Collect the Pieces (Lost Kings MC #25)

Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Margot

I have to stop myself from giggling at the chorus of “bullshit!” the brothers yell at me.

“I’m serious,” I insist. “The back of it was charred a little but otherwise it was perfectly fine.”

Wrath stares at her. “What. The. Fuck?”

I turn my palms up and spread them wide.

“No fucking way!” Ravage explodes. “Of all the things that never happened, that never happened the most.”

“No.” Lilly sits up, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder. “Kikimoras aren’t something you want to mess around with. If that’s what it was, you’re lucky she wasn’t more destructive, Margot.”

Lilly grins and winks at me, clearly enjoying the chance to give my story credibility.

“Maybe she was confused because she was in a home with a lot of spirits moving in and out?” Swan suggests.

Ravage stares at Lilly, then Swan, like they’ve lost their minds. Then he shakes his head. “All right, enough of that. Who else has a story?” He stands and glances around the circle.

“Wait.” Rock holds up one hand. “ If this is true. Where is the doll now?”

Jigsaw glances at me. “Please don’t tell me it’s in your house somewhere?”

I bite my lip to stop from laughing. “Well, I wasn’t going to bother burning it again. Burying it seemed out of the question.” I pause, wanting to make sure this next part sounds authentic. “So, I called someone I knew from school who collects haunted objects. He has stuff from all over the world that he tries to authenticate. I called him and he picked up the doll. She lives in a sealed glass box now. He keeps a wreath of dried flowers around her and that seems to have stopped the mischief.”

“Road trip!” Sparky yells. “I want to go see this haunted objects museum.”

“Not that I want to discourage you from taking a road trip.” Dex stares at his friend like he’s lost his mind. “But do you want to risk having that kind of negative energy attaching itself to you?”

“You might have a point, brother.” Sparky thrusts his hands in front of his face, slowly turning them over to examine his fingers as if he’s already forgotten about his road trip.

“No one’s going to top that.” Stash stands and claps his hands with more sincerity than Ravage. “Nice job, Margot.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ve got one.” A tall, thickly built man steps forward, his features obscured by the flickering glow of the firelight. The flames cast fleeting highlights over his full head of wavy hair, the exact shade elusive in the shifting shadows. The cut of his square jawline and high cheekbones becomes clearer as he approaches us. Somehow, he’s both handsome and rough at the same time.

“That’s Birch,” Jigsaw whispers to me. “He hasn’t been a full-patch upstate for that long.”

“Ah, okay.” I work that out in my head. “So, the guys still probably rag on him extra hard?”

His lips quirk. “Something like that.”

Birch ambles up to our log. Jigsaw slides off, then helps me off the log. He waves his hand toward the seat in an “all yours” gesture.

“I’m not sure I can top yours.” Birch nods at me. “It’s a little more light-hearted.”

“Light is good,” I assure him.

Jigsaw rests his hand on my lower back and guides me back to our blanket.

Rock, Hope, Z, and Lilly all either smile or nod at me as we pass them. Rooster and Shelby have returned to their blanket next to us. Shelby grins at me as I drop onto the soft flannel.

“That was a good one.” She tilts her head. “Was it true?”

I press my hand to my chest and bat my lashes. “Of course it was.”

She grins even wider.

“Let’s go!” Rav claps his hands, drawing everyone’s attention. He points to Birch. “This better be good, bro.”

Birch shrugs. “Let’s find out.”

“No random creepy dolls either,” Ravage warns.

“Are you going to heckle him or let him speak?” Rock asks.

Rav slaps his hand over his mouth and widens his eyes to a cartoonish size.

Chuckling, Birch shoves his hands in his pockets and leans against the log. “This happened my sophomore year of high school. I was fifteen or sixteen. The year we had that big blizzard up and down the East Coast.”

“There’s been more than one,” a heavyset guy who’d been quiet most of the night says.

“That’s our treasurer downstate—Hustler,” Jigsaw whispers to me. “He’s a stickler for details.”

“Good quality for the treasurer.” All of his reminders and prompts to help me keep track of everyone melt my heart. I tip my head and brush my forehead against his soft, cotton shirt. “Thanks.”

Ignoring the interruption, Birch continues. “It was early morning. Before school. I put on my snow-shoveling pants.” He bends and rubs his hands over his thighs, down to his knees. “They had this warm, fleece lining that made it almost tolerable to be out in the cold for so long.”

“Nice. I love those,” Teller says.

Birch ducks his head and lets out a huff of laughter. “Yeah, I did too. So, it was dark-ish when I started but as the sun started coming up, the neighborhood got busier. Lots of folks up early to make it to work on time. Driving slow through the barely plowed street. And I’m out there clearing the driveway for my mom.” He touches his chest and curls his lips into a neighborly grin. “I know most of the neighbors and stop to wave as everyone passes by.”

“You used to be friendly ?” Sparky asks with exaggerated curiosity in his voice.

Birch playfully snarls at Sparky. “It’s cold out, right? But like, I’m unnaturally cold…down south.” He drops his hands in front of his body, framing his crotch. “But I’ve got a long sweatshirt on and my big puffy coat. I’m thinkin’ I’m all covered, maybe it’s just colder than I realized.”

“Oh no,” Rav moans. “I know what’s coming.”

“My next-door neighbor was a cutie,” Birch continues. “She lived alone with her grandmother.” He presses his fingertips to his chest. “I’m a nice guy. Thought I’d go over and score a few points with Grandma by shoveling their driveway when I was done with my own.”

“Grandma got an eyeful, didn’t she?” Charlotte asks.

He holds his hand out in a slow down gesture. “Easy, Sunshine. I’m getting there.”

“Wait, this was in the middle of a snowstorm? How was your dick not shriveled up?” Stash asks.

“He’s a shower, not a grower,” a red-headed, freckled guy says with an approving nod.

“Thanks, Hoot. But actually, I’m both,” Birch insists, a slow grin spreading across his face.

The girls across from us fall into a fit of giggles.

Jigsaw leans close to me. “I should’ve warned you—half the stories my brothers tell end up being sagas about their dick or balls.”

“Men obsessed with their genitalia. You don’t say,” I tease.

His expression melts into something warmer and less tense. “Glad that’s not a deal-breaker for you.”

“I’m having fun,” I assure him.

“As I’m walking over to the neighbor’s,” Birch is saying as I tune back into his story, “I waved at someone passing by. Instead of waving back, they shouted at me and drove off. And I’m like, whatever. I was kind of walking out in the road, so I thought they were just pissed I was in the way.”

“Here we go,” Shelby mutters.

Shaking with silent laughter, I duck my head.

“Like a gentleman, I clear a path to the front door.” Birch’s voice lowers so most of us have to strain to hear him over the crackling fire. “As I’m finishing…” He pauses for a few beats. “Grandma comes to the door and calls me over to thank me and pay me a few bucks—which I was going to turn down.”

“Yeah, yeah, Saint Birch, we know,” Z chuckles. “Come on.”

“I’m gettin’ there, Prez.” Brich grins at him. “Okay, where was I?”

“Grandma saw your dick!” someone shouts from the other side of the fire.

Birch laughs, grinning so hard crinkles form at the corners of his eyes. “I’m cold by this point. I’ve been shoveling for like an hour. My legs are numb. I had gloves on, but they were wet and cold. Grandma calls my name. And like a dumbass, I stomp my way up to the porch, grinning like an idiot. Here I am, thinking I’m gonna get patted on the head and told I’m a good boy.” He runs his hands over his face. “And as I approached, Grandma’s sweet, angelic old lady face transformed into this look of horror and then anger.”

A low murmur of laughter ripples around the fire.

Birch stops and squeezes his eyes shut as if he regrets bringing up these memories. “She starts yelling at me, ‘Everest! Put your penis away, young man! What’s wrong with you!?’” he finishes in a scratchy, high-pitched tone.

“I think my soul left my body.” Birch wraps his arms around himself and shivers. “In slow motion, I glanced down.” His head drops as if he needs to reenact each movement to tell the story right. “And there’s my dick. Poking through my broken zipper, bobbing free in the ice-cold morning breeze.”

Everyone who’s been following the story explodes with laughter. The ones who’d tuned out now turn toward Birch, checking to see what they’ve missed.

It’s as if the laughter’s infectious. Once I start, I can’t stop. I pause for a breath, then Shelby’s giggles set me off again. Behind me, Jigsaw rumbles with laughter. Rooster’s deep bellows add to the merry soundtrack.

“My zipper broke. My damn sweatshirt wasn’t long enough.” Birch’s outraged voice barely carries over all the noise.

Tears leak out of my eyes, and I can’t catch my breath. The giggles just keep coming every time Birch says a word.

He knows it too and starts drawing out the story, adding more and more absurd details.

Shelby falls against me, shrieking with laughter.

“You weren’t wearing underwear?” Sparky shouts.

“Nooo,” Birch answers slowly. “I got dressed quickly that morning. Had my super-warm fleecy pants. Didn’t think I’d need undies.”

Undies. He didn’t. This guy, who’s as big as the tree he’s named after, said the word undies . I can’t. A few more snickers tumble past my lips.

Slowly, I catch my breath and sit up. Shelby’s wiping beneath her eyes. Anyone not still caught in a fit of laughter has their attention focused on Birch.

“Wait,” Lilly says. “Obviously it was an accident. That’s not nice that she yelled at you.”

“Awww!” Some of the guys heckle Lilly for being too soft.

“I mean, I knew I was cold—down there .” Birch gestures to his crotch again. “I should’ve checked sooner.”

“Probably the first cock granny had seen in years,” Hustler says. “Shocked her.”

“Probably the ugliest too.” Stash grins. “Gave the poor old gal nightmares.”

“So, after she yelled at you, what happened next?” Hope asks.

“Are you sure you don’t miss being a lawyer?” Wrath lifts his chin at Hope.

“What?” She gestures with one hand toward Birch. “I need the mental image of him standing there in the freezing cold with his privates on display resolved in my head.” She taps a finger against her temple.

“We all need it scrubbed from our brains,” Rock says in a dry tone.

“This is so much worse than the time I went to Chemistry class with the back of my skirt tucked into my tights.” Heidi huffs a laugh.

“Thank you for the acknowledgments of my suffering, ladies.” Birch nods at Lilly, Hope, and Heidi. “Okay, so I’m standing there, staring at my poor chilly willy, a teeny, tiny icicle dangling from the head.”

A few of the guys hiss in a pained breath or murmur “ouch” while the rest of us titter with laughter.

“I tried to turn and tuck myself away, but I slid…” Birch waves his arms in the air like he’s teetering on a ledge, trying to catch his balance, “…and fell in the snow dick-first.”

Another chorus of sputtering laughter pops off around us.

“I’m not ashamed to admit, I started crying at this point,” Birch says in a fuck it tone. “My zipper was wide open, so not only was my dick cold but now all this snow and ice got pushed up against my balls.” His body trembles with a violent shiver.

“It just keeps getting worse,” I whisper to Jigsaw.

He hums a sound close to agreement. “I never knew Birch was this dramatic.”

Birch grins wide as his brothers hurl jokes at him. “Yeah, yeah. I finally dug myself out, tucked my dick away, took off my sweatshirt, and tied it around my waist.”

“Phew. That’s what I needed to hear,” Hope says. “Thank you!”

Birch glances at Lilly. “You’re right. I think when Grandma realized I hadn’t been doing the pervy swagger up the sidewalk on purpose, she took pity on me. Invited me in, gave me a pair of too-small sweatpants to wear, and fed me breakfast.”

“Awww, see, that’s what I was hoping happened,” Lilly says.

Birch dips his chin. “She fixed the pants for me too.”

“Bet the granddaughter told the whole school,” Jigsaw shouts. “And never looked at you again.”

Next to us, a short snort of laughter pops out of Rooster.

“Look at you so confidently wrong .” Birch raises on his toes and points to Jigsaw. “I totally got with her in the spring.” Birch winks. “I think her grandma told her I was well hung, and she should give me a test ride.”

“Gross,” Shelby moans.

“Bullshit!” Eazy shouts. “You went one too far.”

“That’s Eazy,” Jigsaw whispers to me. “He’s a member of my charter downstate.”

I nod quickly. “I remember talking to him at Teller’s wedding.” My cheeks flame hot. “I wasn’t that stoned.”

Jigsaw shifts his body and clears his throat. “Yeah.”

The air around us seems to change.

While the party carries on, I turn and roll until I’m kneeling between Jigsaw’s outstretched legs. I rest one hand on his thigh. He drops his gaze to my thumb slowly stroking the rough denim of his jeans.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Nothing.” He lifts his chin toward something behind me. “He thought you were cute.”

Is he still talking about Eazy? “So?”

He swallows hard and stares into my eyes. “I never wanted to punch a brother so much in my life when I saw him talking to you.”

“Yeah.” I duck my head and laugh softly. “It was kind of obvious when you walked up and kicked him.”

“Since I didn’t give you an answer right away, I was worried you might ask him to…you know…” he lowers his voice and leans in closer, whispering against my ear, “tutor you.”

His warm breath sends a shiver of pleasure down my spine. A second later the words that came out of his mouth penetrate my brain.

I sit back on my heels and scowl at him. “Why would you think that?”

Did he assume I was so desperate I’d ask any random biker to help me?

He frowns and shrugs.

No way. I don’t want him to think anyone else would’ve made me happy. “I asked you because I liked you .”

He stares at me for a few seconds, studying my face in a way that squeezes my chest. “Yeah, I know that now.”

“Good.” I poke a finger in his stomach, and he grinds his teeth like he’s trying to hold in his laughter. “Are you ticklish ?”

“What? No.”

I tap my fingers along his side. “Are you sure?”

His lips tilt into a lopsided grin, then he grabs my hand, tugging me closer. “Tell me again.”

I think I know what he wants to hear but teasing him is too irresistible. “That you’re ticklish?”

He clamps his hands over my hips and pulls me into his lap. “No.”

I cup his cheeks with my hands. “That I liked you?”

He nods slowly, his bristly cheeks rasping against my palms.

“I liked you then.” I lean in and brush my lips against his. “And I like you a whole lot more now.”

His lips quirk. “Good.”

“Awww,” Shelby sighs. “You two are the cutest.”

We both glance over at her. Anywhere else, I’d probably be mortified at being caught in what I consider an intimate moment.

But it doesn’t bother me here. This is what Jigsaw promised, a fun night with people who won’t judge me. Where I can be myself without harsh criticism.

Would everyone be as accepting if they knew my favorite hobby? Something tells me the answer might be yes.

Jigsaw

After story time, the party takes a rowdy turn. Rock and Hope are the first ones to say goodnight, collecting their daughter from Heidi’s tent with minimal fuss. Wrath and Trinity disappear into the woods with barely a wave goodbye. Z and Lilly check in on their son and talk to Heidi for a few minutes before following the same path Rock and Hope took.

Once the presidents and their ol’ ladies have left, the few club girls who’d been invited start putting on a show. Rav cranks up the music, encouraging them. Swan, Bonnie, and June hold hands and start shaking their asses like they’re expecting us to stuff dollar bills in their shorts.

Dex snorts with annoyance and helps Emily off her blanket. Keeping Emily tucked close to his side, Dex makes his way over to us.

“I get enough of this at work.” Dex jerks his thumb over his shoulder toward the wanna-be strippers prancing around the bonfire. “We’re heading to the clubhouse. You got a room for tonight, right?”

I lean all the way to my right and slap Rooster’s outstretched leg. “Right next to my favorite motherclucker.”

Rooster chuckles.

“Good.” Dex squeezes Emily to his side. “If you need something, let me know. We’ll be up for a little while.”

Emily’s lips curve and she peers up at Dex.

I’m not all that fond of Emily, but Dex seems to think she’s the one for him, and will probably patch her soon, so I make an effort to be nice. Well, nice for me.

“You having a good time, Red?” I ask her.

“I was .” She flicks a glance toward the fire, but Dex is blocking her view. Swan had been a bit of an asshole to Emily when she realized Dex was planning to patch her. Guess that’s still an issue. Upstate’s problem, not mine.

Emily sighs. “I’m getting tired anyway.” Her gaze shifts to Margot and she flashes a friendlier smile. “I loved your story.” She wraps her arms around Dex’s middle and hugs him. “We probably should’ve left after you were finished.”

“Yeah, I could’ve lived happily without hearing Birch’s dick in the snow drama,” Dex says.

“I meant, Margot’s story was a showstopper.” Emily grins. “You need to write a book about that and have it made into a movie.”

“I never thought about it.” Margot presses her hand to her collarbones. “It was so freaky, no one ever believes me when I tell the story.”

They chat for a few more minutes and by the time they’re done, I dislike Emily a little bit less.

After they leave, I’m about to ask Margot if she wants to head back to the clubhouse.

Bonnie saunters over from Rav’s blanket and drops to her knees in front of us. “Hey, Margot, right?”

Instantly wary of Bonnie’s intentions, I wrap my arms around Margot. “What do you want?”

Margot cranes her neck to peer at me over her shoulder.

Bonnie shrugs. “I just wanted to say hi. We’re all a lil’ sad Jiggy found someone.” She lifts her gaze and stares right at me. “But happy for him too.” Her tone couldn’t be farther away from happy if she tried.

Margot stiffens.

Well, at least I warned her.

“Nice to meet you,” Margot says. “No reason for anyone to be sad.” She clamps her hand over my thigh. “I keep him pretty happy.”

Bonnie titters with laughter that borders on evil. “Sure you do, hon.”

“Time for you to git,” Shelby says, shooing Bonnie away like she’s a stray cat.

Bonnie stands and saunters away. She doesn’t return to Ravage’s blanket though; she disappears somewhere behind the tree line.

“Who brought her up here?” I ask Rooster.

He shrugs. “How the fuck would I know? Probably that dipshit.” He jerks his chin at Butcher. “He brought a couple different girls up after dinner. Was trying to talk Dex into letting Bonnie audition at Crystal Ball earlier.”

I blow out an annoyed breath. “That’s a hard no. She’ll never show up on time.”

Margot squirms and wriggles out of my hold.

Why am I still babbling about Bonnie? Margot’s probably pissed.

Margot

That Bonnie girl thought she was clever, but I saw right through her not-so-subtle hints. If that’s the worst I have to deal with tonight, I’ll be fine.

“I don’t suppose there are bathrooms around here?” I dart a nervous glance into the woods.

“We’re surrounded by nature.” Jigsaw sweeps his hands in front of him, then winces at the horrified expression on my face. “Most of us just grab a tree.”

I wrinkle my nose and stare at the tree we’re currently sitting under.

“Not here.” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “Out there.”

“Come on, Margot.” Shelby grabs my shoulder and uses me for leverage to pull herself out of Rooster’s lap. “I ain’t copping a squat in the woods, either. I’ll walk back to the clubhouse with ya.”

Embarrassed she’d overheard us, I open my mouth and shake my head. “I’m okay.”

“Wait a second,” Rooster protests. “We’ll go with you.” He stretches out his leg and kicks his booted foot against Jigsaw’s thigh.

“We’ll be fine,” Shelby insists, holding out her hand to me. “We can’t get lost. Path’s lit all the way to the parking lot.”

I take her hand and stumble away from the blanket. “I think my butt fell asleep.”

“See, it’s time to stretch our legs,” Shelby says.

We walk past different couples getting…carried away in the woods. I avert my gaze and follow Shelby’s steps. At the clubhouse, a bunch of girls, including Bonnie, are sitting on the front steps vaping and laughing. The air around them reeks of sickly sweet apples.

“Hey, Lala,” Shelby says, ignoring the other two girls.

Bonnie and the other one glare at me but I follow Shelby’s lead and don’t say anything.

Inside the house, Shelby marches straight to the bathroom, throwing a wave at a few brothers who say hi to her. “Lala’s one of the girls who usually hangs out downstate,” Shelby explains. “She’s nice. The other two, meh.” She shrugs and pushes her way inside the bathroom.

Now that we’re here, I suddenly have to pee really bad. I all but knock Shelby down to get to one of the stalls.

The sound of the door opening and closing again reaches me. A gut feeling says it’s one of those girls. I wait until I hear Shelby finish, then join her at the sinks.

I’m right. The girl pretending to fix her lipstick had been sitting next to Bonnie outside. She has short black, choppy, cropped hair that drags to her shoulders in sad little wisps, and freckles dotted along her nose. She’d be cute, except for the dumbest haircut I’ve ever seen on a woman. I wash my hands and don’t bother saying anything.

As Shelby’s finishing at the sink, the girl tries to step around her.

“Don’t start trouble, Dee-Dee,” Shelby warns.

I turn off the water and grab a paper towel, watching their interaction in the mirror.

“What?” The girl widens her eyes to a comically innocent degree. “I just wanted to say hi. I’m trying to be friendly. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Margaret, yet.”

The little smirk at the corner of her mouth suggests getting my name wrong was intentional, so I don’t bother to correct her.

“You can sprinkle all the sugar you want on that bullshit, Dee-Dee,” Shelby wiggles her fingers in the air like she’s decorating a bunch of pastries, “but you ain’t gonna convince me it’s an apple turnover.”

I burst into laughter, then clap my hand over my mouth.

Dee-Dee frowns in confusion. “What?”

“Don’t mess with my friend,” Shelby warns.

“It’s just so unusual for Jigsaw to bring a lady friend to a clubhouse party.” Her voice drips with syrupy sweetness. “He usually has more than he can handle.” The veneer of politeness drops from Dee-Dee’s face. “That man has a large and voracious appetite. And he likes it rough, something you don’t look like you’d be good at.”

Vomit crawls up the back of my throat and suddenly I wish I hadn’t eaten so much chili at dinner.

If Jigsaw hadn’t warned me and I hadn’t already practiced my fuck-off face on Bonnie, I’d probably burst into tears.

Instead, I adopt Shelby’s disinterested posture and turn back to the mirror, pretending to check the makeup I’m not even wearing.

“Jigsaw almost had you banned from Downstate for tryin’ to fill my ears with tales about Rooster,” Shelby warns. No wonder she doesn’t like this woman. “Whaddya think he’s gonna do when he hears you talking trash to his ol’ lady?”

“Don’t the guys have a saying, Shelby,” Dee-Dee teases in a slow, cruel tone. “Snitches get stitches?”

“Yeah?” Shelby squares her shoulders. “Well, I got my own saying— bitches get stitches too .”

Enough of this. I whip around and pull the pocketknife Jigsaw gave me earlier free. I hook my nail in the notch, trying to casually flick it open and failing miserably. It had been so easy in the truck when my hands weren’t shaking.

Finally, I open the blade and wave it in front of me.

“It’s okay, Shelby.” I look Dee-Dee right in her heavily made-up eyes. “Did you have something else you wanted to say to me?”

Dee-Dee shifts her gaze from Shelby to me and her eyes widen. She stumbles back a step. “Are you threatening me with a knife just for telling you I sucked your man’s dick?”

I gag but keep the knife in front of me. “You actually hadn’t said that part out loud yet.”

She lifts her chin in defiance. Her shiny red lips part.

“Girrrl, I’d quit while you’re ahead,” Shelby drawls. “Margot ain’t playin’.”

Dee-Dee snaps her mouth shut.

“My man warned me one of you… bunnies might give me a history lesson,” I say, proud that my voice isn’t shaking. “And then tonight, he gave me this pretty, shiny new knife as a present. I wonder if the two things are related?” I cock my head and stare at Shelby.

“I’m thinking, yeah. They sure are.” Shelby crosses her arms over her chest and nods.

“You see,” I lift my gaze, meeting Dee-Dee’s shocked eyes and give her a slightly unhinged smile. “I handle dead bodies all the time. So Jigsaw knows nothing scares me.”

Dee-Dee blinks rapidly, then turns and flees, sneakers slapping and sliding over the floor. “You’re both crazy!” she screams as she hits the door so hard, she leaves it swinging violently in her wake.

Shelby hoots and slaps her hands against her thighs. “Dang, you’re fearless.”

With the confrontation over, all my bravery drops into my boots. I click the knife closed with trembling hands. “Maybe it was a bad idea to threaten her.”

What if the guys get mad and ban me for shoving a knife in someone’s face?

“Don’t start none, won’t be none.” Shelby dips her chin dramatically. “You didn’t start it, but you sure did finish it.” She wraps her hand around my arm. “I swear that doesn’t happen all the time around here. Most of the girls are nice.”

“Jigsaw did warn me.” I shrug. “I thought Bonnie would be it, though.”

Shelby’s gaze shifts sideways. “Well, I wasn’t kidding. Girls get banned from coming to the clubhouse if they antagonize the ol’ ladies.”

“I don’t want to be responsible for that.”

“Like I said, if she didn’t start trouble, she wouldn’t be in it. That’s on her.” She frowns and stares at the door. “To be honest, I thought Dee-Dee had already been banned.”

The door squeaks open. What now? Someone else stopping by to tell me they’ve slept with my boyfriend?

“Ladies, everything okay?” Rooster’s rumbling voice asks.

“We’re good. Be out in a sec,” Shelby calls out. She turns and touches my arm. “You okay?” Her lips quirk with amusement. “You’re a flock-star.”

Her flamingo pun is a welcome bit of comedic relief. I let out a chuckle. “Guess I ruffled a few feathers tonight, huh?”

Shelby snorts, shaking her head. “Oh, big time.” She grins, eyes shining with approval. “Proud of you, girl.”

“I never really stuck up for myself when I got bullied in school.” I shrug apologetically, feeling kind of silly sharing this with a woman I barely know. “I’ll be dammed if I’m going to put up with it as an adult.”

“I hear that.”

My nose wrinkles. “Is what she said even true?”

Does Jigsaw really like bitchy women with bad haircuts?

Shelby takes a deep breath. “To be honest, I don’t know. I try not to pay attention to who the guys hang out with, unless it looks like it’s gonna be real, ya know?”

“I guess.”

“I can tell you, I ain’t seen Jiggy with anyone for quite a while.” She waves her hand through the air. “Like, way before he even came clean with me and Rooster that he was seein’ ya.”

“Oh.” My lips form a shaky smile. “That’s good, I guess.”

“And now that we’re friends, I’ll surely kick his behind if I ever catch him with anyone else.”

She’s so tiny, the mental image of her trying to kick Jigsaw’s ass would almost be funny—if it didn’t sting so much.

If I ever catch him with anyone else.

She said it so casually, like she expects it to happen eventually.

Like I should prepare myself for the inevitable.