Free Shattered & Scarred: The Sacred Hearts MC by A. J. Downey Page A

right?” I asked.
    She nodded and held out a plastic grocery bag tied at the top.
    “I made you dinner.” She said gently.
    I blinked.
    “You brought me dinner?” I asked. She nodded, eyes wide.
    “Lasagna.” She murmured and looked like she was about to panic.
    I stood up and she flinched and I probably should have been gentler but I pulled her into a hug.
    “Thanks.” I whispered gruffly against her hair and breathed deep her orange blossom scent. Her small arms went around my waist after a moment and hugged me back. I smiled and let her go, taking the bag from her.
    “How did you get here?” I asked.
    “Sh e asked me, Brother.” I looked up. Dragon stood, arms crossed in that ungainly way of his and I raised an eyebrow.
    Ashton was blushing a delectable light pink and I smiled and before I realized what I was doing I asked her,
    “You wanna stay?” her beautiful sad face broke into one of those rare but brilliant smiles and she nodded.
    “You mind?” I asked Dragon.
    “Naw man. I’ll see you two back at the club house, give me a chance to stop by Sugar’s.” He grinned. Sugar’s was the local tittie bar but Ashton didn’t need to know that. I nodded.
    “I’ll leave her helme t on the counter, you have fun Chica.” He winked at her and she gave him a smile and waved.
    “There’s lasagna in the kitchen back at the house. It’s in the foil wrapped pan on the counter.” She murmured at him. He grinned.
    “Thanks Baby Doll.” He said and turned around, I heard him whistling as he went out the door.  I put the food in the bottom drawer of my filing cabinet.
    “Why don’t you go on and have a seat up there.” I pointed to the dentist chair, raised and laid flat against one wall. I had Donnie sitting in the massage chair.
    “What made you come all the way out here to bring me dinner?” I asked when she was settled. She hugged her knees and a ghost of a smile flickered across her mouth.
    “I think I missed you.” She said and that made me smile.
    “I been meaning to ask you…” I searched her face, I had her attention; her expression was rapt.
    “Isn’t there anyone I can call for you? Your folks or a brother or sister?” I almost regretted asking, grief clouded her expression for a moment and she hugged her knees.
    “Folks are gone, I was an only child… I grew up in foster care from the time I was eleven.” She answered. Her eyes were affixed on her knees and she picked at one of the drawstrings for the hood of my sweatshirt.
    “What happened?” I asked her.
    “My mom got cancer, my dad skipped town… Too much I guess.” She shrugged one shoulder.
    “You said you met your douche bag ex in college.” I said. “Don’t know many foster kids that go to college.” I commented. I snapped on another pair of gloves and started cleaning up my area some.
    “Full academic scholarship.” She smiled triumphantly.
    “You stay in touch with your foster parents?” I asked. Mostly to get the measure of how they’d treated her.
    “At first. The Tuckers were really good to me. They had two boys but Mrs. Tucker had a lot of love to give and really wanted a girl around and so they took me in.” she was smiling faintly.
    “She taught me how to cook.” She said.
    “A damn fine job she did too.” I smiled at her and she lit right the fuck up like a thousand watt bulb under the praise and the sight was enough to thaw out a part of me I thought was long cold and dead.
    Donnie returned and sat back down, eyes closed.
    “Who’s the chick?” he asked.
    “I’m Ashton.” She murmured and he cracked open one eyelid. I could tell it had cost her to speak up but she’d done it anyways, she was a fighter this one, in her own way.
    “Donnie.” He grunted and I started back in on his shoulder.
    “Pleased to meet you Donnie.” She could barely be heard over the buzz of my gun. Quiet as a damned mouse this one. If her eyes hadn’t already done me in with their burnished gold hue she pr