Chapter 6 Evie
Evie
With the combination of the noise in the crowded bar and meeting so many new people who were already gathered for girls’ night, I was a little overwhelmed.
Mostly, I tried to stay focused on our group.
Monroe, Delaney, Nishia, and Lexa were all nice.
Abi kept up the flow of conversation, giving me a little bit of information on all the others, including her sister-in-law Sammy.
For some reason, I couldn’t stop looking at her.
Sammy was beautiful on a different level than I’d ever seen, even on TV.
It wasn’t just the clear blue color of her eyes but the shape of them that kept causing me to stumble every time I looked at her for too long.
Her skin was flawless, her body what I imagined a real-life Greek goddess would look like.
She dressed with the confidence of a woman who knew exactly how sexy she was.
At first, I’d been intimidated by her beauty, but she quickly became my second-favorite person at our combined tables.
Each time I blanked, she was there with a smile, filling what might have been an awkward silence, rescuing me from my own social ineptness.
Between her and Abi, my nervousness began to fade while Evy was over at the bar getting fresh drinks.
Behind us, a group of men was seated in a booth.
Most of them were wearing the familiar leather vests I’d seen around town.
Evy told me there was a local motorcycle club.
To me, they looked like men who had lived rough lives, but my twin told me she actually felt safer living in a place with an MC in residence.
She’d witnessed gangs back in Los Angeles, and I was sure there were some in Seattle as well, despite never seeing much of the city where I’d lived for twenty-one years.
And who was I to judge if a man was good or bad?
I’d lived with a narcissist who made his fortune from trafficking humans, and I’d never once suspected the evil in my own house.
He’d kept my world so narrow and tightly controlled, I had no one I could compare him to.
William looked like a nice person on the outside, but the outer shiny veneer had hidden the dark soul of a true monster.
A few times, some of the men would call over to our table, mostly asking Lexa questions.
That was how I learned that her dad was sitting with the group.
He was a big man, with salt-and-pepper hair and the same blue eyes as her.
I gave him a smile when he and the other men gave me a curious glance after Lexa told him my name.
“Dad is the Angel’s Halo president,” Lexa educated me. “If you have any issues with anyone, come to me first. If my husband can’t get something handled, Dad definitely can.”
And that was how I learned that Lexa was married to the sheriff. What little I knew about MCs was apparently wrong if the cops were living harmoniously with the supposed outlaw motorcycle gang.
Which was not the right thing to say, because it had the men in vests at the booth glowering at me, while their friends who weren’t in club attire threw their heads back, belly-laughing.
Everyone at our table laughed. It didn’t feel like they were making fun of me for not knowing better, just amused at how pouty the large men in old, battered leather vests got over the unintentional insult.
Abi and Sammy patiently schooled me on a few of the dos and don’ts of motorcycle club lingo when three more women joined our group. Mila, who was Monroe’s twin, River, who was their sister-in-law, and Demi.
I’d met Demi earlier in the day, having stopped at the local diner for a Diet Coke on my way to class.
She was sweet and a little more timid in the large crowd than me.
As soon as she appeared, the noise level lowered a few decibels.
Her shoulders relaxed a little, some of the tension I could feel coming from her easing.
River and Mila sat close to her protectively, while Monroe poured drinks for them after asking what they preferred.
“So you’re Everly’s other half,” Mila commented, taking a thirsty swallow of her margarita. “It’s going to be so much fun having another set of twins to cause mayhem. It gets way too quiet around this town, if you ask me.”
“No one asked you,” River told her dryly before giving me a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Evie. Your sister is the angel we were desperately in need of to help with WomanLand. After only a few hours of working with her, I can tell you that she is already an asset.”
Hearing the affection in her voice, I settled in to get to know everyone a little more.
Evy liked her job, and I hoped we could both make friends.
She rarely mentioned childhood friendships.
It didn’t take much to guess that my sister hadn’t gotten close to anyone growing up.
Her life had been as lonely as my own, and that broke my heart for her.
Mila was fun to be around, just like the rest of the group. Seeing her with her twin was a new experience for me, though. I’d never met another set of twins. And they had a triplet brother. I had a dozen questions I wanted to ask them, but I didn’t.
You’re so stupid, Evelyn.
Nothing.
Less than nothing.
“What are you studying?” Nishia asked, adjusting her glasses up her nose before taking a sip of her margarita, a welcome reprieve from William’s voice in my head.
“I’m taking a few office management classes at Trinity.
Mostly evening classes so it doesn’t interfere with work.
With Sammy now a partner, Barker & Reid Construction has been swamped.
I swear I hear that phone ringing in my sleep. ”
“Social work. I only have a few required classes left to take before I’ll be done with my degree, but I’ve been thinking about pursuing a Doctor of Social Work later.”
Her blue eyes brightened. “Have you lined up an internship yet?”
I tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear and shook my head. “We’ve been so busy getting settled in before classes started that I haven’t applied anywhere yet. My adviser has suggested a few places, though. I plan on making inquiries this coming week.”
“You should apply to Sanctuary,” Nishia suggested. “Trust me, you’d learn a lot working there, and we can always use more help. I’m not sure how much the pay is for interns, but I can talk to Gracie about it.”
“What’s Sanctuary?”
“It’s a women’s shelter, privately owned by my mother-in-law. Our focus is primarily on victims of domestic violence, but we take anyone in need. Right now, we have three social workers, and they are amazing.”
Goose bumps popped up along my arms while a ringing started in my ears. A women’s shelter that catered to domestic violence victims. Working with women who had survived evil people, who needed someone to guide them through the new journey of their lives, that felt like a calling.
Throat constricting with emotions, I gripped my glass tighter. “Do you think I could come by next week? Maybe if Sanctuary doesn’t need a social worker intern, I could volunteer.”
Something. Anything. All I wanted to do was help, make a difference for people facing some of their hardest moments, no matter how small.
“Yes and yes,” Nishia assured me with a huge grin and handed over her phone. “Give me your number, and I’ll pass it along to Gracie and Jack so they can reach out.”
After plugging in my number, I texted myself and then gave Nishia her phone back. I was adding her information to my contact list when the energy in the bar suddenly shifted. A shiver raced down my spine, sending little electric currents rushing through my body.