Page 73 of Dancin' with Demons

“Of course,” Catacomb says, his voice equally low.

“Where are Snackcake and Kitty?” Turning my head to the side, I meet Catacomb’s hard gaze, and swallow hard.

“Where they can’t do anythin’ stupid for now.”

Shaking my head, I try my best to reign in the irritation that floods me veins. “Given what I went through, you can understand why I’m asking.”

“Raylynn,” Catacomb says in an extremely controlled tone, “I’ve bent a lot of rules since you came back, but what the club does with anyone, brother or clubwhore, that betrays us, ain’t up for discussion.”

Tilting my head to the side, I narrow my eyes at him, and the way his widen tells me I’m already overstepping my boundaries. I don’t know what the hell comes over me, but I push before I can stop myself.

“Really? So, you think I should just be silent at the possibility that you’re keeping them locked up somewhere to be tortured or worse?”

Catacomb turns his entire body to face me just as Sandra comes up behind him. “Raylynn, as an official ol’ lady in this club, I expect you to know your place when it comes to club shit.”

His voice isn’t quiet this time, and I don’t have to look around to know we’re being stared at. Clicking my tongue against the roof of my mouth, I slide out of my chair and stand. “Fine.”

“Fine?” he snaps.

Sandra gently grabs his arm. “Easy, Phoenix. This is all still new to Ray.”

I chuckle. “Yeah, it is. But new or old, I ain’t cool with the men who are around mydaughterhaving tea parties at noon and then torturing two fucking defenseless women after lunch. Savior!”

Catacomb goes to step forward, but Sandra stops him. At the same time, I turn and move to toward where Savior is sitting on the floor with Renegade, Reaper, and Archangel, they all get up from the floor and stare at me.

“What’s goin’ on?” Archangel says, glancing between me and Catacomb.

I don’t bother looking back at the club’s president. I like Catacomb, but the idea of them hurting those clubwhores, regardless of what they did, doesn’t sit right with me.

“Savior, go pack a bag, baby,” I say as calmly as possible so I don’t upset my daughter. She glances between me and Renegade. “Savior . . . now.”

“Yes, Mommy,” she says as she gets up off the floor and comes over to me. Pulling my keys out of my pocket, I find the room key and hand it to her.

“I’ll help her,” Sandra says softly from behind me, and I turn my head just enough for her to notice me nod in agreement.

“Wait a damn minute,” Renegade snaps, “where the hell are you goin’? What the fuck is happenin’ right now?”

“Savior and I are gonna go stay somewhere else for a few days,” I say coldly, turning on my heel.

I don’t get three steps away before a strong hand closes around my wrist and pulls, spinning me back around. Renegade’s eyes are panicked, searching my face frantically.

“Stop,” he snaps, “talk to me, Ray.”

Gently, I pull my wrist from his hand. “No. I asked very specific questions for a reason. And I get that club business isn’t my business, but that doesn’t mean I have to sit by and just pretend like I’m cool with certain things. So, for right now, I’m taking my daughter and leaving. I’ll come back when I’ve calmed down enough or when you’re all done torturing, murdering, raping, doing whatever it is you plan to do to the two women who helped Hammer.”

Renegade looks like I slapped him. “Hold the fuck on, woman. You’re pissed because you don’t know what we’re doin’ with Snackcake and Kitty? You realize they were gonna help Hammer kidnap you, right? Does it fuckin’ matter what happens to them?”

The moment the last part of that sentence is out of his mouth, I think he realizes he fucked up because he goes to open his mouth as he holds his hands up in the position of surrender. I, on the other hand, am so angry that I can’t see straight.

“Does it matter?” My eyes narrow as I take a step toward him, and Renegade takes a step back.

“Raylynn,” he says carefully, “that’s not how I meant it.”

“Oh, I think you meant that exactly how it came out,” I snap, my voice raising, “well, news flash for the lot of you— I don’t give a shit what they did. Even if they’d have tried to kill me, I wouldn’t be okay with a group of grown-ass men, three times their fucking size, beating and torturing them.”

“Raylynn,” Reaper says gently, coming up to stand next to Renegade.

Turning my narrowed eyes on him, I damn near snarl, and in the back of my head, there’s a little voice pleading with me to chill out, but I can’t. “Do you know why that is? Oh, wait, I know. Maybe because I have been at the mercy of an entire club, completely helpless. And nothing, and I mean, fucking nothing deserves that fate.”

---