Chapter Fourteen #3
“And don’t forget to ask about the advice Ice and Storm gave Reaper on sexual surrogates,” Anya added. “At least I can laugh about it now, but if Keys says he got advice from either of those two jokers, bash him over the head with a frying pan for even listening.”
“Maestro and Lana wanted stand-ins for me on a run to give my man…you know. They didn’t think I was up to the task,” Seychelle said.
Lyric was horrified. “They encouraged him to cheat on you?”
Blythe sighed. “They didn’t view it as cheating, more as if they were protecting Seychelle. They don’t think normally, but who does? Maybe I should say they don’t have a clue about how to fit into society with the rules we have.”
“They’re more comfortable having sex with other Torpedo Ink members around,” Anya said. “They feel safer. And they absolutely don’t care about nudity.”
Lyric had seen that trait in Keys. She knew she had a look of horror on her face and hoped Keys had developed X-ray vision. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t warned her, but hearing about the sexual kinks from other women, women who appeared normal, was daunting.
“It’s a bit much to take in all at once,” Blythe conceded. “We promised each other we wouldn’t scare you off with the craziness that can be Torpedo Ink. They were taught sexual fetishes at a very young age, and unfortunately, that kind of thing just doesn’t disappear overnight, if ever.”
Lyric knew that was both a warning and an invitation to the peculiar sisterhood of Torpedo Ink.
The things the women had divulged did make her feel as if she wasn’t alone with Keys’ rough and dirty ways when it came to sex.
Their statement also filled her with trepidation.
The parties Keys wanted her to attend were supposedly going to be on the wild side.
She didn’t think she was ready for that.
“It’s a very different world,” she managed because they were expecting her to say something.
The hat-shaped bells on the door jingled musically as it was thrust open and a tall man with broad shoulders stepped through.
The table went electric. Czar had been about to step into the back room with Savage and Reaper, but he turned smoothly as if he’d been expecting this particular man to show up.
Lyric figured Keys or one of the others had warned him somehow.
“Jonas,” Czar greeted.
“That’s Jonas Harrington, Hannah’s husband and the local sheriff,” Seychelle whispered.
“Yikes,” Lyric said.
“Expect his deputy, Jackson Deveau, to be right behind him,” Anya said.
“He’s never far if Jonas is confronting Torpedo Ink.
It isn’t that he’s against the club—he’s very tolerant and actually is friendly to us for the most part—but he’s smart enough to know anything can happen with this club.
Jackson is married to Elle Drake, Hannah’s youngest sister. ”
Jonas threaded his way through the tables, ignoring the customers.
Hannah came out from behind the counter to stand beside Czar.
She smiled in welcome to her husband. She didn’t look the least bit nervous to Lyric.
Lyric wanted to get to the point of having Hannah’s confidence.
Jonas looked like a man to contend with.
“Czar.” Jonas snapped the name, but his facial expression was friendly. “You and your brothers are always welcome. You know that.”
Hannah stiffened noticeably. She moved away from Czar to stand beside her husband, one hand resting lightly on his arm.
“Love having your women here. Hannah’s made good friends,” Jonas continued in that same friendly tone.
Lyric found the tension building at the table. Blythe started to rise, but Czar’s gaze flicked to her, and he gave a slight shake of his head. She subsided.
“Don’t like it so much that you’re holding a meeting in my wife’s place of business. You’ve got your clubhouse for that.” Again, Jonas sounded open and friendly.
The hats on the outside of the door jingled melodically, announcing another visitor. Seychelle mouthed, Jackson Deveau.
“Hannah was nice enough to help us out when we were in a bit of a mess. You’ve met our girl Seychelle. She has the same gifts as Libby.”
Jonas looked visibly shocked and swung around to look first at Seychelle, and then at Hannah. “What happened?”
“An exchange took place. We found out about it when Seychelle was already here. Naturally, our doctor came, and Hannah lent us the back room to see how bad the danger to her was. She wanted to stay, and Savage needed to know she was fine. We had a friendly meeting scheduled and decided to hold it here if Hannah would allow it, simply so Seychelle could have an outing with her friends. We haven’t figured out a good solution to keeping her safe when she does simple things such as grocery shopping.
She isn’t a medic the way your sister-in-law is. ”
Czar’s voice was very low. More than hearing him, Lyric read his lips.
She couldn’t imagine the sheriff getting on board with a motorcycle club holding a meeting, friendly or not, in his wife’s place of business.
Czar sounded as if he was being perfectly reasonable, but how reasonable was it really?
It was bizarre. Probably unheard of. And possibly entitled.
Would Torpedo Ink expect to hold meetings in the salon anytime they wanted?
They had contributed thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment to Lyric’s business, probably upward of a hundred thousand, especially if one counted all the work done.
In her haste and joy to get back in business, Lyric hadn’t even thought of what she would owe Torpedo Ink, other than money.
She’d planned to discuss making payments, but every time she’d brought it up, Keys had dismissed the idea.
Lyric wasn’t happy with the idea that Torpedo Ink would think they could waltz in anytime they wanted to take over.
Had Czar taken over Hannah’s tea shop? Lyric looked carefully around.
His men were difficult to see. If it weren’t for Jonas making his point, Czar would be in the back room, out of sight.
Somehow, even Reaper and Savage had disappeared from sight.
Jackson made his way around the tables to come up behind Jonas.
He reached out his hand to shake with Czar.
“Haven’t seen much of you lately. Everything good? ”
“A little trouble with one of our women, but we’ve got it sorted,” Czar said. “Sid will be showing up any minute,” he added to Jonas.
“Blythe is my cousin,” Hannah said. “She’s family. It isn’t like the club is 1-percenters. You don’t see that anywhere on their cuts, do you?”
Jonas gestured toward the back office. “Onetime deal,” he stated firmly. “One time, Hannah. The only time.”
“I got you,” she said.
“More than reasonable,” Czar agreed and disappeared.
Jonas swore under his breath and turned back toward the street, taking Hannah with him as he went outside. Lyric didn’t turn around to try to catch that conversation. She had the feeling Jonas didn’t lay down the law to Hannah often, but when he did, he meant every word.
The day had been eye-opening for Lyric. She’d learned more about herself and her relationship to others and to Keys than she’d thought possible. She didn’t know what she was going to do with that information.
Keys loomed over their booth, his fingers settling around her arm. “We’ve got a small table on the other side of the room, Wildfire.”
Her heart skipped a beat. That meant Sid would be walking in any moment. As she threaded her way through tables—and now there were a few empty, but more people milled on the store side—she glanced out the window in an effort to locate Hannah, the sheriff, and his deputy. They were nowhere in sight.