“Then why are you?”
“What?” I looked at Donna. I wasn’t hiding. I was sitting in front of her. In front of my friends. I was still here. I hadn’t run. She looked at my cut.
“Have you told him everything?”
I turned away, ignoring her question. I couldn’t tell him everything. He had his suspicions. And I already had doubts about whether he still wanted me. But if I told him everything they’d done, if he knew the truth, those doubts would become reality.
“You’re hiding, Grace. Even when you’re standing out in the open, you can still hide behind your doubts and fears. When did he put the cut on your back?”
I ran my fingers over the soft leather. It was the one thing I’d wanted desperately, and now that I had it, I didn’t believe I deserved it. “This morning,” I told her.
“After the worst happened.”
“How do you know it was the worst?”
“Because like recognizes like, Grace.” She leaned over. “See Karlyn? She’s with Jackson. I watched Jackson grow up with my kids. I saw that boy turn into a man. But the beginning of his life was the stuff nightmares were made of. He survived, Grace. He went in search of Karlyn, and because he found her, she survived, too.”
I watched Karlyn as she smiled shyly at something Haizley said. She was quiet, timid. But when Jackson was dying, she stood up to his father. She’d found her strength and used it for him.
“She’s hiding too. Not as far as she was. Jackson helped pull her out of the darkness. Eventually she’ll find her way all the way out. And you will too, Grace. King will help you if you let him.”
The door opened, and Blade walked in. “Micah, what are you doing here?” Beck asked. He didn’t look at his old lady. His eyes were on mine.
“King sent me over to get Grace.”
“Why?” I asked, standing up.
“He needs you at the clubhouse.” It was all Blade said. I knew he wouldn’t tell me anything in front of the others. I looked at Donna, who nodded. I wondered if she knew what was going on.
“Okay,” I sighed.
I followed Blade, and once we were outside, I touched his arm. He turned to look at me, and I asked, “What is it?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
“Is it bad?”
“It depends on how you look at it.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
Blade chuckled. “All I can say is, he asked me to come get you.”
“Thinks he can just summon me and I’ll jump to do his bidding,” I muttered as Blade threw his head back and laughed.
“Do you have any idea how fucking perfect for him you are? We were all rooting for you, Grace. When he claimed you at the table, we were all so fucking happy he finally got his head out of his ass. The cut looks perfect, just as we all knew it would.”
“Thank you,” I said softly as I followed him across the street.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Reaper
“You don’t get to tell me what to fucking do, asshole,” Montana snarled, moving to stand next to me as I turned to look at King. The big fucker grinned, slowly getting up from his seat, then walked over to stand on the other side of me.
“Hey,Dad,” I sneered, crossing my arms over my chest. “Death becomes you.”
James Doherty growled, taking a step toward me. “You little shit!”
