Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
“How’s Jerrica doing?”
Iris squeezed my hand once more before letting go. “Surprisingly well. She has nightmares sometimes, and it’s hard for her to be away from me at night, but she wasn’t hurt physically. Just traumatized mentally.”
“I’m glad it wasn’t worse for her. No child should have to go through anything like that. Are the others doing OK, too?”
“So far. They have nightmares too, but the one I’m worried most about is Clover. I have no idea what kind of past she has, but she doesn’t speak and rarely interacts with anyone. Only her stuffed bunny. I think that’s her imaginary friend, but she still doesn’t talk. At least, I’ve never heard her.”
“This is going to take more than love to fix.” Brick pushed his empty plate back and crossed his hands over his belly. “We need to think about finding a good shrink for kids. You know. After the legal shit’s done. Don’t want there to be a chance of someone decidin’ they need to be somewhere other than an MC compound.”
“A solid plan.” Sting brought Iris’s hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “We’ll do whatever we need to, so those girls get the right help. Can Stitches take care of that?”
“I’ll talk to him about it.” Brick scratched his chin under his beard. “I’m sure he’s got connections.”
“Good. Keep me posted.” He and Iris stood, Sting taking her hand and leading her from the common room.
“You want to take Serelda some breakfast?” Roman rested his hand on my back, rubbing up and down in a soothing gesture. To my surprise, I soaked up the touch. Was I starving for affectionate human interaction? I’d never wanted anyone to touch me at Black Reign, though there were several men there I adored. They were more like older brothers or best friends than anything else. With Roman, I actually leaned into his touch. It surprised me how much I liked it. And those kisses we’d shared…
I nodded, not sure I could speak. I stood and reached for our plates, but Roman stopped me. “The prospects will take care of that. Come on. We’ll take Serelda something, then take advantage of the warm weather and go on a ride. How does that sound?”
“I -- I’m not sure I should leave Serelda…”
“Go with the man.” Brick stood and gathered all the plates, shoving them at a passing prospect. “He’s just gonna keep at it till you give in. I’ll keep an eye on your sister.” He winked at me before leaving.
“Why is he so interested in Serelda?” While I didn’t disapprove, I was worried he’d scare my sister. She’d seemed to be fine around him, but that could change if something he did gave her a flashback. It had been a while since she’d had one, but they still happened occasionally.
“Not sure. He’s protective of her, and she couldn’t do better than Brick for protection.” Roman took my hand. “Come on. You ever ridden a bike before?”
“I rode with Rycks a few times. Before Lyric came back into his life. After that, sometimes Iron and Tank would take me and Serelda out. Not often.”
“You enjoy it?”
“I love it. Sometimes, it feels like I’m flying.”
“Good. Can’t have my woman not likin’ to ride behind me.”
That brought me up short. “Your… woman?”
He grinned at me, and my knees nearly buckled. That smile was devastating. And was I really considering this? Why did it send a thrill through me when he called me his woman?
“Yeah, baby. I’ve already put the word out you’re off-limits to anyone but me. Ain’t no rush, though. We’ll do this at whatever pace you’re comfortable with.”
I frowned when I really wanted to throw myself into his arms. “You’re making this sound like it’s only your decision. Like I don’t have a choice.”
“Not at all. It’s all your decision. I’ve already made mine. Just waitin’ on you. As I see it, my job is to convince you to do what I want. Then we’re both happy.”
The laughter inside me broke free. It wasn’t loud or boisterous, but it was the first time in a very long time I’d felt the need to laugh. It felt better than I remembered. I shook my head. “You’re crazy.”
“I sure am, honey. But I promise you, you’ll love my brand of crazy.”
* * *
Roman
The next week had mild weather. Great for riding, if a little chilly. I bundled Winter up in a heavy jacket with my colors on the back, and we rode every day. Normally I’d never put my jacket on anyone else, but I didn’t have a property patch for her yet. It was in the works, though. This was one thing I wanted no one to mistake. Winter was my woman. Mine.
We always rode through town at a lazy crawl, just enjoying the scenery. Winter had her arms wrapped around my waist, her face against my back. Occasionally she’d giggle or sigh. When she sighed, she rubbed her face against me like a contented little kitten. I’d never been had my chest puff out more in my fucking life. This woman, who was obviously traumatized, didn’t like strange men, yet I’d managed to coax a laugh and a cuddle from her.