I kept my face tucking into Susan's shoulder until my sobs started to subside. Once they had finally calmed, I remained within her comforting embrace. She had moved us to one of the couches in the clubhouse to make us more comfortable so neither of us were in a hurry to go anywhere anytime soon.

"My Little Lo, you're all grown up now," she said against my hair after she kissed my head in a couple of random places.

"Here you go, Beauty. Thought y'all might need these."

She lifted her head off mine to claim the box of Kleenex. "Thanks, Babe."

My head short up off of her chest causing her to laugh loudly. "Lo, I'd like you to meet Tank. He's my old man."

"Seriously?! Wow, that's…" I thrust my hand to shake his but that wasn't enough for me. I then lunged forward to wrap my arms around his torso in a tight hug. "It's so great to meet you."

"Yeah… uhh… you too… uhh…"

"Sorry 'bout that Babe. This is my baby sister Chloe-Faye, but we all call her Lo."

Tank placed his hands on my shoulders and gently pushed me to an arm's length away. His eyes moved from my face to my sister's a couple of times. "Huh… Yeah, I can see the resemblance."

Beauty laughed and pulled me back to sit at her side again. She held my face and ran her thumbs over my cheeks saying, "It's almost like looking into a mirror. Well… except for this not so little addition. What happened there, Lo?"

I felt my cheeks heat up with an embarrassed blush. "Zee saved me from two jerks who roofied me and… Apparently when I passed out, I did a face plant into the side… err corner of a dumpster."

"Two jerks that roofied you? Where the fuck di that happen?"

I tried to shrink away from her but Suzie's hands were still holding my face and kept me in my spot, close to her. "At a… A school dance."

"Mom let you go to a school dance?"

I opened my mouth to try to answer her, but before I could utter a single sound, Tank angrily asked, "Who are the two cunts that roofied you?"

"We took care of them," Zane cut-in. He passed me a large glass of water with a quiet, "You need to stay hydrated, Lou."

"Thanks, Zee."

Beauty looked from Zane to me asking, "Wait! Are you and Zane like…"

"No!" I interrupted with an exasperated sigh. "Zee and I are just friends." She narrowed her eyes at me so I held her stare saying, "Don't look at me with that tone of voice, Big Sister. He's a dear friend who rescued me last night. Don't try to make more out of it than it really is."

"Alright, fine, Little Sister. But… Wait! Did he call you Lou?"

"He did… does, why?"

"Well shit. I thought during all of his stories he was talking about a buddy that he wanted to nominate as a Prospect. But all of those stories were about you, right?"

"I… I guess they were."

"They were. But I gotta ask, where the hell did 'Lou' come from?"

I laughed softly to myself then answered, "When I introduced myself to him in automotive class, he thought I said Lou, not Lo. I didn't want to embarrass him by correcting him after I noticed it at the end of class, so it kinda just stuck."

"It suits you. So, you're going to a private school now?"

"Yeah. I convinced mom and Trevor to let me enroll after Stella told me about a new program they're offering that I knew they'd appreciate over homeschooling. We can earn college credit for some of our classes at high school and I even get credits for working on the farm because that experience applies to my degree. Last year I took a bee keeping course, so now I have a few hives and sell the honey in our store with our produce and other products."

'That's awesome Lo. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Sis. Have…? Uhh… Have you been living here this whole time?"

"For the most part. Tank and I have an apartment here on the compound."

"So, you didn't take off to join the circus because you hate me and mom?"

"Is that what mom told you?" I just nodded in reply. She chuckled and pulled me into another tight, almost uncomfortable hug. "No, Baby Sis, I hated mom's rules so instead of arguing with her all the fucking time, I left to live under my own roof with my own rules."

"But you've… you never even called me."

"I tried, Lo, but she moved and changed your number so that I couldn't. But I swear to that I tried. Then I looked but… well… Y'all aren't listed in the phone book either."

"Right, she changed our last names after she married Trevor. I… I hadn't thought of that. But… Well… I have my own cell phone now, so I could give you my number if you want."

"I won't let you leave until you give it to me."

While we were chatting, Tank drifted over to a group of his brothers. My eyes kept straying from my sister's face to the men wearing matching cuts with the Hades Hangmen logo on the back. I still couldn't believe that I was here. The MC was notorious in town and most of us were curious what happened behind the closed gates of this compound. I had tried asking Zane for stories or secrets about the club, but he shot me down quickly and definitively. Since he was the first person in my automotive class to off to help me and tutor me after class, I dropped the subject completely to keep from angering him.

But as exciting as getting to see the inside of the MC's clubhouse truly was, it paled in comparison to finally seeing my sister again. When she ran away from home, our mom nearly lost her mind. She pulled me out of school and started home schooling me. After she married my step-dad, she was more than happy to move onto his farm and keep me isolated from the outside world. It made it easier for her to keep track of me since I was either doing school work with her or tending to the crops with dad. For a couple of months, she wouldn't even let me see my best friend or call her more than once a week. I knew she was angry with Suze, but I could never out why I was the one who always seemed to be punished.

"If you and Zane are just friends, is there another boy you're dating?"

I started to shake my head, but Beauty stopped me by tightening her hold on my hair that she was French braiding. "No, I... I can't really talk to boys. I never know what to say or what to talk about."

"But you and Zane are friends."

"Yeah. But we mostly just talk about engines or school stuff. Plus, he and Ash have never been gross and tried to grope me like the other boys in our classes."

"Well can you blame them? All your time on the farm has given you a hot, tight little figure."

I let out a loud noise of complaint, nearly whining out, "Don't be gross Suze."

"What? It's the truth. I'm actually surprised that Zane didn't try to make a move on you. I thought you'd totally be his type."

"I think I'm too much of a tomboy for his tastes."

"Oh really? What makes you say that?"

I double checked that no one was paying attention to us before I quietly replied, "I'm pretty sure he has it bad for Stella."

"What? Really? Isn't she a pageant princess?"

"She is... Why does it sound like a bad thing when you say it?"

"Sorry, I know she loved it when she was little and I'm sure she still does not..."

"She does," I confirmed just over a whisper.

"That's good. I guess I never pictured him with a princess. I kind of figured he'd go for someone who was a bit... grittier."

"Well... Tank fell for you, didn't he Ms. Beauty Queen?"

"Touché, Lo. What does Stella think about Zane?"

I shrugged answering, "She hasn't said much, but I've caught her watching him with a lil smile on her face whenever she thinks no one is looking. I've been talking him up whenever I can so that she'll say yes when he finally decides to make his move."

"Aww you're so sweet, being his wingman. He's lucky to have a friend like you."

"I feel the same way about him. Hey Suze, can I ask you a question?"

She had finished braiding my hair, so I stood up off the floor and curled up on the couch beside her. "Mr. Tall Dark And Handsome that has commanded all of the guys' attention over there...? Who is he?"

"That's Styx. He's the President of the MC. The blond beside him is..."

"Ky, the VP. Zane pointed him out earlier. He went with Zee and his uncle, along with a couple of other guys to teach the jerks that did this to me a lesson."

"Zane told you about club business?"

"No, not really. I mean he didn't give me any details, literally just that they took care of it."

"Okay, good because we're not supposed to get involved in club business... not even us old ladies."

"I totally get that. Zee and Ash have explained some of the club rules that they have to follow. But do you think Styx is mad that I know that they all avenged my honor?"

"Mad? Why would you think he's mad?"

"Well, he's motioned over this way a few times and called me a..." I swallowed nervously then signed, "Bitch."

Beauty was biting her lip so hard to keep from laughing that it was turning white. I could see the laughter she was holding in twinkling in her eyes. Great, she found my concern hilarious. Or maybe it was that she had never heard me curse before, either out loud or while signing. I let out a soft sigh of resignation as I geared up to tell her to just let it out, but I didn't get a chance to say a word before we heard an angry, "Why are you eavesdropping?"

"Eaves...?" I stared at the President and VP in a horrified silence. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I honestly didn't mean to offend you. Please, PLEASE forgive me."

"When did you learn how to sign?" Ky asked with slightly less heart in his tone.

"When I was really little... I think like five or six years old," I replied out loud and signed.

Ky and Styx shared a disbelieving look then Styx signed, "Seriously?"

Beauty hugged me into her side answering, "Her best friend growing up was born hearing impaired, so she learned ASL before she learned how to speak. Really, she started when she was three. Hell, her and Stella even came up with their own secret signs that only the two of them knew before they started kindergarten."

"Wow. So, she's a talented bitch."

"That she is," Beauty agreed proudly. "Brains, beauty and talent."

AK elbowed Zane sharply in the ribs. "Did Lou teach you ASL too?"

The dark blush spreading from Zane's cheeks to his ears was answer enough for everyone. Beauty chuckled then whispered, "Helping him with Stella?"

I dipped my head shily then signed, "Yeah."

"You're too cute," she signed back.

"Alright," Ky announced, translating for Styx who was now signing. "We'll just have to be more careful about what we talk about around this bitch too then."

"I'm so sorry! I honestly didn't mean to be a pain. I really didn't. Please, please, forgive me, Sir."

Ky and Styx shared a couple of confused looks before Ky turned to Beauty to ask, "Why is the little bitch freaking out so much?"

"She... she doesn't understand yet." Beauty then turned to me and smoothed her hand over my hair saying in a loving tone, "My Little Lo, being called a 'bitch' by any of the Hangmen is a good thing."

"Really?" I questioned skeptically. "So, it's like a term of endearment?"

"Exactly. When you're here at the clubhouse, you should only be worried if they call you anything other than your name, bitch or old lady."

"Oh... okay..." I turned just my eyes to Zee and glared at him. He chuckled then quickly signed, "Dude, I know better." I settled back into my sister's arms then said, "Good to hear, Zee. And Suze, you said 'when I'm here', does...? Do you mean you want me to visit?"

"Of course, I do, Lo! I fucking miss you so much. It would kill me if you don't come hang out with me whenever you can."

"Suze, you... you said..."

"Baby Lo, I say a lot more than just 'fuck' on a regular basis."

"And no one gets mad at you because it isn't ladylike?"

"Fuck no. You'll get used to it soon enough, I promise."

I chuckled softly then said, "The guys in the auto shop talk like that to try to tease me all the time. I've just never heard a beauty queen cuss like a trucker... well not out loud."

"Yeah, well, like I say, you'll get used to it soon enough. And speaking of... if you were at a school dance, I'm guessing that dress and those heels at the table beside where Zane was sitting are yours?"

"Indirectly." She gave me a questioning look that caused a surprised laugh to escape past my lips. "Stella loaned the outfit to me. After she finished doing my hair and makeup, she decided my outfit did do her work justice."

"That makes sense. Why don't you come with me, and I'll give you something more comfortable to wear?"

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I want to. Now come on."

"Prez! VP!" Ash hollered from behind the bar. "I think you'll wanna see this."

Styx, Ky and pretty much every member of the MC ran over to the monitors that displayed their perimeter security cameras. Ash moved out of the way so that his President and VP had an unobstructed view of the screen. He continued to inch away when he could practically see the steam pouring out of Styx's ears at the scene that was playing out on the screen.

Styx turned to his best friend and angrily signed, "I though you said there'd be no fucking blow back from punishing those cunts."

"I swear, there's no way to trace their accident to us."

"Then why the fuck do we have pigs at our gate?"

"Fuck if I know." Ky leaned in to get a better look at the officer who had now exited his vehicle. When he could see the face of the officer more clearly, Ky excitedly tapped the screen saying, "Fuck, it's Cooper. No way he's out here to bust us."

"Fine. Let's go find out what our favorite LEO wants."