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“You’re right. Fuck those guys.” I sit down and dig into the plate Nina made for me. “Thank you for this. For everything.”

“I love you like I would my own kids if I’d ever had any.”

“Do you regret not having any with Winchester?” I ask between bites.

“No. We agreed early on that we wanted to put all our energy into helping the kids who didn’t have anyone on their side. That was enough for us then, and it’s still enough for me now. Hell, it’s more than enough. I love my life. I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. Although, I wouldn’t mind having another woman around to talk to.” She gives me a mischievous grin.

“I know what you’re doing, but I don’t know if Julia will ever forgive me. I abandoned her.”

“I can see why you did what you did, but it was a dick move.”

“Thanks,” I grumble.

“At least I never lie to you.”

“True.”

“So, are you going back to the hospital now?” she asks.

“Not yet. Let’s get Max situated, and then I’ll check on her. Did you contact our associates at the first underground checkpoint?” I ask.

“They’re ready for him. We just need to get him to Billings by tomorrow morning. The rendezvous crew will be passing through, and they can pick him up.”

“Shit. Then there really isn’t a lot of time to wait for Julia to get better.”

“Not really.”

“Okay. We’ll leave at sundown. If Julia wakes up before then, maybe we can sneak him in to see her.”

“It’s going to be tight, but we’ll do what we can.”

“I’ll let the others know.”

I finish my food, and after rinsing my plate and putting it in the dishwasher, I look for Reaper and Talon. I find them with Max in his bedroom.

“What’s up, little man?” I ask. “How are you doing?”

“Scar!” He rushes toward me and wraps his little arms around my legs.

“Hey.” I lean down to hug him.

“Thank you for making my dad go away so he can’t hurt me anymore.” Max’s eyes glisten with unshed tears.

I glance at Reaper and Talon. I’m pretty sure Max knows his dad is dead, but I want to confirm it with them. They nod in silent confirmation. I guess this is just Max’s way of dealing with his father’s death. We’ll make sure he gets the counseling he needs when he gets to his forever home.

“Remember how I told you we’d eventually move you to a new house with a new family?” I ask.

He nods, and his eyes widen.

“We’re going to take you to meet some other guys in the club tomorrow. They’re going to drive you to your new house.”

“With my big brother?” Max asks.

“Yeah.” I relax slightly. “He’s going to take you to your new place.”

“Can I say bye to Julia before we go?” Max asks.

“Julia …” I hesitate, looking to Reaper and Talon for help, but they’ve got nothing. “She’s … she’s in the hospital trying to get better. When she wakes up, we’ll arrange a meeting so you can see her. Does that sound all right?”