Page 3 of Sangre
“Sounds good.”
“Count me in too. I haven’t been to Trailside in a long time,” Skull said. “My kid sister will kill me if I don’t take her. She’s in love with the guitarist in Iris Blue.”
“I never heard of the band until their manager contacted me. I’m curious to see what all the fuss is about.” Sangre jerked his chin at the prospect when he set a plate of ribs and all the fixings in front of him. “How’s their music?”
Skull gave a half shrug. “I never heard them. I just know about ’em because my sister won’t shut the hell up about the damn guitarist. She’ll probably want her best friend to come too.”
“Anthony’s cool. I know him real well, so he’ll let them in. He’ll just mark them so they can’t booze it up.” Army pushed his empty plate away from him. “Do you wanna ride over?” he asked Sangre.
“I can’t. I’m going over to Skylar’s first.”
“Is she coming?” Skull put a toothpick in his mouth.
“Nope. I’m going over to talk with her.”
Army guffawed and turned around toward the bar. “Brutus, Shotgun, Jigger, Chains—get over here. I’m ready to win some money.” The four men sauntered over.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Sangre asked.
“What are you going to talk to Skylar about?” Army gave a lopsided grin.
Anger pricked his skin, and he wanted nothing more than to smack that infuriating look off Army’s face. “How in the fuck is it your business?”
“Just answer the question.” Army folded his arms and tipped his chair back.
Sangre pulled his leg in to avoid the temptation of kicking over the chair. “I have something I need to tell her.”
“Like you’re crazy in love with her?” Brutus said. The men laughed.
“Or you want to move in with her?” Chains added, winking at the other guys.
“Or—”
“Just shut the fuck up,” Sangre gritted to Skull. “I’m breaking up with her, that’s all. End of fuckin’ story.”
Army leapt out of the chair, his fist punching the air. “Yes! It’s only been three months.” He looked at each of the men crowded around the table. “Pay up.” Laughing, he extended his hand.
“Fuck,” Brutus muttered. “I thought you’d make it at least five months with this one.”
Sangre watched as his brothers took out their wallets and turned over their money to Army. “You fuckin’ bet on how long Skylar and I were gonna be together?”
“That’s right, brother. You’re making me a rich man with all your chicks.” Army shoved the money in his pocket.
“I thought for sure you were gonna last four months. That’s what I betted on,” Chains said, picking up his beer.
“I can’t believe you assholes are betting on this. At least I have relationships, not like you losers.” The men burst out laughing, and Sangre pushed away from the table, knocking over a few beer bottles as he rose to his feet. “Fuck this.” He walked away, his fists clenching at the sound of the loud guffaws behind him. Taking the steps two at a time, he arrived at his room in no time.
As he changed his clothes, he thought of Skylar and how he hated going over and breaking it off with her. He couldn’t explain why he didn’t want to see her anymore. Compared to all the other women he’d been involved with, she was, by far, one of the best girlfriends as of yet: She didn’t nag him, liked her independence, was damn hot in bed, and mostly went along with what he wanted.Then why the hell am I breaking up with her?He couldn’t say. He went over to the window and looked out at the San Juan Mountains silhouetted against the darkening sky. Running a hand through his hair, he leaned against the windowsill.Fuck. It’s always the same damn thing.
He’d been through the upcoming scenario more times than he could remember, and it was always different forms of “I think we should see other people” or “It’s not you, it’s me.” Shaking his head, he laughed dryly. The truth was—it usuallywashim and not the woman. The women he picked tended to be variations of the same model: pretty, smart, interested in motorcycles—or at least pretended to be, not clingy, understood the camaraderie with his brothers, and willing to have fun in bed. Sex was very important to him, but having a woman who respected his space and didn’t try to change him was high on the list as well. Skylar checked all the boxes, yet he was going over to tell her they were done. He supposed she broke the one thing he didn’t want from any of the women he’d dated: getting too serious about him.
When they went out to dinner a few nights before, he could see the look in her eyes, the way she gripped his arm and clung to him. It was the small things that night, that told him she’d taken what they had to a new level, and he knew he had to bail out. The way he figured it, he was doing her and all the other women a favor. If he ended it early enough, they wouldn’t become that attached or hurt. Most of his relationships lasted three or four months, and a few times they’d go on for five or six months. It wasn’t like he planned on ending them, they just always did. When he looked at his brother and sisters, who’d been married for years and had kids, he wondered why he couldn’t be more like them. The reality was that he’d never been in love. After all the women he’d dated, the club girls he fucked, and the one-night stands he occasionally had between relationships, he’d never felt anything more than desire and lust. Sangre liked and respected the women he went out with, but the love thing just never happened. So, after a certain point—if what they had wasn’t going anywhere—that’d be when he took a hike.Yeah… it’s definitely me and not them.He pushed away from the window, picked up his keys, and headed out.
Two hours later he sat at the Trailside bar, a double shot of Jack in his hand and images of tears streaming down Skylar’s anguished face flitting across his mind. Each time he went through one of those scenes, he swore it would be the last, and then he’d find another woman and have some hope, but it always ended the same. It was like his love life was on a never-ending reel of the same story.
“So how’d it go?” Chains asked, sidling up to him.
Sangre slammed the drink back then shrugged. “Okay, I guess.” He motioned the bartender for another.
