she was okay. Quincy knew his strong girl well enough to realize she wouldn’t have wanted to be a burden on them.
She put her hands on his cheeks, searching his eyes, and said, “Are you okay? Is Simone okay?”
He leaned in and kissed her. “We’re both fine. Let’s go inside.”
“Can I get you anything? I don’t know what to do in this situation. Do you want some water?” she asked as he hung up his jacket.
“I just want you, babe.” He took her hand, and they went to the couch. “Have you been awake all this time?”
“I couldn’t sleep. I was too worried. Is Simone okay? Was she hurt?”
He hated making her worry. “She’s okay. He grabbed her when she got off the bus and tried to get her to go with him in his truck. He roughed her up a little, but he didn’t hit her. She’s got some bruises on her arms from the force of his grip.”
“Oh no.” Roni covered her mouth with her hand. “Poor Simone. Maybe you should let her stay at your place so she’s safe.”
For the millionth time since they’d been together, he felt like his heart was overflowing. “You are really something. I love that you want to help Simone, but as her sponsor, I can’t do that.”
“Can somebody? The Dark Knights?”
He explained the agreement he and Biggs had come to about people in recovery being six months’ drug free before putting them into the homes or businesses of club members and Peaceful Harbor residents. “Diesel and I talked about getting her out of Maryland altogether. Biggs’s brother Tiny runs the Redemption Ranch in Colorado, which works with people in recovery. They have a great program with therapists and physicians on staff. But Simone isn’t ready to leave the area.”
“Even though it’s not safe here?”
“This is a process, babe. Recovery is hardest at the beginning, and she’s just starting to find her footing. That big a change could set her back. She wants to stay clean, and she did the right thing by resisting him and calling me. Diesel’s got her covered from now on, and I was able to convince her to get a restraining order against her ex, which is what took so long. Diesel’s got some connections to try to push it through the system, but it’ll still take a week or two.”
“Oh, good. That was smart. Do you know the person who did this to her?”
“Yeah. He’s the dealer I owed money to. The one who had me beat up and left me for dead.”
“Quincy,” she said angrily. “You said you weren’t in any danger.”
“I wasn’t. You saw the guys leave with me. They had my back.”
“I can’t believe I have to point this out to you, but that guy left you for dead and you’re still alive. That sounds dangerous to me, especially if he’s watching that place and knows you helped Simone.” Panic rose in her eyes, and she said, “Oh no. Do you still owe him money? What if he comes after you?”
“Roni, baby, I don’t owe him a thing, and he won’t come after me.” He took her hands, holding them reassuringly tight, and said, “He knows I’m her sponsor. He’s probably had eyes on me since I started helping her, but that’s his only beef with me. I have no connections or debts to him or anyone else in that world. When I was in rehab, Tru was worried the guy would come after my family, so he went to Biggs and borrowed money to pay off my debt. Biggs had Bullet take care of it, and I’ve since paid Biggs back every cent. Nothing is going to happen to me. I would never put myself in his line of fire, much less put you or anyone else in danger.”
“Okay, thank goodness.” She let out a breath of relief.
“You don’t have to worry, babe.”
“That’s never stopped me before.” She climbed into his lap and put her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I was really scared tonight.”
He kissed her forehead, stroking her back, and said, “I know. I’m sorry.”
“I’m glad you’re both okay.”
She held him tighter, and it broke his heart knowing what he had to say next, but there was no way around it. “Roni, I know you said you’re all in, but if this ever gets to be too much for you—”
She covered his lips with her finger and lifted her loving eyes to his. “What am I,