Page 160 of Patching Over

Of him.

Of my past.

Of how he was making me feel.

Because what if Ididstart talking and he decided he didn’t want me around? What if he hurt me like all the men in my past have done?

He’s the kind of man I dreamt about, the one who I kept buried in my hopes and dreams after they were so resoundingly crushed when I was taken captive. Belle and I spent hours discussing the type of man we wanted. Kracken ticks off every box, except those of an intimate nature, of course, since we’ve never so much as held hands let alone kissed.

I finally found the man I didn’t know I was searching for; I just hope it’s not too late.

“They’re coming to save us, Moira,”Hannah says inside my head.“Us and my Uncle Mammoth. He’s hurt really bad, though.”

I glance at her to see she looks sad, her hand momentarily arrested in midair as she sees whatever it is she’s looking at, before she picks up the washcloth and starts bathing again.

“It’s almost over,”she whispers.“Then, you’ll be ready to talk again, Moira, because the bad people will never hurt you again. Our family will make sure of it.”

Her innocent comment has something fluttering deep in my belly, something that’s been missing for a very long time now—hope.

Because I know Kracken isn’t coming by himself, he’s bringing plenty of his brothers along with him. I don’t know what chapter they’re coming from, but judging by the fact we’re in Texas, and I know Selah’s old man is from the Cedar Creek chapter, I suspect they’ll be along as well. And since Dragon and Wrecker are there, they’ll be able to do what Hannah said; help me finish reclaiming myself.

“Will you wash my hair for me?”Hannah asks in my mind.

I nod and pick up the cup that’s on the side of the tub as she tilts her little head back, closing her eyes. I lose myself in the comforting sensation of washing the little girl’s hair, idly wondering if I’ll ever do that with my own child.

Can I even have children after all I’ve been through? It’s something I’ve wondered but was too scared to try and find out. I mean, if Angel healed me, wouldn’t that healing be throughout my body?

Question after question pummels me, until Hannah reaches over and grips my hand.

“First, it’s just going to be you and Kracken for a long time, since you have other things to heal from,”she says.“Then, when the time is right, it’ll happen. You’ll be a good mom, Moira. Look how you take care of me.”

Hope.

It’s a dangerous thing, because when it starts, the flames lick higher and higher. As Hannah sleeps in her bed with me by her side as she insisted, I replay her words over and over in my head.

Is it true? Are the Royal Bastards on their way to rescue us and someone called Mammoth? Will Kracken and I really be anus? Withchildrenfurther down the road?

I think of little boys who look like him, growing up surrounded by some of the best people I’ve ever met. Learning how to treat people the right way, being secure in themselves no matter what they end up doing, just living their absolute best lives with no worries.

It sounds like…Heaven. And knowing that I might be there, living that life alongside my best friend is miraculous.

I just hope… well, I hope that Belle will forgive me for my lackluster behavior before I ran. I cringe a little when I remember all the ways I snubbed her while staying at the clubhouse. I saw her tears, watched her crumble in Jingles’ arms when I wouldn’t respond. I was… no, Iama horrible friend. She endured being mistreated just like I did, yet she isn’t locked with manacles and a muzzle inside her head, refusing to utter a solitary word.

“Sleep, Moira. She wasn’t treated like you were, and she feels guilty about that,”Hannah’s voice whispers.“We have to be ready for tomorrow.”

She’s right, we do have to be ready for whatever tomorrow brings. Makes me wonder what she knows that she hasn’t shared. She’s a mystery, one I don’t think I’ll ever be capable of understanding. As Hannah curls into my side, I place my arm around her, kiss her head, then settle in to get some sleep.

CHAPTER

TEN

Kracken

We ride until we’re about a mile or so from their compound, then start walking through trenches and overgrown landscape. I’m impressed that despite the overgrown grass, Selah manages to keep up until finally, Butcher leans down and she climbs onto his back, her giggles ringing in the air. When we see the outline of the building, we all crouch low while Selah murmurs something about there being no guards on the gate.

We spread out along the fence, guarding as many points as we can cover while I stay close to Selah and Butcher since we’ll be the first to step inside. Selah is going to have to check the other side afterward to make sure no alarms are set to go off and alert those fuckers that someone’s broached their property line.

While I don’t understand all of what Selah’s doing, I still watch with avid fascination as she puts some clamps that are tied together by wire into her mouth then begins to disassemble the electrical security box. All of us are quiet, which is saying a lot, considering we’re a group of bikers who aren’t known for our ability to stay silent even on expeditions. We’re usuallycommunicating, not caring if our enemy hears our approach or not, so this is all new territory for us.

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