"I wouldn't put it past them," Rey told me with a head shake. "But it is usually a fun time, even if it can be a bit unnerving at first. I hope you don't have problems with female - or male, actually - nudity," she added, moving into the hall.
"I spent the last ten years in a women's prison. I think I have seen all there is to see of the female body," I admitted.
"So Peyton flashing someone isn't going to break your stride," she said with a nod before walking down the hallway into the common room.
Peyton, I knew, was important for me to get along with. Not just because she was part of this girls club I had heard so much about. But because she was Sugar's woman. And Sugar was the closest thing to family that Ty had.
I'd never had much of a chance to build strong female friendships. My aunt hadn't allowed much hanging out after school growing up, so my brothers were the best friends I had. And then it was pointless to try to build those kinds of bonds in prison when people would get out at any point and try to put everything involved with their life behind bars behind them.
Hearing the stories about the girls club - both the older members and the newer ones - filled me with a sense of curiosity, wonder, and maybe hope. That I could fit in with them, get bonds like that myself, have what sounded like an amazing support system.
You needed someone to help watch your kids? Done. Drive you home after drinking too much? Absolutely. Someone to come over and make you soup when you're sick? No hesitation. Just someone to sit and ease your anxiety at the DMV while you're waiting for your new license? They'd be there too.
The stories said it went deeper than that as well. If you got in trouble, the kind of trouble that women in their lifestyles might get into, the girls came together, helped you fix it. By whatever means necessary.
I didn't plan on getting into any kind of trouble.
But that was a fascinating aspect as well.
From a distance.
I took a deep breath, going in Ty's nightstand for a notepad I knew I would find there, something he had used to write down to-go orders, as evidenced by twenty pages I had needed to rip out and get rid of, setting it on the nightstand, and scribbling a note.
I have been kidnapped by the girls club.
Then I waited.
There was no way they could sneak in with Rey's pack of dogs yipping and howling in excitement as, I imagined, the girls showed up.
Figuring there was no reason to stand in my room like I was expecting them, not wanting Rey to get in trouble for warning me, I moved out of the hall.
"They kept waking up the birds," Rey said, voice apologetic. "I figured they would be better off hanging here with the guys to keep them occupied while we're gone."
"I had the same idea," another voice said as I moved into the doorway, seeing a woman with another dog at her side, a bigger, light-colored, Pitbull. "Since Adler is on patrol tonight, Linny would be home alone."
"Well, the surprise is ruined," yet another voice announced, shaking her head. I recognized her from the party. She'd been the one to get behind the bar. Edison's woman. Lenny. "So, you're Freddie."
"I'm Freddie," I agreed with a smile. "And you're the girls club."
"Kinda 2.0," Lou told me. "We wouldn't deign to think we are quite as badass as the OGs are."
"I heard what you did to West. I think you're pretty badass," I told her.
"That little shit," she said, smiling fondly. "I like him," she added. "He just needed a little reminder that we don't take that nonsense. Anyway, I'm Lou. This is Lenny and Liv and Rey. And we are taking you with us tonight."
"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to sound like this was the first I was hearing of it.
"That is up to Peyton," Liv told us. "May God help us all," she added with a smile.
"Ladies," Reign said, walking in from the door beside the bar which I had learned was the garage. I had been given a tour of everything but the gun vault since I had been around. "I want you taking the SUV," he added, tossing the keys at Lenny who snatched them out of the air.
"Something up?"
"Not really. I just... I'd feel better if you took it. And keep an eye on your drinks," he added.
The girls shared a look, one that said they needed to have a talk with their men, that they were pissed that something was being kept from them.
"Not that anyone would fuck with your crazy asses," Reign added. "Where you heading?"