“Still not your fault.” Darin steps inside and closes the door. “Jack, your parents landed in Nashville an hour ago. They’ll be here in two. You go home. You have a house full of women who need you. Your dad’s gonna need you when he gets your mom home.”
“I’ll go.” Jack sighs in defeat. He jabs a finger at Jay. “But don’tyouleave club property without me.”
“Fine.” Jay storms off to the kitchen. His mom is the only one who can settle him when he’s like this.
Jack doesn’t want to leave him. They were raised as brothers rather than cousins. At times, I think Jack feels guilty for wandering around the country for two years, leaving Jay behind.
“We’ll keep an eye on him,” Darin promises. “Coty’s in Nick’s office watching the cameras.”
“Thanks, Worley.” Jack glances at me and back at Darin. “You’ll handle things?”
“Always do.” Darin opens the door and waits for Jack to leave.
Jack pauses in the doorway and looks at me again over his shoulder. “Take care of her. We’ll get the details later.”
I narrow my eyes at the big biker across the room. “What was that about?”
Darin scratches the side of his head. He’s like a big teddy bear when he’s nervous. “In all this madness, we have an angel on the way. They’ll be in fifteen.”
“Oh, wow. Let me tell Lauren and get my coat.”
He waits by the door while I hug my sister and nephew. I rush upstairs and grab my coat and gloves. We don’t have a lot of time. Darin is right where I left him. He opens the door and offers me his hand to help me down the steps. The wooden steps are still wet and slick from yesterday's thunderstorms. So, for the first time in years, I cautiously place my hand in a man’s. Sensing my unease, Darin releases me once my feet are on the ground, and we start down the path.
“Do you know anything about her yet?”
“She doesn’t say much. Very skittish.” A growl comes from deep in his chest. “Her left arm is broken.”
“Can we hunt him down now?”
“I like the way you think.” He steps behind me when the path narrows and back to my side once we pass the area of small decorative bushes. Jack’s niece, Everly, is in charge of theflowers and plants along the paths. “The cops arrested him, but his parents bonded him out in less than twelve hours.”
Twelve hours isn’t a lot of time to escape. Someone knew. They were watching and waiting for the moment they could save this woman. Just as I did when I sent Lily here.
“Of course they did.” It’s my turn to growl. Abusers shouldn’t be given a bond. Sadly, the legal system doesn’t agree. “I’ll have everything ready for her.”
I turn to take the path to the Haven House. Darin reaches out to take my arm, but quickly drops his hand. The patched members have been trained on how to treat an angel. The men only touch the angels as a last resort. Usually, it’s to keep them from getting hurt or from hurting themselves.
“Um.” His eyes dart from side to side. “I was hoping you’d be part of the team that helps greet her. Nanny usually does it.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t expecting this. I look past him toward the clubhouse. “Are you sure it’s okay?”
Since rescuing me, the club has worked with doctors and counselors to form guidelines for Ariel’s Angels. Everything about their secret organization follows a planned set of steps and actions. With Harley missing and the McLeod family needing to take care of each other, the organization’s protocols have to be broken. They’ll never turn an angel away. She’s protected at all times.
“I’m sure. I ran it by Mack first. He approves. It seems to help having another woman present when an angel arrives, but if you’re not comfortable doing it, I can ask Nana.”
“Oh no. It’s fine. I don’t mind at all.” I shrug one shoulder. “I just don’t want to be in the way or upset the balance of things.”
“You’d never be,” he whispers, not intending for me to hear it. He clears his throat. “You’re the perfect choice.”
“Okay then.” Is it just me, or have we fallen into some weird awkwardness? “Are we meeting her in Mack’s office?”
“We are.” He motions for me to walk around the side of the clubhouse.
I strain to hear what he’s mumbling now, but can’t make it out. Does he not like me? They’ve rescued women and children for twelve years. Maybe he’s tired of it. Who knows, but we’ve definitely fallen into awkwardness. If my presence upsets him, Nana should do this. I can’t ask her to do it, though. Her family needs her. Besides, she’s falling apart, too.
We walk in silence to the private entrance on the far side of the clubhouse. This hallway leads to Mack’s office and probably Nick’s. We reach for the doorknob at the same time, our hands touching. He jerks his back like it’s on fire. Okay. Enough is enough. I turn to look up at him and wait until his dark eyes meet mine.
“If you’d rather not be around me…”
