Chapter Four
Two days. Two torturous days since we’ve been here.
From the moment we arrived, we’ve been stuck on this property.
It’s like we’ve exchanged one prison for another.
The only difference, though, is that this is one of my making.
We’ve been outside twice, and while it was nice to feel the sunshine on my face, I was too on edge to enjoy it.
I kept wondering if he was watching—if he was here, getting ready to make his move.
I couldn’t even let the kids venture further than the backyard.
The kids, though, loved going outside. They’ve asked to go back out several times, but I just can’t bring myself to let them. I know it’s in my head, but the fear is real.
For a brief second, they were kids again.
They were so excited and happy to not be so confined to a small space.
For a split second, it reminded me of when they were younger.
When things were good, and they were just kids.
Kids who didn’t know violence. Ones who were happy and healthy.
It made my heart ache. I want them to have that all the time, but I just can’t let them back out.
Not yet, not until I know they are safe.
Then again, will we ever be truly safe?
God, I’ve fucked my kids up. I’ve ruined their childhoods and stolen their innocence, all because I chose the wrong man.
The rumbling of a bike catches my attention, and my thoughts shift.
Mac.
I haven’t seen him since the day after we met.
The same day that he gave me all these tips to keep us safe.
I know I should be afraid that he knew all of that, but I’m not.
Whatever he is into is his business. As long as we are safe, I don’t even care.
He’s stayed out of my way, and I’ve tried to stay out of his.
Bertha wasn’t lying when she said that her brother wouldn’t bother us unless it was important, so when there is a knock on the door, my heart races.
Oh god. He’s found us.
Logically, I know it’s Mac on the other side of the door, but the fear still lives there.
“Mommy,” my daughter says, anxiety in her voice.
She doesn’t even know what she is anxious about. All she knows is that I reacted, so now she has too.
I give her a weak smile. “It’s okay.”
On shaky legs, I get up and make my way to the door. I peek through the window and see Mac on the other side.
I unlock the two locks and crack the door open.
“Hi,” I say quietly.
“Hi. I’m sorry to bother you, but can I come in for a minute? I have something for you,” he tells me.
“Sure.”
Stepping back, I open the door enough for him to come inside.
“What is it?” I ask as I shut the door.
Mac opens his leather jacket and pulls out a folder.
“Here. This is for you guys,” he says as he hands it over.
“What is it?” I ask as I take it.
“Open it.” He smiles.
Reluctantly, I open it, and when I do, my breath catches.
Documents. So many documents. Birth certificates, passports, and everything else one might need.
“How did you…”
“We talked about what you needed to stay here and be safe. This is the main thing. You need a way to do things without whoever is chasing you finding you. This way, you can enroll Tanner and Emily in school. No one will be able to trace them. You can stay under the radar.”
“Thank you. I-I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you. Y-you and your sister have been so nice to me,” I choke out as my tears begin to fall.
“Hey, you don’t need to cry. It’s not a big deal,” he says, trying to soothe me.
“But it is. It’s a big deal to me. Seriously, I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
He runs his hand through his hair. “Look, I don’t need repayment. I just want you and your kids to be safe.”
Smiling weakly, I nod.
“Before I leave, I wanted to talk to you about something,” he says, making me tense.
“What is it?”
“I talked to my pres, Smoke. We have an auto shop, and we could use some help. He would be willing to let you work there off the books. That way, you can have some income to take care of yourself and the kids.”
“Are you serious?” I ask as disbelief rushes through me.
“Yes.” He nods.
“What’s the catch?” I ask as I cross my arms.
He shakes his head and frowns. “No catch. I promise.”
This man. This is too good to be true, right? Men like this don’t actually exist in real life.
Or maybe they do.
“Look, you don’t have to decide right now. You can take your time, but we both know that what little money you have will run out eventually. You can find another place to work now with all of that, but at least at the shop, I would know you are safe.”
He’s not wrong. Still, this whole situation is hard to wrap my head around.
“The kids…”
“Can go to school now that they have documents with their new names. There is a bus that can drop them off in front of the garage. We can make it work,” he says gently.
He keeps mentioning school. It’s the same thing that has been on my mind. I’m afraid they are already two months behind. What if they can’t catch up?
It’s not even just that. I can’t even let them out of the yard. How am I going to let them go to school?
“I don’t know if I can be away from them,” I admit softly.
He reaches out to touch my shoulder, but I flinch. He drops his hand, an apology in his eyes.
“You can’t shelter them forever. Would it make you feel better if I station someone at the schools? We even have a teen at the high school who could do a work study at the elementary school. Whichever you prefer,” he urges.
I take a deep breath, looking over at Tanner and Emily, who are listening to every word of our conversation. Emily looks hopeful. She has always wanted to go to school. This was going to be her year to officially attend as a kindergartner. I hate that she lost that.
“I’ll think about the school thing. As for the job…well, I’ve never done work like that before,” I confess.
“That’s okay. We can teach you. It’s office work. Honestly, it’s not overly complicated. It’s just time-consuming, and none of us has the time or the desire to do it. You would be a big help, and you would be safe. No one will mess with you when you’re on club property,” he tells me.
“We?”
I don’t know why, but that word sticks out to me like a neon light.
“Yeah, I work there too.”
“Oh.”
“I can’t tell if that’s a good oh or a bad one.” He smiles, trying to lighten the moment.
I ignore his comment and ask the one thought that keeps going through my mind.
“Why are you helping me?” I ask again.
Mac’s eyes soften. “Because that’s what a good person would do.”
Tears build in my eyes again at his sincerity. He means it. He truly means it.
“Thank you,” I tell him quietly.
“Mommy,” my son says, fear in his tone.
Quickly, I dry my tears and turn to face him.
“What’s up, buddy?” I ask, offering him a smile.
“Everything okay?” he asks.
“Everything’s fine. Mac, Bertha’s brother, just stopped by to give me something, is all. You remember him?” I tell him.
Mac clears his throat. “Hey, bud, how are you settling in?”
My son looks at him with suspicion in his eyes, but doesn’t say anything to him.
“Right, I’m going to head out. Jane, I’m next door if you need me. Don’t forget to think about what I said,” Mac says as he reaches for the door handle.
“I will, and again, thank you. Thank you for everything.”
“Anytime. Make sure you lock up behind me,” he says before he slips outside.
As I lock the door behind him, I try to push all thoughts about the job and everything else we talked about to the side.
The kids. They need my attention right now and nothing else.
My head falls back, and I squeeze my eyes shut as I listen to the lock slide into place.
Jesus Christ.
Didn’t know someone could tear my heart out without physically doing something to me.
Jane reminds me of a wounded animal, and the last thing I want to do is spook her.
She looked fucking terrified when she answered the door.
When I tried to comfort her? I have never had a woman recoil from me.
It only makes me want to hunt down her ex and torture him until he dies.
I need to get her to trust me—to tell me, so I can find out who she really is. I could call my brothers wherever she came from and have him delivered to me. I would show her how useless the ex is after I tear each of his limbs from his body.
Taking a breath, I try to calm down.
At least the longer I was there, the more relaxed she became, even if she cried.
That all went away, though, when her son came into the room.
Tanner.
Just looking at him fucking guts me.
I almost forgot how much distrust hides in his little eyes.
It’s unfair how fast he’s had to grow up.
As hard as it is to look at him, I couldn’t look away.
His hurt called to me in a way I can’t quite explain.
Then there’s her daughter. She’s the spitting image of her mother, just without the distrust in her eyes.
One thing is for sure. Jane’s genes came out strongly in her children. As far as I can tell, they didn’t get anything from their father, which is a blessing in situations like this.
My phone rings, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Yeah?” I say without looking at the screen.
“Hey, how’s it going?” my sister asks.
Warmth fills me at the sound of her voice.
I guess I should thank Jane for one thing. She’s brought my sister and me closer, or at least we talk more than we have lately. Bertha and I talk often, but never over the phone. It’s always through texts, or at least that’s been the case recently.
Until Jane.
I take one last look over my shoulder at her door before I force myself to leave Jane’s porch and walk toward my house.
“It’s going.”
“Have you seen her?” she asks.
She doesn’t have to specify who her is. We both know who she’s talking about.
“Yeah, I’m just leaving her place now,” I tell her as I walk across my yard.
“What were you doing over there?” Bertha asks with worry.
“Calm down. Everything is fine. I got those documents we talked about today and took them over to her, and I offered her a job,” I say as I let myself into my house.
She lets out a relieved breath. “Thank you. Let me know what I owe you, and I’ll cover the cost myself.”
“Absolutely not.” I snort.
“Colin…” she warns.
“How are you?” I ask, changing the subject.
“I’m good. I’m still paying for it.”
I hear the sound of a blinker in the background. I want to scold her for talking to me while she’s driving, but I bite my tongue. She’s not a little girl anymore and knows what she’s doing.
At least I know for a fact that she’s not holding her phone while she’s driving since I bought her one of those fancy-ass dash mounts.
“I’m good too. Thanks for asking,” I quip.
My sister sighs. “Sorry, shit’s been crazy.”
“Everything okay?” I ask, not bothering to hide my concern.
“Yeah, it just took me a minute to get back on schedule after my detour to you,” she admits.
I growl. “I could have met you somewhere.”
“Honestly, at the time, I didn’t even think about that. All I knew was I wanted her safe.” Her tone softens.
“I didn’t either,” I grumble.
“Next time,” she quips, making me chuckle.
“How about you don’t bring me anyone else. At least not anytime soon,” I joke.
“Oh, come on,” she whines half-heartedly.
My phone beeps, telling me there’s an incoming call. Pulling it away from my face, I see that it’s Gunner calling.
“Hey, Gunner is calling. I need to let you go.” I let her know.
“Okay, tell him hi. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Later,” I tell her before switching the call. “What’s up?”
“Hey, you left early. Everything okay?” Gunner asks.
“Yeah, I just had to pick something up,” I remind him.
“Oh shit, I forgot about that. When does your new neighbor start?”
I wince. “I don’t know. I told her about the job, but told her to take her time deciding.”
Gunner grunts. “Do you think she’s going to take it? We could use the help.”
I laugh. “I don’t know, but I hope so.”
He is the one currently trying to help Smoke deal with the paperwork. He hates it since his girl works in the garage and he’d rather be working on a car next to her.
“You and me both,” he mutters.
I hear a door open and close in the background.
“Hey, Lee and Sloane just got home, so I’m going to let you go. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says before hanging up.
As soon as I get off the phone, the silence hits me. I never realized how quiet my place could be. In fact, it’s a little unnerving.
I could go to the clubhouse and hang out with whoever’s hanging around.
The thought has merit, but the last thing I want to do is leave again.
Not when I just got home. I kick off my boots and head into the living room.
Grabbing the remote, I turn on the TV and set it down when it kicks on.
I head into the kitchen and rifle through the fridge, looking for something to eat.
I have plenty of takeout, but none of it appeals to me. Turning around, my eyes drift to the window above my sink, to their house.
My house. They are just temporarily staying there. At least until I solve their little issue and they get back on their feet. There’s no way they will want to stay here forever.
Still, I can’t help but wonder what they are up to.
Is Jane making dinner?
Is Tanner playing with Emily?
Are they all doing something together?
Are they watching a movie as a family before she puts the kids to bed?
I can’t help but wonder, even though I have no right to.
They aren’t mine.
I’m just supposed to keep them safe. The last thing they need is a stranger inserting themselves into their lives when they are trying to heal.
For fuck’s sake, what is it about them that makes me wonder? I’ve helped people escape bad situations before. This isn’t the first family we’ve helped run. So what is it about them that spikes my curiosity?
I need to figure out what the hell it is, because one thing is for sure. This can’t continue.