Serenity
“Hello, ladies,” Rage says, holding the door open for the two workers.
The one who was at the hospital walks over to us. “Oh, you look so much better. Do you remember me, sweetheart?” she asks Mila.
Mila turns around in my arms and wraps herself around me like a spider monkey.
“Ah, she’s shy,” the woman says, dismissing everything she’s been through.
“She’s not shy. She’s traumatized,” I announce coldly, speaking up for Mila.
“And you are?”
“I’m Serenity.” When I hold my hand out to her, I notice something there that wasn’t before.
“Serenity is my fiancée,” Rage interrupts, walking over to stand by my side.
The woman still has my hand. “What a pretty engagement ring.”
We both look at it together, because what the fuck? Where did that come from?
She releases me. “Wait. You’re the woman who found Mila. The babysitter.” Her eyes narrow on Rage.
I’m so stunned at the rock on my finger I don’t even realize what she’s saying at first.
Rage begins to explain, but I jump in before he has a chance. “Yeah, I knew how worried Rage was about his baby sister, so when I bumped into his mom in town one day I offered to babysit. I’ll admit she didn’t know I was engaged to her son, but then again, she never asked.”
“You had a no contact order." She looks at Rage.
“I upheld that,” he tells her.
She looks between the two of us.
“It’s a darn good thing she took me up on that offer to babysit, or you would have had a lot of explaining to do as to why you ignored a viable concern about a minor.”
She chooses to ignore my accusations to make one of her own. “Did Rage tell you to approach his mother?” she asks, basically accusing Rage of violating the order.
“No. In fact he forbade me to go over there, but I answer to the call of my conscience. You should try it some time.”
Rage places his hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Mila’s safe now.”
The worker’s mouth snaps shut.
“Why don’t you show us where Mila will be sleeping,” the other woman says, trying to hide her smile. She looks to be fairly young and hopefully not as hardened as her coworker.
“Yeah, of course,” Rage says, escorting the two women down the hall.
As soon as they disappear, I hold my hand in front of my face. When the fuck did he put this on my finger?
I take a deep breath, turning down the television so I can eavesdrop.
“The club really came together for us,” Rage says. I hear him tell them how I managed to detangle Mila’s hair. “And this is my and Serenity’s room.”
“You have a lovely home,” the younger worker says.
“Thank you. I’ve worked very hard to get where I’m at today.”
They walk into the kitchen, and I hear them open a few cupboards and the refrigerator.