awhile.”

“I’ve had my hands full.”

“How are the kids?”

“Amazing,” she said. “And it feels even better now that I have a break from them.”

I laughed. “Are you just hanging around here?”

“Waiting for Ford to get back,” she said. “You know me. I always worry when he’s out.”

“I hear you. It’s not an easy life.”

“No, but it’s club above everything, right?”

I laughed. “Right.”

“What are you drinking?”

“Coffee.”

Caralee waved at the pledge working the bar, and he brought over a mug for me. I didn’t recognize him, but I didn’t have the brain space to learn his name just yet.

“So, I’ve heard some things,” Caralee said, leaning toward me.

I frowned. “Like what?”

“Like you’re claimed, and there’s a new club getting patched over.”

“That’s all true, yeah.”

She nodded slowly. “And you’re not happy about it.”

“No, I guess not.”

“What’s his name again?”

“Jetter,” I said. “You know him.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Listen, Caralee—”

“You don’t have to explain,” she said quickly. I had forgotten that Caralee had a bad history with Jetter. “All of that was a long time ago.”

“Still. I want you to understand.”

“Okay. Make me understand then.”

“It’s for the club. Because of this war, guys are dying. If we can get the Rebels on our side, well, we can win sooner. That’s what this marriage is about.”

“Honey,” Caralee said softly, “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

I cocked my head. “Why do you say that?”

“Haven’t you noticed?” she asked. “Just look around.”

So I did. I looked around the room, and nothing seemed particularly strange. I shook my head as I turned back toward her. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”

“I know I haven’t been around much, but look at how the guys are sitting. The Rebels and the Demons, they’re not mixing. They hate each other, Janine. They don’t want to be near each other, let alone in the same club.”

I sighed. “I know that. My marriage is supposed to help.”

“What do they care about a marriage?”

“They care about their president.”

Caralee shrugged, a skeptical look on her face. “I guess. I’m sorry, Janine. I know I’m being such a jerk right now. I just want to see you happy.”

I sighed, smiling softly. Caralee was just about the nicest person I knew, and it was hard to be angry with her, even when she was telling me something difficult that I didn’t want to hear.

“I know,” I said. “I don’t think I’m unhappy.”

“Why wouldn’t you be? You’re going to be married to that piece of shit.”

“Maybe,” I said. “Probably. But I don’t know; I’m just not unhappy.”

And that was a strange realization. As soon as I said it, I knew that I was only hanging on because I had Clutch.

For as frustrating as he was, for the danger that put us in, I didn’t care. Being around Clutch made me feel things I could barely put into words.

Caralee was looking at me. “Hello, Janine? I said, what’s keeping your spirits up?”

“Can’t say,” I admitted. “It could get me and someone else in a lot of trouble.”