“Yeah,” Jet agreed softly. “Rook’s being cautiously optimistic that Scar will end up being an asset to the club. I hope he’s not wrong.”
“I see he started to get that teardrop lasered off,” Autumn mentioned.
“That was one of Trip’s requirements,” Stella explained.
Jemma wandered over, carrying Dyna. She sat down and propped the ten-month-old baby girl in her lap.
“Where’s Tessa?” Reilly asked, tempted to grab the baby and blow on her pudgy belly to make her laugh.
Jemma shrugged and flapped a hand over her shoulder. “Now that the run is over, I told her I’d take Dyna and she should go have fun for the rest of the day and night. She said she might have a date later and won’t be home until,” Cage’s ol’ lady shrugged, “later.”
That meant Trip’s sister might not be coming home at all tonight.
“With who?” Stella asked, her eyebrows pinned together.
Judge’s sister shrugged. “Not my business. She’s old enough to have her own life.”
Reilly bugged out her eyes. “Right? Just like I am. And Tessa is younger than me.”
“No one says you can’t date,” Reese muttered.
“Just as long as whoever I date doesn’t wear a Fury cut, right?”
“Have you ever seen anyone wearing a Fury cut date?” Reese asked.
Reilly’s eyebrows rose. “What did you and Deacon do?” Already knowing the answer was not dating.
Stella snorted so loudly that all the ladies burst out laughing.
Reilly turned toward the president’s ol’ lady. “Did you and Trip date?”
She snorted again, not as loudly this time. “No, we fought and fucked.”
Jet laughed. “Same. I highly recommend it. Hate fucks are the best.”
Reilly turned to Autumn. “Did you and Sig date?”
“No. We… uh… No.”
Reilly turned toward Chelle. “How about you and Shade?”
Chelle’s cheeks bloomed pink. “We spent a lot of time together.”
“Sure you did,” Reilly huffed, “in bed.”
“And other places,” Chelle added, the pink in her cheeks turning to a flaming red.
Reilly leaned forward. “Jemma? Cassie?”
Judge’s ol’ lady lifted a hand. “Keep me out of this. I think you can sleep with whoever you want to sleep with. We’re all independent women who are secure with our sexuality.”
“Damn right!” Stella yelled, pumping her fist into the air and hooting loudly. A bunch of interested eyes of the male variety turned their direction.
“Cage and I definitely didn’t date. I didn’t want anything to do with him in that way. I was treating him as if he was poison ivy.” Jemma sighed. “But I agree with Cass. If you want to bang Dodge one night and Whip the next… or Ozzy and Easy at the same time, who am I to judge? More power to you, girl.” She lifted her wine with one hand and with the other helped steady the bottle in Dyna’s mouth as the baby contently drank formula. “I think it’s wrong that just because we are the sisters of Fury members that we were put on some damn list in the first place. That’s crazy. That’s like us putting them on a list to try to control who they fuck. Ridiculous. And archaic.”
Reilly lifted her plastic cup high in the air. “Hear! Hear! Now someone’s talking some sense. I should be able to sleep with whoever I want to. Fury member, hang-around, Joe Schmo or even the Easter fucking Bunny. Who cares?”
“I care,” Reese said. “I don’t want you getting hurt again.”
Reilly sighed and as she lifted her glass to her lips, she spotted Amber approaching Rev from behind. He was unaware she was there until the sweet butt tucked her arms under his cut and wrapped them around his waist, pressing herself to his back. And not in a friendly bear hug type of way, either.
Reilly could only imagine what her hands were grabbing onto on the front side of the biker.
She began to stand but forced herself back to her seat. She couldn’t say anything and she definitely couldn’t go over there and act like some jealous bitch. She needed to remain where she was and not let any of what was normal activity between the single bikers and the sweet butts bother her.
It never bothered her before. It shouldn’t bother her now.
Rev turned in Amber’s arms with a frown and Reilly was right. Amber was grabbing his crotch and giving him a big smile.
And probably an offer to take care of his business for him in one way or another.
Reilly sucked air through her nostrils and more wine down her throat before forcing her attention back to the ladies.
Shit. What had they been talking about?
Oh, yeah, the list that she, Tessa and Saylor were on. And now Maddie and Josie, too. The “They’re Not Virgins But Let’s Pretend They Are” list.
She grimaced and peeked back over in Rev’s direction again. Amber had moved on, thankfully, and he now had his sister pulled off to the side. They were having what looked like a serious conversation. Maybe he was telling her what happened in Coatesville. Reilly couldn’t see Saylor’s expression because Rev’s broad body blocked her.
“Did you start unpacking your boxes yet?” Reese’s question snapped her back to the pavilion.
“Not yet. It took forever to unload them from the car yesterday. That’s one downfall of living on the second floor.”
“You should’ve called. Deke and I would’ve come over to help carry them up.”
“I needed the exercise.”
“So, who did you visit with? Did you girls have fun?”
Suuure. We lived in a horror movie during the day and a porno at night.
“Yes, it was nice to see some of my old friends,” she fibbed.
“I bet they were worried when they found out what happened to you.”
“I didn’t bring that up.”
“Well, they’re welcome to come up here to visit anytime.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Reilly said smartly.
A few emotions crossed Reese’s face and none of them were good.
They also made Reilly feel awful for causing them. “Sorry.”
“Me, too,” Reese said softly. “I know you want to do your own thing, Reilly, I do. I also know I’m overprotective, but you know why. I’m trying to do better, I am. I’m sorry I’m failing at it. Taking care of you and being worried about you is deeply ingrained in me. It has been since the moment you were born. It’s a hard habit to break.”
Reilly squeezed her eyes shut for a moment because that unfamiliar sting was bothering her again. She thought about how Saylor and Rev grew up. In a totally rigid and loveless house.
Reese always tried her best, even when she didn’t have to. Even when it wasn’t her responsibility. Reilly never felt unloved by her. Not once.
Reese, even as a child, had done a better job at being a parent to Reilly than John and Rachel Schmidt had ever been to Saylor and Rev.
She opened her eyes and grabbed Reese’s free hand, giving it a squeeze. “No. I’m sorry. I’m lucky I had you.”
“You still have me. No matter what.”
“And you have me,” Reilly said. “Always.”