Chapter 23
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Kayla
Lily’s hand tightens around mine as we walk up the steps to the Haven House. Jack refuses to go inside this house. Lily’s only been to the kitchen through the back door a couple of times. This used to be Jack’s house, their house. Their fear of this place is rooted deep. This is where Lily was shot.
“You don’t have to do this.”
Lily stands frozen on the porch and stares at the front door. The deep breath she takes lifts her shoulders. “I do. I want to see her.” She glances at me and shakes her head. “I just won’t go upstairs.”
That’s understandable. Returning to the place you almost died has to mess with a person mentally and emotionally. I’m not sure I could do it.
“Okay. You don’t have to, and if at any time you need to leave, that’s okay too.” If I see any signs of a panic attack coming, I’ll rush her outside.
Kira narrows her eyes. I give my head a little shake. I’ll explain things to her later. Lily’s focused on the door again and doesn’t notice our silent conversation. The guys watch us closely. They’ll step in and help if Lily needs them.
I wish Lily wouldn’t do this tonight. We could have Nina meet her at the guesthouse or Mack’s office in the morning. She’s come a long way since waking up from her coma. She’s getting stronger physically and mentally. She’s finding the version of herself she lost while in an abusive relationship—an even better version than before. I’ve learned enough about her to know she won’t turn back. She’s doing this.
I raise my hand and knock on the door. The locks slowly disengage. The person on the other side is hesitant. Finally, the door opens.
Lily gasps, and her knees slightly buckle. The fight she had in Mack’s office is gone. “Nina.”
With tears running down her cheeks, Nina steps onto the porch and wraps Lily in her arms. “Oh, my sweet girl.”
Kira and I release Lily’s hands. She throws her arms around her friend, and they cry together. I wipe a fingertip under my eye. Lily’s told me so much about Nina. It broke my heart to hear her talk about the friend she lost. I hated that I couldn’t tell her Nina was here. Nina is one of the first women Jack’s family rescued. I was too young back then to know what was happening. I was barely a teenager when Nina left town.
“Do you want to come in?” Nina holds Lily at arm's length.
“For a moment.” Lily sniffles and nods. “Just to the living room,” she quickly adds.
Nina puts an arm around Lily’s waist and looks past us to Coty, Jay, and Hendrix. “Gentlemen, thank you for escorting these lovely ladies tonight.”
“Not a problem,” Hendrix assures her.
“Jay, sweetie, I’ll call if we need you.” Nina smiles lovingly at him.
“Rodeo, say goodnight.” Nina turns to me. “Kayla, please show your friend inside. We’ll get you ladies settled.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I take Kira’s hand and pause in the doorway. Hendrix has moved to the middle of the yard. Coty and Jay still stand at the bottom of the steps. “Don’t go far. Lily will need someone to walk her back.”
My words mean more than that. I just can’t bring myself to say more.
“Not about to leave her.” Jay’s been quieter tonight than normal. He and Jack are close., He doesn’t need to be asked to stay. He wasn’t going anywhere. A knife twists in my heart when my eyes meet Coty’s. I hurt him. I hurt both of us. I find enough courage for more. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
“If you want to.”
I nod. “I think I do.”
“I’ll be here, Sparky.”
He’s still calling me that horrid nickname. Maybe Lily’s right. There just might be hope for us.
“Kayla, we need to go inside and close the door,” Nina says.
She’s right. It’s past midnight. There’s at least one angel in the house, and she has a little boy. A part of me wants to stay out here and try to talk with Coty. A bigger part of me is too broken and too afraid.
“I’m tired.” Kira drops my hand and steps inside.
“Goodnight,” I whisper and hurry into the house.
Nina closes the door and turns to hug Lily again. Kira stands at the edge of the living room. Her wide eyes take in everything. Fear and uncertainty of what’s ahead show on her face. Lily stares in awe for a different reason.
The house is decorated beautifully. It’s cozy and comfortable. No signs that this was once a bachelor’s home exist anymore. The furniture, decorations, and the paint on the walls have all been changed. One corner of the living room was turned into a play area for the angels who have little ones. If children have their own little place, it helps the mothers feel more relaxed.
“You’re safe here, Kira. There are only women in this house.” Nina accepted the role of House Mother when Nanny came up with the idea of turning Jack’s house into a home for the angels as they pass through Willow Creek.
“More women are here?” Kira bites her thumbnail. “Like me?”
“At times there are.” As a trained professional, Nina detours the conversation. “Your room is ready if you want to go to bed. You and Kayla can even share a room if you’d like. You’ve come a long way. If you’re hungry, we had lasagna for dinner.”
Kira’s hand drops to her stomach at the mention of food. My stomach feels those pains too. We got a burger and loaded up on snack food at the travel center. That was hours ago.
“Food sounds good. We’ve mostly had junk food.” Kira looks too afraid to speak up, so I do. “I can help you fix it.”
“We were eating dinner when…it happened,” Kira says softly as she slides into a chair at the kitchen table.
“Road food is not the same.” Lily gets glasses from the cabinet and pours us all some sweet tea.
Lily shares a little of her story with Kira while Nina warms up the leftover lasagna and garlic bread, and I cut up vegetables for a salad. Within twenty minutes, we have a meal. The conversation while we eat changes to lighter subjects. No mention of men or abuse. It really helps Kira to relax.
“So.” Lily pushes her plate aside and leans forward with her forearms on the table. “Why didn’t you want me to know you were here?”
Nina dabs her napkin to the corners of her mouth. “At first, I wasn’t staying. I didn’t want to put either of us through saying goodbye again.”
Lily leans back. “Yeah. The first time was hard enough.” She regains her composure and gives a quick little jab of her finger at Nina. “You could have explained all this better.”
Nina laughs nervously. “I really couldn’t. We all swore to keep the organization a secret. Only Jacob or the other chapter presidents explain things.” She glances away and lowers her voice. “Not all the angels let us help them.”
“This isn’t legal, is it?” Kira’s eyes shift between the three of us.
“Not exactly,” I admit.
Nina takes over. She’s better trained for this. “The McLeods tried working with the police to rescue women from domestic violence. There’s a lot of red tape involved. We’re just bypassing the red tape.”
In other words, no, this isn’t exactly legal. Women and children’s lives are being saved. That’s all that matters to me.
“Try not to worry and just rest tonight. Jacob will explain things when it’s time.” Nina gives Kira a reassuring smile.
“And when will he do that?” Kira lays her fork down and pushes her plate away. She ate more than half of her food.
“Probably Monday. The club gets busy on the weekends,” Nina replies.
Kira’s head snaps toward me. “Club? I don’t want to go to a club?”
Nina taps her hand on the table, drawing Kira’s attention. “You won’t. You’ll stay here with me.” She changes things back to a calmer atmosphere. “If you’re ready to get some sleep, Kayla will show you to your room.”
Lily stands. “It’s late. I should go so you three can go to bed. I’ll help clean up first.”
“Nonsense. I got this.” Nina walks around the table and hugs Lily again. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“You’re really not leaving?” Lily’s eyes well up with tears.
“I’m not leaving.” Nina shakes her head. “My family’s here. I have to be careful, but I don’t want to leave them again.”
“Can I see you tomorrow?”
“You come to the Haven House any time you want.” Nina leans back and grins. “We can catch up. I want to hear all about how you, my friend, ended up with that sexy biker.”
Lily lightly laughs. “Yeah, that happened.”
It sure did. She not only ended up with a sexy biker but also the club president’s son. There are a lot of broken hearts around Willow Creek. More than half of the women in this town dreamed of being with that man. Some of those women aren’t even single.
“I’ll walk you to the door. I’m sure at least two of those men are still waiting for you.” Nina winks at me over her shoulder as they walk away. Coty’s definitely one of those men. “Kayla, show Kira upstairs, please. I’ll get the dishes.”
Kira and I get our bags from where we dropped them on the couch. She trembles as we start up the stairs.
“Can we really share a room? I don’t want to be alone.”
“Sure.” I lead the way to the last room on the left. It’s across the hall from Jack and Lily’s old room. That room has been turned into an office and storage rooms. This room has two twin beds.
While Kira changes, I go to the window and peek through the blinds. This room has a view of the front yard. I’m kinda glad Kira wanted to share a room. All three men waited for Lily. Jay and Hendrix walk down the path next to Lily, one on each side. Coty’s behind her. As if sensing I’m watching, he pauses and looks up at the window. I don’t run. I don’t wave. I just watch. After a long moment, he dips his chin and hurries to catch up with the others.
Kira watches over my shoulder. “I wanna know how you ended up with that sexy biker.”
“He’s not mine,” I whisper.
“Girl, you’re blind and an idiot. He definitely is.” She crawls into the bed furthest from the door.
I turn out the lamp between us and climb into the other bed. Coty’s mine. Well, technically, he’s not. Yet.