Page 35 of Jack

I reach out and wrap my hand around her elbow to stop her from aimlessly falling down the steps. “No. I don’t think he’s here. The property is well protected. Even with all the security we have, we can still make a mistake. It’s just a precaution.”

She sighs with relief. It’s not a hundred percent, but at least she’s back in the moment and not stuck in her head.

“Okay. I’ll wait on the swing.” She sits with her hands clasped together on her lap. It’s not how I imagined her sitting out here.

I reach inside with one hand and flip the living room light on. With my other hand, I reach under my cut and pull the gun from the back of my jeans. I hear Lily take a sharp breath, but I don’t turn back.

Room by room and closet by closet, I check every nook and cranny of the house. I even checked the back porch and called Nick to watch the camera footage. The outside of the property and the commons room of the Viking Den are under twenty-four-hour surveillance. Not everyone knows that.

After I clear the house, I stand in the front doorway with my back against the doorframe and my eyes on Lily. It took Nick a little over thirty minutes to watch the footage from the time Lily and Maci left until she and I returned.

“All clear.” Lily doesn’t move or acknowledge me. I walk over and hold my hand out. “Lily?” She slowly lifts her head. “We can go inside now.”

She places her hand in mine, and I pull her to her feet. This was a setback for her. She’s now hiding behind a mask of fear. I want so badly to remove every ounce of it from her life.

“Can I get you anything?” I close the door behind us.

Lily slowly turns to face me. “A new life.”

“It’ll take a little time, but we’re working on it.” That’s one wish I can grant. “What can I get you in the meantime?”

She nervously laughs. “Coffee?”

“Oh, that’s definitely something I can do. One fresh pot of coffee coming right up.” I smile and wink at her as I walk by. “Come on, angel.

One wish easily granted. Another is in the making. I want to make more of her wishes come true. I have an idea. Hopefully, she’ll be intrigued and give me a chance.

Chapter 16

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Lily

The big, bad biker with a gun turns out to be a better barista than the ones at my favorite coffee shop in LA. Everything’s fine. It’s a normal day in biker land. Who am I kidding? Nothing about this is normal, not that I know much about the biker world.

I carry my fancy caramel coffee with lots of whipped cream and chocolate shavings to the living room. I cautiously settle into one corner of the couch. Can’t spill any of this caffeine goodness, after all. It looks almost too good to drink. Almost is the keyword here. There’s no way I’m passing this up. I take a sip and moan. Oh my gosh. Everly wasn’t kidding. Uncle Jack makes the best coffee.

Jack pauses as he’s about to sit in the chair across from me. His eyebrows lift. His eyes drop to my lips and the mug. I take another sip and sigh this time. His eyes never waver.

“Um.” I pat the middle cushion with my left hand. “Will you join me here, please?”

“Are you sure?”

I nod and drop my head. “Everyone avoids me so much, it makes me feel like a disease. It’s weird, but it’s true.”

“Can’t have that.” Jack quickly moves to the other corner of the couch.

Instantly, I feel better. He’s closer enough to where I don’t feel alone and just far away enough that I don’t feel crowded. I take another sip. Once again, his eyes are drawn to my lips. Why’s this so fascinating to him?

“Will Everly be okay?”

“Yeah. When Mom gets home, she’ll calm Everly down.”

Everly and Nanny are very close. I’m not surprised it would be Jack’s Mom that helps Everly the most. I really like Everly. I wish I could’ve done something more to help tonight. I’m nobody to his niece. I’m just a lady passing through their lives.

Jack takes a sip of coffee. He has the same drink as I do. His tongue darts out to wipe the whipped cream from his mustache. Wow. This is good. Yeah. It’s normal. Happens every day.

Jack’s lips turn up into a grin. “You okay over there, angel?”

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