Page 55 of Devil's Own: Roughneck

Elise stands. “Which one of you did I talk to?” she asks.

I wave. “Me. I’m Gia, Rough’s old lady.”

She grabs hold of my hand, staring at the mammoth rock on my finger. “Not just his old lady. That’s gorgeous.”

Right? I laugh. He was worried that no one would know the significance of it? “He brooded like a little boy because I wanted a pink gem. He thought no one would know we’re engaged.”

“Men,” she answers. “They have no clue.”

Then, remembering the other women with me, I turn to introduce them. “This is Danni; she’s Green’s old lady. This is Gillian. She’s no one’s old lady, but she’s a good friend to us. And maybe you know Dusty.”

They offer us to sit down. “I’m Liv,” the blue-eyed, strawberry-blonde-haired woman says. “I belong to Chaos.”

The next one says, “And I’m Brighton. I’m representing Frankie, who couldn’t come. She’s the director of a daycare and has all the kids while we made this meet.” Brighton has flowing, dark-brown hair and brown eyes. She also appears to have a small baby bump. “I’m married to Crass,” she says. Then, noticing me looking at her belly, she pats it. “This is our third. The man’s intimidating to most, but he’s actually a big softy who is about as hands-on as a dad can be.”

“That’s so nice,” I reply because it is nice and I don’t know what else to say.

“He lost his family a long time ago, so he wants to surround himself with family now.”

“That’s understandable.”

“Seriously,” the woman named Liv pipes in. “He took one look at Brighton and told her she was his.”

Uh—wow.

“I see the look on your face,” Brighton says. “I take it your old man went about things differently?”

“Well, things went fast for us. But no—he didn’t just tell me I was his. He told me he wanted meto behis.”

“I’m Hannah,” the other honey-haired woman, aside from Elise, introduces herself. “I’m married to Blood. And this”—she points to the gorgeous woman next to her, who looks like she might have some Asian in her ancestry—“is my sister, Brinley.”

“Sister?” I ask.

They both laugh. “I know,” Brinley says, tucking her long, silky, dark, dark-brown hair behind her ear. “We don’t look a thing alike. We have the same father. Thankfully, we both took after our mothers. I’m married to Hero. He’ll blow a gasket if he finds out I’m here.”

“He’s a bit protective of my sister,” Hannah says.

“A bit?” Brinley asks, and all the Lords women bust out laughing.

Another woman, a little more petite than the other women, waves. Her curly, chestnut hair sways as she does so. “I’m Maryanne Doyle. The getaway driver.”

“As in Detective Tommy Doyle?” Danni asks.

Maryanne nods. “Guilty. We’re married.”

I’m thrilled to put the women’s faces with the names of the Lord brothers I’ve heard about. It makes them more real, more human, rather than these next-level, untouchable, superior entities.

We sit down at the places offered and the waitress shows up tableside immediately. She takes our drink orders, but we request a little time to peruse the menu before ordering.

“Why did you ask for this meet?” I ask Elise.

She sighs. “Because I’m tired. We’ve been dealing with this for so long now. First with the Horde and now the Death Bringers.”

My face falls.

“No. It’s not your fault. The Horde helped us out, then we helped the Horde. It’s how we roll. I’m just ready for it to be done for both of our clubs. We all have kids. We love the freedom and family the club provides, but the rest… My husband was shot recently, protecting me when we were leaving work. One of our men was gunned down. I liked Toad. He was a sweet kid. So now I’m pissed, too.”

Elise and Liv explain how a serial killer named Houdini captured them, and poor Liv, the trauma she experienced from that time in her life, I wouldn’t wish on my enemy. I remember hearing about Houdini on the news. Anyway, he was a member of the old Horde. Caity thought Houdini also stalked her, but it turned out to be her ex. Brighton tells me about how she and Frankie, and Frankie’s twin babies, were kidnapped by the old Horde. That’s where they first met my brother. He helped them. Then he helped them again when a drug lord who trafficked women kidnapped Hannah. Daniel got injured badly—likeshotbadly—on that one. My mouth hangs open for most of their stories. So stunned I only close it when I take a drink of the tea that the waitress had brought to our table mid-stories before she took our orders.

---