Page 5

I strip down and grab the jeans out of the bag before pulling them on. It’s weird as hell to be wearing normal clothes again but in the best possible way. With each new piece of clothing I pull onto my body, a shred of humanity that I lost over the past seven years falls back into place and by the time I’m done, I almost feel like my old self.

“Ready?” Shep asks as I pull on the jacket they provided and I nod.

“Hell, yeah.”

He guides me back over to the office and the woman glances up again. “He’s good to go.”

“Thanks, Syd,” Shep replies, flashing her a grin and she blushes as he leads me out of the office and I nudge him as he guides me through another set of locked doors.

“So…Syd, huh?”

He shakes his head. “Don’t start with me, LeBlanc. She and I are just friends.”

“Sure you are, Shep. Send me an invite to the wedding, yeah?”

We reach the final door, the one standing between me and my freedom and I suck in a breath as he slaps me on the shoulder.

Shit.

This is it.

“You ready?”

It’s weird. I mean, yeah, I’m more than ready to finally breathe free air again but there’s this part of me that is shaking like a leaf. I’ve gotten used to this life and I’m not entirely sure how to go back to normal. Maybe once I finally find my girl, all of this will feel right but right now, it feels like when my dad was teaching me to ice skate in fourth grade and I stepped out onto the ice for the first time.

“Absolutely,” I reply, shaking off my nerves and Shep chuckles before radioing to the control room. A buzzing sound fills the room and Shep shoves the large metal door open. I suck in a breath and step outside, my heart hammering in my chest as sunlight beats down on me. It’s unseasonably cold for January in Louisiana but I’ve never felt anything better.

“Good luck, LeBlanc,” Shep says, extending his hand as the door closes behind us and we walk along the sidewalk leading to the main gate. I shake it. “I really hope I don’t see you back here.”

“You won’t, I can guarantee you that. I’m gonna find Kady and finally start living our life together.”

My mind drifts back to all the plans she and I had before I got locked up and I’ve spent my time here dreaming about finally seeing her walk down the aisle to marry me and having my babies. Grinning, he shakes his head.

“Man, I wish I could be a fly on the wall when you finally do find her. From the way you’ve described her all these years, I’m sure it will be memorable.”

“Oh, ye of little faith. She’s going to be thrilled to see me.”

“Maybe you should step back inside and we’ll have the doc take a look at you. I think you might be a little delusional.”

I bark out a laugh, taking a step back. “Not a chance in hell.”

“All right,” he sighs as we stop at the front gate and he radios to the control room again. The gate slowly starts sliding open and my heart feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest.

“I am Hennessy!” someone yells from the parking lot and I laugh as I catch sight of Chance and Smith recreating the drunken dance I did on the night I earned my nickname with the club.

“Motherfuckers,” I chuckle, shaking my head.

“They with you?”

I nod with a grin. “Unfortunately.”

“That your bike?” Shep asks with raised brows, pointing to the bike parked next to them and my grin grows. Besides finding Kady, getting back on my bike has been one of the things I’ve been looking forward to most.

“Sure is. She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?”

He nods. “Hell, yeah. Actually, I’ve been thinking about getting one myself.”

“Yeah? Come by the club sometime and I’ll let you take her for a ride.”