Chapter 3
For almost two weeks I’ve been able to leave the farm and head to town all day without any push back from Papa or anyone else.
Of course, I’m not exactly truthful about where I’m going.
I work for Jenny in the mornings for several hours then head over to help Raegan with a charity carnival that will benefit the school.
That’s where Papa thinks I am every day, and I don’t correct him.
So far he’s given me over three hundred dollars to spend if I need it when I’m out with Raegan, but I haven’t touched but a few dollars.
I’m squirreling away the rest and will add it to my first paycheck in a few days.
Tonight Raegan and Ivy said we’re going to a party.
A friend or brother is coming home, so they want to celebrate.
Ivy made me change from my long skirt and shirt to a short black dress with mesh where my midriff is.
I’ve never worn something so revealing, and I find that I’m constantly pulling at the hem.
“You sure this is a good idea?” I ask looking around nervously. The last thing I need is for this to get back to someone at The Fellowship. I’d never be allowed to leave the farm, and that’d ruin my plans of getting out of there and away from under my papa’s thumb and craziness.
“These guys aren’t going to know what hit them,” Ivy dances in the passenger seat as I pull my car into a parking spot. We can hear the music; people are roaming around outside drinking and smoking. “It’ll be fine, and if at any point you want to leave, you just say the word butterfly.”
“Butterfly?”
“Yes. That’s our code word that will let us know that you’ve had enough so we can get out of here or any situation,” Ivy says. “Raegan and I have been using it for years. So if your fine piece of man meat gets too handsy then say butterfly, and we’ll shut this shit down.”
“Havoc will be here?” My eyes widen at the thought. The plan was to never see that person again. To have one special night that was all mine and something I could cherish in my heart forever. Now it seems as though he’ll be making another appearance, and I’m not sure how to handle that.
“When you see him remember to act as though it’s the first time you’ve met,” Ivy advises.
“Okay,” I nod looking around, trying to take it all in.
Raegan reaches over and grabs my hand giving it a squeeze.
“It’ll be okay, Sutton. Just be yourself. They don’t bite,” she says to me as we approach the main doors.
“Weeell, unless that’s your thing,” Ivy wiggles her eyebrows making us laugh and easing the tension I’m holding onto.
I follow behind as the girls walk through the door of the building.
There are men everywhere in leather. A light haze of smoke hovers in the large open room and nearly naked women are everywhere.
Some are dancing on poles on the far side of the room, some are straddling men on couches, others are bent over pool tables, or are hidden in dark corners.
Looking over at the bar, I see a group of men sitting around a table drinking beers, and that’s where I see him.
Beckett. He’s at a table, drinks in front of him with a naked woman on top of the table letting the men lick drinks off her body.
I can’t help but gasp when I watch him bend over and slide his tongue across her body.
I vaguely hear Ivy encouraging Raegan to fight some girl and panic starts to set in.
These men are huge, and they are everywhere.
No way we’re getting out of this without someone getting hurt.
I’m not given a chance to take a step back because Ivy loops her arm in mine and pulls us over to the table.
The music is pulsating. My head starts to thump with the beat as Raegan and this naked woman start to exchange words.
My eyes connect with Beckett’s, and his hand freezes midair stopping him from drinking his beer.
I watch frozen in place as his eyes take me in from top to bottom.
A random purse hits my chest breaking our contact, and I watch as the man next to him stands to his full height and starts to make his way around the table.
He’s probably a good foot taller than me and has a massive build.
Before I know what’s happening, the man I assume is Stone has Raegan over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and is marching down a dark hallway out of sight.
“I think that went well,” Ivy states then nudges me with her elbow, making me laugh nervously.
I feel a warm hand on my arm and look over. Beckett is crowding me, and I have to crane my neck to look up to his face.
“Angel?” he murmurs as if he might not know for sure.
My heart starts to race. “I’m—”
“You’ve got the wrong lady,” Ivy pipes up, pulling me into her side as another large man comes over to us.
“You must be Ivy,” the stranger says. “I’m Riot and this is Havoc. We grew up with Raegan before she went to live with her dad in Seattle,” he tells us.
“Ahh, yes, I’ve heard a few stories about you guys,” Ivy says.
“Let’s get you ladies a couple drinks,” he offers and leads us over to the bar area. Ivy has an arm around my shoulders, navigating me every which way. Beckett follows and stays right by my side, watching me.
“You guys got anything good to drink round here?” Ivy asks as a guy my age stands behind the bar waiting to be told what to do.
“Beer and hard liquor, Darlin’,” Riot says.
“Wow, talk about a variety,” she jokes. “I’ll have a beer I guess, and Sutton will have…” She looks over at me.
“Water, please,” I say.
The guy pops the cap off Ivy’s bottle then hands me a sealed water bottle. Thankful to give my hands something to occupy them, I hold onto the plastic like a lifeline.
Riot leads us back over to the table where all this began. I scoot my chair back farther away from the table where a naked woman was just lying. I’m sure there’s a health code violation somewhere about that. Ivy must feel it too because she holds her beer in her lap and doesn’t touch the table top.
Beckett must notice. “Prospect,” he yells and within seconds a guy in a vest comes over. “Clean the table off.”
The guy doesn’t even hesitate before he starts to remove all the bottles and glasses.
He comes back over with a spray bottle and rag and starts to wipe it down as if it were the most important job that was ever given.
Once he finishes, Beckett waves him away, never taking his eyes off me this entire time.
“You both went to college with Raegan?” Riot asks, and I dart my eyes away from Beckett’s gaze.
“I was her roommate in college, but Sutton is from here,” Ivy says.
“Really?” Riot raises an eyebrow. “Are you new to town?”
I clear my throat hoping to sound stronger than I feel.
“I’ve lived here my whole life,” I say.
“Really? How come I’ve never seen you before?” he continues to press. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Beckett lean in and place his forearms on the top of the table.
“Not sure. I’ve been out of town for the last few years though,” I tell him.
“When did you graduate?” Beckett asks, and everyone turns their attention towards him.
I swallow the lump in my dry throat. “Four years ago.”
His eyes ping back and forth between mine as he’s thinking.
“So you were a freshman when we were seniors?” Riot asks and I shrug. I don’t know when they graduated. “I can’t believe I can’t place you, because I’d definitely remember someone as sexy as you in high school.”
I blush as his compliment, but a growl over the loud music has us all looking over at Beckett.
“Keep those fucking thoughts to yourself,” Beckett snarls making Riot post up his hands in surrender.
“Point made, brother,” Riot says.
“Can I talk to you a second?” Beckett stands from his seat, staring down at me.
Unsure what to do, I look over at Ivy.
She pats my knee. “Just stay where I can see you, and you’ll be fine. These guys aren’t going to hurt you.”
I nod then stand on shaky legs. I walk behind him as he goes in the same direction Raegan and Stone just went.
The noise of the music and people fades slightly the farther we walk down the hall, but I can still see the room a bit. There are doors on either side of the dark gray walls. I’m looking around and not paying too much attention so I don’t see him stop, and I ram right into his back.
“Sorry,” I mumble as he turns. His face is stone, his expression serious.
“Did you know me when you came into Frankie’s?” he immediately asks, his eyes narrowing. “Did Debbie send you to spy on me?” he continues to pepper me with questions.
I shake my head, “No, I-I stopped in there on my way home from the airport. I’d never seen you before,” I try to explain.
“It’s convenient with the timing, don’t you think?”
“What is?” I question completely unsure what he’s referring to.
He makes a move so quick I don’t have time to react as he boxes me in against the wall. His forearms are placed on either side of my head as he leans down eye level. “My divorce to Debbie almost being final.”
My eyes widen and mouth drops open. “You’re married?” I remember Raegan mentioning him having an ex and a small kid, but not that he was still married.
His eyes roam over my face, scrutinizing me. The door next to us opens and a guy comes out half naked with two women wrapped around his body.
“You guys waited too long to join in,” the half-naked guy says with a lazy smile. I feel the muscles on Beckett’s body shift, and he goes rigid.
“Not tonight,” Beckett comments.
Does that mean he joins in having sex with multiple people?
“I’ve got the file you wanted. Had to finish something with Raegan before I could get to it, but it’s done.” The guy pops back in the room and comes out with a folder and hands it over. “You sure you don’t want to join in?” he says once he sees me behind Beckett’s arms.
“Get lost, Hawk,” Beckett growls.