Page 120 of Healed

I recognised that move. I knew that pain. A pain no child should ever have to know.

“Do you need help, sweetheart?” I said when she didn’t answer. “Where’s your mum?”

The girl looked at Vienna and sobbed softly, her face paling considerably.

“Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay,” I soothed. “He won’t hurt you. This is my friend, Vienna. He looks big, I know, but I promise you, he’s just a giant teddy bear.”

She nodded, looking far from convinced.

“Don’t look at him,” I said, gently nudging Vienna back and creeping closer to the girl. From here I could see the bruising on her arms and the tremble in her legs. “Just look at me, and tell me what’s happened.”

She didn’t answer me, but she did look relieved at having Vienna step back. I slowly reached out for her and took her hand in mine.

She looked down at the contact, seeming shocked that someone would comfort her, and I felt my heart break all over again.

“Do you need help? Can you tell me where your mum is?” I tried again.

“Mum said…” she began, sniffing back her tears.

“What did your mum say, sweetheart?” I asked, shuffling slightly closer to her, noting more bruises on her face and arms as I did so.

“Mum said find the bikes,” she replied, her voice so soft I wasn’t sure I’d heard her.

“Find the bikes?” I asked. “What bikes?”

“Find the bike men. The bike men in the village,” she said.

“Does your mum need help, sweetheart?” Vienna asked. The girl flinched at his voice. “I am one of the bikers, darling. And I will help your mummy, I promise. But I need you to trust me a little bit first, can you do that? Can you talk to me and let me know where she is and what’s happened so me and my friends can help you?”

The little girl paused and glanced at me. I nodded, and she took a deep breath before saying, “He hurt me again. Mummy told him to stop, and now he’s hurting her.”

It hadn’t taken long for Vienna to spring into action.

After asking the little girl her name—Kourtney—he’d stepped away and put in a call to Dante.

When he came back, he explained that he was taking her to his home, with Rachel and the children, and that she would be safe. She seemed to relax then. I don’t know what made her stop fearing him, but when he asked if he could pick her up, she’d raised her arms and allowed him to scoop her up gently and carry her through the compound.

I’d taken his bike without needing to be asked, making Kourtney laugh as I beeped the horn or gently bumped it into Vienna’s legs, where he did a dramatic stumble and told Kourtney she would need to carry him.

The second we arrived at the clubhouse, everyone had been ordered out. And no one—I mean no one—questioned Rachel’s authority once. They scrambled, leaving only us three, plus Rachel, Dante, and little Bee.

“Right, darling,” Dante said, once Kourtney was settled in one of the booths, a blanket over her shoulders and some medicine given to help with the pain.

Bee sat next to her, sharing an ice cream bowl, one arm around Kourtney’s shoulders.

“I know this is confusing for you. I know it’s scary, but I promise you, you’re safe. But I need you to do something really brave for me and try to answer my questions. Do you think you can do that?” Dante asked, sitting at the other side of the booth, careful not to let any of his body come too close to her.

Kourtney hesitated, her eyes growing wild and scanning the room as though she felt trapped.

“It’s okay. That’s my daddy,” Bee whispered, squeezing her shoulder and nodding towards Dante.

“Okay,” Kourtney nodded, seeming to trust her new friend. Bee squeezed her shoulders and smiled.

“Thank you,” Dante smiled. “So where is your mummy now? Can you remember?”

“Home.”

“And where is that darling, do you know your address?”