Page 63 of Manic

As we catch our breath, still tangled together, I can't help but smile.

This woman, this fierce, beautiful creature in my arms—she's everything I never knew I needed.

"Welcome home," I whisper, pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder.

Meghan turns in my arms, her eyes shining with something that looks a lot like love. "It's good to be back."

CHAPTER TEN

Meghan

I grip the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white as I scan the rearview mirror for the hundredth time.

The roads of Tallahassee stretch out behind me, empty in the midday sun, but I can't shake the feeling of being watched.

It's been a month since the club party, a month of relative peace, but the anxiety coiled in my gut refuses to unwind.

Tindra's voice pulls me from my paranoid thoughts. "Mom, you okay?"

She's sitting in the passenger seat, her black hair catching the sunlight streaming through the windshield.

I force a smile, trying to keep the worry from my face. "Yeah, baby. Just thinking."

"About what?" She tilts her head, curiosity sparking in her eyes—eyes so much like mine, it makes my heart ache.

I hesitate, not wanting to burden her with my fears. "Just... life. How things have changed."

Tindra nods, a small furrow appearing between her brows. "Good changes, right?"

"Mostly," I admit, easing off the gas as we approach a red light. "It's just... a lot to get used to."

The light turns green, and I accelerate, the familiar purr of the engine oddly comforting.

As we drive, I can't help but reflect on the past month.

The club party feels like a lifetime ago, yet the memory of it still sends a shiver down my spine.

The faces of the Raiders of Valhalla, the way they welcomed my daughter with open arms, it was more than I ever dared hope for.

"Mom?" Tindra's voice breaks through my thoughts again.

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"Do you think... do you think we're safe here?"

The question catches me off guard, and I glance at her, seeing the worry etched on her young face.

It's a look no child should wear, and guilt gnaws at me for putting her through all of this.

I take a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. "I think... I think we're safer than we've been in a long time. The club, they're good people. They've got our backs."

"But you're still worried," she observes, always too perceptive for her own good.

I can't deny it. "Old habits die hard, baby. I've spent a long time looking over my shoulder. It's not easy to stop."

Tindra nods, her gaze drifting to the window. "I get it. But... I like it here, Mom. It feels like home."

Her words warm something inside me, a feeling I've been trying to ignore.

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