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“Then why the fuck haven’t you said so?” Phoe exclaimed.
“I told you all I did event planning,” I retorted.
“Yeah, I didn’t think you meant as a professional,” Marsha shot back.
I rolled my eyes at Rage’s longest-serving old lady.
“What did you assume I meant?” I quizzed, comfortably challenging them all.
Marsha and Phoe shrugged, and I laughed. “You thought I was an amateur.”
“No!” Phoe exclaimed as I continued to laugh.
“Well, you’re wrong. Now this is how we do this,” I said, knuckling down and prepared to dazzle them with my brilliance.
Three hours later, we were perched around the bar, ready to slam shots back. I was still chuckling at how everyone complained about how easily I made shit look. For the last two months, I’d been collecting information on local businesses to use in my event planning company I was going to open.
I’d collected information on everything from cupcakes to photographers to party supplies. The plan was to have an office in town and back myself until the business began making money. And if I did events for Phoe, then I’d already have some great client references. I wasn’t ashamed of using my connections to get where I was.
I smiled as I listened to a voice message from Seraphine. She assured me her new roommate was having a whale of a time. Cordelia had been very unlucky to end up in the same prison I had and, even worse luck sharing with Seraphine. I’d no doubt that Seraphine would have beaten the shit out of her several times by now and terrorised her.
I couldn’t wait for my friend to be free too, but she had a couple more years yet. I’d be at those gates when she was. Gauntlet and I had discussed it at length. Seraphine would be coming home with us, and we’d informed her of that.
We both visited her once a month, which she loved. She gave me all the gossip, including the fact nobody had bothered to come and visit either Cordelia or her mom. They were completely alone in prison and didn’t even have anyone putting money on their accounts.
Warden Mackles had been waiting the first time Gauntlet and I visited and had offered sincere congratulations. The warden gave warm comments about our life together and said he’d known I was destined for good things. The praise made me smile.
Several of the guards who’d been mean to me wouldn’t look me in the face. Especially when the warden made a point of not judging a book by its cover because it is obvious justice could be twisted. I just hoped those asshole guards were now making Cordelia’s and Mrs Wellsprings’ life a misery.
So lives settled.
Gauntlet and I had been together four months and were still attached at the hip, which amused his brothers. He took some teasing but clearly didn’t care, which entertained them even further. Gran, as Agatha insisted on being called, was somewhat of a heroine for the beat down she’d put on Tinsley. Despite the camera’s glitching, somehow a recording existed of Gran’s attack. And Gran basked in their attention.
Faelea was also part of the Hellions. As aghast as I was at their outrageous behaviour, it made me smile because my girl had relaxed her walls and centred herself fully amongst them. They were as crazy as fuck and totally out of control, but it amused me to watch her acting like a little girl.
A new candidate came over to me, dragging me back to the present. I did not know his name; he’d only started this week. Drake had unusually taken on six candidates, which Phoe confirmed was against the norm. But it didn’t bother me. I looked up as he approached.
“Amberlea, there’s three guys at the gate asking for you. Says their names are Jax, Arlo, and Jason,” he announced.
“Can you get Gauntlet?” I asked, slipping off my stool.
“Already called him. He’s coming across from Made by Rage now,” the candidate answered. Ah, he was learning quickly, I thought as I walked out.
Phoe sent me a questioning look, but I offered her a wave.
“I’ll be fine,” I said, and she sat back in her chair.
As we approached the gate, I noticed the men standing around looking uncomfortable. The candidate hadn’t let them inside, and I could also see Gauntlet making his way over.
“You can open the gate. My man’s here,” I said.
The candidate opened the side gate, which we mainly used, and I stepped outside. Three pairs of eyes flickered to me, and then two slid away in guilt.
“Whatever you want, make it quick and leave. I don’t need or have the patience to deal with you,” I mumbled.
“Neither do I,” Gauntlet said, approaching from behind and making them jump. He wrapped his arms around me. I felt his scowl.
“We’re here to apologise,” Mr Cask, Jason, announced.
