Always Read online

  “I won’t,” Tabitha said.

  “I figured you’ve had your mom and the men telling you their point of views. I figured an outsider perspective would help.”

  “There is no way you’re an outsider.”

  Lacey laughed. “I was once. Don’t forget that. I’ve got a wealth of knowledge that doesn’t include any of The Skulls.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No, thank you. For helping Daisy. I know she’s had a tough time of it and I’m just so happy to see her smile again. It means a lot to me.”

  “She loves you, you know. You and Whizz. She loves you both.”

  Lacey’s eyes filled with tears. “Well, thank you.”

  She walked past Lacey and gripped her arm, hugging her. “Also, the bread is off. There’s mold on it.”

  “Wait, you can eat that stuff on cheese.”

  “It’s completely different on bread.”

  Poor Daisy. Lacey didn’t know the first thing about food and cooking.

  After making her way back upstairs, she got down to studying. The time ticked on by and before she knew it, Daisy was back.

  She stood at the top of the stairs. Daisy looked fine. There was nothing off about her. Whizz and Lacey bombarded her with questions.

  “I’m fine. The date went well. It’s school tomorrow. I’m going to take a shower and get ready for bed. Goodnight.” She kissed Whizz, then Lacey before heading upstairs.

  Tabitha followed her back to her room. “Well?”

  “Let me shower first.” Daisy removed her jacket, looking at the bed. “Did they help?”

  “I don’t care about them right now. Come on, tell me.”

  Daisy rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay, let me get a shower, okay?”

  She disappeared to the bathroom.

  Cleaning up the books, Tabitha changed into her own pajamas and climbed into the bed.

  She waited. Twiddling her thumbs.

  Daisy finally entered. Her hair was curled up in a towel but she wore a pair of flannel pajamas.

  “So, how was it?” Tabitha asked.

  She sat on the edge of the bed and smiled. “It was good.”

  “Did he sit in silence? Did he speak? Did he even eat? Did he stare at you? Come on. A girl needs to know answers right now.” She reached out and touched her arm. “Please.”

  “We talked about everything and nothing. He was … totally different.” Daisy frowned.

  “He was? Good different? Bad?”

  “I … it was nice,” she said. “Yeah, I was nervous and he held my hand and we talked about school. He asked me about my plans once we graduate. Where I want to go to college. What I want to do. We laughed about Miles and his antics. He had the same spaghetti as me.”

  “Did he kiss you?” Tabitha asked.

  Daisy’s face heated up and Tabitha gasped. “He did!”

  She covered her face and Tabitha reached out. “Come on, tell me.”

  “You’re going to think it’s stupid.”

  “No, I’m not. Nothing about this is stupid. My best friend got her first kiss.”

  “It wasn’t exactly a first kiss.” She winced. “Okay. His lips went right here.” She touched the corner of her mouth. “He cupped my face, gently, told me that I had no idea how precious I was, and kissed me there.”

  “Oh,” Tabitha said. “Are we happy about that?”

  “I … he was sweet. Like crazy sweet. I can’t, this is crazy. I’m so happy right now.”

  “So we’re putting this in the awesome pile?”

  “We’re putting this in the hell yeah and I want to go out with him again.” Daisy climbed off the bed, removed the towel, and left to put it in the laundry basket. She returned, grabbed the brush, and started to comb through her hair.

  “Will you go on a second date?”

  “I don’t know. We didn’t say anything. I don’t want to push. Tonight’s date was so amazing. I can’t even tell you how amazing. He’s a great guy. I know that he’s a little strange, but people don’t know him, at all.”

  “He doesn’t give people the chance to get to know him, Daisy.”

  “I guess, but even I wasn’t expecting what I got. Wow.” She dropped the brush and flopped to the bed. “Tonight was amazing. Thank you for helping me get ready.”

  “It was my pleasure. We always made each other promises when we were little to always be there for each other. Do you realize if you marry Anthony and he does become President of The Skulls, you’d be his old lady?”

  “And you’d be Simon’s old lady for Chaos Bleeds. I suppose if we look at it like that, two besties besides their men, we could make it work for each other and for them.”

  “Not through manipulation or anything.”

  Daisy shook her head. “No. I don’t mean anything like that. I meant, reminding them of who they were. The fact we’re friends.” Daisy reached out to stroke some hair back behind her ear. “Did you think about it tonight?”

  “I called him. I think he’s pissed at me.”

  “Because you’re back home?”

  She nodded. “And I’m happy to be back home.”

  “If I know Simon, he won’t stay mad at you for long. It’s impossible to do.”

  “You promise to never stay mad at me for too long?”

  “Promise.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Time didn’t stand still. Not even for Tabitha.

  Seventeen came and went without any real event. There was cake and a party. Simon wasn’t able to make it due to a bad turn Lexie had taken. Daisy was by her side throughout.

  School finished for another term and she passed all the necessary exams she’d needed to take.

  Chaos Bleeds visited Fort Wills.

  Simon came and it was like there was no elephant in the room whenever they were together. He held her, told her how beautiful she was, and when the time came for him to leave, she hated it.

  The only way she’d come to deal with the pain was by going to the Quad, regularly, much to her parents’ annoyance.

  A busted lip and eyebrow started to annoy them. She would sometimes let the opponent get a shot in just so she could feel the pain on the outside. Of course there were people from the Dogs who also liked to challenge her, especially the girls. In the past six months alone, she’d gotten into more fights at school than she could ever know to think about.

  Another fight that had her sitting outside the principal’s office, nibbling on the edge of her nails and waiting for her parents to arrive.

  The chick in question was one of Daniella’s posse. Another Dogs kid, Rebecca.

  “Hey,” Daisy said, coming to sit with her.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I figured I’d be here as some backup.”

  “You don’t need to worry about it.”

  “I do. I’m not having that bitch say you attacked her.”

  “We all know she had it coming to her,” Miles said, climbing on top of the desk.

  Anthony had also joined, but he sat beside her and patted her hand. “He takes one of us in, he deals with us all.”

  Her throat felt thick as her people surrounded her.

  “Gotta say, Tabs, loved how you handled this one,” Constance said.

  She laughed.

  “I think the head slam was the best,” Rachel said. “Didn’t it, like, hurt?”

  She’d head-butted Rebecca after slamming Daniella into a wall.

  “It did.” She rubbed at her head. She had a throbbing headache.

  John sat down on the floor. “It was badass.”

  Markus nibbled on an apple and nodded.

  “You know there’s a risk I could get suspended and he could do the same to all of you,” Tabitha said. “That could mean grounded for all of you.”

  “Don’t care,” Blaise said. “The bitches deserved it.”

  Tabitha sighed, running her hands down her thighs.

  The door opened and the principal came out. Daniella’s
nose was covered in dried blood. Tear tracks were already down her face.

  She was ready to go again with the bitch, but the principal merely escorted the two girls away from them.

  Tabitha turned as her mother arrived. The moment Eva caught sight of her and the crew, she stopped. “Okay, am I even needed here?”

  “You’re Tabitha’s mother?” the principal asked.

  Tabitha stood.

  “I am.”

  “We need to talk. Tabitha, join us please.”

  All of her friends got up.

  The principal stopped in the doorway. “No. I only need Tabitha and her parents. You are all children and should be back to class.”

  “Not happening,” Miles said.

  “Miles, go back to class.”

  “Sorry, Mom, you didn’t see what happened back there. We all did and there’s no way we’re letting that kind of shit slide.”

  “Miles!” Eva snapped.

  “Why didn’t those other bitches have their parents here?” Daisy asked. “You’re going to suspend Tabs for protecting herself, is that it?”

  “If you don’t all leave this instant and allow me to deal with this, I will suspend you all.”

  Tabitha looked at her friends and saw them all staring at each other.

  “Kids, think about how annoyed your parents are going to be,” Eva said.

  “You know what? Fuck this school,” Anthony said. “We’ll be back after suspension.” He picked up a chair and launched it across the room. The receptionist had to duck as it took out the computer on her desk.

  “Rock-fucking-on,” Miles said.

  Tabitha watched as her friends turned on the school, banging on lockers, screaming at the top of their lungs. She looked at her mom, mouthed the word sorry, stuck her middle fingers up at the principal, and followed right along with them. They busted out of school.

  Daisy had already passed her driver’s license and for her seventeenth birthday, she’d gotten a car. She went with her friend, climbing in the front seat as Constance climbed in with Rachel.

  “Any idea what the hell we’re doing?” Rachel asked.

  “We’re being rebels. They can all go and fuck themselves. This is my girl right here.”

  Daisy turned the radio up and music filled the air as they took off, heading to the only place she knew they’d be left alone, the lake.

  Anthony was driving the guys. They drove through town and she spotted several of their parents.

  “Oh, this is going to be so bad,” Rachel said. “Dad’s going to so give me the lecture on what it means to be doing the right thing.”

  “This coming from your dad who also used to be a drug addict?” Constance asked.

  “Damn, rumors are hard to kill, aren’t they?”

  “Yep!” Daisy yelled and laughed.

  It had been several months since her date with Anthony. Tabitha didn’t even know if they were going steady or not. There were moments she caught them together. They always looked like they were on the verge of making out or even fucking, but again, nothing.

  “Come on, Tabs, how did it feel to smash that girl’s face in?” Daisy asked. “She called you a Skull whore.”

  “It was pretty damn good.” She’d been so angry at this other girl getting in her face. The same girl she’d noticed at the Quad a few times but had never given her the time of day. Now, because of her, she was suspended, which also meant as soon as she got home, she’d be grounded. Like that stuck for long.

  Daisy pulled into the parking space near the lake. After climbing out, Tabitha didn’t wait around. She headed to the lake, removed her clothes, not caring who saw, and dove right on in the water.

  “There could be sharks in there,” Rachel said.

  “So, if they even take a chunk right out of me, they know I’m going to be pissed. Also, you watch way too many shark movies.” Tabitha leaned back in the water. The guys finally arrived. “What do you say, Daisy? Are you coming in?”

  Daisy shook her head but kicked off her shoes.

  Tabitha couldn’t resist glancing over at Anthony. Of course, his gaze was right on her. Smiling, Daisy wriggled out of her jeans and removed her sweater but kept on her shirt that had several buttons open.

  She ran to the edge and jumped right on in. In the past few months, her best friend had come out of her shell. Daisy broke the surface, gasping and pushing her hair out of her face, laughing. “Shit, this is fucking cold.”

  “Come on, do you think our parents are going to let us out after today? We’re going to be confined to our rooms.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Anthony said.

  “Yeah, Tabs, like that’s going to stop us going to the Quad. Our parents are going to be pissed, but they can’t control us. Not anymore,” Miles said.

  “You know what, that looks like fun. I’ll deal with everything later.” Constance stripped down to her underwear, silencing Miles, and like the others, she jumped right on in.

  “How are you feeling?” Daisy asked.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure? It looked to me when you were beating the crap out of that girl that you were having a few more issues than you were letting on.”

  “Are you analyzing me now?” Tabitha asked, but she smiled so her friend knew she wasn’t pissed off.

  “A little.” Daisy held her thumb and finger apart in front of her face.

  Everyone joined them in the lake, including Anthony. She could only imagine why he needed to cool off.

  “I guess she pissed me off.” The girl had reminded her of Amber. Even though Amber hadn’t been part of an MC, the two girls had that air of authority around them that they were going to get what they wanted. Daisy already knew she’d broken Amber’s nose.

  “You know there’s going to be retaliation, right? They’re not going to have a choice?” Miles said.

  “Like I care,” Tabitha said. “I can handle them.”

  “Not if they jump you. We’re going to have to make sure Tabs is never alone,” Miles said.

  “Agreed.”

  “Are you all freaking kidding me right now? I mean, seriously?”

  “It’s important you don’t let your guard down,” Anthony said. “You know this.”

  “I’ve got your back,” Daisy said.

  “I know.” She kissed her friend’s cheek. “Love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  “Out of the lake, now!”

  Tabitha gasped as she looked toward the edge and saw pretty much all of their parents. Holy shit. Lash stood, glaring. “Out now!” He snapped each word.

  Tabitha looked toward Anthony.

  Lash looked at them all as they didn’t move. It was a standoff. Lash didn’t look away, he glanced at each of them in turn. For the first time for her, he actually looked freaking scary.

  “One more chance!” His voice seemed to echo around the lake.

  No one moved.

  “Right, we figured this was how it was going to go.” Lash bent down and retrieved her phone. Tabitha frowned as he also got Anthony’s, then Daisy’s.

  “No!” She screamed out the word as he put them on the ground and stomped on each of the three phones.

  “I’m not joking around. Out now, all of you.” He snapped his fingers, searching for other phones.

  Tiny was there with his arms folded, Nash, Killer, holy shit, even Whizz.

  She scrambled out of the lake, quickly rushing to get her clothes.

  “No, get in the fucking car,” Lash said, retrieving their clothes.

  Whizz had Daisy’s car keys in her hand and there was already a tow truck.

  “What’s going on?” Daisy asked.

  “Your friends are being taken back home and I’ve got Sandy talking to them. You’re all coming back to the clubhouse right the fuck now!” He snapped his fingers.

  Tabitha walked past in her underwear and climbed into her father’s car. She folded her arms, pissed off as Lash picked up the necessary clothes a
nd had Anthony in his car.

  “Are we going home?” she asked as they pulled away from the lake and headed back to town.

  “You heard Lash.”

  “You’re going to follow his orders?”

  “Yep. Don’t even start with me.”

  “You don’t want to hear my side of things?”

  “I’m pretty sure I know your side of things.”

  “You don’t, but like always, you’re just going to assume.” She slammed her back against the seat and stomped her foot. She was cold and this was humiliating as they had to wait at a traffic light and she sat in her father’s car, in her underwear. Lash knew how to punish them, there was no doubt about that. She was so fucking angry at him, at all of them.

  Actually, anger didn’t even begin to cover what she felt. She was so pissed off.

  They arrived at the clubhouse. There were some of the prospects outside, smoking and chatting with some of the club girls. The club didn’t have a lot of free pussy, but there were occasionally women who liked to hang around for whatever they could get.

  After she slammed the car door closed, Lash arrived seconds later, and with her friends, they were marched into the room where the club always had church.

  “Take a fucking seat. You all might as well get used to it because clearly you all don’t seem to understand what hard work means.”

  “That’s out of line,” Miles said.

  “Don’t start with me,” Lash said. “You think I don’t know a fucking punk-ass when I see one? I was one many years ago. You don’t fucking scare me. None of you do.”

  Folding her arms, Tabitha stared down at the table. She hated this.

  “So you all think it’s funny to be suspended?” Lash asked. “You think it’s good to break noses?”

  His fists went to the table and he leaned on them.

  “I don’t think it’s fun or good.” She glared at him. “You’re all accusing us and you don’t even know the facts.”

  “Let’s see, she had it coming to her!”

  “Yes, she did. She got in my face.”

  “She did,” Daisy said.

  “Since when did The Skulls want us to start taking shit?” Miles asked. “You think we don’t get enough crap from the Dogs as it is? They’re breathing down our neck all the fucking time. None of us can breathe because of it. We’re watching our backs and now you’re telling us to what, not fight at all? We’ll be the laughing stock of the entire school.”