Page 42 of Steele

“How long have you and Steele been together?” she said through the door.

“Not long.”

“I don’t know him as well as I know Vega. Steele’s usually with Kodiak. Although, I think Kodiak is an ass. I like Steele, and his little girl is a riot. She reminds me of my sister.”

My chest tightened. Lili reminded me of Matti. “I’m so sorry,” I said through the door. There was nothing else to say. “How old was she?”

“Oh god, no. My sister, Cece, is feisty like Lili. She’s nine going on nineteen.” McKelle was quiet for a moment. “My brother died when he was twelve.”

After I finished peeing, flushed, and washed my hands, I opened the door. “I’m so sorry,” I said again. When I thought of anything or anyone reminding me of Matti, I thought the worst because those were the words I lived by. Everything reminded me of Matti and that she was gone.

I could’ve opened up. I could’ve said I understood. There was something magnetic about McKelle. Something genuine. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I wasn’t ready to share my truth.

“It’s okay. I like to talk about him. I think he would’ve loved the MC, too. I know he’d have been good friends with Ryatt and Cruz.”

My brother wouldn’t understand two boyfriends. I doubt he’d approve of Brett and the MC. “I don’t know any of Brett’s friends.”

“I don’t think I knew Steele’s name was Brett. In the club, the guys use road names.” McKelle went into the bathroom but left the door partially open. “Have you met Lili?”

“Um…yes.” This conversation needed to change. I walked around the perimeter. It was obvious they all lived in the room. On the dresser, there was a bottle of perfume next to men’s deodorant and a framed photo of the three of them.

A couple helmets hung on wall racks. One was black with a black visor, the other was more feminine, covered with white roses and skulls. “Do you ride?”

“Yeah, but not old man bikes,” she said and laughed. “I race super bikes.”

This girl played pool like a pro, raced bikes, and had two boyfriends. Not to mention she was stunningly beautiful. I had to admit that I felt a sliver of relief that she already had a boyfriend. Not that Brett was mine, but I hoped she didn’t want a third.

“Why do you think Kodiak is an ass?” I asked, because Brett had said he was closest to Kodiak and Vega.

“I shouldn’t’ve said anything,” she said as she came out of the bathroom. “I just think he’s quick to judge others but doesn’t consider how someone might view him.”

The same could be said about me. I’d judged Brett before knowing him. We had to be careful because of how others would judge me.

“I know how the club works,” she said. “Kodiak wouldn’t be a Heller if he wasn’t trustworthy.” She rolled her eyes. “Maybe he’s lucky to be a Heller. Jazzy already has him on probation. But that’s the tea you didn’t hear from me.”

“This is all new to me,” I said. “I don’t know if I should be scared or excited.”

“I didn’t know anything about the MC before I started coming to the club with Cruz. That was before we got together with Ryatt. He’s still prospecting. Prospecting is just learning the rules.”

“They have rules?” I teased as we walked out of the room.

“Not many.”

We entered the main chapel. A couple people still danced, but Brett wasn’t with them.

I stuttered and came to a halt. He was at the bar, but he wasn’t alone. A woman in a short skirt, heels, and a curtain of hair to her ass sipped a drink through a tiny straw. She flipped her hair and leaned into him. He nodded at something she said. He held a glass of whiskey in one hand and the other was in the pocket of his jeans.

“That’s Clover, one of Bullet’s kittens,” McKelle said.

“The one Kodiak said was Goldilocks?” I glanced at McKelle, remembering what Kodiak had said and how he’d seemed to direct the statement to Brett, and how Brett had redirected the conversation telling me to ignore them. A sick feeling settled in my belly. “So, she’s with Kodiak?” Or was she with Brett, and Kodiak was sharing? McKelle had two boyfriends. What had I gotten myself into?

“She’s a kitten.”

I lifted a brow. “I’m not sure what that means.” And I was afraid to jump to any conclusions because a kitten still had claws, but a kitten was also something soft and playful. And just about every woman, including me, had referred to her pussy as a kitten at one time or another.

“She works for Bullet. She’s a cam girl. When she’s not making porn, she’s fucking Hellers.”

Kitten was code for paid pussy!