Runaway ✔

066 • Dana

Dana was lying on the couch, her feet in Juice's lap. It was ten o'clock.  Juice's laptop was opened on the table, but it had been a while since Happy had called. They were at Kip and Cherry's house, it was the first time Juice and Dana were there together. After archery Opie and Jax had gone home to their kids, and Cherry had taken them here and ordered pizzas. 

"A cocktail à la Cherry." 

Cherry pushed a martini glass in her hands, complete with a lemon wedge on the rim. Dana took it from her and looked at the red liquid. "Looking good." 

"Of course it does. I've worked a couple of years in a bar at the beach. Making cocktails is one of my talents."

Dana took a sip. The sweetness rolled through her mouth, it tasted like cherries. "Hmm, it's really good, dude." She looked at the two boys. "You're missin' one hell of a drink." 

Kip and Juice confined themselves to cola, so they were sober enough to ride and stay alert. Dana didn't know if they were taking a bigger risk while staying here – she doubted it – but the guns were ready on the table and the two shooters would make sure they wouldn't miss a bullet.

"Hmm-hmm," was all Kip answered, his eyes glued to the tv where some motorrace was going on.

Cherry squeezed her eyes, grabbed the remote controller out of his lap and turned off the tv. "Don't be so unsociable."

While cursing, Kip tried to get the device back, but Cherry pushed him away with her foot against his chest. "Calm down. Don't wanna spoil this cocktail. I got a better idea than watching tv."

Dana raised her eyebrows. Cherry's ideas were usually quite special. 

"Let's play poker." She started to grin. "Strip poker."

Dana looked at Juice, curious how he would react. She'd already experienced the guys were quite possessive when it came to their old ladies, and she doubted he would still appreciate it when she would do a pole dance act again in her lingerie. In that respect she was his, although in a less obsessive way than Maddox. 

Their eyes met. She shrugged her shoulders; everyone in this room had seen her in her underwear. It was more of a question how Juice and Kip thought about stripping in front of each other. 

"All right," Juice said eventually with a crooked smile. He rubbed his stomach. "Although I don't wanna embarrass Sack with my great body. It would be too bad for him if Cherry fantasizes about me tonight."

"Oh, I do that all the time." Cherry put down her empty glass. "Maybe we could switch partners for once. Or do a foursome. Dane already told me she would love to try a threesome. One more or less won't make a difference."

Dana felt her cheeks glow when she caught Juice's questioning look. That it had been a joke, sounded as a pitiful defense.

"Well Kip? You're joinin' us?" Dana asked, who rather went back to the strip poker instead of explaining where Cherry's remark was coming from.

"With a foursome?" He stuck out his tongue. "Or poker? I'm open to both, as long as we find a female candidate to replace Juice."

Cherry snorted. "As if you can handle three chicks."

Kip seemed to find this the right moment to walk to the closet to search for a game of cards. Dana sat up straight, folded her feet beneath herself and took a sip from the cocktail. It was a strange day. On the one hand more relaxing than whatever day before, whereby they'd gone out like a normal group of friends and ate pizza with another couple –  and were about to play strip poker now. 

And at the same time her brother was torturing someone. Right now. 

Kip and Juice acted like it was the most natural thing in the world, but not for her. What if something went wrong? What if he would be the one to be tortured, to be killed? Nervously she scratched her elbow. She had no doubt Cherry's suggestion was nothing more than an attempt to distract her. 

Kip sat down on the couch again and shuffled the cards. 

"So how does this work?" Dana asked Cherry. Back in the day she'd played for money, but she couldn't imagine they had to throw their clothes at the table now to determine their bets. Then this game would be brief. 

"The loser takes off somethin'?" Cherry suggested. "Or the winner takes off somethin' from someone else. Free choice."

Dana chuckled. "Yeah yeah. Then we'll be in our bra's after the first round. That sounds more like the grand prize. Let's build it up. First shoes and socks, and so on." Dana looked around and discovered she was the only one who'd taken off her shoes. "And I'll put those on first too."

"You don't need to worry, babe," Juice said while leaning forward to pick up his pile of cards. "I assume Cherry rather undresses men, if Sack ever wants to earn his full patch he keeps his hands off my girl and I'll catch up tonight, when we're alone." 

His confident tone and grin made her want to jump his bones right here and now. She hovered over to him and whispered: "If you keep talkin' like that, I'll rip off your clothes before we've even started."

"Don't be so barbarous. We'll behave and play by Cherry's rules."

She chuckled softly. The look in his eyes almost challenged her to break these rules.