Slow Ride (Hell's Tribe MC Series) [Book 1]

Chapter 3: Off Limits

~Ronnie~ 

"Please come with me tonight," Raegan begged. She was sprawled out on my bed, refusing to leave my apartment until I agreed to go into the city with her. After what happened last time I went out with her, there was no chance in hell I would agree to that.

"First, I have to work. Second, there is no fucking way I am ever going into the city with you after last weekend," I replied.

I was getting ready to head to my shift at Black's, and the last thing I wanted to do was have Raegan trying to convince me to ditch and go to another party with her. My best friend was newly single, and desperate to join the party scene after being held down by a relationship since high school. 

"Oh, come on! It was fun and you know it," Raegan insisted.

"Almost getting arrested was not fucking fun, and neither was having to call Knox for a ride because you lost your phone," I corrected.

As my best friend only laughed at the mention of my horrible experience last weekend, I ran my mascara through my lashes a few times and then applied some lip gloss before putting my uniform on.

"I did you a favor. You probably wouldn't have had the balls to talk to him otherwise."

She was right. As much as I hated to admit it, I had been crushing on Knox since I met him. I didn't hang around the clubhouse much after Cash and I ended things, but when I had first seen Knox after he transferred, I swear I felt it bring butterflies to my stomach. Anytime he came around Black's with any of the other guys, I always seemed to be a little more nervous around him in particular. If he was any other guy, I might have at least tried to act on it, but this was a member of the Hell's Tribe and that meant that because of my past with Cash and my relationship with Mick, Knox was off limits.

"Yeah, well I shouldn't be talking to him anyways. I don't need any more bullshit with Cash."

"Fuck Cash," Raegan proclaimed. "He's the one who fucked things up. He doesn't get to have a claim on you forever just because you two fucked a few times."

She had a point, but Knox was essentially Cash's brother and although he and I were way over, I couldn't pull that much of bitch move on him.

"I know that, but Knox is part of the Tribe and I'd prefer to not date any of them again. It'll only make shit more awkward if I have two ex's that I can't get away from."

Raegan chuckled because she knew how hard avoiding Cash had been because of Mick's persistent need to keep me close.

When he brought me here and promised to take care of me, he meant it. He had become an overbearing father type, especially after things with Cash went down. He wasn't happy that I was with his son, not because he didn't think I was good enough, but because he suspected Cash might do something to fuck it up. It made things harder for me at first, but I had finally got to a place where I could be around the members of the Tribe and not feel uncomfortable, and it needed to stay that way.

"Fine. Fuck Knox. Just come out with me. I guarantee there will be no members of the Tribe and no Hellcats either." I snorted at the amusing name that she had come up with to describe the girls who were basically groupies to the Hell's Tribe, but that still didn't change my mind.

"I need the tips," I announced. "Now, either get up and walk me out or stay here by yourself."

Raegan rolled her eyes but did actually get up and to her feet. "Fine. Your loss," she teased.

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Black's was jam-packed by midnight and my tip jar was brimming with bills. There was some sports game happening on the old screens above me, not that I had even a spare second to look up at them and find out what everyone was screaming about. The line for the bar was taking up the entirety of the small dance floor and my hands were beginning to cramp up from filling up so many pints of beer, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Nights like this meant lots of tips and more money for me to rebuild the college found that Ed stole from me.