Chapter 18 #2
She shivered as she opened her eyes. Once again, she saw the burned-out home.
Turning her head, she saw the huge hole that opened up to the underground storage her father had used to hide his illegal dealings.
Walking that way she stood staring into the abyss.
Nothing remained. Everything was gone... but her.
Hearing a sound, she looked up to see an owl staring down at her from a tree that had survived the fire. They stared at each other like old friends. Lifting her arm the owl didn’t hesitate as it flew down and landed on her arm.
“I don’t think you’ll find any fat mice in this mess.” She whispered with a sad smile. “Nothing but rot here.”
The owl ruffled its feathers then looked around before staring back at her.
Hearing another noise, she saw three coyotes approaching from the back of the property where the woods stood in the darkness.
Her father only picked places that were backed by thick woods so if they need to escape it would be harder for the police to track everyone.
Not caring that there was no grass, but dirt she slowly sat down. The coyotes came closer before laying down around her. She moved her arm and the owl hopped onto her knee where she sat cross-legged. Soon more animals began to show up. She greeted each of them like old friends.
“I’m sure you guys have better things to do than sit here with me.” Katrina said, then reached her hand out to one of the rabbits who sniffed her fingers then allowed Katrina to rub its floppy ears. “I’m not very good company tonight I’m afraid.”
Hearing a footstep, she noticed the coyotes intently watching something behind her and then stood quickly ready for her command.
“Friend or foe?” She asked without turning around. “If you’re not a friend I will give you one chance to walk away now.”
“Friend,” Kent’s voice had her sighing in relief. She really didn’t feel like anymore confrontations tonight. “Thankfully.” He added when the coyotes growled in unison.
“Down.” Katrina commanded softly. Then glanced up at Kent who walked closer. “Blaze put an APB out on me?”
“Not yet,” Kent grinned, then sat down across from her, but eyeing the coyotes. “They going to eat me?”
“Depends,” Katrina ran her hand over the owl’s soft feathers.
Kent had apologized to her for being such an asshole to her through training.
Katrina being nice Katrina of course accepted his apology, but she still didn’t know about him.
He seemed distant most of the time and yet, there was something about him that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
“Can you clue me in on what it depends on because sitting this close to coyotes who will eat me at your command makes me a little nervous.” Kent continued to eye the one closest to him.
“You’re safe,” She gave him a small smile when he glanced her way. “So, what are you doing here?”
“I followed you after you left.” Kent said, then added when she frowned at him. “In a non-creepy way.”
“Glad you cleared that up.” Katrina cocked her eyebrow at him.
“Listen, I agree with what you said in the kitchen,” Kent said, surprising Katrina. “Adam told me about your life with the Iron Drakes, and well, I come from the same world. Not to the extent you have, but—yeah.”
Katrina was shocked, but remained silent, letting him get his thoughts together as he sat there. She figured he needed to talk to someone who knew what it was like, and she knew that feeling all too well. Plus, she was very curious. Kent was pretty much a mystery to them all.
“My mom was a whore for a gang.” Kent looked from the coyote to Katrina.
“I was raised by a few of the women who stayed around because my mother didn’t give a shit about me.
All she cared about was laudanum, opium, whiskey, and whatever protection those bastards offered her.
It wasn’t much of a life, but to her it was better than having nothing. ”
Katrina didn’t say a word, but understood Kent a little better after that bit of information.
“I left when I was fifteen after my father beat me nearly to death while my mother stood there and watched.” Kent’s jaw tightened, but he kept his eyes on the coyote.
“If it hadn’t been for the leader’s main woman, I would’ve died that day.
She found me after he was done, nursed me back to health, dropped me off at a town, and left. ”
Katrina frowned, seeing Kent in a whole new light. She and her mother had taken care of a few children whose mothers wanted nothing to do with them. It had broken her heart for those kids. Then his words finally clicked.
“Wait a minute.” Katrina narrowed her eyes. “Laudanum? Opium? When in the hell were you turned? The 1800s?”
Kent chuckled, but there wasn’t much humor in it. “I didn’t say motorcycle gang, and yes.”
“Holy shit.” Katrina’s eyes widened. “You were in an outlaw gang?”
“Guess you could say that.” He grinned, then looked around. “So, what is this place?”
Katrina also looked around. “Used to be my home, or at least my room was my home. The rest of the place was a den of evil. Blaze burned it down.” Katrina looked back at Kent. “Why did you feel like you needed to tell me this?”
Kent sighed, checked his phone, and typed something before looking up at her. “Honestly?”
“No, lie to me,” Katrina said, then laughed. “Yes, honestly.”
“I really don’t know.” Kent looked uncomfortable as his gaze moved away from hers.
“I spent most of my life angry at women. Then I met you, Raven, Jill, and I watched how hard you worked. How hard all of you worked. Yet I didn’t want to feel anything like pride for any of you.
It wasn’t until I saw Angelina being manhandled by a man that I realized my mother had been a normal person once.
Circumstances probably out of her control caused her to become who and what she was. ”
“You have mommy issues,” Katrina said, not being funny. No, she was totally serious. “Just like I have daddy issues. What a fucked-up pair we make.”
“Yeah.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “I guess you could say that.”
Hearing a motorcycle pull up, Kent stood. “The loyalty I saw from you today was admirable. You’re a good person, Katrina, and I’m sorry it took me so long to see it.”
Her smile faded slightly. “I’ve done some pretty messed-up stuff.” Katrina looked down, then back at him. “I don’t think I’d consider myself a good person.”
“We've all done fucked up stuff,” Kent replied, then shrugged. “But I’m counting on second chances."
"Everyone deserves a second chance." Katrina agreed.
He started to leave, but stopped. "And let’s keep the fact that I followed you to ourselves, please. I really don’t want to fight that big bastard of a mate you have walking toward us.”
“As long as you tell me about your gang life in the 1800s.” Katrina grinned when he nodded.
“Deal. And Katrina,” Kent said, then looked toward the burnt-out structure of her old house, “sometimes we have to come back to move forward.”
“Yeah,” she whispered, also looking around. “Maybe we do.”
Hearing Kent talking to Blaze, she sighed.
“Guess I have to go,” she told the animals who remained.
She watched as the coyotes stood and walked away, the other animals following. The owl was the last to go, flying from her knee to his tree. She stood and turned to see Blaze and Kent shaking hands before Kent disappeared into the darkness.
Blaze walked up to her without saying a word. His eyes moved over her face, then to the burnt-out shell of the place behind her, and something in his expression changed. He knew. Maybe not all of it. Maybe not every ugly thought that had led her back here, but he knew enough.
He pulled her into his embrace, and Katrina went without a fight.
No words were spoken.
They didn’t need them.