Bliss smilingly took her turn wrapping a leg around the pole giving a performance that had the women members yelling their encouragement, while Winter, Beth, and Lily sat with their mouths open. Viper was fucking never going into the basement again, Winter thought, watching Bliss finish sliding down the pole with one leg from the top to the bottom. Everyone clapped, with Ember moving forward to take her turn. Winter moved her chair so that she didn’t have a view of them exhibiting a skill she had been unaware they possessed.

“How’s school going?” Winter asked Lily whose eyes were glued to the pole dancing.

“Good,” Lily answered.

“How was spring break?” That pulled her attention away from the pole dancing. They talked about going to the racetrack, moaning about how much money they lost before going on to tell her about Beth’s wedding dress. Beth had her second fitting, enabling her to pick it up while in Lexington.

“Did you try on your bridesmaid dress?” Beth questioned Winter.

“Yes.” The women had purchased their dresses from a local shop in town. “They’re gorgeous, you made a great choice.”

Beth smiled happily. “I can’t wait to see everyone in their dress.”

“You’re not getting nervous?” Winter questioned the calm bride to be. Beth certainly couldn’t be called a bridezilla.

“Not at all,” Beth answered. “I want everything to go according to plan, but if it doesn’t, we’ll adjust. I’m counting on you to keep everyone on schedule.”

“That I can do,” Winter promised. Evie and Natasha came up behind Beth tugging her away from the table to the dance floor. It didn’t take long for her to relax, dancing from woman to woman. It was easy to see Beth had developed a close relationship with them. Lily watched the interaction of her sister with her friends with a face filled with happiness. It was obvious Lily wasn’t jealous of the other women; she was happy her sister was fitting into her new life.

“Want to join them?” Winter asked.

“Yes.” This was the Lily that Winter loved-the mischievous spunky woman that, when she let her guard down, was stunning to witness. Winter couldn’t believe that while they were dancing, Stori and Dawn starting taunting Lily to pole dance. At first Lily ignored them, making comical remarks about their own dancing.

“Bet you can’t get that skinny leg to hold you up on the pole,” Jewell taunted her, staggering forward after she had twirled around the pole several times in succession. A look came into Lily’s eyes that Winter had seen a couple of times during her high school days. Lily didn’t like anyone to bet her she wouldn’t do something.

She danced toward the pole, grasping it with one hand, winding one long shapely leg around the shiny metal before gracefully lifting herself up, performing a series of maneuvers that showed the women how to really pole dance. Every single one of them stopped dancing to watch. Beth cheered her on as she finished in a maneuver that had her sliding down the pole in a circling ball, stopping herself from hitting the floor hard with just an inch to spare.

Silence filled the room as she rose to her feet, her face red from her exertions. Then the clapping began.

Winter had to ask Beth, “Did you know she could do that?”

Beth shook her head, going to her sister.

“Where did you learn that?” Beth asked.

“The gym that I go to has classes. That was the only exercise class that fit into my schedule,” Lily told Beth who was begging her to teach her some of her moves. Winter went to the bar for bottled water.

She had gone for her second bottled water later when she noticed the time. Finding Bliss, they went to Beth who was sitting at the table with Lily and Evie.

“I’m going to take Bliss back to the clubhouse. Can I borrow your keys?” Winter asked holding out her hand.

Beth dug inside her purse to find the keys before handing them to Winter.

“I’m ready to go to, do you mind giving me a ride?” Lily stood up from the table giving her sister a smile. Winter was well aware of why Lily was ready to leave. Several of the women were becoming intoxicated. Beth didn’t try to talk Lily out of going, having given her the option earlier in the evening.

“I wish you didn’t have to leave Bliss, I’m sure Crazy Bitch and Sex Piston will behave.” Beth tried to excuse her friends’ anger at Bliss. Winter herself didn’t know why the biker women wanted Bliss so bad. Everyone refused to tell her. When she had brought the subject up to Beth, the hurt look in her eyes had her quickly dropping the subject.

“I don’t mind, I get to go back to the clubhouse with no other women around but me.” Giving a hug to Beth, they turned to leave the bar. Everyone missed the worried look Lily gave her sister before she turned to follow them out the door.

Winter decided to drop Bliss off first, as her incessant talk about the men was making both Winter and Lily uncomfortable. By the time they were at the clubhouse, she wanted to shove a rag in her mouth to shut her up.

After they watched Bliss enter the house, Winter reversed the car pulling back out onto the road. The silence was deafening.

“The club members are pretty tight, aren’t they?” Lily questioned.

“Yes,” Winter said cautiously.

“Bliss has had several relationships with the men, hasn’t she?” This time her question was more probing.

“I try not to involve myself in that aspect of the club,” Winter evaded a direct answer.

“I think she had one with Razer. Beth won’t tell me, but they broke up for a while and the way her biker friends react, I think it was Bliss,” Lily said, trying to draw an answer out of her. Winter was surprised Lily was asking her about the break up between Beth and Razer.

“I don’t know truthfully Lily, that was before I had moved into the clubhouse.”

Lily went silent, staring out the window. They had passed the club and were beginning to go down the mountain road when blue lights flashed in her rearview mirror.

“Damn,” Winter said, pulling over to the barely existent shoulder of the road. Coming to a stop, she pushed a button, sliding her window down as the Deputy approached.

“Driver’s license and registration,” the deputy requested.

Winter pulled out her driver’s license from her wallet, giving Lily a reassuring smile. She held out the license to the deputy standing on the dark road.

“I have to look for the registration, this is my friend’s vehicle.” Winter moved to reach inside the glove box.

“Keep your hands where I can see them.” The deputy moved his flashlight until it shown onto her license in his hand. Winter stared up into the deputy’s face, his unpleasant voice ringing a bell in her memory.

“I’ve met you before when I lived in town. You were the deputy who came to my house with the Sheriff.” Winter didn’t miss the ugly expression that passed over the deputy’s face.

“I remember you too. You’re the slut who likes to get her kick’s playing hard-to-get,” he said snidely.

Winter couldn’t believe the deputy was talking to her in such a hateful manner. Lily’s indrawn breath showed her own surprise.

“Get out of the car, both of you.” The deputy took a step back from Winter’s door motioning for them to get out of the SUV with the flashlight in his hand. Winter tried not to become frightened. He was an officer of the law, but the threatening vibes emaciating from him were sending chills across her neck in warning.