Page 39 of Darlin'

"A cliterature classic," Pippa states with no shame. "I'd start you off with something lighter, but like I tell my kids, start off in the deep end, and you'll learn to swimmuchfaster."

"Excellent advice, Pip," Marlow snorts, rolling down her window and lighting a smoke. "You're really setting those kids up for a lifetime of success.No, I don't want to smoke that joint, but can I get a line?Nice. Can't wait to visit them in rehab."

"Oh, shut up." Pippa punches Marlow in the shoulder. "That's not what I meant."

While Marlow and Pippa argue the entire drive back to Hawkridge, I can't stop thinking about Beau. He was living on the streets? How did that happen? Why didn't he call me? Why didn't he reach out? There's so much I don't know. A part of me doesn'twantto know. If his life had been nothing but a series of unfortunate events while I was living life as normal, I don't think I could handle that. It's selfish. I know. But I think my heart would break into so many pieces that it would never be whole again.

"Oh my God! Look! There's Tiny!" Marlow exclaims, jolting me out of my reverie as we pull up to the clubhouse fence a couple hours later. "Drive faster, Pip!"

"Thank fucking God," Pippa exhales in palpable relief as a recruit opens the gates for her. She swerves into a parking spot, dust clouds filling the car as the three of us bolt out of the vehicle. "Babe! Are you okay?" Pippa runs up to her husband, snatching his face in her hands. She examines his bruised face and winces. "Fucking hell! What happened out there?"

"Boys were ambushed," Tiny mumbles, disdain laced throughout his gravelly tone. "We got them in the end, but..." He glances down at Marlow, and she immediately sprints inside the club. My eyes widen with trepidation as he looks at me. "Rad got shot."

"Woah." My limp body falls into a set of familiar arms as my eyelids flutter with delayed grief. "Easy now. You're okay." Jesse lets me lean against his stable body as my brain refuses to believe what I just heard. Shot? He was shot?! "You might've wanted to start off by telling herhe's fine, Tiny. Jesus, man, you know how she gets." Jessegently rotates me in his arms, curling two fingers under my chin as he whispers, "Hey, Savannah. Look at me."

"Shot?" I manage in a breathy tone, on the verge of tears. "He was shot—" My vision clears long enough to see a long gash across Jesse's face. I wince, stroking just below the wound. "Are you okay? That looks real deep..."

"Maybe don't touch it," Jesse suggests in a warm tone, slightly pulling his head away from my touch. I flash him an apologetic look. "I'm fine, princess. Looks worse than it is." Jesse tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear as he adds, "And Beau's fine too. It's just a flesh wound. He's resting in the main house right now."

"Just a flesh wound," I repeat his words, nodding. "Can I...can I see him? Is he...is he awake?"

"He's more than awake," Jesse says, taking my hand in his as he slowly leads me into the main house.

I shoot Jesse a puzzled side-eye as distant voices grow louder, and I swear they're laughing.What is going on?When we enter the lounge, Jesse drops my hand and grins, gesturing to the couch in the far corner of the room that's surrounded by a dozen bikers and their women, all of whom are joking and drinking.

"See?” Jesse gives me a warm smile. “He's fine."

"Fuck, man." One biker chortles. "You should've seen Rad's face when he heard that shot. Motherfucker probably thought he was gonna be shaking hands with God."

"Oh, fuck off, Ryder." Beau's voice has matured. It's deeper. More masculine. But it's his voice. It's Beau. My heart damn near explodes from joy. "You should be thanking your lucky stars that he aimed at me and not you. You're as agile as a liquored Santa."

"You want a bullet in theothershoulder?" Ryder roughhouses with Beau. "Come on, show me what you got, pussy!"

"That's enough!" My gaze darts to an older woman with long grey hair cascading down her embroidered leather jacket. She frowns, scolding the group of immature men. "Everyone out! Let the boy rest, for fuck's sake." She stomps her foot impatiently. "I said go!" She looks down at Marlow, who's kneeling on the floor beside Beau. "You too, missy. I don't need his blood pressure higher than it already is. You'll see him later. Out!"

Once the crowd disperses through the back exits, Jesse clears his throat and places his hand on the small of my back, giving me a little nudge forward.

"Jo?” Jesse calls out. “We got a visitor here."

Anxiety swarms in my chest as Jo and Beau snap their heads to the archway. My breath hitches as my brother and I make eye contact for the first time in three years, and I'm suddenly at a loss for words. And movements. Am I dreaming? Is this another dream?

Jesse clears his throat. “Can we?"

"Of course," Jo says, ushering us inside. She gives me a careful once over, her foggy, green eyes attempting to sus me out. "You must be Savannah."

I nod, unable to speak. Unable to pull my gaze away from Beau's. Swallowing, I scan his battered face, the crusted blood on his tattooed neck, the sling and bandages on his left shoulder, and the red blood seeping through. My poor baby brother…

"It's a through and through," she explains in a clinical tone. "He'll be fine." She purses her thinlips as she glances over my shoulder at Jesse. "Right, well, why don't we give you both some space, huh?" She smiles down at Beau. "I'll be back soon, okay?" She hands him two pills. "Take these."

"Will do, Ma'am," Beau says, swallowing back the medicine.

"Go," Jesse whispers, patting the middle of my back as Jo leaves the room. "It'll be fine."

"Okay," I whisper as he backs away and closes the door, leaving my brother and me alone.

"I—" Beau clears his throat, propping himself up as I hesitantly walk toward him. "I've?—"

As soon as I'm a foot away from him, every hope, every wish, and every prayer spills from my eyes, and I lurch forward, wrapping Beau in my arms.

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