by Harley Wylde
China gave me a startled look. “You… what?”
“The things you went through, the fact you’re all sitting here. China, you have your daughter and Blades back in your life. You’re safe. Everything that happened to you, you managed to survive and you’re still standing. And your daughter obviously has that same strength.”
I saw tears mist her eyes as she gazed at Meiling.
I looked at Elena, and wondered if she knew how remarkable she was. “You were open to letting Outlaw into your life, loved him, and fought to stay with him. And don’t try to tell me you sat idly by while he saved you. I won’t believe it. Not after your comment about claiming him.”
She gave me a faint smile. My gaze landed on Lilian, who looked seconds from crying. I reached over and took her hand, giving it a squeeze.
“I can only imagine how scared you were in Colombia. By all rights, the men who showed up that day should have scared you, but you took a chance to get on a plane with them, move to another country and start your life over. You not only overcame all that, but survived a kidnapping, and having twins! Good lord! Coral runs me ragged, especially when she was smaller. Anyone dealing with two babies at once deserves a medal.”
She snickered a little and looked to Zoe. I didn’t really know her well, even though we’d talked a great deal before. Still, she was the first woman in a long time that I thought of as a friend. Sometimes when you met someone, you just knew. And Zoe and I had that instant connection. As the saying went, sisters from another mister. Or something equally silly.
“And you… the love you have for Luis, the determination to give him a better life, suffering to make it happen. There’s nothing greater than the dedication of a mother to her children, but I have a feeling you organized this little gathering, which means you’re just as dedicated to this club and these women. I’m honored to know you, Zoe.” My gaze scanned them. “All of you.”
I hadn’t heard Steel walk in, but he placed his hand on my shoulder and I smelled his cologne. I tipped my head back to look up at him, and he winked at me. I knew he’d heard what I said, and the look on his face clearly said he was proud of me.
“I have to go, beautiful. Might be gone a while.”
I stood and faced him. “You found her?”
He nodded. “We think so. I’m leaving, along with Dagger, Demon, and Wolf. Since Coral is familiar with Matt, he’s going to come too, but he’ll ride in the truck. Coral will ride back with him.”
I fisted his shirt and pulled him closer. “You come home to me. Understood? I want both of you here. In one piece.”
Steel cupped the back of my neck and kissed me. “I’ll always come home to you. You need anything while I’m gone, call Grizzly or Slash. You haven’t met Slash yet, but he’s the VP.”
I frowned. “Steel, I can’t call anyone. I don’t have a phone right now.”
His eyebrows lifted. “How were you going to get calls about potential jobs?”
“The motel room had a landline. I couldn’t afford the service on my phone, and maybe I’ve watched too many crime shows, but I thought it could be traced. I left it behind when we came here. They found us anyway.”
“I’ll get Slash to stop by with a phone in a bit. He’ll program some numbers in for you, including mine. And when I get back, we’ll discuss the fact you needed something and didn’t tell me.”
I cuddled against his chest and hugged him tight. Breathing him in, I felt tears prick my eyes. I knew he needed to go, and I wanted our daughter back, but I was worried I might never see him again. I hoped I was wrong, that he’d walk through the doors without a scratch on him.
I lifted my gaze to his. “Love you, Isaac.”
I said it softly so no one else would hear his name, but it seemed important to use his real name when telling him I loved him for the first time. He gave me soft smile before kissing me again, then put his lips near my ear. “Love you too, beautiful.”
He pulled away and walked off. I trembled as I sat down again. Zoe reached over and took my hand. “He’ll be fine. Steel is a tough bastard. He went with Dagger to bring Luis home. Fought the Mexican cartel and freed a bunch of kids. This will be a walk in the park for him.”
I hoped so. Because I didn’t know how I’d live without him.
Chapter Twelve
Steel
I’d packed an overnight bag for myself, and loaded a bag of stuff for Coral, which I’d put into the truck with Matt. I didn’t know what she’d need other than some clothes and maybe a few toys, but I’d wanted her to feel safe when we found her. The vet had called before I left to say Victoria made it through surgery, but she wasn’t out of the woods yet. I’d have taken her with me if she hadn’t been in such bad shape, knowing how much Coral loved that little dog.
What should have been a five-hour trip, roughly, took us more like three and a half. To say the lot of us were motivated was an understatement. The fact we’d picked up a few Dixie Reapers along the way, and were now flanked with three Hades Abyss and two Reckless Kings made me smile. There’d been a time my family was only my club. Now we had connections with so many other clubs, both in the south and heading out west.
Sarge, Wraith, and Grimm looked like they’d come ready for war. I saw no less than four weapons on each, and had no doubt they’d stashed more in their saddlebags. Knox, Fangs, and Dread were just as prepared, except Dread had a black bag at his feet. I didn’t know much about Dread, not having been to the Hades Abyss before. I glanced at the bag, wondering if weapons were inside, or something else. He smirked and bent down to unzip it. The medical equipment inside surprised me.
“To the outside world, I’m Dr. Thomas,” Dread said. “I’m sure your daughter is fine, but I thought it best to come prepared.”
“I appreciate it,” I said.
I glanced at Crow and Brick from the Reckless Kings. I didn’t even know how they’d known about Coral, or where to meet us, but I had a feeling the Reapers were to thank. Unless… I narrowed my eyes. “Did Lilian call Beast?”
Crow smirked. “Yep.”
I had no doubt Dragon would bust her ass when he found out. The fact Lilian had stayed with Beast when she’d run away was still a sore spot with him.
“What? No Devil’s Boneyard?” Wraith asked. “I’ll have to tell Bull his father-in-law is slipping.”
I snorted. Yeah, that would go over well. Not only Bull calling Scratch his father-in-law, but taking the Devil’s Boneyard VP to task. He wouldn’t fucking dare unless he had a death wish.
“Wire said he had visual confirmation your daughter was inside,” Sarge said, tipping his head to the dirt drive in front of us. The images I’d seen before heading this way showed a large house back in the woods. “They have four guards patrolling the outside, and from what he could see, another four inside, plus Coral and the Mulligans.”
“Does this seem a little easy to anyone else?” I asked.
Sarge nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.”
I looked over my shoulder, where Matt remained in the truck. I’d asked him to keep it running. The moment I was able to get Coral out of the house, I wanted her in that vehicle and heading home.
Grimm noticed the direction of my gaze. “He’s taking Coral once we extract her?”
I nodded.
“I’ll ride along, make sure they don’t find trouble,” he said. “You’ll need to stay here and finish things.”
Crow and Brick shared a look. The Native American gave me a nod. “We’ll go with Coral too.”
Wraith rubbed his hands together. “All right. The rest of us get to have some fun.”
I snorted, but I knew the man wasn’t kidding. He might be fucked up in the head, but Wraith was downright lethal, and I was glad to have him on our side. His family had mellowed him a little, from what I’d heard. Didn’t mean I’d want to be on opposing sides or meet the bastard in a dark alley.
“Do we even have a fucking plan?” Fangs asked.
“I’
m going in through the rear door,” I said. “I’ll take down the guard back there. My first priority is getting Coral out. Once she’s safe, I want the Mulligans to suffer.”
Crow held up a hand. “I’ll scout and check in. Wouldn’t hurt to have an open line to Wire, if he’s able to see what’s happening.”
Sarge pulled out his phone. “On it.”
While Crow surveyed the area, and Sarge spoke to Wire, I felt a nervous energy thrumming inside me. I’d never felt like this before going to war. A calmness always settled over me right before I entered enemy territory, but this was different. I wasn’t taking down insurgents because the government ordered it, or rescuing random strangers. This time it was personal. Coral was my daughter.
Once the number of guards were confirmed, we made our move. We fanned out and approached the house, each of us creeping silently through the woods. I approached the rear and lurked in the shadows, waiting for my chance. Taking him out from a distance would be simpler, but I wanted this fucker’s blood. I wasn’t about to give him a quick and easy death. Even if he hadn’t personally snatched Coral, he was part of her abduction just by being here.
He turned to pace the other direction, and I moved swiftly, staying low to the ground. I pulled the blade I kept on me at all times. Before he had a chance to even sense my presence, I came up behind him, held my hand over his mouth, and pressed the blade against his side.
“One fucking sound, and I will gut you like a fish. Understood?”
He gave a quick jerky nod.
“My daughter. Where is she?” I removed my hand and he sucked in a breath. Wire had seen her on the camera footage, but I wanted to be certain they hadn’t faked it somehow, or worse, there could have been a delay in the feed.
“Second floor. Door’s to the right when you get to the top of the stairs.”
“You’ve been most helpful. Sadly, you chose the wrong child to abduct.” I covered his mouth to stifle his cries as I jammed the blade into his side. I yanked it free and stabbed him in the kidney. Three quick jabs. Dropping the asshole to the ground, I hovered as he spat blood. I made a quick slice across his throat, then I stepped over him to enter the house.
Another guard was to my right, a cigarette hanging from his mouth as he tried to light it. I didn’t give him time to even take a drag. I threw my knife, the blade embedding in his chest. His eyes went wide as the cigarette fell from his lips. I didn’t want anyone to hear his body hit the floor, so I caught him and eased him down. Pulling the blade free from his body, I wiped the blood on his pants.
Movement caught my eye and I glanced that way, seeing Brick taking down another guard. Sick fucker was smiling as he snapped the guy’s neck. I crept up the staircase. Sheathing my knife, I drew the nine-millimeter from the small of my back. I took the suppressor from my pocket and screwed it onto the custom threaded barrel. I crouched at the top, a half-wall hiding me. I spied the landing. Only one guard on this floor, and he wasn’t even paying fucking attention. Trusting the others had the rest of the guards handled, I sent two shots into the bastard’s chest. The look of surprise that crossed his face made me smile.
I opened the door to my right and spied Coral in the middle of the bed. Some froufrou dress I knew damn well we hadn’t bought her covered her. She’d hugged her knees to her chest and stared out the window, as if she were waiting for something. Or someone?
“You ready to go home?” I asked.
She jolted, eyes wide, as she turned to face me. A smile spread across her face as she scurried off the bed and raced for me. I held up a hand, not wanting to chance I might have blood on me.
“You came, Daddy! I knew you would.”
I knelt. “Of course, I did. You’re my daughter, Coral. I’ll always find you.”
I held out my hand and she took it. Leading her downstairs, I scanned the area. I didn’t see the Mulligans, but I did find Crow waiting at the front door.
“Coral, this is Crow. He’s a friend.” She stared up at me. “You remember Matt? He helped us the night I brought you and your mom home with me?”
She nodded.
“Matt is waiting down at the street in a truck. Go with Crow and he’ll take you to Matt. I’ll be behind you shortly, sweetheart, but I need to take care of something first.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “They hurt Victoria.”
“I know, baby. Victoria is at the animal hospital. They did surgery and I think she’ll be okay, but we won’t know for sure just yet. We can go see her tomorrow. Right now, I need you to be a good girl and leave with Crow. You can trust him.”
She took Crow’s hand and they walked out of the house. Sarge came up on my left and tipped his head to a closed door. “Have the Mulligans in there. Ballsy people didn’t think they’d get caught. Rounding them up was like luring a kid with candy. Too fucking simple.”
“They’re connected to the Irish mob,” I said. “They can’t be that docile.”
“I’m thinking they don’t get their hands dirty much and always hire someone else to do the distasteful parts.”
I nodded, thinking it made sense. I hadn’t met too many rich assholes who liked to take out the trash themselves. Not saying all people with money were like that, but I’d met enough who were.
“Before you go in there, you should know we put plastic under them. Covered the floor with it. Knox found rolls of the shit down in the basement. These aren’t sweet, innocent people by far. Even if they don’t do the deed themselves, they still call the shots.”
“What else aren’t you saying?” I asked.
“Fangs is setting up the space as a kill room. Said he and Knox would hang back when you’re done, take care of the cleanup.”
I owed these men a debt once all this was over. I followed Sarge to where the Mulligans were being held. Someone had tied them to chairs in the middle of the room. The plastic crinkled under my boots as I walked across the floor, stopping in front of the youngest Mulligan.
“You are one stupid little shit,” I said. “She loved you, until you treated her and your kid like trash, threw them away. Personally, I’m thankful. Means I get to keep them. Unlike you, I know a good thing when I see it.”
Patrick didn’t say a word, just stared a hole in the floor. He had those pretty boy looks so many women went nuts over, so maybe Rachel had found him attractive. I didn’t see anything else remarkable about him. He was weak. Pathetic. A bully. My gaze swung to his parents, who were both glaring at me.
“And you two. Not even wanting your own grandchild until you could benefit from her existence? Ending your lives will give me great pleasure. The world will be better off without people like you. If you’re even human. Far as I can tell, you’re just shells filled with evil, walking and talking. You may fool others, but not me.”
“You won’t get away with this,” the elder Mulligan said.
“Sean Mulligan.” I shook my head. “You think you’re big and important? Think someone will avenge your death? More than likely, someone else will move on your territory, take it over, and you’ll be forgotten by tomorrow. No one gives a rat’s ass about you, except for what you can do for them. Know what you can do when you’re dead? Nothing.”
“You’d kill an innocent woman?” Cait Mulligan asked.
“No, I wouldn’t. But you’re far from innocent. In fact, I’d be willing to bet you were pulling some of the strings. All those unfortunate things happening to Rachel and Coral. They were your doing, weren’t they? How the fuck did you even know where they were? Rachel left behind anything you could track.”
“Not everything.” Cait gave me a chilly smile. “She didn’t leave Coral. You think I didn’t have someone watching my granddaughter? Bitch never even knew she was followed. Should have snatched the brat sooner.”
“Just kill us and be done with it,” Patrick muttered. “Once a man’s dick doesn’t work anymore, there’s not much point in living. Just end it.”
I cocked my head and watched him. Yeah, it ha
d been a hard blow when he’d discovered he couldn’t fuck anyone ever again. Too bad he’d only lived with that knowledge a short while. If I didn’t worry what he’d do to Coral or Rachel, I’d let him go. Death was too kind for him. I liked the idea of him suffering for another twenty or thirty years, maybe longer if he didn’t piss off someone else.
“I’m thinking that fiancée of yours will thank me for ending your life. Now she won’t be stuck with a man who can’t satisfy her. Then again, according to Rachel, even when your dick did work, you still didn’t know what to do with it.” I leaned into his space. “Don’t worry. I gave her plenty of screaming orgasms to make up for all she’d missed out on with you. And the baby I planted in her belly will be loved by two parents from the day they’re born. That’s what it means to be a real man.”
Sarge, Fangs, and my brothers surrounded me. I knew they would let me seek my revenge, end the Mulligans with my own two hands, no matter how much they wanted to help. The only one of interest to me was Patrick. They could have the other two.
Demon handed me a long pipe he must have found in the basement. “Thought you might like your signature weapon.”
I hefted the steel cylinder in my hands and faced Patrick. He looked a little green as he eyed it. I swung, putting all my strength into it, and slammed it into the side of his knee. He screamed like the little bitch he was, and started pleading for mercy. I didn’t have any. Not for him. I broke his kneecaps, his hands, his ribs. When he was spitting up blood, and barely coherent from the pain, I dropped the pipe and pulled my knife. I sliced the material of his shirt, spreading it open.
As much satisfaction as I’d get from ramming the blade into him a few hundred times, that wasn’t good enough. I made shallow cuts along his chest and abdomen before slicing off his nipples. His screams wouldn’t sway me. Fucker should be glad I hadn’t sliced off something else. He’d hurt my woman. Came after my kid. When I was finished, he’d never harm another person ever again. I took my time, drawing his pain and suffering out as long as I could.