Page 26 of Lady Death

“She’sthe one?” Brim asked.

“I had help,” she said, lifting her chin. “Darby …he was, uh, the brawn. Subdued them for me to get close enough to sliceoff their dicks.”

Both men winced.

“This was personal,” Leia said softly. Keres stared at her for a long moment, then nodded, and understanding filled the other woman’s gaze. “I see.”

“What?” Brim demanded. “What do you see?”

“Nothing,” she told her husband. “I believe Ronin still rents a room here. Keres can stay there.”

“Leia—”

“Ronin has brought her here for protection,” she said, cutting him off. Leia stood up, cradling Leo in her arms. “We don’t turn our backs when one of our own asks for help. Come, Keres, let me show you around while the two of them finish talking shop.”

She gave a follow-me nod, and Keres looked at Ronin before rising and trailing after her.

“Are you sure?” she asked. “I don’t want to make trouble.”

“This is the clubhouse for the Death Riders. We always have trouble.”

They stepped from the hallway back into the large den area. Music pumped in from the speakers, the tone low enough as to not disturb the sleeping baby. In the few minutes she’d been in the office, several more couples were in various stages of undress. One woman was on her knees giving a blowjob to a man. People drank, laughed, and danced.

“Is this a party?” she asked.

“This is a Friday night,” Leia replied dryly.

Just then the door opened and a tiny woman with black hair came barreling in, followed by a tall, muscular, good-looking guy.

“Oh, it’s the baby!” the woman squealed and made a beeline to them. She didn’t touch Leo but gazed at him with a happy smile. “He’s so adorable. Not quite so squishy anymore.You know, it’s nice having someone littler than me around.”

“Don’t get used to it,” the man behind her said. “He’s going to grow up while you won’t.”

“Rude,” she said. Then she threw her hands out. “Wait! I have an idea. Maybe we can strap me to a stretching machine and see if I can get an inch or so.”

“Are you talking about the ancient form of torture called ‘the rack’? Where they tie your arms and legs to a contraption and pull until your joints are dislocated?”

The woman blinked. “Well, when you put it that way…”

“Not worth it for an inch or so.”

“I thought all men were concerned about size.”

Lincoln narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, but the woman suddenly rushed forward to hug Keres.

“So nice to meet you!” she gushed. “My name is Vivi. That sourpuss is Lincoln. He’s my bae.”

“I thought we agreed not to use that particular word,” Lincoln grumbled.

“Eh,” Vivi shrugged without taking her gaze off Keres. “What’s your name?”

“Hi, I’m Keres.”

“Nice to meet you, Keres,” Lincoln said, giving a nod of greeting with his head. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a significant other to attend to.”

Then he picked Vivi up and ambled away, despite her slapping his shoulders.

“Put me down, Lincoln! I was making a new friend. Now she’s going to think we’re weird or something.”

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