“Any idea what the hell we’re doing?” Rachel asked.
“We’re being rebels. They can all go and fuck themselves. This is my girl right here.”
Daisy turned the radio up and music filled the air as they took off, heading to the only place she knew they’d be left alone, the lake.
Anthony was driving the guys. They drove through town and she spotted several of their parents.
“Oh, this is going to be so bad,” Rachel said. “Dad’s going to so give me the lecture on what it means to be doing the right thing.”
“This coming from your dad who also used to be a drug addict?” Constance asked.
“Damn, rumors are hard to kill, aren’t they?”
“Yep!” Daisy yelled and laughed.
It had been several months since her date with Anthony. Tabitha didn’t even know if they were going steady or not. There were moments she caught them together. They always looked like they were on the verge of making out or even fucking, but again, nothing.
“Come on, Tabs, how did it feel to smash that girl’s face in?” Daisy asked. “She called you a Skull whore.”
“It was pretty damn good.” She’d been so angry at this other girl getting in her face. The same girl she’d noticed at the Quad a few times but had never given her the time of day. Now, because of her, she was suspended, which also meant as soon as she got home, she’d be grounded. Like that stuck for long.
Daisy pulled into the parking space near the lake. After climbing out, Tabitha didn’t wait around. She headed to the lake, removed her clothes, not caring who saw, and dove right on in the water.
“There could be sharks in there,” Rachel said.
“So, if they even take a chunk right out of me, they know I’m going to be pissed. Also, you watch way too many shark movies.” Tabitha leaned back in the water. The guys finally arrived. “What do you say, Daisy? Are you coming in?”
Daisy shook her head but kicked off her shoes.
Tabitha couldn’t resist glancing over at Anthony. Of course, his gaze was right on her. Smiling, Daisy wriggled out of her jeans and removed her sweater but kept on her shirt that had several buttons open.
She ran to the edge and jumped right on in. In the past few months, her best friend had come out of her shell. Daisy broke the surface, gasping and pushing her hair out of her face, laughing. “Shit, this is fucking cold.”
“Come on, do you think our parents are going to let us out after today? We’re going to be confined to our rooms.”
“Speak for yourself,” Anthony said.
“Yeah, Tabs, like that’s going to stop us going to the Quad. Our parents are going to be pissed, but they can’t control us. Not anymore,” Miles said.
“You know what, that looks like fun. I’ll deal with everything later.” Constance stripped down to her underwear, silencing Miles, and like the others, she jumped right on in.
“How are you feeling?” Daisy asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? It looked to me when you were beating the crap out of that girl that you were having a few more issues than you were letting on.”
“Are you analyzing me now?” Tabitha asked, but she smiled so her friend knew she wasn’t pissed off.
“A little.” Daisy held her thumb and finger apart in front of her face.
Everyone joined them in the lake, including Anthony. She could only imagine why he needed to cool off.
“I guess she pissed me off.” The girl had reminded her of Amber. Even though Amber hadn’t been part of an MC, the two girls had that air of authority around them that they were going to get what they wanted. Daisy already knew she’d broken Amber’s nose.
“You know there’s going to be retaliation, right? They’re not going to have a choice?” Miles said.
“Like I care,” Tabitha said. “I can handle them.”
“Not if they jump you. We’re going to have to make sure Tabs is never alone,” Miles said.
“Agreed.”
“Are you all freaking kidding me right now? I mean, seriously?”
“It’s important you don’t let your guard down,” Anthony said. “You know this.”
“I’ve got your back,” Daisy said.
“I know.” She kissed her friend’s cheek. “Love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Out of the lake, now!”
Tabitha gasped as she looked toward the edge and saw pretty much all of their parents. Holy shit. Lash stood, glaring. “Out now!” He snapped each word.
Tabitha looked toward Anthony.
Lash looked at them all as they didn’t move. It was a standoff. Lash didn’t look away, he glanced at each of them in turn. For the first time for her, he actually looked freaking scary.
“One more chance!” His voice seemed to echo around the lake.
No one moved.
“Right, we figured this was how it was going to go.” Lash bent down and retrieved her phone. Tabitha frowned as he also got Anthony’s, then Daisy’s.
“No!” She screamed out the word as he put them on the ground and stomped on each of the three phones.
“I’m not joking around. Out now, all of you.” He snapped his fingers, searching for other phones.
Tiny was there with his arms folded, Nash, Killer, holy shit, even Whizz.
She scrambled out of the lake, quickly rushing to get her clothes.
“No, get in the fucking car,” Lash said, retrieving their clothes.
Whizz had Daisy’s car keys in her hand and there was already a tow truck.
“What’s going on?” Daisy asked.
“Your friends are being taken back home and I’ve got Sandy talking to them. You’re all coming back to the clubhouse right the fuck now!” He snapped his fingers.
Tabitha walked past in her underwear and climbed into her father’s car. She folded her arms, pissed off as Lash picked up the necessary clothes and had Anthony in his car.
“Are we going home?” she asked as they pulled away from the lake and headed back to town.
“You heard Lash.”
“You’re going to follow his orders?”
“Yep. Don’t even start with me.”
“You don’t want to hear my side of things?”
“I’m pretty sure I know your side of things.”
“You don’t, but like always, you’re just going to assume.” She slammed her back against the seat and stomped her foot. She was cold and this was humiliating as they had to wait at a traffic light and she sat in her father’s car, in her underwear. Lash knew how to punish them, there was no doubt about that. She was so fucking angry at him, at all of them.
Actually, anger didn’t even begin to cover what she felt. She was so pissed off.
They arrived at the clubhouse. There were some of the prospects outside, smoking and chatting with some of the club girls. The club didn’t have a lot of free pussy, but there were occasionally women who liked to hang around for whatever they could get.
After she slammed the car door closed, Lash arrived seconds later, and with her friends, they were marched into the room where the club always had church.
“Take a fucking seat. You all might as well get used to it because clearly you all don’t seem to understand what hard work means.”