Page 24 of Wild Runaway
“I was lucky, Joseph. I had somewhere I could go. I had Hailey. But there are a lot of women with nowhere to go. Nowhere to run to.”
An idea has been percolating in my mind for the last few days, but I don’t know how to make it a reality.
“What if there was somewhere in the mountains, a refuge for woman and their children. Somewhere they knew they could escape to, no questions asked.”
I’d hate for a woman to be in my situation and not be able to leave because she didn’t know where to go.
Joseph looks at me thoughtfully. “Aren’t there places like that already?”
“Yes. But not here.”
I look out to the depths of the forest, the light that breaks through the clearing. “There’s something healing about the mountains. They make you think. They connect you with nature and remind you there’s a better life.”
Joseph sits back in his chair and pulls on his beard. “The club’s got some spare land near the compound. I could talk to the guys.”
My heart leaps. I can’t believe he’s taking me seriously.
“It’s all well and good, having a refuge in the mountains, but if it was run by a gang of burly ex-military bikers, you wouldn’t get many assholes turning up looking for trouble.”
My mouth drops open. I never thought about getting the MC involved, but he’s right. What better protection than the Wild Riders MC?
My heart lifts with something I haven’t felt in a long time, and it takes me a while to recognize it as hope. Hope for myself and hope for Rose, but also hope for other women in a bad situation that there might be something I could do to help.
“I love you.”
The words slip out, and I clap my hand over my mouth. Joseph’s eyes sparkle, and a rare smile spreads across his face.
“I love you too, honey.”
He kisses me then, long and deep. I let out a sigh as our lips meet, and heat spreads through me.
Joseph pulls me out of my chair and onto his lap.
The baby's asleep, and we’re outside. There’s no one else here, just the forest, the birds and the breeze, the fresh air against my cheeks.
I wiggle my butt against him, feeling him harden under me. The heat between us is scorching as he kisses me hard.
Just then, my phone rings. I try to ignore it until I remember Hailey.
Jumping off Joseph, I grab my phone from inside.
“I just got your message. My god Trish, I’m so sorry.”
She’s frantic, and it takes me a while to calm her down and make her believe everything’s all right.
I fill her in quickly about what happened, and she’s horrified that she missed me until I tell her I’ve been staying with Joseph. It’s awkward talking about him when he’s right there, but I don’t need to say much. My sister knows. She squeals with delight, and we make a promise to visit this afternoon.
I love my sister, but it’s a relief to hang up the phone. Joseph’s waiting for me with hungry eyes.
“Where were we?”
He sidles off the chair and sits on the porch steps and pulls me onto his lap, and this time I straddle him.
“I was about to make you my woman.”
13
JOSEPH
