12 Kimber #3
“I know you’re on vacation, but I’m assuming you’ll be planning to come in next week,” she explains, and there’s nothing friendly in her tone.
Jo is all business right now, and it’s almost like she didn’t leave for six months with her husband for an extended vacation in Florida.
Her voice is firm, unyielding, and she sounds just like she did last Christmas when she last called to speak with me.
“We did our quarterly check again before memberships renewed, and we pulled something on your background check.”
My breath catches, and I all but forget Rich is in the room. “You… did?”
“Please understand, Russell flagged us when this popped up during the last check, and Vinny told him to wait and see what happens. You’ve been a member with us for a long time and we’ve never seen any reason to suspend your membership.
But when we ran the search again we found a DV charge pending for you. ”
“That’s being dropped,” I say automatically, straightening. “My attorney said-”
“If it’s being dropped,” Jo interrupts, “just ask your council to send the dismissal our way. But you’re the one being charged, Brynne. You’re not the victim. When you’re next in if you need someone to chat-”
“That’s a personal matter,” I growl. “You have no business butting in.”
Jo sighs. “I have a responsibility to the members of the club. That’s why the checks are run to begin with.
We can’t have violent offenders in the building.
It makes for an unsafe environment for everyone involved.
If you can forward the dismissal or prove that the charges are dropped, then that’s fine.
Was it self defense? We wouldn’t penalize you and revoke membership for protecting yourself.
All we can see is what the check pulls.”
I chew on my lip, hate blooming in my chest. I think fate is working against me right now, but at least Rich is sort of clued in. Maybe I won’t have to explain this twice. “It was self defense.”
“I don’t like that you were put in a position like that, but I’m glad to hear you protected yourself,” Jo says, and now I can’t get a read on her tone.
It’s still very business-like, but she sounds less concerned than before.
“Is there something you need from us? Once you send us the proof, there’s no reason we can’t-”
“Wait,” I say, frowning. “You’re cutting me off from the club until I can prove I didn’t attack someone? Who even looks at those besides the management team?”
Jo blows out a breath. “It’s the same standard for all members-”
“No, it’s not,” I say, squaring my shoulders.
“You know Emilio’s killed people, right?
That’s his job. Are you penalizing him? What about the people who work for his father’s company?
There’s police officers there, undercovers, so many people who are more likely to kill someone than me. Why are you singling me out?”
“I’m not,” Jo snaps. “I’m reviewing memberships, just like I always have.
I don’t know if Serenity and Emeric were nicer during the review process, but this is my club.
Anyone with something questionable on their background check has to prove that it’s not a concern for the club.
We don’t allow violence here for a reason.
It’s meant to be a safe space, and if you can’t offer that while you’re here then-”
“Then I can’t be there,” I finish. “For the record Jo, not that I give a flying fuck what you think, but I only have a mark on my record right now because I didn’t let the guy rape me. Would you like to victim shame me while you’re at it?”
I hang up the call before she can respond and throw the phone across the room. I don’t look where it lands but there’s a crashing noise, and if it’s broken, all the better. My headache is back tenfold, and the two shots I slammed aren’t doing shit now.
They’re going to take my membership away. They’re going to cut me off from my friends over a mistake, and Rich could fill in the gaps when he’s next there. I made a mistake and it’s going to rob me of the things that make me happy.
I’m spiraling; I’m well aware. But I can’t stop the downward whirlwind or the way today’s events steals the joy from my soul. Standing, I peer at Rich. He’s watching me carefully, his body language tense. I’m not sure if he caught everything Jo was saying or not but he sure heard my end.
“Kim-”
“Don’t,” I say, and this time I manage to not cry.
It feels great. I guess I can thank the hollowness forming in my chest where S&S is supposed to exist, because it’s my home.
Jo can be mad about the ding on my record, but it’ll go away.
It’ll go away but she might already have taken away my membership.
If she takes it away, I don’t know where I’m supposed to find peace anymore.
Stripping off the top I threw on, I move towards my bag and dig out a swimsuit. “They’re still doing the primal night thing down in the main building?”
“That’s not a good idea,” Rich says firmly, and I spin around to glare at him when I’ve found the suit. “It’ll be intense down there. We won’t have as much privacy. Right now might not be-”
“Rich,” I say sternly, leveling my gaze with his.
I’m not sure how much longer I can hold myself together before I crumble again, and if he can’t do this for me, it might be my final straw.
“I need my brain to stop working for a few hours. I need to stop thinking, feeling, being. Either you do that by hunting me, or I’ll let the alcohol do it for me. Hunter’s choice.”