^^ Robin ^^

I'm so engrossed in my laptop that I jump so high when someone sits next to me, I almost fall off my chair. I look up to see Pest grinning at me, and I give him a death glare. He's not affected in the slightest as he carries on grinning, reaching over to help himself to my coffee. My glare intensifies as I watch him slurp away at my drink.

"Not working today?" He asks, still ignoring my glare.

"You know, sometimes I really miss those days when you wouldn't talk to me," I tell him in a huff. He just shrugs. "George, my boss is in court in Phoenix all this week, so I'm working from home,"

He raises an eyebrow. "You didn't go with him?"

I scoff. "And spend my days sitting in a courthouse and watching a boring trial? Nope, I'm staying here. He doesn't need me there anyway,"

Pest nods and goes back to drinking my coffee. I sigh and roll my shoulders, closing the laptop in front of me. I moan when I feel fingers kneading the sore muscles in my shoulders, and look up to see Smiler grinning down at me. It's moments like these that I find it hard to reconcile this grinning man with the sullen, quiet biker who picked me up that day, all those months ago. He drops a kiss on the top of my head and I whine when he stops massaging to sit next to me, ignoring his chuckle when I do.

"Isn't that your coffee?" He asks, nodding to the cup in Pest's hand. I nod and he raises his eyebrows looking at Pest. "Do you have a death wish? Everyone knows not to touch Lenni's coffee!"

Pest gulps and looks at me. "Sorry. Do you want it back?"

I screw my nose up in disgust and shake my head. I'm about to reply when movement outside catches my eye. I look out of the window and my eyes widen when I see Robin there. She looks like a deer caught in headlights as she looks between the door and the road behind her. Smiler follows my gaze and sees who I'm looking at. I'd filled him in on our conversation at the café, and he looks at me confused.

"Aren't you going to go and get her?" He asks quietly. I don't know why he says it quietly, it's not like she can hear us from out there.

I shake my head. "No. It has to be her decision," I say, not taking my eyes off her. I hear the rumble of bikes a second after she turns around in a panic. She dashes from the car park just before I see Jay and Skids pull in, and my heart sinks. Smiler puts an arm around my shoulders and pulls me close as I sigh.

Skids' eyes find me as soon as he enters and he looks at me in confusion. "Jay said that was the girl from the café?" I nod and squeeze his hand as he rests it on my shoulder. "She'll come around, love. She just needs to want it, that's all. Remember what you were like?"

I nod and sigh again. I know he's right; she won't accept help until she's really ready. I'm not sure why I'm so hung up on this. I've spoken to the girl for about ten minutes, but she reminds me so much of myself, I just can't seem to let it go. I'm distracted when my phone rings and my face lights up when I see that it's Banjo.

"Hey!" I greet cheerily, my smile widening when I hear his laugh. "How was it?"

"Hey, darlin'. It was good," He tells me. "At least, until my sister got too drunk and threw up all over the dance floor!" He laughs and I join in.

"Are you okay? You sound shattered," I tell him, and I hear him yawn.

"I am. It was a late night and not much sleep. I'm heading out now to meet up with the New Mexico guys. I'll spend the night at their clubhouse and finish the journey tomorrow,"

I grin, excited to see him. He's only been gone a couple of days but it's strange without him here. "Okay. Be careful. Love you,"

"I will. Love you too. Keep the boys in check for me," He hangs up and I laugh because we both know that's impossible.

"Stop worrying!" I hear Smiler whisper in my ear, and I turn to raise an eyebrow at him.

"You know I won't until he's back,"

He laughs. "I know but it was worth a try,"

***

I woke up this morning with the intense need to clean. I do this a lot when I'm stressed or anxious, and I can only assume it's because I know Banjo is on his way back. I know they're all telling me not to worry but I can't help it. I was alone for so long, it's terrifying to think that my new family could be taken from me. It's new to me; I was never a worrier before. I was more of the mindset that whatever happens will happen, so fuck it. So far today though, my anxious cleaning had been pretty productive. I'd cleaned my house from top to bottom, and had come over to the clubhouse to start there. I'm pretty sure the bar has never looked so clean. I'd scrubbed, vacuumed and polished until I could barely move my arms. I'd briefly considered cleaning the rooms behind the bar, but that urge had lasted for about a second before I thought about who stayed in those rooms. Ultimately, I decided that no amount of worry would get me cleaning in there! Who knows what I might encounter. I love the guys, but they're total pigs. And I'm pretty sure their bed partners are riddled with more diseases than a homeless Victorian.

I'd just decided to take a breather and sit down when my phone rings. I pull it out of my bra and frowned when I see it's the sheriff calling. Immediately my thoughts go to Banjo and I answer in a panic.

"Sheriff?"

"Hello, Lenni. I've got a bit of a strange situation here," I frown and grunt for him to continue. "One of my deputies and I picked up a young girl this morning for breaking into the community centre. Thing is, she says you're family. She gave me your number, wouldn't give her name or anything else, just told me to call you,"

"Um, okay. I'll come down now," I say goodbye and sigh deeply. There's only one young girl who would give my number, but why would Robin say we're family? And what the hell was she doing breaking into the community centre? That place was only ever used by the older generation. There would be nothing there for her. I grab my keys and a spare helmet and jump on the bike, speeding down to the station.

When I walk into the lobby, I spot Robin straight away. Her clothes are damp and she's shivering. I realise instantly that she must've been caught in the storm last night, and had tried to find shelter in the community centre. My gaze zones in on the sheriff and I scowl. He begins to speak but I interrupt him.

"Can you not see the poor girl is bloody freezing? You couldn't give her some dry clothes? Or at least a blanket?" I yell.

The sheriff stutters and looks between Robin and I. "I wanted to get this mess cleaned up quickly. And she wasn't exactly being cooperative. I guess you two are related after all," He raises an eyebrow and waits for me to explain.

"She's my niece," I say. It's the first thing that comes to mind.

"Your niece? I didn't realise you had family here," He doesn't believe me, it's clear.

"Well, technically she's my cousin's kid. It's easier to say niece. They moved here when my cousin was young. We've only recently been back in touch," I'm hoping it's vague but believable enough that he won't question it anymore.

He nods, and I say a silent prayer of thanks. "Right. Well, the centre isn't pressing charges. We all just want to make sure this young lady is safe," He gives me a pointed glance, and I'm translating that to mean 'she's your problem now.'

I nod and turn to Robin. "You good?" She doesn't speak, but she nods and stands. "Come on," I say, turning to the door and holding it open for her. I nod to the sheriff before following Robin out. I lead the way to the bike and turn back when I realise she's stopped. Her eyes are wide as she stares at my bike.

"That's yours?" She asks quietly. Oh god, she better not refuse to get on my baby. I nod, and she grins. "Wow! It's gorgeous!" She says, running her eyes over every detail of the bike. My chest swells with pride, the same way it does whenever anyone compliments the bike, but this time it's different. I feel like we've made another step forward and I return her grin. Until she says, "Can I drive?"

I laugh loudly and shake my head, shoving the spare helmet towards her. She sighs and rolls her eyes, but puts the helmet on anyway. I straddle the bike and turn it on, waiting for her to climb on behind me. She rests her hands on my waist and I tap her leg to let her know we're going. It's been a long time since I had anyone ride pillion, but she's a natural. She leans when I do, and doesn't try to force the turns. I get the feeling she's done this before.

We pull up at the clubhouse and I wait for her to climb off before kicking the stand down and pulling my helmet off. When she removes hers, her eyes are brighter than I've ever seen them, and her cheeks have a healthy flush from the adrenaline. I hear the door open and turn to see Pest poking his head out. When I turn back to Robin, she's tense again.

"This is Pest. He's harmless," I say, watching as she relaxes slightly when he just waves and smiles before heading back in. I look at her and touch her arm. "You're safe here. Not a single person here will do anything to hurt you." She takes a deep breath and nods, looking back at me with a small smile. I climb off the bike and open the door for her, gesturing for her to enter the clubhouse first. I look around and see Pest and Smiler playing pool. "Come on," I say, leading the way over to the guys. "Guys, this is Robin. Robin, you've kind of met Pest. This is my boyfriend, Smiler."

She gives a small wave and looks at me with confusion. I know she's wondering about the names and I chuckle. "All will become clear," I tell her. "I'm going to show Robin to my old room so she can get cleaned up," I say to the guys.

"Want me to go get a pizza?" Smiler asks, and I look at Robin who nods.

"Thanks, babe. But maybe wait 'til she's finished. You know what us girls are like," I wink at Robin, and lead the way behind the bar.

I open the door to the room and laugh when I see Sammy lying on the bed. He's on his back with his front legs in the air and his back ones spread as far as they can go. "This elegant bastard is Sammy," I say to Robin, who chuckles.

"He looks like a wolf," she says, admiring my idiotic dog, and I laugh again.

"You sound like Pest. When you see him next, ask him about the first time he met Sammy." I open the bathroom door and she pokes her head in. "Feel free to use either the bath or the shower. The towels in there are clean and I think there's still some shampoo and stuff from when I stayed here. I'll get you some of my clothes I leave here to wear after and I'll get yours cleaned."

"You don't live here?" She asks, and I see concern creeping back into her eyes.

I shake my head. "Not anymore. Me and Smiler have a house now. But we still stay here sometimes if needed. I'll show you my place another time."

"Why are you doing this?" She asks, and I frown. "Helping me, I mean,"

"Because I know what it's like to struggle. If I hadn't accepted help from these guys months ago, my situation would be very similar to yours. Sometimes we just need someone to lean on. You're welcome here for as long as you want. And if you'll have us, there's a whole family here who'd do anything for you. No strings, no conditions. We'd all love to have you, but it's entirely your choice."

I smile and grab some clothes from the drawers for her, before turning and leaving her to get sorted. I'd spoken to all of the guys over the last few days, and I know they're behind me in helping her out. I just hope she accepts it.

When Robin joins us in the bar again a while later, she looks like a different person. Her hair is still damp, but she's pulled it into a messy bun on top of her head. My tracksuit bottoms are slightly too long for her, but they look comfortable. The jumper I gave her was one I stole off Smiler when we first got together. It comes down to her knees and the sleeves are way too long, but she looks warm and I can see how much tension has eased from her body. She takes the stool next to me at the bar and looks up when Smiler places a can of cola in front of her.

"You staying a while?" He asks, blunt as always. She looks around her and smiles when Pest nods at her.

"If that's okay?" She asks, looking away to open her can. I know she's asking for Smiler' acceptance, so I leave him to answer.

"Of course. We'd love to have you," he says. I grin and lean over the bar to kiss him, laughing when Robin groans next to me. I hear her groan turn into a chuckle and turn to look at her. Sammy has come to sit next to her and is resting his chin on her lap, looking up at her. She scratches behind his ears, and I'm not sure which one of them the sigh of happiness comes from. "I'll go and get that food," Smiler says, leaning over the bar to kiss me again. This time, we ignore Robin's groan.

***

I laugh as I watch Robin and Pest play with Sammy. Robin has become a completely different person since she cleaned up. She's been taking the piss out of Pest, to the point where he called her a 'Mini-Lenni'. He told her that it was completely believable that we were related. She looks at me when he says that and raises an eyebrow.

"That sheriff said that too when I kicked him in the shin when he cuffed me!" I laugh and she looks me in the eye. "What's his deal with you?"

I try to look innocent as Pest almost pees himself laughing. "I have no idea!"

Pest's laughter is broken by the sound of tyres squealing out of the car park. I turn around and see the back of a black van as it turns onto the road, no doubt leaving big black lines as the wheels spin uncontrollably. I walk to the door and look out in confusion. "Shit!" I shout, dashing out of the doorway. There is a body a few meters from the front door, and although it's matted with half-dried blood, I know the blonde hair belongs to Banjo. "Pest!" I scream. "Call an ambulance!"

I hear two sets of footsteps behind me as I reach Banjo. I hear Pest's muttered 'Fuck!' before I hear the door open again, and when I roll Banjo over, I hear Robin's gasp of shock at the same time as mine. Banjo's face is bloody and bruised, almost to the point where he's unrecognisable. I open his jacket and swear when I see the blood covering his abdomen. Lifting up his shirt, I see the long deep gash going from his lower left ribs to a few inches below his belly button. Without thinking, I'm ripping my own top off and pressing it to the wound. I turn and see Robin with her hands over her mouth. "Robin!" I shout, trying to snap her out of her daze. "Hey! Honey, I need your help. You up to it?" Her eyes flick up to mine, and I see her snap out of her shock. She runs the few steps to us and kneels next to me. I put her hand on the top and push it down. "I need you to hold this here, okay? Push down on it; we need to stop the bleeding. You won't hurt him, okay?" She nods and I move to Banjo's head, leaning my ear near next to his mouth. I sit back on my heels and sigh loudly. Robin looks at me and I nod. "He's breathing, barely."

The ambulance pulls into the car park only moments later, and I lean down to kiss Banjo's forehead gently before moving out of the medics' way. One joins me next to his head and checks his breathing. "What happened?" She asks me.

I shake my head. "I don't know. He was dumped here out of a van. He's a member, his name is Banjo - uh, Benjamin, sorry," She nods her head and sends me a sympathetic smile. I look to Robin and notice that she's in a daze again as the male medic tries to move her hands. I walk over to her and wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, honey. You have to let them do their work, okay?" She snaps out of it and looks to the medic.

"Oh, god. Sorry!" She says, moving quickly out of his way. He smiles and nods at her before his attention is solely on Banjo. I pull Robin up and move a few steps back, with my arm around her shoulders. I can feel her shaking and turn to stand in front of her.

"I'm going to ride with him. Pest will wait here with you for the others to get here, then he'll bring you up to meet us, okay?" She starts to shake her head but I squeeze her shoulders. "You're safe with them, I promise. But there's not room in the back of there for both of us. We'd be in the way," She nods and I pull her into a hug, kissing her head when I feel her arms wrap around my waist. "Good girl," I say softly.

I don't know how long we stand there, but soon the medics are wheeling Banjo on a stretcher to the ambulance, and Pest is pulling Robin out of my arms, wrapping his arm around her shoulders instead. "I got her," he tells me.

I look at Robin and smile when she nods. I reach over to squeeze her hand and look back to Pest. "You don't leave her side. And you don't leave here until the others come."

He nods. "I know. I got her. I promise."

I nod and climb into the back of the ambulance. My eyes sting with unshed tears when I look at Banjo. They've put a tube in his throat to help him breathe, and his head is strapped to a board. I look up when I'm handed a blanket, and realise for the first time that I'm only wearing a bra and shorts. I think my top is somewhere in the car park still. I nod in thanks and try my hardest to keep my eyes of the red that covers most of my body. I focus on the rise and fall of Banjo's chest and the slow but steady beeps of the heart monitor until I feel the vehicle come to a stop, and the doors are yanked open by doctors.