Final Ride: Hellions Motorcycle Club (Hellions Ride Book 9) by Chelsea Camaron Page A

she is pondering before she says, “He really helped you after … everything?”
    “Yeah, and without expectations of receiving anything in return. Your father is a good man. All the Hellions are. There is a code. Their lifestyle isn’t about pushing the boundaries of the laws to bend to their will. It’s not about a life of control. It’s about being free together. It’s about family. It’s about understanding and protecting what they consider theirs.”
    “Where do you want to take me?” she asks.
    “I know it’s hard, but I’m gonna tell you like your father once told me. Trust starts somewhere. It can be with me, it can be with a simple ride down the road, or you can wait till life forces it on you. Choice is yours.”
    She doesn’t speak, but she does get up with her plate in hand and moves to the sink. Then she gives a slight nod before taking off down the hall to her room to get ready.
    Okay, then. Looks like we are taking a short drive.
    I breathe deeply. I can do this. I can drive myself there, share this with Shannon, and then drive us safely back.
    While she is doing her thing, I count to one hundred backward in my mind to clear my anxiety. It’s a trick Frisco taught me early on to get my mind focused on anything other than my chest getting tighter by the minute. The walls will not close in on me because, like the bottles of beer on the wall jingle, counting backward doesn’t allow my mind to shut down, so the walls stay standing.
    The drive is quiet, something I am thankful for. I need to concentrate. The gas pedal, the brake pedal, the turn signals, the area, and the surroundings. No one will get me.
    I breathe heavily, reminding myself I am safe.
    Taking the turn onto the old dirt road between the trees, I feel the tension from Shannon increase.
    A certain level of fear is healthy. Frisco taught me that, too. It helps us to be more aware when we allow ourselves to feel a small amount of anxiety. What we can’t do is allow it to control us.
    When the chain link fence comes into sight, I slow the car to a crawl until we stop in front of the gate. Then I climb out without speaking, and Shannon follows as I open the old gate and we pass through into the small cemetery.
    Going to the left far corner, I immediately hit my knees in front of the gray stone in front of us. Her name becomes a blur as the tears hit me.
    “Why did you … put her here?” Shannon stumbles over her words.
    “She’s my daughter. She’s not a nameless, lifeless person. Give your mother the honor of a place to be remembered. Give yourself the respect for surviving your life with her, Shannon.” My voice is shaking but strong. “Release the weight of the world. Let the past go and give in to whatever your future may be. Your mother had a name. Tilly, Jayne—whatever you wish to put on the stone, even if you just want Mom. Just give something to the woman who gave you what she could.”
    Shannon nods as tears fill her eyes, and for the first time, I feel like we are bonding and connecting.
    “I’m sorry for what I said, Amy.”
    “No apologies necessary. I want you to know I’m stronger than I look. Always understand, with me and with Frisco, you can say what you need to say, even if it hurts. We may not agree, and we may correct you, but Shannon, you have a voice. Don’t feel trapped. You are free.”
    My words seem to sink in as she drops to her knees beside me and traces the letters on my daughter’s tombstone.
    “Free,” she whispers, and I smile softly, releasing the weight I have carried for far too long.
    “Yes, Shannon, we’re free.”
     

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    “Talk to me,” Doll orders while looking over the menu in front of her. “Never mind. Don’t talk yet. I need a drink. Momma needs a time the fuck out.” The blonde bombshell laughs to herself.
    “Tell me about it, sister.” Sass chuckles back at her lifelong best friend.
    Tripp and Doll got into town early yesterday, tonight she is leaving BW,