Page 53 of Deserter

“Yeah, rules are rules. From what Mom said, Lucy really stuck her neck out and it wasn’t that bad. Rock even came around a few times after; well, until he died in some bar fight.” She parked the car and reached over to squeeze my hand.

“This won’t be like fight night. There are ‘Ol Ladies and kids here. The men will be on their best behavior, so don’t have a cow, okay?”

I agreed and followed after her, my cherry red flip-flops sinking into the sand with each step. Two kids had managed to climb up into one of the large oak trees and were shooting each other with finger guns while their mothers tried to coax them back down.

One of the bikers had built a bonfire that he was gleefully dousing in gasoline. “Yo, Dave!” another biker called over. “Easy on the accelerants, we got kids here!”

She was right. This was nothing like the last time. I struggled to see the same men who kidnapped me as family men, even with the evidence right in front of me.

“Aunt Lucy!” Molly waved.

A gorgeous redhead in a cream bodysuit and acid-washed jeans came over and wrapped her up in a hug. “Molly Dolly! You look fabulous, as always.” When they pulled apart, she looked up at me with a smile. “And you must be Celia. I’m Lucy.”

I extended my hand to shake hers, trying to figure out how it was she knew me, when she surprised me with a hug.

“Okay,” I exclaimed, patting her back awkwardly.

“None of that handshaking bullshit. Now, let’s get you girls some food and introduce you to the ladies.”

“Doesn’t she look just like Lucy fromI Love Lucy?” Molly whispered as she walked off. “Fuck, I love watching reruns of that show.”

“Mm-hmm.” I distractedly answered while searching the tables. He was nearby, I felt it.

Being here was madness.

I was starving.

My head ached.

My new best friend had tricked me.

And, I’d officially left all my common sense back in the car. During my speech at graduation, I’d lost my place several times, scanning the auditorium for him. I knew that I’d made the best decision by walking away, but a small part of me was disappointed by how easily he’d let me.

“Alright, girls. This is my niece, Molly, and her friend, Celia.”

I snapped out of my trance and smiled politely. “Hello.”

The three women looked us up and down before nodding and going back to their conversation. Molly leaned down. “Hey, bitches, she just said hello. The polite thing to do is to say something back.”

“Molly!” The last thing we needed was to draw attention to ourselves.

Lucy cackled and shook her head. “I’ll be damned, Molly. There’s more of me in you than I thought.” She pointed to each of the women. “Donna. Betsy. Angela. If you ladies want to stay in my good graces, you’ll get off your asses and show some respect.”

The one with dark hair stood up first. “I’m Betsy.” She shook my hand. “Did you say your name was Celia?”

“Unique, isn’t it?”

I dropped my shoulders with a sigh at the familiar growl and mumbled, “So much for staying hidden,” as Grey stepped into view.

Lucy winced and reached for Molly’s hand. “We’ll just go get some food.” The rest of the table followed, with the exception of Betsy.

The three of us stood in strained silence until Grey made his demand. “Like a word with you.”

I nodded. “I expected as much. Can I eat first?”

His eyes flashed with anger and the muscle in his jaw popped out. “After.”

Betsy crossed her arms over her chest with a frown. “You two know each other?”

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