Chapter Three
Shilo held out his hand and smiled. “My name’s Shilo and we’re very glad to meet you, Avery. Andy’s going to be so happy to see you again.”
Bullet held out his huge hand and smiled. “I’m called Bullet and Andy is my girl now and yeah, she’s been anxious to get you out of this city. She hated leaving you behind. She’ll be very glad to see you again.”
Avery stared at him and asked, “Andy is your girlfriend?”
Bullet nodded, “Yeah, she’s mine.” He chuckled. “The day her mom came to get Gabby’s money, she hid behind me so her mom couldn’t hurt her again. Then we kicked Sarah’s ass out after that.”
Avery shook her head as she smiled and marveled at his size. “Well, you’re certainly big enough to stand behind. Sarah must have been madder than a wet hen when she couldn’t abuse that poor girl anymore. She came home that day and began throwing things up against the wall.”
Rocket stepped up next and took her hand, covering it with his other hand. “You have no idea, I’m Rocket by the way. Nice to meet you. But now I think we should get you somewhere safe.” He dropped her hand.
With a nod, Avery stepped back.
Shilo agreed, “The longer we’re out in the open the better chance they have to find us.”
Ryker now gently took her hand in his. “Ok, let's get out of this damn town. Besides everything else, Houston has over two million people in it. So a lot of bad people are out after midnight.” He led her to the truck.
Opening the back door, he stepped aside so she could get in.
When she was settled in he told her, “Maybe you should scoot down so nobody sees you.”
Avery nodded. “When Sarah finds me gone, she'll look under every rock in the city to find me. I know way too much. Even if it’s more than she thinks I do. And she won’t be happy until I’m lying on the ground, broken and bleeding.”
“Don’t you even think about that shit,” Ryker stated with a growl in his voice. “I’ll keep you safe. She’ll have to go through me to get to you and I ain’t gonna let that happen.”
Shilo came up behind him and nodded at Avery. “If she gets past Ryker, she’ll also have to go through us to get to you. We're bigger and badder than she knows. She’ll never get to you to hurt you again.”
“Okay,” Avery whispered. “Let’s go find Andy.”
Ryker smiled. “Hot damn, let’s go home, brothers.” Then he crawled into the back seat with her and wrapped his arm around her slender shoulder. “You’re driving, Shilo. Let’s get the hell out of this area.”
Shilo shook his head as he grinned at Ryker’s animated glee and shut the back door. He then got behind the wheel and started the truck.
Bullet and Rocket got into the truck and then they pulled out of the lot.
They would have a few streets to go before the freeway, then their exit was a few miles down.
Avery looked at Ryker then at Rocket and Bullet. “Are you guys looking to bring Sarah and her dad down?”
Ryker nodded. “Yes, we sure as hell are.”
“Good, then I can help you with that.” Avery nodded. “I’ll be more than happy to help.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Those two think they are above the law but no one is above the law.”
“We’re just looking to knock them off that perch they think they deserve.” Ryker nodded.
She looked over at Ryker to ask, “Did Andy tell you about me? How different I am?”
Ryker smiled. “She told us you see things most people don’t and that you have a way with numbers.”
“Did she also tell you I have an eidetic memory?”
Ryker nodded. “She did, she also told us that if anyone could help us bring them down it would be you.”
Avery just sat there. “Most people overlook me. I think it’s because I learned how to hide in plain sight when I was on the streets. I’m strange to most people but I watch and I remember everything.”
Ryker took her hand into his then he looked into her eyes.
“There is nothing wrong with you. You’ve seen more than anyone could survive.
You watched your brother get shot and bleed out on the streets, you watched your parents die and then you had to live on the streets.
That would be too much for anyone. You lived with that in your head every day.
” Shaking his head he added, “Now it might be time to let it all go. Remember them with the happy memories you had, not the brutal ones. We can help you do that, if you’ll let us. Andy will help too.”
Shilo had been driving down the street a block from the park they had been in. At one point, they saw a group of men standing on the corner.
Ryker gently put his hand on the top of her head and encouraged her to lower down into the seat.
Shilo switched lanes and went over to the far lane as they passed the men. Then he switched lanes again far enough away so they couldn’t see inside the truck.
Ryker kept her down out of sight, then when they turned onto the freeway, he let her go. The freeway would ensure that no one would follow.
Avery sat up and glanced out the back window. When she didn’t see anyone behind them, she turned around and sat beside Ryker again.
Reaching for her hand, Ryker laced his fingers with hers.
No one in the truck said anything but they didn’t have to.
At that very moment, Avery began trusting them.
During the drive, they all talked about places they had been. Bullet said Houston had nothing on New York. Talk about millions and bad elements, he said it took the cake.
Avery told them a story about one of the towns that they lived in. It had been in Texas too, but it was almost like a ghost town.
Rocket said that he thought he saw that very place on Youtube. Like 12 people lived there.
Avery agreed that it might be the same place. Her and her family would have stayed as they never would have been found, but there was no way to make a living. So they had to leave.
Ryker leaned in and said to her, “I’m glad you were still in Texas now, or else I never would have met you again.”
Avery paused while feeling some surprise at this, but smiled at his warm words.
Three hours later, Shilo turned on the county road to go home and Avery looked around.
The darkness hid a lot out here but she was interested in what was soon to be her new home.
When she saw the front gate, she smiled.
That gate would keep the bad guys out and she could finally breathe again.
She laid her head on Ryker’s shoulder and closed her eyes in relief.
They went through the front gate and she turned her head to watch it close behind them. It felt like her horrible odyssey and her stress filled life might just become brighter and happier.
When Shilo parked the truck, he turned to look at her. “Welcome home, Avery. We got your back now.”
Avery smiled and her eyes twinkled. “Yeah, I think you do. I’m grateful for that.”