Live Free (Lords of Mayhem 3)

The devilish gleam in Joey’s brown eyes made Evonne laugh. “It’s definitely with Rocco.”

“Boom! Using the given name. Fuck you, bitches, I want my twenty dollars. I told you there was way more than sexing going on between them,” Hil exclaimed, wiggling her finger.

Her reaction made Evonne laugh, happy to leave the trail of tears she knew she would probably revisit time and time again. “You were actually betting on this?”

“Yes, we had to do something to keep from pestering the hell out of you about it,” Joey scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“What she means to say is, we were concerned and so we took a—vested interest in the change in roles happening between the two of you,” Juliette explained.

“Well, maybe now would be a good time to mention I gained an honorary cut. And since we’re putting it all out there. What’s going on, Hil?” Evonne asked. Amazing how life-altering situations made you bold all of a sudden.

“What, me?” Hilary placed a hand on her chest.

“Yes you. Don’t play coy. We’ve all noticed,” Joey added.

Hil shook her head. “Just wondering where I fit in. I mean you guys are all someone’s old lady or well on your way to the title, and I’m just some hanger-on.”

“No, you’re family. There’s a huge difference.” Juliette nodded.

“I know. It’s just difficult. The thought of love scares the fuck out of me right now. But seeing what you’ve all discovered on your own terms makes me crave it.”

“Hil, you can have that too. What’s happening with your parents bears no reflection on you. It’s bullshit to think your picker is flawed. People change, they grow apart and get tired of fighting. It’s not fate dealing hands of cards that we can’t change,” Juliette countered.

“Do you really believe that?” Hilary asked.

“Yes, honey, you’ve been busting your ass for a long time to get where you are now. Is it impossible to think you’re settled and ready to entertain the concept of love?” Joey asked.

“No, not really.”

“Good, just think about it, open your mind to the possibility. That’s all we’re asking,” Evonne interjected. “Right now, shit is totally fucked, but as we can attest, love don’t care.”

“If you start quoting me lyrics from, What’s Love Got to Do With It, I will slap you,” Hil cautioned.

“What!” Their stunned expressions coaxed a genuine laugh and she knew everything would be all right.

* * * * *

Rocky watched Evonne dress for the funeral. She hadn’t gotten a decent night’s rest since they brought her back. Nightmares made her toss and turn, occasionally waking her from slumber completely. He hoped the funeral would give her some sort of closure. They had their official patch in and party to announce her as his old lady. Prez hoped it would lift morale and help her get back on track.

There had yet to be backlash about Levi’s…disappearance, but the club was giving it time. Whoever he kept contact with probably hadn’t noticed his absence yet. They’d scoured the house and his mansion with a fine-tooth comb, bringing back anything of interest and setting up their own surveillance in his lairs. They were hoping for a break in the case. How cops did this shit all day long, he would never know. Such tedious and annoying work at best.

She zipped up the side of her black dress and stepped into heels. “I’m ready.”

“Okay.” Rocky tugged at the collar of his crisp white button-up. He niced up, including slacks and black dress shoes with his ensemble. He wouldn’t change who he was, but disrespect at a man’s funeral was lower than he’d sink. The man hadn’t wronged him really. Just tried to look out for his sister, best way he could. A part of Rocky could respect that. He rose from the bed and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. Letting her out of his sight had become harder to do since she pulled her Billy the Kid act. It was an unspoken agreement between them for her to check in every so often. He’d lost too many things in his life to be comfortable this soon after the fallout.

“You know you don’t have to wait there the entire time, right? Lots of people respected Paul. They’ll want to pay their respects.”

“Forget it. I’m not leaving you to do this alone.” He squeezed her waist. “We’re a fucking unit now, right?”

She peered up at him, and her hair moved back from her face, giving him a clear view of the beauty who held his heart. Her eyes were puffy and red rimmed, looking kind of dull from the inner pain she battled. It made him want to wrap her up in his arms, take her back to the bedroom and fuck away the sadness.

“Right. We get through this and then we have tonight to remember we’re alive.”

“Exactly. Come on.” He led her out of the complex and Magic fell into line behind them. The kid seemed smart enough to keep his mouth shut, thank God. That was one of the things he hated most about prospects. They always wanted to chat your damn ears off. Magic got into the front seat and Rocky opened the back door to the black sedan. He helped Evonne in and prayed for her sake this went off without a hitch. The last thing she needed was her goodbye interrupted and forever tainted.

The ride seemed tense, despite the rock music coming out of the speakers. Mayhem had positioned themselves around the funeral home, ready at a moment’s notice but out of sight. It gave him a measure of comfort. You should never underestimate people this demented. Levi’s crew would cause them problems again. “You wait here and be ready to leave immediately after you see us come out,” Rocky instructed.

“I gotcha,” Magic replied. The serious expression in his dark eyes said it all. The kid got how important his role might end up being.