Page 102 of Road to Absolution

Lilah’s racing breathing paused at my neck.

Still busy, the doctor nodded. “Oh yes, I’m dying to hear about how this beautiful fairytale began.”

Slowly, Lilah’s face left her hiding place under my chin. She rested her cheek on me, then quietly said, “There was a time I didn’t believe I deserved my own fairytale.”

“Maverick changed that?” Doc pretended to swoon. “Do. Tell. When’s the first time you saw him?”

After a pause and a faintly calmer breath, Lilah answered, “At a friend’s house.”

The pretty doc smiled. “Oh yeah? Which friend?”

When Lilah didn’t answer, only rubbed her cheek to me, I said, “Cole Coleman.” It felt like eons ago, but I remembered that night, after meeting Cole at Gas & Chic. I was so clueless about how my life was going to change after walking through his front door.

Still squatting next to us, Diesel lit up. “Mr. Coleman, eh?”

He was friends with Cole’s parents. They used to come to my fights in the earlier days.

Lilah nodded, quietly telling the doc, “I was so mean to—” Her hand laid on my chest, next to her tear-covered face.

Doc giggled. “Oh, the ol’ playing hard to get, trick, huh?”

Now Lilah released a slight giggle in between her calming breaths. “It didn’t work.”

Doc released Lilah’s wrist. “Now, why doesn’t that surprise me?”

Lilah sighed, rubbing her cheek to me again. “He was relentless. Every morning, in Mr. Bristol’s classroom, sitting in that tiny desk next to me.”

To help calm Lilah, I forced a laugh. “That’s right. It was made for a preschooler. I’m sure of it.”

It was full of pain, but Diesel faked a smile. “Delilah, you fell for this crap?”

“I couldn’t help it. He kept smiling with those dimples.”

Diesel rolled his eyes. “Sucker.”

The woman in my arms laughed, then quietly shared, “My hero was so patient with me that my broken heart dared to trust again.” As if I was her savior, Lilah wrapped her arms around my chest. “I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”

As we sat there on the floor, hidden away in a biker’s club because her life was possibly in danger, I doubted every word she had just said.

I’m the luckiest girl in the world…

Those words felt like pokes from the Devil as he laughed at me, saying, But you know she’s not, don’t you?

With wrapped wrists, I was alone in the club’s gym, pacing like a caged lion. Lack of sleep, my life out of control, I was mentally starting to snap on a whole different level.

I had just had to hold my wife—my pregnant fucking wife—because my shortcomings had her so upset even a doctor worried for the baby.

After she fell back to sleep, I snuck out of the clubhouse. I needed so many things, but I was hoping fresh air would be a strong start.

It wasn’t enough.

I needed to hurt someone or something to possibly stop all the pain cracking my chest wide. I needed something to set this lion free so he could be one with nature again. I needed to feel like I still had a place in this world!

Knowing that would never be again—that I was now epically different—I roared, “Goddamnit!” then charged the hanging heavy bag. I punched, I swung, and kicked, madly, so fucking desperate to feel anything other than being gutted.

Tackled to the ground, chest first, Scorch laid on my back and said, “I can’t let you hurt your legs, my brother.”

Spitting mad, I cried out, “I can’t do this anymore, Scorch!”