Page 41 of Baja
“Would you like some hot tea?” I ask, pulling a mug down from the cabinet?” My voice is low and calm.
Lily shifts her gaze away from the door. She regards me for a long moment, gauging whether she can trust me. My smile is warm as I wait for her response.
Lily nervously fidgets in her seat. “Okay.”
“Is honey and chamomile okay?” I ask, and Lily nods.
With a shred of progress made, I grab the kettle from the stove and fill it with water. While the water heats, I pour some honey into the mug before dropping a teabag in. Behind me, Sukie, Juniper, and Sage remain silent. Like me, they are hoping Lily will open up to us. We all agree with Juneau—Lily needs to be looked over, but that’s not something we can force. Onceshe realizes nobody will hurt her, we can give her the care she needs. Not only is Lily pregnant, but she appears to be slightly malnourished. And I’m confident I’m not the only one to notice the bruises on her arms and the faded marks along her jaw. The thought of someone putting their hands on this young woman while pregnant causes a deep ache to form in the pit of my stomach, but I push those thoughts aside and continue the task at hand.
“Here you go, sweetheart.” I set the steaming mug of tea on the table before Lily. “It’s hot, so be careful.”
Lily wraps her trembling hands around the warm mug. “Thank you.”
As she sips her tea, I walk over to the fridge and scour its contents before pulling out packages of turkey and cheese. Then, I grab a jar of mayo and some lettuce. With a fresh loaf of French bread, I begin making a sandwich. When I’m finished, I load the sandwich onto a plate along with some fresh grapes.
Lily eyes me openly as I return with the plate loaded with food.
“You must be starving after being on the road so long.”
Lily sets her cup of tea down and greedily begins eating the offered meal. She takes a bite of the turkey sandwich and then shoves a few grapes into her mouth.
Sukie, who wears her emotions on her sleeve, quickly stands and pretends to make herself busy at the sink by washing the few dishes on the counter so nobody can see her cry. Sage blinks and then quickly looks away. I know it’s because she’s also trying to hold back tears. Juniper, on the other hand, looks angry.
As for me, I’m a mixture of both. I’m saddened and furious, but most of all, I’m relieved Nash’s uncle brought Lily. At least with us, she will be safe and taken care of. She and her baby.
“Would you like some more?” I ask Lily when she finishes her last bite.
Lily’s cheeks turn red as though she’s embarrassed. Her hands drop to her lap, and she turns her face away. “No, thank you.”
I don’t like the thought of her still being hungry but too ashamed to admit it. “Do you feel up to letting Juneau look you over?”
Panic immediately washes over Lily’s face.
I reach out with a gentle touch and place my hand on her arm. “I promise you have nothing to fear with any of the men here. I don’t know your situation or the kind of club you were staying at before, but nobody here will hurt you. Juneau just wants to make sure you and your baby are okay.”
“Alice is right,” Sage adds. “The Fallen Ravens clubhouse is the safest place for you. The men here would never hurt a woman.”
Lily seems to be mulling over our words and eventually agrees to let someone look her over. “Okay. I’ll let Juneau make sure everything is okay with my baby.” Then she adds, “Will you stay with me?”
“Of course I will. I’ll do whatever makes you comfortable.”
Lily braces her palms against the table for support when I stand and follow suit.
“I have an idea,” Sage pipes up. “I never did get rid of all my maternity clothes. Why don’t Juniper and I run to my place and gather them up?” She smiles at Lily. “I’m sure I have tons of stuff to fit you.”
“On the way back, we can stop by the store and pick up some essentials, like bras, underwear, and a toothbrush,” Juniper volunteers.
“I can run to Belladonna’s and pick out a few things like shampoo, conditioner, and lotion,” Sukie offers.
Tears fall down Lily’s cheeks as she stares at us in disbelief. “I… I don’t know what to say. You are all so nice and don’t even know me.”
“You’re Baja’s family, so that makes you our family,” Sage tells her. “And we take care of family.”
After Sukie, Sage, and Juniper leave with the promise to return shortly, I walk Lily down the hall to the room where I know Juneau will be waiting. Lily clenches my hand in a death grip when we see Juneau pacing through the door. He stops, and his eyes are laser-focused on Lily the second he senses us. It shocks me to see Juneau so on edge. His hair is disheveled as if he’s been running his hands through it. Anytime I’ve been around the man, he’s been cool, calm, and collected. Out of all the guys, he’s probably the most chill.
“Lily agreed to let you check out the baby.” The sound of my voice snaps Juneau out of his Lily-induced trance. His jaw ticks as he nods toward the exam table. “I brought her some clean clothes so she can change.”
Lily’s face turns beet red again as she looks down at her torn and dingy clothes.
