Page 60 of Twisted Road

“Sheesh,” Seychelle exploded, throwing her arms into the air again and then quickly dropping them and hunching a little. “You’d think I ran off the road all the time. I’ve been driving for years. I know exactly what’s going to happen. Savage and I have clear rules in our home, what he can dictate and what he can’t. Driving was off his list. I had no idea the sneak was stealing my car keys. You can bet he’ll use this as an excuse to try to take away my car. He detests me going anywhere without him.”

“He’s just worried about your safety,” Blythe said gently.

“Ha!” Seychelle exclaimed. “The man is a serious control freak, and all of you know it.” She turned to Lyric. “You have no idea how controlling a man can try to be until you’ve met Savage.”

Lyric found herself laughing. Keys and Savage might be brothers the way they seemed to have similar tendencies.

“Are you ready?” Blythe asked Lyric. “You’ll love the Floating Hat. It’s unique, smells like heaven and anything you get there is wonderful.”

For a moment, Lyric was inexplicably happy. She liked these women and felt she had something in common with them. They seemed to be genuinely offering her friendship. She’d always wanted a family and friends. It was just that—she was different. Many times, when she’d thought girls or women were her friends, they turned on her. She couldn’t be cutesy, rushing to jump into the arms of an adult and hugging them happily. She didn’t like anyone to touch her. She couldn’t look anyone in the eye and usually didn’t understand their humor. Well—the exception seemed to be Keys.

She was grateful for him. He hadn’t told her he wanted her to be the real Lyric with these women. He might claim them as family, but he was willing for her to be comfortable with them and be the Lyric able to cope. He might be rough as hell in bed, and on the controlling side, but he’d given her so many sweet moments. He made her feel like she had a home and family.

“You look so sad, Lyric,” Blythe said. “Is something wrong?”

That instantly drew everyone’s attention. She slipped her friendly mask on. “I was just going over the list of things I have to do in order to open the salon on time.”

“You’ve been working nonstop all week, according to Reaper,” Anya said. “It’s okay to take a little time for yourself.”

“Come with us, Lyric,” Blythe encouraged. “We really want to get to know you. Keys is adamant that you’re staying, that you’re his. Once one of these men lays claim to a woman, they don’t let go. We’re hoping we can ease the way.”

“I’d love to go with you,” Lyric said. “Let me grab my sweater.”

It wasn’t like she had tons of clothes, and sometimes Keys got carried away. When he did, her clothes tended to end up ripped and on the floor. He always said he would take her shopping for new clothes, but she was so busy she hadn’t wanted to take the time. Now she regretted that decision.

She hurried to the back room, caught up her bulky sweater, the one that made her feel secure, and put it on as she joined the women.

Blythe held out her hand for the car keys as they approached a small MINI Cooper. Seychelle dropped them into her palm with a little grimace. At the same time, she looked across the street. Anya and Blythe slipped into the car without checking around them, but Lyric followed Seychelle’s gaze to two men wearing cuts, both sitting on motorcycles.

“Hyde and Glitch,” Seychelle told her. “Prospects for Torpedo Ink. Snitches, if you ask me. If you stub your toe, they’re going to tell.” She slammed her door with just a little too much force. “If they weren’t such tattletales, I’d like them both.”

Blythe glanced over her shoulder with a little frown. “Seychelle, are you upset about something? We always tease you about your driving. It can’t be that.”

Sitting in the back seat with her, Lyric could feel waves of distress coming off Seychelle. In the salon, Seychelle had exhibited discomfort, but it stood to reason when all of them were so focused on her driving. Lyric, like Blythe, believed this anxiety came from somewhere else.

Seychelle pushed her forehead into her hand. “I did something stupid, and if Savage finds out, which he will, he’ll never let me out of the house without somebody with me.”

Lyric didn’t touch people as a rule, but Seychelle was so upset that she wanted to. She just didn’t know how, so she sat awkwardly waiting for Anya or Blythe to help their friend. Seychelle dropped her hands into her lap, threading her fingers together, but she held them so tightly they turned white.

“You’re safe with us, Seychelle,” Blythe said gently. “Tell us what happened. We’ll figure it out.”

Was Seychelle afraid of Savage? Lyric had seen him several times now, and he was extremely intimidating. Did he hurt Seychelle? She couldn’t help herself. Every cell in her body screamed at her not to touch the other woman, but that terrible empathy she had for others compelled her to gently put her hand over Seychelle’s. The moment she touched her, she felt the other woman’s genuine fear—but try as she could, she couldn’t pin that fear on Savage. She patted Seychelle’s hand and quickly retreated.

“I went grocery shopping before I picked you and Anya up.” Seychelle made it a confession. Lyric didn’t understand why going grocery shopping was a big deal. “I went very early in the morning so I’d have plenty of time to get you two before coming to meet Lyric.” She turned her face toward Lyric. “I was really looking forward to meeting you. I wanted to make certain you felt welcomed.”

The tension in the car went up several notches. Lyric could tell both Blythe and Anya were concerned, but she didn’t understand why.

“When I met Savage, the rest of Torpedo Ink weren’t very nice to me and I wanted out,” Seychelle said. “Anya had a difficult time as well. I don’t want that for you.”

“Seychelle,” Blythe interrupted gently before Lyric could reply. “I need to know what happened at the grocery store.”

Seychelle hesitated and then blew out a breath. Her arms snaked around her middle in a self-soothing hug. “Just as I came out with my groceries, a car came in very fast. It hit a woman and knocked her back several feet.”

Blythe and Anya gasped, and Anya turned all the way around in the seat, her gaze inspecting every inch of Seychelle.

Seychelle kept her head down. Lyric reached out tentatively, trying to find through her energy what could possibly be wrong. Seychelle was adept at covering her energy, but there was physical pain, something difficult to conceal if one wasn’t focusing their entire attention on hiding it.

“I did try to stay away, Blythe, but there was a little girl with her, and she was screaming and no one was helping. They called 911, so the ambulance was coming, but the woman needed help immediately.”