Page 4 of Liberator (Serpent Sinners MC #2)
Chapter 4
Vikki
It was difficult to make friends. I’d never been good at it, possibly because every time I switched foster homes, I also changed schools. I’d quickly learned it was easier to be a loner than to have to let go of people as well as places.
At the Serpent Sinner’s clubhouse, I’d had Liz to talk to and she’d dealt with the people around us, allowing me to stay away from them as much as possible.
Only Jemma had forced me to be sociable. She’d popped into my room to see that I was okay and hold the baby. She gave us pointers on caring for an infant. We took her word for everything since she was a mother with experience and Jackson was such a good kid. By the time Liz left, she was getting the hang of it. I wasn’t as good at any of it because I did less for my daughter than either Jemma or Liz. I figured it was best not to get too attached since I wasn’t keeping her.
That showed how foolish and na?ve I was because I was attached even before she was born.
For the last couple of days I’d been forced to learn how to be sociable. Rage had done as he’d promised and gotten Prime to give me a beginner’s job in the bar. It wasn’t much, but it was a start on my future. I cleared tables, wiped them down, swept, mopped, and when we weren’t too busy started to learn how to use the register. I had to fix a smile on my face and speak whenever I was spoken to. Men liked to joke with me, flirt, and often touch me whether I said anything to them or not.
Although Flame made me nervous and she kind of scared me, she was good at her job and taught me how to deal with the men who got out of hand. She gave me a list of things I could do and say to make them back off.
It came in handy several times a night when I was unable to think of the right words on my own. I had a tendency to freak out too much to think. After the experiences I’d lived through I couldn’t stand to be touched by strange men.
If I had more trouble than I could handle, or some man got too touchy feely, Flame came to my rescue. If the man was too big for her to handle, she’d call in security.
Normally, Sweet would have been there as protection, but he and Jemma were taking a short honeymoon. For now, someone named Colt was taking his place. He reminded me of a gunslinger from the wild west shows I’d seen. He made me as nervous as the customers.
I preferred it when Rage came around. My nerves settled down, and I was able to smile for real. Somehow, I always knew I was safe with him around. He didn’t have to say or do anything special, just be there. His presence was enough to change the atmosphere. I knew it was silly to play a game of hero worship when it came to him, but I did it anyway.
Circumstances had made him my savior, and I held on to that regardless of the fact that it was accidental. He’d simply been in the right place at the right time. But he could have left me with the other women, and he hadn’t. I believed that’s why I gave him hero status.
“Put the chairs on the tables while I sweep,” Flame told me. “I’ll lock up and empty the register while you mop. Get some sleep tonight. You’ve got circles under your eyes, Chica.”
I looked away from her quickly. I already felt ugly and pale compared to her. I knew she was trying to be nice, but I took every comment wrong these days. As a blonde, it was easy to appear bland around Flame’s dark hair with its red tips and her warm skin tone. She was bright and full of life while I was colorless and barely hanging on.
“I’ll try,” I answered meekly. “I’m kind of an insomniac. I read until I fall asleep, which is usually only a couple of hours before it’s time to get up.”
“It takes me a while to wind down, too,” Flame admitted. “I fix that by staying in bed until ten or so unless there’s somewhere I have to be. You don’t have a set time to get up, so why don’t you rest in the morning?”
“It’s habit. In the foster homes we had to get up and do chores before we were allowed to have breakfast. If we wanted to eat before school, we had to start really early. On the streets I had to wake up before sunrise, so I didn’t get robbed or arrested. Then, while I was locked up in that dark room and the shipping container, it was always dark. I didn’t know night from day, and I was always too afraid to sleep,” I confessed.
Flame frowned before replying, “I shouldn’t have said anything. I have a tendency to open my mouth before thinking. You’re still street-smart. I guess I’ve gotten soft since I’ve been here where I know it’s safe.”
She reflexively touched her shoulder as she spoke. I wondered what that was all about, but I didn’t dare ask.
“If you’re not sleeping because you’re scared, then don’t be. I promise you we’re guarded at all times. Sweet put on extra security while he’s away because the kid is staying here. Jemma wouldn’t have left otherwise, not after he was taken once already. You can trust us to keep you safe even without Rage here,” Flame stated.
“You know I feel different, safe, when Rage is here?” I asked with embarrassment.
Flame smiled, and it transformed her entire face. She wasn’t so scary after all. I saw the woman who’d let me squeeze her hand until I almost broke it while I gave birth. She had a kind heart underneath the terse mannerisms.
“Of course, I know. It shows in your face and your body. The tense frown lines between your eyes disappear when he’s around, and your shoulders drop down from up by your ears. You don’t look breakable anymore,” she replied.
“I don’t mean to…” I stuttered.
“Stop!” she said, holding her palm up. “There’s no reason to apologize or explain. He was there when you needed someone the most. He went against the Prez to bring you here. You trust him. He’s your safety net. I get it. It’s no big deal, except that I was there for you, too. Give me a break and trust me, too.”
This time I was the one who smiled. “I can do that. Especially since you’ve come to my rescue so many times with the jerks who come in here to drink.”
Flame laughed. “This bunch? Oh, Chica, they’re nothing to worry about. They’re just blowing off steam and getting their flirt on. You’ve got to perfect your ‘get your fucking hands off me’ face, that’s all. We’ll practice tomorrow, after you sleep late.”