Chapter Five

Teagan

I PULLED INTO the club parking lot at five-fifty-five a.m., tired but excited to see Cash. We hadn't talked again yesterday, and I missed him. As much as I seriously didn't want to work on greasy motorcycles, if it meant spending an entire day with Cash, I'd make the sacrifice.

Climbing out of my car, I heard the sound of pipes and turned to what looked like the entire club riding through the gates.

My heart suddenly dropped.

There was no way we would get through all of these today.

"Hey, Teagan," Flea said, climbing off his bike.

I smiled. "Hey."

"Thanks for pissing Hatch off," he droned sarcastically. "Super appreciate that, sweetheart."

I bit my lip. "Sorry."

"Come on inside and I'll show you where everything is."

Before we could move, Tillie and Cambry arrived and parked next to me, then I heard another set of pipes and saw Cash's bike pulling in. I shoved down my excitement, hoping we'd get a minute alone at some point during the day. He climbed off his bike and took off his helmet, then immediately glared at the three of us.

"Well, you done pissed Cash off," Tillie whispered. "Nobody likes a pissed off Cash."

"What do you mean, me?" I challenged. "I'm pretty sure he's going to be equally pissed at all three of us."

"I knew your little side hustle was gonna bite you in the ass one day," Cash hissed at Tillie. "Didn't think it'd bite mine as well. Nice goin'."

"Cash," I admonished, but he turned on me too.

"Shut it, Teagan," he hissed, jabbing a finger toward me. "I told you this was a bad idea."

"Fuck you, Cash," I snapped back as he stormed into the building.

"Come with me ladies," Flea said, heading toward the door.

Cambry sighed, following him.

"Are we having a little lover's quarrel?" Tillie whispered.

"Suck it, Till," I ground out, turning on my heel and walking inside.

The stark opposition of the dark interior compared to the bright outdoor light brought me up short and I had to blink a few times to adjust to the difference.

"Teagan," Cash snapped. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Oh, hell, no." Once I found him in the dim light, I scowled. "You do not get to speak to me that way."

He crossed his arms and cocked his head. "Yeah, whatya gonna do about it?"

I stalked toward him, shoving my palm into his chest, and pushing him back through a door behind us. The door slammed shut and I was suddenly pushed up against the wall and kissed for all I was worth.

"Mornin', Turtle," he whispered once we came up for air.

"Why are you being such a dick?"

"Pick your reason, T. I was forced to get my ass up before the crack of dawn, and my work is now babysitting you three because you decided to fuck around and find out."

"I didn't ask Hatch to do any of that. I also didn't ask him to ‘babysit' you, so how about you calm the hell down."

"Haven't even had my first cup of coffee and you're bustin' my chops?"

"You're standing here blaming me for something I didn't do," I pointed out.

He raised an eyebrow. "You didn't buy a fake ID in order to get into a club?"

"I didn't ask Hatch to make you come this morning," I corrected.

"Yeah, well, your decisions seem to lead to me havin' to do shit I don't have time to do, so how about you think a little more before you do them, huh?"

I hissed out a quiet snarl. "You know what? You don't have to worry about any of my decisions. Go fuck yourself."

I pulled open the door and rushed back out to the lobby.

"Teagan!" Cash called.

"What?" I snapped.

"You need gloves and shit." He grinned like an asshole. "Which are in here."

"You better not ask me to make you food or drink today," I warned, walking back toward him. "I know where they keep the rat poison."

"Noted," he said before making small, sharp sucking noises through his teeth like the rodent he was.

* * *

Cash

"Cash!" Hatch called and I looked his way. "My office. Now."

"Oooh, someone's in trouble," Tillie mocked.

"Shut it," I snapped.

"Don't be a dick," Teagan bossed, and I gave her an eyeroll before heading down the hall to my president's office.

"Close the door," Hatch said, sitting behind his desk.

"What's up?" I asked, once I'd taken a seat across from him.

"What's this about an unsanctioned sojourn into Spiders' territory yesterday?"

"It was personal," I said.

"Don't care if it was life or fuckin' death, kid, you don't go into Gresham without letting your captain or me know about it."

I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself and it was none of his goddamn business, but that would be club suicide, so I kept my mouth shut.

"So, again," Hatch continued. "What the fuck were you doin' in Gresham?"

"Can I ask how you knew about it to begin with?"

"You cannot."

I scowled. "Had to let someone know that if he fucked with one of us, he'd regret it."

"Thought you said this was personal."

"It was."

"You need to start talkin', Cash, or you and I are gonna have a problem."

I frowned. "Found out some scumbag was messin' with our girls. I let him know that if he did it again, he'd regret it."

Hatch leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard. "This has nothin' to do with our ‘girls,' Cash. This has everythin' to do with Teagan."

I said nothing.

"Does Mack know about you two?"

I dropped my eyes because I wasn't about to outright lie to Hatch. "There's nothin' to know."

"Bullshit," he hissed. "Goddammit, Cash, you've put me in a shit situation here."

"How so?"

"I don't want to put your shit out on the street, but if Mack finds out I knew anything about you two, I'll have broken the trust of one of my officers and closest friends."

"How about you don't say anything and forget you know what you think you know. Which you don't, by the way, so you're off the fuckin' hook."

"While I appreciate you playin' your love life close to the vest, I assure you, this is not the time to be tight-lipped with your president. If somethin's goin' on between the two of you, and I'm damned sure there is, I need to know if this was a one-time hook-up that's made things awkward between you two, or it's somethin' more serious."

"It's not just you in a shit situation," I pointed out.

"I get that, and normally I wouldn't give a shit what bitch you were fuckin'."

I balled my fists up and clenched my jaw, ready to go to blows if Hatch kept talking about Teagan that way. Hatch smiled and I realized, once again, I'd been had.

"So you're serious?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Does she feel the same way?"

"She's pretty pissed at me right now, but I think so."

"Why's she pissed?"

I sighed. "Because I was a dick to her about having to come in so early."

"Why were you a dick, Cash? Because she's not the reason you had to come in so early."

I let out a quiet curse. I was being ‘punished' right alongside of her and blamed her for the whole thing.

He rapped his knuckles on the desk. "Okay, so the first thing you're gonna do is go apologize and beg her forgiveness. She's better than you deserve and you fuckin' know it. And the second thing you're gonna do is set up a meeting with Mack and tell him how you feel about his daughter. He's gonna be pissed, but if you're straight with him, you'll likely keep most of your body parts intact."

"Teagan's not gonna be happy," I grumbled.

"If she's as smart as I know she is, she'll recognize it's the right thing to do and get over it."

I cocked my head. "You've met Teagan, right?"

"Okay, she'll mostly get over it. What can I say, like father like daughter."

I nodded, even though I didn't quite know how I was going to do all of that. I rose to my feet.

"One more thing," Hatch said, and I turned back. "About this Hooks guy. Anything I need to know?"

"Like?"

"Did you put him in the hospital? Is there gonna be blow-back?"

I shook my head. "Nah, he's just a small time, punk-ass kid. Nothing permanent, just enough to make sure he'll be jackin' off with his left hand for a while. Also found out he's not affiliated with anyone."

"Good." He jabbed a finger at me. "You go rogue again, kid, and I'll tax your ass so hard, you won't be able to afford a tank of gas." He raised an eyebrow. "Got it?"

"Got it, Prez."

I headed back out to the garage via the back door and straight to the Mustang I'd been neglecting. I needed a minute to figure out my next steps without the girl squad jabbering a hundred miles a minute.

"Cash?"

I turned to the sound of the feminine voice and tried to keep my expression neutral.

"Hey, Glo."

"Hey, honey," she crooned. She sauntered toward me, her overly bleached hair teased high and in the style that Teagan described as, ‘let me speak to your manager.' Gloria was a few years older than me, but with how much makeup she spackled onto her face she looked a hell of a lot older. She was wearing jeans that were way too tight and a crop top that exposed a belly ring on her stomach that flopped over her waistband.

"Did you need something?" I asked.

"Oh, no. I was just checking in. I got here a few minutes ago and saw you. I wanted to make sure you were set for the day. Can I get you coffee, or…" She ran her hand up my arm. "Anything?"

I stepped away from her. "No, I'm good, Glo. Thanks."

Her face fell slightly as I hightailed it out of the breezeway and into the auto bay, Teagan's words running through my head. I'd never seen Gloria as someone who'd been overtly after me before, but now that I was lookin' at her through Teagan's lens, I was seein' things a little more clearly.

* * *

Teagan

Along with Cash, Hatch had assigned Flea, Booker, and Razor to oversee today's ‘punishment.' Although, Booker didn't arrive until almost noon. Being the VP had its privileges. Cash had been MIA since our little tiff, so we were down to Flea and Razor until after Booker got there.

"What you lovely ladies see before you," Flea said. "Are some of the finest specimens of modern machinery you'll ever lay your pretty little eyes on."

Cambry huffed as she crossed her arms.

"I want you to think of each and every one of them as a priceless work of art."

"I'm partial to the modern impressionist movement myself," Tillie sassed.

"First of all, there'll be no back talk from the detainees. You belong to me now, which means, you're nothing but three little grease monkeys. You will each be given a tray of tools. On that tray, you will not find a nail file, tampons, or a tissue to wipe away your tears. You will use the correct tool for the correct job with the utmost of care and will not, I repeat, not, scratch, dent, or damage our beautiful babies."

"I thought you said they were priceless works of art," Tillie droned sarcastically.

"They're both," Flea said. "They're art babies. More importantly, they're to leave this shop in better condition than they came in. If any of you disrespect our bikes, we can always change your work detail."

"Ooh, we have a choice?" Cambry asked. "What does the other job entail?"

Razor grinned. "You ladies probably don't know this, but this property isn't hooked up to the city sewer system."

"So?" Tillie challenged. "What does that mean?"

"What that means is, it utilizes a septic system," Razor said.

"What's that?" I asked.

"It basically means," Razor continued. "That all the waste generated from the club goes into a giant underground tank which the prospects have to empty out with a truck we like to call the shit wagon, for obvious reasons. Hatch mentioned just the other day the tank's about due for an emptying, so rather than send the prospects—"

"No, that's fine," Cambry interrupted. "We're good here."

"Now that we've got that straight," Flea said. "Today you will be changing fluids, testing and recharging batteries, as well as spark plugs and brake pads. You will be performing a nine-point inspection of everything from tires to tassels, and at the end of this day, each and every one of these beautiful bikes will be road worthy for the upcoming ride to Monument, Colorado."

Cambry, Tillie, and I grumbled, but got down to work as the men went back and forth between mentoring and drinking beers and razzing us.

* * *

Cash had been gone for almost two hours, and I was beginning to wonder how badly the meeting with Hatch went.

That was until Hatch strolled out to the garage, a shit eating grin on his face. "How's it goin'?"

"Fine," I said, while Cambry and Tillie just gave him the side eye.

Hatch chuckled. "Consequences, ladies."

"I need to pee," I lied, heading out of the auto bay and two doors down where Cash had been working on a car earlier in the week. Pushing open the door, I called, "Cash?"

"Yeah?"

I followed the sound of his voice and found him with his head buried under the hood of a Mustang. I bit my lip and hung back a little, suddenly feeling unsure of why I was there.

He straightened and glanced at me. "What's up?"

"Why didn't you come back?" I asked. "Did your meeting go badly?"

"Well, it sure as shit wasn't good."

"And you blame me for that," I deduced.

"It'd be a hell of a lot easier if I could."

I bristled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He sighed, leaning a hip against the car. "You're not the only one in hot water. I made an unsanctioned trip into Gresham yesterday and Hatch found out about it. That's the reason I'm here this early. It's not on you."

"Why were you in Gresh—" I gasped. "Wait. Did you go down to deal with Hooks?"

He scowled. "Yeah."

"Why, Cash? I told you it was done and to leave it alone."

"Some asshole threatens my woman, and you think I'm gonna fucking leave it alone?"

I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath. "How did Hatch find out about it?"

"No clue," he said.

"Who'd you go with?"

"Archer."

"Well, he wouldn't tell."

"No, he wouldn't," Cash agreed.

"Okay, so are you coming back to finish the bikes with us or are we in a fight?"

"Those are my only options?"

"Right now, yes."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna stay right here and finish this Mustang. I'm already a day behind."

"So, we're in a fight."

"Jesus, woman, are you being serious right now?"

"You're not telling me what the hell's going on, so, yes, I'm being serious right now."

He ripped off his gloves, slid a hand into his jeans pocket, pulling out a wad of cash and handing it to me. "Here's your refund."

I took it with a frown. "What refund?"

"From Hooks. He saw the error of his ways and it's his way of making it right."

"How bad?"

"Not bad," he said, knowing exactly what I was asking. "He's still alive."

"Cash," I breathed out.

"You better get back," he said.

"Are you really not going to join us? It's actually kind of fun. Cambry and Tillie are totally miserable, but I'm fascinated by how everything works, but it would be better if you were there."

"You go have fun, then."

"Won't Hatch be mad?" I asked.

"I'll deal with Hatch."

I bit back tears as I turned and walked out of the auto bay.

"Teagan," my best friend, Daisy, called as I stepped back into the main garage.

"Hi! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for moral support," she said, before frowning and looping her arm with mine. "Come with me."

"I really have to get back—"

"In a minute," she said, tugging me toward one of the offices in the back. Closing the door, she faced me and squeezed my arms. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Lies," she said with a dramatic gasp. "You look like John Wick right after his puppy got killed. Did Glo-Stick say something to you?"

"Gloria's here?"

"In all her stupid bitch glory," Daisy confirmed.

"Well, I haven't seen her yet, thank god."

She frowned. "What's wrong, then?"

"I'm just tired. It's been a really long day."

"I do not know why you're lying to me right now, but I'm gonna let it go," she said. "If you need me, I'm here."

I nearly lost it right then, but managed to hold it together as I gave her a nod and led her back out to the garage.

Cash and I had always been on the same page. We'd bicker, but never fight to the point of him shutting down. I had no idea how long this was going to last, but I was not going to be the first to fold. I never was. No fucking way.