Chapter 2
Vex
Iwatch quietly as Loyal’s face cycles through her emotions.
Fear, embarrassment, shyness, determination and then shock.
I want to pull her into my arms and squeeze the hell out of her, tell her how proud I am that she spoke up about what she wants, and damn if what she wants doesn’t make me want to drop to my knees and claim I’m not worthy.
Loyal wants to become an EMT and damned if I’m going to stand in her way. I’m going to be there right by her side, making sure she gets every fucking thing she dreams of.
“Right. Well, looks like we have an immediate plan,” Dex says, looking around the table.
“Loyal, if I can ask a favor?” She nods, eager to help.
“I know you have already informed our guests who we are, but I think it would be good to have a big dinner tonight so they can all come and get used to seeing us around. Can you please extend the invite?”
“Of course,” Loyal smiles gently.
“Ah, quick question, Prez; who the hell is going to be doing the cooking?” Flack asks, hand raised as if in class.
“Didn’t you know? TumTum is a trained chef.” Dex smirks.
All eyes turn to TumTum in shock. “What? No one ever asked what I did before I joined the DRMC. Well, no one until Prez asked.”
Saint leans forward, clapping TumTum on the shoulder, “I have experience working the kitchen of a diner. I’ll be your sous chef, just tell me what you need.”
“Wouldn’t you just be my assistant?”
“Nah, I’m fancier than that,” Saint winks.
TumTum rolls his eyes at my brother before turning to Dex. “We need to go shopping, give us some money and we’ll get gone.”
“Get your fresh produce from next door, they have a farmers market. It’ll help support the Keep Community.
” I butt in. The community members may be on the other side of the fence and keep mostly to themselves, but they were still once people who my father fucked over, so I feel like we need to be supporting them in any way we can.
If buying fruit and veg from there helps out, then that’s what we’ll do.
“Was already headed that way, brother,” Saint nods.
Dex tips his chin, handing over his card. “Stock the pantry, and get treats for the kids.” Turning he addresses the rest of us, “Anyone know any prospects?”
* * *
I follow Loyal out of Church once Dex calls it.
I’m not sure if it was meant to end that early, but TumTum and Saint were chomping at the bit to get dinner sorted.
Flack went with them to help “push the carts” and now I’m a little concerned at how much they’re all going to bring back.
There is a reason why Saint never does the grocery shopping at our place.
“You did good in there,” I tell her, quietly so as not to startle her.
She smiles shyly down at her feet, and I have to ball my fists so as not to reach out and tip her head up.
Loyal is fierce and strong when she is advocating for others, but when it comes to herself she doesn’t see her worth.
The thought that her father and husband beat her down so far that she can’t see how incredible she is makes me want to kill them all over again.
At least I know their deaths weren’t nice.
My sister seems to have a flair for the dramatic and painful.
“Thank you, Vex. I mean, I won’t count my chickens before they hatch. You know that education for girls in Eden’s Keep stopped when we were-”
“Hey,” I stop her with a hand on her arm.
“Don’t do that. Don’t minimize who you are or what you want to do.
I see you, Loyal Blessing. You’re a lot more clever and brave than you give yourself credit for.
Fuck what your father and Goodson said. Fuck what that inner voice inside your head says when it tells you you can’t do something.
Listen to me, imagine my voice inside your head. You can do this. I believe in you.”
She rolls her plump lips between her teeth before she nods, her hair glinting in the sunshine. “I can do this,” she whispers, so quietly I can barely hear it.
“Again. Louder.”
“I can do this,” she says, stronger this time, eyes sparkling.
“I can’t hear youuuuu!” Tipping my head back I yell the words into the humid air.
“I can do this!” she yells breaking out into giggles at the end, a sound that has been years since I last heard it this carefree.
“Yes, you fucking can.” I grin at her as the little girl she dusted off earlier bursts into giggles, yelling at Loyal that she can do it, too.
“Thank you, Vex.” She gifts me with a smile before I let her go, watching as she interacts with our rescue families.
“She reminds me of Lovely, a little,” Chef says, coming to stand beside me, eyes on the people moving around the yard.
Everyone seems to be taking advantage of the less than sweltering weather. The little girl Greer and her mother Nell are on the swing set talking to an older man and I’m guessing his daughter.
“How so?” I ask Chef.
“Hmm, actually, let me rephrase that. She reminds me of the old Lovely. She’s seen and lived through some shit but she’s still here, still fighting.”
“That she is.”
He side eyes me for a moment before smirking, “Yeah, all she needs is a good man to help her see her worth.”
“Yeah, yeah, all in good time. Besides, shouldn’t we be talking about you and the good woman you left behind?”
Chef scowls, a look of annoyance on his face, “Leave it. I love Sage, but she needs to find out who she is. Live a little before she ties herself down to an older vet with issues.”
“Brother, Sage is young but she isn’t a kid.
She chose you. She wants you. Your dumb ass thinks it’s doing her a favor, but brother, what you’re doing is fucking dumb.
What’s your plan in the long term? Break her heart now, let her live her life then go crawling back when you think she’s ready to be tied down?
Or break her heart and then be happy when she marries some shithead who doesn’t know how to treat her right? ”
The growl that rips out of Chef doesn’t just surprise me, it catches him off guard too. He says nothing else as he spins on his heel and stalks away from me.
“What the hell was that about?” Dex asks, throwing his thumb over his shoulder.
“Just asking the man how he’d feel about my niece dating some other guy. Apparently, he doesn’t think much of the idea,” I reply drily.
Dex snorts, shaking his head. “Sniper already got a call back from the old bait shop. The guy’s grandson said he’d meet us there if you wanna ride out now.”
I tip my face up into the air. Texas may be hot, but Louisiana, especially around these parts, is humid as fuck. The heat isnt oppressive at the moment, and my mind isn’t foggy with the need to seek out A/C yet either, so a ride in the breeze, even after the long fucking ride here, sounds good.
“Let’s do this.”
I follow my Prez to our bikes, waiting for him to lead the way.
Usually TumTum as road captain would but with him off doing the grocery shopping it’s up to Dex to lead and me to follow.
I stay alert as we ride past the community housing and gardens, making sure to check my mirrors and little blind spots in hidden away places as we make our way into Adonner.
Back in the day we’d come here to shop for things Eden’s Keep couldn’t provide themselves, the townsfolk all whispering and pointing at the weird clothing we’d be dressed in.
Since we got rid of anyone and everyone that was evil, the Adonner folk seem to be a lot more welcoming.
Dex pulls back a little so he’s level with me, head turning left and right.
I point to the left, then clench my fist as I pull off the road to the little bait shop that has sat here for as long as I can remember.
It’s still a piece of shit, but I guess if we could get it for a steal, then it’d be a sound investment.
Last I heard folk were ordering in bait from and not liking the quality.
Adonner folk, hell, any folk from around these parts take their fishing seriously.
“Well, if it ain’t the Prophet’s son.”
Running my eyes over the massive blonde man in front of me, I shake my head, no recognition of this man at all. “Do I know you?”
“Nah, probably not. My gramps owned the bait shop and a few other things. Mom worked the diner. Remember you lot comin’ in every now and then. Hard to miss, cher. You all look the same.”
I shrug. I mean I could argue with the man, but dude is actually fucking friendly and smiley and it’s somewhat freaky considering I’ve spent the past few years of my life being suspicious, hiding people and, since hooking up with the DRMC, getting rid of them.
“He’s not wrong man, Landry genes are strong,” Dex says, slapping me on the shoulder. “Right, show us around.”
Loyal
“Are you sure it’s OK for us to be here?”
I smile down at Nell, my hand at her back. “I know that it’s overwhelming and the men are huge, but they help people. People like me and you. They’ve rescued children and women who were being sold into slavery. They’re good men. Do you trust me?”
Nell turns her dark eyes up to me and grips the hand of her little girl tighter. “I trust you. It’s me I don’t trust.”
I nod and throw my arm over her shoulders, squeezing her to me.
My chest tightens when I think of all the times I had to hide my emotions, scared stiff that my mask would slip and Goodson would see my fear, my disdain, or my disgust for him.
The few times my mask slipped, the times my anger broke through, they were the times I was convinced I was going to die.
Take my last breath on this earth with his boot on my neck.
“Nell, you trusted your instinct to grab your daughter and run. That is the single most powerful and important decision you made in your whole life and for that one moment you trusted yourself. You can do this. For Greer and you.” I give her one last long squeeze, then step back, letting the woman pull herself together.