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“Babe, why ain’t you a fou-fou society girl?”
“Grandmother and Papa wouldn’t allow it. Mother had been one, and look what happened. I went to good schools and did the usual after school activities. But we helped out at a soup kitchen every Saturday morning; we visited homeless shelters once a month and made donations. Grandmother refused to raise me as Mother had been raised.
Kelly’s parents were the same, so although we were born into wealth, we weren’t ruled by it. Both of us were grounded and knew we’d have to get jobs and work. Kelly and I both worked at a fast-food chain at weekends for extra money. We curse and have fun and live our lives as we were taught to. Papa could swear like a sailor, which is funny because it just isn’t done in those circles. But both families taught us not to be high handed, which is why I’m ashamed of my actions with Clio. Grandmother would have slapped me quicker than I can blink if she heard how I was acting.”
“Babe, I get that. Good of your grandparents to see beyond their money. Thalia, your dark ain’t as bad as mine, but it’s still dark. My parents hated me after Ellie’s death, but I never thought of dancing on their grave.”
“Bear, it’s very cathartic,” I said with a sheepish grin.
“May be something I’ll do later when they die.”
“Then, I’ll clap a beat for you to groove to,” I said and blinked. Our faces were very close. Without warning, Bear leant forward, and his lips touched mine. Startled, I held still as I allowed the warmth of Bear’s lips to soak into mine, and I pressed into the kiss. It was brief, and Bear pulled back, but our eyes widened in surprise. I twitched my lips.
“That’s awkward,” I said into the strained silence.
“A bit, but I liked it,” Bear said and hauled me to my feet. My body briefly pressed up against Bear, and my wayward mind wondered what he looked like naked. I slapped myself mentally; we were enemies!
“Let’s go back,” I said, suddenly unsure. A twinkle lit Bear’s eyes, and I narrowed mine, but Bear waved a hand and let me lead the way.
???
“How were things with Bear today?” Clio asked, eyes bright with mischief.
“Fine, we talked.” Clio briefly hid a smile.
“Just talked? About what?” Clio asked.
“A little about Hellfire and how Chance fought to get it clean. Bear told me about Ellie.”
“That’s huge,” Clio hissed.
“Yes, I think Bear was trying to build trust. What happened to Ellie was tragic.”
“Hellfire retaliated, Thalia,” Clio said.
“Yes, and I don’t blame them.”
“What happened to Ellie was awful. Chance won’t tell me how she died, but I know it wasn’t a clean death. Poor girl was made to suffer. Chance refuses to talk about Ellie, and I won’t push. He has nightmares sometimes; I hear Chance call Ellie’s name, and the next day, Chance is always morose. Ellie was like a little sister to him, too. I think that’s why Hellfire adopted Phoenix.”
“It’s sad,” I said. “What’s Phoenix like?”
“Phoe is nuts! She has Drake, that’s Chance’s cousin, wrapped around her little finger. Phoe yells, jump, and Drake asks how high. But Drake has her whole heart; Phoe adores and idolises him. Sure, Drake and Phoe had it rough in the beginning. Chance said they survived loads of shit together. And Chance nearly went to war over Phoe when Drake disrespected her. Nothing keeps Phoe down,” Clio said, smiling.
“Phoenix sounds like a nice lady.”
“Well, she’s wonderful. Phoe and the Rage women were helping me find my feet because of being Chance’s old lady. Because of Chance’s position, it means that when other old ladies come around, I’ll be in charge of them. Tati has helped as she’s been around for years, and they both offered brilliant advice. She knew Ellie too,” Clio said, and her expression saddened.
“A lot of pain has hit this club one time or another,” I said, and Clio nodded.
“Yes, but Pyro thinks now Chance has found me, they’ll find their old ladies now.”
“Why?” I asked, puzzled.
“Because that’s how it happened for Rage. Drake found Phoe, and the rest soon found old ladies,” Clio replied.
“Oh, so it’s like a superstition thing?”
“Yes, Pyro is jubilant, although he’s not found anyone yet. Pyro’s biding his time,” Clio said and raised her head and grinned at a swiftly approaching man. “And speak of the devil.”
