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Page 14 of Defended by Bama (Royal Bastards MC: Mobile, Alabama #1)

Bama

Two hours and some laughter later, the day bed was finally together. “Shit. I think they had AI make these instructions because they made no fucking sense.”

Brooklyn laughed. “I’m impressed you even tried to look at them. Most men just toss them away then rant when nothing makes sense.”

I stretched my back. “Well, if we’re talking motors or something I don’t need instructions. But I’ve never put a bed with hearts on it together and didn’t want to sleep on the couch again.” I may have gone overboard, but Brooklyn assured me Sadie would love it after she got over her laughing fit.

After sliding the mattresses down the hall into the room and placing them on the bed and trundle, Brooklyn pushed me aside, insisting she could handle the bedding. “You’ve done enough. Go sit down. Do you need another beer?”

“I’ll sit when we eat. You finish this since you insist. I’ll go get the grill hot. I got frozen mashed potatoes. Didn’t want to fuss with baked potatoes. Hope that’s okay.” I didn’t care for boxed potatoes, but the frozen ones were almost as good as Allie’s.

Brooklyn was climbing over the bed to tuck the fitted sheet over the corners. She was wearing leggings, so I caught myself and looked away.

“I’m not picky. Really, you’ve done a lot. I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s nothing. I’m gonna get dinner started.”

Walking down the hall, I told Sadie, “You should go check that room. See what you think.”

She practically vibrated off the couch, her blonde hair bouncing as she ran down the hall. I barely made it to the kitchen when I heard her reaction from the bedroom.

I seasoned the steaks, then went out back to light the grill. I had a gas grill and charcoal but used the gas since it was already later in the day.

When I stepped back inside, Brooklyn was in the kitchen grabbing a juice box for Sadie.

“It’s a little warm out but y’all can come out back. There’s a few chairs. Grill just needs to warm up a bit.”

Brooklyn grabbed a beer, then looked at mine as she came closer. “You good?”

“Yep. Come on, Sadie, I’ll show you the back.”

She skipped out the door then rushed to the steps.

“Shit, slow down.”

She turned around, eyes wide.

“Didn’t mean to scare you, but you sure scared me. Don’t run down the steps, okay?”

She nodded then walked down, holding the rail.

“She’s very rambunctious,” Brooklyn said as she stood by the steps, watching Sadie skip around the yard.

“I don’t mind that. My stomach just dropped when she got so close to the steps. Have a seat.” I motioned for Brooklyn to sit in one of the plastic lawn chairs I had on the porch.

“It’s so peaceful here.” She looked around, her face relaxed as she tapped on the top of the bottle.

“I like it. I spend a lot of time at the clubhouse, but I like having this to come to. Let me grab those steaks.”

After I went in and popped the potatoes in the microwave and the chicken tenders in the oven with a timer on, I took the steaks outside and tossed them on the grill.

“So, do you work for them, or how does that work?”

After taking a long sip of my beer, I said, “Sort of. The club has businesses, and we do what has to be done to keep them going.”

She nodded. “Are there um…parties like that a lot?”

“Sometimes. Not all the time.”

“Do you usually party with them?”

Grinning, I said, “Not like what you saw, but I’m no saint.”

“You seem pretty saintly to me.”

Her bright blue eyes sparkled in the waning sun as they stared up at me. I was getting lost in them when Sadie’s voice brought me back to reality. “Bama, where does that path go?” She was pointing to the path that led down to a little cove.

“That leads to the water. But it’s not a good place to swim. Lots of fishhooks and critters out there.”

“What kind of critters?” she asked with her mouth hanging open as she waited for an answer.

“Snakes, gators, hell sometimes wild hogs are around. Don’t go down that trail without me, okay?” I’d been caught off guard myself by a few of those animals and there’s no way she’d outrun any of them. Wild hogs were especially aggressive, and faster than you’d think.

“Is it safe to be out here?” Brooklyn asked.

“You’re safe with me.”

Her eyes met mine again. Her chest rose with a deep breath before she cleared her throat. “Well, if you’re not around, is it safe for us to be out here? She’s full of energy and being cooped up too long will have her making us both crazy.”

“You can, but stay in the yard for sure. Have you ever shot a gun?”

She shook her head like I’d asked if she killed anyone. “No way. I only ever held one when Marshall left them laying around so I could put it up where she couldn’t reach.”

Taking another swig of beer and turning the steaks over I said, “Well, tomorrow after we get some stuff taken care of, I’m gonna teach you. Can’t live out in the woods without being able to protect yourself.”

She looked out in the yard as Sadie twirled around. “Maybe if I’d known how, I wouldn’t be here now.”

“You shouldn’t beat yourself up. Hell, I don’t stress over going to jail and I did that shit to myself. You didn’t ask for that man to be a piece of shit.”

“You’ve been to jail?”

“A few times. Hopefully I won’t be back, but…” Turning, I was worried to see if her expression changed. Instead of fear or disgust, she looked hurt.

“How could someone so sweet end up in a place like that?”

“Where were you when I had my sentencing?” I laughed.

“Did you hurt anyone?”

“I haven’t been arrested for hurting anyone.” That was true. But I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell this woman that there'd been plenty of men I’d hurt. All deserved it, though.

“I shouldn’t have asked that. It was so rude. Don’t listen to me,” she said as she shook her head and looked away.

“Hey, I get it. You don’t know me and here you are, drinking beer on the porch with me. I’d be curious, too.”

“You’re a stranger but you don’t seem like one.”

Turning around again, I locked eyes with her. “Well, I’m glad.”

“Do you make a habit of housing runaway women?”

My brows shot up. “No, you’re the first.” I pointed my tongs out toward Sadie. “And she’s the first kid I’ve spent more than two hours with my whole life. At least that I can remember.”

Her mouth dropped open and she smacked the arm of the chair. “You lie! You’re so good with her.”

“Did you just call me a liar?” I mocked offense.

She giggled again. It was a sweet sound. “I’m just saying. You seem like a natural. I wondered if you had kids.”

“Nope. Up until last year I was a bit of a loose cannon when it came to life and business. But I was always careful about that because of it.”

“Good to know you practice safe sex,” she said before she covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh my God, I need to stop drinking. Please ignore me.” Her hand then covered her face.

“Hey, nothing to be ashamed of. It’s not like I don’t know you’ve had sex or not.”

She sucked her teeth, but laughed. “I guess so. And obviously not as careful as you.”

Shutting the grill lid, I went to sit. “We have a clinic I can take you to.” I started to take a sip but quickly added, “Only if you think you need it. I wasn’t implying you–”

“It may be a good idea. Who knows what he was doing, honestly. He liked to go to bars a lot. He thinks I don’t know how his shifts work, but there were nights he wasn’t working but he wasn’t home, either.”

She was watching Sadie, but I was watching her. I still couldn’t wrap my head around how not only did he beat her, but he obviously treated her like shit. “I’m sorry you dealt with that. But I’m glad you're safe now.”

“I hope you’re right. All of this still seems like a weird dream. I keep having moments that snap me back to reality, though. But then I drift off again, like it’s some weird vacation or something. I don’t know if that makes sense.”

“I get it. The only thing I’m still worried about is the preschool.”

“Oh shit. You’re right.” She leaned up, her elbows on her knees. “Pre-K is treated like big kid school in Georgia. If she misses too many days, they’ll report me for truancy.” She sat back up, running her free hand through her hair. It was a little wavy today, but it looked good to me.

“Schools open early, right?” She nodded so I continued. “We’ll get you up early, you call them about her missing some days. Do you think he’ll go by there?”

She scoffed. “He probably can’t even remember which one she was enrolled in.

And he’s not on any of her paperwork. The only thing that could be an issue is the address is the same as his.

But they said anyone not on the paperwork can’t even get inside.

It was crazy to even get her enrolled. Now I’m kinda glad. ”

“Hopefully that works in our favor. But they need to know the situation. Because if he tries to flash his badge and scare them, they could let him in. If what you said is true, he would need a warrant. If he hasn’t reported you missing, that’ll never fly.”

I stood up to check the grill. The heat of her gaze was on me and when I turned my head, she didn’t try to hide it.

“Seriously, this is all so surreal. Like, how did I even get here?” she asked with the hint of a grin.

After flipping the steaks, I closed the grill and took a sip of beer. “Pretty sure Allie threw you in the truck then I drove ‘til we got here. Or something like that.”

She smiled this time, those dimples deepening in her cheeks. “I mean, I’m worried, don’t get me wrong, but it’s like I snuck out of my house and my mom has no idea where to look for me. So, I’m just having a good time.” Her smile melted away. “At least until I gotta go home.”

I put my beer on the side of the grill and walked over to her, kneeling and grabbing her non-beer-holding hand. “You’re not going back there. That I can promise you. Where you’ll go, I don’t know yet. But for now, you’re both safe here with me.”

Her eyelids drooped and her tongue licked the side of her lip. She started to lean toward me, and without thinking I leaned in, too.

“When’s dinner ready?” Sadie asked.

Brooklyn jerked back, sitting straight up and blew out a breath so hard that it ruffled the hair around her face. “Soon, sweet girl. Why don’t you go inside and wash up?”

Sadie pounced up the stairs then headed inside. Turning back, Brooklyn was now standing.

“Kids and timing,” she said with a grin.

“I just gotta grab these steaks. Why don’t you go on in and I’ll be right behind you.”

Her lips twitched, but she simply nodded, then went inside.

Standing over the grill, flipping the steaks one last time, I shook my head. I wasn’t trying to hurt her feelings. But she’d been drinking and was in a weird spot. She’d be glad we got interrupted and I didn’t have to feel like an asshole.

Except, seeing the hurt in her eyes made me feel like an asshole anyway.

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