by K E Osborn
“Downstairs!” Toxin calls out, and I rush for the stairwell, my feet pushing as fast as fucking possible. A bullet whizzes past my ear as I take the stairs two at a time.
At the bottom of the stairs, I come to a hallway. It’s dimly lit, and I pull out my gun, droplets of water drip from the ceiling, the drops so loud, even over the roaring of the gunfire above. My brothers are in an all-out war with the Order above while I search for Cruz below.
Taking each step with caution, I make my way to the red door at the end of the hall. No one is guarding it, and that in and of itself, gives me a warning sign. Taking in a deep breath, I place my hand on the doorknob and slowly open the door. As it creaks open, I’m instantly hit with an elbow to the face.
I jerk back, my gun falling from my fingers and sliding down the hall.
My feet instinctively step back a couple of paces at the guard walks out into the hall with me. I lean over, pretending to be hurt, and as he approaches, I rush forward and ram into his stomach, lifting him and slamming him back into the bricks. His fist beats down on my back, but I edge up, closing my palm and smash my knuckles into the side of his face. He falls to one knee as I bring my fist up straight under his chin. Blood spurts out his mouth as he spits out a couple of teeth, and he flops over to the side.
I reach over for my gun, aiming it at his head as the sound of a gun blasts. I duck out of the way as the bullet skims my left arm. “Shit!” I cuss as I fling myself to the floor, sliding along it and open fire on the guard standing in the doorway. I hit him square between the eyes, blood splashes all over the red door, dripping down it in a glorious pattern as the guy missing his teeth reaches around for his gun, but I lean over and shoot him twice in the chest. His body jerks with the movement, and his chin falls to his chest as his eyes close letting me know he’s dead.
I exhale, jumping up from the floor, grabbing the guard’s gun and race toward the red, blood-spattered door. I kick the guard out of the way so I can enter. As I walk through, the room is dark, lit only by candlelight. Instantly my skin prickles in goosebumps, but not in a good way, in the way that tells me I’ve been here before.
Muscle memory.
Fuck! Maybe that guy was right.
Maybe my dad was part of the Order, and he drained and drank my blood here.
It’s why I have that scar on my wrist.
My stomach rolls with nausea as I try to shake the thoughts from my mind. The entire reason my father and I didn’t get along was because of the Order because he was trying to protect me. He pushed me away all those years ago because he didn’t want me to become one of them.
He was murdered because he refused to let them have me.
“I know you’re in here,” a voice calls out, breaking me from my own childhood trauma.
I need to concentrate and stop Cruz from having one of his own.
I skirt around the wall divider to a round room, set up with a long table in the middle. On either side are what look like smaller tables with vials and medical instruments. It’s like a fucking torture chamber. Candle sconces line the walls, and pinned to them are paintings of prominent men—actors, politicians, business moguls, musicians, you name it. There are men of all statures I would never have thought would be a part of the Order. I curl up my lip as I walk in. Cruz is laid out on the table, gagged, with tears running down his little face as Tyler stands above him with a surgical knife in his hand.
“You don’t want to do this, Tyler,” I warn.
He smiles menacingly. “You’re the son of an apostle. Do you realize that?”
I snort, circling the table, stepping closer to Cruz to let him know I’m here. He spots me, his little fingers stretching out for me—the tiny gesture tearing at my heart. “I understand I didn’t know my father like I thought I did, but make no mistake, I am in no way affiliated with you sick fucking assholes.”
Tyler shakes his head, bringing the scalpel up to his line of sight, the glistening blade sending shards of sparkling light around the room. “It’s only sick if you believe it is. For us, what I am about to do, it gives us power, privilege…” He laughs again. “Cruz, my son, you’re going to make me invincible.”
“He is not your son!” Shadow yells from the edge of the room.
My eyes widen as she rushes in.
“Hey, Nova. I was wondering if I was going to get the honor of killing you today!”
I raise my gun higher. “You’re not killing anyone today, Tyler.”
“Wrong!” he scoffs out, and before I have a second to think, something hard slams into the side of my head.
Searing pain cripples me as I fall to the floor.
Shadow screams, but I’m so knocked out of it, I can’t do anything but lay here, zoning in and out.
Fuck!
Chapter Twenty-Three
SHADOW
“Wrong,” he scoffs as a guard steps out from behind us, bringing up a metal baseball bat, slamming it straight into Dash’s head.
I let out a scream as I watch Dash’s head split open, blood pooling out everywhere as he falls to the floor completely out of it. My entire body shakes out of control as I turn to Tyler, tears welling in my eyes, and I scowl at him. “You fucking gutless prick!”
Tyler chuckles. “Aww, baby, I’ve missed this, us, and our playful banter… Bruno, take her and the kid. It’s time for us to leave.”
I go to run toward Cruz, but Bruno lunges for me. He sweeps me up around my waist, hoisting me up in one swift movement. I thrash my legs out, kicking and screaming. “Let me go, you huge lump of shit.” The asshole doesn’t budge, leading me over to Cruz.
Suddenly, a shot rings through the air, and I’m falling to the floor. I land with a thump, and Bruno slumps beside me with half his head missing from a gaping bullet hole.
I pant furiously as I turn around. Toxin’s standing at the door, gun aimed directly into the room, and I can’t help the small smile crossing my face. “Don’t let Tyler get away, Toxin,” I call out, and she takes off after him.
I stand faster than my wobbling legs can carry me, and I rush to the table where Cruz is lying, tied and gagged. My hands work furiously as I yank off his arm restraints.
He leaps up as I pull off his gag, and he blubbers as he falls into my arms. “Mama!”
Bursting into tears, I sit on the edge of the table, clinging on to him for dear life, rocking him back and forth. “It’s okay, baby. Mama’s got you.”
“H-he was a b-bwad m-man!” he stutters through his tears, making my chest clench so tight it wants to implode.
“I know, baby, I know. But you’re okay now.” My eyes shift to Dash on the floor. Wanting to help him more than anything, I can’t. I don’t want Cruz to see Dash in his condition, so I squeeze Cruz to my chest and hide Dash from his view.
“Stay close to Mama, okay, baby?” I tell him.
He nuzzles into me as I move off the table and sink onto the floor next to Dash. My bottom lip quivers as I place my hand in front of his mouth to check if he’s breathing.
Please, please, please.
He is.
Thank God.
“Dash, Dash,” I call out, hoping to rouse him somehow.
He moans, his hand shifting to where his wound is, blood smearing all over his fingers as I reach out trying to stop him. “Stop! You’re hurt.”
With another groan, he tries to roll onto his side, his eyes slowly flickering open as he looks at me, sleepily, but when he spots Cruz, his eyes fling open wide. “Is he?”
“He’s okay, a little shaken.”
Dash reaches out, his hand pressing on Cruz’s back and Cruz jumps a little, but turns his head to see Dash, and he manages a smile. “Dash, the bwad man was scary.”
“I know, buddy. I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”
Cruz wriggles free from my grip and leans over hugging Dash. “He gave you an owie?”
“Yeah, buddy. But nothing I can’t handle. We’re big and strong, remember?”
&nbs
p; “Uh-huh… I lost Mister Spwrocket.”
Dash grimaces as he tries to stand. He wobbles a little but clears his throat as he exhales. “Then, let’s go find him.”
I stand, pulling Cruz up into my arms. He clings to me like a monkey as I give a hard stare to Dash. He nods at me, letting me know he is all right, though I’m pretty sure he’s got a wicked concussion.
I step in beside Dash, my eyes meeting his. “You okay?”
He exhales. “I’ll be fine once we find this prick.”
“Bwad word, Dash,” Cruz mumbles into my neck.
“Sorry, buddy.” Dash grimaces like even the act of talking is hurting him. “Where did he go?” Dash glances around the room, checking for Tyler.
“He took off when Toxin came in. She’s not scared of a fight, is she?”
“She’s not scared of anything.”
Needing to feel Cruz is safe, I hold him tighter. To my side, Dash stumbles, and I reach out for him as he blinks a few times, seeming to gather himself.
“Let me call someone to help you. The hit to your head was intense.”
He wraps his arm around my shoulders and smiles in the cute lopsided way that he’s known for. “I’m good. Seriously.”
“Then why are you leaning on me for support?”
“Can we just try and make it up these stairs?”
I exhale, and we head for the stairs. It’s awkward as fuck, me carrying not only Cruz in my arms, but Dash by my side, but we make do. As I get to the top of the stairs, there are bodies and blood everywhere.
I gasp out, “Shit, Cruz, baby, close your eyes.”
“O-tay, Mama.”
“Don’t open them until I tell you to, okay? Think of it as a game.”
As we make our way through what looks like a scene from Kill Bill, Scorn, the brother who rode in from NOLA, stabs a guy in the stomach so violently, his innards fall out all over his boots.
My stomach lurches in my throat as he pushes the dead body on the floor, kicking the guts around on the concrete for good measure. I turn away and cough a few times trying to keep my food down. I’ve never seen so much chaos and carnage in my life. This club is so determined and protective of us, they’re going to unspeakable lengths to protect my son and me.
They may all be ruthless killers, but they did this for me, for us, and I can’t help but be grateful.
“Justice, you take a hit?” Ominous calls out.
“I’m fine.”
“He’s not. He got a baseball bat to the head pretty damn good. He has an open wound on his scalp, and I’m pretty sure he’s concussed,” I answer.
“Nerve,” Nycto calls out wiping his hands down his jeans. I’m assuming he’s wiping off blood.
Nerve rushes over, pulling out a small flashlight from his jeans pocket. I can’t believe he just carries that around with him. He flashes it in Dash’s eyes, and he jerks back, squinting, almost shutting them. “Damn, Nerve. You trying to kill me?”
“Sensitive to light. You dizzy?”
Dash waves his hand through the air. “I’m fucking fine. We need to find Tyler.”
“He stumbled a few times when he got up.”
Dash glares at me like I’m some sort of traitor, but I glare right back giving as good as I get.
“What’s your vision like? Honestly, Justice.”
He exhales. “Fuck… fine! It’s blurry.”
“No need to ask if you have a headache, you just got hit with a baseball bat so I will answer that one for you with yes. Nausea?”
I shift my eyes to him. “Yeah,” he whispers sounding deflated.
“I’m gonna need to bench you. You have to go to my clinic to get a CT scan, make sure there isn’t a bleed on the brain.”
“That’s bullshit, Nerve, I’m—” Suddenly, his eyes roll around in his head as he sways on the spot. I gasp as Whiskey and Ominous rush in on either side, holding him up under each arm.
“Jesus, Dash!”
“What’s happening, Mama?” Cruz asks, his little head bopping up.
I quickly grip his head and force it back down into my neck. “Nothing, baby, keep your eyes closed, remember?”
“We have to get him to the clinic. I’ll run the CT myself,” Nerve tells me as my heart pounds in my chest.
“Is he going to be okay?” I beg as Ominous and Whiskey drag Dash toward the exit.
“As long as there isn’t a bleed, he should be fine. Just fucking sore.”
“But, what about Tyler?”
Toxin walks through the side door with Void. They have Tyler, hands tied behind his back, a deep slash on the side of his face and an obvious bullet wound to his left shoulder. He all but staggers inside next to Void.
“We got him for you, Shadow,” Toxin calls out.
Looking at his beaten down face fills me with so much joy I let out a half-laugh, half-sob. “Thank you!”
“I hope your loverboy dies, you fucking whore!” Tyler calls out.
Toxin grabs a broken pool cue, jabbing the end into the bullet wound on his shoulder. He screams out in agony, which only makes Cruz cuddle into me further. I hold onto him tighter, but I have to admit, hearing Tyler scream in pain makes me feel damn good.
“I don’t wike this pwace, Mama,” Cruz murmurs into my chest.
I pull back. “Then let’s go home.”
I want more than anything to go with Dash to the clinic, but I can’t have Cruz stay there for hours on end, not after what he’s just been through.
He needs to feel safe.
He needs to feel supported.
I need to be with my son.
I hope Dash understands.
Nycto strides over. “We’re taking Tyler back to the clubhouse. We will hold him there until you’re ready for us to dish out whatever you would like us to do with him. We can wait until Justice is back and operational, or you’re free to do what you’d like to him. It’s up to you how you want this handled, Shadow.”
I take a deep breath. “Can we get Dash taken care of and make sure Cruz is okay, then deal with Tyler? As long as Tyler is kept under guard and can’t get out, I will be okay.”
Nycto glances over at Toxin. “Oh… he won’t get out.” A small smile lifts on one side of his mouth.
I can’t help but wonder what that means, but right now, I simply want to make sure my two guys are safe and looked after. I need to get Cruz back to the clubhouse and settled, then I have to check on Dash and make sure he’s pulled through this okay because if his head injury is severe, I just don’t know what the hell I am going to do.
***
I can’t believe Tyler found us. This whole situation is completely surreal, like I’ve been living some dream state. But the reality is, Dash is off at the clinic being seen to, and I’m here, in his bed with Cruz, rocking him to sleep. Cruz has had a traumatic day. I don’t know what kind of lasting effects this is going to have on him. Hell, I don’t know how this is going to affect me, but I have to figure out something to tell him about this mess.
“Mama, is Dash o-tay?” he mumbles sleepily.
Stroking his hair, I lean in cuddling him. “Dash is gonna be fine, baby. He’s just got a bump on his head. The nice man is helping him now.”
He’s quiet for a moment, then his bright blue eyes look up at me. “Who was dat bad man, Mama?”
My stomach tightens with tension.
Do I tell Cruz he is his father?
Would it do more damage than good?
“He’s a man I used to know a long time ago. When you’re older, I’ll tell you more about him.”
He bites down on his bottom lip just like I do. He’s thinking hard about something. “The bad man said he was wooking for me for a wong time.”
Sniffling, I lean in kissing his forehead. “I know. I’ve been trying to keep us away from him for years, but I failed, and I am so, so sorry, Cruz.”
“Why did he come awfter us?”
“This will all make sense when you’re older, baby. I pro
mise I will tell you everything, but for now, you need to sleep, okay? Get your strength back.”
“Mister Spwrocket?”
I scan around the room and grimace. Shit. “I’ll find him. But for now, you must go to sleep, okay?”
“O-tay… Mama?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Dash is brave.”
I can’t help but smile. “Yeah… he is. Now close your eyes.”
“Mama?”
I let out a small laugh. “Yeah, baby?”
“I wuv you.”
My insides melt, and I pull him to me, snuggling into him so tight. “I love you, too, baby boy. More than anything in this world… now, sleep!”
His eyes slowly flutter closed as he shuffles down under the duvet. I pull it up to his chin as I lay down beside him. My fingers gently caress his little cheek as I watch him drift off peacefully into sleep.
Laying here for what feels like hours, I just watch him to make sure he’s fine. As soon as a slight snoring echoes from his mouth, I know I can get up. I want to stay here forever, but I need to make sure Dash is okay.
Gently easing up from the bed, Cruz doesn’t budge.
Making my way to the door, I open it ever so carefully, then slowly close it behind me with a soft click. Pressing my ear to the door, I wait to hear anything, but I’m greeted with silence. Every instinct says to go back inside and wrap myself around Cruz, but I can’t be everywhere all at once.
I need to check on Dash.
Yawning as I make my way down the hall, I walk out into the dimly lit bunker where Toxin’s sitting at the bar. Brothers are everywhere, casually drinking like this is just any other day of the week, but I can’t see Dash or Nerve anywhere.
Making my way over to Nycto, I tap him on the shoulder, nervous butterflies swarming through me and not in a good way. “Nycto… I’ve been watching Cruz, is there any news on Dash?”
He turns, cigarette hanging out of his mouth as he sorts through some paperwork. “He’s still at the clinic for observation with Nerve, but the last check-in I had, Nerve said his CT was all clear. He was stitching up his wound and watching him for a while. He was losing his guts and couldn’t walk straight two hours ago.”