Page 45 of Tav

I know I’m frowning back at Deb’s smiling face, but when I think, my whole face collapses into a frown. “I never thought about it like that,”

Debs shrugs, still with a smile on her face. “If guns are a step too far I’d be more than happy to teach them how to use a bow.”

“What?” I splutter. I know I shouldn’t, because I know you can’t judge a book by its cover and all that, but surely this mild mannered, lovely little brown woman with a halo of curls is joking, right?

“You’re looking at a bow hunting champion,e hine. I’ve been bow hunting since I was a girl.”

“Made her a sharp shot with a gun as well,” Sniper says quietly as he enters the kitchen. He drops a kiss to Debs’ cheek, who then bustles into the pantry to pull out a small container. They must be special treats the way they look furtively around, Debs passing it off as if it’s contraband.

I don’t know too much about Sniper. He’s one of the quieter brothers, sticks mainly to himself, which I guess makes sense seeing as his actual job in the military was as a sniper.

“Shooting arrows at moving targets trains you to shoot anything, really.”

I think about her offer for all of 30 more seconds. “Alright, Debs, I would love it if you could teach Sage and Niko how to shoot a bow.”

Whooping and hollering sound out and I lean through the hatch to see my two teens on the other side, backs against the wall. Spinning back to Debs, I glare at her.

“Was this a setup?” I ask, my eyes narrowed.

“No way! I’m offended you even thought I’d do something like that,” she says, hand on her chest as if clutching at pearls. I almost believe her until I see the little wink she gives the kids.

I shake my head to myself, but I can’t help the little smile playing on my lips.

“You raised good kids, Blanche. Just think what you would have done at their age,” Debs says, pointing at the chocolate she wants me to hand her.

At Sage’s age, 16, going on 17, I was living my life in the Keep. Going to prayer in the morning and then heading to my work placement. All girls over the age of 12 have work placements. Most of us work in either the kitchen preparing all meals for the Keep members, while others get laundry duty. We work these jobs until we’re married, because obviously we’ll be too pregnant to do anything else. If a girl is really lucky, and unmarried over the age of 18, they get to graduate to teaching the younger kids in the school on site. Obviously the curriculum leans more towards what Mercy thinks is important, rather than what’s in the American education system.

At Niko’s age, a few months shy of 18, I was preparing to marry my uncle. This is where my hatred for the Eden’s KeepCouncil comes from. Eight older men, all chosen by Mercy, sit you in a room with other young women on the cusp of marriage. There we were made to watch pornography, video after video of women being used by men; vaginally, anally and orally. All to teach us how to please our husbands. If you didn’t learn from the videos, or were unable to please your husband, there were special group evenings you could attend with your husband. Royal dragged me to two such evenings because he said I was frigid. On those nights, men would bring their wives to a small room off the side of the main hall. There were mattresses on the floor and we’d be encouraged to relax. From there Mercy himself would talk everyone through fucking, using one of his young wives as his assistant. We’d all be encouraged to join in. It was at one of these such events that I learned to zone out. Blank my mind to everything that was happening to my body. Here I’d plan my escape from Royal, from my father, from the Keep.

Looking at my babies, on the cusp of the age I was during my last year or so at the Keep, I realize Debs is right. At their age I wouldn’t have asked my mother if I could learn to use a weapon. If I had access to one I would have taught myself and then killed them all then and there.

“You’re right, Debs, I wouldn’t have asked. But I’m glad they did, and I’m glad they have you and everyone else to guide them. Thank you for offering to teach my babies.”

Her gentle eyes take in my face, softening when we share a look that only mothers understand. Shaking the flour off her hands, she rubs them on the front of her ever present apron, then she pulls me into a hug, her surprisingly strong arms wrapping me up.

“I’m proud of you Blanche, you’re a good girl,” she pulls back, stroking my cheek and I tear up a little. It’s been a long time since I had a mom in my life. “Now pull yourself together. How are the kids and men going to fear you if you’re in hereblubbering?” Her lips twitch as she gives me a wink and gets back to her baking.

I huff out a laugh and clean my face. To distract from my emotions I take a deep breath, then exhale, looking out the window. Before I can even finish my exhale, the rest of the breath is stolen by a laugh that bubbles up at the sight.

“What’s so funny?” Debs comes to stand at the window with me, then bursts into laughter as well.

“What the hell are you two laughing at?” Niko’s voice says, but he sounds distant as Debs and I hold on to each other, laughing like a pack of hyenas. “Wait, are those dicks on that police cruiser’s lights?”

Roaring comes from the common room and I’m guessing the rest of the brothers have spotted what we have, Officer Martin driving off in his cruiser, his light bar decorated with 10 wobbling dildos.

Chapter 13

Tav

I’m sitting at the table in the common room trying to sort through paperwork from Tombs Security. It’s nice that my brother has told me not to return to work until Pixie and the kids are all safe, but I don’t want my siblings picking up too much slack if there are things I can work on.

It’s been almost a week since my Pixie and the kids came to the clubhouse, and we still haven’t nailed down a decent plan of attack. Royal, Hammer, Officer Martin and Eden’s Keep are moving pieces which complicates things. We just don’t have enough information for a coordinated strike. We can take out one or two, but not before alerting the others. We want to take out the whole operation, not leave survivors that will just start up again from a different base.

“Hey, um, Tav, are you busy?”

Niko stands awkwardly on the other side of the table. I tip my head at the seat across from me and shut my laptop. If Niko wants to talk, then I’m all ears.

“Yeah, man. Have a seat. You OK?”

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