Page 53 of Bones
“Do you have any other siblings?”
“Mac.” Clarity smiled, and I blinked in surprise.
“Our mom adopted Mac when he was eight, so he’s part of the family too.” Trey explained.
“We almost had a little sister, but our mom died in childbirth.” This time I could hear the pain in Clarity’s voice. “The baby died too.”
I kept my eyes on the tools I was sorting. Childbirth scared the shit out of me, and I hated helping with births. Thankfully there hadn’t been a whole lot of childbirth in the Reapers. Most of the bikers who ended up pregnant came to me for herbs that would end the pregnancy. Not many wanted to try to raise a baby in the middle of a bloodthirsty desert gang.
“I gotta run an errand for Mac,” Trey said. “I’ll be back in a bit. Griz is outside.”
After he left, the silence lingered until I finally glanced up to meet Clarity’s gaze. She gave me a gentle smile.
“Trey told me what happened,” she said. “I can’t believe Lana betrayed you all like that.”
I hated the guilt that stabbed me. If it weren’t for me, Lana and Exo would both still be here.
“Are you ok?” she asked.
My eyes went to the ring of bruises around her neck. She clearly knew what men were capable of doing.
“I could heal those bruises for you,” I found myself saying.
She looked surprised. “You don’t have to do that.”
I shrugged. “Bruises are pretty easy.” I hesitated for a moment. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
She smiled, but her eyes looked sad. “Just a little sore.”
This exhaustion reached all the way down to my bones. I knew exactly what she meant, and I’d be willing to bet whoever hurt her hadn’t been exiled or punished in any way. Gods, I wanted to dosomething.
“Can I heal you?” I asked, holding her gaze.
“Sure.”
She sat on the chair and I laid my hands on her neck. It took little effort to direct that warmth through her skin, taking away the bruises and the lingering pain I sensed in several parts of her body. When I stepped back, she smiled despite the tears shining in her eyes.
“Thank you, Bones.”
I shrugged, swallowing hard.
“Trey hates that I work in the brothel,” she added, sliding off the chair.
I went back to pretending to organize the tinctures, but I listened.
“My dad owed a debt and died before he could pay it off. Madame had me sent to the brothel to pay it off. Trey keeps trying to get me out, but I don’t have any other place to go.” She smiled sadly again. “Mac offered to let me join his crew, but I’ve never been physically strong and I get sick a lot. And the brothel isn’t so bad. We stick together and try to help each other out.”
“How old were you?” I asked.
She hesitated for a moment. “Twelve.”
I had to fight to swallow past the nausea. A fucking kid working in a brothel. That could have been me. Probably would have been me if I didn’t have this power.
“Mac doesn’t hate that you work in the brothel?” I couldn’t resist the jab at Mac.
Clarity blinked, her brow furrowing slightly. “I don’t think helikesit, but he respects my decision.”
Oh.I didn’t know what to say after that.
