Page 38 of Deserter

“And you think my guy—well, the biker I know—you think he would be there?”

She grinned. “Honey, everyone goes to fight night. What’s your guy’s name?”

“Grey.”

Her mouth opened, and the cigarette dangled from her lower lip, forgotten. “Grey? As in the goddamn President?”

“He’s like important?”

“Important? He runs the entire club. They don’t make a move without his word. You got fucked by the leader of the pack, doll.”

“Oh.” I exhaled slowly against the pain in my chest. I’d convinced myself that the reason Grey hadn’t come for me was because his boss wouldn’t let him. In reality, he was the boss.

I should’ve been relieved. He’d moved on and I should’ve considered doing the same. I didn’t want to though. My future had been irreparably damaged by his club’s actions. Now, my mother couldn’t look at me with anything other than disappointment and disgust.

“Tell your parents that you’re staying with a friend and come with me.”

How many times had my mother warned that my virginity was the only thing that would guarantee me a suitable marriage?

I deserved to know if it had meant something.

* * *

“C’mon, what’s the hold up?” Molly dragged me across the gravel parking lot.

“What was in that Dr. Pepper?” I used her arm for balance as she leaned in to study my face.

“Amaretto. You’ve never mixed the two before?”

I blinked and shook my head. “I’ve never had a drink before. Well…” I held up my hand with a soft giggle. “That’s not quite true. I do drink the communion wine at church. And once, I took a big drink from the chalice, but Father O’Reilly didn’t notice.”

She nodded and smiled. “That sounds… disgusting. You gonna be alright?”

“Yeah, I’m just a little nervous. I also feel a little buzzy, like my skin is vibrating, but in a weird way that’s helping.”

“Well…” Molly watched several bikers come out before turning back to me. “You look hot as shit, so he’d be crazy not to make you his Ol’ Lady.”

As requested, I’d taken my best outfits over to her house. She’d given them one look before deciding that I needed something that didn’t screamLittle House on the Prairie.

Molly let me keep Yiayia’s pearl necklace, but that was it. I ended up with an oversized white blouse that was unbuttoned beyond my comfort level and a pair of jeans.

I frowned. “I don’t want to be an old lady.”

“Okay, Celia. You can stay young. Let’s just get inside.”

We passed a group of bikers and one let out a low whistle before moving in between us. “What the fuck are you two doing here?”

I held my chin high and announced, “I’m here to speak with Grey,” before stumbling over the heels Molly had insisted I wear.

Biker guy kept me up, but his smile was gone. “You ain’t gonna get through the front door, sweetheart.”

“Very well…” I straightened the collar of my blouse. “I guess I’m here to fight then.”

Molly choked on a laugh. “She’s not serious. We’re just here for a good time.”

The biker relented and let us inside and I immediately realized what an incredibly bad idea it had been. There were other women, but they were practically naked and draped over the laps of men in leather vests.

Two men near the bar were circling each other while others watched in anticipation.

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