Chapter Sixteen
Sixteen
“You’ve been very quiet since your visit with Blythe and the others,” Keys said as he came up behind Lyric. She was dressing for the evening, and he took her jeans from her hand. “I have something else in mind for you to wear tonight.”
Instantly, he got that look from her, the one he craved. She knew him now, knew something was coming, one of his kinky surprises. There was trepidation and excitement mixed together flaring in her eyes.
“Destroyer told me you were heading out the door, Wildfire. He had to stop you, and you weren’t happy with him. He wasn’t happy with me. You were running again, weren’t you?”
“Yep,” she admitted, turning fully to face him. “Like a rabbit.”
He framed her face with his hands. He had big hands, and she was delicate.
“Why?” He kept all condemnation and hurt from his voice, and didn’t let it show on his face.
“I waited for you to bring it up, to explain it to me, but you haven’t said a single word.
” He performed his usual claiming ritual.
She didn’t understand that was him establishing that she was his, kissing each eye, the tip of her nose, the corners of her mouth.
Keeping her used to his touch. Wanting that little bit more from him.
He let go of her and handed her one of his flannel shirts. It was a soft gray with thin black stripes emphasizing the plaid. “No bra. This will be long enough on you to look like a dress.”
Lyric looked horrified. “Even I know a woman doesn’t go to a party wearing a flannel shirt. She dresses nice.”
His eyebrow shot up. “Who are you dressing for? Other bitches? The men? Yourself? Or me?”
“Stop calling women bitches, it is so annoying. And for your information, I was dressing for me. I need to feel confident tonight. It isn’t going to be easy facing this for the first time.”
He loomed over her, getting close. “Baby, I know this is scary for you, but this party is going to be the easy one. Trinity has proven their loyalty, and we can relax and actually have fun. If you want to help Blythe and Breezy in the kitchen and learn the ropes, you can. If not, no pressure. No one will expect anything from you but for you to have a good time. No one dresses up. If anything, clothing is optional.”
“I’m really uncomfortable with going to a party, Keys. I wanted to go to the tea shop, and that didn’t turn out all that well.”
Now they were getting somewhere. “What happened at the tea shop?” He kept his tone mild.
She gave a little shiver, and he held out the shirt so she could put her arms in it.
When she turned to him, he slipped each button through the buttonhole.
Each time he did, his knuckles slid over her bare skin as the shirt closed.
He’d been right: the tailored shirt fell nearly to her knees.
She looked modest and would look doubly so in comparison to the wild forms of dress other women coming in would be wearing.
“You just left me there alone. I wasn’t with Blythe and the others. I was alone, and I didn’t have a clue what to do.” Her tone was low. Ashamed.
Keys froze. He’d done that. It hadn’t occurred to him that she would need guidance in an unfamiliar situation, especially since she felt she represented him and he’d be judged for whatever she did. That was on him. She’d trusted him to look after her, and it had to have felt like abandonment.
“Lyric, I’m sorry. I should have anticipated your discomfort.
In any situation where you feel out of your depth and need guidance from me, promise me you’ll speak out.
I’ll do better, now that you brought this to my attention.
I should have been out in front of it.” He wanted to kick himself.
He’d told her she was safe, that he’d look out for her, and then he’d left her on her own without a clue what to do.
It probably hadn’t helped that Destroyer had kept her from going outside.
“I swear, I’ll do my best to explain things better to you. ”
Her wary expression cleared. “I should have asked. I’m not yet comfortable with your club and what they do. I don’t know what’s appropriate to ask about and what isn’t.”
He brushed a kiss across her soft lips, noting her mouth trembled the slightest bit. She was really scared about the party but trying to hold it together. She was Lyric, and the moment he apologized and told her he would do better, which he silently vowed he would, she had forgiven him.
Lyric didn’t hold grudges. He did. Mean ones.
He had Code tracking down her mother, father and brother.
He knew exactly where Miles was. He knew every movement the man made inside prison.
Who were his friends and who were his enemies.
They were on Declan’s trail. He already knew where Owen, Nolan and Leo lived, worked and hunted for unsuspecting prey.
Nolan was the money collector, and Leo and Owen served as the enforcers.
And there was the Russian, Yaman Kuzmin, the one who had tortured Lyric for Declan.
Keys was gathering as much information as possible because none of them had long to live if he had anything to say about it.
“If you want to know something about what the club is doing, you have every right to ask me. That said, it doesn’t mean I’m always going to be at liberty to tell you, but if that’s the case, I’ll be very clear when I can tell you, or why I can’t. Is that going to work for you?”
Lyric nodded. “If we’re going to do this, Keys, I really need you to help me navigate your world. I don’t like making mistakes. I don’t want to feel as if I’m not good enough ever again, and I was a mess in that shop.”
“I meant it when I said I’ll do my best to prepare you for any situation we’ll be in, but you make a promise to ask me if you don’t have a clear view of what is expected.”
She looked relieved. “I can do that.”
He was grateful that she seemed willing to believe him. “No panties necessary. Shorts that you can get out of easily and discreetly.” He added the discreetly because the moment he’d said No panties, she looked freaked out. He didn’t want her panicking before they even got to the clubhouse.
While he dressed and added his weapons, he filled her in.
“This is a party, baby, nothing more. Every one of the men from the Trinity chapter proved themselves. They came when we needed them, and this is a thank-you, that’s all.
Most of them are single, and they bring women with them who like to party hard. ”
She sank onto the edge of the bed and looked around for her shoes.
“Wear your flats, the ones you can get in and out of easily.”
“They aren’t the best walking shoes, and you indicated quite a bit of the party will be held outside.”
“You won’t be walking around. Music. Eating. Dancing. Families go home, and the hard partying starts. Breezy and Steele will remain as hosts. She’s used to the life and can answer any questions you might have. It’s going to be fun for you if you just relax, follow my lead and keep an open mind.”
Arriving at the clubhouse felt more as if they were attending a family barbecue and not a wild biker party.
Dressed in the flannel shirt and shorts, Lyric blended with the other women working in the kitchen.
Most wore T-shirts and jeans, but some wore shorts or leggings.
She recognized Blythe, Anya and Seychelle immediately.
Kids were running around playing tag, rushing through the kitchen and out the door to whoop and yell in the yard.
No one reprimanded them, and several vegetable-and-dip platters were out, along with chips and dip and cheese and various cuts of meat.
Those were on smaller plates set on a low table.
Lyric noticed the children would come through and grab food as they went out.
Breezy, Steele’s wife, quickly came over to her and introduced herself.
“Technically, Blythe runs the show, and she’s good at it, but I do the work behind the scenes and most of the ladies help us get the food out.
We’ll have more help after the family crew goes home.
The women coming to party will do whatever we tell them is needed to keep everyone in food and drink.
That doesn’t happen until after the kids and Blythe go home. ”
“She goes home?”
“Every time. Gavriil always takes Lexi home, but Lissa and Casimir stay and party. Savage is taking Seychelle home, and Master and Ambrielle, as well as Maestro and Azelie, will be heading home as well. Player and Zyah always leave before it gets too wild. I know you don’t know them all, but they’re all here, and you’ll meet them.
The point I’m making is, not everyone stays.
The parties are fun, but Torpedo Ink has no problem having sex around each other. ”
She leaned close, glanced at Keys, who was talking to Blythe, and lowered her voice to a whisper.
“Lyric, the point is you don’t ever have to do anything you don’t want to do.
You have the right to say you want to go home when you do.
You have the right to say no to anything asked of you.
If you find that difficult, give me a sign, and I’ll see to it that whatever you need is taken care of. ”
“Thank you.” Lyric meant it. Breezy made her feel safe.
“Ordinarily, Lana and Alena are here,” Breezy continued to fill her in.
“Alena is a dynamite cook. The spaghetti sauces were made by her, along with several of the larger side dishes, but they’re doing something for the club, one of those things that when I ask Steele, he just gives me his deadpan look.
They work together quite a bit. Lana is a dead shot.
I mean that too. You put her on a roof with a rifle and she can shoot the wings off a fly.
That old saying definitely applies to her. ”