Chapter Thirty-Two
Jenna stood around the corner and listened as Roadkill got the details of Lacey’s rescue from Joker, ignoring the tears streaming down her face. She’d had one job. To protect and raise Lacey.
And she’d failed.
Failed to protect her.
Lacey’s voice, coming from farther away pulled her back to the present.
“Jenna’s going to blame herself. She finally did something for herself, and this happens. But her being there wouldn’t have stopped it. It would have made it worse.”
“What do you mean, squirt?” Joker’s voice asked.
“They did a lot of talking. I think they were trying to scare me.” She was quiet for a moment, then when Lacey spoke again, her voice was softer.
Jenna had to strain to hear. “They told me they’d been hoping she was there too.
Since she wasn’t high value like I am. They would have been allowed to do with her as they wanted, as long as they didn’t mark her.
” She was quiet for a moment and from the sounds trickling down the hall, Jenna suspected her sister was rinsing her hair.
While they’d been waiting for Joker and her sister to arrive, Bobby Lee had delivered several bags with new bedding and clothes. Jenna had already made up the bed, using it as a reason to stay busy while she waited.
“The one standing over me?” Lacey kept talking.
“He said if my sister had been there they would have used her to show me what I had to look forward to, instead of just telling me. They said because I wasn’t broken in, I would draw a higher price, but who would know with Jenna.
” The shower shut off. The screech of the shower curtain sliding back came down the hall, then several seconds of silence.
When Jenna could stand it no longer, she stepped around the corner and leaned against the wall. She watched the doorway, waiting for Lacey to emerge. When she did, her hair was wet and plastered against her head. Her wide eyes and the too big clothes made her look much younger than she was.
“Thank you for coming for me. For everything,” Lacey said, holding one hand in Joker’s direction.
“No need for thanks, squirt. We’re family that’s what family does.” He stood and took the hand she held in his direction. “Food or sleep?”
“What?” Lacey frowned.
“You want food or sleep first?”
“I’m not sure eating’s a good idea. But I feel like I could sleep for a month.”
“Adrenaline’s crashing. Let’s get you in bed before it totally bottoms out.”
Lacey’s eyes went even wider as she looked up at Joker.
“You’re not leaving, are you?”
“Not if you don’t want me to.” He didn’t even blink before responding.
“Okay. Then I guess I’ll lay down.”
“Come on, I’ll show you you’re new bedroom.” Jenna stepped forward, not missing the way her sister clung to Joker as if he was her savior. Jenna guessed he was, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. She hated that Lacey needed to be saved. And that it was her fault.
Jenna led everyone into the room next to the bathroom.
She couldn’t help but be grateful that Roadkill’s bed in the clubhouse had been a queen, and that he’d had a spare set of sheets.
She wasn’t sure where the blankets had come from, but they’d looked and smelled clean, so Jenna had put them on the bed.
Jenna would let her pick out bedding later, tomorrow or another day, but at least she had something for tonight.
“This will get us through tonight. We can figure out what other furniture you want in here tomorrow or whenever,” Jenna said going to the bed and pulling back one corner like she’d done when her sister was little. “Come on, hop in. I’ll lay down with you.”
Lacey didn’t say anything as she slid between the sheets and slid across the bed, staying seated as she went and never releasing Joker’s hand.
“Let go, squirt. I’ll stay in the house so you can sleep.”
Lacey shook her head.
“No. Not in the house. Here.”
“Here?”
“I’ll go get the recliner from the living room, so you have somewhere to sit,” Roadkill said.
“No.” Lacey’s words stopped them.
“Not in a chair. Here.” She patted the bed in front of her. “I want to be able to touch you, even if it’s just your hand. I’m afraid I’m going to dream. Please don’t leave me.” Lacey’s voice had dropped to a whisper with the last sentence.
Joker closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them, he wasn’t looking at Lacey, but at Roadkill.
Jenna turned in time to see him tilt his head in her direction. Looking back to Joker she found him watching her, as if waiting for her permission. Pain in his eyes and his sister’s loss clearly on his mind.
“I won’t touch her, not like that. You have to know that. I just want to make sure she’s okay.”
“You okay with him on one side and me on the other, Lace?” Jenna asked.
Her sister looked from face to face, Jenna, Joker, Roadkill.
“Yeah, that sounds good.” She shifted until she was lying down, curled on her side facing Joker.
“Can I have my hand for just a couple of minutes?” Joker asked. “I just want take off my boots before I lay down.”
Lacey nodded and released his hand. Joker bent to untie his boots and Jenna went to Roadkill.
“Are you okay with this?” she asked, tilting her head back to look up at him.
“Yeah, darlin’. You take care of your sister.
I’ll go make sure everything’s in and no one gets back here to any of you.
Help her feel safe again. We’ll work on everything else after we’ve all had a little sleep.
” He bent down and placed a chaste kiss on the tip of her nose.
“I left clothes for you on our bed. Go change before getting in there with her.” He nodded toward the bed.
“You’ll both be more comfortable that way. ”
Jenna nodded.
“I’ll be right back, Lace. I want to go change clothes. Will you be okay until I get back?”
Lacey didn’t open her eyes as she nodded.
“I’ll be okay as long as Zach stays.”
Jenna looked at Joker. “You’re Zach?”
Joker nodded. “She asked.”
Jenna shrugged. She didn’t care what her sister called him or what he let her call him, as long as he remembered that Lacey was fourteen and that Jenna would eviscerate him if he laid an inappropriate hand on her little sister.
But from the look in his eyes, she didn’t have to worry about that. He was hurting as much as she was, if not more.
“I’ll be right back.” She headed for the door and the bedroom she would be sharing with Roadkill, with the man in question only a few steps behind.
She’d only made it a few steps into the bedroom when his hand on her arm stopped her. Roadkill pulled her into his arms and stood that way for several minutes.
“I’m sorry,” she said against his chest as he held her.
“None of this is your fault, darlin’. None of it.
I know you were listening in when she told us what those fucknuts said about if you’d been home.
If you’d been home, who knows when we would have figured out what happened.
We might not have been able to find you both before it was too late.
” His arms tightened around her. “I hate that you both have to go through this, but we’ll get through it.
I’ll talk to Bones and see if he can recommend a councilor.
She may be fine, but she may need a little help to get through this, and it’s okay if you don’t know everything, you can’t do everything she needs to get her past this. I’ll be here for you both.”
“Thank you.” She relaxed against him, wishing she could stay like this forever. Right here in his arms. But Lacey needed her.
“Go change. I know you need to be in there with her. You need to reassure yourself and her that she’s safe. I’ll go make sure everything else is taken care of and nothing disturbs you. Either of you.” He squeezed her for another moment then eased his hold on her.
Minutes later, Jenna eased herself onto the edge of the bed behind Lacey. She curled around her sister, wrapped an arm tight around her middle and closed her eyes. She expected sleep to elude her, but almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, the world drifted away.