I shrugged. “Don’t know if that’s true anymore.”

“Yeah?” he said, his elbows sinking down on the edge of the bar to study me. “This kind of life can change you.”

My eyes snapped to his. Guess he knew now that I was in deep.

“Malachi going to be around tonight?” I croaked out, trying to sound braver than I was.

“Mal’s out at the compound,” he said, looking at his watch. “Should be on his way back, though.”

“The compound?” I’d heard that word before, mostly in reference to parties being thrown by the Disciples, but I didn’t totally know the ins and outs of club business.

“The main base,” he said. “You got something you need to say to him?”

“Yeah,” I said.

He leaned down to look me in the eye. “Sure about that?”

“Yes,” I said, gritting my teeth. “Got to.”

He stared at me hard. “Jude tell you his business?”

I nodded. “I guessed most of it.”

He raked his hands through his hair. “You regret getting involved?”

“Not a chance,” I said, slapping my hand down on the bar. On that one point I was clear. I had no regrets about Jude York coming into my life.

There was the sound of a motorcycle revving its engine outside as if announcing its presence.

“Speak of the devil,” Vaughn said, and then moved to the far end of the bar to take a new drink order.

When I heard noise coming from the back room, I nearly jumped out of my skin. When Smoke emerged behind the vice president of the Disciples, named Jonas, Vaughn’s eyes followed him around the bar. I quickly peeked over my shoulder and saw how Smoke’s gaze appeared to soften.

“Maybe you should take the leap,” I said, when Vaughn stopped in front of me to retrieve a bottle of tequila from beneath the bar.

I knew that I was crossing the line and that my ass might get kicked for voicing it out loud.

“Ain’t never gonna happen,” Vaughn’s voice rumbled, his eyes never meeting mine. “Not with one of their own.”

“Sorry to hear that,” I said. Because it was true. It was killer to long so damn hard for somebody.

“Life sucks and then you die,” he said and moved away to retrieve a shot glass and lime for the customer.

His face went through a series of emotions as he filled the drink order at the end of the bar. After he was done pouring from the tap, he tipped his chin at Smoke, who then approached the bar.

“The prez come back with you?”

“Yeah,” Smoke said and I saw how his eyes lingered one moment too long on Vaughn’s face.

“Our boy Cory here would like five minutes of his time,” he said and my shoulders stiffened. I was really doing this. Inserting myself deeper.

Smoke’s eyes shot up and then his lip tilted in amusement. He didn’t look at me or address me. Only Vaughn. “Boy’s got it bad?”

I watched as their eyes fastened on each other. “For sure,” Vaughn said, swallowing visibly.

Smoke nodded and then headed toward the back room. Vaughn narrowed his eyes at me in warning and I kept my mouth shut. I heard Smoke open the office door and my heart began pounding in my chest.

After another minute, Smoke emerged and sidled up to the bar.

“Mal will see him now,” he said to Vaughn. “He’s busy, so only a couple of minutes.”

Smoke walked away and my eyes met Vaughn’s. “Better get going.”

Taking steps felt like moving through cement. After this meeting, I would no longer be a clueless tattoo artist living in this town and minding my own business.

I opened the door and stepped inside. I’d never been back here so I didn’t know what to expect. Maybe some armed guards instead of a couple of dudes with leather vests sitting at a table playing a game of cards.

Or maybe some seedy or gaudy fixtures. But all I saw was a normal office painted a light gray with a large wooden desk and a huge side table. The Disciples of the Road crest hung on the wall behind the desk, with its skulls, fire, and brimstone making it clear exactly to whom this space belonged.

Malachi was a good-looking guy with some gray showing around the temples and a physique and presence that were intimidating as hell.

“Have a seat, Cory.” Malachi was looking down at his phone as if this meeting was just a blip on his radar. Like he was talking to a pizza delivery guy or something.

He finally looked up and nodded to Jonas, silently telling his vice president to usher the other members outside the room.

When they left he said, “More comfortable now?”

I nodded and clasped my hands in order to hide the trembling.

“What’s this about, my man?”

“About Jude,” I said. “He . . . I . . .”

And suddenly what I’d planned on saying just wouldn’t come out.

“I know you’re together,” he said with a slight twist to his lip. “Is it just fucking around or is it something else?”

“It’s not just fucking around,” I said, gritting my teeth. “I . . . care about Jude.”

He nodded and then stared at me.

“So you’re here because you’re looking out for him?”

“Yeah, something like that,” I said. “It’s just . . . what he’s told me about his life . . .I don’t want him to be a pawn in some game Elias is playing against you guys. He’s been used enough.”