it to say everyone lost when it came to you.”
Her words were harsh, but she said them with a smile on her face. Though we’d had a rocky start, in the last couple of weeks, I wanted to believe I’d earned Lori’s respect.
“So,” Shannon said. She sat at the booth beside us. “Settle another bet. Rumor is you’re a billionaire or something.”
I choked on my root beer float. “Ah ... no. Not even close.” I held up my apron. “I have five hundred and fifty dollars.”
“Your family though,” Nicole said. “You’re George Bailey’s niece.”
“I am,” I said, stirring my float with my straw. “And yes, my dad’s family is wealthy. But like I said, I’m not.”
“So, what are you doing here?” Lori asked.
I realized what was happening and couldn’t decide whether I was offended. I’d just walked into some other trial by fire. I wasn’t one of them yet. It seemed they all wanted to know if I planned to be.
I sat back against the soft leather booth seat. I wasn’t sure I knew the answer to that myself.
“It’s complicated,” I said. “But the simple version is, it was just time to leave the nest, you know? I’m not my father. Or my mother. And I like it here.”
The group fell silent. Had I said the right thing? I realized it didn’t matter because it was the truth.
The interrogation eased up after that. Instead, we shared a few war stories from the night. Pam and Lori regaled us with their tales from other fight nights they’d worked. It turned out tonight was pretty tame.
As I finished my float, Pam got up to leave. Lori moved to another booth to talk to a couple of the other waitresses. That left me with Nicole and Tara. The two of them shared a knowing glance. I got the feeling I’d misjudged the shape of the conversation. The interrogation had just begun.
“I heard you had a little excitement,” Nicole said.
I finished the last of my float with a slurp and pushed it to the center of the table.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” I said.
“Good,” Tara said. “I’m sorry that happened to you. You have to know it isn’t usual. Most of the people who come into the Den know better than to misbehave.”
“It’s okay. Really. I mean, not that it happened, but I am.”
“Torch though,” Nicole said. “He, uh ... he’s into you. You know that, right?”
My throat went a little dry. I decided to turn the tables on this particular line of questioning. “So, do you want to tell me what the deal is with him?”
At that point, Amy Reddick sat down. The other women regarded her with deference. She was the club president’s wife, after all. I’d so far found her to be nice, but a little standoffish. A den mother. I realized at that moment, that’s exactly what she was.
“Torch is an enigma,” she answered, having heard that much of the conversation. “He’s been through a lot in his life. Like a lot of the guys, the club saved him. Gave him a home and a family. It was my father who first gave him a job.”
“Ace McCann,” I said. “Torch told me that much.”
Amy’s brow went up. “Well, then he’s told you more than he tells most people. I’d consider it an honor.”
“I do,” I said, feeling defensive for the first time.
“He feels things deeper than others,” Amy said. I wasn’t sure I knew what that meant.
“He’s definitely intense,” I said. A shiver went through me as I recalled the look in his eyes as he got in between me and the handsy asshole at the bar.
“He’s ... he’s suffered a lot of loss in his life,” Amy said. Nicole and Tara went silent. I got the impression Amy was revealing things about Torch even they didn’t know.
“He’s fiercely protective about people he cares about,” Amy explained. “And he rarely lets anyone in close enough to care.”
She zeroed in on me with laser-like focus. Her meaning was clear. If Torch cared about me, it was a serious thing.
“I care about him too,” I found myself saying. “But we aren’t ... he’s just ... he’s been a friend. That’s all.”
“Club life isn’t easy,” Nicole said. “We don’t just marry the man. We marry the club and all that goes with it.”
“Marry?” I said, incredulous. “Who said anything about marriage?”
Amy put a hand up, signaling to the other two women. “Nobody. I’m glad that you found us, Sydney. For as long as you