Page 1 of Butch

CHAPTER 1

RAELYNN

“My name… Echo,” a woman gently said as she got up from her seat. “Can… help you?”

Rae looked around the room, trying to find that one familiar face she was desperate to see. She thought he would be here, but maybe he had left the motorcycle club already?

Nerves ran rampant through Rae as she looked back at the woman. It was a mistake coming here with how little she could hear. How was she going to hear what they were saying or what he was going to say when he saw her?

“What… help you…?” Echo asked. “…Looking… someone? Need help… away from…? … Protection?”

Rae’s head swam as she tried to fill in the missing words. She didn’t think anyone would ask her so many questions, but Rae did look horrible. She had run away after a nasty beating, finally managing to escape.

Right now, she just wanted to find Butch, to see him one last time before she did who knows what. Run away and hide in a city where no one could find her? Or maybe she should have just killed herself so she didn’t have to live in hiding or in fear.

No.

She shouldn’t be thinking like this. She’d had these thoughts before in high school, and she’d promised him she would never think about it again. And if she did, she would go right to him and tell him about it, but now she was here, and she didn’t want to tell him.

What did she even want to do when she saw him? It had been years since they had last seen each other. He had abandoned her when he joined the Springfield Sinners, and everything went to shit after that. Did he know everything she went through when he left?

Butch must not have liked her any longer if he suddenly left her with her mother and stepfather. But he didn’t know how bad they were behind closed doors… Or did he?

Echo took a step closer to her, and Rae immediately took one back, trying to keep as much distance as possible. She was still standing in the entrance, ready to bolt at any second.

Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. She shouldn’t have come looking for Butch when she didn’t know whether he remembered her.

How was she going to hear when anyone walked up to her? Her eyes scanned the room again, but no one had moved from their spots. Maybe they were afraid she would do something?

Rae wanted to scoff at the thought. Her face was black and blue, and she had scars littering her body from the years of being in his house. No one was afraid of her… If anything, they probably thought she was easy pickings since she looked like this.

“I’m looking for Butch,” Rae said.

Her skin started to crawl as everyone stared at her. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea for her to come here, but she didn’t know whether Butch was here or not. Maybe she should have staked the place out to figure out whether he was here and find an opportunity to talk to him when no one else was around. Maybe then, she would have a fighting chance of hearing what he actually would say to her, but she highly doubted it. No one was talking now, and she was still missing words, despite trying to read lips.

“Butch… stepped out… right back,” Echo explained. “Do you… sit… me while… wait… him… back?”

He had stepped out? So he was here. Maybe she should stay and try to talk to him. But she wasn’t comfortable staying in here with so many people and not being able to hear everything. The only thing that would make her comfortable was if she sat in the corner of the room, where she could see everyone with an easy exit if anything were to happen, but she knew that wasn’t going to happen.

Rae opened her mouth, but Echo held her hand up.

“Wait… Daddy… call… back… take long. Why don’t you… sit here… office… we wait,” Echo rambled.

Unease filled Rae as everyone watched her, waiting for her answer. There was no way she would be able to wait here, and there was no way she would be able to answer when she didn’t even know what Echo had said.

This was a mistake.

She should never have come here.

Rae shook her head, taking a step back. “Don’t tell Butch I was here.”

“Wait!” Echo yelled as she took several steps toward her, but stopped. “…came here… him… want you. Please… stay… him… come back. I promise nothing… happen… safe here. Doc… look… bruises and… you… treatments.”

Her eyes went wide. “I’m okay, please just don’t mention anything to Butch. He doesn’t need to know.”

Rae didn’t even know whether she was replying correctly to Echo, but she needed to be confident so they didn’t suspect a thing. No one could find out.

It would be better for him not to. What if he got angry at her and decided he wanted to take it out on her?