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My head falls back, and I stare at the sky. I was worried about this. Leaving her was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But I knew I had to get right in my own head before I could even think about helping her with hers.

“We made the decision to take her up to Dirk and Jesse’s cabin. They’re with her right now.”

Relief floods my system, and I know why. It’s my own jealousy. I don’t like the idea of her being with other men. “That’s good. I’ll be home in a week, and then I’ll head up there to take over.”

Jackson leans forward, resting his arms on his legs. He’s quiet for a minute before he looks at me. “I’m afraid that can’t happen.”

I pull my head back. “What?”

His gaze roams over the building behind me. “You’ve been doin’ real good here. They said you’ve taken your treatment seriously.”

“I have, but what does that have to do with Lex?”

His fingers run through his beard as he thinks about what he wants to say. “I want you to be successful when you get home, and I think it would be better if you at least get settled in before you go trying to fix her.”

“You know how I feel about her.”

He nods. “I do. You’ve never hid your feelings for her. I’m not saying this is forever. Just give the club some time with her, and let’s see if we can cool things down a bit. I don’t think it’s wise for you to go jumping right into the fire.”

I sit back as my sister joins us. Her eyes bounce between Jackson’s and my own. Slowly, she lowers herself in the chair beside me.

“Are you good?” she asks, and I realize she only walked away to give her husband a minute to talk to me.

“Yep.” But I don’t know that I am. I’ve been looking forward to seeing Lexie all week.

Jackson and her exchange a look.

“How long are you going to keep me away from her?”

He reaches into his jacket, pulling out a bundle of envelopes and placing them on the table in front of me. “I can’t answer that, but I want you to know we aren’t just doing this for you. We’re doing it for her, too. She’s been putting herself in some really fucked up situations. No one wants to see her get hurt.”

I pick up the bundle of letters and flip through them. They’re all addressed to me from Lexie. I guess the good news is that she’s at least been thinking about me.

“She hasn’t been opening the packages you’ve been sending.” He sighs when he sees the hurt on my face. “I’m not saying she’s a lost cause. She’d made a lot of progress. She got her diploma. We threw her a party, but she didn’t show up. She ran from us and missed the whole thing.” He laughs, rubbing his eyes. “Anyway, she’s even apologized to Charlotte.”

It gives me a little hope. I know apologizing to Charlotte had to be hard for her. “Thank you for watching over her. I know it was a big ask.”

He doesn’t deny it. “She’s been a pain in the ass, but it’s kept us busy.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It gave us the opportunity to spend time with her, and I think we’ve all seen glimpses of what it is that you see in her. Now we just have to get her to recognize those qualities in herself.”

I nod, slapping the bundle of letters on my leg.

Chapter Three

Lexie

As soon as I hear JD and Elizabeth walk out the door, Dirk hollers up to me.

“Get your ass down here!” he yells.

I’d like to deny his request, but that’s not an option. He’s intimidating as fuck.

I walk down the stairs, hating the fact that I’m stuck here with two of the scariest Skulls.

He’s waiting for me with his hand on his hip. The minute I’m beside him, he gently but firmly grabs the back of my neck and escorts me out of the house. His wife is busy banging around in the kitchen. We walk past the deck and out into the lawn before stopping.