“Maddie, baby,” Brooklyn said, her voice calm and motherly, as she went to stand beside Maddie and wrap an arm around her trembling shoulder. “We’re not saying it’s right, we’re saying that Luke was justified in what he did. He chose to take a different route and for that we are proud, but can you blame him for worrying? He knows first-hand what happens in this life. He has been like your brother for years. How many times have you cried on his shoulder? How many times was he there for Logan because he knew he needed a good man in his life? Remember honey, it’s not just you anymore. Luke is looking out for both you and Logan, and when someone comes in and wants to take over and be the sole protector of the two of you, he wants to ensure that the man is capable and willing. Of course he trusts Marty, but at the end of the day, he knows Marty better than all of us. He remembers how Marty ran away from his past love when he thought he wasn’t good enough. Luke doesn’t want him to make the same mistake with you. Plus, it would be very difficult if something were to happen between the two of you. I couldn’t imagine this club without you or him, but the truth is, if you two split, we are going to lose someone we love very much. And who do you think the weight of that burden is gonna fall on? Be glad you have a man like Luke to look after you and protect you, even if it is from his own brother.” We all stood quietly, hanging on to Brooklyn’s every word. I knew it was difficult for Maddie. I knew that even though Luke and Marty would be okay there would still be times when Luke had a tough time dealing with it. But if anyone could handle the pressure and patience it took to deal with what was to come, it was Maddie.
We were crammed into Katelyn’s SUV, which comfortably seated seven. Considering there were nine of us, we were packed in, lying on top of one another. Katelyn was going out with us tonight, but she would not be drinking. Chris would be tagging along, to keep an eye on us, and the guys were not too far away. I was happy to see Chris well rested, and wanted to tell him I had requested his nap to earn me some points to help smooth out my actions of last night. It was not necessary. When I approached him to apologize, he simply held his hand up and told me he understood, and actually thanked me for not shooting him. Bless his little heart. Luke had approved of my dress, and I wondered how I had gotten away with it when Maddie informed me that the club we were attending was only open to women on Tuesday nights. It gave women the opportunity to see if a career in stripping or pole-dancing was something they were interested in, without the prying eyes of men there to judge. Everyone looked absolutely beautiful in their sequined dresses, but it was Punkin who nearly took my breath away. She looked amazing in a silver, floor-length gown that had one long sleeve that covered her right arm, leaving her left arm bare. She had shocked us all when she had walked in with jet-black hair, courtesy of Red and a mix-up at the local beauty supply shop. Apparently, they didn’t wait on Punkin in a timely manner, and when she had asked if she had to steal something to get some fucking service, they rewarded her with the wrong color dye. Well, the joke was on them. If their intentions had been to make her look bad, they had failed miserably. She looked marvelous from her head to the bottom of her dress, until she lifted it to show us that she wore combat boots on her feet. Her answer to her wardrobe malfunction was simple; if someone needed the shit kicked out of ‘em, she could do a lot more damage with boots than we could with heels. I liked her way of thinking.
Instead of dinner out, Katelyn would be driving us to the home of the last original member of the Devil’s Renegades. I had never heard of the man, and was anxious to meet him. As we all piled out of the car and into his home, I had no idea what to expect, but what I got in return was so much more than what I ever could have hoped for.
“Come in, come in.” A raspy voice greeted as a man held the door open for us. I was the last of the ladies to enter with Chris on my heels, as I came face-to-face with Devil’s Renegades Rick. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said, his eyes appraising me with approval. “You’re so much more beautiful than LLC gave you credit for.” I blushed as I observed him. He was shorter in stature, but his figure was stocky and hard. He wore glasses on his face, and a black goatee, with traces of gray, lined his mouth. He looked handsome in jeans, boots, and a button down and smelled of tobacco and aftershave; his scent reminding me of my father’s.