CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Elaina—

I watch out the window as the rumbling of the motorcycles fades into the distance.

"They'll be okay." Lola lays a hand on my shoulder. "The Rat Boys are a joke of a club, if you can even call them that."

"Didn't seem that way when they pulled their guns," I mutter under my breath, worry lacing every word. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lola glance at the other girls as if asking for help.

"You know what will help calm your nerves?" Kate smiles and waggles her brows. "Margaritas."

"I don't know if drinking is what she really wants to do right now," Isabella admonishes.

Kate shrugs and walks to the kitchen, pouring margaritas anyway. "If we stopped our lives and lived in fear for our men every time they did something dangerous, we wouldn't live at all." Kate hands me a glass.

I take a sip, enjoying the sweet and sour blend and wondering if signing up for this world— Baja's world —is worth it. I don't know if I can take this stress and this worry for him.

"Come on, let's get some food in us before Kate gets us all drunk." Isabella laughs, ushering us to the table.

"Why can't we do both?" Lola quirks her head to the side and nudges me. "Right, Elaina?"

I force a smile, but I know it doesn't reach my eyes. I want to push the fear aside and enjoy the night with these ladies, but I can't seem to do it.

"You coming to the Halloween party?" Kate asks around a chip dipped in queso.

"I think so, but I still need to figure out my costume." My mind shifts.

"Don't worry about that, doll. Ginger will hook you up." Lola waves off my concern. "More importantly, we need to decide who you're going to be."

"What are you girls going as?" I ask, plopping a few tortilla shells onto my plate.

"Well, we try to go with some kind of theme." Isabella smiles. "This year we decided to go as movie characters."

"Movie heroes ," Lola corrects. "And villains."

Isabella rolls her eyes. "Potato, po- tah -to."

"I still can't believe these men let you dress them up like they're your own personal dolls." My face breaks into the first smile since the guys left.

"Oh, dressing up is nothing compared to the things our men have done for us," Kate informs me.

I frown. "Do tell."

"Well, Rock roasted a man for Evelyn." Kate taps her fingers like she's counting out a list. "Memphis rescued Lola when she was kidnapped, Trez saved Isabella from another club, and my man saved me from a drug dealer."

I almost choke on my margarita. "Excuse me? That sounds like a movie."

"Yeah, I guess our relationships started like action films." Kate laughs.

"More like romances," Isabella corrects. "But don't worry. I promise we have super boring lives now. That isn't the norm."

My mind's still reeling at the things Kate so casually listed. "I don't even know where to begin. Rock roasted a man? Like told jokes?"

Lola's tinkling laugh draws my attention. "My dad tells the worst jokes. No, she meant literally. Like with a flame-thrower."

My eyes widen. Rock seemed so nice at the birthday party. Maybe these men are a lot more dangerous than I thought.

Isabella seems to read the thoughts flittering across my face, and she rests a hand on mine. "Don't worry. They're all big softies when it comes to their women and their families. He only did it because the man was trying to hurt him and Evelyn."

"You don't threaten a Royal Bastard's woman and get away with it. Plain and simple." Kate downs the last of her margarita.

"The men love fiercely and protect us at all costs," Lola confirms with a shrug.

I think back to how Baja stood up for me—he was the only one who stood up for me after Elliot showed his true colors. "I can see that."

Tiny feet patter into the doorway.

"Mama?" a tiny bleary-eyed boy calls.

Isabella immediately moves to him. "Hey, sugar bear. What are you doing up from your nap so soon?"

"I heard a monster under my bed," he whimpers.

"Oh, there are no monsters under your bed. Daddy sent them away, remember?" she coos.

"He missed one." His little voice shivers.

"Well, then I better go spray him with our monster spray." She lifts the little boy, and he wraps his arms around her neck, clinging to her.

My heart melts at the exchange.

"I'll be right back," Isabella calls over her shoulder as she carries the little boy down the hallway.

After we fill up on tacos, we move to the living room and watch Dirty Dancing.

When the credits roll, Lola sighs. "I never get tires of this one," she says. "I just love Patrick Swayze."

"We know ," Isabella replies with a giggle. "You tell us every time we watch it."

"I can't help it. He reminds me of Memphis."

"How does Patrick Swayze remind you of Memphis ?" Evelyn asks, perplexed.

"He's just so badass. And the way he stands up and takes the blame for something he didn't do; it gets me every time."

"If you start bawling, I'm throwing this pillow at you," Kate says.

"You are pretty emotional. You're not pregnant again, are you?" Isabella asks.

"God, I hope not. I can barely handle two. What would I do with three?" Lola's eyes widen.

The other women laugh, but for me, it's a sharp pain—one of longing… and perhaps jealousy. They have the children I've wanted so badly. Lola wants to avoid the one thing I want more than anything. It's a reminder of the biological ticking clock forever hanging over my head. I know if I let my chance for children slip away, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.

Isabella flicks off the TV and gets up to clear away empty glasses.

I stand as well. "Let me help you."

She freezes and stares toward the window. "Do you hear that?"

I strain to listen and hear distant humming. It gets closer, and I realize it's the sound of rumbling motorcycles.

"The boys," Isabella shouts, her eyes widening. She drops the glasses to the table with a clunk. "They're back. Come on."

We all follow her onto the porch in time to see them pull in the gravel drive, kicking up quite a cloud of dust.

"Did you catch them?" Isabella asks.

Trez trudges up the steps, shaking his head. "Couldn't find them."

Baja in right behind him and takes me in his arms. I hug him tight.

"I was so worried about you."

"Nothing to worry about, honey. Back in one piece, as you can see."

"They had guns. Of course, I was worried."

"We have guns, too," he replies.

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

Memphis approaches Lola and smells the alcohol on her breath, then studies her glassy eyes. "How many have you had?"

She grins. "A few."

"You gonna be able to hold on for the ride home?" he asks.

"Haven't fallen off yet, have I?" She slaps his chest, and he chuckles.

Everyone heads out until it's just Baja and me on the porch with Trez and Isabella.

"Hey, brother. You mind if I take Elaina out back for a little target practice? You've got the land for it I don't have at my place." Baja throws an arm around my shoulders.

"Sure, man. No problem. You need to borrow a gun for her?"

"Nope. She can use mine." Baja leads me onto the deck and down the set of stairs into the grassy area that backs up to a field and forest. He points. "See those bottles?"

I follow where he indicates and see a couple of posts and a board across them with old beer and wine bottles lined up. "Yeah."

"That's the target, but first I'm gonna show you how to load the gun." He ejects his clip and shows it to me, then demonstrates how to load the weapon, where the safety is, and how to hold it properly.

I'm surprised at the weight of the gun when he puts it in my hands.

He adjusts my grip and stands behind me, positioning my arms. "Now look down the site and gently squeeze the trigger."

I do as he says.

Bang .

The sound is deafening to my ears, and I miss my shot.

"Try again," Baja says, lifting his chin to the bottles.

I aim at a tall, fat wine bottle. Bang .

This time I hit it.

I'm so excited, I spin around, and Baja has to grab my wrist.

"Whoa. Watch it. That thing's loaded."

"Oops."

We practice until the sun sets, and we lose the light.

"You're really improving. We'll have to practice another day." He takes his gun and loops his arm around my neck. "Come on, Annie Oakley. Let's go home."