Page 98 of Unveiled Wounds

“Sabre.” The club girls, Emily, and I sang in a high-pitched tone. It caused another round of laughter. JR joined in, not having a clue what he was laughing about.

“I waited for Tyler.” Emily placed her hands over her eyes, embarrassed. “I told him it just hadn’t happened, and he bought the excuse. No man was him, and I wasn’t interested.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that, sugar,” Cinnamon said, nudging her foot.

“Wait a fucking second. You took a piercing as a virgin?” Kitten’s eyes were about to pop out of her head.

“Yeah. Is it hard?” Emily’s hands lowered from her face, but only her eyes appeared.

The club girls started laughing and giggling. The rest of us just watched them. Emily was the only one who’d experienced a piercing. I’d have to look and see if they made fake ones. Maybe I could talk Grizz into trying one time. He was usually up for at least one round of something new.

“Sugar, we all knew you had enormous balls, but that just proved it.” Each club girl nodded their head at Emily, showingrespect. “The first time I took a piercing, it burned so bad. I screamed, literally thinking it was going to rip me in half. He pulled out, and I don’t know what gave him the impression I wanted more, because when he tried again, I kicked him in the stomach.” Cinnamon flipped her hair over her shoulder.

“I remember seeing the piercing the first time, but I don’t remember what it felt like.” Emily tucked her knees up to her chest.

“Never…again,” my aunt whispered, taking the attention off of Emily. The three of us were family, and we’d claimed Emily as one of ours. When it became too personal for one, someone usually tried to take the heat off of them. It was only natural for the Old Lady Alliance.

“The best way to get over a man is to get under another one. Thunder’s a willing participant.” Pink Hair pointed at my aunt.

“Friends…only.” My aunt shook her head, unwilling to see what was clearly in front of her face.

The rest of our eyes circled around the room, until we all said, “Uh huh.” The laughter was so loud, we didn’t hear the vault door opening.

“So, this is what you ladies have been doing?” Sabre asked.

We had passed the time as best we could, but one look at Sabre’s face and our good humor evaporated. He looked like he had aged a few years, and while he still maintained a small smile, his eyes were dull. Grace stood with JR in her arms, walking toward Sabre in the doorway. She would have normally handed him the baby, but this time, she didn’t. Instead, she hugged Sabre, bringing him into their fold. He sighed, dropping his nose into her hair.

“It’s over,” he said.

I didn’t have the heart to tell him the cartel might have been, but the fallout had just started. I stood with Pumpkin in my arms, heading towards the front of the vault. Grizz was standingbehind Sabre, and my eyes didn’t leave his. I had to wait my turn, and while I wanted to tell my sister and Sabre to move, I refrained. Whatever had happened had stained their souls, and I knew, from experience, the only way to heal would be comfort. I could wait a few more seconds until they shifted out of the doorway.

I scanned Grizz from head to toe, and while he looked alright physically, I could clearly see the mental anguish. I doubted if he would tell me what had happened, but I didn’t have to be a genius to know the cartel was dead. It must have been messy because Grizz’s hair was down, and he wouldn’t put it back up until it was dry.

The other women stood behind me, and when I moved forward, they took off running. My aunt was the only one who didn’t, and when Emily saw her shifting her feet, she stopped. Reaching underneath my aunt’s arm, Emily guided her out of the dungeon. I didn’t blame them. My man was right here, and I didn’t have anywhere else I wanted to be.

“Hi,” I whispered, hugging him. I had no clue what he needed, but I wouldn’t run. He hugged me back, making sure Pumpkin was alright between us.

“Hi,” he whispered. “You’re safe.”

“Are you alright?” I asked, not letting him go.

“I will be.” He leaned against the wall, holding us tighter to his chest. I said nothing, trying to infuse more comfort and energy into our connection. “Everyone left. Do you want to head upstairs?”

I hadn’t noticed we were the only people standing in front of the open vault door. Someone had neatly stacked our supplies in the middle of the room, but no one had cared to put them away. “I want what you want.” I wouldn’t leave Grizz in his time of turmoil, especially when he had never left me.

***

“Why are they pretending? They’re fooling themselves if they think everything is normal,” I asked Grizz, entering from the corner of the main room that butted against the kitchen. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought this was a typical night in the clubhouse. Brothers surrounded the pool table, and it would only be a matter of time before they had a knockout tournament. A couple of brothers, including Chef, were throwing darts, while Pebbles sat next to them.

“Normalcy helps them forget,” he said, stopping directly behind me. Heading towards an empty couch, I made sure he was comfortable before taking my spot next to him.

“Do you want anything? Beer? Anything?” I asked. I wasn’t trying to be a mother hen, but I wanted to take care of Grizz because that was what you did for the people you loved.

“Stop.” He threw his arm around me, pulling me close. “I’m alright. Give me a couple of days though before you psychoanalyze me.”

“Psycho? Yes.” I was hoping he would laugh, but all I got was a small tilt at the corner of his upper lip.

He reached for Pumpkin, settling her against the crook of his arm and the arm of the couch. “Tell your mother we’re fine. She needs to stop hovering.”

---