by Carol Dawn
I’m not sure how long I sit here talking about random things. I’ve lost count of the small gentle kisses I place on her hand before a nurse says visiting hours are over and I can come back tomorrow. It takes everything I have to leave that room.
I make my way down to the family waiting room where I was told my brothers were.
“Fuck man,” Bear says to me when I walk in.
“Yeah,” I answer. “Fuck.”
“I have Rose at your house now packing you a bag because I know you won’t be sleeping anywhere but here,” Bear says.
“Thanks, Prez.”
“Welcome. That being said. We have to talk.”
“Got it,” Slim shouts. “Oh, hey Chains, perfect timing.”
“For what?” I ask.
“I found Jack, the ass,” Slim says with a smile. “But we may have a problem. Or two.”
“Jack is a lawyer. And one pretty high up, too,” Bear says as he hands me a cup of black coffee.
“Thanks,” I mumble. “What does him being a lawyer have to do with anything? He beat Arabella. So badly that she might fucking die. And, he kidnapped Sophia. That has to count for something.”
“Of course, it does,” Bear says. “But this man is manipulative and smart. He can find his way out without so much as a slap on the wrist.”
“What if this was Rose, Prez?” I demand.
“I understand where you’re coming from. But that doesn’t change the facts.”
“Which is why we do this our way,” Hawk says. “We take care of our own and those two ladies are ours now. Jack done went and made himself an enemy of the Infernal Sons.”
“Damn right,” Ink says. “Let’s go get our girl back and then show that bastard who he’s up against.”
“I’m placing this call on speaker,” Slim interrupts. “You all may want to listen and see what we find out.”
Slim enters some numbers in his cell and hits call before putting the phone on the table and grabbing his tablet.
“The Law firm of Lawrence and Sanders. This is Emilia, what can I help you with today?” asks a female.
“Hello Emilia,” Slim says with a soft, kind voice. His whole demeanor changes from the ‘trying to be a badass biker’ to a calm and more confident Slim. Interesting. “My name is Phoenix. I was wondering if I could book an appointment to see Mr. Jack Lawrence sometime today?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Phoenix. Mr. Lawrence is actually on vacation at the moment. If you want, I can make you an appointment for when he returns?”
“Oh, no thank you,” Slim says as he’s messing around on his tablet. “It’s really important that I get in contact with him as soon as possible. Is there a number where I can reach him?”
“I’m afraid I can’t give out that information. I can give him your contact details and have him call you when he gets a chance if you would like.”
“That’s alright. Thank you anyway, Emilia. You have a beautiful day.”
“You too, Mr. Phoenix,” the lady says before disconnecting the call.
“Well, that was a waste of time,” Ink says.
“Nothing I do is a waste of time, Ink,” Slim says. “I got everything I needed.”
With a grin, Slim turns his tablet over to reveal a whole lot of something.
“What is all that?” I ask.
“This, my dear Chains, is where we can find Jack and Sophia.”
“How the fuck did you manage that?” Bear asks.
“Well, Emilia is Jack Lawrence’s personal assistant. The number I called wasn’t the office building of Lawrence and Sanders, but Emilia’s work phone. The same work phone that has her boss’s schedule down to a ‘t’,” Slim says this as he hops up on the table and starts messing with his phone. “Three days ago, Emilia bought a round trip plane ticket to Palm Beach, Florida under Jack’s name. Just give me a little more time and I’ll find where in Florida he’s hiding.”
We all stare at the scary fucker in stunned silence.
“You got all that from a phone call?” Brick asks, breaking the silence.
Slim just stairs Brick in the eyes.
“You are one scary little dude,” Hawk says with admiration in his voice.
“I may not look like your typical biker,” Slim says. “But that’s what makes me your perfect secret weapon.” He finishes with a wink.
Best. Prospect. Ever.
Seeing the look in Bear’s eyes, I can tell he’s thinking the same thing.
“I can’t get back in to see Arabella until morning,” I say. “Even then, she won’t be awake. As much as it kills my soul to say this, I want to head to Florida tonight. I want Sophia home, and that fucker out of the picture. I want to be able to reassure my woman that her daughter is safe when she opens her eyes.”
“Alright,” Bear says. “Let’s head out.”
Chapter Seven
Chains
“How the hell did we get a private plane?” Hawk asks as we all find seats on the small plane.
“Josh inherited a shit ton of stuff when dear ol’ daddy died,” Ink says with way too much enthusiasm.
“I see,” Hawk replies.
“Got it,” Slim says as he bounces into his seat. “Jack Thompson owns a very beautiful waterfront home in Palm Beach. I already have a couple of vehicles waiting for us at the landing strip when we arrive.”
“You’re awesome,” Hawk says.
At Hawk’s compliment, a slight blush travels across Slim's face. That’s the first time I’ve seen him blush.
Slim shoves his face back into his phone before saying, “It should only take us about two hours to get there.
Hawk smirks before slapping me on the back and moving to sit beside Bear.
The man flying us to Florida, Frank something or other, steps on the plane.
“Buckle up, fellas. I predict a smooth ride, but the takeoff can be a bit bumpy,” he says before entering through the door at the front of the plane.
“Seatbelts are for pussies,” Trigger grumps.
“I agree,” Ink says. “Seatbelts are nothing but fun blockers.”
“Seatbelts are for people who fear death,” Trigger says without an ounce of emotion. “I fear nothing.”
“Put your fucking seatbelts on,” Bear says. “You may not fear anything, but I fear my wife. And she will be all forms of pissed off if you die.”
With a few grunts and grumbles, they relent and fasten their belts.
Crazy fucking family.
***
Just as Slim said, we arrive in Palm Beach two hours later to two black Chevy Suburban’s waiting for us.
“Damn, Slim,” Brick says. “You’re going all out, aren’t ya?”
“Well, we needed something that would hold all of us and a baby while being discreet,” Slim says defensively. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed Brick, but the six of you are freaking huge. I’m still not sure you're going to be able to fit inside comfortably.”
“Probably not,” Brick says. “That’s why I prefer my bike.”
“Alright, grab your gear and let’s go,” Bear says as he moves his bag from the plane to the Chevy. “We’re going straight to the fuckers water hut.”
“It’s waterfront,” says a laughing Slim.
“What the fuck ever,” he mumbles
I grab my bag and put it on the back of the vehicle.
Time to get ready.
Reaching in, I grab my weapon of choice.
This fucker is about to find out how I got my name.
I pull out my nine-section steel chain whip. It’s lightweight, maybe a couple of pounds, and about 5 feet long. When I first saw this whip chain in action during one of my martial arts classes as a teenager, I was hooked. I spent several weeks learning the basic steps on how to use it, then many years perfecting my skill.
I’m good with my fists, I’m even a decent shot, but if you catch a glimpse of a steel whip in my hands, you better run the other fucking way.
I have all I need
. Time to get Sophia and teach Jack a lesson in who’s the biggest alpha.
***
It doesn’t take long to get to the waterfront home. The sun is starting to set which gives us the perfect opportunity to grab Sophia and go.
Well, grab Sophia, show Jack my shiny toy, and then go.
“How do you want to do this?” Bear asks me.
Smiling I say, “Well, I was thinking of just going up and knocking on the door and asking nicely. Then we’ll see where it goes from there.”
Bear chuckles before ushering me forward. I release my chain whip from my hand, clip the ends, the handle, and dart, together before putting it around my body like a sash.
I walk up to the door, lift my hand and give it three loud and solid knocks.
Moments later, a woman, maybe in her thirties, answers the door.
“Can I help you?” She asks.
“Yes, I’m here to pick up Sophia.”
Hey, it’s worth a shot.
“And, you are?”
“My name is Chains,” I tell her. “I was sent by Sophia’s mother to bring her back home.”
A look crosses her face. “Her mother?” she asks. She glances behind her before turning back toward me, stepping outside, and closing the door.
Odd.
“Is Bella okay?” the woman asks in a voice so low that I almost couldn’t hear her.
“Do you know her?” I ask in a returned whisper.
Her eyes water before saying, “Yes, I do. You can’t let him get to her.”
“Too fucking late,” Trigger says from behind me.
“What?”
“She’s not fine,” I tell the woman. “She’s in the hospital and won’t be fine for a long time.”
The tears that were in her eyes start to fall.
“You have to hurry,” she whispers. “Mr. Thompson is in the middle of a video conference in his office. He’s already been in there for an hour.”
“Chains, you follow her,” Bear says as we quietly walk through the front door. “We’ll stay down here.”
“Slim, as soon I get her, I want you to take Sophia and get the fuck out of here,” I tell him. “I have something I need to do before we leave.”
“Alright,” he agrees.
“Come on,” the woman ushers me up the grand staircase.
I don’t take the time to look around. I take note of the directions we turn and the position of the front door, but my focus is on getting my girl and getting her out of here.
“She’s in here. She ate about half an hour ago and should be fine until you get her someplace safe,” the woman says. “Take this,” she says handing me a manila envelope.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Something that I hope will help Bella.”
I just stand there staring at her for a few before she snaps me out of it.
“Look,” she says urgently. “I don’t think Mr. Thompson would harm Sophia. But that could possibly change as she gets older. He’s not a good man. Take her and go.”
“What about you?” I ask. “Do you need help?”
“No,” she says. “I can handle my brother just fine.”
With that blow, she turns and walks to the crib in the corner of the room. I shove everything to the back of my mind and go to my girl. The woman turns and gently places my sleeping princess in my arms.
I turn to leave but pause at the door. “What’s your name?” I ask her.
With a small smile, she says, “Becky Thompson. Now, go.”
With those parting words, I exit the room and rush my way down the stairs.
Reaching the bottom, I go straight to Slim.
“Here,” I say, handing him the envelope. “Don’t lose this. I’m not sure what it is, but I think it’s important.”
“Interesting,” he says as he places the envelope in his ever-present man bag.
“Your purse comes in handy sometimes, Slim,” Ink jokes in a quiet voice.
“It’s a satchel you ass. And I carry it because of the equipment I have to keep on me at all times to do your constant bidding.”
“Ah, the life of a prospect,” Hawk chuckles.
“Is he still in his meeting?” I turn to ask Bear.
“Not sure,” he answers. “We haven’t heard a single noise since you went upstairs.”
Just then, Slim lets out a grunt and we all turn to see him fall to the ground with a man standing above him. We all stand there stunned stupid. According to the images that I studied on the way here, this is Jack Thompson.
The thing is, we all know Slim isn’t like us. He’s a small man, first off. Hence, his name. Second, anyone can see that he’s uncomfortable when trying to act all tough. We know he’s a softer, more delicate brother. That doesn’t bother us. In fact, it just makes us more protective of him.
“Of all the brothers here,” Brick says to Jack. “You went and punched the wrong one, man.”
Before any of us have a chance to move, Hawk loses his fucking mind and charges Jack. I’ve never seen him run so fast. Damn, or hit so hard. Hawk is severely pissed off and if he doesn’t stop, I’m not going to get my turn to get a tiny bit of revenge for what he did to Arabella.
Bear must be thinking the same thing because he grabs his twin from behind and says, “Calm the fuck down, Hawk. This is Chains show.”
“Get the fuck off me, Prez,” he shouts. “He fucking punched Slim right in the fucking face. Hard enough to knock him on the fucking ground.”
“I know, brother. You got your punches in. See to Slim and let Chain handle this.”
I walk over and hand Sophia to Hawk. “Get them out of here, brother. Protect them both.” A look crosses over Hawk’s eyes. He gently grabs Sophia and walks over to where Brick and Ink are fussing over Slim.”
“I’m fine,” Slim says. “Promise.”
“You’re not fucking fine, Phoenix,” Hawk says while grabbing Slims man bag. “Come on, let me help you.”
I turn my back on them and walk over to Jack who is struggling to stand.
“You have no idea who you’re messing with,” he says. “I will have all of you behind bars by tomorrow.”
“I highly doubt that,” I say as I unclip the ends of my chain and start swinging it around circles. Thank you, Jack, for having a home with high ceilings. “The thing about small towns is that everyone gossips. There are quite a few people who remember you asking about the location of the trailer Arabella and Sophia were in. And then Arabella ends up, almost dead, in a hospital. It’s not too difficult to put two and two together.”
His face pales when I flick my wrist forward and the dart at the end of my chain strikes the space next to his head.
“You can’t just take my daughter.”
“She’s no longer your daughter,” I say as I increase the speed of my arm. “I don’t want to see you anywhere near my family ever again. Arabella and Sophia belong to me. And just a small, but very fucking real, warning. If Arabella dies because of what you did, there will be no place in this universe you can hide where I won’t find you.”
I take a quick step toward him and as the chain is almost over my head, I turn my body sideways and swing my arm like you would a baseball bat. The chain snaps forward and the weight of the dart forces the chain to curve.
Right around the fuckers’ face.
Jack cries out and falls to the floor. I kill my speed, clip the handle and dart together and slide my whip back around my shoulder.
I kneel down next to a whimpering Jack. On the right side of his face is an imprint of a link and half of my chain. Good, something he can remember me by every time he looks in a mirror.
“Don’t forget my warning,” I whisper.
“Let’s head out,” Bear says.
“You’ll be sorry,” Jack says right before we close the door.
“Hawk radioed in. He got them back to the vehicles safe and sound,” Brick says from somewhere behind me.
Good. I got my princess back. Time to
get her back to her mama.
“Let’s go, Hollywood,” Ink says.
“Motherfucker,” I say, right before I tackle his ass to the ground.
Chapter Eight
Bella
I’m awakened by voices. Voices I don’t recognize.
Where am I?
“There’s always that possibility,” a female with a kind voice says.
“If that turns out to be the case, is it reversible?” Someone else asks. This voice doesn’t sound kind. It sounds hard and angry. But, also familiar. Very familiar.
“There is a chance,” the woman says. “But it won’t be the same as it was before.”
Opening my eyes takes a lot of effort. I must still be tired. I blink a couple of times and notice that I’m in a dark room.
“She’s awake,” says a different female.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” the first woman says.
“Arabella, baby,” the man with the hard, familiar voice says.
At that moment everything comes rushing back.
Sophia’s birth, Noah helping us get away, the car running out of gas in a snowstorm, a man finding and saving us.
Blake Hunter. The familiar voice.
Leaving Blake, finding the trailer and hiding away. Jack finding us.
I tried so hard to fight him off. He’s so much stronger than I am. I remember running into the bathroom to grab the disposable phone in my purse to call for help. I remember Jack coming into the room and punching me. I remember falling.
Then I remember darkness.
“Sophia,” I say. My voice sounds dry. How long have I been in the darkness?
“She’s fine, baby,” Blake says as his rough hand grabs one of mine. “We have her with us and she’s perfectly safe.”
“Jack.”
“Don’t worry about him, honey,” the female voice says. “Our guys have your back.”
Our guys? What guys? Who is this woman?
I take a minute to collect myself. Something is pressed against my mouth.
“Take a sip, Bella,” the female says. “It will help you.”
Doing as the kind woman says, I take a small sip. The cool water feels like heaven against my throat but causes me to cough.