Page 14 of Xavier

OK, there was no way to contain my laughter. “That’s a story I’ve got to hear soon.”

“Once you get settled in and get some rest, we’ll take you to Oasis Number Two, drink too many margaritas, and we’ll tell you about it.” Hannah handed me a phone as she spoke. “This is yours while you’re here. The guys want us to use clean phones when calling or texting inside the compound. Everyone here has been to prison. Knuckles knows every single one of them personally, or they don’t get in.”

Hannah continued with the explanation. “Knuckles has extreme pull with local law enforcement. He prefers not to leave any openings if he can help it.”

“All our numbers are programmed in” -- Pippa handed me the phone -- “as well as Xavier’s new number. You can reach out to any of us if you need anything at all, or if you’re uncomfortable with anything. Especially the guys. They absolutely will not do anything you don’t want, but that’s not to say they won’t flirt their asses off. If someone won’t back off, you call one of us or Xavier. We’ll shut them down for you.”

All I could do was move my gaze from woman to woman, trying to see if they were playing me. The only thing I saw was complete sincerity. They meant every word. “Is this place even real?”

“Oh, honey.” Violet gave me a sympathetic smile. “I know exactly what you mean. My advice is to just roll with it. I promise you this is the real deal. I can honestly say they’ve been the best role models for my son. Way better than his own father.” A shadow crossed her face, but she smiled, pushing through whatever memory had dampened her mood.

“Xavier saved me.” I whispered. “My husband would have killed me, but Xavier made sure he never hurt me again. Just like he promised that night when he…” I took a breath before letting it out and slumping while I smiled up at Carrie, needing to change the subject before I said too much. Or, worse, cried. “What and where is Oasis Number Two?”

“Oasis Number Two is where we’ve started going since they had to give Oasis Number One a thorough cleaning. Long story, but trust me when I tell you the son of a bitch deserved it.”

I should probably be horrified at all there was to unpack in her statement, but I found myself nodding with a grin on my face. “I can wholeheartedly agree with that statement.”

Violet looped her arm through mine. “I’m going to give you some advice and I hope you’ll take it because this place will change your life, if you’re like I was.”

“I don’t understand.” I frowned at the other woman, but the warm, comforting smile on Violet’s face never faltered.

“You’ve been betrayed in the worst ways by people you trusted.” Violet didn’t phrase it as a question. She spoke like a person who’d been in the same boat I was.

“Can’t deny that,” I muttered. “Xavier is the only person in my life ever to have sacrificed for me. And what he did for me I can never repay.”

“Riot told me Xavier killed your abuser.” Violet didn’t look judgmental or like she was fishing for information. “Riot protected me and my son, Caleb. He would have gladly killed my husband if he could have.” She put her shoulders back and her chin up. “I beat him to it.”

I gasped, reaching out to take Violet’s hand. “Oh, no! I’m so sorry! That had to have been horrible.”

“Only thing I hated about it was that Caleb was there and that he’d nearly killed Doug himself. Doug Harrington was a bastard who needed to die.”

“I’m glad you found your escape, Violet.”

“I am too. That’s why I want to tell you to take this club at face value. Don’t judge them, though I seriously doubt you have that problem given how you met Xavier.”

Hannah handed me a bottle of water. “We’ve got food on the way up, but I’m sure you’re thirsty.”

“Thanks.” I unscrewed the bottle and took a pull.

“Anyway, Knuckles knows every single guy here,” Hanna continued. “He said Xavier wanted you to be his, but you need to know you always have a choice. These guys are the super protective and possessive types, but they’re some of the best people I’ve ever met. If they have one flaw, I’d have to say it’s the tolerance they show the club girls.”

“Hannah!” Pippa put her hands on her cheeks like she couldn’t believe Hannah had said such a thing. “They’re not going to be mean to the women.”

“No. And I don’t want them to be.” Hannah huffed out a breath. “But the next girl who touches Knuckles is gonna leave missing a paw.”

I nearly snorted water out of my nose as I laughed. “I’m so sorry!” I was equal parts horrified and resigned. Because, really. There was no recovering from water out the nose.

“Don’t be.” Hannah handed me a napkin. “Just get used to it. You stay around here long enough and you’ll discover we’ve all got a really morbid sense of humor.”

“I guess sometimes it’s either laugh or cry.”

“Exactly.” Hannah gave me a crisp nod, her smile wide and mischievous before sobering again. “The point is, these are good men. I know you probably feel like you’ve followed the White Rabbit down the hole, but these men are the real deal, Tillie. They’re socially awkward, and most of them are stone-cold killers, but they have a strong moral code and they are all protective of women and children in general.” She glanced at Pippa. “Which is why they let the club girls get away with way more than they should.”

Pippa shook her head but still grinned. “I can’t deny they’re becoming a problem. I had to cut one woman’s hair the other day.” Pippa’s eyes were wide and solemn, like she felt sorry for the other woman. Then she shrugged. “It was only hair. Right?”

“Um, how short did you cut it?” I knew before I asked the question what her answer would be.

“I shaved it.” She grinned. “Well, OK, so I partially shaved it. I caught the club girl in question asleep and shaved a strip of hair from the top of her forehead to the back of her head before she got away from me.”

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