Page 25 of Closing on Lynx

“What’s up, my girls? There are a herd of leather clad men outside your room waiting to come in and see you. They have been told only two at a time can come in. Are you guys okay with that?” she asks, as Tina and I nod.

Sue and Slick walk into the room first. They are quiet until they both approach the bed. Sue leans down and takes both Tina and me into his arms and hugs us tight. “You are protected, even if it’s just me against the world.” Then he steps back.

“Well, gorilla Sue here may be able to hug you both, but my arms can’t so make room, cause Slick is climbing in between the prettiest girls in the hospital,” he mumbles as he climbs up between Tina and me. He causes us both to giggle.

Sue shakes his head and leaves the room, allowing for Brownie to walk in.

“Fucker! What are you doing on the bed?” His eyes stay on Tina, a flare of jealousy sparking in the backs of them. Slick raises his head.

“What are you jealous you can’t be the cream in a beautiful sandwich?” Slick pokes fun as Brownie rolls his eyes.

“How are you ladies feeling?” Tina smiles at him, as red flushes across her cheeks.

“We will be better when we can get out of this hospital. There is no life here,” I state, looking around the room that has no flowers or signs of people caring.

“Give me an hour and that will be changed,” Slick states, as he slides off the bed and leaves with Brownie as Paul and Neo walk in.

My heart starts to pound when Neo steps forward, causing the machine to my right to start making a noise.

“Relax,” Tina says, her hand gripping mine.

“I should leave,” Neo states, turning to leave.

“Wait,” I say, taking a deep breath. “It’s okay, Neo. I’m okay,” I say to him. Taking deep breaths to gain control of myself.

Neo looks at Paul, who nods his head. Then he turns to my bed and drops his head. “I… I…,” he pulls in a large gulp of air and slowly lets it out. “Jessikah, I am sorry for everything. I was thinking with my dick and not listening to the situation as a whole.” His hands come together as he starts to twist and fiddle with his fingers.

“You have a brain?” Tina asks, Neo’s head swings to hers and his eyes widen. He nods his head and opens and closes his mouth, wanting to say something, but not sure how to say it.

“Did you ever once think for a second not everyone that is close to you is meant to help you? The majority of people in your life have an agenda of their own. Very few people in our lives will have your back even when you are not in the room. They are called your circle,” Tina states, looking at me and then to Paul. “Neo, you have a large circle of trusted sources that will stand with you in a battle, but they will also stand with you if you are wrong and help you to make things right. They are known as your family. I had my husband, and I have Jessikah and one other person that is making their way into my circle. But the rest of the people I call friends still have to prove themselves to me.”

Neo looks between Tina, Paul and me, then looks at his feet. The words I want to say to Neo are rolling through my mind like a newsreel, but I can’t seem to form the words. He scares me to be honest. How can one man believe something from someone who literally spreads her legs for everything that sits.

“Okay, I get it. Loyalty is something I will have to earn from not just you, Jessikah, and you, Tina. But from all my brothers and sisters as well. Jessikah, I am truly sorry for my part in putting you and Tina in the hospital. I will work on gaining your trust and making you feel safe in my presence again.” He spins and begins to walk out of the room. He leans into Paul and whispers something, then walks out of the room.

I pull in a big breath and turn toward the large window. The amount of people that have walked in and out of my room, and he is the first one to make me feel unsafe.

“My angel, you are safe. I promise,” Paul tells me, as the bed moves and his arms come around my shoulders and pulls me back into him. “I will protect you with my dying breath and then my brothers will step in to protect you. I have you.”

Keeping my head facing the wall, I allow the tears to fall down my checks. I thought when I finally got away from my ex-husband I would be free from living in fear. Free from seeing someone that makes my entire body lock up tight, my voice ceases to exist and fear spreads over me like a weighted blanket. I am so tired of letting others speak for me, but in that same aspect, they articulate better than me.

A soft snore comes from behind me. I look over my shoulder and see that Paul has fallen asleep, his chin tucked into the curve of my neck.

“Babes, you have two options here. Run or rise. If you decide to run, we run together, far away and undetected. But if you choose to rise, then we do it together and we rise so high even the sun screams I’m blind,” Tina’s voice is strong.

“No more running, Tina. We have a successful business here, and I have a few things I want to do. The major one is I want to become the northern hub for R.O.Y.A.L. There are men, women and children all over town that need someone to stand up for them. I know there is another club in the north that does a bullying charity, but nothing for domestic violence and abuse. I want to change that,” I state, more for myself, but the people in the room hear it.

“My brothers and I will back you one hundred percent,” Skoden states, standing at the door. The sound of his boots walking across the floor. He crouches down so I can see his face. “We will back you in all the endeavors you want to do.” He stands from the floor, taps the top of my head. “You are important to Lynx. Which means you are important to the club. We will help you rise.” He winks at me and leaves the room.

“He isn’t wrong,” Paul speaks quietly into my ear.

“How long have you been awake?” I ask, turning my head to look at him.

“Rise or run, my girl,” he states and leaves the statement hanging in the air.

“I’m not running,” the firmness in my voice makes me feel like I just ran the seventy-two steps of thePhiladelphia Museum of ArtlikeRocky Balboadid.

“Good, because I would follow you to the corners of the earth just to make sure you were protected. Even if it meant I was doing it in silence,” Paul says, sliding his hand down my arm and linking his fingers with mine. “I have been looking for you my entire life. You allow me to be the person I am striving to be, but encourage me to have fun and think outside the box. You are my unicorn. The one woman I thought only existed in fairy tales.”

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