She continues fawning over Serena, curling her arm around her shoulders like a momma cat claiming one of her kittens. The two of them step aside and Z grabs me in a rib-cracking hug.
“You keep making a spectacle of me, and I’m gonna gut you in your sleep,” I say close to his ear.
“Aw, come on.” He slaps my back. “I’m just happy you’re finally here to see the place. Lotta people want to pay their respects to you too.”
I swallow my annoyance and pat Z’s shoulder. “You’ve got a good setup here, brother. Proud of you.”
“Thanks. I’m still getting used to things, but I’ve got a solid crew around me now.” The corners of his mouth curl into an impish smirk. “Always room for improvement, though.”
“Sorry, brother.” Rock joins us. “I warned him not to go overboard.”
Z grins wider. “I’m just so happy we’re all here.”
Z’s love for the club and his brothers is infectious and chases away my annoyance at having the spotlight on me. “Thanks for the room you assigned us. It’s nice.”
“Hell, yeah. Nothing but the best for you.”
My eyes find Serena, the best thing that’s happened to me yet.
Serena
While Z and Gray talk, Lilly pulls me toward the bar. “Do you want a drink?”
“Just water. Are you sure you don’t want me to help out?”
“Nope.” She reaches over the bar and snags a bottle of water, handing it to me. “Not tonight.”
I uncap the bottle and take a slow sip, careful not to smudge my lipstick or dribble water all over my chest. “Thanks.” My nervous gaze scans the crowded room. “Uh, you don’t know if Sway and Tawny are coming, do you?”
She rolls her eyes and points at the ceiling. “They’re upstairs. Not sure when they’ll make an entrance.”
“Who?” Trinity asks, bumping up along Lilly’s side. Her bright amber eyes sweep over me. “Oh, killer dress.”
I touch the ruffle near my shoulder and nod at her dress which is similar to mine, except it’s fire-engine red with a flared skirt. “Great minds.”
“Oh” She twists and checks out the neckline. “Damn, you’re right.”
“You look good in red,” Lilly says.
“I’ll wear red now, since I chopped off the blue ends.” She pats her elegantly braided blond hair. “Otherwise, it made me look like Fourth of July Barbie.”
I snort-laugh into my water. “I’d think that would be a popular look around here.”
“Exactly.” Trinity’s gaze bounces between Lilly and me. “Now, who are we hoping won’t make an appearance?”
Lilly waves her hand dismissively but the corners of her mouth twitch. “That’s not what I said.” She leans over and squeezes my arm. “I need to check on something. Be right back. Don’t worry about a thing.” She saunters into the crowd, passing Z and trailing her fingers over his back. His gaze follows her for a few steps, then he excuses himself and follows.
Trinity watches them with amusement in her eyes. “Siren was such an appropriate nickname for her.” Her gaze returns to me. “I didn’t have a chance to talk to Grinder yet. How was his first ride?”
“Good, I think.” I won’t share my worries about his shoulder with her. “I know he’d rather ride with the club and wear his cut.”
“Soon.” Her expression hardens. “Are you all right being down here?”
The question leaves me tongue-tied for a moment. “Uh,” I stutter, not sure what to say. Pretend it’s no big deal? Confess all the dread gathering in my chest? Will Trinity respect me more if I’m honest, or will she go tell Wrath I’m not cut out to be Grinder’s old lady?
“I’m not looking forward to running into Tawny,” I finally answer. That shouldn’t exactly surprise her.
“Oh, fuck Tawny,” Trinity says with a dismissive wave of her hand. “She’s called me a whore to my face more times than I can count.”
“It seems to be her favorite insult.”
Her eyes turn hard. “Last time, Wrath caught her and she almost shit herself.”
I would’ve loved to see that.
She covers her mouth with one hand and snickers. “She hasn’t had the balls since. Now she pretends we’ve always been besties,” she finishes in a helium-high voice.
“Fake.”
“As fuck,” she agrees. “You’re a patched ol’ lady now, Serena.” Her voice is a rod of steel shooting up my spine. “Act like it. Own it. Don’t let that bitch or anyone else intimidate you.”
“I know. I won’t.” I stand straighter and square my shoulders.
“That’s better.” She runs her gaze over me again. “It’s gonna boil her venom that all the brothers gave you their patches too.” She grins as if she can’t wait to witness it. Her finger grazes Heidi’s hammer that Gray sewed on for me. “I need to finalize the other girls’ patches,” she says absently.
“That’s a really cool idea that all the ol’ ladies are doing that.”
“It is—”
“You must be thrilled,” a venom-laced voice slithers into our conversation. The familiar scent of roses and powder clogs my nose. I close my eyes briefly, bracing myself for what’s coming.