Page 99 of Toxic

I didn’t point out that I’d seen them all a few days ago at Jenny and Priest’s reception. Mostly because I liked feeling as though I belonged to this group. They kept insisting I did. It was strange to me that they were so welcoming to someone they hardly knew, but they sat me right down as soon as the guys tookoff and started making me drinks and food. If I didn’t know a good portion of them had children, then I’d know it by the way they were mothering me. They didn’t even know what they were doing, it was just instinct at this point.

“Are they having fun on their trip?” I asked, taking a sip of my tea.

“The best,” Seek said. “We’re getting tons of pictures and updates.”

“Good,” I said with a smile, then I huffed out a breath and asked what was worrying me. “I don’t…really know much about this life. About the guys. Toxic told me they were going to Phoenix to help some allies of theirs.” They all nodded. “Is he in danger?”

They all looked around at one another and I could see that they were having a silent conversation. As to whether it was who would explain it to me, or what to divulge, I wasn’t sure.

“Did Toxic tell you what it is they do? As a club?” Seek asked.

We’d had that conversation just yesterday, when he’d told me about needing to go to Phoenix for a day or two. I nodded. “They consider themselves vigilantes.”

“The law considers them that,” Seek said with a laugh. “They protect their city.”

“That’s why Keely sent them to help you,” Dani added. “They do this kind of thing all the time.”

“That’s…nice…of them,” I offered.

“What it means,” Jordan said, “is that they get into…”

“Situations,” Gwen offered.

Jordan nodded. “Situations where things can get dangerous.”

I figured that considering what Toxic had told me. And the fact that he’d killed two men who’d come onto my ranch already. Which I hadn’t found out about until that talk yesterday. It had shaken me a little, if I was being honest. To know that myboyfriend was able to kill so easily. But he’d done so in order to protect me. And my ranch. They’d been about to burn it down.

“Does it bother any of you?” I asked, searching their faces. “What they…do?”

They were able to read between the lines and replace the question with ‘that they kill’.

“It can take some getting used to,” Dani admitted. “But they do it to protect the people that they love, and their city.”

“And they only kill the people who are criminals,” Seek added.

“The people who deserve it,” Kit said in a quieter voice. “We do whatever we have to do.”

Eva brushed her hand over Kit’s in a comforting manner. “They saved most of our lives at least once. It’s hard to think badly of them once they do that. You know?”

“I do,” I said with a nod. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to judge anyone.” Kit gave me a forced smile. I wasn’t sure what had happened with her, but she and Jordan were exchanging glances. I still wasn’t in on the secrets around here. So, while I belonged, I knew I needed to prove myself before they’d trust me with everything. And that was fair enough.

“We don’t think you’re judging, Billie,” Susie said with a shake of her head. The others mimicked the motion. “It’s a lot to take on.”

“Especially for someone who knew nothing of one-percenters to begin with,” Tori added.

“Even for those of us who did,” Daisha said with a laugh.

“But our guys aren’t like a lot of one-percenters,” Sloane continued. “They don’t sell guns, or drugs.”

“Or traffic people,” Daisha added.

My eyes widened. “There are clubs who do those things? Like, that’s not just TV?”

They all looked over at Dani.

“What?” she said in a defensive tone. “If I told hereverythingup front she would have distanced herself from Toxic even more than she already was. I told her a lot though.”

“She did,” I said, jumping to my friend’s defense.

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