Chapter Five

Meg sat at the bar, sipped her beer, and tried to refrain from looking at her watch again. She'd already done it four times. When Mick excused himself, he'd said it would only be fifteen minutes. It was now going on forty. So much for his promise of staying by her side.

With most of the members in the meeting, the party seemed to thin out, but it didn't stop the orgy-style gathering in the corner of the room. If anything, it gave her an unwanted but unobstructed view. There wasn't an ounce of concern for anyone who saw them. When another man walked over, unzipping his jeans, Meg jerked her head. She'd reached her limit of live sex shows for one night.

"Get me two beers, Coll." The girl bumped into Meg's arm without apology. It could have been an honest accident of which she was oblivious. But Meg had her doubts since she'd been the same woman who'd greeted Mick when he'd walked in.

"Got it." Colleen moved quickly behind the bar as another woman came up, eyeing Meg. It felt like a planned ambush. She watched the blonde and redhead whisper something then forcibly laugh. Do better, girls. No one's buying into your bullshit.

"You're here with Mick, right?" the redhead asked.

That wasn't subtle. Meg resisted the urge to roll her eyes, knowing exactly what was coming next.

"Yes."

The redhead glanced around dramatically. "Where is he?"

"I think the better question is, who's he with?" the blonde beside her said, then giggled.

So fucking catty.

"In the back. Not sure exactly who he's with." Meg smirked, staring directly at the blonde. "But I know who he's not with."

The woman scowled. That landed well. Meg grabbed her beer, taking another sip.

"Mick's a sweetheart," the redhead said.

"And a lot of fun." The blonde leaned closer. "A lot of fucking fun."

"Here you go." Colleen placed the beers on the opposite side of the bar. It could've been for convenience, but it seemed like a calculated move to get the girls away from Meg. She wasn't sure if it was to the girl's benefit or Meg's. But it was appreciated either way.

"Don't listen to Bebe."

Bebe?

Meg chuckled. "Bebe. Does that stand for bitter blonde?"

Colleen laughed. "It does now."

Meg shook her head, glancing over at Bebe and the redhead. "It's like high school all over again."

Colleen gave her a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, sometimes."

"Is she always like that?"

Colleen peeked over at Meg. She knew the answer before Colleen said it. Yes.

"Most of the girls don't have an issue going after any of the guys unless they have an old lady. Even then, some have little boundaries." Colleen lifted her chin to the blonde across the room. "Bebe's got none."

"Good to know."

Colleen gave her a sympathetic smile. It wasn't reassuring. It was telling her exactly what she needed to know. Meg looked around the room at the men and the women hanging over them. This was their life. It was Mick's too. Maybe she was reading into it and making it a bigger deal than it needed to be. With a life like this and women waiting on him, he'd grow tired of her eventually. That wasn't the part that bothered her the most. It was her heart she was concerned about. Protecting it. Sometimes it was better to bow out gracefully than risk the damage.

Meg grabbed her beer, finished it off, and hopped off the stool. She took one last look at the back hallway where Mick had gone.

"Want another beer?" Colleen asked.

Meg shook her head. "No, I'm going to head home."

Colleen stilled, and her eyes widened. "Well, do you want something else? Got a lot of liquor here. Or I can get you water or a soda."

"No, thanks." Meg hooked her pocketbook over her shoulder.

"You don't want to stay just a little bit longer? I can try and keep Bebe and the other girls away from you."

It was a kind gesture, but Meg had already made up her mind. It wasn't lost on her how different Colleen had been compared to the others. Train or not, I like her. Meg smiled and shook her head.

"If you see him, can you tell Mick I left?" Meg said, then muttered, "If he asks."

"He'll ask," Colleen blurted.

Meg gave her a short wave and made her way through the room. She made it a point not to make eye contact with anyone, especially the blonde. Unfortunately, someone stepped in her path, and she was forced to turn her body, aimed directly at Bebe. Her smug smile was enough for Meg to raise her white flag.

Yeah, you win, sweetheart.

Meg bypassed the crowd at the front door. There were only a few people hanging out and smoking outside. Meg quickened her steps, picking up the pace as she started down the dark driveway. It wasn't until she reached the end that she realized getting a cab from Ghosttown would be a feat. She glanced down both ends of the street. There had to be at least one payphone on Main Street. It was probably only a few blocks away.

Unfortunately, there were few streetlights in the small town, making it extremely dark. She had options. Meg glanced back at the clubhouse. She was fairly certain Colleen would let her use the phone to call for a ride. But that meant walking back inside. If Mick was back at the bar, he might already have company to replace her.

As much as she was good with her decision to leave, seeing him with someone else would sting too much. Meg sighed, and her shoulders sagged. She was not only regretting accepting the date tonight but ever letting Linda talk her into coming to the clubhouse in the first place.

Life had been so much easier when she didn't even know Mick existed.

****

Once the meeting ended, Mick was eager to get back to Meg. There'd be time to talk further with Jack. Right now his main concern was her. The meeting had lasted longer than he'd expected. He walked out from the back and scanned the room. Meg was no longer at the bar. Maybe she was using the bathroom? Mick started across the room.

A hand swept over his arm, and he glanced over, thinking it was Meg. It wasn't. He yanked his arm away and glared. The last thing Mick needed was Meg seeing yet another woman with her hands on him. Though, he assumed it was innocent enough coming from the younger woman.

Colleen held up her hands. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to sneak up on you."

Mick lifted his chin while peering around the room in search of Meg. Where the hell had she gone?

"You see Meg?"

"Um, yeah actually."

Mick jerked his head, looking down at Colleen.

"She said if I saw you to let you know she left."

What? Where the hell did she go ? Colleen must have read the confusion on Mick's face.

"She was at the bar for a while, but one of the girls may have said something she didn't like." Colleen bit her lip. "Something about being with you."

Fuck. Mick, as a single man, had been with more than half the women in the room. He could just imagine something said about his time with the club whores. He drove his hand over his head.

"Where'd she go?"

Colleen shrugged. "Home, I guess. She left about five minutes ago. I tried to get her to stay, but she didn't want to, so I didn't push."

Mick was trying to make sense of it all. If someone said something to him, he'd tell them to fuck off, not leave.

"She left 'cause someone said something to her?"

"I think you might be underestimating exactly how catty and cruel women can be." Colleen flattened her lips, and glanced across the room at Bebe. "Especially around here."

Goddammit!

He should've known. Mick could've let Meg walk away and never look back. This was his life, the path he chose and loved. He wasn't willing to give it up for anyone. If she couldn't hold her own around the club whores, then she'd never survive living in his world.

He turned, walking back to the bar, but stopped midway. No, he wasn't going to let her just walk away. Not if there was a possibility for something with her in the future. He took off for the front door, weaving through the crowd. He stalked over to his bike and was just about to get on when he saw a shadow at the edge of the driveway. She was looking to either end of the darkened road.

"Meg!" he shouted and rushed toward her. He spread out his arms, scanning the empty road. "Where you going?"

She sighed. "Well, I was going home but remembered this isn't Turnersville, and catching a ride is going to be a lot harder in Ghosttown."

Mick expected to see her visibly upset, or even angry. She was none of the above. If anything, she appeared indifferent, a little tired, but not bothered at all. It was the worst response he could've gotten. Meg didn't care.

"Weren't going to tell me you were leaving?"

"The pretty bartender said she'd let you know."

"Couldn't wait another few minutes?" He wasn't trying to be combative. Or maybe he was. He wanted to see a little spark of fire showing she cared enough, even if she was pissed off at him. Meg gave him nothing.

"I did wait a few minutes. Actually, quite a few, and after more than forty, I decided I was done waiting." She drove her hand through her hair, then folded her arms and stared down at the ground. He was losing her. She was slipping away before his very eyes.

"What did she say to you?"

Meg peered up and scrunched her nose. "Who?"

"Whoever got you to hightail it out of the clubhouse and stand alone on a dark street."

Meg snorted. "Your friend, the blonde."

"Bebe ain't my friend."

"Really?" Her brows hiked, and her lips twisted. There was the fire he'd been waiting on.

"Well, she thinks you're a good time. In fact," Meg squinted "a lot of fucking fun is how she described you."

Mick snorted, shaking his head. What a fucking bitch! Bebe would've never said anything in front of him, but she saw an opportunity when Meg was alone. It was childish bullshit and a waste of their time even entertaining anything she said.

"Let's go get a drink, we'll hang out." He reached out to grab her arm, but she was one step quicker and shuffled away. Meg glanced up and smiled, though it seemed sad. The kind someone said when parting ways.

"Mick," she cocked her head. "I like you, which probably sounds juvenile, but I do. I think you're nice and very attractive. And," Meg drew in a breath and whispered "I really like being around you."

The corner of his mouth curled, and she blushed. "That sounds like you want to stay."

She flattened her lips and sighed. "In a way, I do. But not in the way that's going to make me feel good about myself tomorrow."

What the hell does that mean?

"Look, we could go back inside and party, get drunk, and have sex all night long. And it would probably be amazing. And I'd probably want to do it again. And again." She smiled and this time genuine. She rolled her eyes, letting out a soft giggle. "And again. But your life is very different than mine. And you'll get no judgement from me. I think everyone should live their lives as they want, but" —she pointed to the clubhouse— "that's not what I want. I've spent my whole life doing what was expected of me and always being in the background, putting others' needs and even desires ahead of mine. I'm not doing that anymore."

Mick was following everything she was saying, but couldn't quite see it from her side.

"Not asking you to."

"But you are. Every time a girl comes up to you, hangs on you, and you allow it? Or shares with me her sexual liaisons with you, and you laugh it off? You're telling me I have to accept it without actually saying the words. And like I said" —she held up her hands— "no judgment from me. We should all get to live our lives how we want. Me included."

Fuck!

"I know what I want, Mick." Meg pointed to the clubhouse again. "And that's not it."

Mick grasped his hips and bowed his head. He hadn't handled it right. He could see that now.

"I wasn't laughing."

When Meg opened her mouth to speak, he stepped closer. "Not at you or how you felt. Bebe was being a bitch, being an asshole 'cause she wants you to leave, thinking if you do, she'll be in my bed tonight." Mick paused. "She won't. None of them will. It's either you or no one. Mean that."

He did.

Meg stood silent, staring across the lot up to the clubhouse.

"I'll take you home."

He saw the relief set in as her features eased.

"In an hour."

"What?" Meg blurted.

"Just give me an hour. If you still want to go home, then I'll take you. No questions asked."

She shook her head.

"One hour, that's all I'm asking for. Just me and you hanging out. You want to leave after that, we leave. Want to go home, I'll drop you off. Then I'll come back here, grab a beer or two with the brothers, and go to bed. Alone, same as I have since the night I set eyes on you."

She bit her bottom lip, looking down the street again.

She pulled back her sleeve, glancing down at her watch. "Okay, but just one hour."

He'd have to use his time wisely if he had any hope of winning her over.