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“You know, my wife, Ty’s mom, she went through something similar. She was just a kid, only eighteen, and the guy she thought was her boyfriend turned out to be in a motorcycle club. He raped her. She got pregnant with Keegan, and her parents threw her out of the house. She had no other option but to beg him for help.”
“God, that’s awful,” she frowned.
“Yea, it definitely sucked for her. But my wife, she’s the most amazing, strong, intelligent woman I know. She knew that sooner or later, they would start using her and maybe even Keegan. So, she found a way and escaped. She worked two and three jobs to get her accounting degree, but she never once left her daughter alone or unprotected.
“When they came to Club Steel, our old restaurant and bar in Virginia, I knew the moment I saw her that she would be mine.”
“That’s so romantic,” smiled Londyn.
“Yea, except she’s thirteen years older than I am. She struggled with that more than me. To top it off, my brother fell in love with her daughter, making it more than a little awkward. But nothing was going to stop me from loving that woman, Londyn. Nothing.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you need to know that when an RP man makes up his mind about a woman, that’s all she wrote. We love fast and hard. But more importantly, we love forever. In all our years of marriage, I can tell you that I have never, not once, looked at another woman the way I look at my wife.
“You see, we might all be ex-military. SEALs, Delta, Green Berets, Marines, Coasties, and Rangers, but when it comes to our wives, we’re mush. We will protect them to the very death, but in our hearts, we know that we won’t have to because we’re better trained, better equipped, and better prepared.”
“But,” she whispered, giving a quick glance to the still sleeping Bone, “but what if you’re not? What if he’s better trained than you think he is? What if he finds me and hurts him?”
“Never happen, honey. Never.” She just looked at him, then at Truck, who raised his head, tilting it from one side to the other.
“I need to use the bathroom. Can you just help me to the door?”
“Anything,” said Eagle.
He gently moved her legs to hang over the mattress, then carefully lifted her until her feet touched the floor. With a firm hand around her waist and the other holding her unbroken arm, they took tiny, careful steps toward the bathroom.
“I’m surprised how much better I’m feeling today,” she said quietly. “I think it’s my exceptional care.” Eagle chuckled, nodding at her. He guided her to the commode, helping her to turn, then backed out.
“Just open the door when you’re done.” She nodded, then leaned forward, grabbing his hand. He thought she was going to fall, so he took a step closer. Instead, she reached up, kissing his cheek.
“Thank you. For everything. For having such a wonderful son.” She closed the door, and he backed up, then turned to see Bone smiling at him.
“Were you ever going to let her know you were awake, shithead?”
“I just wanted to hear her speak with someone besides me. She was pretty open with you. I’ll take that as a good sign.”
“She’s scared, and she’s worried that you’ll be hurt in all this. Gaspar and Nine once said the sign of a woman we want to keep is one that’s more worried about all of us than she is of herself. She’s a keeper, Ty.”
“I know,” he nodded. “Where are the others? Any news on Perez?”
“Grady called from The Well. There was a guy in there with the same tattoo on his hand, but he’d left the gang several years ago. We got some decent information from him but nothing else. Miguel thinks we can use Chavez in Central America. According to this kid at The Well, Chavez hates Perez, and he’s a distant relative of Londyn’s.”
“Maybe that will make him think about helping us,” said Bone. They heard the toilet flush, and then a few minutes later, the door opened to reveal a freshly washed face with a smile.
“Did I wake you up?” she asked as Eagle grabbed her waist again.
“Not at all. I’m glad to see you up.”
“Can I sit in the living room for a while? I just don’t want to be in that bed any longer.”
“Of course.” Bone got on one side of her, Eagle on the other, and Truck was behind her the whole way, just in case she fell over. In the living room, Parker, Rory, Bodhi, and Titus were playing cards. Seeing her come down the hallway, they all stood, smiling at her.
“Hi,” she smiled a crooked smile.
“There she is,” smirked Rory. “Sleeping Beauty has awakened.”
“I’m not sure about the beauty part, but I’m awake.” Parker swallowed, staring at the broken bones and bruises still prominent. Releasing the hand of Eagle and Bone, she took slow, careful steps toward him, then wrapped her arms around his waist.
