She nodded her head, unable to speak. Sitting at the counter, she watched as he put the call through to the doctor and then got to work on feeding the two of them.

“He’s not always like this, you know. I don’t know what has gotten into him.”

“He’s a boy at heart, trying to be a man, and he doesn’t know how to grow up. One day he will. Hopefully before it’s too late.”

“Too late for what?”

“For him.”

She felt frozen in place. “What do you mean?”

“You think men like Bishop get an easy life? No, they don’t. They always think they’re the toughest son of a bitch in the room, but he’s not. He’s going to end up starting a fight he won’t get to finish. I just hope I’ve taught him enough to make it out alive.”

The doorbell rang, and she jumped.

“I’m not telling you ghost stories,” he said.

“I … yeah, I’m not afraid. I wasn’t expecting the bell to go.” She didn’t even know why she bothered to say anything.

He was already gone.

Rubbing her hands together, she tried to gain her composure, but it wasn’t helping. Nothing was helping her right now.

“So, you opened your stitches again,” Randall said the moment he entered the kitchen. “Something smells really good.”

“You fix her up good and you’ll get some,” Preacher said.

Randall led her out of the room, going to the bathroom.

“You need to take care of this, Robin. If you don’t it won’t ever heal.”

“I know.”

“So how are you, Robin?” Randall asked.

“I’m doing really well.”

“Your mom has asked me to talk to you about going on the pill,” he said.

She groaned. Her cheeks heated, and she looked at him, wanting the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

“Did she? Really?”

“Your mom and most of the club women come to me when they need something. She thinks it’s time you got on the pill, but I won’t prescribe anything unless Preacher tells me to, or I speak to the person I have to give them to.”

“I don’t want them yet,” she said.

“Is everything okay?” Randall asked.

“How do you mean?”

“Your home life? Bishop? The club?”

“Everything is fine.”

She didn’t know why he was asking her all these questions. It wasn’t like anyone could help her, and she was never going to be a rat.

A rat was one of the worst things anyone could be in the club life. She’d seen firsthand what happened to rats, and it wasn’t good. They were the scum of the earth to club life, and had no room there. Even her mother hated rats, and sometimes she wasn’t the biggest fan of the club.

“I know it seems strange me asking you, but I need to know you’re being taken care of.”

“Why? It’s not like you can tell anyone,” she said.

“Believe it or not, Preacher would deal with it.”