Tread: Biker Romance (Ronin MC Series Book 1) by Justin Morrow, Brandace Morrow Page B

call her that before.
    The man had slicked back blond hair that was a few shades darker than Kit’s. His beard was longer on his chin and kept trimmed shorter on his cheeks. His baby blues seemed to sear holes into the woman, and I watched his hands flex as they gripped the bar.
    Kit looked over her shoulder from where she was laughing with one of the other patrons. He swallowed when she stood from her bent position over the bar, and I finally caught on that he had a crush on her. Then I watched her eyes heat with more than brotherly love, and realized it was reciprocated.
    She was not obvious about it. I was just used to watching couples interact, usually with envy. She made eye contact then grabbed a frosted mug before filling it with frothy beer. Nothing about that was any different. But her hip stuck out, showing an inch of skin he couldn’t seem to look away from. Kit’s thumb stroked the big wooden handle, her silver ring catching the light. My eyes shot to the blond and I watched him shift.
    When she brought him the drink, it clunked loudly on the bar.
    “Kit . . .”
    “Yeah?” she asked with crossed arms.
    “Thanks,” he mumbled before turning away and fading into the crowd. Kit practically wilted, tugging on her bandana again.
    “Have you guys ever done anything, or is this a from afar type of thing?” I asked, biting into the cherry.
    “What are you talking about?” Kit demanded.
    I shrugged. “Nothing, just your thing with that guy.”
    “Royal?”
    “Is that the blond?” She nodded. “Then, yeah.”
    “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Grace. Leave it be.”
    I held my hands up. “Sure, sorry.” Obviously people were professionals at turning a blind eye in this town. I hopped off of my stool.
    “Where are you going?”
    “I heard there was a church around here. I was going to go douse myself with holy water,” I joked. Kit stared at me with wide eyes before throwing her head back and laughing loudly. Several heads turned to watch her then went back to their business.
    “Did you just make a joke, Gracie Lou Who? I’ll be damned.” She shook her head, still laughing.
    “Glad you aren’t sad anymore, Kit.” I turned to walk away, but she snagged my hand.
    “What church are you talking about? Where did you hear that?”
    I shrugged. “Your blond mentioned church to another guy. You know, I was starting to think that you were all a complete mess, but a congregation changes everything.” As much as I hated the life, I did know the Bible, and I felt a need to re-center myself.
    Kit’s head fell to the bar, and her arms shook as she rocked her head back and forth.
    “Yeah, so I’m gonna go.”
    “Wait. No, wait. You can’t.” Kit wiped her eyes, still giggling.
    “What is so funny?” I asked, getting annoyed.
    Kit cleared her throat and motioned for me to come closer. “Church around here isn’t like where you’re from. It’s a meeting with the cabinet members of the MC.”
    I blinked then stared at her. MC means motorcycle club, I knew that much. “So church is like a meeting at the White House?” I asked, half-jokingly.
    “Exactly.” Dang, I wasn’t serious.
    “So who’s the president?” I asked, again facetiously.
    “My dad,” Kit deadpanned.
    My eyes widened. “And the vice-president?”
    “Royal.” Kit lifted her eyebrows.
    “What does that mean?” I whispered, completely freaked out. Who were these people?
    “It means, Gracie Lou, that you can’t leave here without an escort, and the boys are going to head upstairs soon. If you want to go to a real church, there’s a Catholic on the other side of town you can get to tomorrow. With an escort.”
    “Right.” I sat back in my seat, but Kit was called away before I could ask any more questions. She served a man that looked Mexican, if I had to guess. His tan was light, more golden than bronze. His hair was up in a bun on his head, the scruff of his beard at least a few days of growth, but pretty