Page 47 of Animal's Reformation
“Look at you … I’m guessing you’ve been watching too manySons of Anarchyreruns.”
Olivia stomach tightened. “Guess so. Will there be any other chapters or affiliate clubs there?”
“I don’t think so. I’m really not sure what an affiliate club is, but I think it’s just a regular Saturday night party.”
“Are the guys cool or do they force themselves on women not wearing a patch?” Olivia glanced out the window again. Everything was the same. Usually, when she was spying, she’d see Lucy’s silhouette by the window or crossing by it, and Animal usually stepped on the front porch for a joint at least a couple of times a night, especially when it was dark like it was now.Maybe heisat the party and Lucy’s at her grandparents’ house.
“The guys aren’t like some biker clubs, but you will get hit on a lot. It’s a definite boost to a woman’s confidence.” Kennedy giggled. “A perfect place to be after getting dumped by a boyfriend.”
“If I decide to go, I’ll follow you. I don’t want to stay long, and if things gets dicey, I’ll be able to leave. I’m pretty sure you’ll be busy.”Why am I even considering this?Something was drawing her to it—had been for a while now.
“That’s cool. A friend of mine, Gertie, she’s coming with me. Shelovesbiker boys.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever met her,” Olivia said.
“You haven’t. She’s my wild-side friend. She’s even crazier than I am … a lot crazier. So, are you in?”
Olivia blew out a big breath. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Ineverthought you’d go to a biker party. This is so surprisingly refreshing, Olivia. Oh, don’t wear anything too revealing unless you want to do nothing but fight off a bunch of horny guys.” Kennedy sniggered.
I know the rules all too well.“Okay, thanks for the tip. What time are you heading over there?”
“I’ve got to pick Gertie up first, then I’ll swing over to your place at around nine o’clock. Does that sound good?”
“I’ll be ready.”
“Great. See you then.”
The minute Olivia ended the call, she regretted her decision. Going to an outlaw biker party on a Saturday night? “Are you fucking nuts?” she said aloud. She glanced again at Animal’s house. “Just say hello the next time you see him, but going to a party at his clubhouse is insane.” Rationally, Olivia knew that, but she had a strong desire to watch the men in leather from her perch on a barstool just like she’d done many times at the East Bay Dogs MC. Although, at those parties, she’d had the protection of her father and Leo, and the other members kept their distance from her.
Technically, Olivia was a rival of the Insurgents since her dad’s club was aligned with the Grim Henchmen out of Oakland, and the Insurgents’ San Diego chapter was aligned with the Angry Disciples in L.A. The Henchmen and the Disciples were sworn enemies, but none of that mattered to Olivia.
She would have a couple of beers and then go home and enjoy a romantic comedy—maybeLegally Blonde.That was her go-to movie whenever she didn’t know what to watch. Glancing at her phone, Olivia saw that she had plenty of time for a leisurely shower and a bite to eat before readying herself for the night ahead. She drew in a deep breath and blew it out, then headed to the bathroom.
* * *
Olivia sat inthe clubhouse’s parking lot struggling to calm the fluttering in her stomach. “Everything’s going to be all right,” she muttered as she pretended to look for something in her glove box. Kennedy and Gertie were standing beside the passenger door, and the latter didn’t look too pleased to be kept waiting.
Kennedy rapped on the window. “Did you find what you’re looking for?”
“We have to get in there,” Gertie said, rolling her eyes as she spritzed another dose of hairspray over her locks.
Going through the screening process at the front gate had been bad enough with three bikers raking their eyes over her to see whether she would be a good addition to the party. Wearing black jeans and a loose button-up purple blouse, Olivia had stuck out like a sore thumb amid all the women in micro miniskirts and barely-there tops, and she honestly thought the men were going to turn her away, but they’d jerked their head and she’d passed through.
Now she was only feet away from entering the clubhouse, and she wanted to throw up. Willing herself to calm the hell down, Olivia slammed the glove box, shoved her keys into her small crossbody purse, and slid out of the car.
“It’s about time,” Gertie huffed as she readjusted her breasts in her tiny top. “Let’s go.”
She marched ahead, and Olivia grabbed Kennedy’s arm. “Stay with me for a while at the bar, okay?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t leave a newbie to all the wolves.” Her friend giggled, looping her arm through Olivia’s, and they walked toward the club.
The strong smell of weed and cigarettes mixed with cheap perfume, curled around Olivia when she entered the crowded room. As she tagged behind Kennedy and pushed through the mob of men in denim and leather, Olivia kept her eyes downcast, refusing to meet those of any of the bikers’. When Olivia reached the bar, she was acutely aware of the stares and comments of the male onlookers. Not paying them any attention, she slipped onto a barstool and propped her elbows on the counter.
“What’ll you have, sweet piece?” a buffed man asked from behind the bar.
From the absence of patches on the front of his cut, she knew he was a prospect. “A Coors Light is good.”
