Page 65 of Twisted Road

Blythe smiled at him. Lyric could see it wasn’t a genuine smile. “Like that would really happen. Every other moment there’s a club emergency, and it’s the same at home. One of the kids is always sick.”

“Fortunately for us, some of the club members have acquired partners. That’s unfortunate for them because we’re going to get out of here.” He turned his head and looked straight into Blythe’s eyes. “I need it. You need it. We’re getting pieces of us taken, and there’s nothing filling us back up. I’ll do the planning, baby. You just have to come with me.”

“I’d follow you to hell, Czar,” Blythe said.

“That’s my line,” he said. “We’re setting up in the back room. When Sid and his brothers come in, do me a favor and keep a low profile. Once we’re out of sight, it won’t matter. I don’t want to draw any attention to any of you. Fortunately, this place is packed.”

“Are you worried something is going to go wrong?” Blythe asked. “We can leave.”

Czar laughed. “Baby, we’re here because my personal big badass enforcer is going to see to his favorite chick, and she wants to spend a little time with her friends. If the three of you leave and head back to Caspar, we’ll be holding a meeting in Lyric’s salon. Might not be a bad idea.” He turned his piercing gaze on Lyric. “You can give haircuts while we hash out a deal with Headed for Hell.”

Lyric knew he was teasing by the sudden laughter in his eyes, so she managed a smile in return.

Seychelle glanced over her shoulder to send Savage a loving look. “He is rather wonderful, isn’t he?” she asked Czar.

Czar groaned and shook his head. “He’s a major pain in the ass.” Leaning, once again, into Blythe, he brushed kisses all over her face. “I made reservations for us to hit Crow 287 tonight for dinner. Darby isn’t working and will watch the kids for us. Sometimes I need to discuss things with you, and can’t because our lovely little family interrupts every two seconds. Need your input, baby. Can you be ready by seven?”

Lyric had to admit Czar was smooth. He sounded and felt sincere.

Blythe nodded, looking pleased. “A night out with you sounds amazing.”

Lyric gazed over her shoulder to take a long look at Keys. He was so still that he had nearly disappeared into the shadows. If it weren’t for the occasional woman still attempting to get his attention, she knew he would be difficult to see. That made no sense, as he was a big man.

Czar rose. When he did, Savage and Reaper went on alert. “Maestro and Player are going back to the clubhouse with Steele, Lyric. Keys has requested that he remain here. Supposedly, it’s to watch out for my safety, but I think he’s like Savage. The real reason he’s here is sitting at this table.”

Czar hesitated and then ran his palm down the back of Blythe’s head, over her blond hair. “I do my best to keep Blythe free of club business and separate her as much as possible because I worry about the danger to her. Savage doesn’t want to share club business with Seychelle but wants her to be close at all times. Keys hasn’t shown me what he believes as far as club business, but it’s clear he holds the same view as Savage about keeping his woman close. One has to wonder, what’s the right thing to do?”

“Honey,” Blythe said gently. “There’s never one right way. Everyone is different. Their relationships are different, and the dynamics are different in those relationships. That means they have to find what works for them. They have to have their own code, their own rules. Ours keep changing because we have children, and it isn’t just the two of us. You work terribly hard and have a lot riding on your shoulders. I have the children and my job. Savage and Seychelle have to worry about her going out in public. Each time she does, there is a real risk to her life.” She looked across the table to Lyric. “And you, you’ve done the impossible. All of us were worried about Keys. You make him happy. I don’t know you yet, but I can’t wait to have you firmly in the family.”

“I second that, Lyric,” Czar said. “Mistakes were made with both Anya and Seychelle. In the beginning, we didn’t know what we were doing.” He wrapped his arms around Blythe. “Our guide back into civilian life hadn’t had the proper time to work with all of us.”

Blythe laughed and for the first time sounded carefree. “All of you are still a handful.”

“One of the things Blythe said that really resonated with me,” Czar said, “is that whatever we’re feeling, it is okay to feel. Anger. Love. Need. She validated those intense feelings we all had and made it okay to be who we are. We didn’t have to let go of us, just open our minds and hearts a little wider.”

Lyric thought there was truth to that. As Czar turned away, she voiced her concerns. “Sid is going to recognize me. He knows Keys is Torpedo Ink. It would stand to reason that he’d identify Seychelle, Anya and Blythe as Torpedo Ink.”

“No worries,” Czar said. “When they arrive outside, Keys will get you, and you’ll be sitting at a table with him. There won’t be any need for Sid to look around. He’ll want to speak to you and Keys. Just follow Keys’ lead.”

Lyric sighed as he walked away. “Of course they worked it out in advance. They apparently think of everything.”

“That’s a good thing,” Anya pointed out.

“It’s just annoying.” Seychelle backed up Lyric’s point of view.

“Czar has been coming up with plans and contingencies if those plans go south since he was younger than ten,” Blythe explained. “He’s very detail oriented.”

“That’s what Reaper says,” Anya agreed. “Lyric, you’ll have to have Keys tell you some of the stories from their childhood. While it’s horrific to think children went through those things, it gives you a far better perspective on why they are so tied together and just what Czar did to save them.”

“And don’t forget to ask about the advice Ice and Storm gave Reaper on sexual surrogates,” Anya added. “At least I can laugh about it now, but if Keys says he got advice from either of those two jokers, bash him over the head with a frying pan for even listening.”

“Maestro and Lana wanted stand-ins for me on a run to give my man…you know. They didn’t think I was up to the task,” Seychelle said.

Lyric was horrified. “They encouraged him to cheat on you?”

Blythe sighed. “They didn’t view it as cheating, more as if they were protecting Seychelle. They don’t think normally, but who does? Maybe I should say they don’t have a clue about how to fit into society with the rules we have.”

“They’re more comfortable having sex with other Torpedo Ink members around,” Anya said. “They feel safer. And they absolutely don’t care about nudity.”