Chapter Nine

When queried about the dress code for a welcome party, Lex had told Noelle to wear clothes.

Seeing the O'Kane women turned out in costumes that ranged from scraps that barely qualified as underwear to elaborate dresses with several flavors of denim and leather besides, Noelle understood that the response hadn't been as sarcastic as it had seemed. The women simply wore what they wanted to wear, and no one gave a damn if they were half-naked or covered from head to toe.

Her own outfit fell somewhere in between. A pair of her new jeans hung low on her hips, and her shirt was close to transparent in the front, with two dozen tiny black straps crisscrossing her back. Revealing, especially since she wasn't wearing anything under it.

Lex had laughed herself silly when Noelle had asked whether or not she needed a bra. Going without had been Noelle's bold choice, made with flaming cheeks in spite of Lex's mirth. She'd joined a sector gang--the sector gang--and if she wanted to go to a party in clothes so skimpy everyone could see her breasts, no one could stop her.

She was a little drunk on her own belligerence, and she hadn't even touched the liquor yet.

A small brunette with a tiny but intricate tattoo high on one cheekbone stood near the door, a plastic bottle of water in one hand. "You're Noelle, right?"

"I am." The woman had ink around her throat too, a collar of black, swirling vines thick with thorns. Noelle had seen other women with ink collars curling around their throats, but not this close. The delicate details were art, testimony to Ace's skill, if he'd been the one to create them.

The woman held out her hand. "I'm Amira. You took over my job at Circle."

"Oh, you're Flash's..." Noelle trailed off, awkwardly shaking Amira's hand as she cast about for the right word. Girlfriend? Woman? She didn't even know.

Amira just laughed. "Yeah, I'm Flash's. Or you could say he's mine. Both work."

Noelle winced. "I'm sorry. I don't think Lex told me what you call it. Or really what it means, except that the marks..." She touched her own bare throat. "They mean something."

"Yeah--everything." Amira mirrored the movement, tracing her fingertips over a whorl of ink without glancing down.

The dreamy expression in her eyes said more than words ever could. The ink circling Amira's slender throat was supposed to be a mark of ownership, but Amira didn't look owned. She looked happy, satisfied. She looked blissful.

Noelle envied that surety, a ridiculous thought with her newly healed wrists standing as proof of her new freedom. She didn't need a man's mark around her throat to protect her, not with O'Kane cuffs adorning her skin from the base of her hand to midway up her forearm.

She didn't need it, but that didn't stop her from wanting. She had to fight not to scan the crowd for Jasper's familiar form, keeping her attention on Amira instead. "Congratulations on the baby. You must be so pleased."

Amira's smile widened. "I am. When I was living in the city, I never dreamed I'd be able to have a baby."

"That's so wonderful." It took money, influence, or luck to obtain access to the fertility drugs that made conception possible, sometimes a combination of all three. And getting your hands on the medication didn't make a child legal, not within the city. Without an official--or forged--birth record and bar code, building a life inside the walls of Eden was all but impossible.

Self-consciously, Noelle tilted her wrist. Her bar code was only a shiny black square in the center of her wrist now, with delicate lines swirling out of it to wrap around her arm. No bar code meant no going back.

"You're staying with Lex, right?"

Noelle tucked her wrists where she couldn't stare at them, hooking her thumbs into the back pockets of her jeans. "Yes, I am. She's been really great. She and Rachel both, helping me get settled in."

"A couple people thought she might make a play for you. Not Rachel, of course. But you're kind of Lex's type." Amira hesitated, then shrugged. "Especially if you're also Dallas's type."

"You mean..." Noelle struggled to realign a world that had tilted slightly. A relationship with more than one person didn't seem so odd when the two people were Dallas and Lex. She could imagine how she'd fit into that equation all too easily...and she didn't think she'd ever be more than a buffer. "No, I don't think I'm Dallas's type," she said, then realized she'd just insulted her new leader. "I mean, not that I wouldn't want to be. Or be flattered."

Amira laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't sweat it. Maybe you're better off."

That sounded almost foreboding. "I am?"

"Yeah. That can be messy. You might not want to crawl in the middle of it without taking a man of your own along."

She wouldn't check for Jasper. She wouldn't. "I guess I have some time to find one now. It's just nice to have a choice."

That earned her a confused look. "I thought you and Jas were a thing. I'm so out of the loop, but I could've sworn Flash said something like that."

"Oh. We're...something. I mean, I want us to be, but I don't know--" Every word out of her mouth only made her feel more awkward, and she desperately wished she'd had a drink or two already. Liquor loosened her tongue, and she never cared as much if the words came out sounding stupid. She took a deep breath and tried again. "I don't want to read too much into things, you know? I don't know how things work here, not for sure."

"You have time." Amira nodded to the slowly filling room. "Feel it all out."

Noelle stared at the woman's marks again. "How did you know that you and Flash were a thing?"

"When it became about more than sex." She leaned closer. "Coming from the city, I didn't get it at first. Sex there is so taboo--so controlled--but it's so fucking easy here. The trick is understanding. Does that make sense?"

"I think so." Easier now that Ace had been between her thighs. His touch had been pleasurable, but he wasn't the one her gaze kept automatically seeking. Sex, but nothing else. Nothing more.

"Sex can mean nothing. That's simple. It can be curious or spiteful or friendly--a thousand other things that are mostly simple too. But it can get complicated fast."

"Just for us?" Noelle asked softly. "Or for the men too?"

"For everyone. Absolute freedom of choice, Noelle. You don't have to pick a very proper, appropriate man--or a man at all. Hell, you don't even have to choose only one person. It's...heady."

The words held an odd sort of intensity, almost as if Amira was trying to convince Noelle. Or maybe warn her. "It is heady. It's overwhelming."

"Which makes time your friend, yes?"

She couldn't help but smile. "Jasper agrees with you, I think. Either that or I'm doing something really wrong."

"No, Jasper's a smart one." A hint of color rose in Amira's cheeks. "Though I can understand why you'd be eager to lock that down."

She made it sound like a competition, but when Noelle glanced over the crowd again, she saw far more men than women. Lex had told her outsiders wouldn't be allowed tonight, unlike the fights and some of Dallas's more extravagant parties. Tonight was only O'Kanes, and when Noelle realized that, she realized how many men were watching her.

Too many. Maybe the transparent shirt with her breasts on proud display had been more of an invitation than she needed. Amira was wrapped in a flowing gown that clung to her curves but covered her modestly enough.

Noelle tipped her head forward so her hair slid over her shoulders to mostly cover her flaming cheeks. "Are they watching me because I'm the new girl, or because Lex shouldn't have let me wear this?"

"Maybe they want to find out if they have a shot." Amira chuckled and stretched up to kiss Noelle's cheek. "Welcome to the family."

Returning the kiss would probably bring more male attention, but Noelle brushed her lips over Amira's soft skin. "Thank you. And I'll be grateful forever if you tell me what I'm supposed to do tonight."

"You're supposed to drink, princess," a familiar voice drawled from behind her. Ace swooped down to lay a smacking kiss on Amira's lips before winking at Noelle. "Jasper and Dallas will be along in a few minutes, and then Noelle here can run the gauntlet."

"The gauntlet?" Noelle asked, sounding more alarmed than she'd intended.

"Part of the family, part of the business." Amira looped an arm around Ace's neck. "Tonight, you familiarize yourself with the O'Kane product line."

Ace tugged Noelle against his side. It didn't seem particularly sexual, no more than everything else Ace did. He tucked Amira under his other arm as if casual touches were to be expected, even when a woman belonged to another man.

There didn't seem to be any harm in it, so Noelle relaxed into the easy embrace as Ace grinned. "One shot of each, princess, and be glad you're a woman. For men it's two shots, though we have one sassy lady who ran the full line up and down and did it better than most of the brothers."

"Lex?" Noelle guessed.

"Rachel," Amira corrected. "Poor Ace. A woman who can drink him under the table. I think he lost his heart that day."

Ace huffed. "I think we all did, doll. O'Kane is liquor, and Rachel's our goddess."

"Then have a few for me tonight, huh?" Amira looked down at the swell of her belly, barely noticeable until she rubbed her hand across it.

Noelle expected another lewd comment, but Ace untangled himself from their embraces and crouched in front of Amira. Pulling the fabric taut across her belly, he leaned close. "Listen to your Uncle Ace, peanut. You come out gorgeous like your mama instead of ugly like your papa, all right?"

"Hate to interrupt a moment of Ace being adorable," Rachel said from behind them, her voice full of amusement. "But I've got to steal Noelle. Open bar time, honey."

"I'm always adorable," Ace retorted, and Noelle laughed as she turned to Rachel. Her gaze drifted over the crowd again, but Jasper still hadn't appeared.

It hurt. He'd stripped her bare that morning with Ace, not just her body but her soul. Nothing that intense could simply be sex, not when he'd held her and stroked her as she drifted in warm haze long past the point where Ace had finished and put away the needles.

Or maybe that was what Amira had been trying to tell her, that a girl from the city couldn't possibly understand the difference between casual and more after less than a week.

Wetting her lips, Noelle fell into step next to Rachel. "Ace said Dallas and Jasper were on their way. Should I wait?"

She shook her head. "They got hung up with work. They'll be along later."

The gang came first. That was the rule she'd tacitly accepted when she let Ace etch the O'Kane symbols into her skin, which meant facing the gathering group of too many smiling men with a stiff back and a raised chin. She would pretend she was Lex, unperturbed by their lecherous stares and the frank appreciation in their hungry gazes.

Hell, maybe she'd kiss one of them. Or more than one. She was a free woman now. She was an O'Kane. Her body belonged to her, and if Jasper wanted claim over it, he'd have to put his mark around her throat.

»»» § «««

Jasper leaned against the wall and stared at the woman in the chair. She stared back, impassive, heedless of the heavy chains that bound her. "Is that necessary?" he asked. "We're smack in the center of Sector Four now. Where would she go?"

Bren mirrored Jasper's stance with a grin. "She wouldn't run. She would, however, bite your face off, given half a chance. Wouldn't you, sweetheart?"

"Why would I bite his face off when yours is right there?" Six bared her teeth and, judging by the focused fury in her eyes, her rage was for Bren alone.

Bren shrugged. "I don't know--variety?"

"Fuck variety." Her gaze slid to Jasper. "Are you here to hold me down while he fucks me? Or is that your job?"

Under the taunt lay a very real fear. Dismissing it would be cruel, but so would taunting her in return. Jasper settled for shaking his head.

His restraint didn't soothe her. Her hands fisted, and she jerked against the chains for the first time, like his unwillingness to abuse her frightened her more than the threat of violence could. "This is some sick shit. Why the hell are you--?"

"Enough," Dallas said from behind Jasper. "Lex?"

Lex's heels clicked on the floor as she walked to the center of the room. "Why bother? She's not going to believe me. Where she's from, there are plenty of women who'll sell each other out for a little security."

Dallas sighed. "Could you pretend for a fucking second that I'm the boss and try?"

"Words are just words. You can tell someone you're a saint while you're stabbing a kitten. Does saying it make it true?"

Six sneered at them, her lips twisted in disgust. "What, you haul some poor bitch in here to yell at you and I'm supposed to believe I'm in a fucking paradise because you don't beat her face in? Did you write all the lines for her, or does she come up with them on her own?"

"See?" Lex knelt and stared up at the new arrival. "They screwed her up so bad she doesn't know what to think."

"I'm not screwed up," Six snarled, but even Jasper could hear the desperation under the words. Her rough façade was cracking, and with it, her composure. "I'm one of the strong ones. I survived, and I don't need your pity."

"Oh, I don't pity you. I kinda think they shouldn't have brought you back here. You're trouble."

That brought the woman's teeth together with an audible clack. She studied Lex, as if trying to figure out how the words could be a trap. Next to Jasper, Dallas opened his mouth and then shut it again without saying a word, watching the two women instead.

After a long silence, Six tilted her head. "I can't tell if you're all damn good liars or just fucking crazy."

"See?" Bren straightened off the wall and walked around behind her. "Told you she was smart." The chain rattled as he unlocked it and then let it clatter to the floor.

Dallas tensed, and Jasper knew it was taking all of his self-control not to haul Lex away from potential danger. Six seemed to notice too. "He'd snap my neck if I laid a finger on you, wouldn't he?"

"Dallas? Probably." Lex smiled slowly. "Unless I got to you first."

Bren laid his hands on Six's shoulders. "You want to hurt Wilson Trent?"

She carefully untangled herself from the chains. "I want to hurt Wilson Trent. But I'm not going to spill my guts and trust you not to dump me in the river when I'm done."

Jasper couldn't fault her for that. "Fair enough. What do you know about the drop tomorrow? We figure Trent's got plans for us. Ugly ones."

She studied each of them before turning just enough to stare at Bren's hand resting on her shoulder. "I'll tell him."

Bren nodded slowly. "What do you say, Dallas?"

"We'll be in the hall," Dallas replied, inclining his head toward the door. "Talk fast, sweetheart. We're late to a party."

Jasper crossed his arms over his chest. "You sure you want to be alone with the face-biter, Bren?"

He made a dismissive noise and stroked the backs of his fingers absently down the length of Six's hair. "We're past that. If I piss her off, I think she'll at least give me a good warning punch first."

She jerked her head away from him. "Touch me again and I'll bite your fucking hand off."

"See? When she figures out I'm not going to maul her, we'll be fine."

Lex didn't move for a long moment, then rose. "Tread lightly, sweetheart. They're not going to hurt you unless they have to...but I'm not as nice as they are."

"That's enough, Lex," Dallas said, stepping forward to rest a hand on her hip. "You and Jasper go to the party. You shouldn't miss your girl's big moment."

She took a single step back, another, and then relented with an annoyed exhalation. "Yes, sir."

The door slammed behind her, and Jasper rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Her girl?"

Dallas snorted. "I was talking to both of you. If you plan on making any grand gestures, I suggest you get there before Lex does."

"She wouldn't." Not even someone with Lex's sexual appetites would try to snatch up Noelle when her attention was so obviously focused elsewhere.

"I give you five minutes, tops, before Noelle's drinking her shots straight from Lex's luscious lips."

That wouldn't do. Jasper headed for the door--and told himself he was rushing for Noelle's sake, not his own.

He didn't believe it either.