2. Everly
Everly
Creswell Springs didn’t have many options for places to host a girls’ night out.
There was exactly one bar in the entire county, Hannigans’.
From the packed parking lot with the eclectic blend of Harleys, overcompensating-for-something exotic cars, clunkers, and everything in between, I was sure this was going to be one night out that I remembered forever.
Finding a spot at the back of the lot, I watched Evie check her makeup and fluff her hair.
She was nervous but hiding it pretty well.
Then again, she’d become a pro at masking her emotions.
That was one of the things that had helped her survive twenty-one years of being trapped in a house with our dad.
Her dad.
Even thinking of that man as my dad made me twitchy. The day he died was the day I got Evie back. I saved her. Not a single part of me regretted what I’d done to get her away from that monster. What I’d had to do.
William Adams had been nightmare fuel for many little girls, not only my sister’s.
With Evie, he’d kept her locked away, completely isolated from the outside world, except for on our birthday.
The judge who’d overseen our parents’ divorce would probably never know that they had been saving lives by including that requirement.
With William’s death came the end of one of the West Coast’s biggest human trafficking rings.
Evie didn’t know that about the man who’d raised her.
It wasn’t until I was in my teens that I found out, and only then because of one of my mother’s many alcohol-fueled tirades.
It sickened me that my mother knew William was a monster and she didn’t give a single fuck that her daughter was trapped under the same roof as him.
I was only thirteen when I found out the truth, scared for my sister but unable to do anything.
Not even talk to Evie about it. My biggest fear had been telling her what I’d learned and never seeing my twin again.
I had to live with the knowledge for years without being able to fix it.
Unable to trust a single soul because it might place the person I loved most in danger.
In my young mind, I didn’t even know what trafficker meant.
After Googling it, I’d had nightmares for weeks, wondering if I would ever see my sister again.
Our contact was limited to our birthday only.
No emails, texts, phone calls. What if I said something, and Evie didn’t get to come to our next visitation? What if William sold her?
I started researching my sperm donor back then, but then I got a message from some unknown number, telling me to stop messing around.
And that sent me spiraling in terror for Evie.
When I finally got to see her again on our fourteenth birthday, I hugged her extra hard and didn’t let go for a long, long time.
Shaking off the bad memories along with the anger that always accompanied thoughts of William and Mom, I nudged Evie.
When she turned to look at me, I booped her on the nose.
“We look hot. We are going to go hang out with your new friend and her girls. You’re going to get tipsy and have the best time.
I’m the designated driver tonight, so you don’t have to worry about anything. ”
She nodded, her smile slow to build, but as soon as it was fully formed, her shoulders relaxed. “Okay, I’m ready to get my fun on.”
Laughing, I opened the door. “Let’s go.”
As soon as we met up at the rear of my Jeep, we wrapped our pinkies around each other and walked into the bar.
Rock music flowed through the audio system.
Clinking glasses, laughter, and the low roar of voices hit my ears.
Evie gazed around with a bored expression that hid her curiosity and nervousness well.
If I hadn’t felt the little tremor go through her arm, I wouldn’t have even suspected she was anxious.
Heads turned in our direction as we stopped to look for Evie’s friend. A few people snickered when they saw us, but one flicker of my glare had them shutting their stupid mouths before my twin could become uncomfortable due to the snide bitches.
“There’s Abi,” Evie said, tipping her head to the side. Following the direction she indicated, I saw a group of women seated at several tables that had been pulled together.
We weaved through the crowded bar to get to them.
There were several brunettes but only one redhead.
When she spotted us, she lifted her hand, a bright smile spreading across her face as she waved at Evie.
When we reached the table, the redhead stood, and that was when I saw a small pregnant bump poking out from beneath her Autumn’s Slumber band T-shirt.
Pushing back her chair, she stepped around the table to embrace Evie. “Yay! I’m so glad you came.”
“Hey, Abi. This is my sister, Everly.” Evie’s pinkie tightened around mine, another small tremor quaking through our linked fingers.
Abi’s eyes flicked to me, and the fact that she didn’t do a double take when she saw that we were mirror images, from our makeup to our shoes, won her points with me.
Too many people saw us twinning and always had something to say about it, like the bitches who had snickered when we’d first come in.
She gave me a quick hug. “Hey! It’s nice to meet you. Come on. We saved two seats for you just in case.” There were at least five empty seats still, which made me wonder who else they were waiting on. Turning back to the group, she started introductions.
“Evie and Everly, this is Nishia.” The small brunette looked younger than me. She wore cute glasses that couldn’t distract from her pretty blue eyes.
“Delaney.” Another brunette with a sweet smile. “Monroe.” She had softer shades of brown in her hair, with gray eyes. She looked strikingly familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on why right away.
Abi continued with the other two women. “That’s Lexa, and this one is Sammy, my sister-in-law.”
Lexa sat between Delaney and Monroe, her hair pulled into a braid over one shoulder.
She was the kind of gorgeous that took zero effort, and I barely noticed the scar on her cheek because I was too caught up in her metallic-blue eyes.
Something about them made me feel like I knew them.
My heart gave a happy yet painful kick, Reid’s face popping into my mind.
Blinking that thought away, I focused on Sammy, who was a freaking knockout with hair cascading down her back in soft waves, makeup that looked airbrushed it was so perfect, and boobs that were barely contained in her red top that was sexy as fuck.
She was the level of hot that made anyone reconsider their sexuality, just to be singed by her heat.
Her gaze skimmed over Evie and me from head to toe.
My sister let out a little gasp, as if she didn’t understand why another woman’s gaze affected her so intimately.
It was a confusing sensation, having a quick, spicy flutter through you for another woman when you’d never considered that as a possibility before.
Evie shifted her gaze away from Sammy quickly, her pinkie almost breaking my own as she focused on the other women.
They’d all waved when their names had been called, giving us warm greetings that had Evie relaxing a little.
From the glitter of diamonds and wedding bands, all our new friends were married, including Sammy.
“We have a pitcher of margaritas. Or there is ginger ale, which is what Abi is drinking,” Lexa told us, indicating the glasses and the large carafes in the middle of the combined tables. “Or you can order whatever at the bar.”
Evie gave me a look, and I urged her into one of the chairs beside her new friend. “How about I get the next round?” I offered. “What tequila does everyone prefer?”
“Aw, thanks! We’re running low already, and my sister still isn’t here.
She’s running late because she’s picking up Demi.
And before I forget, remember that she’s only drinking ginger ale too, ladies.
But we’re not commenting on that until she and Kingston officially make the announcement that she’s expecting.
It doesn’t matter that all of Creswell Springs already knows, we’re letting them tell us when Demi is ready.
” Monroe waited until everyone else hummed agreements, before smiling at me.
“Just tell Jack it’s for us, and he will get you taken care of. ”
I squeezed Evie’s shoulder, making sure she was okay before I headed for the bar.
Other than the empty chairs at our table, there wasn’t a free seat in the place.
Even with five bartenders behind the counter, I had to wait before I could order.
I leaned against the end, watching the large men mixing drinks and popping tops off bottles.
It was easy to tell all five men were related.
Brothers, fathers, sons was my guess. They shared similar features and the same green eyes. Three of the five men had varying stages of gray in their blond hair, but they all wore the same leather cuts proclaiming them members of the Angel’s Halo MC.
It wasn’t a secret that Creswell Springs was full of bikers.
I’d seen plenty of motorcycles around town, and from some of my research on the community, I’d become aware of the club before our move.
Having lived in Los Angeles since I was seventeen, I’d seen plenty of gang activity.
There was no escaping them, no matter where we settled down.
Even the smallest cities were someone’s turf.
The Angel’s Halo crew didn’t scare me even a fraction as much as the members of the PCC did back in SoCal.