Ty's chance *An Animals MC Novel*

Chapter Sixteen.

Chris had Sundays off and under a normal circumstance he would spend it with Hannah getting ice cream or visiting his sister but today he dropped Hannah off at an elderly neighbors house and took Zoey to gather her things.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea," She admitted as they neared her street.

"I'm going to be right there with you, nobody will hurt you."

"I'm not worried about me."

"They won't hurt me either," He promised.

He had decided not to bring his patrol car, bringing his truck instead. They didn't need the extra attention, he also wore street clothes but he had his pistol on his side, just in case that creep Lonnie showed up.

He parked in front of her moms but there was no sign of Lonnie or his truck she hesitated a long minute then climbed from the truck, Chris followed.

They stepped onto the porch and she tried the knob, finding it locked she raised a hand to knock. They both knew her mother had to be inside, the only time she left the house was to pick up her next customer.

The door opened and Chris finally saw her mother for the first time in years. She was small built just like Zoey, black hair hanging in long unkempt waves to her waist, her eyes were dark around them and sunken in, her cheeks to hollow. She was wearing a red short see-through nightgown and he could see how thin she was, the arm propped on the door had needle tracks.

"Sherriff, I'm surprised to see you. Coming for a visit?" She asked.

Zoey winced and he forced his polite smile on.

"No, Ma'am."

"You sure? I'll give you one hell of a deal."

"No, thank you."

"I promise, anything she's doing she learned from me." She said motioning at Zoey.

"Mom...please, I'm just here for my stuff."

"Why? where you think you're going?"

"She's moving in with me, I don't feel comfortable letting her live in this environment and take care of my child," Chris replied.

"You can move her where ever you want but she's still going to be trash. This is her life, this is who she is."

Zoey carefully pushed past her mom and went into the house heading into her bedroom, aware that her mother had followed her into her room.

"You don't fool me miss high and mighty, flouncing around town with your fancy sheriff. Did he tell you he loved you? did he tell you that it was different with him? because he doesn't and it's not, once he's had his fill of you he will pawn you off to his buddies on the force and you'll be just like me."

"It's not like that with him, he is different."

Zoey opened her closet pulling down her suitcase and duffel bag, she began shoving her clothes inside.

"He's not different, trust me. If there's one thing I know it's men and all he sees in you is the town whores daughter."

Zoey froze with a sweater in her hand, then took a deep breath and continued shoving things inside. turning she grabbed a few of her favorite books and some pictures.

"Lonnie came into my room the other night, he tried to rape me...do you even care?" She asked.

"Of course I do, had I known I would have done something. I may be a whore but I do it to keep a roof over your head."

Zoey shook her head, zipping her bags closed and decided she didn't need anything else from this wretched house.

She grabbed her bags and headed for the door, her mother grabbing her arm on her way by, pausing her.

"Mark my words Zoey, he's not keeping you there just for a friend. He wants sex, it's a matter of time before he expects it and no matter what bullshit he tells you he doesn't love you and you're not special."

Zoey shrugged out of her mothers hold, walking down the hall and into the kitchen where Chris was waiting for her.

"Let me take those," He offered taking her bags.

She handed them over and he exited the front door heading for the vehicle, she paused and turned back to her mother.

"Is there anything you want to say to me?" She asked.

"You'll be back before a year is up, once he's done with you."

Zoey shook her head and followed Chris to the car trying to ignore her mother but deep inside a small part of her a seed of doubt had been planted.

She climbed into the truck and shut the door, without a word and Chris started the drive to home.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

They arrived back at his home and he carried her bags into the spare bedroom which would now become hers.

"Get unpacked and settled in, I'll make us lunch before we go get Hannah."

She gave a small nod and he paused to watch her for a minute, he knew her mother had said something that upset her. He knew the woman was manipulative but he worried about the damage it caused Zoey.

He was in the kitchen making sandwiches when Zoey joined him, she didn't say anything and that was his next clue that something was wrong with her.

"Chris...."

"Yeah?"

"I...I really appreciate what you've done for me."

"Sweetheart, you don't have to thank me. You're family."

She sat down on a stool and when he turned he realized she was crying, not heavy sobs but just a few small tears trekked down her cheeks.

He set aside the lunch he had been making and pulled her against him, holding her against his chest and letting her have her small cry.

"Shh, it's okay." He soothed.

"What happened?" He asked pulling away slightly so she could look up at him.

"My...my mother..." She said.

"What did she say?"

"That you...that..." She swallowed, fighting for the right words.

He reached out cupping her cheek in his hand, brushing away a few tears. Whatever her mother said must have really upset her. The happy, hyper young woman he knew was gone.

"Whatever she said...she's wrong," He promised.

She stood from the stool, putting herself closer to him. Their bodies almost touching.

"Is she?" She asked, staring up into his blue eyes.

She knew that he didn't know what she was talking about, didn't know what she was really asking but she saw it now in his eyes, the way he was looking at her. It was just like the way the men looked at her mother, he may not know it yet but a small part of him wanted her and all of her wanted him.

"Zo..."

She had to reach up on her tip toes to be closer and still he had to lean down a little to bring his lips to hers. She closed her eyes, anticipation humming through her veins.

"Daddy! Zoey!" Hannah called from the door.

Chris instantly pulled away from her hurrying to the kitchen doorway.

"Hannah, hey sweetie. I thought we were coming to get you."

"I wanted to come home so Mrs. Martin brought me."

"Okay, you're just in time for lunch."

He lifted Hannah carrying her into the kitchen and setting her on the island counter, he saw Zoey was already making Hannah a sandwich of her own.

Whatever had changed her at her mothers seemed gone, she was smiling as Hannah rattled on about girly things and making sandwiches as if nothing had happened and things were exactly as they should be.