Chapter 13 – Linzie
LINZIE
“You’re not serious.” I’m standing in front of the mirror, staring at the floor-length crimson red dress with a slit that comes almost to the top of my hip and a plunging neckline that just barely covers my nipples.
The back is open all the way down to a hair’s breadth above my ass crack.
“This cannot be the dress Violet meant for me to borrow.”
“What’s wrong with it? I think you look hot!” Avery says.
“Don’t wear any,” Sadie says, shrugging her shoulders. “Problem solved.”
“It seems highly inappropriate to roam around with my bits barely covered at a wedding, Sadie. I’m not one of those other women.” I gesture toward the main floor. “Whatever you call them. The ones who walk around here in next to nothing, for God knows what reason, all the time.”
“Whores,” Sadie supplies. Another shrug from Sadie. “Linzie, look around. This is a biker clubhouse. You could walk around with nothing on, and it would be considered appropriate.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better,” I grumble.
“Hey, no judgement,” I add quickly, not wanting anyone to feel like I’m against their friends or anything.
“I just don’t understand it all. I’m sure they have their own stories, their own reasons for being here and doing whatever it is they do, but I don’t want to be mistaken for one of them. ”
“Oh my God.” Everly gasps. “This is why I swore I’d never date a biker. They’re always surrounded by other women. How do you trust your man when there’s all these naked …”
“I mean, don’t get me wrong. I know these women are here by choice, but so is your man. How do you not freak out every time they come here for ‘church’? I’d constantly be wondering who he was screwing and what kind of STD he’d be bringing home to me.”
Everly continues curling Avery’s hair, making eye contact with her in the mirror, and immediately realizes her mistake. She leans forward, her cheeks pink, and apologizes. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean any disrespect. I’m sure Jake is faithful.”
“Oh, I know he is,” Avery says proudly. “All the men who have ol’ ladies or wives are.
My dad wouldn’t put up with that shit. Not to mention Liz.
” They all nod in agreement, chuckling. “My grandmother hates everything about the club girls being here, but the fact is none of us has any real say in whether they’re here or not.
But Dad doesn’t want to deal with everyone’s woman bitching and complaining about their men, so if a brother cheats on his woman, he must take it far away from the club.
Dad won’t fuck around. There’s too much at stake to have a scorned female stirring up shit in the clubhouse. Been there, done that.”
“What happened to the last club girl who caused a problem?” Everly asks. “Is she still here or did they kick her out?”
“She’s dead,” Sadie says it like she was talking about the weather. Zero emotions.
“They killed her?” Everly whispers in shock. Her face has turned pale and her eyes are wide. She looks ready to puke or bolt—I’m not sure which.
Sadie scrunches her face in disgust. “Our guys might straddle the line of justice, but they would never harm a woman,” she snaps. “You clearly haven’t been paying enough attention if that’s what you think about them.”
Everly’s hands come up in surrender. “I meant no disrespect.”
“Mm-hmm.” Sadie’s not convinced.
“Look, I don’t know what Mason has told any of you about me or my life, but I have reasons to be skeptical about bikers and their loyalty to brotherhood.
” She practically spits the words. “My mother was a junkie. She sold herself to get her next fix. My sperm donor was a biker. One who kept my mother loaded on her drug of choice and shared her with anyone who paid enough until she got pregnant with me. Then he was nowhere to be found until she came up with enough money to pay for her next hit—diapers and food be damned. So, forgive me if I struggle to see a man in a leather cut as someone who truly gives a shit about something other than himself or his club.”
“Is that how you feel about Mason?” Sadie quips.
“Because I’ve watched you two together. Seen the way he looks at you and how he dotes on Kaylie as if she were his to care for.
You gonna tell me you think he’s a worthless piece of shit in a cut who’s only around to score pussy and sell drugs?
Because the Kings aren’t one-percenters.
They don’t allow drugs to come into our town.
In fact, they put a stop to it years ago.
They fight against people who want to use women and children for their sick personal gain.
Are they completely on the up and up—well, mostly—but I will tell you, anyone who fucks with a brother or his club, his family, or his woman …
they will meet a special brand of justice at the hand of the Kings.
They may fuck around when they’re single, but when a King finds his forever, he locks her down and never lets her go.
She is the queen to his King and everyone who comes in contact with the club will know it without a shadow of a doubt. In this family, loyalty is everything.”
I’m astounded at the fierceness radiating from Sadie.
I’ve seen her upset, but she’s vibrating with anger and disappointment.
The way she’s looking at Everly speaks volumes about her loyalty to her family and Hawk.
I don’t know all the details, but I know the trouble they recently went through had something to do with Sadie and the shit her parents were involved in years ago.
Both were KOF and both turned their backs on the club.
But the club never turned its back on Sadie, and everything she’s just shared shows how much their love and loyalty has meant to her.
Everly looks properly chastised as she goes back to silently working on Avery’s hair. Needing to break the silence and the tension in the room, I bring the conversation back to myself.
“Listen, we’re getting off subject here,” I interject. “We have a wedding to finish getting ready for, and I have a dress situation to figure out.”
“Linzie, you’ll be fine if you don’t wear panties. No one is going to give two shits no matter what you choose. Just keep your legs crossed when you sit and angled under the table. I’m sure Gabe will appreciate the easy access later too.”
“Sadie Jay!” Jayde shouts, laughing. “Don’t be crass.”
“Like we don’t all already know what’s going on between them,” Sadie says. “That man has been a complete and total asshat and needs to get down on his knees and make shit right between them—and by them, I mean your thighs—and I’m sure if he knew you weren’t wearing panties, he’d do just that.”
I feel heat creeping up my neck and onto my cheeks. “No one will get easy access to anything I have to offer. Especially, Gabe.”
“Hold up,” Sadie calls. “I thought you and Gabe were going pretty hot and heavy the other day. I saw you come out of his room with just fucked hair.” Sadie arches a brow. “Am I wrong?”
“Sadie.” Jayde nudges. “Maybe Linzie isn’t the type to shag and blab. Let her be.”
I feel the heat creeping up my neck and into my cheeks. “It doesn’t matter what happened the other day. Things change.” I sigh.
“Oh, then you definitely have to do it. It’ll drive his ass insane. Let him watch you walking around all his unattached brothers with no panties on under that killer dress and remind him what he’s missing.”
“Sadie’s right,” Avery chimes in. “Nothing makes a man more decisive than seeing his woman traipsing around other men with all her goods on display.”
“I will not be putting all my goods on display. I’m not one of those other women—”
“Whores,” Sadie, Jayde, and Avery all correct me at the same time. I wave my hand around, dismissing their outburst.
“Whatever. Let’s not go there again, please.” I huff, noticing how Everly shrinks into herself a bit. “The point is, I don’t dress like this, and it’s really a bit much for just being a guest at a wedding,” I say, waving my hand down the front of my body.
“Maybe you should dress like that more often,” Skyler says, walking into the room, joining the conversation. “You’ve definitely got the body for it. I see you at the gym at least three times a week working your ass off. You should take every opportunity you can to show off all your hard work.”
“Well, thank you, but no.”
“That’s the only dress we have that isn’t being used,” Avery adds. “But I mean if you want to wear your jeans and sweater that’ll be fine too, I suppose. However, you might look funny standing up in front of everyone wearing your jeans and sweater when the rest of us are wearing our dresses.”
“What?” I’m sure I heard her wrong. “Why would I be standing up in front with the rest of you?” Panic settles inside my chest. I haven’t stood up at a wedding since my own, and I am surely not planning on doing it now.
“Because Violet just ran for the bathroom and tossed her cookies again and Declan put his foot down about her being in the wedding. She can barely stand up as it is. There’s no way she’s going to make it through the entire ceremony like that,” Skyler explains.
“Declan will need someone to walk the aisle with, and you fit the dress.” Her eyes shift to where Sadie and Jayde are sitting. They share a conspiratorial glance.
“I’m flattered, really, but Avery, this is your wedding day. You don’t want me standing up there. You want one of your friends or family up there with you. Someone younger,” I try.
“Jayde is taking over the role of coordinator since mine got stuck at home due to the snow. Sadie is already walking down the aisle with Hawk. Skyler will be with Ethan. And Declan will be on his own,” Avery rattles off.
“Please. It will only take a few minutes for the ceremony and a few pictures. You can even swap out Violet for those if you want, but I don’t want my wedding party to be lopsided, and Jake really wants his brothers at his side. ”