Redemption Road (Vicious Cycle #2)(56)

But at the same time, I was beginning to feel like the human equivalent of a child’s safety blanket. While I wanted to be there for her, I was still so frightened that I was impeding her healing. That as long as I allowed her to use me, she would never be well on her own. However, she never mentioned her therapist’s voicing these concerns. With Alexandra’s help, she had managed to find one she liked, and had started twice-a-week appointments.

The true bright spot in her life, and if I let myself admit it, in mine as well, was Poe. Who knew a little deer could bring so much love and enjoyment to our lives? Through Annabel’s care, he—we’d discovered we had a boy—was thriving. I was amazed at how much knowledge she possessed to care for him. The whole routine of stimulating him to pee or poop with warm cotton balls blew my mind. When I had said as much, Annabel only giggled. “Well, his mother would do that in the wild to protect him from predators.”

“But how . . .”

“With her tongue,” she replied.

“Disgusting,” I muttered.

Poe had moved from a small crate in my bedroom to a larger crate on the back porch. He was soon going to be big enough to use an old dog run we had on the property. Annabel never had to do his feedings alone. Willow often came to help give Poe his bottle, but the most amusing scene was when Deacon or Bishop would come by and gather the blanket-wrapped deer up like a baby to give him his bottle.

Friday night found me finishing up a feeding with Poe. I had insisted that Annabel take it easy after she helped Mama Beth cook a big meal for a family who had a sick relative. When I sniffed my shirt and got a strong whiff of animal, I knew I needed to grab a quick shower before heading up to the roadhouse.

After I showered and shaved, I came out of the bedroom to find Annabel reading on the couch. At the sight of me, she lowered her e-reader, and then narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Going somewhere?”

“Uh, yeah, actually I am. I have to go up to the roadhouse. One of our prospects is getting patched in.”

Her face took on a bewildered expression. “Patched in? What does that mean?”

I laughed. “It means he’s a full member of the club now. He doesn’t have to run around doing errands. He’s proven he’s worthy of us.”

“That all comes in the form of a patch?”

“Before, he had to wear a prospect’s patch, which is like a sign saying you’re everyone’s bitch. Now he gets the real deal.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“I don’t know about that. Of course, Crazy Ace, the guy we’re patching in, could make anything interesting.”

“Oh really?”

“If you want, I can walk you over to Mama Beth’s on the way,” I suggested as I grabbed my keys.

“Do women ever go to these things?”

I turned around to stare at her in surprise. In the entire month since she had been with me, she had never once set foot inside the roadhouse. One by one, the Raiders had come down to meet her. She seemed to do well with a few of us at a time. “Um, yeah, they do.”

“Then can I come? I mean, I hate to invite myself, but I’d like to get out for a while. And I’ve never seen the roadhouse.”

I fiddled with the keys in my hand. “Are you sure you’re up to it?” While I knew my brothers would be on their best behavior around Annabel, I was more concerned about how she would react to them. Strange men in cuts could inevitably lead to a flashback of her time with the Diablos.

She rose off the couch with a determined expression. “I think I’d like to try.”

“Then I’d like to have you join me.”

Glancing down at her clothes, she asked, “Am I dressed okay?”

I laughed. “Compared to what some of the women will be wearing, you’re overdressed.”

“Should I go change into something more revealing?” she teased.

“No,” I replied a little too quickly. Annabel ducked her head, but I thought I saw the hint of a smile on her lips. “Come on. We’d better be going.”

When we got to the back door of the roadhouse, I stopped her. “What is it?” she asked.

“If at any time you don’t feel comfortable, you just let me know. Even if I’m taking part in the patching, you can come and get me. Okay?”

“Thank you, Rev,” she replied. She then proceeded to shock the hell out of me by reaching up and tenderly kissing my cheek. “You’re so good to me.”

Feeling like I had been knocked on my ass, I threw open the back door and ushered her inside. Live music blared from the house band that played on special occasions. The steady roar of conversation came from all around us. At the far end of the roadhouse, the women had set up a long table filled with home-cooked food. Kim and Alexandra, along with some of the other wives, were helping the men through the line.

“Hungry?” I asked Annabel.

“Not right now. But don’t let me stop you.”

I glanced from the table back to her. “Kim’s chili is f*cking amazing.”

Annabel smiled. “Then let’s get you some before it’s all gone.”

Placing my hand on the small of her back, I started to guide her through the crowd. At Annabel’s sudden intake of breath, I quickly demanded, “What’s wrong?”