We pull up in front of the gate. Lane inputs the code and we drive down the long driveway, passing houses all the way to the big house.
“Wake up, honey. We’re here.” I put my hand on Linda’s shoulder gently to not scare her.
Her eyes flutter open and she sits straight up and looks out of the window, taking in everything as the main house comes into view. It’s a literal mansion. The MC built this and the money shows through.
“This is where I’ll be staying?” she asks, her face showing her awe.
I smile. “This will be your home as long as you want it.”
Some of the girls here are so severely abused that they will never recover and they have accepted the peace and safety here.
Peace is something I understand completely. Some things you can’t move on from, but if they are happy then that is what matters the most.
The women who don't want to be reintroduced to society have small houses on the back of the property where they live. They all take care of each other and we take care of them.
If we can give them peace, then that’s what matters the most, right?
We pull to a stop and Lynn walks outside to greet us. She’s wearing her best smile—the one she reserves for the girls.
I step out and hold the door open for her. “Lynn, this is Linda. Linda, this is my sister Lynn.”
Lynn steps closer. “It’s so nice to meet you. Come with me, I’ll show you your room.” Linda takes Lynn’s hand and they slip inside of the house.
I turn my attention to the guys. I feel unfulfilled. “We have to go back. We’ve not dealt with them at all yet.”
Vinny nods. “I agree. I got really bad vibes from them.”
“How about once she’s feeling better we’ll get together and discuss plans?” Lane suggests.
“I like that idea. Goodnight. See you tomorrow, Vinny.” I give my brother a hug and slip inside of the house, exhausted but burning to do more.
2
The Next Day
Today is my niece and nephew’s birthday. They’re twins and are turning five. They were born a few months after I came to live with my brother.
I walk up the driveway to the backyard. The twins, Sariah and Caleb, spot me and run over. “Wow, those are for us?” Sariah’s eyes are glowing as she looks at the big presents.
I know I went overboard, but they’re my babies. I don't have any kids, but in my heart I love them as I would love my own and Michaela.
“Mommy, look! Look what Etta gave me!” Caleb runs ahead with the present. Sariah is struggling holding hers. Trey takes the present from Caleb, and I move to help Sariah when Caleb runs back to take it from her.
I spot Lynn getting out of her SUV. I walk to her so we can walk inside the gate together. We both tend to get nervous around people we don’t know.
We all know no one will hurt us, especially the guys that are in the MC—I know all of them—but we have some random parents we don’t know here from the twins’ school.
There is one guy named Lee. He is an uncle of one of the kids that go to school with the twins. He comes everywhere with the parents.
I don't like him.
I don't like the way he stares at me and Lynn, but me in particular. I seem to get most of his focus, which I’m thankful for because that means the focus is off of Lynn. He tries to talk to me, but I always manage to slip past him.
I haven’t told anyone because he hasn’t done anything to me, plus I only ever see him at school functions and things like that. I just don't like his vibes.
“Hey sister, how is Linda?” I ask Lynn once she walks up to me. Michaela runs past us to go play with the kids, her long, beautiful hair flowing behind her.
The door to the house opens and Lane walks out with a few of his members. He’s speaking to one I’ve never met before.
He stops talking to Lane and his eyes connect with mine. My stomach flips, my fingers tingle from his gaze. I can’t stop the smile that I give him, my face burning from his gaze.
Then he smiles at me. I have to look away and Lynn is grinning from ear to ear at our interaction. “Stop that!” I hiss, trying to gather my senses.
I have never acted like that before. Most of the time when I’m around the guys it’s strictly brotherly.
This was different. I felt like I was a teenager and I just spotted a cute boy.
“Cute” is not a word that I would give that guy. He has dark brown hair, with some graying at the temples. Tattoos everywhere, up to under his chin, down his arms, fully sleeved and around six foot five. He’s huge.
“Girl, I saw that look between the both of you! Konrad is a great guy,” Lynn whispers to me so no one hears. We’ve walked to the side so we can talk amongst ourselves.
My eyes open wider. “Wait, you know him?” I ask.
She nods. “He volunteers with the boys. He takes them out for the day sometimes.”
I can’t deny the pleasure I feel that he is kind enough to do that. Lynn smiles again, giving me a weird look.
“Stopppp it.” I push her shoulder slightly, my face growing redder.
Lynn giggles, covering her mouth, Vinny walks over to us and I smile at him. “How does it feel the babies being five?” I ask when he gets closer.
“It’s fucking hard. One second they were small enough to hold them in one hand and the next they’re tearing down the house.” Vinny stares into space as he thinks of his babies.
I’m so proud of the person he has become. He has come so far from everything that happened to us as kids, and so has Danny.
Vinny moves closer and has a secret grin on his face. Oh no. “So, I saw that look.” Lynn almost falls to the ground in laughter, my face is burning so bad from the embarrassment. Who all saw that? I am such a dork! Why did I smile like that?
“Shut up,” I hiss, itching to punch him on the shoulder.
He laughs. “Etta, you almost knocked him on his ass. When you looked away, he grabbed the damn banister.”
My embarrassment goes out of the window. “That makes me feel better.”
Lynn wraps her arm around my shoulder. “I love you, Etta.”
My heart does a little happy dance. “I love you too.”
“I’m going to go use the bathroom.” I hug her back and tap Vinny on the shoulder. I keep my head down and walk inside of the house, not wanting to look stupid again.
I shut the door behind me, locking it, then look at myself in the mirror, studying myself. In my old life, being pretty made everything harder. If someone was attracted to you, it was your fault because you tempted them.
My husband is alive. We were not legally married. I know that Vinny tried to find him, but they never could, or Lynn’s husband for that matter.
I do have that fear in the back of my mind that he could find me, but it’s been years and I doubt that they would even know where to look. What could he do? I’m surrounded by the MC every day of my life.
I was actually kicked out of my home that I slept at—I wouldn’t even say I lived there. I survived; his dogs were treated better than I was.
One day I was tired of it. I stood up for myself and I was sent back to my parents so my behavior could be corrected.