Malice sighed, nodded, and moved to sit on the bed beside her. “Yeah, but they won’t ever be hurt again.” He looked over at her, and she felt how true his words were. She felt them as deeply as she had felt that truth when he had told her that about Phillip. “So, the club fixed this place up so they would have somewhere safe to stay.”
“What about when they want to go?”
“Then the door is always open. If they want to stay and work doing domestic things, we find them work. If they want to go back to what they were doing before—” He paused for a second before continuing. “Then we can help them out in that regards, too.”
She looked away from him for a second, processing his words. “I can’t imagine wanting to go back to prostituting myself after being beaten.” But as soon as the words left her she squeezed her eyes shut. She may not have sold her body, but she had stayed with Phillip far too long, even after he had hurt her the first time. Of course she knew why someone would want to go back to what they felt comfortable doing, and what had been their life for probably a long time. When she looked back at Malice she saw this worried expression on his face, and she smiled, letting him know without words that she wasn’t about to flip. “Does your club have a doctor that comes and checks on them?”
Malice shook his head, but looked away for her. “No, well, we have a doctor that works with the club on the down low, but Molly is a nurse and comes by every week to spend some time with them and see if they are okay.”
Adrianna wouldn’t have thought anything of a nurse coming here. It made sense even to have a medical professional on their payroll, but Malice acted strangely when he said her name, and Adrianna knew right away there was obviously some kind of history between them.
He turned his attention back to her. “My ex, Molly, she moved to Steel Corner with our three year old son after she became the old lady to a club The Brothers are associates with.”
Son and ex-old lady.
Not that she was surprised he had a child, or uncomfortable with that idea. The little conversation they had here and there, and even during the van ride from Fairview to River Run had consisted of them telling each other little facts about each other. But of course she had left out the less favorable things, and clearly he had left out the major stuff as well. He was older than she was by almost two decades, so of course he would have had a family. “Do you get to see your son often?” The way his expression eased and the worry lines around his eyes smoothed had his heart warming. He loved his son greatly, and that kind of love was strong enough that it reached out to whoever was close by and wrapped them in an embrace.
He smiled, and she couldn’t help but reciprocate the act. “When Molly lived in Brighton I only saw him every other weekend and occasionally on the weekdays. It was hard getting down there since it’s five hours away.” He shrugged. “But she’s just in Steel Corner now.”
“That’s pretty close?” Adrianna liked sitting here just talking with him. There was still that desire inside of her, but this comfortableness that surrounded them and the easygoing nature that came from Malice was nice.
“Just the next town over.”
“I bet he’s really excited that he gets to see his dad more now.”
Malice grinned even wider, and although she felt many emotions, happiness and relief, as well as arousal and content, she also felt a twinge of sadness.
“Hey.”
She hadn’t realized she had looked down until she felt Malice’s finger on her chin. He lifted her head and turned it so she was looking at him again.
“What’s the matter? Did I say something to make you upset?”
A humorless chuckle left her, and he knitted his brows in confusion. She shook her head and closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them. “I’m not laughing at you. It’s just if I would have seen you on the street I would have thought you were this rough and tough biker, and run the other way.” She smiled, but it was shaky as her emotion still ran high through her.
“I am a rough and tough biker.” He was looking at her mouth, but even though his words were low they held truth.
“Yes, I know, but you also have this other side.”
He slowly lifted his gaze back to her face.
“You’re very sweet and gentle, and that kind of goes against the leather wearing, tattoo covered skin thing going on.” When she chuckled this time it held more amusement. But he didn’t laugh or crack a smile, and just continued to stare at her. The need to be open with the man that had saved her life ran hard through her, and she actually found herself opening her mouth and speaking about her brother for the first time to anyone since he had passed away. “I don’t have any children, but I had a younger brother.” Malice didn’t say anything, but she was thankful for that because she might not have had the strength to continuing if he tried to delve into this himself. “Our life was what one could call trashy.” Shaking her head and smiling this very forced one, she continued. “Fairview is a nice town, but every place as its downfall, and where we lived was that place. Drugs, sex, violence, all of that and more were a daily occurrence.” His hand laced with hers, and Adrianna smiled at that feeling and sight. It felt nice and calming, and she was glad she was telling him this. Maybe it really didn’t matter if he knew this dark side of her life, but she felt better getting it out. “Long story short Miles got involved in drugs, and one night had too much.” The tears she had kept inside for years finally broke free, and she felt ridiculous.