“Obviously,” I muttered as I pulled the popcorn kernels from the cabinet. The oil was under the cabinet with the pan, and I set it down on the stove a little too loudly.
Slyce wrapped her arms around me from behind and whispered, “You’re gonna be alright, Kat. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”
“I can’t bear to see her heart broken.”
“I know, but it’s a part of life. It’s how we grow.”
Slyce was right. I couldn’t shelter Frankie from every bout of pain, emotional or physical. But wasn’t that every mother’s dream? That their child didn’t have to suffer the way they did? That we could somehow find the magic solution to make our children’s lives better than ours was?
“What about the person who was looking for us?” I asked.
Slyce stepped back and assured me, “You don’t need to worry about them.”
“Slyce—”
“Kat, I promise. You are safe here. You can live your life without looking over your shoulder.”
“Richard—”
“Richard married that bitch who soured you on friendships. Just know she is way more miserable than you are.”
“But her girls...” My eyes pleaded with Slyce to give me something that let me know they were safe.
“He hasn’t done anything that I know of. But on my way to my next assignment, I will stop and check on them.”
“Thank you.” I peered down the hall and asked, “And her mother?”
“Don’t worry about her.”
I nodded. What else could I do? Slyce seemed to think Frankie’s mother wouldn’t be an issue, but Marsha Wade was out there somewhere. As far as I knew, she didn’t know who I was or where we lived. But there was a constant niggling in the back of my mind that kept me up at night wondering when she would knock on our front door.
And what I would do if she did.
Slyce and Frankie watched movies and ate snacks well into the night. Frankie was sad Slyce was leaving, but she understood there were other moms and daughters that needed her help.
My daughter handled her emotions better than I did. When Slyce rolled out at six a.m., I lay back down in my bed and cried. I might have been upset with her for keeping information from me, but I counted her a friend. She assured me I could call her anytime, just to talk, and especially if we needed her help.
Frankie was still asleep when someone pounded on the front door. Well, not someone—him.I straightened my shoulders and inhaled deeply as I swung the door open, ready to tell him we didn’t need him.
Only, it wasn’t him.
It was a member of the club. I ignored the disappointment in my chest and tried not to let it show. My eyes dropped to his leather, and I read the name.
Zero.
He was tall with wide shoulders. Of course, every member of the club I’d met so far was tall with wide shoulders. Except forMimic. He was tall but lean. His muscles were well-defined, but he was still young.
The man standing on my front porch looked to be about my age. He was handsome in an intense sort of way. He wasn’t smiling, but his features were soft. His dark hair brushed his collar, and despite the pain I saw in his eyes, it gave him a boyish look.
“Can I help you?” I asked, holding the door and trying not to pull it in front of me. I wasn’t afraid of him, but I wasn’t comfortable either. I’d had enough of bikers to last me a lifetime.
“King asked me to come by and fix the siding. Just wanted you to know who was out here in case you heard me banging around.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded, but he lingered in the doorway a moment longer before moving back down the steps to the truck in the driveway. I closed the door and leaned against it. Frankie appeared, rubbing her eyes.
“Who’s here?”
