"Training?" I repeated, brows drawing together, trying to make that information make sense.
"Martial arts," Lo explained.
Hence the comment about them whipping Lazarus' butt.
"The next fight, we're so making the men stay with the kids and we are making a girls night of it," Maze declared. "I mean, I'm currently the milk monster so it makes sense this time. But as soon as this kid is weaned, I am at Hex and critiquing the fighters' moves."
"None of you have ever been?" I asked, surprised.
"I was there a couple times when they first opened," Lo explained. "Making connections. But not in a long time."
"I apparently need to wear a dress," I said, shrugging.
"Well then," Janie said, rolling her eyes, "that's enough reason for me to not want to go. Gotta love it. Our men are all out there in jeans and their cuts and we would need to get dolled up?"
"Oh, are you guys with Edison and Cyrus and... what?" I asked when they all shared a look.
"No, honey," Lo said, shaking her head. "No, we all 'belong' for lack of a better word, to the already patched members of the MC. Summer who will be here any second is Reign, the president's woman. I am Cash's, the vice president and also Reign's younger brother, woman. Janie is the road captain, Wolf's. Maze is with Repo. Penny is with Duke. And the Mina you heard about before is with Renny. Laz, Edison, Cyrus, and Reeve are all like... Henchmen 2.0. They're all still single."
"The little puppies," Maze said affectionately, putting a hand to her heart.
"It's a lot," Penny said, moving a little closer to me. "This whole thing with the guys, it's a lot. Lo, Janie, Maze, and Mina all kind of knew what they were getting into here. They're all kinda... I don't know... badasses in their own way. But for people like me and Summer and, I think, you... this is a lot to take in at once."
Thankful for someone relatable, I looked at her with big eyes and demanded, "What the hell is a road captain?"
To that, there was a laugh.
After that, there was a biker history lesson.
There was also a Hailstorm lesson.
By the time I was ushered into the bathroom with my clothes and makeup so they could approve my outfit, my head was somewhat spinning and I was doing my damnedest to try to keep everything straight. It was all crazy, all the stuff that I had seen in what I thought were over the top TV shows and movies, but it was real. It was Lazarus' life.
At his name flashing across my mind after hours of being jammed full of other information that had effectively blocked him from my thoughts for a while, the realization finally settled down on me.
Lazarus had kissed me.
And he had insinuated he wanted more than friendship with me.
That was, well, that was terrifying. And exciting. And completely insane. And completely and utterly... delicious.
That was the only right word- delicious.
Lazarus was just delicious all the way around. From his sternness and firmness about me detoxing to his sweetness and selflessness in helping me through it. To remembering what foods I said I liked and bringing me out on the town. And then, of course, kissing me until I felt it in my freaking spine.
I didn't even know that was possible before.
But it was.
And it was (again, for the cheap seats) delicious.
I stripped out of my clothes, including my bra because the dress had an open back almost to my waist and it wouldn't allow for such a thing.
I applied some careful mascara and eyeliner and then did a heavy red lip because it was dreamy and romantic and I was feeling both those things suddenly. Then I slipped into the dress and had just slipped my arms in when there was a banging on the door followed by Janie's voice. Janie who, for reasons that had to do with her work at Hailstorm, was often referred to as Jstorm apparently. "Come on, you're pretty enough. The men are starting to grunt and growl out there. Literally," she added and I felt myself laugh.
I slipped into my shoes, feeling my ankles immediately object. It had been a while since I had heels on.
"Alright," I said, pulling the door open and moving into the doorway. "What do you think?" I asked, doing a spin.
"Gorgeous," Summer, the redhead who 'belonged' to the 'big guy' Reign said, giving me a big smile.
"Give you a big sign with a number and you could be the ring girl," Lo said, nodding.
Whatever Janie was about to say was cut off by a pounding on the door and a rumbled growl of, "Women!" through it.
Everyone shared a look and a chuckle as Janie stood. "That'd be my man. I told you they were growling. Come on, let's head out," she said as all the women moved to stand and walk toward the door, leaving me to do the same. I felt almost sad to have the experience over. They were new to me, but there was something about their easy familiarity, about their openness, and about their willingness to just drag me into the fold that had me wishing I had much more time with them.