“I know, Della.I wish...”His voice faded away.“I won’t let you down.Just know that much.”
She went silent for a long time as she thought about the trouble she would bring to him and his friends.
“I know you’re freaked out and I know you want to run but you don’t need to run this time,” Snake whispered in her ear.“I won’t let him get close to you.”
Della looked up into his eyes and she saw the truth there staring back at her.“Ok Jack, I trust you.”
Just then, they heard tires stopping outside her house.Snake pushed her behind him and grabbed his weapon again.He looked outside through the window.He relaxed when he recognized the truck.He nodded at Della and smiled.“Come on, it’s my brother Thrash.”
Grabbing her bags as she grabbed a few as well, he hustled her out the door and into Thrasher’s truck.Bucky jumped into the back seat and Della moved to the middle of the bench seat.
Thrasher nodded at her with more questions than answers in his eyes.
Snake got in last after storing her bags in the back.When he slammed the door shut, he glanced in the rear-view mirrors and said, “Let’s get the hell out of here before trouble comes back.”
Thrasher grunted and his foot hit the gas as they sped away.It didn’t take them more than a few minutes before they turned off the main highway and he drove to the buildings behind the main house and barn.
When he reached out to shut the truck off, Thrasher finally looked over at Snake and asked, “Ok, so who are your friends, Snake?”
Snake looked at Della and smiled.“Thrasher, I’d like you meet Della Gregory.She’s someone I knew growing up and I finally found her again.”
Thrasher nodded at Della then he looked into the back.“And her companion?”
Companion...Snake chuckled though he wouldn’t tell anyone why that was for sure.
Della paused to glance at Snake, then she looked over her shoulder at her best friend.“His name is Bucky and I found him along the road three years ago.He’s been with me ever since.”
“Is he dangerous?”Thrashed asked her softly.“Cuz he looks like he might be.”
Della faced the front and whispered, “He might be if you make any sudden movements to hurt me.He will protect me and I have been grateful for that,” she told him with a shaky breath.“But otherwise, he’ll behave.”
Thrasher shook his head.“Good to know,” he grumbled, “But just know that no one here is gonna hurt you.”He studied her for a moment then said, “But I got a feeling you got someone out there that might.Right?”
Della nodded.“Yeah, he might.”
“But we aren’t going to let that happen,” Snake told her.He looked over at Thrasher.“Thanks for coming so fast.”He turned to Della.“Come on, we can get some sleep then we’ll tell the guys what happened tonight and we can go from there.Ok?”
Della nodded then she turned to Thrasher.“Look, I don’t know you but trouble could come calling.You have to realize that but Jack won’t let me run.I don’t want anyone to get hurt on my behalf.But I know I should just leave and that would be for the betterment of everyone who lives here.”
Thrasher’s face softened as he listened to her words then he gave her nod.“Snake is right to not let you run.If he’s willing to protect you, we have his back every time.Get some rest tonight and we’ll deal with your demons in the morning.”He grinned and shook his head.“They call us the Misfits but don’t worry, this isn’t the first fight we’ve had.We aren’t gonna let anyone just come in here and hurt you.I have a feeling that Snake cares about you a great deal.So, you just have to believe in that.”
Snake opened the truck door and slid down to the ground.He turned to grab Della’s hand and helped her out of the truck, then he grabbed her bags.He whistled for Bucky as if he’s been doing that for years.
The dog reacted to it as well.He got out and studied his new home then happily wandered off to sniff around.He lifted his leg and watered a nearby tree then came back to stand near Della.
Snake shook hands with Thrasher and said, “Thanks for the pickup, brother.”
Thrasher set the bags on the steps as he nodded then turned to head over to his own home.
Snake walked Della to his front door.“We don’t use keys much here as we respect each other’s privacy.It isn’t much but I hope you can live here.”
He opened the door and she saw a nice, clean living room.The kitchen was small but big enough to cook in, the living room held a sofa and a chair with a TV mounted on the wall.“There are two bedrooms but I’ll have to clean one as it’s kind of my office and storage area.”He shrugged.“Like I said it isn’t much but it suits me.And I hope you can make it your home.”
Della looked around and grinned at him.“It suits you, snug yet complete.I like it, it feels like home to me.”
Snake smiled back.“Good.You can take the bedroom tonight.We’ll sort out the other room tomorrow which will be here before we know it.”
Della shook her head.“I’m not kicking you out of your own bed.”
