Page 23 of Flyboy's Nightingale
“Would you be down with coming to the clubhouse to have lunch with us. Before you tell me flat out no, the weather is nice, so we’ll eat outside so you don’t have to come inside, and it’ll be just girls, no overgrown apes allowed,” she says, rushing the word out.
I’m shaking my head as the frosty nails of dread and fear start to take root in my mind. I know without a doubt that my brother is in town, though I don’t know where he’s held up. I just can’t bring that trouble to the front door of some of the most amazing people I’ve ever known. I’m going to have to cancel. I just cannot bring myself to put them, hell, even myself in danger.
“Please, Riles, I know you’re about to tell me no. Just come have lunch with us, I promise it’ll all be okay,” Lil’ Red begs me, kicking a small hole in the wall that I’ve built around my heart.
I sigh, letting my shoulders fall and pray that this isn’t the biggest mistake of mine and their lives. “Okay, fine. I’ll come have lunch at the compound.”
Lil’ Red squeals, “Hell, yeah! I’ll see you soon. Love you, woman.”
“Love you, too,” I whisper and rub my eye with the hand that isn’t holding my phone.
I stand there clasping my bags, looking off into nowhere, letting all the variable options about what could happen run through my mind's eye. The club finding out that I’m the daughter of a club president and me never saying anything to give them that warning. My brother, finding me there andstarting a war between the clubs. My brother and our father finding a way to catch me and pull me back into the hell that was my former life. Shaking my head, I skulk for the door of my office when Avery’s words from all those months ago hit me like the sting of a bullet.“When are you going to let us in?”It’s with those words ringing through my ears that I finally decide to let the women of the club in just enough to find out the best way to get help with my predicament and pray it won’t start a bloody war where lives will be lost.
Once I’ve closed and locked my office door, I turn, waving at the physical therapist working with clients, relaxing just a touch more when I don’t see Avery. I make it through the side door that leads to employee parking, smiling when the warm summer sun washes over me. The feeling of ease only lasts a few moments before I swear I can feel eyes on me. I quickly look to the left, and then to the right as I try to figure out where the eyes are coming from.
“Bitch, get out of your own head and get moving,” the voice taking up space while living in my head demands.
I rush across the parking lot to my car, doing everything in my power not to look like a fucking crazy person while digging in my bag for my keys. Once in my car, I jab my key into the ignition at the same time as I lock the doors. My car does nothing but click.
“No, No. No. This can’t be happening,” I chant, as rising panic crushes my lungs.
I turn my car off and then try to turn it back on, praying that this piece of shit will actually be my friend today. I look up into my rearview mirror just as a figure in all black comes around the corner of the building. I pump the gas pedal like a freaking lunatic as the figure gets closer and closer to me. As he finally leaves the shadow of the building, my heart doesn’t just stop, it shrivels up and dies right there in my chest. Coming at me isone of only three men that terrorize my every waking moment. I know the very moment that he perceives that I know exactly who he is as he continues stalking toward me. A malevolent smirk lifts the one working side of his face. I become completely immobilized as if in shock, not even able to shake with the loathing and apprehension scraping my insides.
My nightmare is just within reach of my car when it turns over. I don’t even give myself a moment to consider what it might do to the integrity of my car to drive it like I stole it, but I do it any fucking way. I slam my car into reverse, smashing my foot on the gas pedal, turning the steering wheel hard. I’m out of the spot and blasting my car into drive, taking off as fast as it’ll go. The nightmare stands with his arms crossed as I fly by him. Once I get to the entrance of the parking lot, not even slowing to make sure no one is coming my way, I take the curve that’ll put me on the road. Banging my foot back on the foot pedal, I start pushing my little piece of junk car as hard as it’ll go.
I take the longest way possible toward the compound, making sure I’m not being followed. Lil’ Red calls me several times as I’m now running severely late for our lunch. I pull up to the gate, looking into my rearview mirror, praying for the prospect to hurry. He slowly steps out of the guard shack, sauntering over to me. I take him in, taking note that he’s new and the look in his eyes gives me the ick. He leans onto the top of my car, looking into my window.
“Sorry, sweetheart, no new talent until open club night.” The prospect licks his lips as he continues saying, “I sure do hope you come back. I’ll show you a really good time.”
“I-I-I-I need.” I barely squeeze the words out of my desert dry throat. “To see Lil’ Red. I’m supposed to be meeting her for lunch here today.”
The prospect continues to look me up and down, not showing any sign that he’s listening to me. The vibration of my phone atthe same time that he hits the top of my car with his hand, causes me to jump and scream. Picking up my phone, I see that it’s Vixen calling. I answer the call, placing my phone to my ear.
“Thank Christ you finally fucking answered. Where the hell are you?” she asks before I even utter a word.
“I’m at the gate. The prospect isn’t wanting to let me through. He seems to think I’m a wanna be hanger on. So, if—” she cuts me off before I have the opportunity to complete my sentence.
“Can someone please go tell that fucking asshat outside at the gate that Riley is one of us before I go out there and—” she stops speaking when I hear Torch’s voice interrupt her.
“I fucking swear, woman, that that mouth of yours is going to write a fucking check your ass cannot cash.” His voice gets closer and closer with every word.
“I don’t recall you complaining about what this mouth does,” Vixen sasses back without hesitation or fear.
I dream of the day I can be sassy and mouthy, not just to my man, but in a room full of people without fear of retribution. The phone in the guard shack starts ringing, pulling the prospect away from my car. I watch as he puts the phone to his ear before turning back to me with a slight sneer. Apprehension wraps its nasty hands around my throat, squeezing just a little tighter than it does on a day-to-day basis. The prospect slams the phone down before opening the gate for me.
“It looks like you’re approved. I guess a brother already has a claim on that sweet ass.” He licks his lips eyeing me. “Guess I’ll just have to wait my turn.”
Narrowing my eyes, the snarky bitch inside my head takes control of my mouth. “You won't ever get a turn, you low down piece of shit. I’m nobody’s to be passed around or used. I hope you have a great motherfucking day, you fucking jackass.”
I slam my car into drive, pulling slowly through the gates, parking my car to the left side of the long row of bikes. WhenI come to a complete stop, I let out a shaky breath, still not believing that I said that to a prospect in the club, before pushing the car into park. I reach up and turn the key, shutting off my car just as the door flies open and out flies Lil’ Red and Vixen, smiling wide. I don’t even stop the genuine smile and the calmness that washes over me at seeing them. I’ve truly missed all of these amazing women.
“You're finally here!” Vixen screams like a crazy woman.
Pushing my car door open, I step out, and before I can even get fully on my feet, Lil’ Red pulls me into a tight hug before passing me on to Vixen, and then Edge. I hug them close, breathing them in, feeling the stress fall away like a spring storm that’s here one second and gone the next. I’m able to think clearly for the first time since this all started, knowing that before I leave here today, I’ll talk to these girls about everything I can without giving too much away.
“Now that you're finally here, can we freaking eat before this kid eats my backbone?” Lil’ Red grins, and by the look on all the womens’ faces, I know that this is the first time anyone's heard this news.
“This is what you’ve been hiding?” Edge shouts, shock and excitement written all over her face.
