Chapter Three

Livia's house lay nestled at the end of her street. The yellow vinyl siding gleamed in the twilight, offset by white trim around the windows. The small porch that led up to the door had plants hanging all over it. It was a cute little cottage that made her a little envious. She'd love to have a home just like this one.

"Thank you for letting me crash here," Adira said.

Livia put her hand around Adira's shoulder, giving a half hug. "I'm glad you thought of me when you needed a safe haven, although I hate that you're hurting."

"I just need time to wrap my head around everything."

"I completely understand. Come on, let me show you around."

After grabbing her suitcase from the back of the truck, she followed Livia inside. The inside was just as charming as the outside. Warm tones seamlessly blended with cooler pops of color. The vaulted ceiling gave the living room a bright airy quality. One door led to the kitchen and another to the hallway where the two bedrooms were located, separated by a shared bathroom. Livia decorated with a Bohemian style. Mismatched furniture with a free-spirited aesthetic, mixed with different cultures and artistic expressions, blended into an eclectic style of patterns.

"This is beautiful," Adira said sincerely.

"Thanks." Livia smiled. "It's small, but I love it. Your room is this way."

The spare room had a twin bed and a dresser. White walls and tan carpet. Minimalism all the way.

"It's not muc h— "

"No," Adira was quick to interrupt. "It's perfect."

"Go ahead and put your stuff away and let's talk."

"All right."

Livia left her alone but it didn't take long for Adira to place her clothes in the drawer. She wandered back to the kitchen where her friend was grabbing a snack.

"Hungry?"

Adira shook her head. "No."

"So, what's the game plan? How can I help you?"

"You're helping me now." She took a deep breath. "You can't possibly know how much this means to me. I just … I didn't make a mistake, did I?"

Livia's brow furrowed. "About what?"

"Running away."

"Sounds like you had a right to leave." She placed some chips on her plate next to the sandwich and sat down. "I would've done the same."

"Really?" Adira hated how unsure she sounded.

Livia popped the lid on her soda and took a sip. "I can't imagine anyone in your position not leaving. Use your new perspective to figure out what you want to do in life."

"I thought I'd be a wife and mother," she admitted. "Teacher perhaps. It was a career my parents were pushing me into."

"You want to be a teacher?"

Adira shook her head. "Not really."

"Well, then, that's where you start. Figure out who you are and what you want, and sometimes that's learning who you're not. Not many people have an awakening." She popped a chip into her mouth. "Tomorrow night we're going to a bar."

"Why?"

"Because you want to lose your V-card. A bar is the best place for a hookup."

Adira went to say no, but stopped herself. How would she learn who she was and what she wanted to do if she didn't explore? Even if the exploration left her uneasy. Time to break the protective shell cocooning her.

"Okay."

****

"There are no decent women out there," Ares said darkly. "I keep hiring women to be the damn hostess and they think I'm part of the job."

"Well," Hunter drawled. "You can't really blame them, can you? You've kind of banged them all."

Ares shot him a glower. "No. I don't fuck employees."

" Before they became employees."

Ares flipped him off, and Hunter laughed. They were all alone in the empty strip club, The Pussy Willow, which closed at two in the morning. After all the closing chores had been completed, he had waved the skeleton crew a good night. He owed them big time for working so hard.

"If you're having that much trouble, you can borrow a couple of my girls," Hunter offered.

Ares shrugged. "I've put another ad in the paper. We'll see how the interviews go, I guess."

Hunter pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit it. He took a deep drag and then aimed the smoke upward. "Let's get out of here."

They headed outside and Ares locked up. "See you at home."

Hunter nodded, took one more drag on his cigarette, and then flicked it away and pulled on his helmet. They roared out of the parking lot, heading to the clubhouse. Neither man had time to maintain a house, so they paid rent to the club. Sometimes Ares thought about having a home and a family outside of the Death Riders, but that would mean trying to date and he had no time for that. Besides, the only women he was around were club pussy, whores, and strippers. While he had no problem with their profession, he didn't think it'd make a very stable environment for a child.

The remnants of the party still lingered. Several naked people were passed out in various places. Beer cans and bottles littered every surface. Drug paraphernalia lay on flat surfaces like the bar and pool table. Ares knew Brim would have a conniption if he saw that, considering how much money he shelled out to clean the felt the last time this happened.

"Someone's gonna get their ass kicked," Hunter mused, following his line of sight.

"Remind me to leave before he gets here."

"Ditto."

He said good night to Ares and headed for the stairs. Once in his room, weariness hit him, and he quickly pulled off his boots and clothes to take a shower. The hot water caused his tense muscles to relax. After drying off, he took his cholesterol medicine and slid into bed. A few seconds after his head hit the pillow, he was out.