Home | Happy Lowman/OC (Book 1)

fifteen

After spending much of the next day packing, napping, and lugging heavy boxes to Jacquelyn's apartment, Victoria wanted to settle in for a long nap before they headed south, but Kozik and Happy had other plans. They'd been helping her get situated and by the time they were finished, the apartment was nearly empty except for the furniture and gifts from Cameron and all the rest she could stand to live without if it came to that.

"Bex is cooking us supper," Kozik said. "Anytime we head out for a long stint away she makes her famous chili. It's tradition."

"Who's Bex?" Victoria asked.

"Lee's wife. The queen of SAMTAC. Best cook in the Pacific Northwest, I can promise you that."

Jacquelyn rolled her eyes from her place on a barstool in the kitchen and sipped the can of Coke in her hand.

"Fine, fine, but if I die a gruesome death because I fell asleep on a motorcycle, I'm coming back to haunt you," she warned.

Kozik laughed and raised his hands in surrender. "Fair enough, but there'll be plenty of coffee to go around."

The front door opened and Happy stepped in from taking the last few boxes out to Victoria's car, tucking his phone into the front pocket of his cut as he came.

"You ready to head out?" he asked, looking from Victoria to Kozik.

"Yeah, let's roll," Kozik said.

A little while later, the four of them entered The Red Hot. It was closed to outside business for the night with two armed men standing at the entrance to keep the peace in case someone couldn't take no for an answer.

Inside, the tables were filled to the brim with plates, cups, silverware, dishes of steaming food, pitchers of beer and what looked like tea, and even a few bottles of bourbon and whiskey mixed in. There weren't nearly as many people inside as the last time, but all the Sons Victoria met were present along with several women she hadn't.

Kozik was holding Jacquelyn's hand and he led her over to the table where Lee and the redheaded Bowie were sitting. Happy followed, his own fingers laced through Victoria's. Beside Lee, a beautiful woman with dark hair and a wide smile sat. She had bangs cut long so they almost covered her eyes, but underneath them her eyes sparkled as she talked with Lee who sat across from her.

She stood when she caught Kozik's eye.

"Oh good, you're here!" The woman stood and enveloped Kozik in a hug.

"You must be Jacquelyn, I'm Bex. It's so nice to meet you," Bex said, hugging her as well without hesitation. "Kozik's been rambling on about you for days."

Jacquelyn laughed. "Who could blame him?"

"Who could blame me is right," Kozik said, dragging her closer after slipping an arm around her waist.

Next, she turned her attention to Happy who released Victoria's hand long enough to receive the hug that was impossible to refuse. Victoria couldn't believe a man like Lee hooked a woman like the one in front of her. She radiated warmth.

"And Victoria," Bex hugged her next. She smelled like vanilla and a hint of something sweet. After, Bex held Victoria at arm's length. "Happy says less than Kozik, but you must be special, or you wouldn't be here." She looked up at Happy with a raised brow. "Right?"

Happy just rolled his eyes and took the seat next to Bowie.

"Ironclad, that one," Bex said, letting Victoria go and gesturing toward the empty seat next to her, across from Happy. She looked Victoria in the eyes, not paying the slightest bit of attention to the bruises on her face and Victoria appreciated not having to explain to another person that it wasn't Happy who put them there.