Page 44 of Broken Skulls

She trusts me.

I walk her back to the house. She pauses before going inside, looking over her shoulder at the dragonfly painted on the barn. Her gaze drops to mine as we stand on the steps.

“I’m not doing this for myself. I’m doing it for her. I’ve been terrified she might get curious and go looking for her biological parents.”

“You can do it for her, but know that we are doing this for you,” I tell her.

“We?”

Laugher wafts from inside of the house, answering her question. Her eyes widen in surprise. “Your whole club is going after him?”

“They are.”

“You didn’t …”

I don’t let her finish. “’Till death,” I remind her. “I’ll always keep your secret.”

She blinks back tears. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. Just don’t run from me, okay?” I wrap my arm around her waist and walk her into the kitchen.

The room quiets when we step inside. Jackson whistles, ordering everyone out. He walks toward us. “Did you tell her?” he asks.

Elizabeth looks at me.

“I did,” I answer.

He taps her on the shoulder, and she slowly turns to face him. “You okay with this?”

She surprises me by answering.

“He’s … I don’t know what he’s capable of,” she voices her earlier worries.

Jackson begins to assure her, but she interrupts him. It surprises the shit out of me.

“You’ll need help,” she tells him, hugging herself.

Jackson and I exchange a look when she begins to wring her hands. “You should ask Tank to get in touch with Anthony. He’ll know who I’m talking about.”

“I’ve heard of Anthony. It’s that bad, huh?” Jackson asks, tipping her chin with his knuckle.

Her head drops, and she stares at the floor.

“Okay, sweetheart. We’ll get help.”

She nods, keeping her face down. He rubs the top of her head lightly while giving me a sullen look. Then, he turns and walks out.

Lily steps into the kitchen, leaning against the door frame. “You can stay here with Willow, but I’d love to have you at my house while we wait for the guys to get back,” she tells Elizabeth.

My girl looks at me, and I see how scared she is over all of this. No, she’s more than scared, she’s terrified.

“Lock me in the room,” she whispers.

I take a moment before answering her as the enormity of what this woman must have gone through punches me in the gut. What secrets has she kept in order to protect her daughter? She let the entire world hate her. Now that I’m really thinking about it, what did he do to her to make her go to such lengths? What horrors will I find?

The possible answers make me swallow hard. Lily steps toward us to offer her two cents, but I hold up my hand, holding her back.

“Okay,” I tell Elizabeth while silently pleading with my best friend for understanding.

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