He watched Hardy’s chest rise and fall with each indrawn breath. “It means she’s done with me. She’s going to divorce me now.” He turned away walking toward the clubhouse.
“Hardy,” Whizz said.
“Don’t, Whizz. I shouldn’t have hit out at you. This is my problem and has been for ten years, but I was too fucking stupid to see it.”
No one stopped Hardy as he made his way back into the clubhouse. The defeat could be seen in the way he carried his shoulders. The fight had left Hardy.
Slowly, the rest of The Skulls made their way to finish their business. Baker stayed behind. “How do you become a member?” he asked.
Frowning, Whizz turned to the prospect that he knew was favored to be voted in first. “You mean to tell me you joined a club where you don’t know how to become a member? Do you know how messed up that is?”
Baker shrugged. “The Skulls’ reputation is something I want to be part of. You’re a family. I see that every day I’m with you. I don’t have a family. I don’t have anyone. I’d rather do some crazy shit that makes me part of it than not.”
“What if we want you to take a woman’s cherry? Or sacrifice a chicken at dawn or some shit?” Whizz couldn’t believe there was a man who didn’t have the first clue what to do to make him part of the club.
“Then I’ll do it.”
Shaking his head, Whizz looked toward the door to see Eva standing there, waiting for Tiny to get back.
“We all agree that we want you to be voted in, and then we head up to the warehouse or we do it right here. You take on the brothers. If you’re still standing, you’re in. If you go down with one punch, you’re out.” Whizz hit him on the back. “Want my advice? Start practicing. These bastards will fucking kill you.”
He headed toward Eva. She was stood nibbling her lip looking nervous.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t know. Tiny doesn’t look in the mood to deal with my dad, does he?”
“Is Tiny ever ready to deal with Ned?”
“I don’t know, but he’s going to have to.”
“Ned’s on his way here?”
“It has been too long since he’s been here. He’s coming for a visit. Gonzalez is gone as are all the threats. Daddy will be here by tomorrow morning.”
Whizz whistled. “I look forward to it.”
“He’s bringing some of his fighters for the trip.”
“Okay, that’s a shock.” Whizz frowned.
“I don’t know why.” Eva nibbled her lip.
“I’d just tell him. Spurt it out like a Band-Aid.” Whizz tapped her shoulder and made his way into the clubhouse. “Did Lacey go with Prue and Angel?”
“Yeah, she looked nervous as hell though. She’s not what I thought she would be.”
“What do you mean?” Whizz asked, curious.
“She looked scared. I saw her hands shaking while she washed her dish. I don’t think she’s used to being surrounded by family. We unnerve her.”
“Lacey had a family. She’s surrounded by the men who took her family out.”
“I don’t know. I think it’s more than that. We’re pretty strange to take in at first.” Eva shrugged. “I hope she can forgive us for what we did. I can see you care about her a lot. She’s changed you where none of us could.”
Whizz nodded. “She has changed me.” He’d be lying if he said she didn’t. He wasn’t the same man as before he met her. Before Lacey he’d have stayed in his room, refusing to come out. There was no way he’d have gotten involved with Hardy or even spent the time to talk to Rose. He’d have stayed cut off from it all, away from the main club. He hadn’t fought anyone in so long that he was surprised he still knew how to fight. “I’ve got to go. Hardy got me good.”
Eva moved out of the way to let him pass. He wondered how Lacey was getting on. Whizz doubted she’d ever had a day with the girls. Angel and Prue were two completely different women in looks and in personality. It would be interesting to see how she survived.
****
“You have got to buy that dress. It matches your hair, and it molds to your curves, Lacey,” Prue said.
Lacey turned this way and that. She wore a pair of sneakers as she moved for both women to see her in the different clothes. Neither woman had left her alone for two minutes to get her thoughts together.
Angel appeared out of the dressing room, whistling. “Prue’s right. It’s perfect, and I know Whizz would love to see you in that.”
She turned to look at Angel, who wore a pair of tight jeans that emphasized her rounded ass. The other woman didn’t look fat but sensual.
“Do you really think Lash will let you wear jeans?” Prue asked.
“I wear jeans all the time.” Angel tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. Her cheeks were a lovely shade of red.
“Correction, he let you wear jeans when you were pregnant and there was no chance for him to get a look in. Those jeans will spend more time around your ankles than around your waist.”
Lacey laughed as Angel’s face turned a deeper shade of red. “There are times I prefer having Tate with me. She’d tell me to kick Lash’s ass.”
“I’m Prue, and you’ve chosen me because we both know Tate’s a pain in the ass when she’s got the pregnancy hormones.”
Anthony and Markus were both asleep in their pushchairs. Prue had decided to sit this shop out to take care of the boys.
“You should get that one, Lacey. I love it,” Angel said, fingering the edge of the fabric.
“If it’s money you’re worried about, don’t be. Whizz already gave me a stash of cash to pay for you.” Prue leaned back to watch them both.
“Okay.” Going back into the dressing room, Lacey closed the door, giving herself a little privacy.
“We’re taking her to the lingerie shop next, Angel. I don’t care how embarrassed you get around underwear.” Prue’s voice was filled with laughter.
Lacey had never had female friends or been shopping like this. Most of the time Dalton brought her back clothes that was a size or two bigger than she needed. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d gone shopping for herself, if she ever had. It had been hard to do anything by herself. She would have hated Dalton waiting around for her to try on clothes.
Staring at her reflection she wondered if she should get her hopes up only to have them dashed away. Prue and Angel were both amazing women, yet they were totally different. She liked them both and knew if given the time she’d become firm friends with them.
Once Whizz was done with her, she’d be cast aside, and forced to live her life once again without them. The Skulls, if they let her live, wouldn’t allow her to have any contact with the two women.
The very thought of Whizz moving on hurt. She rubbed at her chest trying to soothe the pain.
“Come on, Lacey. It’s time for us to go.”
“I’m coming.”
Removing the dress she was careful with the fabric. She had taken a look at the price and was so nervous about tearing the dress. She wasn’t used to such expensive clothes. Most of the clothes she wore were cheap. The Savage Brothers didn’t have a lot of cash to spare on the luxury of fancy clothes. Lacey rushed to put her clothes on, feeling more like herself even though she wore Angel’s old maternity clothes.
Angel and Prue were waiting for her as she opened the changing room door.
“We thought you were going to stay camped out there all day.”
Smiling, she shook her head. “No.” She held up the dress for Prue to take.
“I’ll buy this, and then we’re onto the lingerie store.” Prue pointed at the pushchair, and she made her way out of the store to follow Angel.
“You’re not used to this, are you?” Angel asked, pocketing her purse.
“What do you mean?”
“Hanging out with the girls. You’re not used to it. I can see how nervous you are. You don’t need to be nervous.” Angel smiled, reaching out to touch her arm.
It took every ounce of strength not to pull away from her touch. The only person she’d been able to handle touching her was Whizz. He was the one person she trusted with her body. Dalton was dead, so he no longer counted as the man she trusted to touch her.
“I’m not used to it. I’ve, erm, I’ve never actually been out shopping for my own clothes.”
She started to twiddle the shirt in her fingers. They were outside the store with people passing them. Lacey hadn’t ever been relaxed out in the open before. There were too many people who could hurt her for her to be relaxed.
“Don’t worry about it. You’ve got to learn to trust us. We’re not the enemy here. You’ll get used to being out with us. None of us bite, I promise. Well, apart from Tate if she’s in a mood.”
Lacey laughed. How could she not? Angel was doing everything in her power to make her feel comfortable.
Prue walked out of the store with their bags. “Here, ladies.”
Angel took both and placed them on the pushchair. Her cell phone went off. Lacey waited while Angel looked at her phone.
“Lash checking up on you.”
“He’s not checking up on me. I’ve told you before, he worries about me all the time.” Angel typed a response and pocketed her phone.