Page 62 of His Flawed Ride

“Well, you won’t be alone. We’ll help you until you find your way.”

“Thanks, I needed to hear that.”

Back in the clubhouse, Annie is asleep in my bed, and I backtrack to JJ’s house this time.

He’s shrugging into his cut when he answers and tips his chin wanting to know why I’m at his door this early.

“Sorry to knock at this time, I was hoping to see how Lily’s getting on?”

He huffs out a cocky laugh. “Oh yeah, I heard you’ve been banging her.”

I’m not surprised word has travelled throughout the club. He opens the door wide and steps to the side.

I haven’t been in JJ’s home before, it’s nice. Homely and cosy. It’s definitely Harper’s doing, I couldn’t see my brother picking out cushions and framing photos to hang on the walls.

“She’s in the second bedroom at the top of the stairs.”

Nodding my thanks, I climb the stairs and knock gently on the second bedroom door. I wait a few seconds before knocking again, this time, a little louder.

“Lily?” I call out as I open the door.

For a split second, I debate whether to let her sleep or wake her when I step farther into the room and see she’s not sleeping. Empty pill bottles are beside her on the bed and the glass on the nightstand is bone dry.

Crossing the room, I kneel beside her and press my fingers to her neck. Finding no pulse, I hang my head.

“What have you done, Lily?”

Before me is a broken woman in more ways than one. Her battered body lies, for the first time since I’ve met her, peacefully.

Fuck!

Pressing a small kiss to her hand, I back out of the room and close the door. Downstairs, I find JJ in the kitchen with Harper and their kid eating breakfast.

“Can I have a word, brother?”

“Go on.”

I shake my head. “In private.”

I step back into the hall as he joins me and I make sure to keep my voice low when I tell him, “Lily’s dead. Looks like she’s taken a bunch of pills.”

If this was anyone else lying dead above us, I’d expect certain reactions from him but anger beginning to burn in his eyes doesn’t surprise me because it’s his mother-in-law.

“This is gonna fuck Harps up. Fuck you, Lily!”

Harper’s laughter reaches his ears, and he softens. “I appreciate you coming to me first. Can you go to tell Alannah, she’ll know what to do.”

“No worries.”

Once outside, I light a cigarette and pull hard until the cherry grows dangerously large.

No matter what she’s done in her life, she didn’t deserve to go out like this. Alone and believing she had no one to lean on. Her last few days alive were spent in pain and fear. Shit. I should’ve come to see her last night. Maybe there was something I could’ve done, said the right thing, gave her hope that her future wasn’t going to be as lonely as she thought it was going to be.

I knock on Cas’s front door and wait. It’s not so daunting waiting to tell them about Lily, I’m vaguely aware of their history with Lily and I’m pretty sure Cas won’t lose any sleep over her death.

The door opens and Cas fills the doorway. Because of the patch I would have this man’s back without question andwithout hesitation, but he’s not someone I regularly hang with. “What do you want at this time?”

Swallowing hard, I tell him, “JJ asked me to tell Alannah that Lily died in the night. He said she’ll know what to do.”