Redemption Road

by Katie Ashley

  The cry came again, louder now that we were closer. “It must be her baby,” Annabel reasoned as she started toward the cries. I fell in step behind her. When Annabel gasped, I knew she had found it.

  Like all does are prone to do when they give birth, the mother had concealed her baby in the brush. Annabel turned back to me. “We can’t leave it alone to die out here or get eaten by predators.”

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I asked, “You want to take it back with us?”

  She nodded. “I’ve taken care of motherless kittens before. It can’t be much different.”

  “But this is a wild animal, not a domesticated cat,” I reasoned.

  “Just what would you suggest, then?” When I didn’t immediately reply, she snapped, “Why don’t you go get your gun and shoot it? Then at least it’ll be out of its misery quicker than having to starve to death or be mauled.”

  I knew then there was no way in hell we were leaving the woods without that deer. “Okay. Let me get it, though. You don’t need to be carrying anything.”

  Her eyes, which had been narrowed at me, brightened. “Thank you! I promise I’ll do all the work. You won’t even realize it’s there.”

  I snorted. “I think a baby deer living in my house will be hard not to notice.” With slow steps, I approached the bush where the fawn was hidden. I didn’t want to do anything to scare it and make it run away. I reached inside the foliage and gently picked it up, which caused the animal to frantically start kicking its legs. Its screams of panic almost deafened me until out of nowhere it stopped.

  With all the noise from the deer, I hadn’t noticed that Annabel had come over next to me. She had the tiny fawn’s head in her hands, and she was staring straight into its dark eyes. Something about her presence had calmed the deer. “What did you just do?” I asked, in awe of the sudden silence.

  She smiled. “I have this weird thing with frightened animals. Back at my old job, I was always able to calm them down.” She stroked the top of the fawn’s tiny head. “I’m just so thankful I haven’t lost my touch.”

  I was thankful, too. Not only because I didn’t think I could have taken having to hear the fawn’s screams all the way home, but because after all she had lost at the hands of Mendoza, he hadn’t managed to take that from her.

  “Come on. Let’s get home before you catch a chill and I get kicked to death by this crazy thing,” I suggested.

  With an almost girlish giggle, Annabel released the deer, and we started walking side by side out of the woods. From time to time, she would glance over at me cradling the deer and smile. It was the most beautiful and genuine smile I had ever seen. And I realized then that she was finding real happiness again. She might’ve saved the fawn, but it was certainly going to save her as well.

  I had hoped we could make it to my house without getting ambushed by anyone asking questions. I wasn’t so lucky. Deacon, Alexandra, and Willow were leaving Mama Beth’s when we stepped out of the woods. They all three stopped to stare at us as if we had suddenly grown two or three heads.

  “How on earth did you two get wet?” Alexandra asked.

  “Is that a baby deer?” Willow questioned excitedly as she bounded over to us.

  I stared pointedly at Deacon and Alexandra. “We went swimming at tohi a-ma.”

  “Oh,” they both murmured at the same time. I knew that Deacon often visited the waters, and after Alexandra had gone through such a horrible time after killing one of the Raiders’ rivals, and the man who killed her parents, Deacon had taken her there as well.

  “This fawn is orphaned, so we’re going to take care of it.”

  Deacon glanced from me to Annabel and back. “You are?” he questioned rather skeptically.

  I rolled my eyes. “Yes, we are. Apparently Annabel knows what to do.”

  Once again, she giggled infectiously. “I think Rev is having second thoughts about taking me into the woods. But some of my veterinary training dealt with livestock and wild animals. It’ll be good to be back in the swing of things after these last few months.” She looked at Willow. “Of course, I’m going to need some help. Would you want to help me?”

  I don’t know why Annabel bothered to ask. Willow loved animals, so helping out with a baby deer was right up her alley. “Yes, I would.”

  “Is that okay with you two?” Annabel asked Deacon and Alexandra.

  Deacon smiled. “Yeah, it’s okay. It’ll get her out of our hair for a while.”

  We all laughed at the perturbed scowl that crossed Willow’s face at her father’s remark. She peered up at the deer in my arms. “What are you going to name it?”

  Annabel pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Actually, we hadn’t gotten that far yet.”

  Bringing her hands to her hips, Willow said, “Well, it needs a name.”

  “Probably something unisex since we don’t know what it is,” I mused.

  Annabel cocked her head. “How about Poe?”

  “Like ‘Poe a deer’ instead of ‘Doe a deer’?” I questioned with a teasing smile.

  “I’m not even going to ask how you know a song from The Sound of Music.”

  I laughed and jerked my chin at Willow. “Ask Miss Show Tunes over there.”

  “I meant for Edgar Allen Poe.”

  With a wink, I said, “I figured as much.”

  “So it’s Poe?” Willow asked.

  I glanced down at the deer. “Yep, Mr. or Miss Poe.”

  “A very distinguished name,” Alexandra said with a grin.

  “Now that Poe has a name, we need to work on getting some food into him or her.” Annabel turned to me. “I’m going to need some things from a pet store. I can make you a list.”

  “I’ll be happy to go get them for you. Especially a pen.”

  “Oh, but I planned on letting it sleep with me,” Annabel teased.

  “Think again.”

  Her smile once again reached her eyes, and in that moment, I would’ve let the damn deer sleep with her if I could see that much happiness on her face again. I had thought she was beautiful before, but when she truly smiled, she was breathtaking. And while I welcomed her newfound joy, I also knew I was in deep, deep trouble.

  FOURTEEN

  REV

  ONE MONTH LATER

  I had thought initially that having Annabel living with me would mean that my life would drastically change. But once we learned the pattern of each other’s days and nights, everything fell into place. She rose before I had to leave for work and made coffee and cooked breakfast. She even brought me a home-cooked lunch at my job at the Raiders-owned pawnshop next to the clubhouse. She hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d said she knew how to cook. I had already gained five pounds since she had come to live with me. Thankfully, she had regained some of the weight she’d lost as well.

  While I was at work, she sometimes went over to Mama Beth’s and helped her cook dinner. The two were growing very attached to each other. I could tell Mama Beth was everything in a mother that Annabel had never had yet had longed for. In turn, Mama Beth had always wanted daughters, especially those who wanted to help her with the things she loved, like cooking. While I loved that they got along so well, I knew it was only going to cause pain in the long run for both of them when Annabel left. But I kept my mouth shut.

  Physically, she seemed to heal almost overnight. You could attribute it to her age and her resiliency to overcome what she had been through. Breakneck would come by often to check on her. As he had directed, she spent a lot of time off her feet and resting.

  It was her emotional state that worried me. She still refused to let her parents know her location. She did call them once she got to my house, and once again she used a disposable phone. Although I didn’t totally agree with it, I didn’t press her about it. It did slightly alarm me when she started researching the veterinary program at the University of Georgia. She seemed hell-bent on never returning to Virginia, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

  She gr
ew more and more dependent on me. After I had spent several nights on the lumpy couch, she finally talked me into sleeping in my bed with her. It wasn’t uncharted territory, since we had spent the night in the same bed before. But at the same time, there was an illicit feeling about it. I felt like a teenager sneaking off to do something I shouldn’t, which was not something I had felt for a very long time. While I didn’t want to think about Annabel in any sexual way, it was hard not to when she came to bed in pajama shorts that revealed her legs or thin tops that showed off her cleavage. I knew better than to say anything to her about it, lest I’d look like some pervert who had been getting off on her.

  There was also the fact that waking up with a beautiful woman wrapped around me did nothing to stop my morning wood. If Annabel ever noticed, she didn’t say anything. I also hoped she didn’t notice my longer-than-normal cold showers to eradicate said morning wood. Again, if she knew, she never said anything. I could have easily taken out my frustrations with one of the club whores. Even though I had come home with a woman, it hadn’t deterred some of them from their interest in me. Before, just a flash of a pair of tits would have had me hard as a rock and raring to fuck whatever was closest to me. But after Annabel, it didn’t have the same allure. It seemed my dick had allegiance to only one woman, and painfully, it was the one who was off-limits.

  Of course, any inappropriate thoughts easily fled when she woke up, screaming and thrashing, from nightmares at least two to three times a week. Since I was no stranger to those types of wake-up calls, I would merely reach through the sheets to bring her body closer to mine. “It’s okay, Annabel. You’re okay,” was usually all I would have to say. She would spend a few minutes steadying her breathing in the dark, as if she was trying to believe that she was really with me in Georgia and not back in Mexico with Mendoza. Finally, after a small eternity, she would calm down and go back to sleep. I wondered what it would be like for her if I weren’t in bed beside her. Would she be able to calm down, or would she suffer a lot of sleepless nights like I had in the past?

  While I was helping Annabel, it didn’t escape my mind how much I enjoyed her presence, either. I wanted her to be well, and to not need me, but her presence was a comfort, too. One I expected I would miss when she left.

  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 fucking 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?”

  She motioned to Willow, across the room. “I was just surprised to see her here.”

  “Since it’s a patching ceremony, wives, girlfriends, and families are invited. The first part of the night is pretty calm with the celebrating.” I grinned at her. “It’ll be around midnight, after the kids are put to bed, when things get really crazy.”

  When she caught sight of us, Willow made a beeline to our sides. After giving us both hugs, she asked, “How’s Poe?”

  “I just gave h
im his bottle right before we left.”

  “Did you remember to poop and pee him?”

  “Yes, Miss Priss, I did. I think I know how to care for Poe.”

  “Just checking.”

  Annabel grinned. “We were going to get Uncle Rev some chili. Do you want some?”

  “Sure.” She slipped her hand into Annabel’s, and they started walking together slightly ahead of me. I figured Annabel was just as safe with Willow as she was with me. After all, the guys knew if one hair on Willow’s head was harmed, Deacon would have their asses.

  We got in line behind Archer, who was talking to Alexandra. The two shared a bond over joining forces to save Deacon’s life. After he leaned over to give her a hug, he caught my eye. “Prez! Good to see you, man.” He threw out his hand, and I happily shook his.

  Turning to Annabel, I said, “You remember Archer? He came by the house a few times.”

  She smiled and offered her hand, which surprised me. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “He just got patched a few months ago,” I told her.

  Archer chuckled. “Yeah, I was saying to Alexandra it feels like I was just at my patch ceremony.”

  “Hard to believe it’s been four months, huh?”

  He nodded. Archer had just taken a long pull of beer when Willow said to Annabel, “Archer is my favorite. I’m going to marry him someday.”

  Archer’s beer spewed out of his mouth all over the plastic plates and forks. After he wiped his mouth, he shook his head. “Jesus, kid. You want your old man to kill me?”

  Willow’s dark brows scrunched together in confusion. “Why would my daddy kill you for marrying me?”

  I chuckled. “Because daddies are very particular about who their little girls marry.”

  Willow waved her hand dismissively. “But Daddy likes Archer. After all, he helped save Mommy’s life.”

  Archer sat his beer down on the table. Alexandra was managing to stay out of the conversation by cleaning up Archer’s beer mess. Archer crouched down to where he could be on eye level with Willow. “I like you a lot, kid. You know that, right?” She nodded. “But I can never be your boyfriend.”