When I step back into the room the DPS officer is leaving and Katie is noticeably upset. She has tears in her eyes. I know he told her about her truck. Lil is trying to comfort her, but it is not doing much good.

“It’ll be okay, Katie. We’ll figure it all out.” Lil has climbed up in the bed with Katie and is holding her.

“I can take the city bus to school, but I don’t know what I will do about work. I knew this was too good to be true. Every time I get ahead something happens.” Lil is eyeing me, and I know she is going to dive in head first to help this girl.

“Katie, I am going to ask you to trust me.” Lil is now looking straight into Katie’s eyes. “I have a business proposition for you that it will help us both. Can you trust me?”

“I really don’t know you but for some reason I have a good feeling about you.” Lil shakes her head at that.

“That’s a start. I need someone to help me around my house. Not just for housework, but I rescue animals. You said you work on a horse ranch, so you must like animals.

“Anytime I know about animals needing a home, I take them in. Some get adopted, eventually, but if not, they always have a home with us on our farm. If I have help, I can take in more. We have plenty of room for a lot more animals, but I can only take care of so many. With your help we can expand.

“We could pay you a wage and keep insurance for you and add some vacation time. There’s a room above our barn that we could turn into an apartment. You could live there as part of your benefits package. We have plenty of vehicles and you could use one to get to school until you save to buy one. How can you say no to that?”

Lil has a big grin on her face. She is thinking on her feet, but it seems like a promising idea for Katie to check it out. “Please think about it. You win, I win, the animals win, and you still stand on your own two feet without asking for help.” Katie looks unsure, but I can see she wants to believe it’s possible.

“Young lady, the arrangement would help me out too. I am always wanting to take my woman away for the weekend to have some alone time, but she’s too damn worried about those animals. The pets are her babies and she won’t leave them if she doesn’t have someone she can trust.” I know she trust the boys with them, but she says they don’t love them like she does.

“Can I think about it for just a little while. My head is still fuzzy and I can’t afford to make a wrong decision. Once I leave my apartment I would have nowhere to live if it didn’t work out, also, I don’t have a truck to live in now, so it would not be good.” Katie is smart to at least think it out, but I did not miss the part she said about living in her truck. Katie hasn’t had it easy.

“You can think it over Katie, but you are coming home with us one way or another. I have a truck you can use to get to school. But you can bet your sweet ass we are helping you.” I’ve said it and it is the way it will be. I’ve been the President of the Demented Revengers MC for going on twenty years and I don’t take no for an answer.

“Mr. Duncan I--” I cut her off real fast.

“Captain is the name, sweetheart. Mr. Duncan sounds too old for me.” I smile at her to take the edge off.

“Okay. Captain. I just want to think it over tonight. I will need to give Mr. Brown and the guy I rent the apartment from notice. It’s only right. They both took a chance on me when they didn’t have to.” I can see she is considerate and tries to do the right thing. I like it. I respect that.

“Okay, it is settled. You think on it, but you are definitely staying with us until you are better.” Lil knows I will get my way, but she is trying to sooth it over.

“Agreed.” Katie will agree to it all. I noticed the way she relaxed when she realized she’s not alone any more. I feel my phone vibrating with a text coming in.

“I’m stepping outside for a few minutes.” Both the women nod their heads and I go out to the hall. I look at the time and I know Shine has had time to get to Tyler, so it must be him. I flip my phone out.

Shine: Apartment is barely as big as a box. Hardly anything in it. Looks like she owns nothing. Locks are shit. Didn’t need a key to get in. Lucky she wasn’t killed in her sleep. All she had to eat is noodles and peanut butter.

Me: Clean it out. Get the brothers on converting barn storage room into small apartment. Give notice to landlord. Don’t take no for an answer.

Shine: Good. Don’t want her staying here. I wouldn’t live here. Where do I store her things?

Me: Personal stuff and any electronics in our spare room. Everything else garage.

Shine: It’ll take a week to convert with everyone helping.

Me: Just do it.

With that I disconnect. No, this girl is not going back there. She will adjust to us.