Page 33 of Devil Within

Shiloh frowned, ready to say something, but the door opened, and Sinn walked in. He gave her and Jade a confused look, then turned his questioning gaze to Kira.

“You needed me?”

Kira rose and pointed to the recliner. “Sit. We need to talk to Kira. She has our trauma.”

The usual happy-go-lucky vibe that Sinn put out suddenly dimmed as he gave Kira a sobering look. Jade climbed on the bed so he could sit next to her while Sinn took the chair with Kira balancing on the armrest.

“Before I met Saint and Sinn,” Kira said softly, “I had a boyfriend who wanted desperately to join the Bone Breakers in Laramie. One night, at a club party, he made me roll a dice. It was a three, and he informed me that was the number of men I had to service in order for him to get into the club.”

Horror filled Shiloh. She reached out for Jade, and he took hold of her hand, threading their fingers together.

“I was raped by three men, and it defined me for years,” she finished calmly. “That moment of my life took a toll on my psyche, my heart, and my health. It wasn’t until I was surrounded by people who cared enough to piece me back together that I confronted what I thought would always haunt me.”

“It doesn’t bother you anymore?” she asked, her voice sounding hollow with doubt.

“It will always bother me,” Kira replied. “But it doesn’t have razor blades anymore.”

Sinn laid a hand on her knee, and Kira gave him a loving look. It was such a beautiful picture that it made Shiloh’s heart ache. She wanted that, but how could she move past what happened?

“Saint and I were seventeen-year-old kids in the system when we got sent to a farm,” Sinn spoke, taking over the conversation. “I was an inch or so shorter than Saint. Back then, a little less defined in muscle. Maybe that was why the foster bastard we were sent to targeted me.”

Did that mean ... was he...?

“It’s a snapshot in my life I don’t describe because that would give that asshole more power over me. I made peace with what happened, but it took a lot of time and self-help books, and of course, my brother helping me through the rough patches.”

Shiloh looked back and forth at them. They were courageous and brave, with a strength she didn’t think she’d ever have.

“You understand what happened to me.”

Kira smiled kindly. “It’s not the club we wanted to be in, but we’re members all the same.”

“You’re not alone,” Sinn said.

“Let us help you,” Kira murmured.

Shiloh glanced at Jade, and he gave her an encouraging nod.

“I thought I could bottle it up,” she finally confessed. Another tear rolled from her eye, and she wiped it away. “That if I ignored it, it would eventually go away. For a time, I thought that was working, but I guess I was fooling myself.”

“I promise it does get better,” Kira told her. “One day, you’ll wake up and not think about what happened. A week will go by. Then a month. And when it does float through your mind, the barbed wire won’t be attached. This family I found, the Sons of Sin, we protect each other, and if you let us, we will always be there to help you.”

“Remember, you are zero percent at fault,” Sinn added. “You are not guilty for that prick’s actions. And there is no right or wrong way to be or feel. I have some great books if you want to read them. They helped me.”

This was more than Shiloh could have ever thought dreamed of having. Sure, she had Vette, and she’d always be grateful to her friend for throwing her a life preserver, but Kira and Sinn understood. They walked in her shoes. Confronted the same nightmare. Taking a deep breath, she turned toward Jade.

“Do you want to be here for my story?”

“Absolutely,” he assured.

“I think Saint needs to be here, too,” Kira told her.

For a moment, panic knocked on her door, but Shiloh pushed it down. Of course, the leader of the MC had to be there. He was Kira’s partner, too. She nodded, and Sinn sent a text.

While they waited for him, Sinn took her through a few breathing techniques. Something she could practice whenever she felt overwhelmed. When Saint walked in, he studied the situation, then shut the door behind him.

Kira nodded encouragingly at her.

Now, it was her turn. “I guess I should start with asking if you’ve ever heard of the Sect of Purgatory?”