At 3am, the clubhouse was still alive with noise. The air was thick with smoke and the scent of spilled whiskey,
I sat at the bar, my fingers tracing the rim of my glass. My head was still spinning, and my chest was heavy with guilt and
worry.
But the buzz I was building had softened the edges… just enough to keep me from breaking down again.
Scarlett slid onto the stool beside me. She nudged me with her elbow, a half–empty bottle of whiskey in her hand. “You look like you could use this,” she said, pouring a generous splash into my glass.
“Thanks,” I muttered, my voice still hoarse.
Scarlett grinned, raising her own glass. “To surviving the shitstorms,” she said, clinking hers against mine before downing it in one go.
7
I followed suit. The whiskey burned going down, but not as much as the memories the smell of gunpowder, the look on Logan’s face as they hauled him off.
Across the room, Ruby was perched on the pool table, her feet dangling as she laughed at something Link was saying.
River appeared out of the back room with a bottle of bourbon in one hand and a deck of cards in the other. “Alright, ladies and germs,” he announced, slamming the bottle down on a table. “Who’s up for a game?”
Scarlett raised her hand, already refilling our glasses. “You know I’m in.”
Ruby slid off the pool table, grabbing Link by the arm and dragging him over. “What’re we playing?” she asked, her eyes bright with mischief.
River shuffled the deck, a grin spreading across his face. “Let’s keep it simple. Strip poker.”
I choked on my drink, coughing as Scarlett laughed and slapped me on the back. “Easy, tiger,” she teased. “It’s just a game.”
“Yeah, a game I’m definitely not playing,” I said, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
Ruby smirked, leaning on the bar. “Come on, Hailey. Live a little. It’s the perfect distraction.”
Link chuckled, his gray eyes glinting. “What’s wrong? Scared you’ll lose?”
I glared at him. “Fine,” I muttered. “But if anyone strips, it’s not gonna be me.”
River grinned. “We’ll see about that.”
The game was crazy from the start, and I was laughing harder than I thought I would. The alcohol and the absurdity of it all loosened the knot in my chest.
By the third round, Scarlett was down to her tank top and jeans, Ruby was missing a sock, and Link was shirtless under his
cut.
–
–
I still had my hoodie on when River dealt the next hand. My cards were crap
a pair of twos but I bluffed like my life depended on it. Scarlett narrowed her eyes at me, her tank top slipping dangerously off one shoulder.
“You’re full of shit, Conway,” she said, tossing her chips into the pot.
I grinned, tapping the table with my fingertips. “Call me out, then.”
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Chapter 36
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Ruby folded immediately, groaning about her terrible luck, but Link leaned forward, his bare chest distracting enough to make me second–guess myself. He smirked, his eyes locking onto mine.
“I’ll see your bluff, Hailey.”
I swallowed hard, glancing at my cards again. I had nothing. Absolutely nothing. But I wasn’t about to strip in front of everyone. What would Logan say?
“All in,” I said, pushing my chips forward with fake confidence.
Link’s smirk faltered for a second, but he matched me, laying his cards on the table.
A pair of queens.
I groaned, throwing my cards down. “Damn it.”
Scarlett burst out laughing. “Pay up, Hailey. Lose the hoodie.”
I glared at her but shrugged out of Logan’s hoodie, leaving me in just the t–shirt I’d borrowed from him this morning. It still smelled like him.
I wished he was here.
Ruby whistled, raising her glass. “To Hailey… and her terrible poker face.”
I flipped her off, but I was laughing too hard to care. The alcohol was warm in my veins, and for the first time since Logan had been taken away, I felt like I could breathe.
The game devolved into chaos after that. Scarlett lost her tank top and was left in a bra and jeans. Ruby was down to her bra and underwear, and Link was in boxers and his cut.
I stared at my hand. A pair of sevens. Not the worst, but not enough to win against River’s smug smirk. He laid his cards down triumphantly – a straight.
“Pay up, Hailey,” he drawled, leaning back in his chair with a grin that made me want to flip the table.
Ruby cackled, pointing at me like she’d just won the lottery. “T–shirt’s gotta go, Hailey. Rules are rules.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, heat rising to my cheeks. “Not happening.’
Scarlett raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching with amusement. “Why? You got something to hide?”
“Yeah,” I shot back, my voice a little too sharp. “I’m not wearing a bra, for/starters. And I’m not about to flash my bedazzled boobs to this circus.”
The room erupted in laughter, but Ruby wasn’t letting it go. “Wait, bedazzled? Girl… You have your nipples pierced? Now you have to show us. I’ve always been too chicken–shit to get mine done.”
“That’s true,” Link muttered, and Ruby playfully smacked him on the arm.
Before I could argue, River chimed in, his tone dry as dust. “Yeali… I’m not exactly dyin‘ to see my cousin’s tits either. Let’s call it a draw and play somethin‘ else.”
Scarlett mock–glared at him, tossing a chip in his direction. “You’re no fun.”
“I’m super fun,” River countered, shuffling the deck. “Just not into seeing you half–naked. Blackjack?”
I exhaled in relief, shooting River a grateful look. He just nodded, dealing without another word.
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Chapter 36
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The tension eased as we shifted to blackjack. My heart rate slowed, and the knot in my chest loosened a little. I sipped my drink, letting the warmth of the whiskey spread through me.
A few hours later, I was drunk enough to forget about everything… about Becker, about Logan sitting in a cold cell.
It was just the five of us laughing, shouting, and forgetting the world outside the clubhouse walls.
But the moment didn’t last.
Just as the sun started coming up, the front door slammed open and Jake stormed in. The room went silent, the laughter dying instantly.
“Logan’s out,” he said, his voice clipped. “Kat worked her magic. Talon posted bail. They’re on their way.”
My heart leapt into my throat. I scrambled up from my chair, almost tripping over one of my discarded boots. “Is he okay?”
Jake hesitated. “He’s fine. But Becker’s not done. We all need to be ready.”
His words settled over me like a lead blanket. For a second, I froze at the crushing reality of what we were facing.
Then I grabbed Logan’s hoodie off the back of my chair and tugged it on, followed by my socks and boots. I pushed out the front door.
I didn’t care about the cold… I needed to see him.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
