Page 28 of Watcher

“It helps to tell your story,” I say. “It helps that other people understand.”

“They were staying in the hotel where the bar was located. They invited me up to their room.” Scratch looks up at us. “It happened in their room. Luckily, I was allowed to leave. It was against my will, and I wasn’t harmed physically but emotionally. It took me forever to let someone else touch me.”

“That’s the reason you started skating,” Emily says.

Scratch smiles at me. “The rink lets me release my anger as well.” She smiles at everyone. “Plus, I have you all.”

“Then stay with us,” I say. “We are going to do something special. And we have each other for support. This club we’re creating isn’t about anything but being here for each other, even closer than the rink has allowed us to be. We become Sisters.”

“I’m the Reaper,” Emily says and chuckles. “I love it, and I love you girls. I need this in my life.”

“Scratch, you have to do what’s best for you,” Diablo says. “We’ll support whatever it is you decide. Everyone needs to understand that we jump in with both feet if we do this. This isn’t a life with one foot in and one foot out. That’s how people get hurt.”

“I’m all in,” I say. “I’ll be financing it all. The bikes, the guns, the club. Whatever we need.”

“I need some time to think it over,” Scratch says. She motions at the whiteboard. “What’s all this have to do with these four men?”

“They tried to kidnap me. Watcher stopped them.”

“They would have killed you,” Emily says.

“Probably.” I move closer to Scratch and hold her hands. “We’re going to pay these men a visit. I get it if you don’t want to go. It’s okay.” I turn to Diablo and Emily. “Neither of you have to.”

“I’m in,” Diablo says.

Emily places a hand on Diablo’s shoulder and looks up at her. “Me too.”

“Tonight, before Diablo and I go to Pine Bluff, I want to find Harrison Rich, who talked for the four men. If there’s an opportunity, I will have a word with him in private.”

“I’ll go,” Scratch says. “I can’t promise anything after that because I just don’t know. Are you going to kill the man?”

Damn, the question out in the open like that sounded scary. Was I? I believe so. “Not tonight, Scratch. Before deciding something drastic, I want to know more about him and the others.”

“The other girls are waiting,” Reaper says. “We should get practice out of the way, and then we can be on our way.”

We leave the office and walk to the rink, where we practice for the next two hours. We don’t mention the MC to the other girls, though I’m pretty sure most, if not all, will be in. Scratch’s question sticks with me for the entire two hours. I’d killed a man in self-defense, meaning he deserved it. Did this Harrison guy? Maybe he and the others had a single night of lapse judgment.

Or, maybe, he and the other three men were serial rapists and, in that case, deserved to die. I thought about Diablo’s question about whether we were one-percenters. I didn’t need another hobby. I needed to create something and be part of that creation. The club was the answer. So, yeah, we are one-percenters. We are outlaws—female outlaws of a different kind.

Practice is more playful than any time I can remember. Reaper—I love our new names—skates most of the jams. Diablo teaches the girls some new moves. Scratch skates extra aggressively, and I notice her occasional glances at me. She’s still considering what to do.

Diablo leaves the defensive pack and skates to where I’m watching. “I think you should let the others in on the club idea.” She nods at the team. “I’ve never seen a group of women work this well together.”

I blow the whistle hanging from my neck, and the entire group skates to the rink’s center. There are eleven women, including myself, a sisterhood I believe in. “First off, kickass practice today. You either all got laid last night, or you all ate the same breakfast this morning.”

“I got laid last night and this morning,” Joanne says, our team comedian.

“Your new Rabitt doesn’t count,” Sam says, and everyone laughs.

“I can’t remember the last time I had a real dick.” Kim grabs her crotch, and everyone cringes. At least she didn’t come in drunk today.

“What I’m about to say and ask of you has no bearing on the Memphis Macabre. If you aren’t interested in the new venture, you’re still as much a part of this team as anyone else.”

Patty rests an elbow on Kim’s shoulder. “This going to get us into some deep shit?” She smiles when I nod. Scratch keeps her eyes glued to the floor.

“I’ve decided to form a motorcycle club,” I say, and those who didn’t know about the idea before now jerk their heads back in surprise. “Hear me out before you start running away.”

“You’re going to fucking love the idea,” Diablo says. She goes back to the office while I continue talking.

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