Sharing Freedom

Chapter Sixteen

Three days and nothing, Freedom thought throwing a ball against the wall of the game room on the first floor. She was going to f^cking go postal pretty soon. Every morning the guys woke up, kissed her briefly, and left. She was left to do nothing but wander the clubhouse, because God knows she was a f^cking invalid. Then slowly the people in the house would wake up, and she would have people to talk to as they got ready for their various shifts. She had learned about all the businesses. She had been especially curious about the tattoo parlor.

Kink was one of the artists and she had been asking him about it for the last few mornings. Shady had one for the club, it was on her hip, and when she asked her friend, Shady said that Creed had to give her the okay to get it.

“So, you have one design for the Bitches?” she said to the man who was eating his breakfast the previous day.

“Yep, had it copyrighted and everything. Damn tattoo is only allowed on the Bitches from the club. Creed calls a vote, and you are given permission,” Kink said and stood up.

She nodded and looked around the room. Yesterday had gone the same as the day before, she watched them gather in the main clubroom, and then together they left, surrounding the girls who had the early shift, and then they came back and switched out later in the afternoon.

She was sick of sitting around and Easy and Poke were refusing to talk to her about working. When they finally came home after their work shifts, they avoided the subject. Instead they crawled into bed with her, made love to her, talked with her softly about everything under the sun, like her first boyfriend, and they told her about the first time they shared a woman, then they fell asleep before starting all over again. While she was growing closer to them each day, she was getting frustrated about not doing anything during the day.

Standing, she walked up the stairs and began preparing breakfast. Today she was prepared for Creed; she waited as he got out of bed. She knew they had been working long hours, doing something for the club and for her. Because the security had increased, and the guys were all a little on edge. But this was getting f^cking stupid, she wasn’t ready to just sit and do nothing anymore, she had to move on.

Freedom prepared breakfast like she had the last two mornings because she had been the first one up since she was no longer working late nights like they all were. Of course, having a cast hampered her at first, but she was getting used to the clunky thing.

“Hey, Creed,” she said, sliding his plate of pancakes in front of him. She was a better cook than all of them apparently because when it was her turn, no one missed a meal. Easy had gone as far as to beg her to take his shift, so they would have something edible.

“Yeah, Free, how you doing?” he grumbled and then snorted when she put the cup of coffee in front of him.

“I was wondering about a few things.” Freedom smiled at him. “Do you have a minute?”

Creed lifted his head and his narrowed gaze looked over her. She was already dressed for the day and had even put on some makeup this morning. She was trying to show that she was ready to move on.

“Sure,” the leader said and pushed out a chair with his foot for her to sit in.

Freedom smiled and sat down and then looked at him expectantly. She also heard the rest of the men and Shady moving slower and knew she only had a few more minutes of privacy with him.

“First off, when can I get my tattoo?” she said with a grin.

Creed’s head snapped up in surprise and he stared at her intently. He picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth, chewing slowly. When he finally spoke, he said, “Why do you want one?”

“Because it means I belong,” Freedom said simply to the leader.

“What makes you think I control that?” Creed asked slowly.

She looked confused and said, “Because you are the leader. Kink said…”

“Kink is a brother, and usually that is how it works, but we have never had a woman come into the club like this before. Certain concessions were asked for,” Creed said.

“What the hell does that mean?” she asked.

Creed shifted, then sighed, took a drink of coffee, and then looked at her again. “Ink is permanent.”

“And you don’t think my willingness to join you is?” Freedom said.

“Free…” he said and then she heard Easy from the archway to her room.

“No, I don’t,” Easy said and she turned and gasped.

“What?” she whispered.

“I don’t, you can’t just decide to change your life this drastically. You need to think about it,” Easy said grimly.

“What the f^ck?” she yelled and stood. “Is this why I have been sitting on my ass for the last three days, because you have decided you know my mind better than me?”

“Babe,” Easy started and Poke stepped behind him with his arms closed across his chest. He agreed with him, she thought as she looked at the two men she had convinced herself she cared for.

Last night after they had made love, she felt Easy running his hand over her back, he caressed her until she fell asleep. She felt their connection, and she also admitted to herself that she was falling in love with them. She decided she was going to need to be stronger, so they would realize she belonged here. She just never realized what an uphill battle she was going to have. They had no faith in her whatsoever.

“Yeah,” Freedom said and turned to the leader who was staring at his plate calmly. “Creed, you either have accepted me or you haven’t. I am sick of this sh^t, I said I wanted in, it is on you now. I am walking downstairs and preparing myself to be trained today for the accounting. Then I am making an appointment for my new tat. If you don’t want me here, then bring down my stuff and I will leave. But from here on out, I make my own decisions about my body. Who I f^ck, and what I put on it. As of right now, I am f^cking done with Easy and Poke. No talking and no questions.”

“Free,” Poke said and Easy held up his hand, and his friend fell silent as they watched.

Freedom looked at the men standing there in their doorways, she had obviously drawn some attention. She was missing something, something they weren’t telling her, but she didn’t care. This was f^cking bullsh^t and she wasn’t going to have any of it.

Holding her head up high, she turned and walked to the stairs, then went to the first floor and stood waiting. It wouldn’t take long, and she was sure they were finally getting the picture. She wasn’t messing around anymore.

“She has to go,” Easy said, shifting on his feet. The men stood in the living area. Shady was still asleep and they didn’t want to wake her because she would argue with them, but they had already decided after yesterday’s meeting that keeping Freedom here wasn’t going to work.

“Yep,” Poke nodded and looked at the men.

“I can handle it.” Creed sighed.

“Nah, needs to come from us. This way she won’t be tempted to come back. She needs to be out of here today,” Easy said and nodded to his friend.

They turned and went to her room, packed her bags quickly and then spoke softly to each other.

She heard them coming and she turned and smiled. Several of the members were already awake and milling around. She smiled at Treat and Trick when they walked in to grab a cup of coffee. Today was going to be a turning point; she was going to take control of her life.

Freedom saw Easy first and her eyes widened at the sight of him carrying one of her bags. Poke followed with the other one and her purse and she froze as the rest of the men, including Creed, entered the room. The leaders folded their arms and waited while Easy and Poke walked up to where she was standing.

“Here is your stuff, Pill and Meat will be here in a few minutes, they are taking you to California. You can stay at the clubhouse until we get this sorted and then you are free to go. While there, you are going to be their club cleaning lady. You will have a room on the premises, but you are not allowed to participate in parties or any club gathering. Should only be a week or so and you will be free to get on with your life,” Easy said and sat down her luggage, she looked at him with her mouth wide open and then looked at Poke.

“You said I was voted in,” she whispered.

“Yeah, well…the guys did us a favor, we wanted to f^ck you, so they voted to help us out. We are done, and none of us think you are going to work out here. It not the place for you,” Easy said stonily.

“So just like that,” Freedom whispered and looked around the room at the people who were watching them and listening. Treat looked sad and Trick was grinning like she had been given a present.

“Just like that,” Easy shrugged and she looked at Poke. For a brief moment, she wondered if she had really seen sadness in his eyes, but then it was gone, and she questioned what she had seen, maybe it was relief.

“It was fun, Free, but you were never made for this life.” Poke laughed. “I mean look around, we are all from different places, but our stories are all the same. You grew up in the suburbs and until recently, you didn’t have a clue about this sh^t. You are too soft, and to be honest, too clingy. Coming back here every night, and knowing you were just waiting for us, well, babe, that is a turn-off. We miss coming back, having a drink, and f^cking whatever flavor we want. You are high maintenance, baby girl.”

Freedom looked at the two men and straightened up. She wasn’t going to let them treat her like this, embarrassing her in front of all these people, humiliate her so she would leave, because all they had to do was ask.

“f^ck you,” she said calmly and picked up her bags as Creed stepped forward.

“Guys are pulling up, Freedom,” the leader said, and she nodded and looked at the two men she had foolishly thought cared for her. She would fall apart later.

“Tell Shady bye,” Freedom said and walked out the front door. Minutes passed as everyone stood in frozen, staring at the closed door. None of them noticed one of the members pull out their cell phone.