Page 115 of Knot My MC
“Yeah. Probably not life, but enough.” Knox gives me an appreciative nod.
“What do your guys want to do?” Nova asks.
“Not press charges,” Crow confesses. “We wouldn’t be asking if it weren’t for the fact that they’ll be out of the picture if the guys do it.”
“Don’t make them do something they don’t want to,” she says adamantly. Nova pauses and fidgets in her seat. “I actually have a plan… but I’ll need some help.”
“This sounds like we need a drink.” Jag grabs a handful of beers from the fridge and brings them over. I take one while the guys all find a place to sit. Nestling himself between my legs, Jag props my thighs on his shoulder and drops his head onto my lap.
“Hey, Kiks.”
I tug his hair. “Hey.”
“What’s this plan of yours?” Knox asks Nova.
She wrings her hands in her lap. “I want to go to New Pond Rehab. I know it’s far away, but it’s the best solution I’ve come up with. I can’t stay in Dolin. Not with Camila and my old pack. And…” She glances away. “I’m struggling. Curtis made me take drugs, but I still crave them. My body wants them even though I know it shouldn’t.”
I reach over and place my hand on her arm. “Curtis was an asshole and what you’re feeling is normal. You’ve been through some shit.” I squeeze her arm. “I’m proud of you for recognizing that you need help.”
Swallowing, she nods. “Thanks. But I need more than New Pond.”
“We’ll help you however we can. What else do you need?” Crow taps his fingers on the beer bottle.
“A fake identity and a shit load of scent and heat suppressors.” Nova grimaces. “I know the risk of taking the medicine too long, but I’ll figure out how to handle the heat once I’m settled. They make toys and before you mention it, I know there are drugs too, but it’s different. I can’t be Nova or an omega once I get out of rehab. I want to start over. I need to.” She blows out a hard breath. “And like I said, there are special toys for omegas.”
The guys all look uncomfortable at the mention of the knotting dildos some omegas use when they don’t have alphas around during their heat. I’ve never seen one, but I’ve definitely heard of them. I doubt it can compare to the real thing.
“Where are you going to live after rehab?” I ask.
“Maybe in Middleburg. Maybe Lincoln. I haven’t fully decided.”
“Do you know anyone up there?”
She shakes her head. “No. But that’s the point. I want to start fresh. Recover. Get a job at a coffee shop or something. Live my life.” Her eyes mist a little. “A lot of time was stolen from me.”
My heart aches for her. “I’m sure the guys can help you figure something out. They can probably help secure an apartment too, right? We could use that money from the auction?” All the objections they’re not saying out loud weigh heavy in the air, but eventually Knox relents and agrees to help.
She’s so much stronger than I am. I hope she finds her happiness.
Rita calls a while later and offers to come pick up Nova. That shitty pack of hers will be locked up for a few days at least. Long enough to set the arrangements in motion. I walk her out to meet Rita, relieved to see she’s no longer fidgeting or flinching. Rita nods at us from the front seat of her SUV.
“Well,” I say with an awkward wave. “Let me know if you ever want to talk.”
She studies me. “You know, I was around when they were forced to stop seeing you.”
I suck in a breath. Did everyone but me know what happened?
“They were assholes for the first few months. Losing you hurt them.” Her gaze wanders to the trees across the road. “I don’t know if I’ll ever experience a love like what they have for you.” Her throat bobs. “You guys are good together. Take care of them?”
“They’re my pack. I’ll always take care of them. And no one is going to force us apart again.”
Turning a watery smile on me, she says, “Good,” and sets off for the SUV.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-NINE
KIKI
The morning of the big meeting with Wrecker, I come up with a solution for how to settle the problems between the two clubs. The guys are all around the kitchen table when I burst into the room.
