AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There’s not a soul in sight. But from here, I can hear voices. I make my way toward them. I find them in the kitchen: a group of women I don’t recognize, except for Reenie and one other person.
“Gigi!” I cry. “What are you doing here?”
“About time, lazy-ass,” Gigi complains as she gets up and gives me a hug. “I’ve been waiting for you forever. I was afraid I’d have to leave for work before you woke up.” When she pulls away from me, she’s frowning. “You’re skinny. It's like hugging a rail.”
“Morning, darlin’!” Reenie drawls. Well, that answers the question of what time it is, anyway. “From what Fury says, you slept like the dead. Guess you needed it. Sit your butt down and eat some of this breakfast I made.”
“Damn, Gigi, I haven’t seen you in years and already you’re starting on me,” I toss back at Connor’s sister, falling automatically into the easy banter we used to have back when I was dating him. “So did you just come here to rag on me, then?”
She snickers. “Wouldn’t have missed it.”
Reenie sets a cup of coffee down in front of me and I accept it gratefully.
“No, the truth is, Con asked me to come over to see you,” Gigi continues. “I think he figured it would be nice for you to see some familiar faces here, since you’re gonna be here for a while.”
“But I have to go to w—”
“Nope,” Gigi interrupts. “Fury told me to tell you he called the hospital and told them you’re taking some PTO. You don’t have to be back until at least early next week.”
Reenie sets a plate of eggs and pancakes in front of me, and puts a hand on my shoulder. “So relax, darlin’. And eat up, while it’s hot.”
My stomach rumbles in agreement with her. I grab the fork she gives me and tuck in. I’m the only one eating, which makes me feel a little self-conscious, but I’m too hungry to care much.
“So, Kat,” Reenie continues, gesturing toward the other women in the room. “This here’s Dee. She’s Slice’s old lady.” She points to a woman who looks to be in her late forties to early fifties, like Reenie. Dee is crazy gorgeous, with thick blond hair, a figure to die for, and tight-fitting clothes to take full advantage of her curves.
“Hey, baby,” she coos. “Nice to meet you finally. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Really?” I say between bites. “From who?”
“Reenie and Gigi, mostly. But a couple of the men have talked about you, too. Said you were feisty.” The corners of her mouth quirk up. “You’d have to be, to capture Fury’s heart. You’re hot, too. You ever done any acting?”
“Dee owns a porno movie business,” Reenie tells me.
I almost choke on my food. “Wow,” I blurt. “That’s… interesting.”
Dee grins at me. “I’m all about female empowerment in the industry. It’s a calling. I protect my actors and pay them well.” The grin slips into a smirk. “And I make a pretty damn good living at it, if I do say so myself.” She glances toward the other woman I don’t know, who is sitting next to her. “And this is Maria. She’s actually one of my actresses. My star actress, actually. She’s Country’s old lady.”
Maria’s age is hard to guess. She could be anywhere from early twenties to mid-thirties. She is movie-start beautiful, with dark eyes and hair and light olive-colored skin. It doesn’t surprise me that she’d be a popular actress in Dee’s movies. Any straight man in the world would fantasize about her, she’s that amazing looking. I’m a little intimidated by her. But then she opens her mouth, and it’s clear in an instant that she’s just a sweetheart.
“It’s really good to meet you, Kat,” she gushes. “Country told me you and Fury were high school sweethearts. I love romantic stories like that! You were fated to get back together some day!”
“I don’t know about that,” I say. “But I do think maybe we both needed to grow up a little before we could get back together.” Maria’s obvious excitement about me being here is sort of contagious. It makes me feel like I actually belong as one of their group of women. I find myself smiling at the thought. But then I remember what brought me here to the clubhouse, and that I can’t really leave without going against Connor’s direct order. The smile slides from my face. Troubled, I take another bite of my pancake.
“Where are the men?” I ask as I chew.
“They’re out,” Reenie says vaguely. “Club business. But they’ll be back soon. Fury told me to make sure you know you should feel right at home. If you need anything here, just ask one of us or one of the men. Or Little Big Mama. She’s the bartender and she lives here, too. She’s gone to pick up some supplies, but you’ll meet her in a while. You can go anywhere in the common areas except for Magnus’s office and the chapel. That’s the room where the club has their meetings, called church. It’s the room off to the side of the main room with the big table in it. That room is off limits for anyone who isn’t a Royal Bastard.”
Reenie, Gigi, Dee, and Maria go out of their way to make me feel welcome, peppering me with questions about my job and my past with Fury. They end up getting me to share some embarrassing stories about him, which makes them laugh, and the morning passes quickly and pleasantly. Eventually, Gigi leaves to go to work. Little Big Mama, the bartender, comes back in the early afternoon, and I meet her, too. Soon after she arrives, the three youngish blondes I met last time I was here named Slap, Tickle, and Suck, come giggling into the clubhouse. The three of them don’t really talk to the old ladies, though, and I get the sense that there’s kind of a hierarchy of women. Little Big Mama seems to exist somewhere outside of the hierarchy. She’s as comfortable hanging out with the other old ladies as she is talking to the club bunnies. The wives seem to respect her as an equal, too. “Don’t be intimidated by any of the Bastards,” she tells me, waving a dismissive hand. “They’re all cupcakes. You just gotta know how to handle them. Don’t let them give you any shit, either. They try anything, you come to me, and I’ll yank off their balls and give ‘em back in a Ziploc bag.”
As the day progresses and the men don’t come back, I start to notice that the other women seem a little bit on edge. I get the feeling they know a little more about what the MC is doing than they let on. But I feel like I can’t ask for more info. Even though they try to hide it, their nervousness starts to have an effect on me, too. I’m scared that Connor might be in danger. I don’t voice it, though. For some reason, saying out loud that I’m worried about him feels like a betrayal. Like giving voice to my fears might make them come true.
Around the time I feel like I might be about ready to lose my mind, the sound of approaching engines alerts the women that the men are back. As soon as the door to the clubhouse swings open, Reenie, Maria, and Dee are instantly at their men’s sides. Connor’s eyes scan the room as he crosses the threshold. When they lock on me, my stomach does the crazy butterfly thing it used to do when we were younger and he’d look at me across a crowded room. I’m almost dizzy with desire, and pride, and relief.
My man. He’s here. He’s safe.
My whole body relaxes. It’s only then that I realize how worried I truly have been.
Then Connor’s arms are around me, his mouth on mine. “Missed you,” he murmurs against my lips.
