The aroma of freshness filled the porch area of Rachel's house. Erikka sprayed the last kitchen rug and stepped back out of the arsenal of mist wafting in her direction. Once she swept the kitchen floor, she'd bring the rugs in, and the downstairs would look and smell clean.

A car pulled into the driveway. Erikka went inside, made sure her purse was within reaching distance of the door, and waited to see who had come over.

Her pulse raced. The vehicle wasn't familiar to her.

The driver's side door opened and Gracie stepped out. Erikka's heart rate never slowed. She wanted to stay inside and close the door. Instead, she stood on the threshold and waited to see why one of Chuck's women would seek her out alone.

It was one thing to know Gracie called Chuck at home and talked to him when he was around the club members, but last night seeing him sitting on the couch alone with Gracie when she was so anxious to share with him about all of Rachel's news and how the police were trying to work with her sister, hurt her more than she could handle.

She didn't want to share Chuck. Call her selfish, jealous, or jumping into a relationship before she was emotionally ready, she just couldn't deal with Gracie being close to Chuck.

"Sorry for dropping in without letting you know first." Gracie stopped before she stepped onto the porch. "I think we need to talk."

"About what?" asked Erikka.

Gracie looked over at the neighbor's house and inhaled deeply before turning her gaze back to Erikka. "Chuck."

"Now isn't a great time." She couldn't talk with anyone, especially Gracie, about Chuck.

Their relationship wasn't normal. Most people would tell her that she was too emotional at this time in her life, because of the lows of believing her sister was abducted and now trying to support Rachel while the threat of being arrested for a crime of passion hung over her sister's head. Nobody would believe she was in love under those extreme circumstances.

"I don't think waiting will help matters, it could even make things worse. I need to tell you something. Something I should've realized you needed a long time ago." Gracie pointed to the steps to the porch. "Please? I'll make this as short as I can and leave you in peace afterward."

She dipped her chin, giving up. Like a Band-Aid that needed to come off, she'd found it was easier to get rid of unpleasantries fast. It'd be painful at the beginning, but afterward, she'd be okay.

Instead of sitting on the same porch step as Gracie, Erikka took the top one. Gracie held her hands in her lap and looked out at the front lawn. She seemed hesitant now to talk.

Gracie inhaled deeply. "Three years ago, Clara and I moved to St. John's to find more information about our mother. She'd been killed when we were little girls. Her killer had never been caught, and in our desire to find out who was responsible and make him pay, we got to know Notus Motorcycle Club."

"I'm sorry about your mother." It had been hard on Erikka to lose her father as an adult. It had to be one-hundred times harder to lose a parent because of murder as a child.

"It was a long time ago." Gracie dipped her chin and picked at the hole in the knee of her jeans. "We didn't know at the time how easy it would be to find the killer responsible for taking our mother from us."

Caught up in the story, Erikka asked, "You found him?"

"He found us." Gracie cleared her throat. "He stole a car, crashed into Clara and Me as we were going to Vavoom's Bar, and abducted me right in front of everyone at the accident."

Erikka covered her mouth, shocked at what she was hearing.

"The killer took me to his house, tied me to a bed, and proceeded to stand over me with a knife and tell me about how he kidnapped, raped, and murdered my mother. There were details I never wanted to know. A sickness that was so visible and disturbing, no matter how hard I try, I can't get it out of my mind. As I faced my mother's killer, I was told in explicit terms what he'd do to me before he took my life."

Erikka wiped her cheek where a tear had escaped. She didn't want to show her tears because she could tell it was difficult for Gracie to talk about her past. The evidence in the way Gracie's hands shook and her voice trembled. She had to keep telling herself that Gracie was here, she was alive, and the story wouldn't end the way she suspected.

"Notus found me before he could..." Gracie shook her head. "The killer is dead. My mom can finally rest in peace."

"But, can you?" whispered Erikka, knowing she shouldn't pry and unable to help herself.

Gracie swiveled and looked at her with wet cheeks from the tears that had fallen during her retelling. "Yes, and it's because of Chuck that I have hope that someday, I'll find peace, and I won't be scared, and I won't spend every waking moment afraid that something will happen and I won't stay up all night afraid to shut my eyes. I'm not there yet, but I've come a long way since they found me tied to the killer's bed. To the same bed my mother was probably tied to, too."

"Oh, Lord," whispered Erikka, closing her eyes briefly.

"My sister dropped everything to help me afterward, but she had a bar to run and a man she was in love with." Gracie inhaled deeply. "I'm here because I want you to know it was Chuck who stuck by me, who slept on my couch at night so that I could sleep without being afraid. He taught me how to go outside when I refused to leave the house. He treated me normal when even my twin treated me as if I was damaged and scarred. He saved my life."

Erikka reached out and held Gracie's hand. "I didn't know."

"Of course, you didn't." Gracie paused. "It hasn't been easy on Chuck either. The man who killed my mother, who tried to kill me, was also the man who killed Thalia. Chuck has his own healing and understanding to go through after all those years."

"Oh, my God. I feel like such a —"

"You couldn't have known. Chuck is the most honest, dependable guy you would ever be lucky enough to know, and he doesn't share what other people have confided in him. Besides Clara, I know I can trust Chuck with anything because when he says I'm his friend, I'm his friend for life." Gracie squeezed Erikka's hand. "I love him. But, I'm not in love with Chuck. There has never been anything but friendship between us."

Ashamed of her thoughts and behavior, her throat closed. Erikka swallowed hard and nodded. "He's told me the same thing about you, but I didn't believe him. I was jealous. I've seen how many women contact him and how easy it is for him to flirt."

"That was Chuck." Gracie's eyes softened. "We all handle what life has given us, and you're probably learning some of the heartbreak that Chuck has lived through, and continues to deal with because he chose to search for missing person. When a job is over, he doesn't let them go. He takes every person he couldn't safe, he couldn't find, and it scars him. All his drinking, fighting, women were Band-Aids that temporarily made him feel better." Gracie stood. "I've already said too much. I should go."

"I'm..." She walked down the steps and caught up with Gracie beside her car. "I'm in love with him."

Gracie nodded. "Tell him. I think he'd like to hear you say it."

Humbled by Gracie's dedication to Chuck, Erikka asked, "Why did you tell me?"

"Because I love Chuck and I want to see him happy. And, I do see him happy with you."

She nodded and stood in the driveway as Gracie drove away. Numb from hearing about Gracie's recent past, she stared into nothing knowing all her insecurities about Gracie were misplaced and wrong. She wouldn't want Chuck to be anything different, and that included supporting a female friend who needed him.

Interrupted in her musing by a loud noise, she raised her chin and found Chuck rolling into the driveway on his Harley. Caught up with all the emotions growing inside of her, she couldn't take her gaze off him.

He toed the kickstand, took off his helmet, and stalked toward her. Within six feet of her, she spotted the bandage on his eyebrow, the swollen eye and the crooked nose, and rushed to him. Stopping herself from throwing her arms around him, she braced herself on his stomach and studied his abused face.

"What happened to you?" She reached up to touch around his eye and stopped before she made contact.

"I got in a fight." He cupped her face and caressed her cheeks with his thumbs.

Confused because she'd just seen him at his house and he was fine, she ignored the way he was holding her. "Who did you fight?"

"All of them." He kissed her lightly. "I fought for you. I'd fight anyone to be with you."

Her eyes closed as he put more pressure on her lips. The love inside of her for him had only grown knowing more about him and what kind of man he was, not only with her but with those he let into his life. She should've known when he'd struggled through waiting and receiving the news about his friend, Rich. But the significance hadn't impacted her at the time how much his experiences in life had made him into the man he was today, standing in front of her.

"Erikka, love," he whispered. "I thought I knew fear but yesterday when you went missing, I wasn't sure I'd survive. Then, you walked out on me today, and I lost it."

She tenderly touched his cheekbone. "You did?"

He nodded. "I won't allow you to leave me. I want you for the rest of my life, and I will spend every day fighting you, fighting anyone or anything, that keeps me from you. If you need proof that I love you, I'll give you proof."

She shook her head. "Just love me."

"I can do that." He stroked her face, wiping her cheeks. "Every day. For the rest of our lives."

"I love you, so much," she said, her voice breaking. "So, so much."

He kissed her softly and groaned.

She pulled back. "Your poor face."

"You'll have time to make it better." He grinned, and because of the swelling on his cheek, it came out lopsided.

She tugged his hand. "Let me finish cleaning Rachel's house and then get you home."

"Hang on a second." His whole demeanor changed to serious, and he dug his hand into his vest pocket and then picked up her hand and placed something in it.

She looked down at the set of keys and frowned. "I gave these to Notus for payment."

"The club was never going to take your business. I never agreed that we would. You love running Bail Bonds. It was your father's legacy to you and Rachel."

"But, I have no other way to pay the club," she said, holding the keyring out to him.

He shook his head. "It's our purpose as a motorcycle club to search for missing persons. We don't take money from people who only want to find a missing loved one."

"I will figure out a way to pay you back." She put the keys in her pocket and kissed him.

He smiled against her lips and murmured. "Never leave me. Stay with me for the rest of my life, and we'll call it even."

"I can pay that." She nipped his bottom lip and tugged him forward.

He came willingly. Her stomach fluttered. She couldn't wait to pay off her debt.