Page 73 of Twisted Road

Arriving at the clubhouse felt more as if they were attending a family barbecue and not a wild biker party. Dressed in the flannel shirt and shorts, Lyric blended with the other women working in the kitchen. Most wore T-shirts and jeans, but some wore shorts or leggings. She recognized Blythe, Anya and Seychelle immediately.

Kids were running around playing tag, rushing through the kitchen and out the door to whoop and yell in the yard. No one reprimanded them, and several vegetable-and-dip platters were out, along with chips and dip and cheese and various cuts of meat. Those were on smaller plates set on a low table. Lyric noticed the children would come through and grab food as they went out.

Breezy, Steele’s wife, quickly came over to her and introduced herself. “Technically, Blythe runs the show, and she’s good at it, but I do the work behind the scenes and most of the ladies help us get the food out. We’ll have more help after the family crew goes home. The women coming to party will do whatever we tell them is needed to keep everyone in food and drink. That doesn’t happen until after the kids and Blythe go home.”

“She goes home?”

“Every time. Gavriil always takes Lexi home, but Lissa and Casimir stay and party. Savage is taking Seychelle home, and Master and Ambrielle, as well as Maestro and Azelie, will be heading home as well. Player and Zyah always leave before it gets too wild. I know you don’t know them all, but they’re all here, and you’ll meet them. The point I’m making is, not everyone stays. The parties are fun, but Torpedo Ink has no problem having sex around each other.”

She leaned close, glanced at Keys, who was talking to Blythe, and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Lyric, the point is you don’t ever have to do anything you don’t want to do. You have the right to say you want to go home when you do. You have the right to say no to anything asked of you. If you find that difficult, give me a sign, and I’ll see to it that whatever you need is taken care of.”

“Thank you.” Lyric meant it. Breezy made her feel safe.

“Ordinarily, Lana and Alena are here,” Breezy continued to fill her in. “Alena is a dynamite cook. The spaghetti sauces were made by her, along with several of the larger side dishes, but they’re doing something for the club, one of those things that when I ask Steele, he just gives me his deadpan look. They work together quite a bit. Lana is a dead shot. I mean that too. You put her on a roof with a rifle and she can shoot the wings off a fly. That old saying definitely applies to her.”

Lyric looked across the kitchen in an effort to find Keys. She had the sudden feeling that Lana and Alena were doing some task that had to do with her. Keys glanced up from where he was talking to Steele and lifted an eyebrow, clearly asking if she needed his help. She gave a slight shake of her head and turned her attention back to Breezy.

“Why do you think they’re doing something for the club?”

Breezy shrugged. “I’ve been around clubs my entire life. You get a feel for when something is up. Ink and Preacher are missing as well. They could have gone just to watch over them, but usually only one will go if the women are just out buying fabric for Lana’s label.”

Lyric followed her to the sink, where she washed her hands and pitched in helping to put potato salad in large bowls for the prospects to take to the outside tables. Breezy stayed close to her, occasionally introducing her to someone or just helping her find things. Twice, Keys came over to tell her he was going to check on things with Steele. He always asked her if she wanted to go with him. She appreciated that he was keeping his word, but she wanted to remain with the women and learn more about them.

The women in Torpedo Ink were very unexpected to Lyric. She had gotten to know some of the Headed for Hell women, and most were very submissive to their men. She didn’t see that in the women who were working together, like a well-oiled machine, to get all the food ready and put out on the picnic tables. Prospects helped to carry large trays and warmers of food. Several of the men were outside at the large barbecue, turning over the chicken and burgers. Mountains of them.

There were numerous side dishes and baskets of rolls and garlic bread. Wonderful-smelling spaghetti covered in sauce filled three deep containers. One had meat in the sauce, one had meatballs and one was vegetarian. Blythe liked to cover every contingency when it came to food.

There was so much laughter and teasing back and forth, Lyric found herself longing to be a real part of the extended family of Torpedo Ink. She didn’t believe she could fit in, but she was going to try because after talking to Hannah and seeing and hearing what Seychelle coped with, knowing both had found happiness, she wanted to try with Keys.

Her decision was really all about Keys. She loved him. Really loved him. If she did as Hannah said and focused her attention on him, on meeting his needs, on really trying to be a part of his world rather than living in the shadows behind a mask, she would have a chance at the family she’d always wanted.

The concept felt too good to be true, but the alternative was to be without Keys. He was different, just as she was. He saw her when no one else had. Most of all, he made her feel beautiful and intelligent and wanted. He made her feel needed. Sometimes the way he looked at her melted her, and that wasn’t even when they were having sex. Yeah, she wanted to try, and this time she was going to give it her all and trust that he would as well.

The barbecue with the Torpedo Ink families was fun. She didn’t participate in much of the small talk, just watched everyone around her. The Trinity chapter hadn’t brought children, but a couple had wives or “old ladies.” She had never liked that term, but none of the women seemed to mind.

She had fun. Actual fun. Keys stayed right beside her. He carried most of the conversation and seemed to do so easily. He often took her hand, or, when he wasn’t holding her hand, he would rub his thigh against hers. Or drop a hand to her thigh. He liked touching her. He liked close. And she found his attention comforting.

It was only when it became clear that several couples were going home that the tension began to mount all over again, and knots began to form in her stomach. She decided it was best to just address the issue head-on.

“Quite a few of the others are leaving, Keys,” Lyric said. “I’m pretty tired. We could head out as well, and no one would be upset about it.” There was a hopeful note in her voice.

“This is where you trust me to keep you safe even in an unfamiliar environment, Lyric,” he said gently, threading his fingers through hers. “We’ll find a place where we can observe things as they heat up.” He turned her hand over and brought it to his mouth, kissing her on each knuckle. “Aren’t you even a little curious?”

Her eyelashes fluttered. She pressed her lips together, considering lying to him, but she didn’t, and he was proud of her. “Maybe. Yes. A little. At the same time, the things you described are alarming to me.”

“I know they are, Lyric. That’s what makes your agreeing to stay with me all the more meaningful. If you were totally on board, I’d be happy, but you wouldn’t make me feel as if you’re giving me a gift. And that’s what this feels like.”

She wanted that for him. And she understood what he was saying. She knew some of the members of the club were giving him a hard time for the way he was sticking to her like glue. She’d even heard him called “pussy whipped” on several occasions. He just gave them his easy grin and shrugged. “Protecting my world,” he’d reply. “Call it whatever you want.”

She loved him telling the others she was his world. That didn’t stop the trepidation she felt as the night progressed and the music took on a different, edgier tone. Drinking went from glasses to bottles. Women seemed to lose their clothing.

Keys kept them away from most of it at first, letting her observe the changing mood. But that didn’t last forever. “Come on, baby. Let’s head outside and claim some good chairs. We’ll establish a circle of our own.”

Lyric didn’t know what that meant, but she took his hand and went with him.

Keys kept Lyric moving, watching her as she looked around the yard with wide eyes at the dancing women, at the men tugging at the women’s clothes, holding bottles of whatever choice of liquor they had for the night. Keys didn’t let her slow down. He didn’t want her panicking, and he had the exact place he wanted her. Several of his brethren paced alongside him. He took possession of one of the lawn chairs just out of reach of the light spilling from the fire pit. He liked being out in the open, but more importantly, he wanted to see how Lyric would handle the craziness that could go on during a wild party.

Lyric dropped into the chair beside his. Storm and Mechanic sat on one side of him. Transporter took up a position on the other side of Lyric. She didn’t realize the three men were helping him keep her safe in the midst of the rising wantonness that marked the late hour. The truth was, Keys liked to party, but he didn’t fully trust the men in the Trinity chapter when they were drinking and wanting sex. He hadn’t been around them enough to know if they would stop immediately if a woman said no. They were used to women being there because they wanted the wild sex. Some women deliberately took on more than one man at a time.