Chapter 3 #2
Dex gives me a gentle smile, and I can see why he was chosen for the role. He’s good with people. A good leader needs to be able to read his followers in order to make decisions that benefit the flock. Or MC in this case.
“So, what have you got for me?”
I take a deep breath letting it out slowly.
This is my chance. “I have found a course at the community college two towns over. The travel time is lengthy but they have an online option. So I can work on medical terminology and things in the evenings and still be on hand for our guests during the day.” I hand over the paperwork I printed out earlier, pointing to one of the modules, “For these classes I’ll have to be there in person, but that’ll be on weekends and Justice is more than happy to take me.
If he isn’t too busy with his prospecting duties. ” My shoulders slump a little.
There is no way the MC will let Justice shirk on his responsibilities while he’s prospecting. I never thought about that when Justice made the offer. I’m stupid to even think that these men would put my silly little EMT dream before someone actively working toward becoming a full mem-
“Looks good. When can you start?”
I freeze, jaw hanging in the air as I try to process his words in my addled brain.
“Look, Loyal, I get that you’re used to being treated like shit, but we need you. We need your skills. Your current skills, and the future skills you’ll have once you’re trained.”
I stare at him in shock. Even if I wanted to say something, I couldn’t. No words come to mind. None that can translate all the feelings crashing over me. I close my mouth, then open it, then close it again before leaning forward, hand on my heart.
“Thank you, I won’t let you down,” I manage to whisper out around the emotion clogging my throat.
“I wouldn’t thank us just yet, Loyal. I can’t guarantee anything, but knowing the DRMC’s luck someone will get shot in the ass. Or the nipple.”
“What?”
“Don’t ask.” He runs a hand down his face. “Now, go enroll and we’ll take care of the financial shit. I want you starting as soon as you can get in, got it?”
“Yes, Prez. If I send this today I’ll be able to start the new semester this coming Monday.” I beam at him, butterflies wildly flapping in my stomach as I leave the office feeling like I’m walking on air.
Maybe not even walking. I’m floating. I float out into what the MC brothers call the common room, and right up to Vex. There is no one I want to tell more than him.
“You OK?” He reaches for me, gently placing his large, tanned hands on my upper arms. Not gripping, just, resting them on me.
A smile splits my face so wide I can feel my eyes squish up and my cheeks tremble with the effort.
“Dex said I can enroll in my EMT course! I’ll send the papers out today and I’ll be able to start on Monday.
It’ll be online and on weekends I’ll go in person to do the hands-on stuff.
” I place my hands on my cheeks, overwhelmed at the thought.
“Can you imagine it?” I whisper. “Imagine me, in the back of an ambulance?”
Vex’s grin mirrors mine and I think nothing of it when he pulls me into his arms, wrapping me in his warmth. His clean manly scent invading my senses.
“I’m so fucking proud of you, Loyal. You’re going to kill it, baby.” He pushes me gently away from him, looking at me in wonder, as if I’m something a hell of a lot more special than I actually am.
“Well, we’ll see. I’m yet to start,”
“Hey, what did I say? What’s my voice inside your head saying?” He taps my temple with his finger.
I stare into his impossibly dark eyes, and I can’t help rolling mine back. “Your voice is saying ‘Don’t listen to all those other frickers, you can do this, Loyal Blessing’,” I put on a deep voice, mimicking his.
He bursts into laughter, as do the rest of the brothers that I never realized were all in the common room as I was so busy trying to get to Vex to tell him my news. I dip my head in embarrassment, cheeks flaming. Damn my red hair and pale skin, everyone will see my tomato face.
“That has to be the best impression I’ve ever heard. Although you need to use more curse words.” Omen winks at me, before ribbing his brother.
Vex shoves Omen and then, like the years between us never existed, the three Landry brothers start shoving each other until Saint manages to get Omen into a headlock.
“It’s like everything is different, but the same, if that makes sense?” Justice says quietly, coming to stand next to me.
I nod in agreement. “Watching them like that, it’s just like when we were kids.”
Justice grunts. “Before The Change.”
“Yeah.”
Justice and I are some of the few survivors who remember The Change.
Lovely remembers, possibly even more than us.
It was a moment in Keep history when we knew things were never going to go back to what they were.
Gone were the days where we lived in innocence, just kids playing.
We’d go to classes our moms taught and do laundry when we got older.
I had it tougher than some of the other kids because my father believed in tough discipline, but that was just my lot.
I knew other kids didn’t live like that and I didn’t begrudge them for it.
Then one night, Royal Landry came into Eden’s Keep with a truck full of women.
They were crying, begging us for help, some had bruises, some were bleeding between their legs.
I don’t even remember what we were told.
One day they weren’t here, then the next they were all married to men within the Keep.
When the truck of women arrived the Landry brothers were long gone and I had been married to Goodson for around six years.
He already had a wife when he married me.
It was her who taught me when Goodson slipped into bed with me that I go to my happy place.
That I protect my mind and my soul while he grunted and thrust away at me.
It was also she who taught me that the most power we could hope to wield was the power to free others.
I sniffle at the thought that she was never free.
Goodson beat her so bad one night that she died on the floor of my bedroom with her head in my lap.
“Never again, Loyal. Not for us, not for anyone that comes through those gates.” Justice’s clear blue eyes, much like my own stare back and I link pinkies with him, wiggling them between us.