Page 12 of Jack

Oh, please don’t let me throw up in this truck.

“Relax, Lily. Slow, deep breaths. You’re okay. You’re safe. You’re going to be fine. I can pull over if you need me to.” Shepherd doesn’t take his eyes off the road.

Oh my gosh. Did I say that out loud?

“I will tell you this much.” He pauses and waits for me to calm down. I nod when I’m ready. “One reason this is so secretive is because every member has sworn to protect the organization. No matter what.”

Well, that’s not a big surprise. It’s obvious none of the helpers I’ve met is going to share anything useful. Women have to be crazy or desperate to trust them. Like me. I’m crazy and desperate. Plus my friend didn’t give me a choice.

“And the main reason it’s so secretive is because thousands of women’s lives depend on it being this way.” He glances at me again. “Women just like you.”

Women like me. He means abused women. Women who couldn’t walk away on their own.

“Do you personally know Jacob?” So far, the man is a myth to me.

“I do,” he admits.

“How do I know I can trust him?” I should have asked these questions five nights ago. Nina didn’t answer the few questions I did ask that night.

“You don’t know.” Wow. Shepherd may be the most honest person I’ve met. “You trust the person who started you on this journey. They wouldn’t have contacted us if you didn’t need help.”

“Yeah. Nina didn’t give me any warnings. She just handed me off to Andrew with a hug and instructions about Jacob.”

“Nina?” Shepherd sounds surprised and looks at me questionably. I nod. “Well, trust me. You’re in good hands.” He pauses for a moment. “And your friend saved your life.”

“Yeah, she probably did. Hopefully, I can thank her someday.

“What happens when we get there?” No one has explained the outcome to me yet.

“You’ll meet Jacob. Maybe some of his family. He’ll look over your folder and help you start your new life.” He says it so casually that I can almost picture it.

Wait. I jolt up straight. “New life?”

Shepherd laughs. “Yeah. A new life. One where you’ll be safe and happy.”

I take a deep breath and lean back against the seat. “Safe. Happy. That sounds nice.”

“Yeah,” he says softly. “Just remember to say what Nina told you to.”

“I will.” I give him a tight smile as he pulls up to the gas pumps. “And thank you for telling me this much.”

“Between you and me?” He grins.

For the first time in days, who knows how many, I laugh. “Yeah. Between you and me.”

“Now, out. Food.” Shepherd winks before opening his door.

I laugh again and follow him inside the travel center. In eight hours, I’ll finally meet Jacob and discover what a safe, happy lifecould look like. There’s that hope blooming a little more. At this rate, she’ll be a full blossom soon.

Chapter 6

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Jack

Sure, coming home is a big deal. I don’t think it calls for six days of partying, though. The entire Viking Warriors MC charter seems to disagree with me. I’ve told them every day for six days that I don’t need another welcome home party. It’s Friday night, and this one is just as big, if not bigger, than the first night I was home.

The first party was mainly family, friends, local townsfolks, and the brothers within a few hours' riding distance. Tonight, it’s still family, friends, and everyone my family knows within riding distance. Tonight also brings in a hundred or more Viking Warriors from other chapters. At least six more states are represented here tonight. Needless to say, the Viking Den is a madhouse of activity tonight.

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