by K E Osborn
She nods as tears flow down her face, the sight breaks my heart.
“So Steel, after all this time, after all the pain your family has put me through. I get to see yours go up in flames.”
Stiffening my muscles at his words, I shake my head putting my hands back up in surrender. “I’m sorry. Whatever my family did to you, I’m truly sorry.”
He scoffs and waves the gun at Flame. “I’m offended. You don’t even recognise me?”
I look at him trying to remember anyone I’ve met who’s as disfigured as this man, and I’m honestly drawing a blank. “I don’t—”
“It’s fine. When you knew me, I did look a little different.”
Trying my luck, I take another step toward Flame, but he glares at me pointing the gun right at Flame’s head. “Uh, uh, uh… no heroics, Steel. I lost my family. I had to undergo months of rehab. I lost my job… my life. I lost everything because of you and your fucking father.”
“Dad? He did this to you?”
“Mad Dog? Yeah, the cunt shot me in the face leaving me for dead. Then carved my partner into pieces and put him in a box for Hudson to find.”
My eyes open wide as I gasp.
It can’t be?
Can it?
“Stealth?”
He races toward me at lightning speed bringing up his hand and backhanding me over the head with his gun. The pistol hits my skull sending a sharp pain right through my temple. I drop to my knees, clinging to my now bloody head. Flame cries out which only makes my pain worse.
“Don’t you ever call me that!” he grits through his teeth.
“Okay, what do I call you?”
“My witness protection name is Christopher Boyd, but I am Adam. I’ve always been Adam. That’s what Hannah called me, but she doesn’t even know I’m alive. I had to go into hiding ‘cause of fucking Mad Dog and Chops. But they sorted each other out, or someone did, saved me the job. So now, to exact my revenge I have to come after you, to get back at Mad Dog.”
“But why now? Why not when they died?”
“I wasn’t ready. My wounds made it impossible for me to move properly. I had to bide my time till I had strength to pull this off. To make you suffer as I have.”
“But I was nothing but good to you, Adam.”
He nods. “True. But I have to exact my revenge on Mad Dog.” He pulls out a box of matches and Flame lets out a sob as my body tenses.
“No, no, no, no, no,” I say in quick succession. “You don’t have to do this. Willow’s an innocent in all of this!”
“So was Hannah, and she is left to raise three kids to a dead husband that isn’t even dead.” The strike of the match against the box sets my heart racing as the flicker of the orange and yellow flame on that tiny stick makes me want to puke. He raises it into the air as if he’s ready to flick it onto the bottom of Flame’s chair.
“No!” I call out.
“I’m pregnant,” Flame yells.
Adam drops the match to his side as my stomach falls out through my feet, and I start to breathe heavily as the match burns out on the floor.
“What?” Adam and I both say in unison.
She looks at Adam and then me. “When I went to the doctor yesterday he thought I might be, and we did a pee test, but it came back with a faint positive. So we did a blood test. I went back today to get the results, and that’s where I was driving home from when this happened.”
Slumping my body, a wave of emotion washes over me and my eyes flood with tears. As I let out a small sob, the tears don’t hold back as regret tears through me for my fiancée and unborn baby who are now in this horrific situation. I want to go to her so badly, but I don’t want to antagonise Adam as she sniffs and begins to weep with me.
“Shit,” Adam murmurs, and Flame turns to face him.
“Adam, please. I know you want revenge for what Mad Dog did to you. I know you want to hurt me to hurt Steel. But surely the best revenge would be going to your wife and kids and being happy again?” Flame tries to reason with him.
Adam slumps his body and shakes his head. “How could Hannah want me with a face like this?”
“Shouldn’t you at least give her the option?” Flame suggests.
He shakes his head. “I can’t, the club will come after me.”
“Virginia is disbanded, and Aldinga won’t go near you or your family… you have my word.” Gator steps through the archway hands in the air.
Adam lets out a gut-wrenching sob and falls to his knees placing his head in his hands. I take the opportunity to stand up and rush to Flame. I grab her hoisting her up into me. Even though her hands are cuffed behind her back, I pull her to me and embrace her. She snuggles into my body as Gator runs over to Adam and squats down beside him. Having Flame in my arms is the biggest relief I’ve ever had. I’ve never felt such a sense of anguish before in my life, and knowing she’s safe now has me breathing slightly easier. Gator throws me a set of keys, and I take the cuffs off her. She wraps her arms around my neck as I pull her to me tightly.
“Fuck! I love you,” I whisper.
She sniffs. “I love you, too. Thank you for finding me.”
“Are you really pregnant?” I ask pulling back and looking at her.
She nods and smiles. “Hopefully, I still am.”
Nodding, I rest my palm on her stomach and take in a deep breath. “We need to get you to a hospital.”
“I’m sorry,” Adam calls out.
Flame lets go of me and starts to step over to him.
“Willow!” I warn, but she shakes her head and continues to move over to him.
She squats down next to his side and wraps her arm around his back. “Adam, holding onto your anger eats you alive. You have to learn to forgive.”
He nods and leans up to hug her. It irks me, but I let it happen. I know Flame would want me to. But as if to read my mind Gator grabs him and picks him up off the floor. “C’mon, how ‘bout I take you home?” Gator suggests.
Adam nods and wipes his face. “I’m sorry, I really am.”
“You didn’t hurt her, you stopped before you did any real damage. Just work on yourself, okay?” I say, and he nods and walks out with Gator.
Flame strolls back over to me, and I bend down lifting her up and cradling her in my arms. She shakes her head. “You have a head injury.”
“So do you,” I reply.
“Yes, but I’m not doing the heavy lifting.”
“Babe, there’s nothin’ heavy about you. Now shut up and let me carry you to the car, and then from the car into the emergency ward to get you and our baby checked out.”
She smiles. “We’re having a baby.”
I lean in kissing her and mumbling against her lips. “We’re havin’ a baby.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
GATOR’S POV
The ride to Adam’s house is filled with quiet tension. The nerves are rolling off him in waves, I’m pretty sure I can see him shaking from the corner of my eye as I pull down another street.
“Will Hannah and the kids be home?” I ask trying to break the silence.
He nods and exhales. “They should be. I just don’t see how they’ll accept me back into their lives after leaving for so long and looking like this. The boys will be terrified of me.”
“Kids are resilient. Sure, at first glance they might be scared, but once they know it’s you I’m sure they’ll come around.”
He scoffs. “I doubt it. I’m such a fuck up. I screwed up my entire life for that fucking club.”
“Virginia was damaged. It could never be saved, too many bad apples. But you can’t hold onto the anger, man. You gotta go get some counselling. Find a happy place again.”
Adam nods. “Yeah, this anger’s been building and building till I snapped. I can’t believe what I was going to do to Willow. That’s not me. Hannah would be appalled at my actions. I don’t think she’ll take me back. She’s probably moved on already.”
“Don’t think like that,
we’re nearly there. Do you want me just drop you off or come with?”
He looks at me wide-eyed. “Come with… if that’s okay. I might need a ride back to my place if things go as I suspect they will… and she hates me.”
“Well, we’re here.” I pull up into the driveway of the modern and beautiful looking home. Adam is breathing heavily as we sit in the cage, and I’m not sure what to do. So I take his lead and just wait for him to be ready. He’s still visibly shaking as he swallows hard and nods his head.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
I half-smile and step out along with him, and we walk as a united front to the large front door. He stands behind me, and I take that as my cue to be the instigator in this. So I ring the doorbell, as I listen to his heavy breathing behind me. Poor guy, he must be shitting bricks.
The light sound of footsteps can be heard, the latching of the door, and then it opens to a beautiful brunette woman holding a little toddler girl on her hip. She looks at me, her eyes widening as she takes in my tall frame, then my cut. She swallows hard and starts to shake her head and backs away slightly gripping onto her toddler tightly. The panic in her face is evident, so I want to calm her down as quickly as possible.
“Hannah, we’re not here for trouble, I promise.”
She stops backing away and pulls her bottom lip in with her teeth. She grips onto the kid tighter, as if I’m going to steal her or something, and swallows hard looking at me with narrowed eyes. Adam steps out from behind me into Hannah’s view. She gasps taking another small step back as she looks at his face, but then something in her face changes. Her expression contorts from fear to intrigue as her eyebrows crease, and she assesses Adam hard.
“Hannah,” Adam whispers.
She gasps loudly as tears well in her eyes and her head shakes from side to side. “No, it can’t be. Is this some sort of cruel joke?” she scolds.
He takes a step forward and exhales. “It’s me, baby.”
She lets out a heartfelt sob and her body slumps as the toddler struggles in her grip.
“Here let me,” I say and step forward taking the toddler from Hannah’s grip. She doesn’t even try to stop me, as she concentrates her staring at Adam. She’s transfixed on him as she breathes heavily.
“Adam?” she whispers.
He sniffs and nods. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t tell you I made it. Chief found me barely alive after Mad Dog shot me in the face, and Chief swapped my body working some magic to make the cadaver look like me. I went into witness protection to keep you guys safe from the club.”
She furrows her brows. “So all this time I’ve been mourning, and you’ve been alive. All this time trying to deal with the boys grieving their father’s loss… all for nothing?”
He slumps his body. “I’m sorry, baby, I wish I could have come back sooner. I really do. I wanted to… so bad. I’ve thought of you all… every second of every day.”
“You died, Adam! I went to your funeral. I visit your grave for fuck’s sake. How can you be alive right now?” Her knees buckle, and Adam swoops in catching her as she sobs into his chest. I want to leave and let them have their time together, but I’m holding this cute as fuck little girl who doesn’t seem fazed at all by the drama.
“I want to be here Hannah, and I never want to leave you guys again.”
She scoffs. “You’ve left us so many times, why would this be different?”
“Because if you’ll have me back, I’ll spend every day showing you how much I love you. I never stopped and I never will, you or the kids. Molly’s grown so big. I’ve missed so much already. I don’t want to miss anymore. But I know how I look, and if you can’t stand the sight of me, I understand.”
I tense up wondering how this will go. But Hannah seems to love him so much just from what I’ve seen, I think Adam will be surprised by her reaction.
She looks up at him bringing her hand up to his scarred face and caresses his wrinkled skin. “Adam, I don’t care what you look like. I love you for you, not your face. Come home, and please don’t leave us again. No more cop work, okay?”
He shakes his head. “No way, I’m on a pension. I’m never working undercover again, not ever.”
She leans up pressing her lips to his, and I smile looking down at Molly and caress her little rosy cheeks. She’s adorable, and I can imagine having a princess of my own with Meli one day.
“Mummy, Mummy!” Two boys run toward the doorway. They must be around four or five, I’m pretty sure they’re twins. Hannah pulls back from Adam, turning to face the boys just as they reach the door, and they look up at me firstly opening their eyes wide. I’m sure I must look like a giant to them, then their heads slowly turn toward Adam, and even I tense up waiting for their reaction. Adam’s chest heaves as his eyes water.
“Lucas, Logan,” he murmurs. They both scream loudly and run into Hannah’s legs cuddling in behind them hiding away from Adam. I wince as he slumps his body.
“Get the man to take off the ugly mask, Mummy!”
“Yeah, it’s scary, Mummy!”
I slump my shoulders as Hannah cuddles the boys and Adam turns around hiding his face from them. My chest hurts for him. Even though he wanted to kill my VP’s Old Lady, I feel bad for him right now.
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to scare them. Maybe I should go?” his voice cracking under the weight of the strain.
Hannah shakes her head with tears in her eyes and bends down to the kids’ level. “Boys, it’s not a mask. His face is like that because he was super brave and fought off a terrible enemy, but got injured in the process.”
I smile at Hannah as Adam turns back around.
“So you’re like a superhero?” one of the boys asks.
Adam laughs and Hannah nods. “He is. He’s a very brave hero, and you shouldn’t be scared of him. In fact, you know him very well.”
“We know a superhero?” the other one asks excitedly.
Adam wipes a stray tear from his cheek, and I’m impressed at how well Hannah’s handling this.
“Ah-huh. You know how we got very sad ‘cause we thought Daddy died?” The two boys frown and nod. “Well, Daddy was actually off fighting the bad guys.”
“So Daddy is alive?” one asks in a high pitched excited voice.
“Daddy is the superhero!”
They both gasp and turn dramatically almost falling over to see Adam. They look at him assessing him. One steps forward and reaches out to Adam, so he squats down to his height. “It’s not a mask?” he asks.
Adam shakes his head. “No Lucas, it’s real.”
Lucas smiles wide and chuckles. “It’s super cool!”
“Yeah! Super cool,” Logan repeats easing my nerves.
“And you’re our daddy?” Lucas asks.
“Do you recognise me?” Adam asks.
Lucas steps closer and looks into Adam’s good eye. There’s a short silence as they assess each other, and then Lucas jumps up and down on the spot in excitement. “Daddy, it is you!” He leaps into Adam’s arms and he laughs as Logan quickly follows and he hugs them both tightly.
“I missed you, Daddy.”
“Me too. Don’t ever leave again,” Logan says.
“I’m never leaving boys, not ever!” Adam stands up as the boys wrap their arms around each leg, and I hand Molly back to Hannah.
Adam looks to me and exhales. “Thank you Gator… you gave me my life back.”
I shrug. “You deserve it. After everything you’ve been through, you deserve to have this wrong righted.”
“Thank you, that means a lot. Now I’ll be able to spend the evening with my family and, I have a call to a certain detective Stone that I need to make.”
“Hudson will lose the plot when you call,” Hannah says.
“I’ll leave you to it. And Adam, if you ever need anything, Aldinga has your back.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “No offense, but I’m staying as far away from anything bike related for the rest of my life.”
Nodding, I smile. “I understand, but the offer is there, anytime.”
“Thanks, Gator.”
“Enjoy your new life.” Turning I walk back to the van and slide in, turning around to watch Hannah lean in and kiss Adam as the kids all cuddle into them. It’s nice to see a happy ending for someone who so desperately needed one.
Taking a deep breath as they walk inside, I pull out my phone to text Meli. I really need to tell her something.
Me: I just want you to know how much I love you.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
ADAM’S POV
After spending the next few hours talking with Hannah and telling her everything that had happened over the past sixteen months I’d been, for lack of a better word—dead, I tucked the boys in, cuddled with Molly as much as I could and spent time with my family as a family. Being with them is all I’ve ever wanted, all I’ve needed for the last sixteen months. Watching them from the shadows when I would visit was torture. Seeing Hannah so devastatingly shattered left me in shreds. I hated the life I was living and knowing Mad Dog and Chops were the ones who’d put me in that place, sent me mad.
I’m ashamed of what I did to Willow today, and I thought when I told Hannah she might think I was too far gone to be saved, but somehow she understood. She didn’t like it, but she was glad that I was man enough to tell her the truth—all of all the gore, all my worst bits—and she’s still by my side. I didn’t give her enough credit. I knew she loved me, I guess I just wasn’t sure if that love was enough to carry us through, once I told her how mad my mind had gone without her.
But now as we cuddle on our lounge room sofa, I take a deep breath as my chest tightens.
Hannah looks up at me and smiles. “Are you feeling better knowing it’s all off your chest now?”
Nodding, I pull her to me kissing her temple. “Knowing I have you here with me, is honestly something I didn’t think would ever happen. Now that Mad Dog and Chops are both gone, Virginia is disbanded, and Aldinga hold no grudges, it’s damn good to know I can finally come back to my life and be with my family. It’s all I’ve ever dreamed about Hannah.”