It was good to be back.

 

With a little maneuvering, the family home was theirs again, and her father was walking as well as could be expected despite Noel’s attack. Theo showed no signs of damage—unless Waldo came around to check in. Theo always smiled when he saw him, and any bad memories of his life in the club were just that—in the past. Kane followed through with his vow to give them a sense of normalcy.

 

Kane decided to apply his skills to where they could be best used. Fixing bikes. He seemed to like bringing in a weekly wage, and as Angeline struggled to find work as a nurse, Kane would always hold her in the night once Theo had gone down, and he tried to calm her when she started to shake.

 

“Dark thoughts?” he asked.

 

Angeline could not bring herself to lie to him, so she just nodded into his chest and murmured the truth. “It still hurts sometimes,” she confessed. “When I think of how he touched me. What he did…”

 

She fell into the memory of Noel’s hands. Horrible and cold. Sometimes she feared that she would never get past it, and when Jeremy appeared to wish them well and say that Ellen would not be having them over with the baby on the way, Angeline felt like she was still a slave to her shame with no way of ever escaping from it.

 

“No one is hurting you now, Angel” Kane said. “No one’s touching you but me.”

 

His hands moved under her negligée. She wanted this to be the night when she could give herself back to him and not think of Noel, but her body involuntarily closed in on itself, and she started to turn her head away from his body. She hated leaving him, but she couldn’t be with him in the way he wanted.

 

The way he deserved.

 

“Don’t, Angel.”

 

Kane made her look at him again, and she bit down on her lip as he stroked her face.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said. “But I just can’t. I…”

 

He kissed her softly and peered into her eyes.

 

“When you’re ready,” he said. “And not one second before.”

 

He held her as she sighed into his chest and tried to fall asleep. She had him, and if she couldn’t give him all of herself, she could at least give him his family back.

 

***

 

Leaving Theo with a kiss in her father’s care, Angeline formed a plan. She stopped at a flower shop and ordered a tremendous bouquet of roses and orchids before she took the chance of rapping on Ellen’s door.

 

Upon seeing her, Ellen nearly closed the door right back in her face. However, Angeline forced her to keep it open and offered the flowers. “I come bearing gifts,” Angeline said.

 

“So you’re back,” Ellen said. “I thought Jeremy explained that having you here is not happening.”

 

“He did,” Angeline confessed. “But just for a minute?”

 

Ellen relented reluctantly and allowed Angeline inside. She saw the room full of unopened packages, save for a pink blanket from the shower that she had not been invited to. But she was happy that Ellen had these things to cherish, and she smiled at her rounded belly.

 

“Little Mary will be here before we know it,” Angeline said.

 

She tried to touch Ellen’s stomach, but the pregnant woman drew back.

 

“Don’t say her name like you’re part of the family,” Ellen said. “Because you’re not.”

 

Angeline set the flowers down and looked around the room. She imagined Theo here, playing with his cousin. But it seemed too high a mountain to climb. No matter how many flowers she brought.

 

“Ellen…”

 

Her almost sister-in-law pressed her hands to her hips.

 

“I’m with Kane,” Angeline said. “I love him, and he loves Theo.”

 

“One out of two ain’t bad,” Ellen scoffed.

 

Angeline was still determined to try to make this work.

 

“I want you and Jeremy to be a part of Theo’s life,” she stared. “And I… I hope that you can let us in to love Mary.”

 

“Flowers are nice and all, but you are still not welcome here.”

 

It would take time, and Angeline was not about to press the point. “Then, it’s goodbye for now,” Angeline said.

 

“Finally, we agree on something.”

 

Stepping out to the porch, Angeline breathed in the night air and sighed. Kane was working late, but she needed him now more than ever. She would tell him how she had tried to make friends, and he would hold her and kiss her until she finally fell asleep. Maybe if she’d met Kane some other way he wouldn’t have had to sacrifice everything for her. Guilt washed over her, but her heart clung to the possibility that once Mary was born she could try again. She loved him so much and—

 

Something hard and cold hit her head, and Angeline’ body was dragged back into the house. She could hear Ellen screaming, and then she suddenly fell silent. Angeline feared that it was Noel back from the dead to take his vengeance, but when her eyes were able to focus, she saw someone else with a price to be collected standing above her and pointing a gun at her face.

 

“Lillian?”

 

Dr. Palmer pulled her up by her arm, and Ellen had no choice but to catch her as Angeline stumbled back into her trembling arms. As Angeline met her face, she could see Ellen’s lip quivering, and she held onto Angeline. It was out of fear and nothing else, but Angeline felt the need to protect her and Mary welling up in her soul.

 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Angeline demanded.

 

“Don’t be stupid, Angeline,” Lillian said. “Can’t you get it right for once?”

 

Angeline touched the back of her aching head and narrowed her eyes. Kane had told her Lillian was far from the woman that she remembered, but now that she was seeing her in the flesh, the change was more than she could comprehend.

 

“You know,” Lillian continued. “It strikes me as bizarre that I had a wonderful thing going with your boy’s band, and now you’re back, and the whole fucking thing is shut down.”

 

Backing them into the wall, Ellen mumbled incoherently as Angeline took her hand. “It’s okay, Ellen,” she whispered.

 

“Why is that?” Lillian asked. “Tell me why it was okay for you to make all that money and one of their own even took the fall for you. But I have to lose everything now they say it’s not their scene?”

 

Could she still reason with her? Was there any way of reminding her of who she was or at least who she used to be?

 

“Lillian,” Angeline said, as she held her hands in the air. “I did it to help my dad. I never would have otherwise. But you… you know this is wrong. And you can just stop now and get on with your life.”

 

She bit her lip, as Lillian cocked her head one way and then the other.

 

That’s it. Take your second chance. It’s not too late.

 

“I’d rather have the money,” Lillian said.

 

Pressing the gun to Angeline’s temple, Ellen squealed as Angeline gripped her hand tighter.

 

“So, you’re going to tell your boyfriend to get his boys back on track. Now!”

 

Before she could answer, Ellen cried out that Kane wasn’t with the club anymore, and his pull was less than nothing.

 

“Is that a fact?” Lillian asked Angeline.

 

God dammit, Ellen. I was handling this.

 

“Yes!” Ellen broke in. “So, we can’t help you.”

 

“Ellen, shut up!” Angeline yelled, holding Lillian’s stare. “What are you going to do?” Angeline challenged. “You gonna kill me? It won’t work, Lillian. We’re home on a pass. Kane can’t help you. I can’t. Just let it go.”

 

“Hmmm,” Lillian mused. “But what would happen if someone from the other side of the family might pay the price?”

 

Lillian pushed Angeline to the ground and wrestled Ellen’s ample form to her chest. Peering through her curls, she screamed when Lillian pointed the gun at Ellen.

 

“What are you doing?” Angeline cried.

 

“You tell him and you tell his kid brother that the family line ends here if they don’t play ball.”

 

The sight of the woman who was supposed to bring babies into the world pushing the gun into Ellen’s belly was the final nail in what felt like a collective coffin. Lillian had snapped. She had become Noel; she was worse than Noel. Angeline tried to stand, but Lillian kicked her back to the ground and started to haul Ellen towards the door.

 

“Think about it, Angeline,” Lillian hissed. “You’ll lose him if this kid’s never born. He’ll hate you. His brother might kill you himself. So make it fucking right!”

 

She disappeared out the door, and Angeline stumbled forward to see Ellen stuffed into the trunk of her car.

 

No! She needs air. The baby…

 

“Lillian! Stop!”

 

The doctor hit the gas and raced away from the house. She had to try to follow them. To put an end to this. Moving back to the porch, she found her fallen purse and pulled out her keys as a glaring set of headlights caught her figure, and when the driver saw who she was, he bolted out of the car and stood over her with panic in his eyes.

 

“Angeline?”

 

“Jeremy? Oh my god. Oh god…”