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“Unimpressed by money. Someone who can’t be bought or sold. Someone who actually cares about me as a person and isn’t willing to put me at risk.” That last part slipped out, and I felt my face burning up.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Fee said, reaching out to put her hand over mine.

“My parents are pieces of shit. Haven’t seen or spoken to either of them since I was eighteen, and I don’t for a second think I’ve crossed their mind in the years since. It wasn’t until Charlie and Bash, and…Well, all of these guys, that I knew what that felt like,” Fee shared. Everyone around the table agreed.

“Sometimes, doing things alone feels easy because you can control it. It’s not until someone actually shows up for you that you realize how much of a burden you were carrying.” Fee’s eyes got wide, and she took in everyone’s serious expressions.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to get heavy. I just…I guess what I’m trying to say is let us in and let us help. Don’t waste time fighting it like I did. We’re here for you, however you need.”

“I could take your sister,” Charlie replied confidently, and her mom looked oddly proud.

“I would pay money to see that.” I laughed, and the atmosphere eased up. Conversation shifted, giving me an inside glimpse of that community of women.

“So I finally convinced Bash to switch to that new software, and it’s been saving us so much time. Not to mention that I don’t have to track down every piece of paper the guys scribble on to make sense of charges.” Star worked at the garage Bash owned and a few of the brothers worked at. She was a former club girl, and she now lived in Fee’s old apartment with Roxie.

“So glad that’s not my problem anymore. I don’t know how you do it. I wanted to pull my hair out. They would give me crumpled receipts with grease stains on them because they used them as a napkin during lunch. Bunch of useless idiots. Their tools are meticulously organized, but somehow, pieces of paper are too much for them to handle.” Charlie rolled her eyes as we all laughed.

“Okay. I think it’s about time we get to the real reason we’re all here.” Seph redirected the conversation, her quiet authority instantly grabbing everyone’s attention.

“What questions do you all have about the club?” she asked, focusing on Logan and me. We looked at each other and both shrugged.

“Oh, come on. You have to have some questions,” Roxie said, watching both of us.

“What’s the difference between an Old Lady and a wife?” I asked. It was a term I had heard a lot recently. I wasn’t sure if they were interchangeable.

“In our world, Old Lady means wife. You and your man are married in the eyes of the club. Now, most couples legally get married as well, but it’s more of a statement to the club so everyone knows that you’re important. That you’re part of the club as well,” Cece replied easily.

“And the vests?” Logan asked, looking at Fee, Cece, and Seph, who all had theirs on.

“Means they DTR’d with their man,” Charlie replied, and the women looked at her with confusion.

“Defined the relationship. They all are official Old Ladies. For example, you, Lilah, and Roxie aren’t wearing ones yet. Both you and Lilah will happen soon enough…It’s why we’re all here. Roxie, though, won’t tell us shit about what’s going on with Match, so who knows…” All heads turned to Roxie, who actually looked shy. It was strange; she was always so confident and self-assured.

“He hasn’t asked or said anything. And at this point, we’ve been…Whatever it is that we are for almost a year. It feels too late to ask what we are.”

“Are you serious?” Fee said, leaning forward. Roxie’s eyes flew up, looking concerned.

“Why didn’t you say anything? You know he tells me everything, and you’ve got it all wrong. He’s OBSESSED with you but is afraid if he says anything, he’s gonna freak you out. Says it bothers him that you never introduce him as your boyfriend.”

“That asshole!” Roxie slammed the table, pushing her seat back.

“Excuse me, I need to go call my boyfriend and let him know what’s up.” Charlie started clapping, and soon, we all joined in. Roxie rolled her eyes but didn’t stop as she grabbed her jacket and headed outside to call Match.

“Well, that was easier than expected,” Fee replied, eyeing the porch with interest.

“So…Um…If Eliot asks me to be his Old Lady…what changes? What do I need to do for him?” I asked, unsure if I was putting the cart before the horse. But Eliot had never given me a reason to doubt his feelings, had mentioned making me his Old Lady before in passing. I didn’t realize the weight it carried until that moment.

“You wear the vest so everyone knows he’s your man. You come to the club for anything you need. We take care of our own. You may learn more about club business, but if Scythe says he can’t tell you, then you listen. It’s for your safety. It’s not to cause relationship drama. Oh, and no one rides on the back of the bike unless they’re an Old Lady or family. If you see any club girl or rando trying to get on the back of your man’s bike, that’s not okay.” Roxie came back in, slipping into her chair.

“He didn’t answer.” She frowned before looking at the group. “So, are we talking club girls now?” Fee and Charlie shrugged, and Roxie sat forward.

“Well, as a former club girl, I’ll go first. Every club is different. They have different rules for the club girls, and it changed here specifically after the incident with Dolly.”

“Dolly?” Logan asked. All eyes turned to Fee.

“Dolly was a club girl when I first started dating Bash. She wasn’t thrilled about our relationship and went out of her way to try to break us up. Even drugged Bash to make it seem like he cheated on me.” I gasped, horrified at the idea.

“She was kicked out, and things have gotten a whole lot better since. Most of the girls are here because the club is providing them with a lot of things they never had before. I’m not talking material shit, either, but protection and security. Both Roxie and I love the club. If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be where we are now. There were a lot of unspoken rules that some of the other girls disregarded. Those are now official.”