Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“Alright, so what if Eagle-eye’s right?” he asks. “From their point of view, Melody is a hostage. We might need to turn her over at the end of all this. What do we do?”
“Keep her safe,” I say without hesitation. What the fuck is he getting at?
Mad Dog nods. “She’s not going anywhere until this is over. We don’t want that, she doesn’t want that, and even Joker doesn’t seem to want that.”
“But eventually it will be over,” Rebel says. “Do we just… let her go?”
“If she’s safe, yeah.” I watch her laughing with Emily and something twists inside. “But that doesn’t mean she can’t come back. We can’t lock her up forever. She gets a choice.”
Rebel nods. “I like her. It’s been fucked up, but she’s been good for us.”
“Then we’re agreed,” Mad Dog says. “Keep her safe, and make sure she’s so fucking addicted to what we’ve got here by the end of this that she doesn’t want to go anywhere.”
23
MELODY
“Go on.” Rebel pokes me in the back.
I reach for Emily’s doorbell with more than a little trepidation. “I’m working on it.”
Last time I was here, I was apologizing. As kind as she’s been to me, even after finding out my full story, I still feel a little nervous about coming back to her house. I take a deep breath, paste on a smile and push the doorbell.
The door opens, revealing Emily. Tiny, a little rounded and smiling broadly. “There you are. We were starting to take bets on if you would chicken out or not.” She looks behind me. “Hey, Rebel. Can you let her off her leash long enough to socialize for a bit? Or do we have to pretend you aren’t sitting in the corner, brooding?”
Rebel smirks. “I’ll be in the garage. She’s your responsibility for the next couple hours. You know the drill.”
“Go on.” Emily makes shooing motions with her hands. “One of us will call if anything happens. Or just open a window and scream.”
“Behave,” Rebel tells me, kissing the top of my head before heading to the hangar where it looks like the guys work on their motorcycles.
Emily rolls her eyes dramatically, then laughs. “For a bunch of bikers, they can turn into real mother hens when they decide we need watching. Most of the time it’s great, but sometimes it’s like having a cat that’s always right behind you. When something is going on in the club, I can barely turn around in this house without tripping over one of them.”
“Sounds miserable,” I observe in a deadpan.
“Stop. You’re sounding like them. Come on in.” She steps back and gestures for me to enter. “I think you’re the last one, since Harper is at the hospital with Outlaw, keeping an eye on Lightning.”
“Thank you for inviting me. I wish I could’ve brought something, but…”
“I know. You’re stuck in the barracks. I’d say you’re probably bored out of your mind and starving for attention, but we’d both know I’m lying. I bet they’re bending you over whatever they can find.” She bursts into laughter, probably because my face is beaming red like a beacon. “Sorry. I couldn’t help it. Trust me, if there’s any group that can sympathize with what you’re going through, it’s us. Let me introduce you to the Harem Brunch Club.”
“The what?”
Emily drags me into her living room where almost a dozen women are scattered across the couches and chairs. This has to be just about every woman in the compound, and then some.
“Uh, hi.” I wave, a little taken aback. When Emily asked me over for a little gathering to take my mind off things, I didn’t expect this many people. “I’m Melody.”
When everyone turns my way, I nearly run right out the door to go find Rebel. Maybe I’d be better off getting interrogated by Shadow and the boys. At least until they smile and start eagerly introducing themselves on top of each other so I only catch a handful of the names.
There’s Alessa who lives next door. Shelby who has a house nearby. Faith who’s Eagle-eye’s daughter and runs a bookshop. Mila who’s a reporter. Summer and Kaylee and… gah. I guess I’ll learn the rest when I can. I’m definitely the youngest, but there are at least a few others who are probably only a couple years older than me.
“Hi, I’m Sandra.” The most alternative of the bunch waves. Her hair is dyed inky black with a streak of purple, there’s an eyebrow piercing with a matching purple ball on it, smoky eyes and ruby lipstick. Her black T-shirt is cut short and has the logo of some band I’ve never heard of on it. She grins widely. “I’m the new girl, so I’m kinda hoping you stick around so I have someone to band together with against all these old ladies. Buddy system, and all that.”