Page 88 of Jester

Aqua shrugs. “I do it for my lady’s pleasure.”

“I do it because I’m genetically part-bear,” Rave explains and nudges her sister. “This one just lets her beast run free.”

Riot smirks at her sister’s comment and looks to Ominous.

“I did it when I was young and insecure,” Ominous explains, winning chuckles from us at the thought of her suffering from self-doubt. “But at some point, I just stopped caring. I think it’s when I realized I was attractive enough to get quality dick without me needing to put in any effort.”

Sister Sass frowns before shaking her head. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Is this his suggestion or did you come up with the bullshit on your own?” Dire asks, eyeballing Sister Sass’s crotch.

“It’s my idea.”

Everyone falls silent, and I notice Sister Sass getting antsy.

“I’ve been waxing since high school,” I offer, finally finding my voice. “It kept the area more comfortable for when I was playing volleyball or training. Later, it was a habit. I don’t mind it. Probably don’t need to do it. But it’s not a huge deal.”

Dire reaches over and pokes Sister Sass in the belly. “Don’t waste your time. Jester doesn’t care. Just flash your hairy beaver and let him deal.”

“I don’t know.”

Fighting the urge to bite my tongue again, I decide to be straight with Sister Sass. “I think you should wax,” I say, and everyone focuses on me. “You’ll feel different with it bare.”

“Why does it matter?” Dire asks, wholly set against the waxing idea.

With their gazes on me, I nearly stick to silence. I don’t like sharing my private thoughts with people. But I also like how they’re so close. I want to be comfortable with them in the same way, so I fight my natural need to keep my mouth shut.

“Ghost and I struggled with intimacy when we first met. He always held back. People at the Sanctuary love their routines. Though it’s nice to know what’ll happen next, those routines make them afraid to try new stuff. When Ghost and I went on that job to kill Hope’s dad, we stayed at a hotel. He was outside his comfort zone and routine. Changing things gave us the strength to push ourselves. I think waxing might do the same for you.”

Sister Sass hears what she needs and offers me a smile. I file away this moment for the next time I want to keep my mouth shut. My ideas aren’t better left unsaid. People I care about want to know what I’m thinking.

We spend the next half hour working with various guns. Dire and Sister Sass aren’t comfortable with the rifles’ recoils. I suggest the best way for them to get over it is to fire the weapons often until they stop flinching so much.

The first time my phone chimes, I nearly ignore it. Then, I remember Hope’s earlier behavior. Once I see Ghost’s text, I tell the women, “Hope’s in the wind.”

“Need help?”

At first, I think to say no. I’m still wary of trusting people. The only reason I worked comfortably with my Texas team was because we trained every few days for months. But I’m part of a larger group now, and trust has been earned by these women.

“Sure. She knows all of you,” I say as I stash my weapons in my motorcycle’s pack.

Within five minutes of getting the call from Ghost, I’ve reached the wooded area not far from our house.

“I took a piss and came back to find her gone,” he snarls, angry with himself. “Clutch texted to say he saw her head into the woods.”

“It’s okay,” I say, stroking his jaw. “She’s been tightly wound since we got back from Texas. I brought help to find her.”

Ghost frowns at the women climbing off their motorcycles. He always takes Hope’s meltdowns personally, as if nothing bad would ever happen if he were a better man.

The women bikers, Ghost, and I meet up with Blunt standing at the edge of the woods. His golden-brown hair is messy from the wind. He seems out of it, but that’s just how he is at all times. Well, I did catch him smiling at his old lady and kid once.

Today, though, he’s wearing a blank expression on his handsome face. “Clutch and Neon followed her into the woods and are sticking close. She keeps spotting them and running again. Should I call for more people to help round her up?”

“We’ve got this,” Ghost says and enters the woods.

Blunt and Ominous stay put in case Hope circles back. The other women, Ghost, and I fan out in the woods.

“Call me if you find her,” I tell the women while texting Neon and Clutch to ask if they still have eyes on Hope.

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