Texas Pride. Gerry Bartlett

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      “Tell her you and I are destined to be together, baby doll. And that you’ll never love another man.” The booming voice made her jump. “Also promise her that any man she tries to fix you up with will never live to make it down the aisle. I’ll see to that.”

      Billy turned and bumped fists with the giant of a man in black leathers who stood in the doorway to his office. “Slash, talk like that is what gets you in trouble. I just heard you threaten some poor sap.”

      “Albert, it is that kind of conversation that makes me afraid to date you.” Mai stalked to the door. She turned and gave the giant a tiny smile. “Eight o’clock. And you pick me up in a car, not on the back of that loud motorcycle. Are we clear this time?”

      “Yes, ma’am.” Albert Madison, also known as Slash to the members of his motorcycle gang, grinned like he’d won the lottery. “I have tickets to that acrobatic thing you like.”

      “Good. And wear a suit.” She looked him up and down. “Made of cloth.” She swished out the door.

      “God, I love that woman.” Albert followed Billy into his office. “By the time she gets through with me, you won’t know me, Billy.”

      “You’re changing for her.” Billy settled behind his desk. He had a thick file with Albert’s name on it. Because of his motorcycle gang. He was a good guy behind his gruff exterior. None of the charges had stuck. Because Albert had a lot of money and had hired Billy, the best criminal lawyer in town. Billy wouldn’t have taken him on as a client if it was dirty money. No, Slash had invested in local real estate. The man had a nose for areas of Houston that were due for restoration and trendy upscale development. His motorcycle “club” was a group of men, many of them veterans with anger issues, who loved their loud motorcycles and long rides. They’d organized when it became obvious that law enforcement didn’t like to see them coming.

      “I’m trying to change, but it ain’t easy. Had a run-in with the law last weekend.” He held up a hand when Billy started to speak. “No, I didn’t call you because it didn’t go that far. Just wanted to give you a heads-up now. We were on the road going east. Drove through a little town. You know the kind. Speed slows from seventy to thirty-five so quick you have to hit the brakes. So we all slowed down. Not one of us was doing over the speed limit. Patrol stopped us anyway.”

      “Anything happen?” Billy leaned forward. “You have some guys that like to carry things they shouldn’t.”

      “You think I don’t know that? I’ve told them to ditch the drugs they don’t have legitimate prescriptions for. Get the fucking permits for the guns. I’m getting some pushback on my ‘rules’ for the rides.” He stood and walked around to examine the bookcases lining one wall. “PTSD is a bitch. A few need weed to chill. I get it. Still, we gave the cop no reason to search anyone. None. But he made every one of us show our driver’s licenses. Wouldn’t you know that dumb ass Jaime Reyes had let his expire? Then the law starts looking at him funny. Because he’s Latino. Well, what do you know? Cop asks to see his green card.” Albert picked up a trophy Billy had won in a golf tournament and held it in one fist. “Why the hell should he have a green card when he was born in Pasadena fucking Texas?”

      “I have a feeling I know where this is going.” Billy got up and wrenched his trophy from Albert’s fist. “Don’t bend that. I suck at golf. I only got that because I was in a foursome with friends who can putt.” He put it back on the shelf. “So what happened?”

      “We moved in, surrounded the asshole cop and Jaime. Let the fucker know that when you’re born American and have served your country, you sure as hell don’t carry no green card.” Albert’s English was getting rougher and his face redder. He was six-five, red-haired, and his face flushed easily.

      “I have a feeling the cop was calling for backup about then.” Billy eased Albert into a chair. He pulled a bottle of water out of his mini-fridge and tossed it to him. “Calm down. Obviously, it ended all right or I’d have spent the weekend dealing with this.”

      Albert drained the bottle then handed the empty back to Billy. He took a steadying breath and pulled the tie from his hair to shake it out. “It still makes me so damned mad, Bill. The prejudice. You know?”

      “Yeah. I know.” Billy sat in the chair next to him. The gang Albert ran was diverse and the stronger for it. He’d always liked Albert for his world view on racial matters.

      “Anyway, backup came and who should show up but a Latino cop.” Albert chuckled. “I tell you, it did my heart good to see that white cop’s face. He picked up his walkie, like he was going to call in someone else and that other cop gave him such a look. He just strolled up to Jaime and they started jabbering in Spanish. Seems a few questions about parents and grandparents and everything was cool. Both cops backed off and we were free to go on our way. Jaime got a warning to get that license taken care of, that’s all.”

      “Good. So why are you here?” Billy sat back and relaxed.

      “To see Mai, of course.” Albert laughed. “I made up an excuse, but I really just wanted to ask her out. She’s been playing hard or next to impossible to get. Her family wants her to marry a man with a Japanese background.” He looked around the office. “You got something stronger than water in that fridge?”

      “Sure. Beer?” Billy got up and opened the mini-fridge built into the bookcase. “Corona okay?”

      “That’ll hit the spot. Join me.” Albert took a cold bottle gratefully and popped the top. “You know Mai’s family would shit a brick before they’d accept me. But she’s enough of a rebel that it just might suit her to bring me into the fold, so to speak.” He took a deep swallow.

      “Don’t steal my assistant, Albert. She keeps this place running.” Billy sipped his beer. Not a good idea since he had a lot of work ahead of him today. But maybe it was a good idea to talk to Albert about this. “How did you get her to give you a shot? You two are very different.”

      “I’ve been wearing her down. I had to find out what she liked. That acrobatic troop. Cirque de whatever. Heard her on the phone with her sister. So I bought the tickets. Then there’s the fact that her auntie’s fixing her up with guys who are bound to be, no offense, lawyers, doctors, straight arrows. I’m different. You may not know it, but women like Mai get sick of the same old, same old.” Albert grinned and finished his beer. “Women all secretly want a bad boy.” He unzipped his jacket sleeve and stretched out his arm covered in tattoos. “I’ve literally got danger written all over me.”

      Billy laughed. Sure enough, there was “Danger” in bold letters up one forearm. Bad boy. He’d been one before he’d realized that he needed to clean up his act if he wanted to make something of himself and fit in with the society folks who could afford to pay well for his legal services. Now he was so groomed and sanitized he could hardly remember what it was like to be the wild teenager who’d made girls scream when he drove up into their yards and whisked them away for a night of what they’d called naughty pleasure. He had a sudden brainstorm—and here was someone who could help, sitting right beside him.

      “Hey, Albert. I’ll let you borrow my Beemer for your date tonight if you’ll let me ride your Harley. What do you say? Just for one night.” And a plan was put into motion. He had to swear on a stack of bibles he’d treat Slash’s Harley right or he’d be lawyering for his gang pro bono for years to come, but it would be worth it.

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