13. Manny

13

MANNY

I stare at the asswipe across from me, unable to tear my gaze away. Does he have to be so damn gorgeous while he’s being an ass? His denial and his anger are more than telling. He’s the guy. He’s the one who wanted a threesome, who wants to experiment, and now he’s trying to back out of it.

“The fact is, Lace wants us both, and if we don’t come to some kind of compromise, then one of us will have to walk away,” I say.

“I bet that won’t be you,” Bandit grumbles. “Now that you have her under your roof.”

“Are you telling me that you don’t find Bandit attractive?” Lace fires at me. I open my mouth, but no words come out. “Be honest.”

“I already told you what I thought about sleeping with him, and I’d go one better; I’d rather hack my dick off.” I shoot him a satisfied smirk.

“Drama queen,” Bandit has the nerve to throw at me. “I’ve seen you lookin’.”

I snort. “Right? And you didn’t check me out in that tank the other day in the kitchen.”

I saw in the window's reflection. He looked. He fucking looked.

“In your dreams.”

“Just admit it, you find me attractive,” I sing-song. “Then we can all go home and be happy little humans. That is right, isn’t it, Lace? You were seeing some mystery man who wanted to play with you and another man. Am I getting this wrong somewhere?” Screw him. He can sit there and suffer after the things he said to Lace tonight.

“I, uh,” she starts. “Um, yeah, but I mean, we had been drinking…”

I wag a finger at her. “Don’t try and stick up for him.” I swing my head Bandit’s way, aware he could very well leap over the table and pound me into next week if I keep pushing. But he brought this on himself. And if he isn’t attracted to me, why was he checking me out? “He needs to admit that he’s curious, that he wasn’t just drunk that night.”

“Will that make you feel better, Princess?” Bandit smirks.

“Oh, very.”

“You’ve got some balls thinkin’ I’d be attracted to you,” his voice lowers. “Your hair has its own zip code.”

“Glad you’ve noticed.”

“Not like I could miss it. What do you use, anyway? Hairspray?”

“Textured spray first, it’s all about teasing it into place.” I give him a chin lift. “Why? Thinking about growing yours out?” His hair is short and clipped close to his head. It suits him. Then again, with his face, he’d probably suit any kind of hairstyle.

Lace palms her forehead. “This feels more like foreplay than a conversation,” she mutters.

Bandit’s head jerks in her direction, as if just remembering he’s supposed to hate me. “The point is, I’m not attracted to him.” He turns back to me, shrugging. “Sorry to burst your bubble, dude.”

I’m a cocky son of a bitch, though, and I know what I saw. I tsk. “Denial is a terrible thing, Jonah. It eats you up inside. It festers, and then when you’re all empty inside, you’ll wonder why you couldn’t just be honest with yourself and take what you want.”

He leans across the table, his jaw set. “I did take what I wanted, several times, and if it weren’t for your dumb fuck rules, I would’ve taken her on your kitchen countertop, too.”

I want to push his fucking buttons, just like he’s pushing mine. “With me watching?”

His eyes narrow. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you?”

“Bandit, calm the fuck down,” Lace interjects. “We all know now that the two of you know about one another, and Manny is clearly aware you’ve never been with another man before.”

“Because I like pussy,” he bleats.

“Deny, deny,” I mutter, sitting back in the booth.

“I said I’d agree to watch, and given that I want Lace too, that’s pretty fuckin’ generous,” he barks. “But I’m not so sure I wanna watch you and my girl together. Unless, of course, she knows how to shut that mouth of yours up.”

It’s my turn to narrow my eyes. “Very funny, I’ll have you know she’s a very big fan of my mouth.”

“Yeah? Well, she’s a very big fan of my dick.” He thumps his fist down on the table and I laugh.

“Sooo scary. You can’t even admit your feelings, let alone give Lace what she wants.”

“I gave Lace plenty, didn’t I, sweetheart?” He gives Lace a chin lift. “Tell him what my big cock did to that tight little pussy and how good it felt stretched around me.”

My cock jerks. Goddamn it. I wish I wouldn’t react this way to him. He may be pretty, but that’s it. He has zero personality, and he’s downright rude. Plus, he grabbed Lace, albeit he was trying to stop her fleeing, but still.

“Jonah!” she whisper-shouts. There’s no point looking around, nobody else is here. “Keep it down.”

He smirks, folding his arms over his chest triumphantly. “Or how I ate your pussy like I was a starvin’ man? Would you also like to see that, too, peckerhead?”

“You’re such a child,” I throw back. “But it sounds to me like you do a whole lot of talking, and absolutely no follow through.”

“Tell that to Jas’s desk. That’s where we fucked.”

My eyes go wide. Lace admitted she got bent over a desk, but Jas’s? I’ll never be able to go in there now with BLTs and look at that desk the same way again.

Arousal stirs once more, and my balls feel tight. What I’d give for some of that…

“Jonah,” Lace groans. “Do you have to be so crude?”

“When was this?” I prod.

Lace cringes just a little. “The night Shep came to the clubhouse.”

“We just couldn’t wait. We couldn’t keep our hands off one another.” Asshole shrugs. “Could we, Lacey? ”

“Okay, knock it off,” she chastises. “We get the picture.”

Bandit goes on before I get a word in edgewise. “So, if you two didn’t have sex, what did you do?”

Now it’s my time to gloat. “We watched a movie and cuddled, then Lace got naked and rubbed her pussy all over my cock.” The words are out and I hear Lace’s gasp. Oops. I mean, she knows we’re not exactly gonna sit here and make out she’s the Virgin Mary, but I get it could be a tad misogynistic.

Bandit’s eyes blink a couple of times. I lean in. “She yanked my boxers down and I came all over myself, and her, but we didn’t have sex. Is that clear enough for you?”

His eyes slide to her, then back to me. He looks… uncomfortable.

“You were hot.” Lace bites down on her bottom lip, her eyes flick to Bandit. “And so were you. I don’t get how you can’t see how perfect this is. You both like me, so even if you don’t wanna cross swords together, we could still have some fun. You just both need to get your heads out of your asses.”

“You’re not seriously still suggesting we do this?” Bandit shakes his head, amusement on his face.

“I’m not suggesting anything. But I know this rivalry and back and forth you two have going is kinda… cute.”

“Cute?” We say in unison. We glare at one another.

“There is nothing cute about him.” I point toward him. “Let’s examine the evidence, shall we? He’s rude. Impatient. Thinks he’s in charge. He’s bossy. Has a huge ego. He may have a big dick, though that may fall into the ‘ego’ category because it was self proclaimed, and the only thing he has going for him, aside from his looks and body, is that kid of his back home.”

“I’m a good dad,” he tells me.

I level him with a look. “I know that. Eli is amazing, you’ve done a fantastic job with him.”

Not that he needs me to tell him that.

“Let’s keep his name out of this,” he grumbles.

“Why? Because he couldn’t wait to get rid of you the other day when we made chocolate croissants?” I smile at the memory.

“Of course he couldn’t. I cramp his style when there’s better options at his disposal. Like baking.”

Woah, was that a half-assed attempt at a joke? Lightning may strike him down at any moment.

Lace leans over the table to squeeze Bandit’s arm. “You are an amazing Dad,” she says, her eyes softening. “And Eli is the best.”

“After Jill died…”

“Wait, what?” Lace grips his arm harder. “Jill was your?—”

“Wife.” His voice is low. “She was my wife.”

I had no clue that Lace didn’t know. Then again, she is new to the club. I thought she would’ve heard through the grapevine, then again, they’ve been sneaking around so nobody would have any reason to gossip about Bandit to her.

Silence hangs between us. “You don’t have to talk about it,” I say. I know because of Indigo, the night she was really upset and told me everything. She’d been close with Jill.

He palms the back of his neck, his bicep bulging. He’s broken. I know that look anywhere, it’s a look that I’m sure I wear myself at times. His eyes glaze over, his bottom lip trembles a little, and my heart constricts. He really is suffering.

“She was my world. I loved her. She was carrying Eli at the time, but by some miracle, they managed to save him.” He looks up at Lace, who now has tears streaming down her face. “She was killed by a drunk driver.”

“Oh, my God!” Lace links her fingers with his and his face softens. He doesn’t look at me.

“So that’s my sad little story.” He smiles without humor.

“Jonah, that’s awful. I’m so sorry…”

“She would’ve been proud of you, of how you’ve raised Eli.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “And gotten this far.”

He glances at me. “I thought I was an asshole.”

“You are.” I shrug. “But I can’t deny the facts.”

His shoulders shake, and for the first time, I see him relax. It’s good when he smiles. He looks ten times better when he smiles instead of frowning.

“I’m sure we all have a sad story to tell,” he goes on. “If we scratch the surface.”

I nod. “My stepdad used to beat the living shit out of me, and he raped his own daughter, something I found out after I ran away from home. She was older than me. My mom didn’t care, even when I was bullied in high school. That’s how I met Shep.” I don’t know why I blurt that out, but for some reason, something resembling comfort has suddenly spread over the group.

“Holy shit,” Lace whispers. “What the fuck, Manny?”

I shrug. “Shitty childhood. I ran away from home the second I had enough money. When Shep got into college, he helped me get a place, but I had so many issues. I didn’t want to be a charity case, ya know? And I didn’t think I was worthy of a friend like him. He saved my life in lots of ways,” I go on. “Then I sorta went off the rails again, ended up here, met Stella at an art class and got talking to Harlem. That’s how I got the job at the clubhouse, they needed a cook, and I’ve always been able to cook good food.”

“You really do make mouthwatering food,” Lace adds, her other hand moving over mine. She has both of our hands in hers.

“Well, thanks. It helps when I have a well-stocked pantry and can buy anything I like.” I peek a glance at Bandit, he’s watching our joined hands. His eyes flick to mine and I swallow hard. This got heavy fast.

“Still, you have to have the skills to make stuff taste good,” Bandit offers. What’s this? An olive branch perhaps?

Lace strokes her fingers over my knuckles. “He does. He makes everything better.”

My eyes almost sting with tears. “That’s sweet of you, Lace. I do make a mean gumbo.”

She smiles softly. She’s so pretty. “So if you two have finished arguing, we should take off. It’s late.”

I want to ask about where we go from here. Is this it? Is she choosing? Am I gonna be left out in the cold? Judging by the way she holds both our hands, I’m sensing that’s not the case.

“But I never got to tell Bandit that I think he’s alright, under that tough exterior.” I purposely stare at Lace.

Her eyebrows raise slightly. “Did you come up with anything else?”

I shrug. “He’s super hot when he’s not being a jackass.”

I see Bandit move in my periphery. I know he’s not gonna say it back; he’s still denying that he’s bi, and it’s okay. I’ve been there. It’s a lot to handle, especially with all the guilt and trauma he’s been through.

Bandit clears his throat. “Lace is right, it’s getting late.” He’s looking at Lace. “Did you need a ride home?”

She shakes her head. “Manny can take me home. I think we all just need to digest everything for tonight.”

“Does this mean we’re not…” Bandit trails off, his brow furrowing. He points between him and Lace. “A thing?”

So, he’s still interested? Or just with Lace? It’s eating away at me, but I know a man like Bandit isn’t gonna show his cards just like that. The man is not even playing hard to get; I don’t even think he knows what the fuck he wants.

He’s never been with a man before, only thought about it. That’s what Lace told me. But I remind myself he’s still here. He could’ve walked away and he didn’t.

She looks down at her barely touched coffee. “It means there’s a lot to think about. I can’t just turn off how I feel.”

His voice drops. “So, you do want both of us?”

She bites her lip, her cheeks pinkening a little. I don’t know what she has to be embarrassed about. We’re all adults here. We’ve also both been naked with her. If Bandit wants her, then he has to hear her out. She hasn’t hidden the fact that she had feelings for him the entire time we’ve grown close, I just didn’t know who it was. I’m not even mad at her for not telling me.

She sighs, tucking her hair behind both ears. “It’s a lot, I get it. This whole thing.” She waves between us. “It’s complicated, and I don’t know if I’m up for complicated. You two can barely tolerate each other.”

I put up a finger. “We’ve been pretty civil for the most part.”

She gives me a withering look. I mean, it’s not as if we’ve come down to using our fists, even though I felt like slapping him like a little bitch.

“It’s not a usual situation,” Bandit agrees.

I glance up at him. “Never done this before?”

He frowns. “I’ve had my fair share of women.” He pauses. “But I was loyal to my wife.”

Silence hangs between us.

A look flashes across his face, and it happens so fast if I’d blinked, I would have missed it.

This is the second time he’s brought his wife up.

“But not with another guy?” I press. I want to hear him say it.

He levels me with a look. “No, and for the record, I never said I was into other guys.”

“Let’s not go down this road again,” I sigh. “I hate to break it to you, Beefcake, but the cat’s out of the bag.”

Bandit does that nostril flaring thing again. He can deny it all he wants, but we all know it’s true. Maybe he hasn’t admitted anything to me, but he has to Lace. He can’t deny that. I’ve been there so I know it’s confronting. I was a lot younger when I knew I was different.

He points at me. “You keep your trap shut about this, Manny. You got me?”

I put a hand over my chest, covering my heart. “You think I’d say anything to anyone?”

He levels me with a glare. “I don’t know, you’re pretty cozy with the girls in the club. This is just the sort of thing you’d all gossip about on your group chat.”

“Wait, how do you know about that?” Lace interrupts.

He spares her a glance. “We hear shit.”

I snort. “And you honestly think I’d tell them about this?”

“I’m just sayin’, you better not say shit.” Mr. Grumpy is back. He’s so hot and cold.

“For your information, I’m probably the most loyal person you’re ever gonna meet,” I tell him. “Everyone tells me their secrets, but I keep it all in here.” I thump my chest with my fist. “I would never betray anyone’s trust. Just so you know.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Manny’s right,” Lace says. “He might be a little quirky, but your secrets are safe with him.”

I pique a brow. “Quirky?”

She smiles, and I’m glad Bandit and I are not at each other’s throats. Bandit may still be a major stick in the mud, but I’ve also learned a few things about him tonight that changed my opinion about him. He opened up, and he definitely didn’t have to do that. He came to check on Lace, risking being seen by Riot, and then the shit would’ve really hit the fan. “That’s better than being boring.”

“Nobody could ever accuse me of that.” I smile.

Bandit clears his throat. “Like I said. This conversation never happened.” He’s insistent about this, and I get it. I doubt any of the brothers would give a shit, but he has a child to think of, and right now it feels as if he has no clue what he wants.

“Got it the first time.” I start to slide out of the booth, Lace following behind me.

“I’m glad Charles is gonna be okay,” Bandit says, holding Lace by the elbow as we make our way to the door. He just can’t help himself.

“Me too, though I told him off for climbing up ladders. He forgets he’s seventy-five years old,” Lace replies.

I tag behind, following them back around to the parking lot. When Bandit spies my ride, he raises an eyebrow. “You brought her on the back of your sled?”

“Of course.” I shrug. I know it’s a big deal in the MC. If a chick in the club rides on the back of your motorcycle, it means you’re claiming her and she’s your ol’ lady. Since I’m not patched in, those rules don’t apply to me. The club often lets me tag along on the runs, though most of the time I’m busy getting the food ready for when they get back.

Bandit’s words about me not being patched ring through my mind. I shouldn’t rehash things, but it’s an old habit, and old habits die hard.

“It was fun,” Lace adds.

I know what Bandit’s thinking; this is a big deal. But he’s overthinking it. “Huh.”

He pulls her to him as I lean against my motorcycle, helmets in hand. He cups her face, his eyes flick to mine, then back to Lace.

“Bandit,” she whispers.

He grins. “What happened to Jonah?”

“What are you doing?”

“Giving you a goodnight kiss.”

Do I really wanna see this? Then again, maybe I do. He’s obviously doing it for show, or he wouldn’t have made sure he knew I was watching.

Something tells me that Bandit doesn’t wanna run away from any of this. In fact, this may be exactly what he needs.