CHAPTER SIX
Freeze
“Remember that hike you promised me?”
“Vaguely,” I say as I prop myself up on my elbow in the dorm.
“Well, I’m collecting. I put on three more pounds, and I’m going stir crazy in the house.”
“For the record, I like your shape just fine. When and where were you thinking?”
“Sunset Cliffs, if you’re up for the challenge.”
I sit up in bed. “You don’t think I can keep up?”
“Believe me, I’m not challenging you. I don’t need my ass handed to me my first time out in years. It’d be bad for my self-esteem.”
I smirk. “We wouldn’t want that.”
“I’m glad we’re on the same page.”
“Jess wasn’t game?” I ask, fishing for more information.
“I don’t know, I didn’t ask her. It wouldn’t make sense when you’re the one I want to spend time with.”
“I like spending time with you, too, B.”
“I wanted to talk about a few things, and figured this would be a good way to multi-task.”
“When?”
“Sunset Cliffs Park in an hour?”
“Works for me. See you soon, B.”
“What the hell am I going to wear for a hike?” I ask myself. I shake my head and laugh. This woman has me doing all kinds of new things. It’s more refreshing than I expected. My world’s been small. I got involved with the Kings, and they became my life. My vision was narrowed to learning from Warped and taking care of what others couldn’t. I honed my craft and my persona. It left little time to discover thing most men in their twenties do.
She makes me view things in a different light. I’m not worried about appearing soft when I’m having fun with her. Things are easy and light. It’s a vibe I desperately needed in my life. It makes me feel balanced. I went from one extreme to another until now, when things have settled into a place I never thought I’d arrive at. A semi-peaceful spot where I’m figuring out who I am beyond my position or my cut.
The club is my life. I’ll always put them first when I need to. But this is about the man I am and want to be. I like trying new fancy foods at quirky spots, having a woman to talk to and text about normal things. I settle on a pair of cargo pants with pockets, a white T-shirt, and my cut, which I’ll leave in my saddle bag. I don’t want to end up against the wrong person in the wrong place with no backup. Satisfied, I head out of my dorm. It’s mid-afternoon on a Saturday, so the place is tame as I walk through the main room. Small clusters of brothers are playing pool, drinking at the bar, and shooting the shit in front of the massive flat screen TV.
“What’s going on with you, Freeze?”
I pause in mid-step and turn to glance at Stone. “I do something wrong, Prez?”
“No, but you’re getting ready to run off again, right? Can’t remember the last time you were here for downtime or took one of the girls to the back. I notice that and I start to get worried.”
“I got a woman in town.”
Stone’s eyes widen.
“Yeah, went out for a drink, and came home with a number. We ended up hitting it off and we been figuring things out since.”
“You thinking of bringing her around?”
“Maybe. Trying to feel her out before it gets that serious.”
“That’s the last thing I thought you’d tell me, brother.”
I shrug. “Can’t live off easy lays forever.”
His eyes take on a faraway expression. “Yeah, you’re right about that. Carry on, but know pretty soon you’re going to have to make a choice on how you want to define her.”
I nod my head. “I know.” I’m lucky I flew under the radar for as long as I had. Stone is a hawk when it comes to his people. I put off serious conversations, but the time is fast approaching.
***
I can’t help but appreciate the beauty of nature as I pull into the sandy parking area overlooking a dark blue ocean with foaming waves. Gulls fly above, and the smell of salt permeates the air. As much as I’ve been here off and on, I never took the time to explore like this. I kill the engine and climb off admiring the scenery. After all I’ve witnessed in this life, the idealistic scenery soothes the beast inside of me. As a kid doing my best to blend in with the crowd, and please my foster parent of the month enough to keep a roof over my head, I never would’ve imagined my life here. I had money, a place to stay, and brothers who’d die for me. I made a family of my own.
Catching movement out of the corner of my eye, I turn. The black yoga pants and black tank top highlight B’s shape. I admire the gentle sway of her hips as she walks toward me and the make-up free face. Her eyes are shaded by sunglasses, but her warm smile makes up for my inability to see her gaze.
“Hey, thanks for coming.”
“Have I ever told you no, B?”
She smiles up at me and gives a small shake of her head. “No, but there’s always a first time. Come on, let’s hit the trails while it’s still empty.”
We make our way down the the trail, side by side. I drink in the greenery and the pops of pink and yellow from the flower blooming amongst the brush. Minutes pass, and we make our way along. It feels good moving my body and soaking up the sun and scenery.
“I wanted to talk about what we’re doing.”
“Hiking?” I tease.
“No. I’m starting to count on having you in my life. It scares me.”
“What are you asking me, B?”
“Where we stand.”
“I’ve been wondering the same thing myself.”
We pause and walk off the main walkway closer to a cliff. Eroded away by water like a master sculpture with clay, the reddish-orange land structures are a work of art.
“My life is different from anything you’ve ever known. It’s fast-paced, crazy, but structured and loyal. We have rules that keep us all on track.”
“Are you breaking one by being here with me?”
“No, but my President is going to ask where we stand soon, and I need to know what to stay. People in our lives have to be trusted to keep their mouths shut about what they might see.”
She licks her lips, and I wonder if I’m losing her. My heart lurches.
“And what else?” she asks.
“There’ll be things you won’t understand or know everything about, and I’d need you to trust me. If I tell you to do something, it’d be to keep you safe. I’d keep certain things to myself for the same reason.”
“Jagger, this is scary.”
“It can be.” I nod my head.
“Would I be in danger?”
“Now? No, but I can’t say what might happen in the future. I can tell you our women are protected.”
“No one can do that every second of the day.”
“No, but we’d do our damnedest. Our woman mean something to us.”
“And in their eyes, I’d be yours? Your woman?”
Stepping closer, I cup the back of her neck. “Aren’t you already? I’ve let you call the shots every step of the way. Believe me, that doesn’t happen often with me. So when I say you’re special to me, trust I mean it. Our friendship is unlike anything I’ve ever had before, and every day it’s growing, morphing into something that won’t fit into that nice and neat box we first placed it in.”
She tilts her head back and licks her lip.
“You want this as much as I do, don’t you, baby?”
“Damn you. Yes, I do.”
“Then let me give it to you.” I trace her lips with the tip of my tongue. “Open up and let me in.”
Her lips part and I plunge my tongue inside. She moans, and I nibble, tease, and taste her until her body is flush against mine and we’re both breathing heavily.
“I’m nowhere near done with you, B.”
“I want you to come to my condo and have dinner with me, Jess, and my daughter, Whitney. I want to … move this forward.”
“Yeah? You know I ain’t the meet the parent’s type, right?”
“Good thing mine are in Tennessee.”
“You and that mouth.” I nip her bottom lip. “Can you handle my life, B?”
“To be with you.” She nods her head. “Yes.”
“Once you’re mine, I ain’t letting you go, girl. So you need to be sure.”
“I am scared out of my mind. I’m worried I’ll eventually scare you off with my crazy, or you’ll realize how unextraordinary I am and that things will sour or change between us. I have plenty of concerns, but one certainty. That I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t take this chance with you now because I, Blanche Birling, have a serious case of like going on for you, Jagger.”
“Ryan … Jagger Ryan, and I feel exactly the same way. I’m not this guy I am with you. He’s new. I’m damaged. The things I’ve seen and done have twisted me. One day you’re going to see that firsthand.”
“And yet I know you’d never lay a hand on me.”
“Any man who hits a woman is a coward,” I sneer. “Fuck, B. We’re really doing this, aren’t we?” I ask as I grip her hips.
“Yeah.” She nods. “I think we are.”
I lift her into the air, and she wraps her arms around my neck as I attack her lips, claiming her properly. Our other kisses have been different. They were before I had the right to call her mine. She whimpers into my mouth, removes my hair tie, and buries her fingers in my thick hair. The gentle scrape of her nails against my scalp makes me moan.
The wolf whistles make us jump. We part, and she laughs into my shoulder as I shoot a glare toward the teenagers who make the wise decision to move along.
“You always make me forget myself.”
For the first time ever, I regret not having a place other than the dorm. I lower her to the ground.
“There’s a lot I need to school you on before I take you to the clubhouse, B. I don’t want you going in blind.”
“Are we going back to the rules you mentioned?”
“Yeah, babe, we’re a little old school when it comes to men and women. It’s an old boys club. Women stay out of our business dealings, and trust us to make the best decisions.”
“I don’t like the picture you’re painting.”
“You show my brothers respect, and they’ll do the same. Yes, I’m the king of our castle, but unless it’s safety related, I don’t have a problem with talking things over with you. I’m not the type of man who wants you to bow to him. The only submission I want from you is in the bedroom.” Blood rushes to her cheeks. “I love it when you blush, B. It makes me want to say all the dirty things to you I’ve been thinking about for months.”
“Jagger.”
Her faint whisper has me ready to drag her off into the brush. I want to break her in slowly, taste every inch of her and erase all memories of her former lover. I’ve never met anyone who’s only been with one person before, and I take it as a personal challenge. I have to bring my A-game and love her so good she can’t remember her own damn name. My mouth waters at the thought. I want to know if my Southern woman tastes as sweet as her accent.
“Our time is coming, B. You feel it?” I trail my finger across her collarbone.
She shivers and gasps.
“So sensitive.” I lick my lips, starved for her. “We need to go before I forget we’re on a public beach.” Taking her hand, I pull her along the trail.
***
It’s been a long time since I cared so much about the opinions of people not in my club. I’m practically sweating as I knock on the door to the condo and wait. She answers the door in a thigh-skimming black dress with a row of rectangular cut outs that show a sliver of her skin at her waist line. I want to trace the decorative perforations with my tongue. The sexual tension between us is drawn taut, like a bow ready to be fired.
“Welcome to my home.”
I step inside and spot Jess and a girl I would’ve recognized as B’s daughter anywhere. With her cafe latte skin, she’s a few shades lighter than her mother with large, hazel-colored eyes and thick dark lashes, and curly light brown hair. But her oval-shaped face and full lips are all her mother’s.
I shove my hands in my pocket. I could’ve dressed up in a button down and a nice pair of pants, but it wouldn’t be me. So my nice blue jeans, boots, black T-shirt, and cut will have to do. I see Whitney’s eyes widen as she takes me in.
What your mother had was a soft, weak-hearted fool. I’m the man your mother needs, baby girl, believe me.
B shuts the door behind me.
“Jess, you remember Freeze. Freeze, this is my daughter, Whitney.”
“Good to see you again, Jess. Pleasure to meet you, Whitney. You can both call me Jagger when we’re alone. We’re all friends here.” I step forward, and Jess pulls me into a hug.
“’Round here we don’t do handshakes.”
I stiffen as awkwardness sets in. I wrap my arms around her back and count the seconds until I can pull back. I move on to Whitney who offers her hand. We shake instead of hug.
“I’m cooking fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, mac and cheese, and buttermilk biscuits.”
“Pulling out all the stops, huh? You make me feel like a V.I.P,” I say.
“Why don’t you have a seat while I finish up? Do you want a beer?”
“A beer would be nice, B. Thanks,” I reply as I move to the couch and sink down.
Jess sits beside me, and Whitney takes a seat diagonal from me.
“So, Jagger, how’ve you been?” Jess asks.
“Good, working. B tells me your vacation is almost over. Did you do everything you wanted to while you were here?”
“I have. More than anything it was nice to spend so much time with my two favorite girls.”
“So, Jagger. What do you do?” Whitney asks.
“At the moment, I work for a Medical Marijuana Dispensary. My family opened a few new businesses recently, and I’ve been helping manage them.”
Her eyes are wide. “Wow.”
“It’s a very lucrative business when done through legal routes.”
“And the other jobs?” she whispers.
“Nothing as exciting. We have a pawn shop that specializes in gems that’s doing really well, along with a bar and a grill. We’re looking to open a few more this year if we can find the right spaces for the right price.”
“That’s … not what I was expecting,” she whispers.
“’Cause bikers just aimlessly roam the country, right?” I counter with a wink.
She peers down.
“Don’t worry, I’ve grown used to the stereotypes. It’s important not to judge people until we can know more about them.”
“Dropping wisdom. I like it. The sage biker,” Jess says, lightening the mood.
We continue with small talk, and I humor her daughter as she slyly gives me a mini inquisition. It’s cute, how protective she is of her mother. I can appreciate that.
“All right, you three, dinner’s ready,” B calls.
We move to the kitchen, and I squeeze her shoulder. “Calm down, Mama. We all played nicely together,” I whisper into her ear. She leans against me slightly, and I kiss her forehead before I move to the table. It doesn’t surprise me when the chicken melts in my mouth, and the spices make my taste buds cheer. She’s a damned good cook. The potatoes are creamy, the biscuits are light, and the sweet tea is addicting. I wonder if her daughter knows how lucky she is to have a mom who can do this. I imagine what life must’ve been like for the young woman chatting happily with Jess and B.
A wealthy father, a mother who dotes on her, and a house I know was large and expensive. She probably had the best schools. The little boy in me is envious. The man admires B even more. She created a safe place for Whitney to blossom and grow. People take that for granted. I never have. At the end of the meal, I pitch in to help clean up.
“You don’t have to do that,” B says.
“Hey, you make a meal like that, the least I can do is help you clean up afterward.” The shock on her face makes me pause. “No one’s ever helped you before?”
“Sure … Whitney, but never a man. It was always looked on as woman’s work.”
I want to put my fist through a wall. “Look, he was an asshole.” She tenses. I cup her chin. “I’m not him.”
“I know you aren’t,” she whispers.
I brush my lips against hers. “Don’t forget it.”
“Well, thanks for the dinner, sis. The kid and I are going to catch a movie and some dessert.”
“You are?” B asks. She swallows.
“Yes, we’ll leave you and your friend to have some alone time. Since he’s so keen on helping you clean up shop, we’re bailing before you put us to work, too.” Jess winks and leads an uncertain looking Whitney out of the apartment. The minute the door clicks shut I spin her around, and pin her in with an arm on either side of her body.
“And then there were two.”
“The dishes.”
“Can wait.” I nip her chin. “I can’t.” I kiss my way down her neck, sucking and biting as I leave tiny bruises behind. I need everyone who sees her to know she’s been loved well. She lets her head fall back. I lick her collarbone and the hint of cleavage visible in her dress. “Lift your dress up and let me taste how sweet my woman is.”
She lifts the black skirt with trembling hands, revealing a silky pair of black bikini cut panties. I kiss her rounded belly and bite the top of her underwear. I pull them down her body slowly with my teeth as I kneel in front of her, ready to worship at her altar.
“Step out of them.”
She complies, and I run my hands up her shapely calves.
“Do you know how good you smell?” I bury my nose in her neatly trimmed thatch of hair and inhale.
She’s like jasmine musk. A flower ready to bloom and unfurl for me. Gripping the backs of her thighs, I circle her entrance and trace my name on the bud, coaxing it out of hiding.
“Jagger.”
“That’s right. My name is the only thing I want to hear on your lips.” I lick a path up her slit and relish the taste of her on my tongue. “Hold on tight. I’m about to have my dessert.” She’s sticky, wet, and grinding, rolling her hips in rhythm with my tongue.
I lash the swelling bundle of nerves, and she floods my mouth. I tap her left leg, lift it, and bring it over my shoulder. Leaned against the sink with a leg over my shoulder, she’s open wide. I plunge my tongue into her tight sheath. Her slick walls flex around me.
“Oh, Jagger.” She grips the back of my head and pushes it forward as she rides my face. I hum my approval. And cup her lush ass. I lose myself in her, going as deep as I can. Her body tenses and she clenches around me. I continue to lap at her as she quakes and floods my mouth with her sweetness. I kiss her lips as I pull back and sit on my heels, continuing to support her limp frame.
“You okay?”
She runs her fingertips through my hair and nods.
“Have you ever tasted yourself, pretty one?”
“No.” She shakes her head from side to side.
“You’re missing out.” I stand and crook my finger. “Come here and give me that mouth.” Our lips meet, and I push my tongue inside, sharing her flavor. She whimpers and sucks on my tongue, making me twitch in my pants. I want to slam into her and fuck her raw in the worst way. But I need to make sure she’s ready first. I kiss my way over to the spot just below her ear. “How long has it been?”
“Nearly a year,” she whispers. I lift her up onto the counter beside the sink, take her mouth, and ease two fingers into her slick center. She arches her back, and I can’t take my eyes off her.
“So beautiful.” I pump inside of her, circling her walls, stretching her as I scissor my fingers. She’s wild with her hair tumbling about her face, and her lids lowered. Her face is painted with passion, and her full lips are parted. The breathy noises and keening have me wet. My head is leaking precome, and it takes everything I have not to blow my load just from watching her find her pleasure. I crook my fingers and find the hard spot inside that makes her legs jerk and—
“Right there. Oh, yes.”
I latch onto her turgid nipple through her clothing. She clamps down on me, convulsing as she shudders, screaming my name. I pull my fingers free, sucking them clean. After ripping the black dress over her head, I pop the bra with a practiced motion. I pull the straps down her arms, watching as her distended, dime-sized brown nipples are revealed. Her breasts are more than a handful. My mouth waters.
I reach into my back pocket for my wallet. I feel inept as I open it up, pull out a condom, and hold the foiled square in my mouth. I let the wallet dangle from its chain as I all but rip my jeans open and shove them around my ankles. I remove the condom, rip the corner with my teeth, and remove the rubber. After easing it on to my length, I return to rubbing her clit with my thumb; her eyelids flutter open.
“Jagger, I can’t.”
“You can and you will, B. One more time around my cock. I need to feel you come on me, baby. Can you do that?” I grip my base as I nudge her entrance with my tip. She peers down, watching as I slowly invade her body the way I plan to do her soul.
“You’re so big.”
“And you’re going to take it all like a good little girl, aren’t you?” I push farther in, and she groans. “You’re so tight, B.” I pull back and slip in. She flexes and I still before I slide the rest of the way home. Her eyes round. “You okay, B?”
“I’ve never felt so full before.”
“Get used to it.” I pull out and drive home, finding an easy rhythm as I continue to open her up. “Relax, let me get inside that tight little pussy.”
“Oh, God.” Her cheeks flush.
“You like it when I talk to you like that, B? When I tell you how much I want you to cream all over my dick?” Her walls contract and I groan. “Tell me.”
“I-I love it.”
“Get that leg up for me, baby.”
She places her leg over my shoulder, and I grip the back of the neck as I drive deeper. Her muscles contract and her body trembles. A guttural moan slips from my throat as I pound into her. The wet sound of our bodies and her scream have me exploding like a geyser. I rest my head on her chest, listening to the erratic thumping beneath my ear. As I pull out, we both groan. I kiss her sternum and push away from her.
“I’m going to throw this away, and then we’re going to move to your bedroom.”
“My bedroom?”
“I’m nowhere near done with you, B.”
“Oh, Jesus.”
“You’ll be calling for him tonight before I’m done with you,” I promise.
She props herself up on her elbows, and I admire the sight of her sated and relaxed. Her body is curvy with dips and swells, like a lush foreign land. Her eyes are aglow with a light that’s new to me. I want to keep it there.
***
Blanche placed her cards on the table, so it’s only right I do the same. I won’t throw her into the deep end. I opted to bring her to Dixie’s going away party at work. The small gathering will let her dip a toe into the water and get the word out. News traveled fast in the club. Somehow, grown men are worse than the paparazzi.
“What do I wear to a biker party?”
“It’s more a work party with people who happen to be bikers and bikers’ Old Ladies.”
“Not helping, Jagger.”
“Whatever you want to wear, baby. We’re not that uptight.” I lean back on the bed with my hands behind my head.
“Why don’t you ask Jess?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“She said the same thing you did.”
“Whatever you wear, you’re a stunner. Don’t be nervous.”
“I’m meeting the people who’re like your family. How can I not be?”
I sigh as I sit up. “We need to talk.”
She spun. “You just told me not to worry.”
“This ain’t about you, B. It’s about me. Yeah, they’re my family, but I’m not close with most of them. They’re going to be surprised when I show up with you. I keep my private life to myself and my emotions—”
“Are frozen?”
I nod my head and open my legs, crooking my finger. She walks between my legs, and I grab her hips. “They’re going to wonder what the hell you’re doing with me. They won’t say anything to you, but they’ll study us and try to figure things out. I don’t want you paranoid. Truth be told, you’re too good for me. I know it, and they will, too.”
“I don’t understand, Jagger. This is your family.”
“They are. All families are different. Mine happens to be heavy on the dysfunction. What I do requires me to be seen and treated a certain way. The way I am with you won’t be the same once we’re with them. I can’t be that man.”
“You’re kind of scaring me.”
“I never want you to be scared of me.” I cup her face and rub the apples of her cheeks. “I may be an asshole, but I will always be your asshole.”
She rests her forehead against mine. “I’m not sure how comforting that is.”
“It’s more than I give anyone else. I know it’s not what you deserve. But it’s what I have to give.”
“You’ve give me so much already, Jagger. I don’t want to hear you talk like this.”
“You haven’t seen it yet. While it was just us, I could insulate you.”
“I don’t need that.”
“Yes you do, Blanche. You need someone to protect you from anything that might harm you, even if it’s me.”
“You think you’re going to hurt me?”
“Never on purpose or physically. But I can admit I’m green. Relationship was not a word I even thought to use before you. I’m going to stumble, and I hope that fall from the pedestal you’ve placed me in won’t break us both.”
“I don’t expect you to be perfect, Jagger.”
“People say that, but when you let them down …” I trail off as I shake my head, remembering how swiftly the families would find I wasn’t a good fit for them when I couldn’t be what they wanted. Waiting to be adopted was like auditioning. You tried to do and say the right thing. Dress the part and blend in with the kids already in the home. I never found a permanent home. I was hopeful for a while, then I had my fill of bad homes, and my mode switched from belonging to surviving.
Over the course of sixteen years in the system, I experienced more kindness and indifference than harm. But the darkness left its stain. Once self-preservation is triggered, I found it nearly impossible to disengage. The fear of being caught unaware wouldn’t allow me to.
“I’m not going anywhere, Jagger. When I tried to push you away, you stood firm. How can I do anything less?”
A knock on the door saves us both.
“Can you two stop canoodling? We’re going to be late,” Jess says.
“Well, if you would’ve helped me pick something out, I’d be out there,” she calls back.
“Right. Like it’s the clothing selection keeping you tied up right now,” Jess mumbles.
“She’s the sister I never asked for.”
“I think the two of you had some wild times growing up. You ever kiss each other?”
She elbows me, and I smirk.
“It was a serious question.”
“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.” She winks at me before moving to her dresser.
They totally made out before. Amused, I watch as she shimmies into a pair of form-fitting blue jeans and a black blouse that shows tantalizing glimpses of her shoulders.
“Done. Let’s get out there before Jess comes in and drags us out by our hair.”
“Is that how you two got down?” I ask.
“Pervert.”
“Genuinely curious,” I counter.
“Mmhmm.”
I follow her swaying hips out of the room, and we get onto the road and headed to Boomers. The arcade is perfect for Dixie and the group. They offer everything from bumper cars to mini-golf and arcade games. It’ll be good to get out of the shop for a day. We have Prospects and a brother holding down the fort. I switch lanes, mindful of the fact that Jess is trailing me. As we pull into the parking lot, I feel the ice forming in my veins. I cut the engine, climb off the bike, and offer Blanche my hand. She tilts her head. I wonder what she sees right now. I wish I could slip inside of her body and view myself remotely.
I walk between the two women, scanning the area for danger. Anytime I’m wearing colors and out with KOC, I’m on alert. We enter the building, and I relax as I make my way to the back where we’ve rented out an area for a party. We walk into the room, and all conversation stops.
“Wasn’t sure if you were coming today,” Echo says, walking over to shake my hand.
“Least I can do for Dixie Rose. She put in a lot of long hours and hard work,” I reply as I nod toward the woman of the house who’s talking with Tinley.
“Yeah, she’s happy to be getting back to dealing with kids again,” Echo says.
I nod my head and glance over at the girls. “This is my girl, Blanche, and her best friend Jesslynn.”
“I’m sorry, your what?” Echo says.
“My woman,” I snap, glaring at him.
Echo quickly recovers. “Good to have you two here. Why don’t we introduce them to everyone?”
I give a curt nod. B looks at me, and I nod my head. Yeah, this was what I warned you about.
We walk over to the area where everyone is gathered. Stone turns to me, grins, and lifts an eyebrow. I nod my head and gesture toward Blanche with my head.
“This is my girl, Blanche, and her friend, Jesslynn.”
“I’m the President, Stone. It’s good to finally meet you, Blanche. Nice to have you here, too, Jesslynn.” It’s a lot of introduction and small talk. Well, B and Jess make small talk while I hang back. I like the way she refers back to me when she’s unsure.
“She’s pretty, brother.”
I look at Stone and nod. “Yeah, she is.”
“Older.”
“Experienced,” I correct.
He laughs. “Damn, you’re serious, aren’t you?”
“As hell.”
“Make sure you both know what you’re getting into before you put ink on her.”
“I will.”
He claps me on the back, and I watch as she leaves the area and heads toward the bathroom with Jesslynn. They’re stopped by a tall, rail-thin blonde woman in a white linen outfit that screams money. Her shoulders tense and she shakes her head. Her body tenses. A man in a pair of chinos and a white button down approaches from the opposite side. She peers up at him and takes a step back.
“I’ll be back,” I mutter as I leave the room.
“You poor thing. What are you doing here out in the open? I don’t think I could stand it. Everyone staring at me and whispering. The worry must be exhausting.”
Blanche’s chest heaves, and I know they’re backing her into a corner. She’s not ready for this. Now I see why she was always hiding.
“Have they found him yet?” the man inquires.
“I’d rather not talk about it,” she says quietly.
“Do we have a problem here?” I ask.
The two turn to me.
“Oh, honey, you’ve really fallen from grace, haven’t you?” the woman whispers.
“Excuse you?” Jesslynn says.
“Are these two upsetting you, B?”
“We’re her friends. You’re the scum taking advantage of a woman during a vulnerable time. Is he holding you hostage? Do you need help?”
“Is she fucking serious?” I ask.
Blanche nods and licks her lips. I can practically see the waves of anxiety pouring off her. “Unfortunately. Joyce, I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine.”
“Clearly you’re not,” the man says.
“Charles—” She takes a shaky breath.
“Listen, Charles, Blanche is just fine. I’d say appreciate the concern, but I don’t. I can take care of my woman just fine. The only one in danger right now is you.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“No, I’m promising you.”
“We got a problem, brother?” Stone asks. I glance back, proud to see my family behind me.
“No, just a case of mistaken identity. They thought they knew my woman, but they really don’t.”
“Apparently not,” Charles says.
“Shameful, Blanche.” Joyce shakes her head and clucks her tongue.
I put a hand on her shoulder, squeeze, and pull her back to stand behind me. “We’re done here.”
“Connie and James will not be pleased when they hear this,” Charles says as they walk away toward a set of mini clones playing skeeball.
“I’m sorry about that. I had a nasty divorce, and I’m currently the thing to gossip about.”
“Oh my God, you’re Blanche Birling,” Dixie Rose whispers.
“Yes, I am.”
“Wait. The chick whose old man—” Echo begins.
“Ex-husband,” I correct.
“Something I need to know?” Stone asks.
“I’ll fill you in later,” I say, willing him to let me handle my woman.
Stone nods. “All right. Let’s play games. I didn’t buy all those tokens for nothing,” Stone says, effectively ending the conversation. The others start to disperse.
“You okay?” Jess asks.
“I’m not going to lose it just yet. But I could use a walk outside.”
Jess turns to me. “Take her?”
“I got her,” I say as I meet her gaze. We’re talking about more than me walking her outside for fresh air. Jess is leaving here next week, and she’s entrusting me with Blanche’s care.