She was right.
Although, I did get extra locks added to the front door and the windows.
Just to be sure.
By the time I met Indy for lunch two days later, I was feeling less creeped out.
“You’re safe,” Indy reassured me over Caesar salads at the Lakehouse Restaurant. River was sound asleep in his stroller as we sat out on the deck by the water. “After what happened to me, the Kings have put some pretty hefty security in play. Family is protected.”
Caleb had told me about Indy being abducted by an ex-club member but hadn’t gone into specifics.
“Caleb didn’t tell me the full story . . .”
Indy looked at her son, then back at me. “The day after I found out I was pregnant, Elias Knight kidnapped me and tied me to a bed in an abandoned house for a day.”
“Oh my Lord, Indy! What happened? Did he . . .”
“Did he rape me? No. He tried, after he had toyed with me for a while. I fought back but it only turned him on.” She punched her fork into a piece of chicken in her salad. “Although, he wasn’t a fan of the eye gouge or the knee to the balls I gave him. And funny enough, he didn’t like the two bullets my husband put in him.”
I slumped back in my chair. “That’s terrifying.”
“It was. But I survived it. And since then, Bull and the entire club have put things in place to ensure family is safe. They have a lot of friends in this town, Honey. A lot of people who look out for them and their family.” She pointed toward the inside of the restaurant. “They know we’re here. If anything were to happen, it would only be minutes before the club knows.”
“You mean, they’re watching us?”
I didn’t know how I felt about that.
“Watching? No. But aware that we are here? Yes.”
I wasn’t sure of the difference. But I let it pass.
“Believe me, if Caleb thought you were in any danger, there is no way he would let you out of his sight.” Her eyes squinted in the mild sunlight. “You’re with him now and that means you’re one of the most protected women in this town.”
Despite my reservations, that made me feel warm and happy.
“So you’re saying I’m reading more into it than there is?” I asked, rubbing my big belly.
“Look, I’ve seen some women do some seriously bold shit to get a King to notice them.”
“Like?”
She thought for a moment. “There was this one girl who had a crush on Hawke. She got a massive tattoo of a hawk on her back as some kind of declaration of love.” She pointed her fork at me. “Now that is commitment.”
“What happened to her?”
“It got his attention and he married her.”
I choked on my water. “So it worked.”
She shrugged. “I suppose it did, although they’re divorced now. But that was nothing compared to this one girl, God, what was her name? Terry or Kerry, or something like that. Anyway, she pretended it was her birthday and threw a party just so she could invite Griffin. When he accepted the invite, she went all out. Spent a fortune. But he bailed on her at the last minute and never showed up. When she found out he was with another woman, she turned up at his house with thirty pounds of cake and threw it at his front door. Then she committed the cardinal sin and fucked with his bike. Poured sugar in the gas tank. If she wanted his attention, she got it.”
“Caleb’s ex-girlfriend kicked over his bike.”
“Ah, yes, Brandi. That happened not long after I arrived back in town. He was really pissed about that. You don’t fuck with their bikes. Just like you don’t fuck with their women.” She speared lettuce on her fork and took a bite. “But the ones who really get me are the women who flirt with your man right in front of you. Who make offers with their eyes or some kind of lewd body language. They can be blatant. Insistent.”
“Like Tiffani.”
She nodded. “Yes. Just like Tiffani.”
I told her about the encounter with Tiffani at Tully and Heidi’s wedding.
“That doesn’t surprise me. She’s been after him for as long as I can remember. He’s never shown her any interest, so she resorts to other things to get his attention.”
“I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or not.”
Indy put down her fork and folded her arms on the table. “Look, it takes a lot of trust and a lot of patience to be a queen to a King. Especially one with the last name of Calley.” She smiled and played with the crown pendant on a chain around her neck. “But you’ll learn. It’s not easy, but boy it is oh so worth it.”