Page 18 of Stella
“How about I stick that toothbrush down your goddamn throat?” Dad quips.
“Now, now, Dad,” I say. “You can’t go diving in to protect me from every stupid thing Nevada says. We’d be here a really long time if you did.”
More laughs and chuckles.
“Rude,” Nevada mutters.
Of course, I’ve known most of these guys my entire life, and realistically? I don’t think they’re gonna give methatmuch of a hard time. Maybe Nevada because he’s annoying, but everyone else will probably throw a few things at me just to prove they’re still men, but I’m not worried.
“I’ll say this only once. Club business stays within the club,” Cash says. “Under no circumstances would you discuss anything you see, hear orthinkis going to happen to anyone in the club, especially the ol’ ladies, got it?”
I nod. “I solemnly swear that I will not do that.”
“So we’ll take a vote,” Cash says, even though I know there was a secret meeting a while back where all the members were inhere and I’m fairly sure the vote was a yes to hearing me out. “All those in favor of Stella prospecting?”
Multiple “Ayes” and “Yeahs” ring around the room.
I sit up that little bit straighter. I think my prospectus did the rounds well.
“Anyone not in favor?”
“Me,” Dad says. “I don’t care how you spin it, you’re my daughter, and this isn’t a place for a woman to patch in. Protecting you will be nearly impossible if you’re out there and I’m somewhere else.”
“What should I be doing?” I throw back. “Cooking in the kitchen with my little apron, cleaning with my toothbrush? And protecting me can only go so far. It’s no different when I go out with my friends or go to work; at some point, you have to let go.”
He steels his jaw, unhappy. “I don’t care who hears it around this table. I love you, you’re my daughter, and if anythin’ ever happened…”
I lean over, squeezing his hand. “It’s gonna be okay, Dad. I love you, too. But you have to understand I’m not a little girl anymore.”
He shakes his head sadly. “That’s where you’re wrong. You’ll always be my little girl. When you have kids of your own someday, you’ll understand.”
I stare at him, sadness washing over me. I love my dad and I don’t want to make him unhappy, but I also have to follow my heart.
Before I can respond, I jump as Cash bangs the gavel down. “It’s settled. Stella will prospect on a probationary period until further notice. Your list of duties will be emailed by Riot by the end of the week, we also have this…”
Just as he says it, Manny comes bursting into the room holding a plate of freshly baked cookies in one hand, and a ‘Prospect’ cut in the other. I all but cry.
Holy crap, this is really happening.
“Congratulations,” he sing-songs, heading my way. “I think a celebration is in order.”
5
CALE
A prospect?
A fucking prospect!
I can’t even believe what the hell I’m hearing or seeing. Something about that cut with the ‘Prospect’ patch on the front made me see red. What in the hell are the MC thinking? Have they completely lost their goddamn minds? While I don’t for one second doubt that Stella is capable of anything she sets her mind to, there’s her safety to consider.
It’s crazy. While I get her father won’t let anything happen to her, and Stella did just tell me Harlem wasn’t happy — it still begs the question of the sanity of the Rebels. Are they doing it to prove a point?
Are women really accepted as patched in members? Well, technically she’s not patched in, but it’s close enough.
What am I not getting?
And yet, when Stella was telling me, she was brimming with pride. Okay, maybe a little hesitation on her part because I’m law enforcement, but still. She’s proud of the fact she’ll be wearing that shitty prospect cut with the worn-in patch, and that’s just something I can’t get behind. Not that she wants meto. She practically kicked me out, and maybe I overstepped, but someone has to wave reality in front of her pretty face.
