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“Fine,” he said, taking a last draw of his cigarette and stubbing it out in the ashtray.

“Fuck it. If this is what we’re doing, then this is what we’re doing.

Drop the towel, I’m watching you get dressed, and I’m not hearing a single argument about it.

If I’ve got to face your mother, I’m doing it with an image of your naked body fresh on my mind. ”

It took far longer to get ready than I had planned. But just as I anticipated, Dante was incapable of looking and not touching, and his hands were on me within seconds of me dropping that towel.

Did I intentionally bend over to pick up an item of clothing? Possibly. I’m maintaining my innocence on that one.

So, after a pleasurable hour, we were finally leaving the door and going to collect my mother and Bee.

As we made our way to church, I took a deep breath, not knowing what mood my mother was going to be in. Especially since she had been locked up here all night.

The building was always referred to as “church,” but it was split into two, each with their own function.

You had the meeting room, with the massive table in the middle, where the official church was held.

The table held the club logo and was considered sacred.

I’d seen fights break out over that fucking table.

But then you had the side room, which included roll out beds, bunk beds, a small kitchen, a makeshift dining area, a sofa and gaming area for the children, and a bathroom attached to the side.

It was smaller than needed for the amount of people that took refuge here during lockdown, but it fulfilled its purpose of keeping the club safe.

Everyone made it work, because they all wanted each other to remain in one spot.

The children got priority over the beds, and the parents and other adults made do with whatever was remaining.

Monster was on the door when we arrived, along with Zach’s sons, Trent and Chris.

“Anything?” Dante said to them, not bothering with hellos.

“Nah, boss,” Monster said. “Quiet as a mouse.”

“Good. Your old man turn up?” He said, directing his question at Chris .

“For a while. He spoke with Imogen for a minute and then left.”

“How is she?” I asked. I liked Imogen. She was Trent’s old lady, and a complete ball buster. I always laughed whenever I was around her and watched her whip everyone into shape calling them all “lazy, pathetic old men.”

Sure, when she does it, it’s funny. When I do it, I’ve got an attitude problem.

“She’s in lockdown, surrounded by children, and getting to boss everyone around. How do you think she’s doing?” Trent smirked at me.

I smiled back at him. Imogen was so lovely – most of the old ladies here were.

There was Jenna, Shark’s old lady, arguably the one I was closest to.

Then there was Gemma, Ant’s old lady. Whilst Ant might scare the fucking shit out of me, Gemma was actually a sweetheart.

Provided you didn’t get on the wrong side of her.

She wasn’t around much, and Jenna had told me her parents didn’t approve of the club, so she was constantly running back and forth trying to keep everyone happy, like some fucked up biker version of Hades and Persephone.

Then there were “the birds” who were the old ladies of Rooster and Chicken.

Sasha was Sunshine’s old lady. She ran the hairdressing salon, but I had yet to ask her to touch mine.

Jenna once told me she had a mean right hook on her, so I stayed well clear before I ended up in a fight with a pensioner.

It was bad enough expecting one from big Mama, never mind some other decrepit woman.

Sasha was already in a mood with me because I hadn’t used her salon when I dyed my hair red.

Every time she came near me, she’d make a comment on how faded it was already, or how they had left split ends.

Yeah, my mouth would definitely lead to a fight and I’d be lumped with the reputation of being a granny basher – something Dante would take great delight in teasing me about, I’m sure.

We said our goodbyes to the men on guard, and went inside. “Hey, Dante?” I said before we entered the chaos.

“Mm?”

“Macbeth was a titled member, wasn’t he? I remember seeing it on the front of his patch.”

“Treasurer, yeah.”

“So he’ll need replacing? ”

“Eventually, yeah,” he murmured, glancing down at me. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m just thinking out loud really.”

“As always.”

“Not rising to it.”

He smirked as he pushed the door open for me and gestured for me to go first. “What were you thinking?”

“Well… Would Trent or Chris not want the job?”

He paused and looked down at me. “If they want it, they can certainly ask. It would be put to a vote.”

“But you’ve already chosen your men for when you become president.”

“That’s true. Crash likes to keep everyone as involved as possible.

He puts everything to a vote, so that no one thinks he’s throwing his weight around.

If the club really wanted to, I’d put it to a vote as well, but it’s been me and Vienna for as long as I can remember.

I don’t think anyone would ever doubt that I’d want him as vice. ”

“What about Shark and Hacksaw?”

“Same deal, but they’ve not been around as long as Vienna. The club knows how we work together, though. I doubt a vote is needed at this point. We’ve basically been running things for a long time now.”

“Rachel!” a shrill voice shrieked, interrupting any further conversation.

“That will be my beloved Rebecca,” I murmured at Dante as my mother came flying towards us.

“How could you? Honestly, Rachel, you’re so selfish! How could you keep me locked up here all night?” She hissed at me. “I asked that… that brute over there—”

“Over where?”

“There!” she hissed, pointing at Ant.

Oh. For once, she might actually have a point.

Ant was borderline psychotic. I had barely spoken to him, and if I’m being honest, he made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end whenever he was near me. But he was fiercely loyal to the club, and never, ever shied away from conflict.

I had once won him at a game of pool, and I thought he was going to smash the stick over my head. His face had broken out into a grin at the last minute, but for a while there, I was mentally calculating how fast I could punch him in the face and run to safety.

“That’s Ant,” Dante said innocently, suppressing a smile.

“That’s a pig!” My mother spat back, jabbing her finger into his chest. “I asked him if I could go to the bathroom, and he walked away without saying a word! Then came back with a bucket and said he didn’t mind standing guard to make sure no one watched!”

“Maybe the bathroom was occupied?” I suggested.

“Maybe you should get more bathrooms then!”

“Bit rich from someone who doesn’t currently even have a house, never mind a bathroom,” I snapped back.

“And whose fault is that?”

“Hers.”

“His.”

Dante and I spoke at the same time, both pointing at the other.

“Oh, fuck off. It’s not my fault you set fire to her house!”

“You ran away!”

“Oh, my mistake. That was a completely logical and reasonable reaction in that case. Silly me!”

“I love your sarcasm. It’s such a turn on. Please keep doing it. I’m hard as rock.”

“Nice try, but your sarcasm is feeble compared to mine. You’ve just made yourself look a right twat.”

“You—”

“Are you arguing with Rachel again, Daddy?” A soft voice asked, and I spun around with a smile.

“Hi, Bee!” I grinned at her, crouching down to envelop her in a hug. “We weren’t arguing at all. I was just teaching your Dad another lesson. He loves it when I play teacher.” She grinned at me before wrapping her arms around me.

As I pulled away, she ran to her dad, and he scooped her up in his arms, giving her a huge hug, before lifting her up onto his shoulders.

Bee was five now, almost six, but in Dante’s arms she looked no bigger than a toddler. My mouth instantly dried up as I looked at him, and was once again reminded of just how fucking huge he was. His arm was bigger than Bee’s waist, and that thought alone did funny things to me .

Because in my sick mind, it was just another reminder of how easily he could snap me in two if I pushed him far enough, and it actually made my thighs clench together thinking of it.

You’re messed up, Rachel. That’s why.

I wasn’t wrong.

“So, you’re both just going to completely ignore me, are you?” My mother asked, bringing the conversation back to herself, as per usual.

“What do you want me to do?” I shrugged. “You weren’t allowed out. The bathroom was occupied. End of. You survived the night unharmed, so our goal was achieved. We can’t go back in time and build a presidential suite just for you.”

She folded her arms and tapped her foot at me. “Dante is right, you know. That sarcasm of yours is most unbecoming.”

“Fuck me,” Dante said. “Someone better hold Bee before I pass out from shock. Did you just agree with me?”

“Can I go home now?” My mother asked me. If it wasn’t for the snide look thrown his way, she would have ignored Dante completely.

“Home? Where is home? Where have you been staying?” I asked.

She paused for a second before answering. “With Iris,” she said, her gaze not quite meeting mine.

“That answers that then. You can go, but you’ll be on your own.”

“Rachel… don’t be selfish.”

“Mother, I’m not being selfish and I’m not fucking taking you there. You can walk. You made your own way here, didn’t you?”

“Actually, he sent a car,” she said, tipping her chin in Dante’s direction.

“I guess you’re shit out of luck then. Because Iris isn’t stepping foot on these grounds to collect you, and I’m not taking you there, either.”

“Who’s Iris?” Dante asked.

“She’s fucking poison. That’s who she is.”

“Rachel!”

“No, Mother. Never mind ‘no, Rachel.’ Iris is a class A cunt, and I stand by that.”

“That’s your Aunty. ”

“You say that as though it makes a difference to my statement. I said what I said.”

“She’s also my sister.”

“And?”

“So you will show her some respect when I’m around.”

“The fuck I will,” I scoffed. “Respect is earned, not guaranteed. She’s always been a poisonous little bitch. She told me to kill myself, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“That was after… well, you know what happened.”

“After I killed Alex. You can say the words, Mother. It happened, whether you utter it or not.”

“You shouldn’t speak about such things in that casual manner,” she hissed at me.

“Fucking hell, are we about to start referring to Alex as He Who Must Not Be Named? Grow up. It happened, and that’s the end of it.”

“You’re so stubborn, did you know that? And—”

“And I’m not taking you to her home,” I interrupted before she went on one of her famous “you’re disappointing me” rants. “You can get a taxi, or you can walk.”

“She doesn’t need to walk,” Dante sighed, lowering Bee to her feet.

“Go get your coat, Bee. We’re going out, just you, me, and Rachel.

” As she ran off with a happy squeal, he frowned at the both of us.

“She’s still in danger, Rachel. We can’t just let her get a taxi home. If you don’t want to take her—”

“I don’t.”

“Then one of the prospects will have to drive her.”

“James or Shawn?” I asked, giving the name of the last two prospects since Monster had graduated to a full member, and Malfoy had yet to return.

“Who we find first. That good with you, Rebecca?”

“Are any of them like him ?” She asked, looking towards Ant.

“Worse,” I grinned.

“She’s kidding,” Dante scowled at me. “They’re nice men.”

“I highly doubt that but fine, I accept. Do I really have a choice?”

“Sure you do. There’s always a choice. For example, you can choose to walk and risk being shot,” Dante said, his voice completely deadpan .

Her mouth dropped open slightly before she slammed it shut and stuck her nose in the air. “A lift will do nicely, thank you,” she said, but her pale face betrayed her words.

“Why did that ‘thank you’ sound more like ‘fuck you’?” Dante murmured in my ear as my mother went to collect her coat.

“That’s the Rebecca speciality. Cold-hearted and cruel, but she’s Goddamn polite when she does it.”