Page 75 of Collect the Pieces

Well, at least I warned her.

“Nice to meet you,” Margot says. “No reason for anyone to be sad.” She clamps her hand over my thigh. “I keep him pretty happy.”

Bonnie titters with laughter that borders on evil. “Sure you do, hon.”

“Time for you to git,” Shelby says, shooing Bonnie away like she’s a stray cat.

Bonnie stands and saunters away. She doesn’t return to Ravage’s blanket though; she disappears somewhere behind the tree line.

“Who brought her up here?” I ask Rooster.

He shrugs. “How the fuck would I know? Probably that dipshit.” He jerks his chin at Butcher. “He brought a couple different girls up after dinner. Was trying to talk Dex into letting Bonnie audition at Crystal Ball earlier.”

I blow out an annoyed breath. “That’s a hard no. She’ll never show up on time.”

Margot squirms and wriggles out of my hold.

Why am I still babbling about Bonnie? Margot’s probably pissed.

Margot

That Bonnie girl thought she was clever, but I saw right through her not-so-subtle hints. If that’s the worst I have to deal with tonight, I’ll be fine.

“I don’t suppose there are bathrooms around here?” I dart a nervous glance into the woods.

“We’re surrounded by nature.” Jigsaw sweeps his hands in front of him, then winces at the horrified expression on my face. “Most of us just grab a tree.”

I wrinkle my nose and stare at the tree we’re currently sitting under.

“Not here.” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “Out there.”

“Come on, Margot.” Shelby grabs my shoulder and uses me for leverage to pull herself out of Rooster’s lap. “I ain’t coppinga squat in the woods, either. I’ll walk back to the clubhouse with ya.”

Embarrassed she’d overheard us, I open my mouth and shake my head. “I’m okay.”

“Wait a second,” Rooster protests. “We’ll go with you.” He stretches out his leg and kicks his booted foot against Jigsaw’s thigh.

“We’ll be fine,” Shelby insists, holding out her hand to me. “We can’t get lost. Path’s lit all the way to the parking lot.”

I take her hand and stumble away from the blanket. “I think my butt fell asleep.”

“See, it’s time to stretch our legs,” Shelby says.

We walk past different couples getting…carried away in the woods. I avert my gaze and follow Shelby’s steps. At the clubhouse, a bunch of girls, including Bonnie, are sitting on the front steps vaping and laughing. The air around them reeks of sickly sweet apples.

“Hey, Lala,” Shelby says, ignoring the other two girls.

Bonnie and the other one glare at me but I follow Shelby’s lead and don’t say anything.

Inside the house, Shelby marches straight to the bathroom, throwing a wave at a few brothers who say hi to her. “Lala’s one of the girls who usually hangs out downstate,” Shelby explains. “She’s nice. The other two, meh.” She shrugs and pushes her way inside the bathroom.

Now that we’re here, I suddenly have to pee really bad. I all but knock Shelby down to get to one of the stalls.

The sound of the door opening and closing again reaches me. A gut feeling says it’s one of those girls. I wait until I hear Shelby finish, then join her at the sinks.

I’m right. The girl pretending to fix her lipstick had been sitting next to Bonnie outside. She has short black, choppy, cropped hair that drags to her shoulders in sad little wisps, andfreckles dotted along her nose. She’d be cute, except for the dumbest haircut I’ve ever seen on a woman. I wash my hands and don’t bother saying anything.

As Shelby’s finishing at the sink, the girl tries to step around her.

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