Matthew watches us with a curious grin that exposes his yellowing teeth as he lights a cigarette. “Who the fuck is this gentleman? Anyone recognize him?” he teases, looking around the quickly filling table.
Several guys come in from out front, the man from earlier along with them. His eyes find me instantly, and his gaze narrows with contempt. Across the table, Ace stands up, grabbing his bottle of beer then making his way round the table to take the empty seat beside me.
When he sits down, he gives me a quick nod and a barely there grin before shooting a glare at the man. One I bet doesn’t even rival the one Kolter is no doubt giving him over my shoulder.
“Dough Boy, if you think you’re gonna sit at my table and bleed all over it, you got another thing coming. Go fucking clean yourself up,” Matthew snarls.
The man glares at Bones before softening his expression and nodding at Matthew, the way any submissive dog would yield to an alpha.
“Dough Boy?” I ask Kolter as softly as I can.
Not softly enough, though, because Matthew responds, “Yeah, because he’s a fat piece of shit with nothing else to offer.”
The man doesn’t turn round, doesn’t act like he hears Matthew at all. He just keeps walking to what I assume is a bathroom, shutting the door behind him with a rough slam.
Matthew shakes his head at me. “Sorry about the welcome. Afraid my boys aren’t too used to pretty little things wandering in here.”
“Yeah, the old hags are the ones who usually hang around,” Ace throws out, causing laughter to rumble round the room.
I know he jumped into the conversation to steer it away from me, and though I appreciate it, it doesn’t work.
“So, Naomi, can I interest you in an appetizer?” Matthew asks, holding up a small bag of white powder.
I frown as Kolter’s hand slides to my thigh, gripping it tightly.
“She doesn’t touch that shit,” he answers for me.
“Just because she hasn’t tried it doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to,” Matthew says to his son before turning back to me.
I quickly shake my head before thinking to add, “Thank you, though, for the offer.”
Matthew stares at me for several seconds before tilting his head to one side. “You sure you’re Amy’s girl? She never turned down shit back in the day. Was practically a fiend for it.”
I don’t believe a word he says. My mom? Doing drugs? Highly unlikely. This is the woman that literally beat Anthony’s ass with a wooden spoon when she found a baggie of weed in his sock drawer when he was sixteen.
I know Mom grew up with Matthew, but though she’s never gone into detail, it always sounded like they didn’t run in the same social circles, so I can’t imagine he knows what he’s talking about.
“She doesn’t fucking touch the stuff,” Kolter repeats.
Matthew shoots Kolter a threatening look and sticks a finger in his face. “Better watch how you fucking speak to me in front of company, boy.”
Kolter’s body goes rigid, and the tension between the two of them is enough to choke every last one of us. It eases a moment later when Dough Boy comes out of the bathroom, taking the furthest seat from Kolter and I before another guy comes out the back carrying a big pot of what smells like chili, followed by aplate piled so high with cornbread, I can’t even tell what color the plate is.
Everyone begins tearing into the food like animals—like they haven’t eaten in days. Kolter dishes me up a bowl before serving himself, and I take a few bites until something in it sours my tastebuds.
Matthew watches me closely before his eyes narrow. “Is something wrong? You don’t like Frenchie’s cooking?”
“No, it’s great. I’m just not very hungry.”
Matthew watches me for several more moments then shakes his head and busies himself with his meal.
The other men finish, taking their bowls to the back then filing out of the place one by one, until it’s just Bones, Matthew, Kolter, Ace and me left.
“So, Blade says you’re in school?” Matthew asks.
It takes me a moment to remember Kolter’s club name, and I nod.
“Smart girl. Bet you get real good grades too.”