I smiled. “Thanks.”
Ruby was still staring at me thoughtfully. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve got that just fucked-look about you, Penny.” She laughed and Violet joined in. “But you still have your V card, right?”
“Only one of us here that does!” Violet laughed, and Ruby and I joined in. “Think I lost mine when I was scraping fifteen in the back of my neighbor’s car.”
“Yeah, I still have it,” I replied dryly.
I was twenty and still a virgin. It was ridiculous. I hadn’t really thought about how ridiculous it was until tonight. I was a grown woman and I was still letting my daddy control every part of my life, from my education, to my job, to my body.
But not anymore.
“That’s good. Can you imagine what your daddy would do if he found out you weren’t?” Ruby laughed, but there was no humor in it. “You know he’s been keeping that thing safe since the day your mom walked out on him.” She laughed and I joined in. “He has big plans for that pussy of yours, so keep it safe.”
I took a long swig of my beer, nerves fluttering in my stomach as Ruby and I stared at one another, her crude words lingering between us.
The door to my daddy’s office opened and one of the sweetbutts stepped out and headed across the clubhouse. Daddy stepped out a moment later, a cigar tucked between his lips as he looked around the room until his eyes found mine. His face remained impassive but I could already see the disapproval burning from him.
I’d managed to piece together an outfit that I wanted to wear—tight black leather pants, a red cut off t-shirt that barely covered my breasts, and a pair of heels I’d borrowed from my neighbor. I’d washed and dried my hair, giving it big bouncy waves, and smeared red lipstick on to match my top. Not to mention the leather cuffs around my wrists to hide the abrasions from the metal cuffs. I looked like every biker’s wet dream, and he hated it.
Yet instead of him yelling at me and getting one of his men to drag me out of there, he smiled darkly, sending fear up and down my arms as he crossed the room toward me. Daddy stopped in front of me, his gaze empty as he looked me up and down.
“Daddy,” I said in acknowledgment.
He swallowed, his gaze landing on my red lips as he smiled. “Looking real grown up tonight, Penny,” he said, his thick voice snaking around me. “Where’d my little girl go?” He chuckled.
“I’m twenty, Daddy. I’m not a little girl no more.” I forced my voice not to shake as he slung an arm around my shoulders.
“Is that so?” He chuckled again. “Y’all grown up then? You a biker slut too now, Penny? Is that it?”
I kept my mouth shut, unsure of what to say. It wasn’t going like I’d expected it to. He wasn’t reacting the way I’d expected him to.
He swung me round so we faced the club and his brothers, and I saw Ruby and Violet move away from me like I was a leper.
“Brothers,” Daddy called, “I need your attention, so quiet the fuck down.”
The music cutting out, and barring my raging heart, the room fell silent.
“My little girl, Penny, is all grown up.” He stepped away from me, using one hand to gesture up and down my body. My eyes moved over the men, to Solomon and Cheeto, Lenny and Denzil, all their eyes looking me over like I was meat. Scratch was nowhere to be found, and right then he was the only one I wanted to see. Just one friendly face to give me some strength.
“Wouldn’t you say that she’s a fine piece of ass, brothers?” Daddy asked, making my cheeks flame red. The room remained silent and he laughed. “Don’t be shy, I’m not going to cut your dicks off and feed them to you. She’s full grown now, twenty, almost twenty-one, and with a beautiful rack just like her momma used to have.” He grabbed my hand and spun me, making me stumble in the heels. “Ain’t she a prize fucking catch, brothers?”
The room erupted in whoops and cheers and humiliation burned through me. Tears stung my eyes, but just like when the Highwaymen had taken me, I refused to let the tears fall.
“And the best part of this is, my girl’s still a virgin. I bet you boys would like to pound that right the fuck out of her, am I right?”
The room cheered again, and I glanced over to see Ruby sneering at me as she sipped her mimosa. I tugged my hand free of my daddy’s and glared up at him.
“Stop it!” I bit out, disgusted and shocked that he was parading me like that. “Don’t do this, Daddy.”
“Stop it? I’m proud of you, baby. You’re my daughter, full grown, beautiful, intelligent, and not a fucking slut like the rest of these bitches. You saved yourself just like a good girl should. Didn’t waste that precious part of you on a piece of shit, but saved it for your old man to give away—to choose the right man for you, just like I told you to.” He puffed on his cigar and stared at me, and I knew then that he knew.
He knew that I’d almost given it up to Scratch.
“Where is he?” I asked, fear giving way to anger.
My daddy smirked. “Don’t worry yourself over it, Penny. You’ve got bigger worries.”
My daddy took a step forward, away from me, addressing the club, his brothers. “I’ve been saving my girl here for someone special, and I’m ready to cash it in now—cashherin. The man that brings me the head of whoever took her gets her and her sweet pussy.”
