Page 18 of Devil's Dilemma

Which could mean we’ll part sooner rather than later.

Surely it’s best to find out before we get in any deeper.

“Okay,” I say quickly, then soften my features. “Just tell me when to bake muffins.”

Chapter Seven

Melissa

Skull tried to prepare me as much as he could. I’d asked him endless questions about the men in the club, and the women. In my experience, the former aren’t as difficult to get on with as the latter.

Of the women, he warned me, three names I really need to know. Violet, who’s the current president’s old lady, Moira, the mother of the president, Demon, and wife of the former prez, Hellfire. The third name was Jeannie who’s the mother hen and ruled the roost until Violet came on the scene. There’s also Sindy, another woman with a long-standing relationship with one of the brothers, and Jayden, far younger, who transferred with a member from Tucson.

I’ve learned their names by heart and have pulled as much information as I can out of Skull about them.

Then there’s Bella, Titsy, Sheila, Breezy and Tulia, the club girls or sweet butts as the Satan’s Devils call them. I do find it distasteful that they are there to be at the men’s beck and call for absolutely anything that’s asked of them, but I suppose to each their own. As long as Skull doesn’t go with them, and they don’t make a play for my man, I’ll just have to put up with their presence and try my hardest not to appear judgmental.

As suggested, I’ve come armed with Tupperware tubs full of muffins and other offerings to tempt sweet and savoury appetites alike. But when I drive up to the gates to find a man wearing a vest with the word prospect on it, I find I’m shaking when I drive around to where he’s directed I should park.

There’s no way to disguise this building from what it is, an old steel mill. I can only hope it looks more inviting on the inside.

Where’s Skull? He said he’d be here to meet me.

I delay getting out, thinking I need his strength to help carry everything in, as well as to be moral support. I don’t think I’ve felt this nervous since my first day at high school.

A noise catches my attention, and I raise my eyes. In front of me there are a group of leather clad men walking to the back of the yard with rifles slung over their shoulders. I’m staring at them so avidly, worrying about the sight, that I don’t see a man approaching, and jump as he raps on my window.

My heart races wildly until I see it’s Skull with a welcoming grin on his face which slides away when he sees my horrified expression and follows the direction of my eyes.

He opens my door. “They’re going for target practice. There’s a range up in the woods. You didn’t think we had our own army, did you?”

“Something of the sort,” I admit.

He laughs. “Nah, don’t let it worry you. A lot of them are ex-services and like to keep their skills sharp. Need help?” But one look in the back seat shows him I do, so he opens the rear door, and starts loading up his arms.

I take a couple of tubs. Even with what he’s managing to carry there’s still more left. I do get carried away when I’m nervous, and nervous is an understatement for how I’m feeling today.

“Wow.” He studies the amount I’ve brought. “You cooked for an army, anyway.”

“Too much? We can leave some…”

“Never too much, darlin’. These will all be gone in a flash. Come on in. I’ll take you via the kitchen entrance so we can drop these off and I’ll find a prospect to bring the rest. Then I’ll introduce you to whoever’s around. After which,” he waggles his eyebrows, “I’ve got some etchings to show you, up in my room.”

I’d rather skip straight to the part where I’m showing off my own artistic skills to him, I tell him as we walk, making him laugh.

“Hey, like that look on you Skull. I suppose this is your Melissa who’s responsible for that?”

“Jeannie.” Skull raises his chin. “Yeah, meet Melissa. Melissa, Jeannie. She’s Bomber’s.”

“Bomber’s mine,” Jeannie corrects with a growl. “Pleased to meetcha, Melissa. What have you got there?”

“Muffins, cupcakes, some cheesy biscuits, er…”

Jeannie peers in for a closer look. “Christ, woman. You make all these?”

“She cooks when she gets anxious,” Skull replies observantly, making me realise he hadn’t been fooled at all.

As I’m about to protest that I may have been a little apprehensive about meeting these women today, Jeannie winks at me.

---