Eva laughs. “He invited me to dinner, he should pay.”
“Would you have paid if you invited him?” I ask.
“And that’s why I don’t invite men to dinner.” She laughs again.
“And you once said you wanted to meet a man who would take care of you so you could live the life of a rich woman and shop all day instead of work,” I remind her.
“I’d work hard for my man! It would be worth his while to keep me home, where I’d walk around naked so I was always ready to service him.” She giggles. “I can’t be a working woman during the day and a whore in the bedroom at night. That shit takes it out of you.” We all howl with laughter. Cree growls from where he’s sitting, his eyes burning into Eva. She grins playfully. “You like that, Cree?” she asks. “The thought of having your woman waiting around for you, naked?”
He gets up from the table and stomps out of the room. Eva laughs harder. “You’re so cruel,” I whisper. “He’s clearly shy.”
“Stop saying he’s shy.” She laughs again. “Look at the size of him. He’s just grumpy. Whenever I laugh, he growls. I think I irritate him.” I exchange a knowing look with Leia. It’s only Eva who doesn’t see the way Cree’s gaze heats whenever he looks her way.
Esther seems to have become friends with Frankie, and they take the kids off to the kitchen to bake, two proud grandmothers working together.
I take the opportunity to sunbathe around the back of the clubhouse. I borrow a bikini from Leia, and she decides to take a break from studying to join me. “You complain about being here, but I think you’re so lucky. I wish Malia had a family like this,” I say lazily. We’re both on our stomachs with our heads resting on our arms, facing each other. “I don’t really see my mom and I have no siblings.”
“I am lucky,” she admits. “I complain, but secretly, I love it. I love all of them. And Malia does have a family. You’re part of us now.”
I smile sadly. “This is temporary. Riggs doesn’t want me around to remind him of the war I’ve caused for his club. Cree looks like he wants to stab me every time he sees me.”
“You’re wrong,” says Leia. “My brother would not go to war without good reason. He must think you’re worth it. I haven’t seen him so invested in a woman since . . . well . . . why don’t you see your mom?” she asks.
“We don’t get on. I grew up in care, and by the time I was sent back to live with her, we were resentful of each other. She didn’t want me there, but my aunt forced the issue, I think. I was at that age where I thought everyone was against me and I sensed she didn’t want me around.”
“What happened to your aunt?”
I roll onto my back and close my eyes. “She passed away. Cancer. I think it was her dying wish to see us together because I came home at fifteen and she died six months later.”
“That’s sad,” mutters Leia. “Here at the club, I have loads of aunts, Non-blood related though.” She laughs. “You kind of forget who’s a blood relation when you all live under one roof.”
“I have trouble remembering everyone’s name,” I say. I open one eye. “Obviously, I know your mom, Frankie. The only other one that I remember is Bonnie and that’s because I helped her get your brother to bed a few nights ago when he was drunk.”
“Drunk?” asks Leia, raising her head slightly to look at me.
“Yeah. The first night I was here. She struggled to get him up the stairs.”
“The last time I saw Riggs drunk was after Michelle left with Ziggy. He was broken.”
“Why did she leave?” I ask.
A shadow falls over us. “You wanna know shit like that, you can come and ask me.” Riggs’ gruff voice washes over me and I realize I’ve spent the last few days missing it.
“I would, but you’re never around,” I say. “So, why did Michelle leave?” I only ask because he’s clearly caught me, and I feel embarrassed. I try to pass off a carefree expression like I’ve done nothing wrong.
“None of your business,” he mutters. “Leia, can you spend some time with Ziggy and Michelle? I’ve got church and she wants to spend time with him, but he still doesn’t want to be alone with her.”
Leia nods. “Of course.” She stands and pulls a t-shirt on over her bikini. “See you later, Anna.”
“I don’t appreciate you digging for information,” he grates out.
“I wasn’t,” I protest. “We were just talking.”
“You were talking about me. Don’t.” He’s so cold and expressionless that my heart sinks. This is how he was the first night I met him. “Your husband is causing me some real problems, Anna. He’s sent his thugs in to smash up my bar.”
I stand. “The Windsor? Shit.”
“He’s taken full advantage of us all being here.” He makes his way back towards the club and I follow.
“So, what happens now?”
“I get a plan together. Don’t worry about it.”
“What about visiting on Sunday? He’ll want to see Malia.”
Riggs stops suddenly, causing me to crash into his back. My hands go to his waist and I feel the energy the moment our skin touches. I drop my hands and step back. “Are you fucking insane? You can’t take Malia to see him.”
“But there’s a court order. I’ll be breaking it.”
“That’s the least of your worries. You leave here and he won’t let you come back. You’ll be dead and he’ll have Malia to himself.”
“If I stop him from seeing his daughter, I’ll be dead anyway.”
“What’s really going on here, Anna?” he growls. He steps closer and I back up until I hit the side of the building. The
