Free Starting Over by Ryder Dane Page B

seated
    two people. She was on her second cup of coffee, and she was signing the letter that
    she’d just finished, when Maisey walked into the area from the tiny hallway.
    She smiled and offered a cup of coffee to the sleepy eyed woman, before rereading
    the letter, and putting it into the addressed envelope next to her on the table.
    Maisey was in a talkative mood, and wanted to rehash over what had happened last
    night. There was no shutting her up, so River let her talk while she got ready for the
    day.
    “Those men last night, I should have told War what they were saying, but when he
    beat on you, I figured they deserved what happens to them today at the meeting. He
    really shocked me, sister, I never saw him hit a woman before. He was always kind to
    me.”
    River frowned at her own reflection in the mirror while she listened and pulled her
    hair into a high ponytail. The silence must be Maisey waiting for her to say something,
    but she real y didn’t know what to say, so she gave the generic, “Oh?” for her
    contribution to the conversation.
    It seemed to satisfy Maisey, since she continued the subject. “Oh yes, I mean, I
    don’t want anything bad to happen to the club. Now that Wolfy and his dogs are gone I
    mean, but if being one of the leaders has gone to his head enough to make him beat on
    a woman, especial y one that isn’t in the club, I guess they get what’s coming to them.”
    River hung her head over the sink, she was having a hard enough time admitting to
    herself the spanking hadn’t hurt nearly as much as it had been intended to. In fact,
    when she’d tried to gain her freedom and put one of her legs down to find the pavement
    for a foothold to escape, and that big hand had landed on the space between her legs…
    She shook her head. No way would she admit that she found pleasure in having her
    ass spanked like that. Not even to Maisey.
    “It didn’t hurt nearly as bad as I made it out to be. I thought you could tell that I was
    screaming so he’d think he was being effective. I must be a better actress than I
    thought.” She grinned at the other woman, and leaned over to whisper, “He hits like a
    girl.” She sobered and made the decision to repeat her offer to Maisey of a new life,
    away from here.
    “Last night I told you that I have a business and a place to live. I meant what I said,
    you’ll be more than welcome to leave with me when I go. With your help my reason for
    being here is over with, and I won’t leave you unless you tell me that’s what you want
    me to do.” She patted her shoulder and walked out into the crisp morning air.

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    Starting Over by Ryder Dane
    Maisey didn’t give her an answer that day, and River didn’t press her. If she
    decided to go then great, if she wanted to stay, then it would be her choice.
    The bar was slow for a Sunday evening, but with the Breed having their meeting, it
    wasn’t a big shock. Locals and a few visitors came in, but al in al , the night was
    uneventful. Even the usual drunks didn’t give her grief when she pushed the last ones
    out of the front door and locked it behind them.
    Maisey was cleaning the kitchen, so River decided to go ahead and get the nasty
    chore of cleaning the bathrooms over with. The last time she’d been the unlucky one to
    clean the bathrooms, she’d found used condoms on the floor, and broken drink glasses
    too. The drain in the middle of the floor was a godsend. If the place was a real sty, all
    she had to do was spray the place down with antibacterial stuff and hook up the short
    hose to the hot water spigot under the sink to blast it off.
    The backdoor slammed shut as she turned the corner with her hands full of rubber
    gloves and the water hose. She caught a glimpse of half of a man’s shoulder exiting the
    building, and she dropped the items in her hand to check and make sure the door
    locked behind the late patron. She opened the bathroom door and dropped the wedge
    shaped