I shake my head at him. "No, there wasn't. Being here wasn't exactly part of the plan." I look back down at Mason. "We didn't plan on telling anyone, we didn't plan on running, but the last beating was so bad, and when Mason got hurt it was no longer a choice."
I squeeze the bridge ofmy nose. Taking the second tablet was a good idea but it hasn't stopped the headache as I feel it continue to build. "I hadn't realised how injured I was, I didn'tthink about the risk I was putting us both under. I took my dad’s old car from the garage and tried to get us out of there. But I had a concussion and ended up crashing the car into the river. The guys pulled us out, saving our lives. We’ve been here ever since, after a very brief stay in the hospital. My uncle held the press conference telling people they thought I had been kidnapped because he thought it would raise less questions than if they had told them that we ran away."
He reaches over the table grabs my hands. "I'm so sorry, kid. I'm sorry that you both had to go through that. I wish I'd known. I know you say there was nothing anyone could have done, but we would have helped." He looks at Mason and then back to me. "I promise we'll protect you. I know the Knights already promised that, but the Legion Riders are now Knights, and you've got us all in your corner."
Chapter Fifty-Eight
I hadn't wanted to leave her with Wolf; he fucking pissed me off with his attitude when he first got here. He corrected it quite quickly though. I'm wary of the new members. I get that they have only been here a few hours, but the way they stepped up to Wolf has me on edge. They were a part of the Legion Riders for so long and I'm sure it's difficult to be dropped right in the middle of an already established club. They need to realise quickly that we are one club now, they need to be able to manage their feelings. They looked like they were challenging Nitro earlier, and we can't have that.
When I'd grabbed the painkillers for Nova, I'd had a quick conversation with Wrath about it. He's wary too and agreed that we need to make sure that everyone is on the same page from day one. I want to get Nova and Mason away from here, but Nitro is pulling a meeting together and we all need to be here for that. Part of me wishes I wasn't leaving today, but I think the sea of new faces might be a bit much for her and Mase. Taking them away is the right thing for them.
I head over to the table where I left Nova and Mason with Wolf. As I get closer, I notice Smokey and Chuckles are sitting with them. Anxiety ripples through me, but as I look at my girl, she looks comfortable, she doesn't seem stressed or worried, and neither does Mason. I let out a heavy breath and stop in front of them.
"Everything okay?" I ask.
Wolf looks up at me and nods. "Yes, brother. All good."
Smokey doesn't lift his head, instead he continues to look down at the book Mason is drawing in, and he seems to be giving him pointers. "All good here, brother," he says, his tone light and relaxed. Normally I'd be offended by the fact he didn’t look up, but I like that he answered without pulling his attention away from Mason.
"All good." Chuckles stands up and holds out his hand for me to shake. I furrow my brows as I look down at it. "I want to apologise for earlier. We were out of line stepping up beside Wolf before. It's kind of a habit."
I'm about to respond when Smokey chimes in, "It's a habit that we will try and break, but please bear with us. We've been Legion Riders for years, this transition is going to be hard, but it is something we want. It's something our entire club wants." He smiles at me and moves his focus back to Mason.
I nod, grabbing Chuckles hand and shaking it. "Thank you. I appreciate that, brothers. And I appreciate the honesty. I can only imagine how hard it is for you." I let go of his hand and he retakes his seat. It’s only now they seem to have relaxed that I realised how tense they had been when I walked over here.
"Baby, do you have your bag?" I ask Nova.
"Prospect took it and put it in the car earlier," she tells me with a smile.
"Good. We just need to have a quick club meeting and then we'll be heading out, if you're ready?" I say.
"Oh okay," she breathes, shuffling in her chair and grabbing Mason’s things. "We're ready. Come on, Mase. We'll be outside by the car," she says as she gets up from the chair, gently pushing Mason out of his seat.
I grab her arm and pull her toward me. "Club meeting, not committee. Club means everyone, all the brothers, prospects, club girls and family. You're part of us, so you both stay," I say gently, placing a kiss on her cheek. I look down at Mason. "You okay, bud?" I ask. He gives me a nod but doesn’t say anything.
I drop down to my knees, bringing me closer to his level. "What is it?" I ask him.
He looks up at Nova and then back to me, before dropping his face to the floor. I grab his chin and lift it back up so he's looking at me. "Mase, talk to me, bud. What is it?" I ask, beginning to get worried. Nova hasn’t said anything, and when I look up at her she just gives me a smile.
He blinks back tears. "I get really sick when I'm travelling in cars," he says, his voice low. "I don't want to make a mess in the car or make anyone mad."
I grab at his hands, stopping him from twisting them. "Mase, it's fine. A lot of people get travel sick, there is nothing to be worried about."
"But what—"
"But nothing, buddy. I'm sure we have something that might help and if you feel like you're going to be sick, then you just ask the guys to stop the car, it’s no big deal, I promise," I tell him, pulling him to me for a hug. "Why don't we go find Doc and see if he has anything?" I ask him.
He pulls back and gives me a smile. "Okay. Thank you."
I stand and turn to look for Doc. I don't see him, but I see my sister, Georgia, and wave her over.
"Hey," she says to us all, then ruffles Mason’s hair, giving him a smile.
"You know where Doc is?" I ask her.
"Yeah, think he's in the kitchen. Everything okay?" she asks, glancing at Nova and then down at Mason. She’s a little worried.
"Oh yeah. Just wondered if he had anything for travel sickness for Mase," I tell her. I'm about to walk away when she places her hand on my arm.
