were checked, we loaded everything into the SUV. We were set to go. I had no idea how the night would play out, but I knew I had my brothers behind me and Olivia waiting for me back at home—and that’s all I really needed to know.
I’d gone over everything Clutch had told me about his brothers and the club a hundred times in my head, but as soon as I walked through the front door, my mind went blank from sensory overload. I was completely overwhelmed and couldn’t think straight. Before Maverick went to check in with his ol’ lady, he gave me a quick tour of the clubhouse. Nothing was like I’d imagined it would be. The place was huge with a bar attached to the side and a maze of hallways that lead to different rooms throughout the clubhouse. There was no way I’d find my way around the place without help, but luckily I didn’t have to look far; there were plenty of people around to ask. I tried to remember everyone’s names as they greeted me, but there were just so many of them. While the men all had the look of badass bikers, they were all very kind and welcomed me and the kids like they’d known us forever.
When Guardrail showed us where we would be staying, I was surprised to find that they had prepared two adjoining rooms for us. Charlie would have a place of his own, but he’d still be close enough for me to keep an eye on him. After an hour or so, we were all unpacked and settling in. Even though it was still pretty early, the kids were exhausted, so they stretched out on my bed and turned on the TV. They’d just found a movie to watch when Cassidy stopped in to check on us. She chatted with the kids a minute, introducing herself as she unloaded a huge bag ironically full of all their favorite snacks and drinks. She even had a four-pack of my beloved banana split yogurt and an assortment of our favorite must-have fruits. Cassidy handed Charlie a programmed burner phone, explaining the contacts as she loaded the mini-fridge. It took some convincing, but she was persistent, and after assuring me the kids would be fine and could call if they needed anything, she managed to get me to come have a drink and visit with the ol’ ladies.
We’d been sitting at the bar talking for almost an hour while I was listening to Allison explain how she met Guardrail. I overheard Wren turn to Henley and say, “She’s really tall.”
“Well, Clutch is, like, nine feet tall. A guy like him needs a tall girl at his side,” Henley chuckled.
“True. I guess it will help balance him out,” Wren said and laughed. “Have you looked at her hair? I just love it. It’s the perfect mix of red and brown. It really brings out her eyes.”
“Yeah, her eyes are so mystical, they look magical. Every time I look at them, they are a different color. Once minute they look green, and then all of a sudden they look brown.” During the drive here, I’d gotten a chance to talk to Maverick, and he’d tried to warn me that his ol’ lady Henley was a bit of a nut. He was right, but I liked her. Even though she was gorgeous, she had a smile that set me at ease.
Wren smiled and said, “I wish I had her skin. It’s flawless. Since the pregnancy, mine has been a hot mess.”
Wren was a little older than Henley, but she was also beautiful. When she mentioned my complexion, I had no idea what she was talking about. Even with her pregnancy, her skin looked absolutely perfect and seemed to glow. Glancing at Alison, who’d gone silent listening to Wren and Henley, I gave her a wink as I took a drink of my water, audibly cleared my throat, and then pointed to myself as I teasingly asked, “You do know I’m sitting right here?”
Cassidy laughed and said, “Don’t mind them. All those pregnancy hormones have fried their brains.”
There was something different about Cassidy. From the start, I could see that there was a curiosity behind her eyes when she talked to me. I assumed it had something to do with being the president’s ol’ lady, so I did my best to ignore it. I looked over to Henley and noticed that