Page 31 of Double the Redemption

Her palms were damp and sweaty, and she had to work to tamp down the urge to run the other way, especially as she walked up the steps and the clubhouse door opened to reveal Savage and Royal stumbling out, their mouths fused together and their hands roaming all over each other.

She froze, and a small squeak slipped out as she tried to get out of their way. They broke apart, turning to look at her. She gasped. “I’m so sorry.” Her cheeks flushed, and she stepped back down the stairs.

“Hey, Naomi,” Royal rasped, a wicked grin on her face, her eyes bright and her face flushed. “We were wondering where you were.”

“Oh, I, uh, didn’t know I was invited,” she admitted, glancing at Savage. “Karissa and Glitch invited me, so I just thought … but I can go home. It seems like everyone’s busy.”

Even to her ears, it sounded like a lame excuse.

“Why the fuck wouldn’t you be invited?” Savage asked, frowning.

“Oh, uh, well, this seemed to be a club thing, and I …” She waved her hands, unsure how to finish that sentence without sounding insulting.

Savage’s frown deepened. “Did no one tell you to show up?”

“Ah, not exactly. But to be fair, I’ve been busy, and other than when I work on the garage stuff, I don’t really see anyone.”

He didn’t call her out on her half lie. Instead, he grunted, “Any club parties and shit, you’re invited to. Now you don’t have an excuse. Now get in there.” Before Naomi could process the order, he hauled Royal over his shoulder, making her shriek and giggle as he strode away.

Naomi stared after them. Well, that wasn’t what she’d expected. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. She glanced at the door then back at the warehouse. She could go back to the apartment, and no one would be the wiser. That might be for the best.

She walked a couple of steps then froze when Karissa yelled out her name.

“Don’t even think about it,” Karissa warned. “One drink, then you can go. Whatever Savage said to scare you off, ignore him. Or I’ll come and drag you back in here myself.”

Slowly, she turned, looking at the women standing in the open doorway, Glitch slightly behind her. She wanted to argue, but something in their expressions made her step forward. Maybe it was the worry that Karissa would actually drag her back. Messing with a former mercenary was not on her list of things to do today.

She followed the women inside, flinching at the blast of noise that hit her. The music blared, the bass pumping vibrations through the floor, and the smell of cigar smoke and beer filled her nose. Loud bursts of merriment and sharp feminine laughter could be vaguely heard as she pushed through people and followed Karissa and Glitch to the bar.

“Tom!” Karissa yelled. Tom barely turned from pouring a beer, sliding a drink across the bar toward them. Karissa held up her beer in thanks, grabbed the glass, and thrust it into Naomi’s hand.

Naomi stared at it.

“Rum and Coke,” Glitch yelled. “Light so we don’t knock you out.”

Naomi gave her a smile of thanks and took a sip. It slid down her throat smoothly. She would have to nurse it, or she would be on the floor. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a drink. When she was seventeen, maybe?

Diego and her father never allowed her to have anything but a clear mind. They couldn’t risk her saying anything they didn’t want said.

Suddenly, the music cut out, and everyone turned when a sharp whistle filled the room. A smile tugged at her lips when she saw Razor standing there, a giant grin on his face and a beer in his hand. “A toast to Fury, Esme, Gabe, and Jett!”

A loud cheer filled the room, and Naomi lifted her own glass.

“Who’s next?” someone yelled. She couldn’t make out who it was until they shouted, “Only makes sense that Rogue and Scarlett have their turn. The twins need another partner in crime!”

There was a mix of laughter and groans. She tried to peer through the crowd, but she couldn’t make out Rogue or Scarlett. Considering the second burst of laughter, she had to figure Rogue had growled about it.

The music came back on, but this time, someone kept it at a respectable volume. Her ears were grateful.

“So how are you feeling now that you’ve been here a bit and have settled in?” Glitch asked. “We haven’t scared you off, have we?”

“Not yet. Helping with Rogue’s and Ink’s books keeps me busy. And Scarlett has been great at getting me materials to keep studying. I mostly already know it, but it helps to have a less … sinister way to approach basic accounting.” She tried not to wince at the reminder of what she’d been doing most of her adult life.

The other women gave her a sympathetic look.

“Can I ask something and hope you won’t take offense?” Karissa asked.

Naomi nodded, a little nervous.