“That she is.”
He side eyes me for a moment before smirking, “Yeah, all she needs is a good man to help her see her worth.”
“Yeah, yeah, all in good time. Besides, shouldn’t we be talking about you and the good woman you left behind?”
Chef scowls, a look of annoyance on his face, “Leave it. I love Sage, but she needs to find out who she is. Live a little before she ties herself down to an older vet with issues.”
“Brother, Sage is young but she isn’t a kid. Shechoseyou. Shewantsyou. Your dumb ass thinks it’s doing her a favor, but brother, what you’re doing is fucking dumb. What’s your plan in the long term? Break her heart now, let her live her life then go crawling back when you think she’s ready to be tied down? Or break her heart and then be happy when she marries some shithead who doesn’t know how to treat her right?”
The growl that rips out of Chef doesn’t just surprise me, it catches him off guard too. He says nothing else as he spins on his heel and stalks away from me.
“What the hell was that about?” Dex asks, throwing his thumb over his shoulder.
“Just asking the man how he’d feel about my niece dating some other guy. Apparently, he doesn’t think much of the idea,” I reply drily.
Dex snorts, shaking his head. “Sniper already got a call back from the old bait shop. The guy’s grandson said he’d meet us there if you wanna ride out now.”
I tip my face up into the air. Texas may be hot, but Louisiana, especially around these parts, is humid as fuck. The heat isnt oppressive at the moment, and my mind isn’t foggy with the need to seek out A/C yet either, so a ride in the breeze, even after the long fucking ride here, sounds good.
“Let’s do this.”
I follow my Prez to our bikes, waiting for him to lead the way. Usually TumTum as road captain would but with him off doing the grocery shopping it’s up to Dex to lead and me to follow. I stay alert as we ride past the community housing and gardens, making sure to check my mirrors and little blind spots in hidden away places as we make our way into Adonner. Back in the day we’d come here to shop for things Eden’s Keep couldn’t provide themselves, the townsfolk all whispering and pointing at the weird clothing we’d be dressed in. Since we got rid of anyone and everyone that was evil, the Adonner folk seem to be a lot more welcoming.
Dex pulls back a little so he’s level with me, head turning left and right. I point to the left, then clench my fist as I pull off the road to the little bait shop that has sat here for as long as I can remember. It’s still a piece of shit, but I guess if we could get it for a steal, then it’d be a sound investment. Last I heard folk were ordering in bait from Amazon and not liking the quality. Adonner folk, hell, any folk from around these parts take their fishing seriously.
“Well, if it ain’t the Prophet’s son.”
Running my eyes over the massive blonde man in front of me, I shake my head, no recognition of this man at all. “Do I know you?”
“Nah, probably not. My gramps owned the bait shop and a few other things. Mom worked the diner. Remember you lot comin’ in every now and then. Hard to miss, cher. You all look the same.”
I shrug. I mean I could argue with the man, but dude is actually fucking friendly and smiley and it’s somewhat freaky considering I’ve spent the past few years of my life being suspicious, hiding people and, since hooking up with the DRMC, getting rid of them.
“He’s not wrong man, Landry genes are strong,” Dex says, slapping me on the shoulder. “Right, show us around.”
Loyal
“Are you sure it’s OK for us to be here?”
I smile down at Nell, my hand at her back. “I know that it’s overwhelming and the men are huge, but they help people. People like me and you. They’ve rescued children and women who were being sold into slavery. They’re good men. Do you trust me?”
Nell turns her dark eyes up to me and grips the hand of her little girl tighter. “I trust you. It’s me I don’t trust.”
I nod and throw my arm over her shoulders, squeezing her to me. My chest tightens when I think of all the times I had to hidemy emotions, scared stiff that my mask would slip and Goodson would see my fear, my disdain, or my disgust for him. The few times my mask slipped, the times my anger broke through, they were the times I was convinced I was going to die. Take my last breath on this earth with his boot on my neck.
“Nell, you trusted your instinct to grab your daughter and run. That is the single most powerful and important decision you made in your whole life and for that one moment you trusted yourself. Youcando this. For Greer and you.” I give her one last long squeeze, then step back, letting the woman pull herself together.
She pastes a smile on her face, swings Greer’s hand from side to side and steps into what Vex says is now called the common room. I follow closely behind, stopping with a gasp. I’ve never seen the open room look so welcoming. The same stark white paint covers the walls as it always did, but there are balloons hanging from the ceiling, streamers and a welcome banner. OK, it may not be the stuff I’d seen in magazines the few times Goodson let me go to the Adonner supermarket, but from a group of rough bikers the gesture is heart warming. They want our guests to feel welcome. They want the children to have a good time. Stepping further inside to get a better look I bump into the back of Nell who has also frozen, but for a different reason.
Her eyes are wide as she stares at the man in front of her. “Mommy, look at the balloons!” Greer’s voice rings out, full of light and joy as her laughter tinkles, breaking the silence Nell and Sniper had been standing in.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it,chiquita? Let me show you the piñata,” Sniper mumbles in a voice so low I almost don’t hear him. He looks toward Nell who, still wide eyed, nods once, swallowing thickly.
Sniper reaches a scarred, tattooed hand out to Greer who takes it without hesitation, talking continuously as her mother follows closely behind.
Unsure what to do, I watch after them, moving further into the common room, through the other people that have arrived.
“They will be safe with Sniper,” Vex murmurs into my ear.
