Chapter 2
Jenna was slower getting to the front door than Jack, but as soon as she heard Lilly’s voice, she picked up her pace.
Lilly had always been so much more than just Jenna’s sister-in-law.
Jenna had known her since she was six years old.
There was nothing about Lilly’s life that Jenna didn’t know about, and vice versa.
Upon learning Jenna’s diagnosis, Lilly was the first person they’d told, even before their own kids, and not just because Lilly was a physician with Doctors Without Borders.
In the nearly three decades since earning her degree, Lilly had traveled all over the world, including into war zones, to help the wounded and sick who otherwise would not receive medical care.
Both Jack and Jenna were beyond proud of her, even if their hearts had stopped a time or two when it was unknown if Lilly was alive.
At least with Doctors Without Borders, Jenna had been able to keep tabs on Lilly at all times, and it was rare they were out of communication.
Unlike when Jack had been active duty and deployed to spots around the world she was not allowed to know about.
Lilly had come a long way from the scared little girl who used to crawl into her brother’s bed at night to feel safe enough to sleep.
Hell, Jack had come even further. Not that Jenna would ever suggest that out loud. He’d argue and bring the subject back to Lilly.
Jenna squeezed her way between her husband and son to get to Lilly. Like her brother, she was tall and had surpassed Jenna’s five-seven height back in her early teens. Her blonde hair was sun-bleached to nearly white and her skin was so tan it hid her freckles, but she looked good. Strong.
The two women squeezed each other tightly.
Due to Lilly’s travel schedule, it was difficult for her to get stateside.
They saw each other over video chats and pictures, but it had been close to four years since they’d seen her in person.
And the last time was because Jenna and Jack had made the effort to fly to her.
“It is so good to see you,” Jenna whispered to her sister, feeling tears build in her eyes.
“You see me almost daily,” Lilly argued, though her hold was just as tight.
Jenna shook her head. “Not the same, and you know it.” She held on for another long minute before finally stepping back. Jenna pulled her inside, “Come in, come in. I can’t believe they didn’t tell us you were at the gate.”
As Ollie shut the door, Jack stepped up to Jenna, wiping her eyes and cheeks where her tears had fallen. Then he turned to embrace his little sister.
“You look good, Lillypad,” Jenna heard him say, using his nickname for her.
“You too, Jackie,” she added pointedly. Stepping back, she looked him up and down. “Especially after spending four nights in jail.”
“It was three nights,” he corrected. “And please don’t tell me that’s the reason you’re here.”
Lilly’s eyebrows went up. “Are you serious? My big brother gets arrested for a murder he didn’t commit, and you’re pissed because I took four international flights plus a bus to get here?”
Jack’s shoulders slumped. “Of course not. I’m just surprised to see you.”
Ollie shifted behind Lilly, catching Jenna’s attention. She hurried over to her son, grabbing his hand. “Ollie, I’m glad you finally get to meet your Aunt Lilly.”
Lilly spun around to face them. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Hello, Ollie. It is so wonderful to finally meet you in person.”
Ollie gave her a shaky smile. “Hi. You’re…not what I expected.”
Lilly raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? And what did you expect?”
He pointed to Jack. “The girl version of him, I think.”
Lilly’s smile was wide. “Don’t you worry, dear nephew.
I can still kick his ass and look fabulous all at the same time.
” She hooked her arm through Ollie’s and led him into the living room.
“Now, tell me everything. I hear you and one of the other club kids are dating? Is it serious?” Over her shoulder, she shot at her brother, “And don’t think I forgot about you, Mister!
You will tell me everything too. But you’ve had me for forty-seven years, and I’m claiming Nephew Time right now. ”
Jack said nothing, just lifted both eyebrows as he crossed his arms over his chest. Like he was silently daring his little sister to try to get a word out of him.
Lilly just giggled, dropped her backpack on the floor, and continued into the living room with Ollie.
As Jenna approached Jack, he uncrossed his arms to pull her against his chest. “She looks really good,” he muttered.
Jenna nodded. “She does. I just wish she lived closer, but she’s always been our wayward child.”
Jack snorted and mouthed, “Understatement.”
Lilly had never been married and had no kids.
She’d been in relationships, Jenna knew, but nothing serious enough that she left her career or he joined her on the road.
Per Lilly, she’d never found a man worth changing her dreams for.
She said she was content, but Jenna had her worries.
Life on the road had to be terribly lonesome.
Lilly, though, had never uttered a single complaint.
Said all the lives she saved were worth her occasional loneliness.
“Plus,” she’d always add with a mischievous smirk, “men suck.”
Jenna would laugh with her, all the while thinking that not all men sucked. She’d been lucky enough to find a good one. The best one, but then, she was biased.
“I still can’t believe you had to get arrested for the club to find out you had a sister,” Lucky said, a bit of amusement in his voice.
Steel was sitting in his office with Lucky and Bulldog.
Well, his office for now. The vote had been cast, and Ghost would be the Via Daemonia’s new president at the start of the New Year.
There was a lot that Steel had to go over with Ghost in a little over two months, but the transition would hopefully be smooth.
This was not a hostile takeover, nor was anyone openly opposed to Ghost accepting the mantle.
Steel had known Ghost for nearly eight years now, and he had every confidence that he would lead the VDMC with honor and dignity.
He wouldn’t be stepping down if he had a single doubt otherwise, regardless of how the club had voted.
Ghost co-managed the club’s bar, Demon on the Rocks, with Ranger.
The two of them had been at that helm together since their prospecting period.
As such, both of them were used to working afternoons and nights while sleeping in the mornings.
It would be Steel’s suggestion that Ghost adjust his schedule, but at the end of the day, that would be Ghost’s call on how he wanted to run the club and when he would be available.
The reason Ghost wasn’t part of this meeting now was because he’d spent the better part of the weekend at the station with Steel.
When Bulldog and Lucky had had to leave to run things for the club, Ghost had been the one to stay.
Despite the fact that Scar had snuck into the jail cell with Steel and was more than adequate protection, Ghost had remained.
Steel had a feeling it was more to keep Scar from killing DEA Agent Strouse if he came back over the weekend than it was to protect Steel.
But then again, someone had framed Steel.
Steel was not going to justify Lucky’s statement with an answer.
He was not ashamed of Lilly and he wasn’t keeping her a secret out of distrust of his club.
Her job was dangerous enough, and he never wanted someone to go after Lilly because of him.
And perhaps, old habits die hard. He’d spent the early part of his life protecting Lilly and hiding her away.
That had never really changed, he supposed.
“Why hasn’t she visited the club before?” Bulldog asked. Like the rest of the club, the man was shocked when he learned who Steel’s visitor was. To Steel’s knowledge, only Keys had known until last week and he’d informed Lucky, who had then called Lilly to inform her of Steel’s arrest.
“She works for Doctors Without Borders,” Steel said. That was the truth after all, and he was proud of Lilly’s selfless career. “I don’t get to see her often.”
“But why keep her a secret?” Lucky asked, his face curious. “I’ve known you since I was eighteen years old! I took a bullet for you, and you never mentioned a sister to me. I had to find out from Keys!”
When Lucky and Bear were young Marines, they’d been under Steel’s command.
While Lucky had only served four years, he’d still been deployed multiple times.
On his last tour, he’d spotted a sniper that Steel had missed and took the bullet meant to kill Steel.
His injury had not been the reason he’d left the Marines, and though Steel was sorry to see such a fine young soldier go, he understood more than anyone that family came before country.
But Steel had not forgotten Lucky’s sacrifice.
They’d stayed in contact over the years, and Steel had even written letters as a character witness to aid in Lucky gaining custody and then adopting his two much-younger siblings.
And when Steel had retired and needed a place to settle his family down, he’d chosen Lucky’s small town of Mount Grove, Pennsylvania.
Carter, his oldest, had already graduated by that time, but Jordan and Melanie were still young teenagers.
The idea of the motorcycle club had come about one evening over drinks with Lucky, who had already retired from the Marines, and Bear, who was due to retire soon.
They’d wanted more than a club for veterans, but a home.
A place for people without family or who couldn’t be with their family to reacclimate into society after years of service.