Chapter Sixteen

"I think you should stay with us," Ares said.

Adira shook her head. "I need some space to process all of this."

"You shouldn't be alone," Hunter added.

She didn't know what to say. What to do. Her heart hurt, her soul bled. She had loved and trusted her father. The man who taught her how to ride a bike. Who played Go Fish with her. He had helped her pass algebra and encouraged her to volunteer at the hospital and animal shelter. She became his liaison between the church and the community.

He was also her pastor, granting her absolution whenever she thought she had sinned.

It was almost laughable.

"You're hurting," Ares said. "Let us help you."

She wanted to accept their help with every fiber of her being, but knowing this wasn't a permanent arrangement, she couldn't depend on them.

"It's okay. I'll be at work tomorrow night."

"I don't care about you working. I care about you hurting."

"I'll be fine," she said, trying to smile but failing miserably.

"You're not going to be fine." He ran a hand through his hair. "Why are you afraid of leaning on us?"

She glanced at Hunter. "Because you told me this is a temporary arrangement and I can't have my heart broken. Any more than it is."

Hunter frowned. "When did I say that?"

"However long it lasts. That's what you said. Nothing more than a toy."

"You took that out of context."

"Pretty sure I didn't, but that's okay. I accept whatever time we have together."

"Okay, we're going to discuss this later, because I know it's not the right time," Ares interjected. "We wan t— "

His and Hunter's phones went off.

"It's Brim," Hunter said. "Wants us at the club."

Ares sighed. "Damn it. Okay. Sweetheart, get some rest. We'll call you later tonight."

She nodded and watched them ride away as she entered Livia's house. Her friend wasn't home, and the quiet of the place ate at her. Her skin itched like a thousand ants crawled over it. She paced, the anger rising and turning into hate. The need to know why burned through her.

On the kitchen wall was a landline phone, not uncommon since they were in a more rural location. Sometimes storms knocked out cell phone reception. Without thinking about it, she dialed her father's office phone at the church. He answered on the third ring.

"Reverend Vincent speaking."

"Such a pretentious way to answer the phone."

He was silent for a moment. "Adira?"

"My own father, a scumbag of a person. I looked up to you. Trusted you. But you're nothing more than an awful human being."

"Daughter, you need to come home. Abel is so worried…"

"I heard you! Cheating on Mom, encouraging Abel to do the same to me. Even Mom is a lying adulterer. The three of you make a happy little family."

A deep sigh came through the line. "Well, that explains a lot. Come home."

"I have no home with you. But it doesn't matter because Ihave a new family now. I just wanted to call and tell you what I think about you now. What a scumbag you are. You always talked about sinning, and what not to do so I can get into Heaven one day, but you should've paid attention to your own sermons. Goodbye, Vincent. I hope you and Mom and Abel are happy together."

"Adira…"

She hung up on him. The call may not have started with a purpose, but she felt cleansed. A festering wound that could now start to heal.

****

She lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling when the sound of a motorcycle reverberated outside. Adria got up and went to her window and saw Hunter get off his bike. He must have seen the curtain move because he looked over and smiled at her. In that moment, everything solidified. She may still be discovering herself, but when it came to Hunter and Ares, she was theirs.

She rose and dressed, stuffing a few changes of clothing in her backpack. Hurrying into the kitchen, she wrote out a quick note for Livia, who had gone out with Courtney, then she was out the door. Hunter caught her as she flew into his arms and gave him a kiss.

"Well, that was enthusiastic," he said with a grin. "I'm going to have to leave and come back more often."

"I'm sorry for earlier."

He shook his head. "Nothing to be sorry for, baby girl. Ares and I understood you weren't in a good place."

"I'm in a good place now," she told him, smiling. "I've had an epiphany."

"Oh?"

"I'm going to get a tattoo."

"Tonight?"

"Yep. In fact, right now."

He chuckled. "Okay, we can do that. Then I want to show you Belladonna."

She tilted her head. "Your red-light house?"

"Red-light … it's a whorehouse."

"I don't like that name. Women have been called whores for centuries, but where is the slur for men who pay for their services? In fact, men are usually the reason women have to become sex workers."

"You're a feminist."

"I believe in equality among the sexes, yes."

"I treat those women fairly."

"Doesn't that make you a pimp?"

"Yeah, but it's a legit business. And the girls are there voluntarily. I give them a decent wage, provide health check-ups once a month, and security against men who would take instead of buy."

"Did you always want to run a red-light house?"

"No. I joined the army and did a tour before I got out. I wandered around aimlessly for a while. Lost, until Ares told me to get my ass to Cardinal so I could join this biker club. He was prospecting with the Death Riders, so it was a no-brainer that I'd join too."

"They became your family."

"Yes."

She thought about her call to her father. "I get it now. Family isn't who you're born into, it's who you choose."

He smiled. "Yes. I would lay down my life for each of my brothers and their old ladies."

"How did you two end up running The Pussy Willow and Belladonna?"

"We volunteered. The club needed businesses that made us a lot of money, and sex sells."

She trailed her fingertips down his nose. Over his lips. Down, down until she reached his heart. "I've learned the value of loyalty. I think it may be stronger than love."

He leaned forward and kissed her, swiping his tongue across her lower lip until she opened for him. Potent, divine. Before it got too heated, he pulled back and quirked an eyebrow.

"Ready for that tattoo?"

She nodded. He took her hand and led her to his bike. She slipped on the helmet he held out and a moment later they took off in the night.