Page 46 of Come Back to Me

“Sure that I picked thebestof two evils? Damn straight. Paulie raised a survivor and?—”

“Wait.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You telling me this is because Paulie died.”

She swallows. “It’s probably time for you to leave.”

“Do you need a ride to school? Aren’t you a boarder?”

“Used to be, but that changed too.”

The despondency in her tone, the heartbreak and heartache have me wanting to punch something.

Paulie’s death was a trigger. Paulie kept her safe even when he was stationed five thousand miles away and some asshole took advantage.

Marty’s right—these bikers really are fucking scum.

“I can help,” I rasp.

“You can’t. Anyway, I don’t need help. I’m fine. Kit’s pretty decent.”

I eye her cut. “If he were decent, he’d have helped to honor Paulie’s memory. Didn’t your dad?—”

“Dad suggested it.” She purses her lips. “Said I’d be safer.” I can see the ‘Property of’ patch but not the biker’s name, so he hasn’t claimed her as his partner yet. “You need to go. Kit will wake up soon.”

“He’s taking you to school?”

“Yes.”

Stepping back and nodding, I reach for my cell in my pocket. “Give me your number.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m here if you need me.”

Confusion flickers over her expression. “I’m nobody to you.”

“You’re Paulie’s baby sister. You’re not nobody.”

Though her bottom lip trembles, she’s quick to give me her number. She’s quicker still to scamper off once she has.

Sensing her discomfort, I don’t waste time as I jump into my car and light it out of the parking lot.

Only when I’m a mile away do I send her a message to start the ball rolling. I see the two ticks of her having read it, but she doesn’t reply, and I guess I can’t expect her to.

Whether she admits it or not, she’s in a difficult situation. There’s no way I can leave her to deal with that. Paulie’ll come back and haunt me if I do.

For being an absolute asshole, Paulie’s dad, the President of the Rabid Wolves, managed to raise two good kids.

Miracles do happen...

“Chief, this is Sally-Anne.”

“Yes, Sally-Anne. All’s well. On my way to the detachment as we speak.”

“Oh, good. Marty was about ready to pop at least a dozen eggs, he was fretting so hard. See you in twenty.”

Though I grunt, I return to town, mind racing about the ways I can help Amy, but my cell rings before I come up with anything concrete.

“Would you be able to pick up Zee and Tee from Saskatoon this afternoon?”

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