After that, his next responsibility was showing up to pay his penance to the MC for his behavior, taking over as clubhouse bartender and maintenance man for Tommy Castillo, while the young recruit finally got his shot at some field work. Playing bartender only made him think of Eva more and more. He replayed memories of bending her over the counter, kneeling underneath her soft heat, making her writhe on top of his face. He could practically see her, sitting there at the bar, reading and smiling up at him, eyes heavy with attraction. The thought made his chest ache.
Deep down, Will knew he cared about Eva, but he wasn’t so sure she cared about him—not now. Thinking about that day Jase and Ghost dragged him out of the bar filled him with shame. After that, Eva probably thought he was some lunatic. Who could blame her? He couldn’t have looked sane, pushing his best friend around for no reason, readying to drag Charlie out into battle. He may have saved the Murdocks, in the end, but looking back, he could recognize that he really just got lucky things didn’t go a lot worse. He had no confidence that Eva saw him as anything more than an opportunistic fuck, an exciting affair with a bad boy to get her blood going.
You’ve never told a bigger lie to yourself, came the thought from Will’s own mind. The last thing Eva would do is use you.
“You are literally the worst bartender that has ever existed.”
Will looked over and saw Ghost, both hands spread wide, leaning on the bar.
“Did you say something?” asked Will.
“ ‘Dear Yelp friends: don’t go to the Black Dogs clubhouse. Bartender was lost in a sissy romantic daydream and couldn’t even get me a fucking beer. The available pussy was acceptable. Half a star,’ ” said Ghost, pounding his fist on the bar.
Will smiled and cracked open a beer, handing it across the bar to him. “Everyone knows those reviews are bought.”
“Fair enough,” said Ghost. He took a drink and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “So, how you feelin’, sport? Get that grumpiness dug out yet?”
“You’re such a poet,” said Will. “And I’m feeling better, yes. Thanks.”
“You were a grade-A jagweed there for a while, man. And that’s my thing,” said Ghost, sticking a thumb in his own chest. “Glad to see you feeling like yourself again.”
“Glad to be feeling like myself again.”
“So, where’s your little girlfriend?”
Will swallowed his beer and gave a small shake of his head. “I’m not so sure about the future of that.” He looked down at the hands wrapped around his beer bottle. “She didn’t exactly meet me at a positive time in my life.”
“Yeah, but she knows that, doesn’t she? And she liked you anyway. I think she helped this along.”
Will crooked an eyebrow at him. “Are you trying to give me romantic advice, Ghost?”
Ghost’s face twisted into an expression of mock outrage. “What the shit is that supposed to mean? I’m not a man? I don’t have a heart just because I’m amazing at killing things?”
Will rolled his eyes with a laugh and punched Ghost in the arm. He listened to Ghost ramble on in his dramatic, pretend offense as more members of the MC started to trickle in for the Friday night meeting and subsequent party in the den. So many people were coming in and out that the sound of the door opening had faded into the background, along with the music from the jukebox, and the competitive jostling from Jase and Bones at the pool table.
Will started pulling up beers as new arrivals came in. When he stood up, Eva stood in the big wide doorway that connected the den with the main hallway. She looked like a vision from some nostalgic painting of Americana. Her slender frame was draped by a pastel pink dress, tied neatly around her waist with a matching belt. Her soft, thin brown hair fell in gentle curls at the cut of her chin, freshly washed and brushed. She wore a thin, white cardigan over her shoulders on this chilly evening, and her hands fidgeted at her waist as she gazed into the big den full of bikers, her eyes wide, but unafraid.
Will froze for a moment. She didn’t look real, standing there in all her color and softness in the midst of everything that wasn’t. Her beauty didn’t belong here, and yet Will couldn’t have been happier to see it again. He felt bursts of emotion run through his skin as he stared at her, soaking in every inch as she searched the room for his face.
“Whoa…” said Ghost from his seat suddenly, halting his annoying fake monologue. He was looking at Eva, too. “I mean… whoa. She’s like a cupcake come to life.”
Will put his beer down and gave Ghost a stern look. “Behave?”
“I wanna eat her right up.”
“Ghost.”
“I’m serious. You better be able to get around that bar faster than I can get off this stool.” Ghost started chugging his beer and held up his fingers in a slow, awkward countdown as he drank. Will just shook his head and slapped the back of Ghost’s as he came out from behind the bar and walked by.
Will felt his heart start to race as he walked up Eva. When she spotted him, her face immediately lit up in a smile that crinkled her eyes and sent a heated flush through her skin. He saw her jaw drop a little when he stopped before her.
Eva stared deep into his eyes, like she was searching for something. “Wow, I… I came here to check and see if you were doing okay, but I can see already… you look like a different man.”
Will flushed with a rare feeling of self-consciousness, smiling downward. He took his big right hand and grasped the middle of Eva’s fidgeting fingers, holding them there in a warm, tight embrace. She wrapped her hands around his lovingly, her small fingers curled and rubbing in little strokes.
“I hope not so different,” said Will. “I’m sorry I haven’t reached out to you. What you saw in me…” He shook his head. “I figured you’d never want to see me again.”
Eva smiled softly at him. She put a palm up to his face and caressed his cheek, and Will felt his stomach flutter. “I did see some darkness,” she agreed slowly. “But I think I also saw a true glimpse of who you are, Will. And I think that’s the man who is standing in front of me right now.”
“I wish you didn’t have to see me like that,” said Will. “I know I was already deep in before you arrived, but I still wish… I still wish I could take it back.” He squeezed her hands. “It was old pain I was fighting, but a new danger that was real. I only wanted to protect you. You believe that, right?”
Eva nodded. “I do. And you did, Will. You protected us. You made the difference. I’m glad the wolf in you was there when we needed it.” She smiled a little. “Coriolanus wasn’t all wrong…”
Will returned her grin. She’s really not afraid. She’s like a queen. My queen.
She looked down like she was gathering her courage. “You’ve made a difference to me. A big difference. I know I don’t really fit into your world here and… and I understand if your interest isn’t the same… but I just wanted you to know that you made me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt. And I’ve had enough of being alone, and enough of being careful, for a fucking lifetime.”
Will raised his eyebrows at her curse, and couldn’t help but smile. It made Eva blush.
“I just mean… I liked spending time with you, and for more reasons than just your dick,” she said with a mischievous smile that made Will ache with lust. “So if you wanted to keep spending time together, maybe try and see what we’re like without a bounty hanging over our heads, I think I would like that.”
Will smiled so big, his face muscles hurt. He leaned down and rested his forehead on Eva’s, whispering, “You really would?”
Eva nodded under his face, and planted a tiny, heartbreaking kiss on his lips.
“My life isn’t always as insane as last week, but it’s also not boring. Are you sure you want that kind of trouble?”