Page 6 of Double the Redemption

She was sure Savage would take offense to that, but instead, he nodded and added a couple of things of his own. “I’m not going to lie to you and say that this place isn’t rough around the edges. We’re a biker club; we like to party and have a good time, and we run our own businesses. When it comes to the women and children around here, though, we take their protection and comfort seriously. That will include you. You have a problem, you let one of us know, and we’ll deal with it. Doesn’t matter what it is. In time, you’ll realize you’re safe here.”

With that little speech, the three men headed out the door, leaving her with Royal and Glitch.

Naomi tried not to feel awkward as she looked at them. The two women couldn’t look more different, but they seemed close. Glitch topped out at five two, with bright-blue hair styled into a sexy bob that highlighted her startling blue eyes. She appeared lean, trim, and fit, even though she spent most of her time at the computer, as Glitch had joked earlier when she arrived.

Royal, on the other hand, stood tall with dark-red hair, emerald-green eyes, and a curvy figure. Still, nothing about her suggested she was soft. A quiet inner strength almost radiated from her. It also made sense that she was the woman in charge. The authority she carried wasn’t obvious, but she also didn’t give off the aura of trying to run the show.

“Alright, now that we’ve kicked them out, would you like to put Asher down so your arms can take a break?” Royal suggested, gesturing toward the bedroom at the end of the small hall. The bed was clearly visible. “Then you can ask any questions that you have without worrying about the men trying to add their two cents.”

“Fair warning, though, they do that a lot,” Glitch added, rolling her eyes. “I’ve had to tell Code multiple times that he doesn’t need to be part of every conversation.”

“They’re just worried we’re going to plan on doing something like the Devil’s Soldiers’ women.” Royal snickered.

Naomi didn’t know who they were, but she desperately needed to put Asher down so she could get some relief, so she carefully tucked him into bed and arranged some pillows around him to prevent him from rolling out. One thing about her son was that once he was asleep, very little could wake him. A delightful change from when he was an infant and rarely slept.

Those were some long days.

She brushed her hand over his hair, listening to his even breathing. “We’re going to be okay, baby,” she whispered. “We’re safe here.” She really hoped she wasn’t lying to him, but she had no choice but to believe it.

She walked back into the living room, where both women made themselves at home sitting on the couch, waiting. She sat in the recliner across from them.

“Thank you both for helping,” she said, looking down. “I hope I didn’t offend anyone by not saying much. I … I’m not used to people.”

“Don’t even worry about it,” Royal assured her with a smile. “They’re used to all different kinds of women around here.” Her smile dipped slightly. “Naomi, I know this is terrifying, but I really want you to know that you have nothing to worry about here. The women here are all friends, and even if you want nothing to do with the guys, that’s fine. You have us. Asher will have kids to play with. I have twin girls who are a year and a half old and a little boy who’s five. Esme is about to have a baby, and she has a son named Gabe who’s eight and loves to help out with the kids. Scarlett and Rogue have the sixteen-year-old twin girls who are helpful, if not a handful.”

Glitch snorted at that.

Naomi’s brow furrowed, and Glitch grinned.

“The twins are a bit wild, but not in a bad way,” Glitch explained. “They have made it their personal mission to mess with the guys, Rogue especially, as much as they can. They’re wicked smart, which makes it extra funny. If you want to see two girls who will do whatever it takes to protect someone, all you have to do is look at them.”

“Are they the ones that Rogue said were trafficked?” Naomi muttered.

Glitch’s smile slipped, but she nodded. Naomi started to rush out an apology for prying, but Glitch waved her off. “The girls aren’t ashamed of their past, and they’d have told you anyway. They will also be pleased to know that Rogue told you about them to help you. They don’t talk about what happened specifically, but looking at them, you’d never really know. They’re mostly normal teenagers.”

Naomi nodded, but she doubted that. You could always tell. She had seen far more of that kind of life than she wanted. Still, if the girls were doing better, that was all that mattered.

“I’m just not used to being around a lot of other people.” She twisted her fingers. “And I’m … I’m not exactly normal. I don’t do great with conversations, and my brain is always working, so I get distracted easily, and it comes across as rude or like I don’t care.”

“Glitch mentioned that you have a really high IQ and an eidetic memory. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. We’re a pretty easygoing and forgiving group.”

She wasn’t sure she believed that, so she’d have to wait and see.

“Do you have any questions you really want to ask but didn’t in front of the guys?” Glitch asked. “It’s a safe space here. No judgment.”

There was one thing she was curious and worried about—a reminder of a conversation she overheard from her father once when he didn’t realize she was on the other side of the door.

“Does the club have club girls? The ones the men share?” She swallowed hard and added, “Is that what you guys all do? Or do the men expect that any woman who isn’t in a relationship to be part of that?”

Neither of them seemed startled at her question.

“The club does have club girls, but they’re only here for parties or during certain hours of the night, when the kids aren’t at the clubhouse. And no one is expected or forced to do anything, Naomi, I promise,” Royal added. “The women who come here for that do it willingly, and they get protection from the club when needed. It’s a trade-off, but one they understand. In the beginning, we had some issues with the girls going after the taken men, but that’s been straightened out, so now they only sleep with single men. All of us Old Ladies, we never worry about our men when they’re around. They’re fiercely loyal.”

“But that’s not to say that if another club comes here, all the men are like that,” Glitch warned. “If another club is here, the club girls can spend their time with them as well, and that might mean that those men are being unfaithful to their Old Ladies. We say nothing and leave it to their business. As for you, you never have to worry about that. You are off-limits unless you give the okay to someone you want to be with. We have a strict rule here. Consent is not assumed. It must be given and be very clear. And if you don’t want to be around when anything like that is happening, you can stay here or hang out with us, and we’ll make sure you’re good.”

“A-are there any other clubs plan-planning on coming?” If any of them were associates of the cartel, she would have to tell them and leave. She couldn’t risk it.

“Right now, the only clubs that have full access to come and go as they please are the Devil’s Predators and the Devil’s Soldiers,” Royal answered. “The Predators, for obvious reasons, and the Devil’s Soldiers when they want to do a run up this way. They’ve never come here in the time I’ve been here, but we’ve gone there.