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I held my arm out with the clothes, and she held open a black trash bag that I dropped them in. Somehow, I knew I’d never see those clothes again, but I sure as hell didn’t care.

As I washed, the water ran rusty-colored, and I tried not to think about the blood being from my biological father. A man who was a criminal of the worst sort who had killed my parents and likely my aunt—shit, mother. And I was a part of him. What did that say about me? To say I was stunned and shaken was an understatement.

“You doing okay?” Loralei called, and it made me jump as it echoed off the stainless steel walls.

“Yes,” I said, giving myself a final rinse before I shut off the water and grabbed the towel. Using more force than was necessary, I dried my skin until it was bright pink in the areas I wasn’t tattooed.

“Blade brought this in for you,” she said as she held out a T-shirt I recognized as one of Ghost’s. I quickly pulled it over my head and removed the towel from underneath. It was damn near a dress on me, but it was comforting knowing it was Ghost’s.

She set a pair of flip-flops down for me to step into. “Blade ran back to the clubhouse and grabbed the first thing he saw. I have no idea why he didn’t grab you your own clothes. He’s a man, though.”

“Thank you,” I murmured and put one foot at a time into the shoes. I had no idea who they belonged to, and I didn’t care.

For a second, she appeared conflicted. “Laila, I know this is a lot. Tonight had to have been terrifying for you. Ghost may come across as gruff or a prankster at times, but he has a good heart. What none of us realized was that it belonged to you. There are a lot of things about this family that may seem, uh, unconventional, but I promise you, they will always have your back.”

Blinking rapidly, I frowned and cocked my head in question.

“I just hope this didn’t scare you away,” she clarified, and understanding dawned.

I inhaled deeply before letting it out. “No. This hasn’t scared me away. I’ve seen a lot of shit. It’s just the shock of everything, not to mention coming face-to-face with the man who not only killed my parents, but sired me was a little overwhelming.” I refused to refer to that evil person as my father ever again.

“Okay, good.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “Venom wants me to give you a ride back to the clubhouse while they take care of… things.”

“Thank you,” I said to her. For the first time in years, I actually felt like I had a friend and a family. “Has anyone heard from Ghost?” I asked.

Her expression told me the answer before she sadly shook her head.

Tears tracked my cheeks as we drove back to the clubhouse. I prayed Ghost would come back to me soon.


Tags: Kristine Allen Royal Bastards MC: Ankeny, IA Fantasy