Page 53 of Ride or Dies

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Evie

Fuck, I hurt.

As I came back to consciousness, that was the first thought I had, and it was quickly followed by the admission that it was a good kind of hurt. The way a body got sore after a hard workout.

I laughed. I supposed that was one way to look at fucking all three Bradshaw men one right after the other.

I was still smiling as I opened my eyes.

I was alone.

A quick inventory told me that at least one of the guys had cleaned me up and covered me, but I was still in Levi’s bed and none of them were here.

Then again, things had been going on before we fucked, and I couldn’t expect them to drop everything in their lives just because I came so hard I passed out.

Levi was going to be insufferable about that.

I sighed as I pushed myself up, wincing as the movement told me exactly how many muscles I’d used and how many bruises I probably had. A glance at an alarm clock next to the bed told me that I’d been out for less than an hour. I swung my legs over the edge and started looking for my clothes. As much as I’d enjoyed myself, the four of us still needed to talk about everything that had happened.

I used the bathroom to make myself a little more presentable, and then dressed. When I tried the door, however, the knob didn’t budge. For a moment, I was afraid I’d been locked in again, but then I saw the key hanging from a cord around the doorknob. They’d locked the door to keep me safe, but had left me a way out.

That gesture gave me more hope for us than even the sex had.

The clubhouse seemed oddly quiet as I made my way to the stairs, and as soon as I stepped into the main room, I realized why. Lara and a couple other women were the only ones here.

“Hey,” Lara said from where she stood behind the bar. “You want a drink?”

“Sure,” I said. “Just a beer.”

She nodded and reached under the bar. I gingerly sat on one of the stools and hoped that my discomfort wasn’t noticeable. When she passed me a bottle, I waited until after I’d taken a drink to ask my question.

“Where is everyone?”

Lara exchanged a look with one of the other women. “They’re hitting the Cobras for what they did at Nona’s place and at Rocky’s.”

I didn’t need any of the women to tell me what hitting meant. They weren’t going to go throw a few punches. This was the sort of thing that involved guns and blood.

My worry twisted with anger and hurt that they hadn’t told me, making me feel vaguely nauseous. I didn’t really want my beer now, but I also didn’t want any of the women to know how bothered I was. I knew Lara and Nona were old ladies, and it seemed like the other two were as well. I didn’t know what I was, but if this thing with the guys and me went anywhere beyond what we’d done today, I didn’t want these women being disgusted with me.

Slowly, they returned to whatever conversation they’d been having when I first came out here, and I let the words flow around and over me. They didn’t go out of their way to include me, but they also didn’t make me feel shut out, which I appreciated. It helped me keep my own feelings shoved down where they wouldn’t explode all over the place.

No, these women didn’t deserve any of that directed at them, but as minutes stretched into nearly an hour, I knew I was going to explode on someone. Or, rather, three someones.

I could’ve gone back to Levi’s room, or even hung out in either of the other brothers’ rooms, but I liked sitting out here. Not only would I be able to see the guys when they got back, but as long as these women didn’t look worried, I could keep my thoughts from spiraling down to somewhere really dark. After all, these women knew much better than me how the MC handled business and what the risks were.

Suddenly, Lara looked down at her phone and a smile quirked the side of her mouth. “They’re at the gate. Coming in now.”

As if that was some sort of signal, the other two women headed for the door and Lara bent behind the bar, pulling up a first aid kit. My stomach flipped.

“Is someone hurt?” I asked, my voice wavering.

“I didn’t get an SOS text, so if anyone’s injured, it’s minor,” she explained. Her expression softened. “If they need me for anything like a gunshot or broken bone, one of the guys texts me so I can get everything together before they get here. Stitches are usually a toss-up depending on how many they need.”

“Wow.” For a second, being impressed overrode everything else. “You guys really have a whole system.”

“Levi’s the one who put it into place,” Lara said. “Since he became president, he’s made a lot of good changes to the MC. Making things run smoother, all that.” Her eyes met mine. “He’s a good man. All the Bradshaw brothers are.”

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