Page 28 of Patch's Bride
Lila nods, tears glistening in her eyes again as she smiles at her sister. “I know you will. You always keep your promises, Bethy. And you…” she looks straight at me, “…you take care of my sister. She’s the only family I’ve got.”
I step forward and take one of her hands in mine. “Not anymore. You have me now too. But I won’t let anything happen to Beth,” I tell her, meaning every word of it. “You just focus on getting stronger. Let your sister and me handle everything else.”
She gives a small laugh, her voice weak but teasing. “You sound bossy, is it because you’re a doctor or a biker?”
“Maybe I’m a doctor and a biker because I’m bossy,” I say with a grin. “Did you ever think of that?”
Beth bends to kiss her sister’s forehead, whispering something soft I don’t catch. When she straightens, she’s trying not to cry too.
“Is there anything you’d like us to bring you on our next visit?” I ask.
A mischievous expression jumps onto her face. “If you have a brother, I’ll take one of those.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “I’ve got a couple dozen of those. I’ll see what I can do about bringing you one.”
We talk for a few more minutes and then I slide an arm around Beth’s shoulders and steer her towards the door.
As we step into the hall, I glance back one last time. Lila’s still watching us, with a hopeful expression on her lovely face.
Beth stays quiet as we move through the facility, passing other residents and nurses. She smiles pleasantly and greets each one in turn, but only I can see the pain hovering just below the surface. And it breaks my heart.
The hallways are calm, neat and orderly. By the time we reach the lobby, Beth is barely holding it together. She doesn’t say a word as I put my arm around her and lead her through the automatic doors. When we step outside into the cool morning air, she turns and buries her face in my chest. I tuck her head under my chin, wrap my arms around her and hold her while she cries ugly tears. Within a few moments, she’s pulling herself together and we head back to my bike. Beth leans into me slightly, needing my support. Neither of us speaks, but the silence between us feels full of promise.
“She’s holding on, but the added stress of your asshole stepfather can’t be good for her. Stress is the last thing she needs in her life right now,” I tell her quietly.
“I hate that she’s getting caught up in my mess,” she states so quietly that I almost miss it.
“She’s not. You’re both getting caught up in your stepfather’s mess. Don’t worry, Lila is in the right place. Your parents made sure of that all those years ago. Our job is to make sure she stays there.”
She nods but doesn’t look convinced. “I hate that he’s been calling her. It’s like he can’t stand seeing anyone happy unless he’s the one in control.”
“That’s exactly what it is.” I reach for her hand and give it a squeeze. “Men like him feed off fear. But he’s not in control anymore, Beth. Not of you, and not of her.”
Her eyes meet mine, wide and uncertain. “Do you really think we can stop him?”
“I know we can,” I tell her. “We already started.”
Chapter 10
Beth
Patch seems sure we can beat my stepfather back and keep my sister safe. But I’m not so sure. As we head for the clubhouse to meet with the Savage Legion’s attorneys, I turn the situation over in my mind at least a dozen times. I never get any closer to figuring out a surefire way to stop him dead in his tracks.
My stepfather is wealthy, respected in our community, and well-connected. Unfortunately, he’s also controlling, deceitful, and thinks he’s found a good use for me. What kind of man even thinks about trafficking his own stepdaughter simply to clear a debt? It breaks my heart that he’s resorted to threatening my sister to get what he wants from me.
Patch keeps one hand on the throttle, the other occasionally reaching back to brush over my knee reassuringly. The roads wind through Las Salinas as the morning sun continues to rise in the sky. We see a few cars and some delivery trucks on the road during our journey. A sports car zooms by us doing at least a hundred miles an hour. A few miles up the road, we pass a sheriff’s cruiser writing the driver a nice fat ticket. It’s just another normal day in our hometown, for everyone but me and my sister, it seems.
Lila’s voice keeps circling in my head. Tears sting in my eyes as I remember the distressed look on her face and the pleading tone of her voice. No matter the cost, I have to protect her, I vow to myself.
By the time we pull up to the front gate of the clubhouse, it’s almost midday and warming up. The prospects wave us in, and Patch parks in front of the main door, amongst a long line of other bikes. Their club president, Siege, is out front. He looks like he’s been waiting for us to arrive.
Patch kills the engine. I practically jump off the back. My legs are stiff from the long ride, and anxiety is twisting in my stomach.
“You ready for this?” Patch asks under his breath as he pulls his helmet off and gazes down at me.
I take mine off too. “Yes. Let’s go. I’ll do whatever it takes to save Lila.”
“And yourself. Don’t forget that part, darlin’. You’re just as important as your sister,” he says.
