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“You see Brandon too?”
Candy nods. “I’m working through my past trauma. Bad moments in my life are affecting my current life choices in negative ways. I don’t want that to be the case anymore. Counseling is helping me work through my feelings.”
“That’s wonderful, Candy,” I say sincerely.
Candy says nothing at first, but then asks, “Did Gauge ever mention I was the first bunny in the club?”
I shake my head. I know little about the early days of the MC.
“The crew found me at Mickey’s Pub one night a couple of years ago. I escaped the whorehouse in Denver, where Lorenzo Bianchi kept me, and I made my way to Fort Collins. Atlas took one look at me and knew I needed help. He brought me into the folds of the family, no questions asked. I was grateful to be taken under Mercy Ravens’ wings, showing that appreciation by providing comforts to the crew. The guys never asked this of me. I wanted to please them. They thought it was because I like them when really it was a survival tool. If the crew loved me, they’d keep me and Lorenzo couldn’t touch me.”
My heart breaks hearing Candy’s confession.
“When Red joined the club, I panicked, thinking she was encroaching on my territory. I doubled my efforts with the MC members, even convinced her she should do what I was doing if she wanted to remain in the club. Though I wasn’t nice at first to Red either, she was more selective with who she would spend her time with, devoting most of her attention to Reaper. With her focus mostly on him, I felt secure enough to accept her.”
“When Ebony joined the club, it pushed me past my comfort level. She grew up in a 1% MC where women were treated like trash. Compared to her old club, Mercy Ravens was Nirvana—the choice to cut ties with her old crew was a no-brainer. Eb loves MC life, probably more than most since it’s all she’s known. She brought her knowledge of club life with her, helping Red and me to better understand the dynamics of the MC. We came to an agreement to cohabitate.”
Clarity finally shines light. It all makes sense why Candy constantly hounded me about turning into a comfort bunny for the MC during my early months in the club. Yes, it was a dominance play to some degree, but more of a twisted misconception of what Candy thought a woman’s role was within the club.
Candy runs a shaky hand through her bubblegum hair. “Then you showed up on the back of Gauge’s bike and half the crew escorting you, shielding you like you were the most precious woman in existence. They all treated you like you were top priority, even the bunnies. Salt met wound.”
“Because you had feelings for Gauge?”
“No, Opal,” Candy says with a hint of frustration. “You know how the men rank in the club? Atlas, then Gauge, followed by Chase, Punk, and the rest. The higher the guy ranks, the more weight they have in the club. Atlas never got involved with the bunnies. But Gauge was the next highest ranked, being VP—”
“And because of his rank, whoever ended up with him would have more clout,” I finish for her.
“Yes, but they would also have top security,” Candy adds.
“That’s not true,” I interject vehemently. “The club treats all the women with the same level of protectiveness.”
“I know this now, especially after my screw up helping Lorenzo Bianchi. But then…” Candy hangs her head.
The woman has gone and tugged on my heartstrings. I walk around the kitchen island, pulling Candy in for a hug. We both are sniffling messes, but we needed this heart-to-heart.
“I’m sorry for my part in Gauge pushing you away,” she says despairingly. “I’ve regretted it ever since, but I was too ashamed to apologize to you.”
“Did you hurt me? Yes. But I put the bulk of the blame on Gauge, where it belongs,” I say, rubbing her back to calm her. “It’s water under the bridge.”
Candy pulls away, rolling her eyes. “Opal, you’re too sweet for your own good.”
“Would you feel better if I slapped you?”
Candy barks with laughter. “Actually, yeah, I think I would. Wait. Let’s have you do it in front of all the crew. The guys love a good catfight.”
That’s the truth. The last girl fight was between Jo and her sister, Simone, out in the front yard when Simone moved into headquarters. It was likeWWE SmackDownwith the guys egging the sisters on. The crew still talks about it months later.
We’re giggling like teenagers when Gauge walks into the kitchen. He balks at the two of us having a good time. “Uh, yeah. This isn’t weird at all.”
“Why’s that?” Candy challenges with a devilish smirk. “Feeling uncomfortable with your old lady and your previous fuck bunny making nice?”
Gauge is not amused. If anything, he looks about ready to tell Candy to piss off.
It’s just too tempting not to mess with him.
“Babe, chillax. Candy and I were just swapping bedroom stories about you. No biggie.”
Gauge’s eyes look almost cartoonish with how wide they expand. I never knew eyebrows could disappear into someone’s hairline. It’s too funny. I burst into a fit of laughter, pointing at Gauge’s face.
