Page 78 of Bad for You

The other women nodded their agreement.

“Look,” Mandy said. “This is their club, and we respect that and don’t interfere. They’re not your average guys, but if you think for a moment that means we do what we’re told, that we don’t have lives and careers of our own, a voice, you are misinformed. I’m a family lawyer for a firm here in Black Stone. Jodie owns her own salon, and Kelly’s a school teacher. We’re successful, independent women, we also just happened to fall in love with bikers.”

I stared at her stunned, then blushed. I’d judged them without knowing anything about them. “I don’t feel so bad about being a librarian now,” I said, shamefaced.

They all burst out laughing.

Jodie refilled the drinks.

“If you have any questions, Lila, just ask,” Kelly said, offering me a gentle smile.

I chewed my lip. I did have questions. Several of them. Screw it. “The last party I came to here…there were girls, a lot of them and…”

“They’re not old ladies. They come to party with the guys. But that’s it. They’re not one of us. And that’s why you don’t see them here now.”

I frowned. “Doesn’t that bother you?”

Mandy shrugged. “Stones doesn’t fuck around. I would never put up with that.”

“Grinder would lose his dick if he so much as touched another woman,” Kelly said.

Jodie nodded. “Spanner doesn’t screw around, either. But yeah, some of the guys do. If you haven’t already, you need to tell Grifter what you expect from your relationship and don’t accept anything less.”

“I don’t think Jesse would cheat on me.”

Mandy grinned. “Me either. The boy is gone on you. He’ll have a property patch on you before you know it.”

I froze in my seat. “No offense, but I don’t want that. I’m not anyone’s property. It doesn’t matter how much I love Jesse, I won’t be doing that.”

Then I froze again. Not only had I just insulted these women, I’d told them I loved Jesse, and I hadn’t even told him that yet.

“I understand where you’re coming from,” Mandy said, and thankfully, she didn’t look angry. “Look, any woman coming into this world without any knowledge of club life balks at the idea of wearing a property patch. When I first met Stones and he tried to give me one, I threw it back in his face. I didn’t understand what it meant.”

“I won’t be controlled. I’ve had enough of that in my life,” I said.

“It’s not about that, Lila. A property patch is a sign of respect. It’s not about ownership, it’s pretty much the equivalent of a wedding ring in our world. It’s your man telling his brothers, his club, any club, that you are protected. If anyone tried to harm you, that person wouldn’t just answer to Grifter, he’d answer to every single Rambler. Every member here would lay their life down to protect yours.”

Jodie nodded. “We go to rallies, some with thousands of people. Wearing your property patch means no one will mess with you. They keep us safe.”

These women weren’t fools, they were tough, and smart, and extremely patient with me. I was sitting here questioning their choice to wear one. They weren’t taking offense, they were trying to explain, to help me understand.

“We get it, it’s a lot to take in. But we’re a family. We look out for each other, always.”

I liked the sound of that. My own family hadn’t exactly been loving or accepting. No, they’d thrown me and Kate away, like we were nothing. “Thank you for answering my questions. And I don’t think I have to worry about that just yet. Jesse and I are just dating. That’s next-level commitment, and we’re not there yet.” Even as I said it, I wasn’t sure that was the truth. And going by the looks I got, they weren’t buying it, either.

The glasses were refilled again and the conversation changed to Kelly’s search for the perfect sexy underwear for her wedding anniversary.

“I’ve been looking, but I don’t want whorish, I want classy slut, you know? Is that too much to ask?”

We all burst out laughing again, and when Jodie nearly fell off her chair we all cracked up again. I wiped my eyes. “I think I can actually help you out there. I spend way too much on pretty underwear. I know just the store for you.”

I searched for the website on my phone and handed it to Kelly.

“Oh, this is perfect. Grinder will lose his shit when I walk out in something like this.”

“Like what?” a rough voice said behind us.

A biker with a scruffy beard stood there and Kelly held up my phone for him to see.