I look at Maya, now fully dressed in her flowered dress, trying to put on her shoes by herself and getting frustrated when the laces won't cooperate. "Maya needs more than I've been giving her. Needs friends, school, stability. Can't keep dragging her from town to town hoping the next place will feel right."
"And this place feels right?"
Does it? I've been here less than twenty-four hours. Slept in a clubhouse with an MC I just met. Got offered work by men who could still turn out to be full of shit despite all evidence to the contrary.
But I fought for a woman two days ago. Met her again yesterday. Agreed to breakfast today and the thought of it doesn't make me want to run.
"Yeah," I say slowly. "I think maybe it does."
"Let me guess." Eli's voice takes on that knowing tone that's annoying as hell because he's usually right. "You found a good woman who makes you want to stay."
I laugh despite myself. "Maybe. I don't know yet. But there's an MC here—the Savage Riders. They're clean, Eli. Actually clean. Like what we thought ours was before everything went to shit. And they offered me work."
"Security?"
"Yeah. Protection for local businesses, keeping the town safe. They've got a code, and from what I can tell, they actually follow it."
Another pause. I can practically hear Eli thinking, weighing the risks, trying to decide if he needs to ride out here and check things out himself.
"You sure about this?" he asks finally. "About the MC, I mean. Not the woman, that's your business. But the club... you know how that ended last time."
"I know." God, do I know. Can still see the faces of the men who died believing in something that turned out to be a lie. Still hear the gunshots, still smell the blood. "But this is different. I can feel it."
"Your gut's usually pretty good," Eli admits. "But if it goes south—"
"I'll call. Promise."
"And you really don't want to come back? The Iron Phoenixes always have a place for you, little brother. You know that."
The Iron Phoenixes. Eli's MC, built from the ground up with men who actually give a shit about the code, about doing things right. Our parents would have been proud of what he created.
But it's his creation, not mine. His legacy, his reputation, his shadow.
"I know," I say, and I mean it. "And I appreciate it. But I need to do this on my own. Need to know who I am without... without all of that."
"I get it." And he does. Eli's always understood me better than anyone, even when I don't understand myself. "But the offer stands. Forever. You change your mind, you call, and I'll have a patch with your name on it within the hour."
"Thanks, Eli."
"Take care of my niece. And yourself. And maybe this mystery woman, if she's worth staying for."
"I'll try."
We hang up just as Maya finally gets her shoes on. Backwards, but I don't correct her. We'll fix it in the parking lot. Right now, we need to move.
"Ready?"
"Ready!" She bounces toward the door with more energy than any human should have at this hour.
We head downstairs. The clubhouse is quiet this early. Most of the guys probably sleeping off whatever they were up to last night. But King is in the common room, sitting at the table with a woman I haven't met yet. She's beautiful in a natural way, long dark hair, warm eyes, completely comfortable in this space despite not wearing a cut.
His old lady, I'm guessing. The way he looks at her confirms it: like she's the only person in the room, like nothing else matters.
"Morning," King says, glancing up. "You two heading out?"
"Breakfast," I confirm, helping Maya with her backwards shoes. "At The Grind."
"Early breakfast," the woman observes, smiling. "Special occasion?"
