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That she didn’t fight hih the house and outside to the front porch was telling Toni wasn’t a oman She’d handled her parents’ unexpected death without blinking an eye She took over the diner and house, settled well into a new area, and ht To see her so broken fucked with his head and sealed Shark’s fate His raping buddies’ as well

When he sank down to a rocking chair with her on his lap, she tried to pull away, but he held her close and rubbed a hand up and down her back “Shh, just relax, baby” All she as his T-shirt fro on but his jeans The moment was quiet, intimate, peaceful, and after a few minutes she relaxed into hi if they didn’t have a tough conversation loo over them like a dark storm cloud

They sat in silence for a while, Zach holding her and gliding the chair back and forth with his foot

“Can you tell me?” he asked after a while The need to knowthe brief peace they’d found

Toni nodded against his chest “You knoho my parents were Very conservative, closed-ainst everyone asn’t exactly like them Did you know they were terrified of your father?”

Zach huffed out a laugh “I knew They called the cops on him at least three or four times a year for stupid shit”

Toni traced her finger over the Handlers’ emblem, scarred onto his forear to break in and rob us blind one night” She scoffed “They were paranoid like that about the entire MC or anyone who looked like what myht leash Once I hit o to birthday parties, to the mall with friends, no after-school activities, definitely no dating Basically, I wasn’t allowed any nore activities Friends weren’t even pero to their houses, either”

“Must have been tough” As she spoke, Zach snaked his hand under her T-shirt and stroked her soft hip It seemed to have the desired effect as she stayed pliant and relaxed against him

“Did this hurt?” She drew a circle around his scar with her index finger

“Like a sonofabitch, babe,” he said, giving her hip a gentle squeeze

That got a sh school, I rebelled Hard core Sneaking out, s to do with the diner and I specifically chose a rough crowd thatback on it now, I see how stupid and disrespectful I was, but I was so angry at the and unequipped to make wise decisions”