Page 1 of Finding Limits

Six Months Ago

“Good to see ya.” My old friend, Jimmer Carson, greets me with a slap on the back as I step into the foyer of the Dirty Souls MC clubhouse.

“I appreciate ya gettin’ here so quick.” He tips his head at me gratefully.

“Only for you.” I shrug, following him through the foyer to a door on the right that leads down some narrow steps toward a basement.

“This ain’t the way we usually treat our guests but…this one’s a little different.” He stops in the corridor and turns to face me with a concerned look on his face.

“Mitch, I’ll warn ya before we go in there. This girl… she’s been to hell and back.” His voice lowers to a whisper as he scratches his beard. “She’s Skid’s old lady’s sister, and she’s been kept in some filthy bunker by the cult leader Addison ran away from.”

“Cult?” I stare back at him. “Didn’t those kinda things dry out in the seventies?”

“This ain’t no Charlie Manson shit, Mitch. I can’t even begin to tell ya what shit those fuckers were preachin’.”

“And this cult, I’m assumin’ they’ve been dealt with?” It seems a stupid question, I’ve known Jimmer Carson for a lot of years and he never does half jobs, but I like to cover all bases.

“Of course, but for this girl, I’m afraid the damage is done. Her sister got out five years ago, but the husband she ran away from took all his grievances out on her little sister when she left. He’s beaten her every day since as a punishment. Kept her chained in that bunker like a dog, you can imagine what that’s done to her head.” He frowns.

“Jesus.” I shake my head.

“So what are we supposed to do for her back in Fork River?” I move on to the reason I’m here. If Jimmer wants me to take this girl, I need some kind of clue on what to do with her.

“She can’t heal around Addison, she’s still got all those beatin’s drummed inside her head, sometimes she chants the words he said to her. We need to get this girl away from her sister until she’s feelin’ better. It’s breakin’ Addison's heart, but we all agree it’s what's best. She needs time to adjust to a normal life. Somewhere she can ease into gently. Somewhere off grid, and quiet.”

“You ever known Fork River to be quiet?” I raise an eyebrow at him.

“Well no, but my nephews have got it handled, and I know there are people I can rely on there,” he points out, and I nod my head in agreement. We all wear the Carson brand to prove it.

It’s been good watching Jimmer and his nephews get closer over the past few years. Jimmer’s brother, Bill, always resented him and the life he chose over the ranch, but since Bill's death, the bond his sons have made with their uncle has become solid.

“I’ve had Maddy look into some shrinks in your area, we’ll organize all that and fund it, but for now she just needs to be taken care of. It’s not gonna be an easy road for her. She hardly talks, she’s afraid of her own shadow. But with some patience and understandin’, I think she can get better.” Jimmer looks hopeful, reminding me that despite the brutality he’s capable of, he’s got a good heart inside that strong chest of his.

“I’m sure the girls back home can be all those things for her.” I smile back to reassure him. Maisie, Leia, and Savannah are all good women, and they’re not just kind, they're strong. It sounds to me like they’re just what this poor little wretch needs.

“Come.” Jimmer turns and walks toward the door at the end of the corridor.

“So, why ya keepin’ her down here? Didn’t ya say she was locked in a bunk?—”

“It’s where she seems most comfortable. Everythin’ beyond this room seems to trigger her.” He shrugs sadly before he opens the door.

At first glance, the girl I see resembles a scolded child. She’s sitting in the corner of the cold, damp room with her arms wrapped tight around her knees. Her hair is cropped short and uneven and her bony arms are covered with bruises.

“Everleigh.” Jimmer approaches her with caution.

“I want you to meet a friend of mine.” He crouches down, leaving a respectable gap between the two of them. The girl doesn’t look up, she just keeps rocking herself and staring at her feet.

“His name is Mitch and he comes from the town that I grew up in, Fork River. It’s in Montana and it’s real beautiful there, darlin’.” He looks up at me and smiles sadly. “It’s quiet and it’s the perfect place to do some healin’.” He keeps his tone soft, so soft that I almost forget who he is and what he’s done over the years.

“I need ya to trust this man the same way you’ve trusted me. I give you my word that he won’t hurt ya.”

The girl says nothing, just slides herself up the wall so she’s standing. She looks so small and fragile, I can’t understand how any man could have gotten his kicks outta hurting her.

“Pleased to meet ya, Everleigh.” I take off my Stetson and lower my head, and when her eyes flick up to meet mine, I’m immediately struck by how blue they are. Her eyelashes bat wildly as she stares at me for what seems like minutes and I feel something inside me shift.

“Jimmer’s right, darlin’, I may look scary but you got my word that I won’t hurt ya.” I hold out my hand for her to take and when I step forward she flinches back against the wall.

“She won’t be touched,” Jimmer tells me, lifting a bag off the camp bed that's in the corner of the room. “The girls here all pulled together and packed her some clothes and essentials. I take it you’ve got the cabin ready?” he checks

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