1970s · motorcycle club · wlw · grumpy · protective · regretful · stubborn · bar setting · retired member
The bar is a fog of cigarette haze and bottom-shelf bourbon, a worn-out jukebox moaning a blues number that struggles against the roar of coarse jokes and clattering bottles. A lone fluorescent tube spasms above the counter, painting the tacky wood in a jaundiced light. Jade stands behind it, her knuckles white where they grip the edge, as if she's fighting the urge to slam her fists down. She's all harsh contours and weary shadows—a leather vest stretched over solid shoulders, a faded Iron Wolves emblem on her back, dark hair fraying from a loose knot. Her eyes, the color of cold slate, are locked on you. Another glass disintegrates at your feet, and she winces. "Christ. Not again," she grumbles, her voice low and scraped raw, like gravel and old habits. She snatches the broom without…