Chapter Twenty Eight

T he driftwood hanging on the door of Whale's Tail Coffee shop announced Dio's arrival.

From across the room, Skye jumped from the chair, grabbed her bag, and hurried to him. Rachel took a sip of her drink. There were no other customers in the shop, only Brooke and Dania working.

"Skye, remember to give Daisy the envelope in your bag to pay for your new swimsuit. You need it for the swim team." Brooke walked around the counter and flung a handtowel over her shoulder. "Thanks so much for taking her, Dio. Maverick called an hour ago and told me he was tied up with club business."

"No prob." Dio grabbed the back of Skye's neck. "I'll stay at the pool until Maverick gets back."

"I totally owe you." Brooke blew out her breath. "I was afraid I'd need to take the afternoon off since they need a parent there, but Daisy promised me it would be okay if you were there. She needs a responsible adult to sign the release forms—for insurance purposes."

Dio chuckled. "Paperwork."

"Exactly." Brooke reached out and swept Skye's bangs behind her ear.

Skye moved away from her touch and grabbed Dio's hand. "Let's go."

As soon as the door swung shut, Brooke shook her head. "Teenagers."

Rachel laughed softly. Though Brooke didn't look old enough to have a teenager.

"Do you have any kids?" Brooke cleaned the top of the table next to Rachel.

"No." She finished the last drop of coffee. "I'm only twenty-two."

"You're younger than Katrina." Brooke straightened. "Sorry, that was rude. Trust me, I have no room to talk about age differences."

She'd noticed Maverick was a lot older than Brooke. Ruger never talked about the others, but her curiosity about the people surrounding him brought that detail to the surface. In the same way, Jagger was older than Katrina, and Wire was older than Cora. More couples were farther apart in age within the Havlin Motorcycle Club. She had to assume bikers preferred younger women, but that kink wasn't what brought her and Ruger together.

Age wasn't something they discussed. They were together because of their history. No one would understand what she'd gone through or the sacrifices Ruger made for her. But she knew in her heart that even if they hadn't lived through the kidnapping, she would've still been drawn to him if they had met some other way.

His heart spoke to her. While others viewed him as a loner who needed nobody, she knew differently.

"It's okay." She smiled. "It's no secret."

Brooke pointed at the vacant chair on the other side of the table. "Do you mind?"

"Of course not."

"When Ruger left you here, he told me to watch out for you and call the clubhouse if we needed help." She sat down and leaned against the table. "Are you still in danger?"

Everyone had seen her when she and Ruger arrived at the clubhouse after escaping. They'd seen the condition she arrived in. But that's all they knew. They had no idea what she'd lived through.

The men who'd hurt her were dead. A secret she'd keep for the rest of her life.

She exhaled. "Ruger's just protective."

Brooke nodded. "I get that. Maverick is the same way with me and his daughter. That's why we rely on Dio so much with Skye. Since she was little, Skye idolized Dio—he could do no wrong in her eyes. And I'd trust a biker around her before anyone outside Havlin."

She was learning Havlin Motorcycle Club was a tight-knit group. While Ruger remained a loner, the others had formed a community. An extended family.

She pointed at the empty mug. "The coffee was really good."

"Want a refill?"

"No, thanks." She looked around. "I've already drank too much. Do you have a restroom I can use?"

Brooke stood. "Follow me."

She walked behind the counter and entered a small room off the short hallway. Going inside, she used the bathroom, washed her hands, and took a deep breath. Never one who socialized or hung out with others past high school, it took a lot out of her to put on a false front that everything was okay.

Things were so far from okay that it left her trembling inside.

Her brother was somewhere, and she had no idea if he needed her. She only hoped Ruger found him or got word that Shady was okay.

She dried her hands and left the restroom. When she returned to the coffee shop's main room, she found Cora and Katrina standing on the other side of the counter, talking to Brooke.

Katrina frowned the second she spotted Rachel. She looked away, not wanting to annoy Ruger's daughter.

She sat down, wishing she would've taken Brooke up on the offer for another coffee. At least then, she'd have something to do with her hands. Instead, she scrolled through her phone to keep her attention off the women.

The urge to text Ruger and ask how his search was going left her legs shaking under the table. She refrained from contacting him, though. All his attention was needed to search for Shady.

If only there was a way to contact Corbin. After the scare with the police coming to the house, he was probably hiding out, too.

Katrina approached the table. "I don't think I've ever seen you without my dad."

"He's riding," she said.

"I know." Katrina lifted an eyebrow. "How long have you been here?"

At least two hours. She rubbed her lips together. Ruger never told her she had to keep the truth of his actions away from the others. But she wasn't comfortable talking about private business, even if it was Ruger's daughter.

"A couple of hours."

"Why don't you walk over to the clubhouse with us." Katrina hitched her thumb over her shoulder. "It's better than sitting here alone."

Ruger had told her that someone from Havlin could walk her to the clubhouse if she got bored at the coffee shop. She nodded. "Thanks. I'd like that."

"It's not like we're doing anything big. Just waiting around for the guys to get back." Katrina led the way to the door. Cora walked behind Rachel. She looked over her shoulder and slowed down on the sidewalk. While Katrina kept up with her, Cora lagged behind, holding a hand to her back.

"How do you like living at the cottage?" asked Katrina.

"It's peaceful and quiet."

Katrina stepped off the sidewalk. "After living at the clubhouse, it's probably a break from the chaos. The guys are rowdy twenty-four/seven."

"Did Ruger always live at the clubhouse?" she asked.

Katrina glanced at her. "You'd have to ask him."

She regretted asking. Her question made it sound as if she wasn't aware of him spending time in prison for eighteen years. She was more curious to know how he lived before that when Katrina was a baby.

Not wanting Katrina to believe she was prying, she stopped outside the clubhouse door and put her hand on Katrina's arm. "I love your dad. I don't know how much he's shared with—"

"Not as much as you're sharing with me." Katrina crossed her arms. "You barely know him."

Cora stepped between them. "Excuse me. I'll leave you two out here to talk alone."

Rachel's heart raced. She hadn't started trying to confront Katrina and had no desire to defend her relationship with Ruger. What they had together was private and not to be shared with anyone, not even Katrina.

"I haven't even told your dad I love him." She swallowed hard. "The only reason I'm telling you is because I know you hate me for the condition your dad returned in—and that's your right. It was my fault. I blame myself every second of the day, and I'm in no way excusing what happened, but when we took care of each other, I fell in love with him. That was something I had no control over. I've never met someone so selfless, caring, and kind."

Katrina's brows shot up. Rachel got defensive. She was many things, but she wasn't a liar.

"Whatever you think of me, I'm stronger than what you've seen." She stood as tall as she could. "I didn't have an easy life. I grew up fast and fought for everything I had in life, and I'm prepared to fight for your dad. So whether or not you approve of our relationship, I'm not going away. All I can promise is that I won't hurt him."

Katrina inhaled swiftly and looked away. Rachel was done. She was no longer going to try and win over Ruger's daughter. When Ruger saved her, she was weak and broken, scared of everyone and everything.

She was stronger now. The only thing that scared her was losing Ruger.

She understood how much his daughter meant to him. She would never do anything to take his family away from him.

If she couldn't prove to Katrina that she was good for her dad, then in the end, she and Ruger would never make it because it was unfair of her to ask him to love her if it meant losing his close relationship with his daughter.

When Katrina stayed silent, looking at the trees lining the back lot, Rachel stepped around her and opened the clubhouse door.

"He needs someone strong," said Katrina, stopping her.

She looked over her shoulder and nodded. "I know."

Katrina motioned for her to go inside. "I'll be there in a second."

Stepping inside the clubhouse, she never allowed herself to catch her breath. She was reeling from the conversation, going over every word between them.

Had Katrina finally given her approval to love Ruger? It sure sounded like it to her.

She walked over to Cora's table.

Ruger's sister glared. "What did you do with Katrina?"

"She's outside—she's okay. She wanted a few seconds alone, and then she'll come in." She sat across the table. "I would never hurt her. We were only talking."

"Mm-hm." Cora appraised her.

She crossed her legs under the table. The seconds ticked painfully by. Cora wasn't going to give her the benefit of the doubt. She protected him, even though Ruger wanted nothing to do with his long-lost sister.

None of that had anything to do with her. And unlike Katrina, she wouldn't spill her guts to get Cora to like her. She could like her or leave her, and it wouldn't bother her because it had nothing to do with her relationship with Ruger.

Katrina walked in and came to the table. "Are you guys hungry? I'm starving."

"I could eat," said Cora, suddenly finding her voice. "What about you?"

Ruger's sister looked straight at Rachel. She nodded. "Sure, I could eat something."

Katrina sat down and looked at her phone. "Crab salad or burgers?"

"Burgers," answered Rachel and Cora simultaneously, sharing a smile.

The tension she'd always felt around the other women faced during lunch. With the relief that she could move forward with Ruger without feeling like she had invaded the tight circle of his family, she offered to pay for the food delivery—with her own money, not Ruger's. She made that clear.