Chapter Two

All Aboard

Alice

I gripped the steering wheel, and the hum of the engine vibrated through my hands. The girls were settling in, and I could already feel the energy of our weekend escape building. We'd packed up the van, left the chaos of our daily lives behind, and were headed to the campground for some much-needed downtime with Meg and the other Devil's Knights ol' ladies.

"Roll call!" I called out over my shoulder, trying to sound official as I glanced at the rearview mirror. The back of the camper was like a mix between a cozy hangout spot and a disaster zone, bags and snacks scattered everywhere.

"Oh lord. Is she really doing this?" Raven whispered loudly to Karmen, her voice dripping with sarcasm. I saw the smirk on her face as I glanced next to me, and it made me grin.

"Yep, I am," I shot back, adjusting the rearview mirror so I could see Karmen, Nikki, and Wendy in the back. "If I'm driving, I get to make the rules. And rule number one is that everyone checks in."

Raven rolled her eyes, but she leaned forward a bit, playing along. "Present, I guess."

"Good enough," I said, trying to suppress a laugh. "Next?"

"Are you sure it's safe to be back here while you drive?" Nikki asked, looking around like she was suddenly questioning every decision she'd made that day. "I don't have a seat belt."

"Woman," Karmen interjected, laughter bubbling up in her voice, "we literally wrap our arms around our husbands while we hurl ourselves down the road with our legs straddling a thousand pounds of steel and metal. If you really want a seat belt, you're going to have to get really cozy with Raven in the passenger seat. I, for one, think we'll be just fine."

I snorted at that, picturing Nikki trying to cram herself into the front seat with Raven. "She's got a point, Nikki. I've got us covered."

"Yeah, but I'm more worried about it being you behind the wheel," Nikki whispered loudly, her voice carrying easily through the van. I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head at the playful jab.

Wendy, who had been oddly quiet, finally flopped onto the bench opposite Nikki and Karmen. She sighed loudly, a dramatic sound that made all of us turn to look at her. "I don't care what we drive as long as it means I get some peace and quiet. Slayer just won't shut up about Adley being home and having no idea what she wants to do with her life. You would think a man whose motto is ‘live free' would be okay with his daughter taking a second to figure out where she wants to go next."

We all fell silent, the weight of Wendy's words settling over us like a blanket. I glanced at her in the mirror, seeing the tension in her face.

Wendy raised her head, meeting our eyes. "Was that too much? Should I have waited to dump all of that until we had a few drinks?"

"Uh, maybe," I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. Wendy always had a way of laying things out bare, and sometimes, it caught us off guard.

"Adley is smart," Nikki chimed in, her voice softening. "She just needs a second to get her feet back under her."

"I know you're right," Wendy sighed, sinking back against the seat. "I just need you to convince Slayer of that."

"Let's add that to the top of our to-do list for the weekend," Raven laughed. "Figure out how to get Slayer to take a chill pill."

"Yeah, right," Wendy muttered, but there was a hint of a smile playing on her lips now. "That man has never taken a chill pill in his life."

We fell into a comfortable silence.

"How long until we get there?" Karmen asked, her voice cutting through the hum of the camper's tires on the highway.

I glanced at the GPS mounted on the dashboard. "We should be pulling into the campground in two and a half hours." We had been driving for a little over two hours, so we were about halfway there.

"What are Meg and the other girls like?" Raven asked, shifting in her seat to face Nikki.

"We only met Meg, Cyn, and Lennox," Nikki shrugged. "They were cool. It was kind of like looking at a reflection of us. Meg is crazy and funny just like Alice."

"Are the other two coming this weekend?" Karmen asked.

I nodded and put on my blinker to change lanes. "Yes, and also Reva, Greta, and Paige."

"Eleven of us." Raven's eyes bugged out. "And not one of the guys in sight to tame us."

"Yup," I drawled with a grin. "This week is going to be one for the books." It was Monday early afternoon, and we had two campsites booked for the next six nights. We weren't going to see the guys until Sunday.

"Are we taking bets on how long it takes until one of the guys pops up at the campground?" Karmen asked. "I don't think any of us have been away from the club for this long."

She wasn't wrong, but I was looking forward to it. I loved Wrecker with my whole heart—and my whole butt, which was saying something because it wasn't small—but I was really excited for this weekend. Out in the wilderness, making new friends, away from the usual chaos.

"It won't be Wrecker," I laughed. "I've got Eden and Fox keeping him busy. He thinks I didn't want him to be alone because I was worried, but really, I wanted the kids there to keep him occupied."

"I don't think the rest of the guys will show up," Nikki said with a shrug. "And if they do, we can put them to work. I'm not looking forward to foraging for wood for the campfire."

"Girl," Karmen laughed, "we just buy wood. It's like five bucks for a bundle or something. I looked up this place that Meg picked. We have zero worries about actually being in nature." She leaned forward with a huge smile on her face. "There is a float-up tiki bar."

Raven pumped her fists in the air. "Hell yeah. Thank God I brought three swimsuits. My ass will be in the pool all week."

I'd also looked up the campground, and I knew we were all going to be okay. There were plenty of amenities, so we wouldn't be roughing it too much.

"Once we get the camper all set up, I'm heading to the tiki bar," Raven declared. "How long again?"

I glanced at the GPS. "Uh, we are now two hours and twenty-one minutes away."

"Uh," Wendy called from the back, "make that two hours and thirty minutes. I'm going to need the restroom at some point."

"Oh, yeah!" Nikki agreed. "And I could use some snacks."

"There are laundry baskets full of food," I reminded them with a laugh.

Nikki shook her head. "I don't want to eat the food meant for camping. I'll grab a candy bar and some chips. And a drink. Maybe an apple or orange to balance out the candy and chips."

Lord have mercy.

A billboard for a gas station popped up, and I switched lanes to take the next exit. "Alright, pit stop coming up. Hopefully, we'll make it to the campground by nightfall."

As I eased the van off the highway and toward the gas station, I couldn't help but feel a little thrill of excitement. This week was going to be a much-needed break, and I was ready for whatever adventures awaited us.

It was an ol' ladies' weekend, and it was sure to be a hell of a time.