King's queen

chapter 30

~Adelaide~

Watching King and his men ride away I felt like one of those soldiers' wives watching her man go off to war. What they were doing was crazy and dangerous. My stomach was in knots, and I felt like crying.

The other old ladies stood with me, haunted looks in their eyes. They had all been through this before, obviously their men had come back. Judging from their silence while they clung to their children and sniffled, they had witnessed what happened the times one of the men didn't come back.

"Jesus Christ, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Bee's shrieks cut through the melancholy. She was yelling at one of the other club girls, a quiet younger woman known as the house Mouse. I wasn't even sure of her real name, the guys all just referred to her as Mouse. She was in charge of doing the stuff the guys forgot to make the prospects do. She did the laundry and cleaned up the guy's rooms if they asked. She kept the kitchen stocked and always had ready to eat things in the fridge for the guys to grab at any time.

She was currently tending the bar since all of them men had more important things to do. I thought maybe she had a secret crush on one of the guys, but she never said anything. The glass of wine she had been pouring for Bee overflowed and spilled onto Bee's lap.

"Can't you do anything right?" Bee was bitching.

I speared her with a glare. "No one has the energy to deal with your shit right now. Apologize to Mouse and shut up." I snapped.

"You tell her." Nova muttered at my side. Judging by the chuckles the other women clearly heard her.

Bee stamped her foot, grabbed her over full glass, and stomped off. I made eye contact with Mouse, and she mouthed 'thank you' while wiping up the spilled wine. "Ok girls, let's get going." I waved the kids toward the exit. "Let's go get this over with."

I couldn't help but notice the look that passed between Nova and Numb as we passed through the gates of the compound and headed out. "You want to tell me what that was all about?" I tried to sound blase'.

She sat back in her seat and glared at me. "It's nothing." The poor girl looked like a kicked puppy.

"But you do want it to be nothing?" I pressed.

"He gave me his number; in case I ever needed him. But we ended up texting a lot. Over the phone he is sweet and caring. But in front of everyone else he acts like I'm an annoying little sister."

I nodded my understanding. "He's afraid of your dad?"

"Of course he is! He loved the stupid club. He told me joining the club has been his dream since he was a kid. It's all he's ever wanted. Dad holds the key to his future in the club. There is no way he is going to jeopardize getting that patch to date me." she turned in her seat and smiled. "Can you talk to dad? Maybe you can get him to loosen up, he listened to you."

"I don't know Nova, what if I get your dad to let you two date and then you break up? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life around your ex who will still be a part of the club? Or do you suppose King will just take him out behind the hotel and put a bullet in him for breaking your heart?"

The girl didn't back down. "Or what if we are like you and daddy? We could fall in love and be together forever."

"You think your dad and I will be together forever?" my heart soared hearing her say that.

"Duh." she rolled her eyes at me. Before we got out of the car and marched into the party she implored me. "Please say you will at least talk to daddy."