Avery Razorback MC Book 4

4

GEMMA'S POV: 

I woke up the same way I did the day before. I groaned as I rolled and got up. I got my sister ready, made her breakfast, made sure that she took her homework with her. She was ready to go, and Ms. Sabrina took her in and waved me off as she went inside. I walked to the bus, did my normal morning routine, and when it was time for my break I went into the manager’s office and wrote out a note asking if it would be okay to have my new time off to be noon so I could help out my other job more, and that I would be available to be called any time tonight and tomorrow.

I talked to some of my co-workers coming in, asking if they had any bartending experience, but there wasn't one person that did. So, I went on to say that my other job was going to be looking to hire someone else as well and I was just throwing it out there to the people I already knew.

"Bye Gem." I waved and headed out. Going home and taking a shower. Blowing my hair out and getting dressed in black leggings, a black V-neck shirt, and my boots. I walked to the school again, waiting outside, working my shoulders as I thought about how good a nap would feel, but telling myself that the money we needed would buy the food I would eat, and that was better than a nap.

I waited until the bell rang, again, and went in. I found her and we walked home. I made her a snack, cleaned her lunch things, and set them to dry. I got things ready for her dinner, moving on to get things like my snack and dinner ready so I could eat at the club, and I headed out the second Felicity got there.

I waved and kissed Monnie and told her to be good like always and headed to the bus. I was walking across the parking lot before I knew it and walked into a quiet moment. I went back, clocked in and had to swipe my thumb three times before it actually worked. I went out to the bar, and sort of opened up. I was under the assumption that no one came in when we opened to serve drinks. I started marking people as I handed out beers and shots, and when the dancing on the main stage started around 6:30, I got my first glimpse of Avery.

He was making his way over, his eyes going over the men sitting near the stage, and then back towards me and he sent me another killer smile. Serious vibes... I was sure he got a lot of women, when he wanted them, how he wanted them. 

I smiled softly back and moved to clean a glass I was given back as he sat at the bar. "Did you get the chance to ask about your other job ending early?" He asked and I nodded.

"I asked, but I haven't gotten a response. Management there wasn't in this morning, so I wrote a formal note and asked to be let off at noon instead of asking if it was possible. I did ask some of the other waitresses I work with if they had any bartending experience but none did, but one asked why, and she is willing to take up the hours I will be giving up so my request won't be denied." I told him and he nodded slowly and seemed to space out, and I went to get him a ginger ale like he wanted yesterday, and I set it in front of him.

"Thanks."

"Am I supposed to bill you for those?" I asked knowing that was how I assumed it would go when I first got here, but Joey never made us bill the workers here. Even the dancers.

"I pay. Marcus and I have the security system up there..." He trailed off and made sure I would turn and look at the new camera that really looked right at the till and bar, like they were keeping an eye on me, but I felt silly for thinking that. I mean, they're really making sure that whoever was behind the bar, like Frank, would get caught. I was just another person they didn't know or trust yet. "At the end of the week, we are both going to tally up what we owe and pay it."

"Smart." I told him and nodded. "Guess it's the same with the girls?" I asked knowing most of them knew they could come and get a free water, but most wanted a shot before they left, or a wine to sip on when it was slow.

"No, they're now on a strict, water only thing unless they're off duty, and when they are, they pay out of pocket like any other customer." He told me and I nodded before making a mental note of that myself.

"Got it."

"Same with you." He teased, or he seemed to tease, and I just laughed.

"I don't drink." I told him and he nodded slowly and looked over my face.

"How old are you?" He asked and I laughed this time and smirked.

"How old do you think I am?"

"22."

"Kind of. I am 23, almost 24." I told him and he smiled.

"And when is the big day?" I didn't want to tell him. I didn't like putting the idea out there that I needed the day off. My birthday was just another day. Well... it was a holiday, but it didn't matter. I didn't celebrate other than a small hostess cupcake and a candle with Monnie in the morning.

"I am sure it's in my file. I don't like telling people, some guys would make a joke about it." I told him and he seemed intrigued.

"Did you ask for it off already?" He asked and I shook my head.

"I don't mind working on my birthday." I told him and he looked a little funny before nodding.

"I get it. I'm a Marine and my birthday for a long time was just a day in the sand." He told me and I nodded.

"You're still enlisted?" I asked knowing that meant he might be shipped out one day with no goodbye.

"No longer in, but once a Marine always a Marine." He told me and I nodded slowly. Somehow that made sense, but his entire persona, while talking about that time, just saying he was a Marine, changed slightly. Like he was closed off to it. I let it drop and I grabbed my glass, filled it with a bit of ice, grabbed a straw, and filled it with tap water before going to lean against the bar as he started to do some paperwork.

AVERY'S POV:

I filled out the last of the bills, trying not to think about this morning’s issues when I had to physically remove Frank from the building. Marcus took over the bartending, he had some experience, thankfully, and until we found someone, or until Gemma could come in at the beginning of the day, he would be doing it when people wanted a drink.

My ribs still hurt from where Frank tried to take me down, but it was nothing. I worked through the pain, getting the security bills paid, writing out checks, and keeping them close on me so when Lucien and Razor showed up, they could just sign them, and everything would be physically done.

I looked over at Gemma as she pulled out a champagne bottle for some guys who came in ready to celebrate. She set it down, closed the small cabinet she got it from, get the bucket, filled it with ice, and moved to pop it open, only, she couldn't get it. One of the guys waiting for it told her to try harder, that it wasn't that hard, and he said it was just like making a guy c*m.

I rolled my eyes and went around the bar, slamming it down, using the bubbles to help me get the cork out, and then I handed it over in the ice bucket, took the card that was slapped down for her to take, and ran it.

"Besides that, bottle, they only get two beers each." I told her and she nodded in response. Her cheeks were bright red, and I had to wonder if she was embarrassed at being talked to like that. "If a man talks to you like that, you have the right, if you need to, to call over a bouncer, or me, and get him taken care of. You, and the ladies on stage, are not zoo animals to be teased." I told her and she nodded and looked up and around.

"Thanks." She whispered and I nodded. I moved back around, getting set up to watch those guys. Before too long they were shouting vulgar things at the dancers, and while they weren't respectful, I knew it was nothing new to these girls. They all stayed seated. No one reached out to touch what they couldn't have.

Before the last woman went on, Razor and Lucien strolled through the doors and while I sat up a bit straighter, I saw Gemma kind of freeze. Her eyes trailed after them, and as Razor nodded to her, she came over as he sat down next to me and then she looked at Lucien. She didn't look scared, she looked... intrigued?

"What can I get you guys?"

"Beer for me." Lucien smiled at her and she gulped hard and nodded before looking at Razor.

"Ice water." She nodded again and then her eyes landed on me and I shook my head. I still had a bit of ginger ale. She got their drinks, set them down and left us so she could go wait at the end of the bar. At least she knew this was business.

"I have these." I handed out the three paper packets, then the three checks that went with them and Lucien signed off right away and took a swig and I smirked. "Bad night Luce?" I asked him and he sent his glare at me.

"Your sister is busting my balls about some kind of dance she wants to do as a couple. I don't dance. She knows that." He told me and shook his head. Their wedding was a couple months away, and Jackie was adamant that she had to have the perfect wedding. She even kind of talked with our dad about walking her down the aisle.

"Just dance." I told him and he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I just wanted to do what this guy did. Of course, I ended up with the OCD maniac who wants everything perfect. You know what she did... she told me that I had to get my hair cut at a stylist. not my barber who cuts my hair every other week... no I have to go to a stylist she has found for me." He told us and while I could only laugh, Ryan basically fell out of his chair in a fit of laughter. "Cami is right there with her, telling her that I had to get my suit tailored, that I need it dry cleaned and pressed and steamed before I wear it."

I laughed a little harder just thinking about that. "She is your fiancé, and definitely your daughter."

"She's your sister. Tell her to chill, to think of it as a party and not a mission." He told me and I just kept laughing. I went to take a sip of my drink which was bad idea. "She keeps telling me that she can't get pregnant until a couple weeks before the wedding." I choked hard. I coughed, slapped my chest. I kept coughing until they fuckers were both laughing at me, and Gemma came over with flat water and handed it over.

I chugged it and rubbed my stomach as a knot formed and I turned my eyes to Lucien who was just laughing his ass off. "That's not funny. You know I don't like hearing that shit." I told him and he nodded and laughed again. I shook my head, feeling like I was going to throw up. "Thanks." I told Gemma when she filled up my ginger ale and she nodded back and smiled at the guys before she jumped at hearing a hand slap the bar.

It was the same f**k who was talking about making a guy c*m earlier. "Come on sweetheart, hand me a beer." He gave her a wink and she moved to get one. "No, not that one. I want one you have to bend over for. A real cold one."

"It is the brand you want right?" She asked and he looked over it and nodded. "Then this is what you get. If you want, you can get some of the ice in the bin and use that to make it colder." She opened it, handed it over, and he narrowed his eyes at her as he took his first sip.

"You're hard to get. I like that." He winked at her and I just moved to stand but Razor put a hand on my shoulder. I wasn't wearing my cut; I took it off when I went down to check the pipes earlier.

"Hey dickhead." Lucien called out to get his attention, he paled just slightly, and he looked from them to me before gulping hard. "You treat the women here with respect or you leave."

"Sure." He nodded quick and turned, leaving fast. He got back to his table, and he said something that caught all of their attentions, and we were faced with all of them turning to look at the three of us.

"Fuck..." Razor whispered before we both heard Lucien make some sort of comment asking what they were looking at.

"What's he doing?" I heard Gemma and she seemed to panic as Lucien got up and Ryan stood up too.

"Get back, don't get in the way." I told her and she went wide eyed and backed up all the way to the sinks.  It didn't take long for the drunkest guy in their little group to get up and face off with Lucien.

Fuck I was going to get even more bruised up. The guy tried to strike first, and as soon as Lucien threw his first into the guys face, the others kind of charged. I went for the one that tried to hit his sides, and we were all in a brawl. I punched, got punched, and was only left with more sore ribs.

"Are you okay?" Gemma had little rags of ice filled by the time the other bouncers got there and escorted the men out.

"Just fine. I was already sore, but now I am exhausted and beaten to a pulp."

"Just like boot camp, right Marine?" Lucien clapped my back and I sent him a glare before shaking my head. 

"f**k off, why do you start s**t?" I asked him and he laughed.

"You should have seen him in middle school. New fight every week." Razor told me and shook out his hand before icing it again. I moved to put the ice against my side and grabbed the stool I was on and set it up right.

"Maybe he should have joined the Marines." I muttered and shook my head. "This s**t was old when I was breaking up recruits. I gotta say it's old now."

"Aw, what's wrong? First you choke, now you are whining about a fight. What's wrong?"

"I already had my fighting quota for the day. I had to get the drunk bartender out of here when I gave him his severance pay this morning." I told him and he held his hands up and he lost his smile.

"Don't tell Jackie I made you fight."

"Whatever fucker, she's going to get mad that you have bloody knuckles anyways." I told him and he just smirked, then laughed. 

"I wouldn't say mad... horny-"

"Lucien!" I shouted his name to cut him off, but he was just as loud. "Stop talking about that shit." I told him and he laughed hard before slapping his hand down.

"I am out of here. I got a good night of f**k-"

"Shut up." Razor pushed on his shoulder and pushed on him until they were headed out. "Have a good night Avery, you too Gem." He nodded to her and set the ice on the counter for her. 

"Bye." She waved and I raised an eyebrow at her as she smiled wide.

"You know they're both taken." I told her and she shot her eyes to me.

"I can guess. One was teasing you about your sister, and the other was wearing a ring. It's called being nice, not flirting with every man or woman you meet." She told me, her eyes narrowed, and then she went around me and towards the table of the guys we kicked out. She grabbed the bottle, the glasses, and the bucket before coming back towards me. She avoided all eye contact, and she didn't bother refilling my glass before she started to close.

What was that about?