The Bare Bones (The Bare Bones MC) by Layla Wolfe Page B

mechanic. Speed paused respectfully, not daring to utter a word yet.
    Ford continued, confronting Speed with a swagger. “You going to invite that sister of yours to our rally?”
    A direct question demanded an answer. “I…wasn’t planning on it, no.” Speed looked properly mystified.
    Turk was even looking sideways at Ford. Good . Let them wonder what the fuck I’m up to. “Why don’t you? I’m sure she’d like to see some of the old club again.”
    Ford was gratified that Speed was so taken aback. His knees literally sagged, and he had to take a step back. “Wow! I mean, sure! I’ll call her right now. I’ll tell her that you specifically invited her.”
    Ford held out his hands. “No, no, wait, don’t do that. Make it a surprise. Tell her that you’re the one inviting her.”
    This seemed to please the nozzlehead even more. He whipped his phone from his pocket and was already speed dialing his sister. “Thanks, Torino! I’m sure she’ll be here with bells on!”
    The two friends continued walking to Turk’s bike. A couple of sweetbutts were washing Riker’s ride. It was always immaculate, but he liked to make them eternally wash it on principal.
    The marijuana salesman narrowed his eyes at Ford. “Now, are you gonna clue me in exactly what devil’s work you’re up to?”
    Ford smiled slyly. “You gonna invite that Dayton Navarro?”
    Dayton Navarro was a brother from their Flagstaff chapter. It hadn’t dawned on Ford until the past year or so, but suddenly there were clues everywhere. Turk Blackburn was probably at least bisexual, if not flamingly gay. Turk became highly giggly whenever around Dayton, it had slowly dawned on Ford. Being a piccolo player wasn’t the most popular image among biker brothers, to say the least. If Turk planned on becoming an uphill gardener, he’d best hoe his row extremely carefully.
    Turk’s face darkened. Apparently he wasn’t ready to spill his innermost secrets to Ford. Ford had found a good conversation killer whenever Turk insisted on discussing something Ford didn’t want to. “You’re a crude, lowdown bastard, Ford Illuminati.”
    Ford grinned cruelly. “Ain’t I, though?”
    Turk jammed his brain bucket onto his skull while Ford turned on his heel and walked back to the hangar, practically whistling a happy tune.

CHAPTER TEN
    MADISON
    “S o he shows up at the Bum Steer rocking this glow-in-the-dark cut that makes him look like a fucking Iron Man villain.”
    It was wonderful to be back around the Bare Bones brothers. Cropper had cast a few glances at me but hadn’t tried to talk to me. I wasn’t nearly as traumatized by seeing Cropper and his ugly Cro-Magnon mug again as I had imagined I’d be. He was standing outside the hangar with a crowd of men flying colors proclaiming them to be Baal’s Minions.
    His steely glance just flickered over me, doing a classic double take when he first caught sight of me. Then he forced himself to laugh at something his brothers said. He was much greyer now. I guess there were so many people around—about two thousand, someone said—that I could pretty much ignore Cropper. Maybe he was too old to bother girls anymore.
    His lack of effect on me made me wonder. Maybe I can visit Speed here sometimes. Maybe I can even stand seeing Ford…with other women…
    Apparently this “rally” involved brother clubs from all over the southwest. A live band was playing Lynryd Skynyrd covers, and a sea of choppers was parked on a nearby butte on an old runway, shining so painfully in the sun you needed shades to look. Old ladies with rainbow-colored hair wore see-through shirts and black hobnailed boots, and there were enough rhinestones to be seen from outer space.
    They had lined up all the Illuminati equipment parade style to showcase a corral area where grown men rode old rice rockets and clunkers in a sort of demolition derby.
    Pass-arounds and club whores wore black leather chaps and little else. It was threatening