He holds his palm up and out, stopping me. “No. It’s not that.”
“Then what?” I demand, widening my eyes.
He takes a step back and stumbles for words. “It’s nothing. It’s okay.” He motions to the door. “You go first.”
I plop my hands on my hips. “Out with it, big guy.”
“I don’t want to scare you or make you uncomfortable,” he says each word with a little pause behind it.
Oh, he’s scary, but not like he thinks. Being around him does make me nervous. I’m not sure why. I didn’t have many friends in California. The men I came in contact with were patients, doctors, other nurses, or members of the Viking Warriors MC chapter there. I’ve had twelve years to get stronger. What happened to me will never fully go away, but I don’t live in those moments every minute of every day as recent victims do.Hedoesn’t have to be afraid ofme.
I move in front of him again and place my hand on his arm just above his wrist. “I’m not afraid of all men.” I’m afraid ofone man, but I’ll never voice my fear out loud. “You don’t have to tiptoe around me or treat me with caution. I’m not an angel anymore.”
“You’ll always be one.” His eyes snap to mine. “I mean…”
I lightly laugh and let him off the hook. “It’s okay, Darin. Let’s greet this angel. She needs us.”
“Good idea.” He quickly moves to the door and holds it open for me.
We walk in silence, once again, down the hall. He leads me to Mack’s office. It’s not the same room they explained Ariel’s Angels to me in. The clubhouse has had several new additions built on since I was here.
As Darin unlocks the office door, my eyes roam over his broad back. His overcoat is solid black with no club patches. It hides the Viking Warriors emblem on the back of his leather cut. Those golden wings stand for more than just a motorcycle club. They offer hope to women who have none.
His hair is down today. The light brown wavy strands fall past his shoulders. Like his beard, they’re peppered with gray, the beard more than his hair. All of a sudden, I want to know what he really meant outside.
Chapter 13
Worley
I’ve been possessed. Maybe not, but something’s taken over my body and mind for darn sure. I have no idea what I’m doing right now. If this club doesn’t kill me, the women in it will.
The McLeod women are my family. I’d die for every single one of them. I thought about claiming a woman twenty years ago. She ran off with another man. Did I fight it or go after her? Nope. If she wasn’t going to be faithful, I didn’t need her. I haven’t had a serious relationship since. My blood relatives? I only have my dad. The rest of our family believes being a biker and a club member is a sin. They cut Pops and me off years ago. I don’t need them either.
Let’s not forget the angels. Oh, I’ll protect every single one of them with my life, too. I wish we could save more of them. Domestic violence is a silent killer. Oh, it’s not quiet as in no sound. It makes sounds. People just don’t pay attention. Those women suffer through more than physical violence. Shouting, yelling, threats, name-calling, false accusations, lies, belittling, and so much more. All of it is just as bad as the physical abuse. The mental and emotional side sadly leads some womento take their own lives. No, domestic violence isn’t silent. It’s just not reported or talked about often enough. Help’s out there. Unfortunately, the victims either don’t know about it, or they’re too scared to ask for help.
The angel sitting across from me may kill me yet. She said she wasn’t an angel anymore. Mmmph. The sound draws her attention back to me. I’ll have to be more careful around her, or my thoughts will give me away. How dare she say such a thing? Nina may not be in immediate danger at the moment, but she will always be an angel, and not just because she was the first woman we rescued.
“Are you okay?”
No. No, I’m not okay. Far from it.
“I’m good.”
The knock on the door saves me from saying more and proving to her I’m lying. I walk across the room as casually as I can. I feel her eyes on me. She’s watching my every step. This is insane. Women don’t get under my skin like this.
I jerk the door open with a little too much force. Thankfully, I’m standing eye to eye with Shepherd, the Enforcer from our Texas Chapter. We’re about the same height and build. He’s twenty years younger. Rodeo is leaning against the wall behind Shep. I can’t see her, but I know our angel is protected between them. Shep raises an eyebrow. I shake my head. Nope. There’s nothing to talk about.
“Come on in.” I walk back to Mack’s desk. Sitting here feels wrong. This chair belongs to our Prez.
Nina sits up straight and turns halfway in the chair to watch our angel enter. Her eyes widen. Halfway across the room, Shep steps to the side, revealing the angel.
“Have a seat next to Nina.” He motions to the empty chair beside Nina.
Oh my. She’s a tiny little thing. She can’t be more than five-four. She’s so skinny. Was food kept from her as punishment? We seen that happen in way too many cases. She’s young, too, maybe around Maci’s age. She sits without questioning. Her eyes remain on the floor. This is wrong, so so wrong. She should be in college, living her best life, not broken and scared. Nina closes her eyes for a moment and silently takes a deep breath. She sees something I don’t.
“Hello, angel.” I break the silence. “I’m Worley. Jacob has a family emergency. He can’t join us today. What’s your name?”
The angels who come through Tennessee are told they’ll meet Jacob, and he’ll explain everything to them. They come with a list of questions and fears. This one doesn’t respond.
