This was supposed to be a clean start to her life. What better way to kick it off than going to a party with some new friends? She was going to swing by her lawyer’s office. Then go to her doctor’s office. She’d gotten tested the day after she met Hannibal and Ink. Had it really only been five days? The results were back, and all that was left was to pick up the paperwork. She wasn’t ready to give up condoms yet, but it never hurt to be prepared.
If she didn’t go. She would probably spend the night worrying about Eric and everything that had gone wrong.
Jade:Hey Cami. Sounds fun. How wild are we talking?
Cami:Wonderful. And it depends on how late you stay. No one will bug you. But none of us are shy about showing our affections. If you get what I mean. Imagine strip club meets frat party.
Jade hesitated for a moment, wondering if she was being invited to an orgy of some sort. Would it matter if she was? She had never been afraid to try new things. As long as they did not expect her to do anything with anyone but Hannibal or Ink, it might be an interesting experience.
After the discussion about exclusivity they’d had, she didn’t think they would want to invite others to join them. She also trusted them enough to believe that if she was uncomfortable, they wouldn’t mind her leaving. She gathered up her nerve.
Jade:Sounds good. Send me the address and time I should be there.
Cami:Perfect.Why don’t you come early and you can hang out with us for a little before the party starts?
Jade:Will do.
Cami:See you then!
Jade slid her phone into her pocket and gathered up all her belongings. This was a good thing. Tonight she would find out if she could fit into Hannibal and Ink’s world.
Chapter 18
If my job sucked any harder than it does now, I’d orgasm.
Ink
Ink settled down in the chair next to Hannibal, impatient to get this meeting over with. Usually he didn’t mind Church. It was an opportunity for the Brothers to socialize and catch up on the business of the Club. Knowing that Jade would arrive soon changed the game. He wanted to see her again, but he didn’t want her out there alone.
Last night had been a frenzy of bodies. She took everything they’d given her and fed that energy back to them. They’d barely slept. The extra caffeine he’d needed to wake up this morning was well worth it.
He wanted to find out what had happened in her meeting with Eric. Make sure that everything had gone well. But he didn’t want to seem like he was hovering and pester her with texts. It was out of character for him. He wasn’t the type to worry.
When he wasn’t worrying about her problems, he was imagining ideas he had for her tattoo. Ever since Hannibal had shared what she wanted, his imagination was in overdrive. The two of them had spent all day sketching and pulling together the unique elements she’d requested. It was still rough, but both of them thought it was going to be one of their best pieces of work.
Hannibal had balked at his idea of adding swirling watercolors throughout the background, thinking it would be too much coverage. Until Ink had shown him a mockup of what he’d in mind. The spirals of color would fade in and out in a weaving pattern, dancing between the butterflies. The pattern would add an extra sense of movement to the picture. Ink couldn’t wait to see if she liked it.
The Old Ladies inviting her here tonight had been a pleasant surprise. Those women were as tight-knit as the Brothers. He hoped their acceptance of Jade would help their little Jewel feel secure. Give her the support she needed to understand their world.
Last night had soothed some of his darkest concerns, but it was a hard reality that it took a special woman to be willing to hook up with a member of a motorcycle club. If she was uncomfortable hanging out on what was usually their wildest night of the week, it would be good to learn now, rather than after more emotions got involved.
Ink snorted at himself and looked over at his brother. It had been Hannibal pushing them forward at lightning speed, but after the last couple of days, he understood why his brother had wanted to push. Now that he’d gotten over his initial reservations, he had to admit that the idea of claiming a woman as their own was a siren call. He just hoped they wouldn’t end up crashed on the rocks.
Hannibal looked over at him. “Do you know why Hawk moved Church to today instead of Sunday?”
Ink shook his head. “No, I’ve heard there’s been some trouble with the Russians but nothing more concrete than that.”
The room was filled with every Brother who could attend the last minute meeting. Everyone was involved in their own side conversations, but no one appeared tense. The officers entered the room, closing the door with a loud thunk.
“Okay, settle down.” Hawk knocked his knuckles on the long table. Their President was a man in his mid-50s, but you wouldn’t guess it if it weren’t for the gray in his hair and beard. The man had a presence strong enough to wrangle the over fifty Brothers with just a look.
His VP Sharp sat to his right, dark hair and scruffy look that sometimes led people to the mistake of underestimating the man. To his left was Highdive the Sergeant at Arms, a brutal man who was also one of Ink’s closest friends.
The men sitting at either end of the table were a contrast of the range of types of men who made up the Dark Sons. Tek, the Secretary and resident computer guru, was the image of corporate America, with clean cut looks, blond hair and blue eyes, if he wasn’t wearing a cut no one would have guessed he was in an MC. Dozer their Treasurer would be recognized as a biker no matter what he wore. Ink had heard the ladies say he looked like a grizzly, muscular Santa Claus.
Hawk banged the gavel down on the table. “Listen up. We have two things to settle tonight before we can get the fuck out of here and out to the party. Let’s get the first one done quickly. Since Max is no longer with us, we need to elect someone as Road Captain.”
Hawk’s words sounded cold and a few people muttered. Many of the Brothers thought Max had died a few weeks ago. Taken prisoner by the Russians when he’d gone against orders and attacked them, thinking they had his woman. The official story was that he, his woman and one of the top men in the Bratva had died during the encounter.