Page 99 of Patching Over

Leaning over, I kiss her temple and reply, “Me too, babe. Me too.”

“I know you want to ride,” she says as we pack the RV up. “I should be okay to drive, Banshee.”

“Babe, you still wince every time you have to move,” I retort. “It’s not a hardship to be in a cage, especially since you’re by my side.”

She grins at me while petting Sassy, who is eyeing her carrier with distaste. “I never expected to find someone again, Banshee,” she states. “After him, I felt defective and broken, but you’ve shown me I’m not. Thank you for that.”

My chest grows tight at her words. It’s way too soon to express my innermost feelings, so instead, I’ll show her through my actions.

Because she’s it for me.

This feisty, beautiful, hunting and fishing loving, country girl has captured me, heart and soul.

“You’ve done well, Brother. She’s good for you and you’re good for her. Say the words. It’s not too soon.”

CHAPTER

SIXTEEN

Rory

“Are they going to do that the whole trip?” I ask, watching Scythe and Kracken trade spots again. They’ve been alternating where they ride since we left the Dallas clubhouse. One of them is in front of us, the other behind us.

“Yeah, they’re the club’s Enforcer and SAA,” he replies, glancing at me. “This is not a bad ride.”

“Grampy and I swapped out the suspension that was originally in it,” I admit. “He wanted me to have all the comforts of home while I traveled.”

Sassy chooses that moment to meow before she jumps off my lap and heads to the back.

“She’s well-behaved,” he states. “Hopefully, how she acts will rub off on the two little heathens back home.”

“There are other cats?” I question. “Do you think they’ll get along?”

“Don’t see why not. My sister found them one day and even though they weren’t bottle fed, she’s babied them since she brought them home. When I left Roanoke, they were back at theclubhouse because they were painting the house and Brick didn’t want her to be exposed to the fumes. It’s possible they’re back home now, but be prepared because they pop up all over the place when they’re at the clubhouse.”

I snicker because Sassy is what is called a ‘tree climber’ and she loves to find somewhere to roost where she can watch everything without being bothered. “Sounds like they’ll get along just fine.”

“Are you okay right now or do we need to stop for the day?” he suddenly asks. “I notice you’re wincing more as the miles go by.”

“Can’t slip anything by you, can I?” I tease.

I still marvel over how easy it is to be with him. There’s no angst, no walking on eggshells, just understanding and genuine concern. While he hasn’t touched me since I was taken, he holds me close every single night and we talk. I know how his sister was taken, how all of them were made to believe she was dead, how she was found years later when another club came in and told Brick, the club president, he had to go find her.

Now, she’s the president’s ol’ lady and I won’t lie, I’m nervous about meeting her. She’s the long-lost club princess, and I’m just me. Plus, she’s pregnant and is due at any time. I’ve never been around babies, so I’m worried about that as well. I’ve shared my worries with Banshee under the cover of darkness, and while he understands them, he tells me not to stress, Ryleigh will love me, and I’ll love her.

I guess we’ll see.

“Rory? You ready to stop? One of the places Facet gave me is coming up. We can settle early for the night, maybe grill some burgers or something.”

Sighing, I nod. While I feel better than I did two weeks ago and can finally see out of both eyes, my ribs are still painful. Which sucks, because being wrapped up in Banshee’s arms everynight, I can tell he wants me, but he won’t act on it since I’m still in pain.

He signals that we’re going to pull off at the next exit and I watch Scythe motion back that he understands the message. I swear, these men can have full conversations without opening their mouths. I think it’s a superpower or something.

“I’m impressed that they were able to put the tent up so quickly,” I say as I clean up the rest of dinner. Before we left, Banshee went out and grabbed a four-person tent and two air mattresses, along with a compressor thing so they could blow them up. They’re set up not too far from us and have done multiple ‘perimeter checks’ according to Scythe. Guess that’s just a habit they have; I know I feel safer with them than I have in a very long time.

“Told you we hunted and fished off the land,” he teases, emptying the garbage. “Be right back, babe. Why don’t you get a shower, and we’ll watch a movie or something.”

I grin because he knows that I typically watch something on my laptop before I fall asleep. I’m sure it’s going to be cozy in my loft, but as close as we typically sleep, I think we’ll manage just fine. Grabbing my nightgown from my bag since I haven’t emptied it yet, I head into the bathroom to take my shower.

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