Page 17 of Vortex

I notice Pattie and Twang are getting comfortable with each other lately, and I make the mistake of saying it.

“She’s like my sister, man. Come on, bro,” Twang exclaims loudly.

”So you’ve never…”

“Not even a kiss.” Twang says very quickly, causing Pattie to raise her eyebrows at him.

Seeing how this looks, he takes her face in his hands and kisses her deeply. When they break away, she opens her mouth, but Twang is there first. “You taste of pussy!”

She squints at him, then says, “You wouldn’t complain if you were there when I did it, would you?” This actually makes him blush, and the rest of us laugh at his reaction.

“It still feels like I’m kissing my sister. There’s no spark there, like it would be with a real woman.” Twang has no filter and doesn’t activate brain before speaking.

“A real woman? You did not just say that about me.” Pattie storms off, and Twang shrugs, then follows on behind her. We can all hear him muttering as he goes. ‘That came out all wrong. Sheesh, am I going to suffer for that one. I’ll never hear the end of it.’

Five a.m. and I’m showered, shaved, and dressed for greeting Allegra on her first day. I still don’t like the idea, however, it has nothing to do with me, yet. I reach the kitchen only to find Allegra already present and sitting with Fury. They both look up as I enter, and I feel a growl in my throat, which I try to disguise as a cough. I grab a coffee without saying a word and then take the seat next to Allegra, giving Fury a dirty look as I do.

“Why are you such a grumpy ass this morning, my man? You professed your undying love and commitment to me only yesterday, and today you are grumpy?” Allegra leans her head on my shoulder.

“I said I liked you,” I mumble as I take a swig of coffee.

“You said it twice, and the second time you said, ‘I like you a lot.’ That, to me, is your declaration of unconditional love. Are you now telling the love of your life that she is mistaken?” She looks up at me and I could get lost in her green eyes framed by those long black lashes.

“Erm, no. I’m not saying that. Just that your interpretation of liking someone is much more detailed than mine. How does that work if another man says he likes you?” I try to deflect the intensity of this conversation away from me.

“No man could say he likes me the way you say it. Anyway, I would not interrupt his words the same way I do yours.”

“Interpret.” Both Fury and I correct her at the same time, which gets him another dirty look.

“Whatever.” She slips off the chair, and as I turn to see where she’s going, she grabs my head and kisses me. Goddamn it. That’s twice we’ve kissed, and both times she has done the kissing. I have got to get my act together and start leading this dance.

Fury stands and begins explaining the duties of the cleaner to her, starting with the fact that she doesn’t do the kitchen. That falls to Julia, who is our new cook. Bedrooms for the officers and brothers are only for collecting the laundry. They are all expected to keep their own rooms clean. Offices are off-limits, so that’s another area she doesn’t have to worry about. The rec room will undoubtedly be the worst area, but as most people return their dishes to the kitchen or glasses to the bar, it is usually just a wipe of the tables and a sweep of the floor. Listening to him, she doesn’t seem impressed.

“So, there is very little to keep me occupied? I think I will need more duties than this. How am I supposed to keep busy and not look at all the man-flesh?”

“That’s it. You are not working here. I’m not having my woman standing around, ogling the brothers. They will play up to that something fierce, and we’re not having displays like ‘Magic Mike’ going on in front of my woman.”

“You are too easy to tease, my man. I see I will have to toughen you up, eh?” Allegra smiles that smile and I become Jell-O from the knees up.

“Yeah, Vortex. Grow a pair and toughen up.” Fury is enjoying my discomfort way too much and I can see him adding to it wherever he can.

“I’m going to speak to Bank. Don’t leave without seeing me first, Allegra.” She damn well curtsies and tips her head.

“As you wish,” she mumbles subserviently.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” With that, I march off to find Bank.

Tapping on Bank’s door, I enter when I hear him call out. “It’s not six a.m. yet, Vortex. What the fuck do you want?” Shit, I hadn’t thought about the time.

“I was going to ask your advice on how to get a house. All this shit going down has derailed my plans for getting something and making it my own.” It sounds ridiculous at this time of the morning.

“So, it’s that important you can’t sleep and you have to know at what time is it, five thirty-nine in the morning? For crying out loud. Right, sit down and let’s see what we can come up with.” I take a seat and feel such a schmuck. He taps away for a minute or so and then points at the screen. No realtor in the outlying area has anything local that you would want. If you want something quick, you’d have to live way out of town. Is that something you’d consider?”

“Hell, no. I don’t want to be somewhere I can’t get to the clubhouse fast if needed.” Looking at the stuff on his screen, a map of the nearest suitable properties, I can see what he means. They are all too far for someone in my position to travel. I mean, it isn’t impossible or halfway to the moon, but if anything were to kick off with the MC, it isn’t viable that I would be so far away.

“There’s the flip side to this as well,” Bank points out, “If you were in trouble, it would take the club too long to get to you, too.”

“I don’t understand how the town is in this position. None of the surrounding towns are having real estate issues, by the look of your map, anyway. It’s as though someone is trying to monopolize the businesses and everything in this one area. Somebody wants all the cash available in town, only to be available to them.”