Page 55 of Lost Soul

“They’ll kill her and her mom the minute she steps off this compound, you know that. I’m gonna need to offer her a little more than that?”

“We don’t gotta offer her fuck all,” Prez fires up again. Looking at me as if I just grew an extra head.

“Hayley wanted her to live so badly that she threw herself in front of a bullet for her, we need to do this for Hayley. Come on, Prez.” It’s selfish of me to use the fact Hayley laid her life down, but it’s all I have to keep Maddy safe. Tears reform in Prez’s eyes and as much as it hurts to see, I take his weakness as a good sign.

“We need to help this girl, Hayley would have wanted us to,” I add.

“How?” he asks, his voice low and defeated.

“Protection, Prez, club protection. She could be as useful to us as she was to them. Would be a shame to waste a talent like that,” I suggest, clutching at just about anything I have that might keep her safe.

“You want this club to protect the person who's responsible for my daughter’s death? Someone who has been feeding the Bastards our information for months?” He folds his arms over his chest. Okay, hearing it back makes it sound unlikely, but I’m not about to let Maddy leave here a walking target.

“I want this club to consider keeping safe the person whose life your daughter valued above her own.” My tone is harsher than it’s ever been when talking to my Prez, he’s a man I’ve respected my entire life. “Girl had no clue what she was dealing with, you only have to look at her to know that.”

Jimmer scratches his beard the way he always does when he’s deep in thought, and I feel myself aging while I wait for his answer.

“And you think she’s really as good as she says she is?” He narrows his swollen eyes.

“Well, she's been fucking things up pretty well for us over the past six months,” I remind him.

“Fine,” he utters, and I finally breathe. “She stays. Bunk her in with one of the girls over down at the sanctuary.” He’s in a rush to get me out of here. I can sense he wants to be alone.

“Prez she ain't that kinda girl, she was Hayley’s best friend. Despite what she's capable of she’s innocent to a place like this.” Prez pauses for longer than I can handle. I’m not about to push him though, not while he’s trying to find a shred of decency for the girl who’s here in place of the daughter he’s strived to protect since the day she was born.

“Okay, but she’s your problem, Jessie. Your responsibility. And she better start showing her value, or she’s fuckin’ out, you got that?” he warns, and I nod while relief floods my body.

“And her mom? She’s in danger too.” I push for a little more, for all I know Maddy's mom is already worm food, but if she isn’t we need to make her safe too.

“Sure, why the hell not. Bring her in too.” Prez throws his arms up, the sarcasm all over his face masking his heartbreak for just a second.

“Soon as she’s settled, I’ll get Maddy straight onto burying Chop’s warrant again,” I assure him. “And Prez…” I step closer and take his hand in mine. Our club signet rings touch, only 12 of them exist. They were made for the original Dirty Dozen, the founders of the club. The one I wear had been my pa’s, Prez gave it to me when I turned eighteen. It always reminded me that this club had been built for our future.

“We’re gonna get through this. Losing Hayley is breaking me, same as it’s breaking you. I loved that girl like a sister,” I tell him, squeezing his hand beneath mine. “She’d want us to be there for each other, and I want you to know that I’m right here,” my voice cracks as I speak. Prez stands up and stumbles towards me, gripping my cut to pull me in for a hug. His palm slapping hard at the leather on my back.

“Me too, son, me too.” He releases me, and we nod to each other before I leave him alone. Carly and Skid are propped against the wall waiting outside, and both of them straighten up when I step out the door.

“So?” Carly speaks first, desperate to know what Prez said.

“She can stay, she’s got club protection,” I tell her on a sigh of relief that gives me away too much.

“That’s great.” Carly sounds almost as relieved as I am. “I’ll make her up a guest cabin, best not send her down to the sanctuary,” she adds awkwardly.

“She’s staying with me,”

I choose to ignore the shock on both their faces as I move past them. I need to find Troj and tell him we’re getting a house guest.

Troj is in the gym, no surprises there. It’s late, and the club isn’t lively like it usually is. Everyone is dealing with their shock in their own way, this is how Troj deals.

He’s doing chin ups on the pull bar using hardly any effort, and when he sees me he drops off and thunders straight towards me, grabbing at my shoulder and pulling me in.

“You look like shit,” he says, trying to reign in his emotions.

“I feel like it.”

“Anything I can do, brother, it's done,” he assures me.

“Thanks.” I loosen myself from his grip.

---