“My sister-in-law, Ivy, has the same nervous behavior. Except she just rubs them together. It’s her tell.”
“I guess it’s so natural to me that I didn’t even really notice I was doing it.”
“It’s okay. I’ve got you. I’m sure this is a lot, especially if you’ve never been exposed to anything like it before. I’m Kinsey Hayes.”
“That’s such a pretty name, I’ve never heard it before. I’m Bristol Owens.” Her eyes light up knowingly, and I don’t dare ask why.
“This is your first time here, I take it?”
“How can you tell?” She squeezes my hands again, making me smile.
“Just try to breathe and take it day by day. They’re all a little wild and crazy, but they mean well, and they all love so hard. We’re a huge family here. That’s all this really is. A huge, semi-dysfunctional family.”
Rhys moves back over to us, sharing a sympathetic look with Kinsey before wrapping her in a huge hug. I don’t feel an ounce of jealousy, but clearly, I’m the only one, as her man grabs her by the waist and hauls her out of Rhys’ embrace. He bundles her up in his large arms, bridal-style, holding her close to his chest. Kinsey just laughs, smacking him on the arm.
“No touching,” he growls, making Rhys laugh.
“Baby, this is my brother, Rogue, but you can call him Reid, and you met his old lady, Kinsey.”
“Old lady?” I ask, my eyebrows pinching. She has to be like twenty.
Everyone laughs slightly, except for the brooding president with dark hair, currently trying to laser holes through my body with how intensely he’s staring.
“Man, Sin, you really haven’t explained anything, have you?” the other woman says.
“Bristol, this is Saige. She’s with Chaos. I need to talk with them for a bit. I’ll be right in the other room, but you’re safe with her. There are not many people I would trust with your life, but she’s at the top of the list.”
Saige regards me, her eyes softening just enough to make me feel comfortable, considering I’m standing in the middle of a snake pit. The president, Chaos, walks away ahead of Sin, and I’m torn because I don’t want him to leave me.
“I promise, I’ll be right in the other room,” he says as he grabs my face, speaking to me nose to nose. “You’re safe, my love.” Then he drops a chaste kiss to the tip of my nose.
“You go, Sin, don’t piss him off by making him wait. I’ve got her,” Saige says. Rhys reluctantly releases me and walks away, his spine straightening, neck cracking from side to side like he’s bracing for a fight.
It doesn’t make me feel any better.
The three of us take seats at the bar, me sandwiched between them.
“You can relax, we don’t bite,” Saige says. I release a pathetic, self-deprecating laugh.
“Thanks, this is all wild. I feel like my life has been completely flipped upside down.”
“We’ve been there,” thegirls say in unison.
“Really?”
“Oh, yes. I was living a completely normal life in our town, fell in love with Reid, had no idea he was Rogue, and then I was kidnapped by a rival motorcycle club. Everything happened very fast, and I just had to adapt,” Kinsey shares. My heart sinks. She was kidnapped? How does she say this so nonchalantly?
“My story is a bit more complex, but I met Camden because my parents were killed in a car accident, and Hell’s Heathens was responsible.” My mouth falls open at that one.
“Jesus Christ. Okay. Well, my ex-fiancé slowly became more and more verbally and emotionally abusive and controlling, and when I tried to leave him, he threatened Rhys’ life, threatened to burn my animal shelter to the ground, and kicked me in the ribs. It took me way too long to leave him, I made excuses for way too long and let fear control all of my actions.”
“I’m sorry, Bristol. No one should ever experience that. Fuck him. Want me to kill him?” Saige offers, making my eyes go wide.
“God, no! Are you serious?”
“Saigie here likes to slit bad men’s throats for a living. She’s rather good at it.” I do my best to hold back a shiver. Shekillspeople?
“So, you’re what? A serial killer?”
