Page 57 of Throttle Therapy

Jenna stared at the house, not sure how this could be right.This wasn’t her house.Her house was trashed.Her house was a crime scene.Her house was off limits until the police cleared it.

Her door opened and Roadkill stepped between her and the porch.

“How?”she said as he helped her out of the vehicle.

“Remember I told you I’d already asked for it.Hex hadn’t made a decision yet, at least until tonight.He just gave me the keys, and the guys are moving in a few things from storage.It will do until we can figure out what we need and get it.They’ll move my shit from my room next.”He walked her through the small grassy yard and up the stairs.

In the living room sat an old, battered leather couch and not much else.He led her through the house, showing her were their room would be and across the hall was a room for Lacey.Against one wall sat a queen size bed with a bare mattress.

Roadkill pulled out his phone, typed something on it then shoved it back in his pocket.

“I know it’s a little sparse now, but we’ve got clothes and basics on the way for you both.They likely won’t be here till morning, but we can grab a couple of my t-shirts and some sweats for the two of you to sleep in until then.”He tugged her from there down the hall, showing her the restroom and two more bedrooms, both empty.“Come on.Let’s go see if there’s anything in the kitchen.”

Jenna knew she had to resemble a zombie the way she was letting him lead her around, but she didn’t have it in her to care.All she cared about was that Lacey was safe and she was on her way here.

Jennacouldn’tstopthetears from falling when she saw Lacey.Her chest ached at how much her sister must hurt but the joy of having her back.She was hurt, yes.But it would all heal.

Still, her little sister’s swollen face and stiff way she moved, that let Jenna know there was more that hurt, made her want to wrap Lacey up in a blanket and hold on tight, just like she had when her sister was four and some kid had knocked her down at the park.

Lacey wore a black t-shirt several sizes too big.From the lack of shirt under Joker’s Savage Warriors cut, Jenna could only guess it was his.What had happened to her sister’s clothes?

“Come on in,” Bones said to Jenna as she followed Joker into the small building Roadkill had taken her to when they’d gotten word that Joker was back with her sister.

The Warrior who had found and brought her sister back now carried the girl inside, as if she was the little girl Jenna remembered.And watching the way her sister clung to the rough looking biker, she couldn’t begrudge her sister the comfort he obviously brought her.

Inside the small building, they passed through a room that looked much like a waiting room, except it was filled with worn sofas and comfortable looking overstuffed chairs, then entered a room that strongly resembled nearly every doctor’s office exam room she’d ever been in.

Joker tried to set Lacey on the exam table, but she whimpered and clung to him, burying her face in the leather of his vest.

“Don’t force it.You hop up there, and let her sit on your lap.”Bones pulled a step from the bottom of the exam table with the toe of one boot.

Joker stepped up and sat on the exam table, barely jostling the girl in his arms, as if it was something he did every day.If she didn’t know his past and that he’d already had a soft spot for her sister, Jenna might have worried.

“All right, Lacey,” Bones bent his head so he was eye to eye with the teenager, “my name’s Bones.I’m the Savage Warriors medic.I’m a friend of Roadkill, Papa Smurf, and that guy you’re holding on to so tight.I’m not going to make him leave you.I promise.But I need you to let go of him enough that I can take a look at you.”He paused, as if waiting to see if she had anything to say, then when she said nothing, he continued.“I will do my best not to hurt you, but I need to see if anything’s broken.We need to find out exactly where you’re hurt and how bad it is so we can make sure you have the right treatment.All right?”He fell silent but he didn’t move.He stayed ducked down and meeting Lacey’s gaze.

After a moment, the teenager loosened her hold around Joker’s neck.

“I’m safe?”

“I told you that, squirt,” Joker said, his voice rougher than usual.“They’ll never hurt you again.”

“Tell us what happened,” Hex said from the open doorway.

“I can make anyone you’re not comfortable with leave, Lacey, just say the word and they’re gone.Anyone you want to stay, can,” Bones said as he went to the small sink in one corner and washed his hands.

“They can stay,” Lacey’s voice was barely more than a whisper.“Them talking means I don’t have to.”She looked up at Joker.“Tell them.All of it.”She leaned her cheek against his chest.

“I found out from the teacher who he’d given their address to.He gave me a phone number too.”Joker shook his head.“I’m always surprised by how stupid criminals are.Anyway, Cypher tracked the number for me, I headed after them.He lost the cell signal once they were too far onto the water, but by then he’d figured out which boat they were on and he tracked that.”

“I need to feel for any broken bones.It will probably hurt, but I’ll be as gentle as I can, okay?”

Lacey nodded and turned her head so Bones could get to her face.

“I got as close as I dared then went into the water.I boarded the boat and neutralized the first man before they even knew I was there.The second didn’t put up much fight either.I untied squirt and turned the boat back to shore.With just the two of them, it didn’t take long.I heard them talking before I took them out.They were on the water for what they thought would be a quick, untraceable get away.They were headed for somewhere near Houstonville.”

“What happened to the men?”Hex asked.

“They opted to swim back.”