“I am, too, since it has—”
“Bitch, what’s taking you so long?” Killyama asked, motioning for her to come back onto the dance floor.
Willa jumped up, going back to dance with her.
Three songs later, they all groaned when someone slipped a slow song into the playlist. The floor emptied out. Willa sank back on her chair, picking up her tea as Lily and Beth both sat down. It didn’t take Shade long to take a seat next to his wife, bringing her a glass of the tea she was drinking.
“It tastes good, doesn’t it?” she asked Lily after she took a drink.
“I love tea. Sex Piston makes sure she stocks it behind the bar when she knows I’m coming.”
“I hope it’s all right that Crazy Bitch gave me some, too.”
Lily looked at her strangely. “That’s not—”
Jenna set down beers in front of Sex Piston, Killyama, and Diamond who flopped down next to Willa. When she finished, she started to leave then paused, staring down at Willa with a fake smile of friendliness that didn’t fool her.
“Thought I’d save Crazy Bitch the hassle of going to the bar for refills. How’s business going, Willa?”
“Fine,” Willa answered warily, taking another drink of her tea nervously. She had been the victim of bullying too many times not to see it coming. Jenna wasn’t the type to do anyone a favor. Her sole intention of coming to the table had been to get in her face.
“If you want, I can write down my recipe for frosting.”
“Why would she want your fucking recipe? How hard is it to open a can?” Crazy Bitch snickered, which only made Jenna angrier.
“It must be pretty damn good for Lucky to say it tasted better than Willa’s when he licked it off my tits.”
All the smiles at the table disappeared.
Willa tried to keep her face impassive so Jenna wouldn’t know the hurt she had inflicted, but the woman wasn’t done.
“Lucky enjoying riding that bike he won off Rider?”
Although Willa had noticed that Lucky was riding a bike other than his red one, she had assumed it was a club bike.
“I think it’s hilarious as shit that he’s riding a bike he won betting Moon he would ride you first.”
“He made a bet with Moon that he would have sex with me first?”
“Yes. Of course, both agreed to let the other fuck you when they got you in the club.”
Willa looked across the table at Shade and knew Jenna was telling the truth. Her perfect world tilted off its axis.
Over the span of her life, Willa had been the recipient of many hurtful comments, too many to count. However, none had ever hurt to the degree that Jenna had just inflicted.
Shade started to say something, but Willa shook her head. She didn’t need him to defend her nor the women who had heard the insult. She didn’t need anyone to defend her, not anymore.
“Lucky may have gotten the motorcycle, but I got the ring.” Willa lifted up her hand, flashing the big, pink diamond that was on her wedding finger.
Jenna’s face flushed angrily.
“The only thing you ended up with was another club to wait on. This time, without getting paid, and the men certainly don’t have to make a bet to have you. They don’t even have to ask, do they?”
Jenna’s hand went to her hair, nearly jerking her out of her chair, but Willa had been prepared for her reaction. It wasn’t the first time her hair had been used as a weapon against her.
Willa braced herself, taking the pain before her hands went to Jenna’s, finding her thumb and bending it back mercilessly.
The woman screamed in pain, dropping to her knees.
“At least you didn’t call me fat this time. I appreciate that.” Willa bent her thumb back farther.
“You’re going to break my hand,” Jenna sobbed.
“All it takes to make me stop is one word,” Willa said heartlessly.
“Sorry! I’m sorry.”
Her cries made Willa sick. She didn’t want to hurt her, but she was done being treated like a dog from the pound who expected nothing except torture. The confidence in herself that her parents had never instilled in her had developed since her marriage to Lucky. He may not love her, but he had given her one gift—the ability to face fear and to stand up for herself. It was something he was going to regret as soon as she got home.
Willa released Jenna, watching as she lurched to her feet.
“I’m going to be sick,” she mumbled, putting her hand over her mouth then running toward the restrooms.
“I guess she couldn’t handle the pain. It does hurt like a mother.” Sex Piston laughed.
“Thank you for showing me that move,” Willa toasted Killyama.
“I told you it would work when Sex Piston showed me that bald spot on your head,” she toasted her back.
“Do you want to dance some more?” Willa drained her glass, motioning to a pale Jenna coming out of the bathroom to bring her another one.
“Hell yes, but do you think it’ll be safe to drink anything she brings you.”
“I don’t plan to drink it. I just wanted to piss her off some more.”
Willa went to follow Killyama to the dance floor, pausing only long enough to give Shade a firm glance when she saw he had pulled out his cell phone.
“Don’t even think of giving my husband a heads-up. He told me that you’re really a big softie under that exterior of yours. He told me you cried when you asked him for Lily’s hand in marriage.” Willa crossed her fingers behind her back.
Lily looked at her husband with tears in her eyes. “You did?” she gushed. “He never told me that. That’s so sweet.”
Willa had noticed, the madder Shade became, the more impassive he became, and she smiled in satisfaction when he slid the phone back in his pocket. Some of Lucky’s luck was beginning to rub off on her.
Chapter 36
Lucky looked up from his hand of cards for the fourth time. “Winter text you back yet?”
“Not yet,” Viper answered impatiently. “I just texted her. Give her time.”
“They should have been home an hour ago. Willa’s not answered my texts for the last two hours. Shade hasn’t answered … I’m getting worried.”
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Viper said, throwing a twenty into the pot.
Lucky absently threw in a twenty then another to raise the stakes.
“If I had a woman, she would answer my texts.” Rider threw in his money. “She’d know there would be hell to pay if she didn’t.”
Lucky threw the brother a disgusted look. “How in the fuck do you ever get laid?”
“The women love me.” Rider’s smug face was nothing but a challenge to Lucky.
“Tell me one woman who loves you,” Lucky said sarcastically.
“Willa, she loves me. She told me so, and she wrote me into her will.” Rider flipped him off.
“Don’t get cocky. She’ll write you out of it next month.” At least she had settled down about changing her will weekly since Diamond had gone up on her rates. Now she only did it every month.
“Maybe, maybe not. She said she thinks I’m special.”
“You are. You only have one brain cell left from that weed you smoke, and it’s struggling to survive. She thinks of you like a kid brother,” Lucky mocked.
“No, she doesn’t. Besides, I’m older than her.”
“Chronologically, not mentally.”
Rider looked at him suspiciously. “What in the fuck does that mean?”
Lucky rolled his eyes. “I rest my case.” He laid his hand of cards on the table, leaning back to gloat a little himself as he raked in his winnings then looked at his cell phone again.
“Want me to text her?” Rider offered, taking out his cell.
“If she won’t text me, why would she text you?”
Rider ignored him, texting Willa.
A sudden thought came to Lucky’s mind.
“Why do you have Willa’s number?”
Rider didn’t look up from texting. “I text her a couple of times a day.”
“What in the fuck do you text Willa for during the day?”
“I don’t always text her. Sometimes, she texts me.”
Lucky decided he was going to have a long talk with his wife when she arrived home.
“She text anyone else here?” Lucky gazed around the table at the brothers who refused to look at him. He barely looked at the cards that Viper dealt him. Turning in his seat, he looked at Train sitting at the bar, playing with Jewel’s nipple.