Oh, right, the girl. Gross. I did not need a reminder. “T.M.I. Mav.”

He cocks a half smile. “I meant the spider, Doll. Not Jade.”

“Oh. Right. Of course you did.”

“Wanna tell me why you freaked out about the rope?”

I shake my head. “I didn’t—”

“Don’t even. You did. Listen, I’ll make you a deal. You don’t mention my thing with spiders, and I won’t bring up the rope shit again either. Deal?”

After a moment, I nod.

When I leave the room, Mav follows me out into the hallway, though at a safe distance. I try Taz’s door only to find that it’s locked.

When I turn back, I find Mav staring at me with a contemplative expression covering his features. “The small spaces thing . . . is that why you open the window and the door?”

I’m tempted to lie to him, but I’m pretty sure he can see the truth on my face right now.

“I’m sorta claustrophobic.”

He tilts his head and considers me for a minute. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“You didn’t really give me a chance to.”

He’s actually acting like a human being and I don’t know how to handle this new Mav. “You know. It’s nice to see you like this.”

He looks down at his chest. “Like what? Like this?”

I laugh and shake my head. “Wow. Cocky much. No. Not so . . . Me asshole . . . you Jane.” I even use the Tarzan voice. All humor fades from his face.

Oh for the love of God, Em . . . did you have to ruin it? Why couldn’t you just keep your mouth shut?

“Never mind. Forget I said anything,” I mutter. I turn away from him before the glaring starts up. I hit three on the phone.

Taz answers on the second ring. “Yeah?”

“It’s Pumpkin. I found Boop.”

Taz is silent for a second, “Be right there.” The line disconnects. I look down at the phone. It’s a flip phone. Maybe even one of those prepaid ones. For a split second, I consider asking Mav if I could use it. I’d love nothing more than to call Sundown and Will. But I know what Mav will say. And I’ve just insulted him so now probably isn’t the time to be asking for favors.

Mav comes out of his room with a pile of sheets. He dumps them at my feet. He’s now wearing a navy T-shirt, his face is stoic, and his eyes are blank of emotion. He plucks his phone from my hand and once back in his room, slams the door.

I call out after him, “I’m guessing you want me to wash those for you?”

Music comes on, turned up so loud that if I shout again, he won’t be able to hear me. The song is Wicked Game, by Stone Sour and for some reason it makes goosebumps spread down my arms at the same time that my stomach ties itself into a knot.

I sigh and look at the bundle in my hand. “Should we let you back in there? Huh? You wanna spend the night with Uncle Luce, don’t you, Boop?” She wiggles around trying to get free. “Don’t worry, girl. I’m not that mean. And Taz misses you.”

A good poker player knows when to bluff, when to play, and to fold when the odds are stacked against them.

EMBER

I’m elbow deep in a toilet bowl, when I feel someone nudge my butt from behind. Startled, I fling water everywhere as I whirl around and come face to face with a white English bulldog. He’s old, overweight, and has a brown spot over his left eye, and drool dripping from the corners of his mouth.

“Where did you come from, little guy?” He opens his mouth, panting, and his breath hits me. I wave my hand in front of my face. “Wow, obviously somewhere they don’t have doggy breath-mints.”

A red bandana with a small circle patch on it, hangs around his neck. The patch reads, “Property of a HOC”. I check his collar. “Donut, huh?” There’s a phone number below his name, but that’s all. “Who do you belong to, Donut?” He tilts his head.

“Not a big talker. Mmmm.” I peek underneath him. “Yep, men never are.”

He steps forward and licks the skin at my hip, the small bit between my tank and my shorts. I giggle and cover the patch of skin with my hand. “Whoa . . . we just met and already you’re getting friendly.” I bend down and get face to face with him. I whisper, “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I’m not like those other girls out there.” His long tongue licks me from chin to nose as I giggle and pull away. “You definitely fit in with the guys, don’t ya?”

I face him fully, sit, and cross my legs. Thinking it’s time for a break. Cautiously, I pull him into my lap. As I start petting him, he licks my hand, eating up the affection.

Ten minutes later I get back to work, but pause here and there to give him a belly rub or a scratch behind the ear.

After I’m done, I pick him up so he doesn’t go running all over the clubhouse. Seeing Lil’ Bird and Goose at the bar, I make my way over to them. “Do you know who this little guy belongs to?”

They both turn and Lily immediately smiles ear to ear. She reaches forward and pets the dog. “Hey, Donut,” she coo’s. “Did you find yourself a hot girlfriend? Hmmm? Cap would be so proud you.”

“He’s Cap and Nick’s. Kinda the club mascot. Nick went out of town. So she asked Mav to watch him,” Goose explains.

Cap and Nick. From what Lily told me, Cap is the current president of the club. He was in a motorcycle accident not too long ago and he’s been in the hospital. They’re not sure yet if he’s going to make it. Nick, his wife and Dozer’s mother, is the mother hen around here. The queen killer bee. I haven’t met her yet but I’m sure I will. She supposedly doesn’t like Lily, and Lily thinks she’s pitted the other old ladies against her.

I raise both eyebrows. “Mav?”

Goose nods. “Yeah, don’t worry, cherry girl. Not only would Nick kick his ass if something happened to him, but Mav’s partial to dogs. He only hates women, redheaded women to be specific.”

“Oh, jeez, thanks,” I deadpan and earn a sexy smile from Lily’s old man.

“Usually, Axel watches him. Bethany’s oldest. But Bethany sent him to one of those camps for troubled youths. She’s the one I told you about who’s looking for a nanny.”

“Lil’ . . .” Goose says her name as warning. “Don’t go there. It’s his business.”

She turns fully to him, “But she needs help, Baby. And I’m her friend. I’m not just going to ignore the fact we know someone who could help her.”

Grabbing her hand, he says in a harsher tone, “Woman, if she really needed help, she could ask one of the other old ladies. But either way, it’s best if you stay out of it. You don’t need any more trouble comin’ your way.”

A hurt look comes over her face and she yanks her hand from his. “Why don’t you crash here tonight? I need a night to myself.” While still scowling at him she hooks her arm with mine and pulls me away. To me she says, “Come on. Let’s take Donut outside for a walk.”

“Lil’,” Goose says her name like a plea.

She ignores him.

As we walk toward the front door, curses fly behind us.

Outside I ask, “Will he run off if I put him down?”

She pets the dog’s back. “Honestly, I don’t think he could run even if he wanted to. Poor little thing. Too many donuts. He freaking loves those things. You know, he used to be named Zeke, but Cap changed it after he caught the little runt on top of the kitchen table demolishing a dozen donuts by himself. Cap says Dozer put him up there, but Dozer denies it.”

I put Donut on the ground and he meanders around.

“So you think Dozer doesn’t want me babysitting because he doesn’t want Bethany to know about me?”

Lily shrugs. “Probably. It’s just that I know Bethany and she isn’t going ask anyone for help. Especially the other old ladies. She’s picky about who she lets around the kids. And some of the other old Ladies are so caught up in the life, they preach it to the kids like it’s gospel. Bethany doesn’t want Axel to be in the club. Or Medda growing up and wanting to be an old lady. She’s even mentioned maybe moving away. I think if she could afford to, she would. She wants her kids sheltered from all this.”