Angel: RBMC: Ankeny IA

by Kristine Allen

  “Well, well, well. If it isn’t my dear baby brother,” Skid said with an overly dramatic dark chuckle as he grinned evilly at Voodoo and dug a pistol into the side of Jasmine’s head. She whimpered but didn’t say anything.

  Confusion filtered through us as our gazes darted to each other.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Venom growled at the piece of shit in front of us. No one moved for fear of what he might do. Inside, I was screaming for Ghost to get his ass back in here. Fucking Chains needed to get his shit together.

  Again, Skid laughed. “You’re serious? None of you dumb bastards figured it out yet?”

  Everything started to click into place, and I could see when it did for everyone else too. Skid was from New Orleans. Once I knew, I couldn’t believe we’d missed it. Looking in his eyes, though slightly crazed and bloodshot, was like looking into Voodoo’s.

  “I don’t have an older brother,” Voodoo ground out. “I’m an only child.”

  “Bullshit!” Skid screamed and jerked on my sister’s hair. Jasmine jumped, and I noticed her trembling increased as her tears fell faster. Though I wanted to get her away from him, I didn’t dare make a move yet.

  “Just because our fucking father treated my mother like a club whore and moved your bitch of a mother in with him like she was some kind of fucking queen doesn’t make you special! He was only with her because he found out she was the daughter of one of the Royal Bastards. He used to laugh about how he got one over on the Bastards by knocking her teenage ass up. You were nothing. A joke. A pawn. I. Was there. First!” he shouted and shook Jasmine with each word.

  “Chill, she didn’t do anything to you.” Voodoo tried to appease the lunatic in front of us. He was either high or utterly insane. Skid continued on as if he hadn’t spoken a word.

  “It should’ve been us living in his house, it should’ve been me that he gave his attention to all these years. Instead, he could only obsess with finding you! Ranted nonstop like a crazy fuck about you having magic powers that would make us millions. Said the Bloody Scorpions would hold all the power nationwide if we found you. Fucking idiot!” He sneered about Voodoo having magic powers, and we all kept ourselves expressionless.

  The movement in the air next to me was nearly imperceptible, but I knew. Venom and Voodoo flanked me, and by their slight movements, I knew they noticed it too.

  “You know you’re not getting out of here alive,” Venom said calmly, to keep Skid talking.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. You’re going to let me walk out of here, or she’s the one who won’t make it out alive.” He yanked on her hair again, causing Jasmine to cry out.

  “Why? We’ve had an unspoken truce for over a year. Why now? You’re starting a war you can’t win,” Venom said as he held his weapon in an unwavering hand.

  Skid cackled crazily. “Don’t you know? I already have. The connections I have are more powerful than you could ever hope to be. You mess with their business, and they’re going to tear you apart piece by piece. Toy with you like the rats you are. We’re going to destroy every single one of you bastards. But we’re going to start with my dear baby brother and his best friend,” he said as he looked from Voodoo to me.

  To someone who didn’t know better, everything in the room was normal. Those of us who knew could see the slight hazy shimmer that was moving around him.

  I noticed the indent press into Skid’s forehead right as the confusion filled his eyes. The gun he held on my sister flew upward, and the back of his head exploded. Red spatter hit Jasmine in a garish display before Skid fell. His hand still held her hair, and my sister tumbled back to land on him.

  Ghost was suddenly there, reaching for her as she went down, but his hands came up empty.

  She twisted and scrambled away right as I reached her. Using my bandana, I wiped her face off as I murmured soothing words into her ear. Then I took off my jacket and wrapped it around her naked body and lifted her into my arms.

  “I’m sorry. I tried to grab her, but I wasn’t fast enough,” said Ghost with regret in his eyes.

  “It’s okay. Thank you,” I said with relief heavy in my tone.

  Voodoo stepped up to me. “Do you want me to take her?”

  I nodded. “Thank you. I need to get my son,” I croaked in relief.

  “I got her,” he assured me. But first he paused over Skid’s dead body to spit on him and murmur something that sounded a lot like gibberish but was incredibly powerful. Then he carefully gathered Jasmine in his arms. Our brothers parted for him to leave the room.

  As he carried Jasmine out of the house, I picked up my son, who was still out for the count.

  “What did he do?” I asked Lynda, suddenly realizing he wasn’t simply sleeping. She appeared guilty and started to cry.

  “It’s all my fault. He thought if my knee was fixed, we could go home. Then I tried to stop him when he tried to protect Jasmine, but I got kicked and he did it again,” she said with a sniffle as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Goob squeezed his arm around her shoulder and kissed her head.

  Knowing that if my son was anything like I’d been as a kid, there wouldn’t have been any stopping him, I shook my head. “No, it’s not your fault. He’s going to be okay. It might have been a blessing, because he won’t remember a lot of what happened.”

  She nodded, but a soft sob escaped her.

  As we moved to leave the house, we had to pass the last room, where Blade stood in the doorway obviously in shock. What I saw made me pause as well. Raptor had a hand over his mouth and a pained look on his face.

  Packed in the room and stripped naked were at least twenty-five women. Ranging from grown women to barely teenagers, they looked scared out of their fucking minds. I wanted to vomit. “Holy shit,” I choked out. “What the fuck?”

  “See if there are any clothes, sheets, anything in the house,” Venom ordered E as he pulled out his phone. He stormed to the back door, and we heard him speaking rapidly as he paced.

  “What are we going to do, P?” Raptor questioned as we all waited for his guidance for our next move.

  “Santiago is coming with backup,” he said with a clenched jaw. I raised a brow in shock. Venom then motioned toward Lynda, my sister, and Trace. “Get them out of here and back to the clubhouse. I’ll wait here with Blade and Ghost.”

  “Are you sure that was the right move?” Raptor asked quietly, but I heard.

  “Are you questioning my decision?” Venom narrowed his eyes at Raptor.

  “No, boss, but that’s calling in a big favor. We’re going to owe them,” he replied.

  “The way I see it, we’ll be even.” He crossed his arms and lifted his chin.

  Raptor snorted. “Not likely, but whatever you say.”

  “I don’t feel right leaving you here,” Voodoo said to Venom with Jasmine still cradled in his arms. She appeared to be passed out. I imagined the events she’d endured had taken their toll.

  Chains stood behind him, appearing barely restrained. My suspicions resurfaced, and I turned to him with a glare. “Unfortunately, this isn’t the time or the place. But we’re going to talk,” I spat harshly.

  He clenched his jaw and didn’t say a word as he silently stared me down.

  We’d loaded Jasmine, Trace, and Lynda in our SUV when a large SWAT-type black van pulled up next to us, followed closely by another. My hand hovered over my weapon, but I knew immediately who it was.

  The door opened, and a striking Hispanic woman got out, along with three men dressed all in black. The next van had two more.

  “Bearheart,” she said, and I cursed to myself. I’d hoped to be out of there before she showed up.

  “Santiago,” I replied, with my brothers waiting expectantly behind me. Her eyes raked over me, and she wet her bottom lip.

  “Venom inside?” she asked, her voice slightly husky as she lifted her chin.

  I nodded once, and she returned it. After a brief hesitation, she and her men w
ent inside. Each of them carried a bag with them. Voodoo followed them in, and Chains climbed in the SUV Jasmine and my son were waiting in. Glancing over my shoulder, I told my waiting brothers, “We’re not leaving without the rest.”

  They all agreed, and I was thankful, because no way was I leaving without them. Besides safety in numbers, I wasn’t leaving my president behind. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for Santiago’s team to usher the women out, each of them wrapped in a blanket. They loaded them up in the vans and waited. One guy looked pissed as he shot us a glare and waited impatiently for Santiago to come out. After a few minutes, Santiago and Venom exited the dilapidated house and approached us.

  “You owe me,” she said to Venom. Raptor snorted as he raked a hand through his hair.

  “The way I see it, we’re even,” Venom said. She cast another glance my way before straightening and narrowing her eyes at Venom.

  “Hmm. We’ll see. And as far as they know,” she jerked her head back toward the van of women, “you were all part of an undercover SWAT team that rescued them. You cleaning this mess up?”

  We all knew she was referring to the house and the dead bodies. We also knew that it wasn’t really a question. They couldn’t take credit for the dead bodies because the ballistics wouldn’t match up.

  “Always,” Venom replied. We stood there as she appeared to want to say more and I prayed she just left. Finally, she cast one last glance in my direction, then loaded up, and they backed out. The entire time, she stared at me.

  “I can’t believe you fucked a cop,” Voodoo muttered over my shoulder. My shoulders sagged, and I looked skyward for patience.

  “Fuck you. She wasn’t a cop back then.”

  He gave a huffed laugh as he shook his head.

  Venom looked at Phoenix as we headed to our vehicles. “Torch it.”

  Phoenix nodded, walked inside, and a burst of flames blew out the boarded-up windows as he came strolling back out.

  The blaze could be seen for miles as we drove away.

  As I held my son against my chest, I pulled out my phone to call Korrie. At first she sounded groggy. “Hello?”

  “I’ve got him, baby. I’ve got our son,” I said, then dropped a kiss to his dark hair.

  “Fallen Angel”—Poison

  “My baby,” I murmured for the millionth time since Angel had walked through the door carrying our son. He swatted me away when I tried to kiss his forehead again.

  “Mom. You gotta quit smothering a man. You can go to bed. Dad’s waiting for you.” I pulled back in shock, staring at the little human I called my son.

  “What did you just say?” I asked him, sure that I’d heard him incorrectly. The boy had been abducted and held hostage with his aunt and babysitter. Angel believed he didn’t see much of what happened because he’d been out cold after healing Lynda’s knee, but still. He’d been abducted.

  The word alone sent another wave of nausea through me at how helpless I’d been. The inability to protect her child is a mother’s worst fear, and it had come to fruition for me.

  “I told you to go to bed. I’m tired, and a man needs his sleep.” His baleful dark eyes stared up at me from his pillow. I’d been snuggled up next to him, holding him since Angel had finished helping him bathe the dirt and grime off after they got back. He’d still been groggy and out of it, so Angel hadn’t trusted the little boy alone in the shower—much to Trace’s consternation.

  “A man, huh?” I asked with a disbelieving raised brow.

  He nodded.

  “Trace, someone stole you from me. I’m worried about you. How can you be so calm?” The last, I muttered to myself, but his little supersonic hearing picked it up.

  “I wasn’t worried after Grandma told me we would be going home soon. But Lynda was hurt, and I didn’t know that’s why we couldn’t leave, so I fixed her, but then the mean guy hurt Auntie Jazz but she wouldn’t let me fix her. The next day the mean guy hurt Auntie Jazz again and broke Miss Lynda’s ribs, and I needed to fix her again.” He said it so matter-of-factly, I was speechless for a moment.

  “Grandma said… so you fixed her… twice… just like that,” I babbled, unable to connect my words for a proper sentence.

  “Yeah. Then Dad was there like she said he would be, and we came home. But you won’t let me get any sleep, and I’m really tired.” His heavy eyes were testament to his words, but I was still struck dumb at everything that had happened and how my son was processing it all. Granted, the child had always had a strange calmness about him when it came to serious or frightening situations. But still. This was over the top.

  And he was talking about his grandmother telling him his father was going to be there to rescue him. There was no way it had been my mother, which meant my son still had conversations with his dead grandmother.

  Why am I the only one who’s still going crazy?

  Jasmine wasn’t talking much. Angel had fixed her physical ailments, much to her frustration, and he was now resting in my bed. I wished someone was able to fix the mental damage to her at what we were pretty sure she’d endured. I prayed my son had seen none of that, and Lynda assured us they had been able to shelter him from most of what happened after they were taken. Yet, he knew they’d both been hurt, so who knew what he’d been aware of during their ordeal.

  Indecision was heavy in my heart. My son’s hand settled over mine where it rested over his heart. “It’s okay. I’ll be right here, Momma.” My own heart tripped, not only at his insanely mature demeanor, but also at his calling me Momma. He only did that when he was trying to set my mind at ease or he wanted something, because it always pulled at my heartstrings.

  “Well, if you need me, I’ll be right next door.” Not sure who I was trying to reassure with that, him or myself.

  “Okay, goodnight. Love you,” he said as he turned to his side and closed his eyes.

  “Love you too, baby,” I said softly, then crawled out of the bed.

  Feeling like I’d been brushed off, I took my confused self to my room. Just in case, I left both doors cracked. That way I could hear him if he needed anything.

  As I stood next to my bed, I stared down at the large man taking up most of the real estate. One tattooed arm was thrown up over his head; the other rested low on his abdomen. His dark lashes feathered over his cheeks and his lips were parted slightly. The sheet was pushed down on his hips where a trail of dark hair led to the bulge that was outlined by the white fabric.

  I was struck immobile by the masculine beauty that was the man I loved. It hit me that I couldn’t lie to myself any longer. He was my other half. My hero in a dark, tattered cape.

  Suddenly exhausted, I quietly climbed in the bed and curled up to his warm body. His arm came down and wrapped around me. “You okay?” he mumbled, and I looked up in surprise. I’d thought he was sleeping, but evidently he was only resting.

  Able to let go, I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled as I laid my head back down. “I’m not really sure,” I whispered as my fingers feathered over the light smattering of hair on his firm chest.

  “Baby, we’ve bumped up security here to rival Fort Knox. He’s safe.” He nuzzled his nose in my hair, and I nodded against his skin. The next thing I knew, he was softly snoring. An unexpected smile curled my lips as I pressed a kiss to his chest and relaxed into his quiet strength.

  As I dozed off, I sent up a prayer of thanks for the safe return of my son and friends. I also sent one up to thank the powers that be for the man I was quickly finding it hard to live without.

  Since Trace had been rescued, I’d been a bit of a basket case. Though I was elated that he was safe, I was determined to make my mother pay. And not only for her connection to my son’s abduction, but also for all the years she’d stolen from us as a family. Every thought ate at me, though Angel had promised me she wasn’t going to get away with what she’d done.

  He’d been gone for a day on a “mission” that he couldn’t tell me anything about. I’d asked, bu
t I’d gotten standard “club business” response. He’d returned home tired and quiet.

  “Why is my mother still in town?” I asked as we were getting ready for bed that night. Things had settled, but there was still a tension in the air. Jameson and Sadie had returned home, but Voodoo’s grandmother had remained. I liked her, but the way she watched me constantly made me nervous. As if she could read my mind.

  Angel did that sexy man thing where he grabbed his T-shirt behind his neck and tugged it over his head. Damn near drooling, I blinked as he unbuckled his belt, dropped his pants, and stepped out of them, underwear and all. When he turned to toss them on the chair, I watched the tattooed wings on his back appear to flutter with the movement of the muscles beneath his taut skin. It reminded me that I had yet to ask him about any of his newer tattoos.

  “No clue. Reports say she’s here on business,” he replied as my gaze dropped to his perfectly sculpted ass. When he turned back around, I was transfixed by the carnally beautiful length hanging between his legs. The one that was slowly thickening and rising to point in my direction.

  He cleared his throat. “Eyes up here,” he said with a chuckle, and my cheeks heated. Unashamed of his nudity, he rounded the bed and closed in on me. Strong hands curled around my arms and gently brought me flush with his Adonis-like body. He nudged my chin up, and I took in the mischievous glint in his eyes.

  “What are you doing?” I asked in a hushed whisper, as if I had no clue. The heat of his now fully erect shaft could be felt through the single layer of clothing that separated us. Mine.

  “You’re wearing too many clothes,” he rasped out as he dipped to kiss the corners of my mouth, then trailed his teasing lips over my cheeks before moving along my jaw. Shivers of anticipation shot through me.

  “I think you’re trying to distract me,” I replied as I tipped my head to grant him better access.

  “Mmm, is it working?”