24 - Patio

*Don’t ever think that you’re not loved. – Charlotte *
“Damn. You weren’t kidding, Cher.” Gator chuckled as they sat at a table just outside the dining hall. Using the longneck bottle in his hand, he motioned to the large crowd around them.
It was mid-afternoon on the Fourth and the Shack was overflowing with people. Brothers from all three local charters mingled together. Old ladies hung out. Kids of all ages ran around.
And shocking the Cajuns who hadn’t been there before, club girls were interspersed with everyone. They watched kids. Changed diapers. Flirted harmlessly. Served meals.
Camille had explained that a few years ago, Nessie, Toad’s niece, moved to the Shack and opened her dream restaurant. Nessie’s Kitchen had grown over the last few years and now included a covered patio and a smaller seating area on an upper deck that the teens preferred. Priscilla’s younger sisters and cousins were currently up there beating some of the brothers at poker.
Occasionally, there would be a declaration followed by laughter and Camille had told them that the little pretties were winning. She guaranteed that if they wanted to lose any money, play poker or pool with *any* of Molly’s little pretties.
“We should do something like this,” Zydeco suggested.
“Just wait until tonight,” Camille grinned as she sipped on the beer her dad had *forgotten* in front of her. It was not the brand that he preferred but his daughter did. “Some of the Eagles come out and the road is packed for the fireworks.”
“Yeah, where are your fireworks stands?” Swamp Thang asked.
“Don’t have any.” She said as she shifted her legs in the short shorts on the seat. Over the past ten months, she had gotten used to the warmer climate down south and she almost felt a little chilly in her tank top. “Fireworks are illegal in the state unless you have a license.”
“Not even sparklers?” He pressed.
“Nope,” she shook her head as a brunette sat in Darkness’ lap and Camille busted out laughing. “Karan, what are you doing?”
“Pouting.” She answered, crossing her arms and making a pouty face.
The Cajuns all stifled their laughter as Darkness tried to figure out what to do. They knew that his first instinct was to throw the woman to the ground. But since she was obviously a friend of Camille’s, he wasn’t acting on it.
“Why are you pouting?” Camille asked with a grin.
“Because Cookie’s busy, Gertie’s at work,” she leaned back and looked at the redhead that was approaching the table, “and Nessie is mean!”
“You sound like a bratty toddler that needs a nap.” Camille said shifting and watching Karan’s eye’s dart to the teen’s cleavage before they moved back to her face and the older woman blushed.
“Maybe I’m a brat that just needs to be taken to bed.” Karan suggested with a grin of her own.
“Why?” Camille took a drink before issuing a challenge. “You seem to enjoy being on your knees in the back hallway.”
“And you enjoy everything that happens by your little alcove.” Karan pointed out as she took the beer.
“Like you’ve ever turned down live porn.” Camille swiped Swamp Thang’s beer, and the two women tapped the necks of the bottles together.
“Maybe I should go take one of the bunnies back there,” Karan smiled at the blue haired woman who rolled her eyes and kept walking.
“Yeh know the rules, lass! Yer hands off me girls while they be working.” The Scottish woman said stopping and placing a hand on Darkness’ shoulder. “When they not be working, they can be on their backs. Or knees. Or yeh face.”
Karan sighed dreamily, placing her elbows on the table and resting her chin on the V formed by her palms. “I could go for any of these. Or vice versa. Or all of them.”
“Maybe you should tell your husband and wife that you need another girlfriend.” Camille suggested as she wondered where the other redhead that she had met last summer was.
“But I like variety. Except my main woman. But she’s preggers right now. And our man. He needs to be big. And black. And horny. And fucking one of us. Preferably, me, right now.” She sighed. “I’m so mistreated.”
“Cookie,” Camille said looking behind a very confused Darkness, “why are you being so mean to your wife?”
“How am I mean to my wife?” Then he grinned and winked at Camille. “And which one?”
“Well, it’s Karan that’s over here trying to replace you.” She motioned to the man across from her with the other man’s wife in his lap. “At least she has a type.”
“She’s all Team Black.” He chuckled. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“You said you would never fuck me again.” She pouted.
Cookie chuckled. “I said you had to wait until I was done at the grill before I fucked your brains out.”
“Same difference.” She pouted and Camille chuckled again.
“Yer not allowed in me kitchen.” Nessie suddenly said as Karan and Cookie tensed and quit teasing each other.
“Allison, you can be at the Shack, but Ness has banned you from her kitchen, that includes her patio and greenhouse.” Cookie said and Karan got up.
“That’s right, I forgot, Miss Smarty gets special treatment.” Allison sneered at her younger sister.
Camille closed her eyes and clenched her fist on the table. Darkness reached across and gently took her hand. None of the Cajuns were aware of multiple people texting club officers about the situation unfolding. Brute was the first to arrive with Dom close behind.
“You have a new boyfriend?” Allison ran a hand across Darkness’ shoulder blades, and he shook off the touch. “I wonder if he fucks as good as the last one.”
Darkness tensed and the Cajuns were preparing to pull him off someone, most likely this new woman, and stop him from beating her to death.
“Come on, Tink.” Camille whispered as she stood up and walked into the building. The Doberman Pinscher followed her as she disappeared from sight.
“Yeah. Don’t forget your emotional support dog!” Allison called after her. She flipped her hair over her shoulders and propped a hand on her hip that was covered in low rise bootie shorts that matched her silver tube top and five-inch heels.
“Trigg, all I need is five minutes in the basement.” Dom said. Her voice, that typically sounded bored no matter what was going on, was filled with hate and venom. Her usually calm demeanor was nowhere to be found as her body practically vibrated with anger.
Allison’s eyes went wide as she turned to find her parents standing behind her. Deciding that she was in trouble no matter what, she kept going.
“Isn’t that why you got her the stupid dog?” Allison smirked at her parents as she reached back out to touch Darkness again. Cookie caught her arm and moved her away from the table. She stumbled slightly before catching herself and glaring at her siblings’ friend.
“You think we got her Tink?” Trigg asked quietly.
“Yeah.” She scoffed, ignoring the silence that had fallen over the large area. “I fucked her one and only boyfriend and she couldn’t handle it. So, you got her that stupid emotional support-.”
Allison was yanked off her feet and slammed down on the table that her sister had just left. Dom jumped on top of her and pulled a knife from under her cut and pressed it to Allison’s throat.
“I gave her that fucking dog, you stupid, worthless cunt.” A little spit flew out of her mouth and Allison flinched causing the blade to nick her skin. “Because after you fucked her boyfriend, he and his friends decided to relieve her of her virginity. Would you like to experience the fear that she did before I found her?”
Allison’s eyes went wide, and she swallowed hard.
“Dom.” Whip said cautiously, but kept his distance.
“Hurt her again and I don’t care who your daddy is, I will fucking kill you. And by the time you die, you’ll be begging for death.”
To make her point, Dom grabbed a handful of Allison’s hair and shaved it off. Snarling at her would be victim, Dom moved off the table and sheathed her knife before stalking towards the door. Allison sat up and seeing her beautiful hair, her pride and joy, she touched her now bare scalp. As a sob escaped her, she ran into the building.
“Whip, do you need to go….?” Toad asked.
“When she’s like that?” he replied shaking his head. “She can play with whoever she has in her black room. I like my skin exactly where it is.”
“Ness?” Trigg asked.
Giving a small smile she nodded. “She needs space and time. But don’t worry, her light will shine bright soon.” She glanced momentarily at Darkness. “As with all stars, they shine best in the dark.”