“Does Lily like it?” he questions. At my look, he says, “She has no clue.”
“Well, no, she doesn’t, but it’s one she always comments on whenever we’re on the way to the clubhouse. It finally came up for sale and I snapped it up without telling her. We won’t have a mortgage because the owner was motivated to unload it fast.”
“I know the one you mean. It’s a big farmhouse, Maxum. How many kids are you two planning to have?” I think of naked house day, having to find a babysitter so I can continue to enjoy those days with my woman, and can feel my face redden as my president stares me down.
“Uh, we haven’t really decided,” I reply. He quirks his eyebrow at me and I continue, “We want to enjoy Violet for a little while before we add to the family. Plus, I want her to be my wife before we have any more kids.” I can see that my answer appeases him because he nods, slaps me on the back again and heads back into the house without another word.
21
Maxum
Waiting for the Nelsons to arrive is going to give me gray hair. Axe went inside to check on the guys and I’m sitting here outside, watching the road that leads to the clubhouse, like I can make them make it here quicker. I’m not always the most patient person to begin with and knowing that they have information that will lead us to my daughter has me feeling antsy. I jump and nearly yell out when a hand clasps my shoulder. Turning, I see Jaxson standing there. “You doing alright, brother?” he questions.
“What do you think, Jax? My baby is out there in the hands of that motherfucking sadistic prick and Lily’s fucking birth incubator. To say I’m worried as hell is an understatement, especially after hearing the shit that those two are likely involved in. If Violet’s hurt, there’s nowhere on earth that’ll be safe for them, I promise you that much.”
“We got your back, brother. Thought I’d see if I could take your mind off things and show you the latest pictures of the house,” he replies, pulling out his phone. At my nod, he opens up his camera roll and hands it to me. Jax has the ability to make anything come to life. Whether it’s a car, bike or building things, everything he touches comes out like a spun thread of gold. I love that he not only works with me at the garage but also has his hands in deep with construction. He’s a man of many talents, and I’m honored he’s taken up the role of heading the crew working to make our house the perfect home for my growing family.
As I scroll, I’m amazed at the attention to detail in each picture. He’s taken every one of my suggestions and combined them with what he knows Lily likes. “She’s going to love it,” I finally say, handing him his phone.
“How about you?” he asks.
“She’s my home, man, so wherever she is, I’m good,” I admit. “But I fucking love what you did in the master bedroom. Is that a custom-sized bed?”
“Yeah, thought you guys would appreciate the extra room, especially once Violet gets older and wants to come crawl in with y’all because she’s scared,” he says. I grin because knowing my woman, if our girl gets scared, she’ll have her in with us in a heartbeat.
“Good idea. When do you think it’ll be ready?” I ask.
“Well, I left a crew there to keep working but I’m obviously going to be here for y’all. I’d say if all goes well, maybe the next week or so.”
“Appreciate it, Jax, more than you know.”
He’s about to say something else when we see the Nelsons pulling in. It’s about fucking time! Of course, I’d never say that to them because they’d likely shoot first and ask questions later. “Everyone here?” Silas asks as they walk toward us.
“Yeah, inside,” I reply, grabbing the door. Normally a prospect would be here, but when we located the little asshole who was supposed to be keeping a watch on my daughter, we found out he had slipped out for a smoke and a fuck with one of the nurses. Fearing for his life when Axe heard, Hatch sent him home with instructions to think about whether or not the Rebel Guardians was what he honestly wanted, because it we are about loyalty, family, and brotherhood, and he didn’t portray any of those qualities by worrying more about getting his dick wet than my little angel. I don’t think we’ll see him again, but if we do, I’m punching him for his sheer stupidity. I’m pretty sure that Luca will take a shot or two as well. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if the rest of them lined up and beat the shit out of him at this point!
I follow them inside and when Axe sees, he pulls several tables together. “Y’all, have a seat,” he commands, his president voice on full display. “What do y’all have?” he questions Silas. Silas’ brow raises at Axe’s tone, but my president doesn’t back down. We may not deal in the things that other clubs do, but no one should ever mistake us for a group of pansy-assed pussies.
“Seems that they’ve been around for the past six months or so from what Jonas and Raven have been able to find. You know, of course, that Daria lied about her credentials and got a job at the hospital in the maternity ward. Not sure that Maxum’s old man is aware of what her contacts are involved with because the research on him shows he’s basically a bum.” Silas shoots me an apologetic look and I shrug.
“He wasn’t much more than that when I was a kid,” I advise. “Glad to see some things never change.” That last part might be a bit sarcastic, but all that asshole ever did was impregnate my mother, then run her off. Other than that, he was a miserable prick intent on breaking the two of us down until he eventually succeeded with her.
“Jonas checked other cameras nearby and Killian was driving at the time the baby was taken. He followed them to a house just on the outskirts of town, and we’ve got some of our guys out there watching to make sure they don’t leave and no one else approaches.” When I see Silas take a deep breath and look at Atticus, I brace myself, because whatever’s coming next isn’t going to be good.
Atticus glances at all of us and gives a slight almost imperceptible nod toward Axe and then me. I realize when Jaxson and Talon come up behind me and place their hands on my shoulder, then see that Hatch and Chief are doing the same to Axe, that they expect whatever bombshell they’re going to drop will have us losing our shit. “I’m good,” I mumble so only the two can hear me.
“Okay, so while Jonas was tracking them through the town’s cameras, Raven was out on the dark web,” Atticus says. When everyone but Bandit looks clueless, he pulls his hand through his hair and states, “The dark web is where the ugly shit is, y’know, the child molesters and what-not. The people who sell women and children.” A cold dread seeps into my bones at his words.
“They’re planning to sell my daughter?” I hiss out between clenched teeth.
Silas nods. “They’ve already got pictures up and bidding has started,” he admits.
I’m not sure who is louder, Axe or me, but it takes every single brother to hold us back and keep us from destroying the common room in the clubhouse. “I can’t tell Lily this shit,” I whisper, finally slumping down in my chair. “This’ll kill her.” Not like I’m much better right now; my heart is pounding so hard in my chest that I’m having a hard time hearing what everyone is saying around me.
“We’ve got a plan,” Silas says, breaking into my internal reverie.
“Let’s hear it,” Axe growls out. Both Hatch and Chief are still behind him and I can see the struggle he’s undergoing to regain a semblance of calm, because I’m doing the same.
“Like I said, we have a few guys who are right there watching to make sure they don’t leave with her again, and no one comes in. We want to get out there, secure the two of them, and let y’all get the baby back where she belongs,” Silas states.
“Wait, so we’re not going to be handling things?” Axe barks out.
“No. We need to find out who the fuck they’re working for, or at least, who she’s working for so we can shut that shit down. Y’all have bigger priorities, namely, getting your granddaughter back to the hospital to be checked, and reuniting her with her parents,” Atticus replies.
I don’t li
ke it, not one bit. I want to put a hurting on them, well, at least my old man. But I also want Violet back under the hospital’s care since she still has jaundice, and I want to be able to look my woman in the eyes and tell her that our girl is back. If that means I can’t have the justice I long for, I have to presume that the Nelsons will ensure that there’s plenty of pain involved in their interrogation of my sperm donor and the cunt who birthed Lily. When Axe starts to say something, I put my hand up. “Axe, I get it, trust me, I do. I’d like nothing more than to beat the fuck out of my old man for all he put me and my mom through, and while it goes against everything I believe in, I want Daria to hurt as well for causing my woman this unfathomable pain. But Violet’s the priority and she wasn’t left at the hospital just because the nurses didn’t want to let her go. She needs that lamp thingy and the sooner we stop discussing this and head out, the sooner she can get the treatment she needs.”
Axe takes a deep shuddering breath before he nods. “Fine. Let’s get ready to roll. I think we need to take the cages so we can get there without them realizing.”
“I’ll send you the address,” Silas states, standing.
“Silas?” Axe calls out.
“Yeah, man?”
“Tell Jonas and Raven we appreciate everything they’ve done to help with this. It won’t be forgotten.”
Silas doesn’t reply, he merely waves his hand in acknowledgement as he and Atticus head to the door.
Lily
I’m pretty sure I’m going mad at this point. In order to keep from going out of my mind, I’ve been puttering around the house, cleaning and straightening, even though it’s already spotless. “Lily, honey, come sit down and eat something,” Nan says, coming up to me and wrapping me in her arms. “You need to keep your strength up so when Violet gets back, you’re able to be with her.” Nan showed up here earlier with bags of groceries in her and Gino’s arms. She’s been cooking up a storm ever since. The house smells divine with all of the aromas in the air, but it doesn't entice my hunger.
“Nan, I can’t eat. The thought makes me want to puke,” I admit. Plus, my headache has gotten steadily worse, something I’ve had a hard time hiding from my mom and my girls.
“Look at me, Lily,” Nan commands. I turn and look at her, tears once again slipping down my cheeks. She runs her hand over my cheek and asks, “You’ve got a headache, don’t you, child?”
“Yeah, Nan,” I finally break down and admit.
“Let’s get your medicine and feed you then.” She says this as if it’s finalized and I have no say so in the matter.
“Nan, I don’t want to fall asleep! What if… what if they call?”
“Sweetheart, do you honestly think if they call we won’t wake you up? No, we wouldn’t do that to you. Now, listen to Nan and we’ll get you all fixed up.”
I trudge along behind her into the kitchen where my mom and Aunt DJ are sitting drinking coffee. “Let me get you a plate, Lily,” Mom says, standing.
“I’ve got it, Cara. Can you go grab her medicine? She’s got a headache starting,” Nan says. Mom shoots me a look that I try to avoid as I sit down at the table.
“Why didn’t you say something, Lily?” Aunt DJ asks, confusion on her face.
“I didn’t want to miss it if they called to say they found her,” I begrudgingly admit.
“Honey, we won’t let that happen. We’ll wake you up, I promise,” she asserts.
I nod because in my desire not to miss anything, it’s gotten worse and I hope I can eat something so I don’t throw up. They’re all used to it by now, though, and Aunt DJ gets up and grabs an ice pack from the freezer before wrapping it in a towel and placing it on the back of my neck. “Thank you,” I whisper. She leans in and kisses my forehead.
“Lily, we love you and we love that baby. Now, you eat something and then go lie down. I’ll call Hatch and see if there’s any news yet,” she replies. I hide my smile because despite her sometimes gruff attitude, she’s got a heart of gold and would do anything for any one of us.
It doesn’t take long to eat a sandwich and take my medicines and before I know it, I’m lying in my bed. Rae comes in and closes the blackout drapes, then crawls in behind me and wraps her arms around my waist. “It’s gonna be okay, Lil,” she whispers. “We’ve got y’all.”
“Couldn’t do this if y’all weren’t here,” I reply, my voice already slurring as the medicine takes effect. “Don’t let them leave me out of stuff, Rae. Promise me.”
“I promise, Lily.”
I wake up refreshed and eager to head to the hospital before reality intrudes once again. She’s gone. My sweet baby girl is in the arms of someone who has evil intentions. While I don’t know that for sure, it’s the only reason someone would kidnap an infant as far as I’m aware. The club is a legit one, they have no enemies and in fact, have what a lot of clubs would consider allies located throughout the country. I smile a bit at that because that was my dad’s vision — to create a brotherhood. I just hope the brothers have him and my old man tight in their grasp because as crazy as this is making me, I know those two are probably about to lose their ever-loving minds. I almost feel sorry for the person who did this… almost.
Getting up, I head into the bathroom to take care of business. Seeing my puffy eyes, I shrug, because until Violet is back in my arms, I suspect the tears will continue to flow. As I walk into the living room, I see everyone watching me. “Did you hear anything?” I ask, my voice coming out all raspy.
“They know where she’s been taken and they’re headed there now,” Mom says, coming over and pulling me into a hug. “It’s almost over, sweetheart,” she whispers. “You’ve been so strong through all of it.”
“Not really, Mom. I can’t keep from crying,” I admit as fresh tears trickle down my face.
“Eh, that’s the hormones bouncing through you,” Aunt DJ says, waving her hand. “You’re a strong woman, Lily. Many would be curled up in a corner, sobbing. You’ve been cleaning and all that shit, even with one of your headaches.”
“But I’m still crying,” I point out, wiping my face.
“It’s the dust,” Gypsy chimes in. “Does it to me all the time.”
I can’t help it, I giggle, then clasps my hand over my mouth in shock. “It’s okay to laugh, Lily,” Nan says. “We’re just waiting on them to call to say they’ve got her back then we’ll head to the hospital.”
“I need to go get ready,” I say, turning and heading back to the bedroom. I need a shower for sure and I know it’ll help me with the last little bit of the headache, like it always does.
“Make it quick, honey. Your uncle called about fifteen minutes ago and said they were nearly there.” I screech and start running, pulling my hair up in a messy bun so it doesn’t get wet.
22
Maxum
The house they’re hiding out in is a nondescript shack in the middle of nowhere. This works to our advantage since each house sits on a couple of acres of land and the closest neighbor won’t be able to hear their screams of anguish. I take a deep gulp of air into my lungs as I try and control my wavering composure. I made promises before we headed here, and I intend to keep them, but I’m struggling to hold the anger at bay. Knowing my daughter is in there, waiting to come home to her family, has me wanting to rush in, blow both of their brains out and leave with my bundle of joy wrapped tightly in my arms. I’m not sure that I’ll be able to take my eyes off of her for a long time to come once I have her back.
“Maxum, are you gonna be able to do this?” Talon questions.
“No choice, brother. It is what it is, my main priority is getting my girl out of this, unharmed. Nothing else matters,” I lie through my gritted teeth.
“Oh, she’s coming out without a mark on her,” Axe ensures. “I’ll accept nothing less.” The look on his face and shining from his eyes lets me know he’s in the same boat as I am. He wants to wrap his hands around Daria’s neck and squeeze the life from her the same way I
want to rip my father's head from his body.
“Y’all ready?” Silas comes over and joins our small huddle. “My guy just witnessed Daria put the baby down to bed. She’s in the far left room. Maxum, you and Braxton head right to her and get her out. The rest of us will tie up the loose ends.” What he means is, we get Violet out and they’ll hogtie and put a small beatdown on my father and Lil’s mom.
“Silas?”
“Yeah, man.”
“Make that motherfucker hurt, will ya?” I plead.
“Count on it,” he responds. We bump each other’s fist in unification.
“Let’s get this done,” Axe grinds out.
Atticus and his men take the back of the house as we follow Silas’ lead at the front. He holds up his hand and counts us down, one finger, two fingers then on the third one, he lifts his foot up and slams it on the door. It swings open and we rush inside. The sight that greets us has me holding back the vomit that wants to spew from me. “That’s just fucking gross,” I spit. My father has Daria face planted into the cushion of the couch as he drills into her from behind.
“Fucking nasty cunt!” Axe hollers as he grabs the sleeve of my shirt and drags me behind him. I hear the two disgusting individuals screaming in the front room as the men place them into custody. It’s a good thing Law and Chief stayed behind, I doubt they’d be able to sit back and allow the Nelsons to take in the dumb-witted imbeciles in good conscience.
When Axe and I make it to the last room on the left, I rush ahead of him. Making my way over to the cheaply made crib, I look down and see my baby girl sleeping peacefully. At least Daria has somewhat taken care of her. She seems to have on a fresh diaper and I notice the empty bottle sitting next to the older than dirt rocking chair. Picking her up, I swaddle her to my chest and sigh in relief. “Come on, Maxum, let’s get her out of this filth,” Axe says in distaste.
Maxum & Lily: Rebel Guardians Next Generation Page 14