Page 62 of Bounty
I knew of them, but I’d never met either before.
Drifter looked at Sloane and nodded.
“The fire inside me,” he began to croon to a soft melodic rhythm. “The love that I feel.”
Slice walked in. The moment our gazes met, all my fear and worry evaporated. In his eyes, I saw whatIfelt. Respect and admiration. And love. I recognized it because I finally accepted Ididwant what my parents shared.
Slice reached my bedside, bent, and kissed me. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Hey,” I said softly.
He brushed his fingers through my hair and I leaned into his touch.
“I thought you were done with me,” I said.
“Never. You’re stuck with me, Effie.” He straightened and dug in his pocket, pulling out a ring. I gasped. Sloane continued singingInferno.
“It’s not an engagement ring—yet,” Slice said fiercely. “It’s a promise to love and cherish you. When the time’s right, then I’ll propose.” He kissed me. “I love you, Effie.”
“I love you, too, Slice,” I whispered.
“So what do you say?”
Giggling, I held out my hand. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
We kissed to a round of applause. I’d never been happier. Looking into Slice’s eyes, I knew he felt the same.
The road to recovery wasn’t an easy one and included surgery to repair the damage to my broken nose. Long after the physical wounds healed, the mental scars remained. The terror of my kidnapping. The bone-chilling dread as I questioned if I’d survive. The disgust whenever it dawned on me I’d taken a man’s life. In the heat of the moment, it hadn’t mattered. It was me orhim. I understood that I’d had no choice. Sometimes, though, it was all too much. So much gore. The blood. The head.
It all stuck with me. Each time I remembered, I shook and shivered.
However, despite my trauma and though it was hard, an invaluable support system surrounded me. My mother stuck to her word, prioritizing my happiness and safety over hers. My father followed suit, and even Cassie stepped up and made herself available if I needed to talk. She was still with that nitwit, but hey, progress was progress. Heath took a leave of absence from his job and had just returned to New York a few days ago after four months in Corpus Christi.
With all my family’s much appreciated support, Slice helped me the most. He asked for time off and Goose agreed. Saw and Ziggy got permission from their chapter president for Slice to stay at the club, since Mom and Dad wouldn’t hear of him staying under our roof. They also cited Heath’s presence.Perhaps,they claimed, if Heath hadn’t been there, theymight’veallowed Slice to use that room.
Bullshit, but I allowed them to believe their own lies.
Slice attended to my every need. He and Heath bonded. Josh McCall made a few calls and arranged an interview for Heath with a Fortune 500 company that he’d been dying to work for. It was why he left before the end of the summer.
Ophelia called regularly and checked to see if we needed anything. Although Slice couldn’t spend the night, he, Saw, and Ziggy became fixtures at our dinner table. They regaled Mom with stories that would feed her imagination for years to come.
In my darkest hour, though, Slice was there to comfort me for the first few weeks. He’d been immersed in violence for years and shared his own experiences and coping mechanisms. He told me about the first time he saw a life taken, and the first time he took a life, and described in detail how he felt about both. Itwas a fucked up way for us to deepen our bond, but ultimately, his understanding brought us closer together.
So close, in fact, that I transferred to a school in Oklahoma.
Breaking the news to my parents wasn’t easy. By their expressions, I knew they held back a wealth of words. Heath backed up my decision and helped me choose the right university and fill out my paperwork. He sat with me during the meeting with Mom and Dad. His presence might’ve helped to keep them from losing it. Although Slice had already returned to Oklahoma City, he supported my decision. My parents knew they were outnumbered with my brother and Slice on my side.
Finally, Mom asked me to consider three things: self-defense classes, always carrying a stun gun and pepper spray, and counseling before and after my move.
I was on board with the first two, but hesitant about therapy. I didn’t want to share what occurred and incriminate Slice, Drifter, Goose, Saw, Ziggy, and their respective club members. They’d saved me, and I wouldn’t repay them by telling a stranger of their justified crime.
Of course, my father agreed with Mom, so I didn’t reveal my decision to protect Slice. Heath knew, though, and he squeezed my hand in reassurance when Mom lifted her brow and awaited my agreement. Instead, I just smiled and nodded, promising to consider her advice. Now, she believed I couldn’t find a therapist who was the right fit for me and encouraged me to look in Oklahoma City since Corpus Christi apparently had such slim pickings. Despite her progress, Mom would forever be Mom, offering suggestions and a tad bit clueless.
I loved her with all my heart, though. That was why the first thing I did when I touched down in the Sooner State was send her a selfie and a text declaring my arrival.
Once I rented a cart and collected my belongings from baggage claim, I trudged to passenger pickup to wait for Slice, so we could head over to our new apartment. He’d FaceTime me while he toured several apartments before we chose one together and he placed the deposit. I’d never visited his city and he wanted me to like where we’d live together.
I paced around as I searched for his recently purchased black Ford-150. He said it was for me to drive on the days he couldn’t usher me around on the back of his bike.
