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I meekly follow Lulu, Kitty and Kiki, only looking back once at Rex and Zeke, who wave me on. The ladies ahead of me don’t hold back on filling their plates, and I’m emboldened to do the same. I’m never allowed to eateverythingI want at our church potlucks. My stepmother won’t even let me pick out my own dishes for my plate.
I’ve got a little dab of everything and a cheeseburger when I follow Lulu, Kitty, and Kiki back to our picnic table. The teen girls immediately dig in and Lulu waves her fork at me when she sees my hesitation.
“You’d better get started,” Lulu warns with a wink. “You’re going to want seconds.” She stabs her fork into a heaping pile of macaroni and takes a huge bite. When she’s finished chewing, she turns her attention to Kitty and Kiki.
“Girls, how’s school going?”
The teenagers light up as they describe their friends and classes. It strikes me as odd that it’s such a normal conversation. Despite appearances, Lulu is actually quite maternal. I’ve always heard that these people were monsters, but I’m not finding any evidence to support that.
“Is it good?” Zeke swings his leg over the bench in the seat next to me, across from his mother. He sits down and lowers his overflowing plate of food on the table in front of him.
“Yes,” I mumble, trying to swallow my bite of cheeseburger.
Zeke grins and takes a gigantic bite of his own sandwich.
I can hardly believe it, but this isnice.There’s good, home-cooked food and a fresh breeze cooling off the fresh late summer air. These may be the violent people I’ve been warned about, but there’s not a hint of tension. Only laughter and the chatter of people enjoying each other’s company.
Rex returns to our table, balancing his own full plate, and he flashes me a wink as he sits down in the empty seat next to me. When I turn around, I see Gunner still manning the grill. He’sholding a metal spatula in one hand and a burger in the other while talking to Snake and another heavily tattooed biker.
“Are you enjoying yourself, Goldie?” Rex asks, smiling at me between bites of pie.
“Oh, yes,” I answer quickly and then lower my voice. “But it’s not what I expected,” I confess with a small smile.
“Oh, it will get wild later,” Rex replies, his green eyes glinting. I feel my heart skip a beat.
“But we never get to stay,” Kitty interjects, her lower lip jutting out into a pout. I hadn’t even realized that she was listening.
“And you won’t tonight either,” A deep voice growls from behind me. When I turn my head, I see Gunner, holding a beer can but scowling.
“It’s a school night, and it’s getting late,” Gunner grumbles and Kitty and Kiki simultaneously roll their eyes.
Lulu wipes her mouth with her napkin before tossing it down on her empty plate. “Oh, come on, girls. I’ll walk you home,” She says, pushing herself up from the bench seat. “I’ve got to get to work tonight, anyway.”
I watch as Lulu walks over to Zeke and ruffles his blonde hair before dropping a kiss on the top of his head.
“Love you, son,” Lulu says, wrapping her arms around him.
“Love you, too, Mom,” Zeke mumbles, winding his arms around her waist.
It’s a touching display of affection and the least of what I’d expect from these dangerous criminals.
“Goldie,” Lulu smiles brightly as she takes my hand. “It was so nice meeting you.”
“Likewise,” I say and Lulu suddenly pulls me into her embrace. She gives me a tight squeeze. It strikes me that Lulu’s known me a few hours, and she’s warmer than my stepmother after many, many years.
“Goodnight, Goldie!” Kiki and Kitty both rush over to give me a hug before they go inside.
“See you tomorrow?” Kitty asks but I can’t make any promises.
“Maybe,” I smile. “We’ll see.” The smile melts off of my face when I notice Gunner staring at me. I worry that he’s unhappy about how much his little sisters seem to like me.
Lulu leads the girls away and someone switches on some music, classic rock and roll. Zeke presses another drink into my hand and I watch as most of the old ladies trickle inside. As if on cue, more scantily clad guests replace the old ladies.
I recognize Lila and a few other women from the night before. The old ladies were dressed sexy, but the new arrivals are definitely taking it up a notch. The old ladies wore black jeans and leather pants, but these women are dressed in tiny minidresses and cleavage-baring blouses. There are hoots and hollers as the women join the group.
I lean closer to Rex, who is sitting beside me, so he can hear me over the music. “I have a question,” I say.
Rex wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me in so that my mouth is pressed against his ear.
