“Fuck them,” she growls. “Now I wish I hadn’t left.”
I smile sadly. “It was in the past. I guess I just wanted to share it with you because I tend to keep everything to myself. I do trust you, Anna, with my life, but I guess I’m not real good at sharing. I didn’t want you to feel guilty or anything either.”
“Still,” she says. “It hurts me to think of you going through that. Especially since when I was at school with you we always stuck together, so we didn’t really branch out and make other friends because we didn’t need them. All we needed was each other.”
“That’s true.” I grin. “Who needed anyone else right? One true friend is more than what most people get these days.”
“I never thought . . .” Anna sounds defeated.
“Anna, its fine. I’m stronger because of it, and you can’t protect me from everything. I need to look after myself. Looking back, I feel stupid. It was just high school. I should have punched that girl in the face, not let her intimidate and bully me.”
“Bitches,” she scowls. “They were probably just jealous of you.”
I laugh. “I seriously doubt that.”
Anna shrugs. “When Clover gets to high school, I’m going to make sure no one even breathes in her direction.”
“Poor Clo,” I say. “She is going to be the most overprotected girl in the history of overprotected girls.”
Anna nods her head. “All the MC princesses are.”
“There’s one more thing,” I tell her, watching her face closely for her reaction.
“What?” she asks, leaning closer to me.
“The cheerleader, William’s girlfriend . . .”
“Yes?” she prompts.
“It was Allie,” I blurt.
“Fuck,” she gasps. “No way! Tell me everything.”
I start from the beginning and tell her every little detail.
SEVENTEEN
INSTEAD of going to class, I make a detour. After thinking it over, I realize that Tracker and Anna should have let me deal with Allie. Feeling pissed I didn’t get to confront her, I decide to take matters into my own hands. I know the two of them want to protect me, baby me even, because of my petite size and usually gentle demeanor, but if I want to survive by Tracker’s side, I need to make a stand. I need to let people know that I’m not an easy target, that I have a backbone, and that I’m someone who should be respected. After asking around, I find Allie outside a local bar and walk right up to her.
Her eyes widen as she sees me, and then she looks behind me, as if wondering who I came with.
“Why did you do it, Allie?” I ask, straight out. No games.
“Why do you think?” she snarls. “Tracker was mine; the club was mine. You took everything. Now just fucking leave, because I told them I wouldn’t come near you again.”
I step to her, getting in her face. “You hit me from behind. Unexpectedly. Next time you want a fight, don’t be a pussy and a coward. Step up to me like a grown woman and we can handle it.”
She laughs. “All right then, Lana. How about right now? It’s a long time coming, don’t you think?”
I nod. “Definitely.”
Allie rears back to slap me, but I block her hand and use a move Faye taught me. Bringing my leg up to her stomach with all my might, I grab her by her hair and then smash her face into my knee. She curses, then falls back, holding her face. “You fucking bitch!”
I bring my hand up again but she raises her arms, and I see blood dripping down her chin from a cut lip.
I look around. People are watching, but no one is doing anything.
Good.
Let them see.
There’s a new biker bitch in town.
* * *
“You did what?” Anna yells, looking a mixture of surprised and impressed.
I look at Tracker, who is sitting next to me on the couch, a speculative look on his face.
“How did you even find out?” I ask him, curious about what his reaction was going to be.
“You went to a biker bar, Lana,” he says in a dry tone. “Everyone knows you’re my old lady. Why do you think no one stopped you? They called me the second you left.”
“And you called Anna?” I ask, then mutter, “Tattletale.”
He shakes his head. “Anna was with me and Arrow when I got the call. Fuck, Lana. We’ve been protecting you and fuckin’ babying you, but you don’t need us to, do you?”
I shake my head. “I can hold my own.”
Anna throws her head back and laughs while Tracker’s lip twitches in amusement. “Will you at least tell me next time you go on a fuckin’ mission? Shit could have turned bad, Lana. What if Allie had a group of girls with her who had her back?”
“So next time I should bring backup just in case?” I ask, then look to Anna with a raised eyebrow. A silent invitation.
Anna laughs again. “You’re fuckin’ crazy, you know that? ’Course I have your back. Always.”
“Christ.” Tracker sighs, rubbing his forehead.
“You should be thrilled,” Anna says. “Looks like you found someone to match you perfectly after all.”
Tracker looks at me, his eyes softening. “I already knew that.”
Swoon.
* * *
The man Tracker was with, the man I recognize, is back at the clubhouse.
And he doesn’t recognize me back.