Page 88 of The Echo of Violence

When she does, her voice sounds hesitant. “Hello?”

“Hey, Mercy. I wasn’t sure how you’d take the news, to be honest, but I figured it might go as well as me telling Nico and Rex.”

She laughs before speaking. “Oh, I can’t imagine how that conversation went.”

“Oh, it didn’t. They were too busy measuring dicks with Knight, Splinter, and Eightball.”

She sucks in a sharp breath. “Okay, lady, you are seriously holding out on me.”

I sigh and wheel over to the large window to gaze out at the garden. I don’t have a green thumb at all—not even close—but I love to see flowers in bloom when I look out, so I let one of my neighbors go wild.

“I think I fucked up.”

“Why? What happened? Did they hurt you? Do I need to shoot them?”

I smile at how pissed she sounds. “They were great. They did everything right. I… Fuck. I’m not good at this.”

“It’s just me, Jinx. If you knew the shit I let my guys get away with, you’d have me committed. Trust me. I’m not going to judge you.”

“They let me just be me, and they didn’t make me feel less in any way. It was hands-down the best sex of my life. That’s why I think I’ve fucked up.”

“Yes, hot, sweaty biker sex with three giant cocks. I can see why that would be a problem,” she deadpans.

“I thought it would just be a one-time thing. As shitty as it sounds, I thought they’d satisfy their curiosity and then be done with me. Hell, maybe they will be, but… they’re talking about more. And well, I didn’t factor them into the equation when I told Scope I’d think about prospecting.”

“Ah. I’d like to say I don’t think it will be a problem, but I can’t. Hell, my men are looking for you to be my bodyguard, even though I’m more skilled than most of the guys here. Being protective is written in their DNA. It’s etched into the fabric of who they are.”

“I figured as much. There is no scenario where they won’t be pissed about this. Side note: Scope told me you are more than capable of looking after yourself. I’m not your bodyguard so much as your backup. You can be the world’s best fighter but you are still only one person.”

She’s quiet for a second, and I think I’ve lost the connection when she sighs. “Funny you should say that.” And she proceeds to fill in some of the things she left out before.

“Well… Okay, then. Still, you’re only one person.”

She groans. “This friendship is going to be really hard for me if you don’t always agree that I’m right.”

“Poor baby. If you want someone to make you feel good, go play with one of your men.”

“You’re mean.” She blows out a breath.

“Mercy, I’m not sure what all Scope told you, but I grew up in an MC.” Taking a deep breath, I tell Mercy everything. When I’m done, we are both quiet.

“Does this mean you’re saying no to prospecting?”

I bite my lip, my eyes moving over the flowers in the garden. “No. I loved my family, but as a female, I was always made to feel less than the men. I made myself small so that I didn’t rock the boat. I kept my mouth shut so I wouldn’t make waves. And you know what? It brought me nothing but regret.

“I loved them, but all my memories are tainted with hurt and disappointment. So many words were left unsaid. So many wounds left to fester. When I lost my legs, I was left with two choices. Stay on the path of least resistance. Accept the hand I’d been dealt and live with my limitations.”

“But that’s not what you did.”

“No. I chose the harder path, maybe because I had nobody left to disappoint but myself. I pushed my boundaries and told myself I’d never settle again. I’m not about to do it now. If you’re okay with it, then tell Scope I’m in. I’ll prospect with the Chaos Demons under the condition that it’s only to act as your guard. I’ll come by the clubhouse tomorrow, and we can go over everything.”

“Oh, this is going to be epic. I know this will sound weird—you’re a little older than me, and we’re not sisters or anything, but… I just want to say, as one MC princess to another, I’m proud of you. You’re doing something that will change the lives of our future daughters.”

I swallow a lump in my throat. “You’re going to be one of these weirdly supportive friends who is just nice and hugs a lot, aren’t you?”

She burst out laughing. “You make it sound like torture.”

I grunt. “Prospecting I can handle. You, though, Mercy, I have a feeling are going to be the death of me.”

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