“Drop your shit off, and come and become one of us, brother.” Stone nods to me.
I smile and return the gesture. The large older man intimidates me. He has a shrewdness about him. When he settles his gaze upon you, you can feel him sizing you up. It’s a good quality for a leader to have. It doesn’t make it any less unsettling. The sea of broad-shouldered men surround us, making my five-foot-eight inches makes me feel really short. I move closer to Jagger silently seeking comfort. Freeze. He’s Freeze tonight.
He unlocks his door, and we step inside where I quickly unpack my things and switch over my shoes.
“You doing okay, B?”
“I’m good. Tonight is your night. You don’t get to worry about me.”
“I will always worry about you. It’s my job.”
I cup his face and smile. And that is why I fell for you, despite my misgivings about men.
“I’m ready when you are,” I say after I buckle my ankle strap.
“Then let me show you how Chaos parties.”
He twines our fingers as we head back into the throng of people. Whistles and heckling fill the air as we return to Stone. He shrugs off his cut and hands it to me to hold.
“Today we accept our brother, Freeze into our chapter. We’ve been after your crazy ass for years now. Glad you finally decided to settle off the road with us.” Stone hands over his patches. They exchange a manly hug. “You ready to add your new patches, brother?”
Freeze nods. “Time to go to church,” I hand him his cut as the men head into the meeting room known as the chapel. Forlorn I search the faces for someone I know. Dixie Rose waves at me, and I make a beeline for her.
“Hey girl,” she says giving me a hug.
“Hey. How’s your new job?”
“I love it. I didn’t realize how much I missed working with children until the first day back in a school. Doing work with teens is so rewarding. You can see the people they’re going to be starting to emerge and take shape.”
“You really enjoy what you do, don’t you?”
She nods. “I know what it’s like to be young, lost, and looking for encouragement. I see myself in these young kids.”
“That’s awesome. Kids need people like you who actually give a damn.”
“I think the same. How’s the job hunt going?”
“I found one today. I start in a week at a physical therapy center that focuses on spinal cord injuries.”
“Sounds intense.”
“It will be, but I’m starting off, part time, so it’s perfect.”
“I don’t know how you keep the medical jargon straight. I mean, I have to for the brain, but bones, and muscles. Anatomy about did me in at school.”
I laugh.
“Oh, she came,” Dixie Rose whispers.
I follow her gaze to find Tinley approaching in a short leather skirt and a black spaghetti tank top that shows off her small waist, and large breasts.
We wave at her.
“You’re looking hot tonight, Mama,” Dixie Rose teases.
“Is this okay?” Tinley asks, nervously biting her lip.
“Yeah, babe. There’s no dress code here,” Dixie Rose assures her.