“After the storm she goes,” Bull pauses and looks at me. “She can stay with Bobby for now, get her on her feet. I’ll keep her away from the club until everyone feels comfortable around her,” Bull says to Bobby, who nods in agreement. “I’ll have Tom Cat transport her wherever she needs to go.” Bull looks at me, his eyes angry and waiting for me to object. I look away and stare at the wall, not sure what I’m feeling entirely. “Things will surface whether she was involved or not. If she was,” Bull looks at me with sorrow, “then we’ll handle it. Everyone in favor?” he asks. Everyone says aye but Locks and me. I sigh loudly; this entire situation is a clusterfuck. What if I’m sent to ensure her silence? The thought angers and frightens me all at the same time. I don’t know if I can trust Dani, what if she is responsible for trying to take down the club? I don’t know if I can allow someone to harm Dani if that is the order to the situation, making me go against my brotherhood to save Dani. Bull slams the gavel down, declaring the vote over.
“This is Bullshit,” Locks bellows, his face wrinkling with anger as he scrunches it at Bull with disbelief. Locks face is blistering-red, making his long, blond hair and mustache appear lighter against his skin.
I’m not sure why I didn’t agree entirely. Maybe because my head is telling me I need to wash my hands of Dani for being a threat, but my soul still reels for her. Until I know the truth of her involvement with her mother, I need to keep her backstabbing ass away from me. Keep it in my head that she’s a threat and nothing more.
Dani
Inside Bobby’s greasy bathroom, which is anything but sanitary, I grab a shampoo bottle to wash my hair. The smell releases tones of vanilla and coconuts; it smells like Bobby. I wash my hair and body, wondering how I allowed myself to get in this mess. What if the voting goes against me? Will someone drag me out of the shower by my wet hair and shoot me in the courtyard? I groan at the thought and turn the water off. I push the shower door open and take the red towel hanging from the towel rack. Wrapping it around myself, I notice the ends are tattered and its small size. I wonder if Bobby has any clean shirts I can borrow until I get my things. I walk out of the bathroom and notice Bobby walking through the bedroom door with a suitcase in hand.
“Shit. Sorry, Firefly,” Bobby says, noticing I’m indecent. His tone is apologetic, but his eyes never leave my half-naked body. Blushing, I try to pull the small towel tighter.
“Here are some things I grabbed from the apartment. I’ll give you a minute to get dressed, then we’ll talk.” He gives me one last glance, his eyes squinting with desire. My mouth parts with surprise. “Bobby!”
He smirks and shuts the door.
Opening the suitcase, I find my things shoved in there, no doubt from Bobby. I notice an unfamiliar white paper bag and grab it. I empty its contents on the floor and find a pack of birth control. The little pink case reminds me that Shadow was going to ask Bobby to have Doc write me a prescription for it a few weeks back. Poor Doc, I bet she gets tired of working as a doctor for the club. I wonder how many girls she puts on birth control who crawl through here. I throw the pack back in the bag. I started my period a few days ago, and with recent events, I’m not going to be having sex anytime soon, so what’s the point in taking them? I find a black bra with matching panties, and a grey tank with ripped shorts and quickly put them on, unsure when Bobby will bust through the door again.
“Hey,” Bobby says, entering the room as soon as I put on my last piece of clothing.
“Hey,” I respond, throwing my hair in a messy ponytail.
“So, it looks like you will be staying here until the storm passes,” Bobby states, crossing his arms, his bare arms rippled with tattooed muscle.
“Okay,” I say, my tone encouraging him to continue.
“After that, you are going to stay with me back at the apartment until everything is figured out.”
He means until the club is convinced about whether I had anything to do with the FBI or not.
“What about Shadow?” I ask, curious what he thinks of all this.
Bobby turns his head to look at the wall.
“What?” I question, sensing something is off. “How did the vote go?”
“You’re here, aren’t you?” he asks, picking some trash from the floor.
“Yeah, but did Shadow vote in my favor, or whatever it was you guys were voting for?” I ask, curious.
Bobby stops and looks at me, his blue eyes hiding the truth he doesn’t want to tell me.
“I can’t talk to you about club business, Firefly,” he says, turning his head quickly. His avoidance tells me what I already know; Shadow voted against me, but what was the vote? Did he vote to kill me? Did he want me out of here?
I turn my gaze toward the floor and close my eyes with hurt. This ache in my chest is really starting to become unbearable. Every time Shadow takes a blow at me, my heart shatters that much more.
“Did you vote against me?” I inquire, looking at Bobby, wondering if I had a friend in this Hell.
Bobby looks back at me and smirks, my persistence making him shake his head, but his smile letting me know he has my back.
***
For the rest of the day, Bobby insists I stay in his room. Knowing there’s a possibility Shadow voted against me, that he may be tasked to kill, or even want me to leave the club, eats away at me. Despite keeping as busy as I possibly can in Bobby’s room, my thoughts constantly switch to him, but I still want to punch him in the head for being a prick. The lights flicker, pulling me from my thoughts, with night upon us the bedroom darkens for seconds at a time with the harsh storm surrounding the state.
The door creaks open, the thing barely hanging onto its hinges.
“Hey, you all right?” Bobby questions, coming into the room.