I jump at the sound of Lil’s voice, not realizing she was so close.
“You were a million miles away.”
“I was just thinking about the future,” I admit, kissing Alex’s forehead before gently placing him in the stroller and strapping him in.
“You want kids?” she asks as I grab my bag from the front seat and slip it over my head so it hangs across my body.
“I want the house, the husband, the kids, the dog. I want the fairy tale,” I admit as she looks up at me. “It’s stupid, I know.”
“It’s not stupid, Legs. Sounds like a pretty awesome thing to want.”
“What about you?” I ask as we start walking.
“If you would’ve asked me a couple of years ago, I would’ve had an answer. But now…”
“It’s okay, Lil. I get it.”
“I know you do,” she whispers. We’re both lost in thought for a minute before she points to a coffee shop across the street.
I laugh and shake my head. “Decaf, right?”
“Do not make me hurt you in front of Alex.”
When my laughter tapers off, we head across the street and order our coffees to go so we can wander around with them. While we wait, Lil looks at me, cocking her head.
“What? Do I have something in my hair?” I ask, patting my head.
“No. I was just wondering… How did you end up with the Chaos Demons?”
I tense, not sure I’m ready to share the secret I promised to take to the grave, though everyone involved is dead now. Still...
“My mom died. It was just her and me. My dad was never in the picture. His name’s on my birth certificate, but that’s all.”
“You never thought about looking for him?”
I shrug. “Why? He didn’t care about me when my mom was alive. Besides, I’m not sure he’d be happy to have a club whore knock on his door calling him daddy.”
“I mean, some people get off on that kind of thing,” she teases.
“Eww, gross.” I grimace, taking the coffee from the barista when he calls my name.
“Anyway, my mom left me a number to call when she was gone. I called, and Rock answered. He came to get me, took me back to the Chaos Demons clubhouse, and the rest is history.”
“Jesus. How old were you?”
I take a sip of my coffee before dodging her question. “That’s enough about me. How’d you end up with the Ravens?” Both me and Lil have always been tight-lipped about our pasts, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about her.
She blows out a breath after grabbing her coffee and holds the door open while I place my cup in the cupholder and maneuver the stroller outside.
“I had very devout parents––somewhat similar to G’s parents. They were zealots, no two ways about it. I had to doeverything their way, or they would say I was being led astray by the devil.
“We were dirt poor, lived in a rambling shack without running water or electricity. I hated it Legs. When I turned eighteen, I left with nothing but a backpack of clothes and a pocketful of dreams, and what can I say? I got a taste of freedom, and I loved it. I’ll admit, I went a little wild, but after a couple of years, I started taking classes at the local college after I decided I wanted to be a nurse. Money was tight, but I worked hard and partied harder.
“When an internship came up at the hospital down here, I jumped at the chance. I needed a change of scenery, you know?” Her smile is forced, her eyes blank, telling me without words that there is so much more to the story, but I don’t push. She’s already telling me far more than I thought she would. She’ll tell me the rest when she’s ready.
“One of the nurses I worked with invited me to a party at the clubhouse, and that was that. I never really left. I finally felt that sense of family here that I was missing.. I got to sow my wild oats without judgment, and I didn’t have to worry about starving while I did it. I was happy,” she whispers.
“Was?”
