Saving Glory (Hells Saints Motorcycle Club Book 4) by Paula Marinaro Read Free Book Online

to begin
    “Don’t remember the town being so small,” Hal muttered as he looked out the window at the businesses that lined the main street. “Even stopping at all three traffic lights it took us—” He glanced at his watch. “Four minutes three seconds to drive through the center of town from end to end.”
    “Is that a bad thing?” Glory’s voice was riddled with exhaustion and tension she could no longer hide.
    “Nah. Just sayin’.” Hal shrugged next to her as he leaned in towards the windshield and scanned the road ahead.
    Glory tried to keep her emotions steady, but as she passed the familiar landmarks a flood of memories came flashing back to her. Those first frightening days of recovering from the kidnapping and beatings she had endured at the hands of Gino Abiatti, her growing friendship with Claire and Raine, the start of her catering business, Dolly and Pinky and their mothering ways, and…
    Jules.
    As she had taught herself to do months ago, she pushed thoughts of Jules away. For the sake of her own sanity Glory had relegated him to the corner of her heart where the rest of life’s disappointments sat on a dusty shelf.
    But for the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt those thoughts push back at her and jump off that shelf of not agains , and not evers to the one just below it.
    To the shelf filled with what ifs .
    And suddenly Glory felt the strong urge to turn the car around and go back to the junction where north met south, and east met west. Back to that place where she still had the choice to stay or leave.
    And maybe Glory would have done just that. Maybe she would have gone back and chosen a different path if the sun had not taken that precise moment to break through the soft billowy clouds and stream rays of sunlight onto the road ahead of them.
    As the sudden burst of light almost blinded her, Glory glanced quickly over to her brother. She saw him close his tired eyes and lift his face to capture the healing heat. Just up the road she could see the gentle slope of the lake house. The graceful structure seemed to beckon them forward. The cedar shingles lay sturdy and solid against the A frame and the large glass windows winked at them happily. The house itself appeared to stand like a beacon, reassuring her. Her heart filled with an overwhelming sense of gladness and relief. She had made the right decision coming back to where her journey with the Hells Saints family began.
    And at that moment she resolved to do her best to stop worrying about Hal, about herself, and about—well— anything else. Against all odds, things had worked out here for her before, and she hoped with all her heart that they would work out again.
    But still, despite all that, Glory pulled up into the driveway of the lake house with a mixture of trepidation and confused emotion.
    While Hal began to unload the car, Glory stood silently for a few minutes and gazed at the old, familiar structure. The moment was filled with an eerie sense of déjà vu and it took another long moment for her to find the courage to step on the pretty gravel path lined with daylilies.
    “You okay?” Hal called out to her.
    “Yeah. Just taking a minute to stretch my legs,” Glory lied to him.
    She reached down into her purse and found the key that Prosper had left with her. Then gathering up her courage, Glory walked toward the house. She twisted the key into the lock and pushed open the door of the lake house. And when she stepped inside she felt the sun once again bathe her in its light. All of her senses were enveloped at once by the fresh smell of lemon cleaning wax, the bright colors of the scattered rugs, the lush feel of the overstuffed couches, the sound of the lapping water against the dock.
    To the left and through the curved archway would be the kitchen that she had upgraded with her profits from Glory Daze Catering. She could almost taste the delicious confections she had whipped up in that oven.
    And up a short