by Bijou Hunter
Pax doesn't waste any time. His lips on mine feel so right. Our bodies respond to a hunger outside of the blood and death from today. Hell, I feel his kiss all the way down to my toes. For those few minutes with our bodies pressed against each other, I can't feel the pain in my hip or the fear in my heart.
Knowing the passion must end, I grudgingly let him go. Pax studies my face while I memorize his.
"I hate to ask for anything, especially when you're dealing with Zombie. I only hope you'll make the bastard suffer before you finish him."
Laughing quietly, Pax cups my face. "Only one person has always known the right thing to say to me. Even when Ford razzes me, it's because he knows I need to hear it. Now I have a woman who never fails to say the right things. I'm a lucky fucking man."
As Pax and Ford leave the hospital room, I pray my man's luck continues.
47
Pax
Hunting a Dead Man
Ford thinks about Zombie's life and figures a man on the run will hide where he feels the safest. While I don't believe the asshole is dumb enough to go to his mom's house, we spot Zombie's Harley in her driveway.
We park our bikes two doors down from his mom's place. No reason to sneak up on him when he must know we're coming.
The bat feels electric in my hand. My mind recalls Zombie's expression when we arrived at the mall. His wide eyes followed by a smirk are classic Zombie. I'd seen him freak out on people dozens of times. Every time, he wore the same fucking look. I wonder what he'll look like when I bash in his face.
The front door stands open with only a puny screen to keep us out. I don't need to glance at Ford to know he wants to check around back first.
Stopping halfway around the house, I squat down, and Ford follows my lead.
"Makes sense for him to leave the front door open," I whisper, "if he has the backdoor booby trapped. Make us think what we're thinking, so we'll walk into a trap."
"If I was Zombie, I'd booby-trap both doors, figuring we might have this conversation."
"So we'll burn him out."
Ford makes a run for the nearby bushes. I wait a minute to check for movement in the house. Chasing after Ford, I meet him at the Harleys. We jimmy up a few Molotov cocktails and return to Zombie's house.
Hurrying past a window, I catch sight of Zombie's mom. She's been dead for more than a day, and her life wasn't snuffed gently.
With a fire at the back and the front doors, Zombie only has a few options for escape. The flames rise, turning the dark night into a festive orange. Hiding behind a tree, I hope the asshole makes a run towards me. I crave to be the one who makes him bleed first.
Zombie holds out for as long as he can, but eventually comes running out the backdoor. His gun blazing, he isn't aiming. My shot is more careful and takes out his hand holding the weapon.
Pain doesn't even slow him down. He's planning on going over the fence, so I wait until he's nearly on top of me before I swing the bat. The impact knocks the wind out of him, and he crumbles to the ground.
Zombie stares up at me like a crazed animal. All wide-eyed, but no smirk.
Ford hurries to my side, staring down at Zombie. "You should have saved yourself the torture and blown off your head when you had the chance."
Once I lower the bat on Zombie's head, he's out. We drag him past the burning house to the front yard. The neighbors refuse to come out to see the commotion. They're rightfully scared in this rough neighborhood.
Ford hot-wires Zombie's mom's car, and we shove the asshole in the trunk. After folding his body in half to make him fit, I finally get the lid down.
I drive the car, while Ford follows on his Harley. We never planned where to take him, so I make the decision to head to the 14th Street underpass. Parking on the side of the road, I drag a semi-conscious Zombie from the trunk then toss him down the embankment. Ford and I follow his flopping body.
"Got a text from Joker," Ford says. "If I understand his code correctly, the Blairsville sheriff is dead. Every cop in town is hanging out at the donut shop where he got killed. I guess stealth isn't a concern for us."
"Were we being stealth? I kinda felt like we were being sloppy and obvious."
Ford grins. "It's been a long day, so whatever."
We grab Zombie under the armpits and drag him into the underpass.
"A whole lot of rats around here," I announce. "I figured we'd kill him then dump the body. Or maybe we don't make death so easy."
"It's your little girl in the hospital. If you want him to bleed slow, I'm here for you, turd."
"We're naming our first boy Roy," I say, dropping Zombie in the dark tunnel.
"Why?"
"Roy Reed."
"Sounds like a serial killer. Just make sure he has a good middle name for the news reports."
I flip off Ford, who stretches with his bat over his head. Studying Zombie, I want him awake for the next part. Tallulah didn't have the luxury of sleeping during the attack. How many nightmares will Perri's children suffer because of this evil fucker? No, Zombie needs to be awake for the suffering.
"Why kill your mom?" I ask Zombie.
Staring through half-open, swollen eyes, he sighs, "She was a nag."
"Lots of moms are," Ford says, frowning. "But people don't kill them. You know you're crazy, right?"
Zombie grins. "Crazy? Or maybe I just see the world the way it is, and you fuckers live the lie."
"Nope," I say, bring the bat down and separating his shoulder bones.
His scream relaxing me, I allow myself to think of Jenn's smile. She's a funny broad and loves Lucky something fierce. Today, her blood was spilled because of this piece of shit.
Ford breaks Zombie's right leg. I think of all those people screaming at the parking lot. How afraid they were. I wonder if the man who died had kids. How will they enjoy Christmas after burying their dad?
Zombie's legs are past broken by the time we stop beating on them. I suspect the bones are dust, yet Zombie remains conscious.
"What did Trigger say to you when he found out you shot up the mall?" Ford asks, digging a blade into Zombie's gut.
"He said I should've saved my bullets for you two."
Ford grins. "Good. I'd hate for the old man to grow a conscience right before we break him."
Studying Zombie, I think about Tallulah, who's seen too much in her young life.
"Are you alright?" Ford asks, standing next to me.
"What happens one day when Tallulah is grown up and finds out what we do? What do I tell her?"
Ford looks around at the dark tunnel then back at me. "She'll understand. You'll just need to explain you aren't like Zombie. You keep your family safe, and the club is part of the family. Kids grow up seeing stuff, and she'll understand more than you think."
"What if I don't have it in me to be a good dad?"
Ford sighs deeply at this question. "I was worrying about that too when the boys moved in with us. Lucky said there are things people can't be, no matter how much they might want to. Things like being a super model or a rocket scientist. We can't choose to look a certain way or be super smart. We can choose other things. He said if I decide to be a good dad then I just had to be one. There's no magic or instructions involved. I would take care of them and keep them safe or I wouldn't. I'd love them or I wouldn't. Being a dad is like being a husband. You choose to be a good one then just be one. It'll be the same for you."
"I love that little girl, but I'm gonna kill her real dad."
"You're gonna kill the sperm donor she's lucky not to know."
"I'm afraid she'll grow up and hate me."
Ford snorts. "She'll be a teenager one day, so yeah, she'll hate you. We hated Marcy, and she let us run the streets."
"This is fucking beautiful," Zombie mumbles through broken teeth, "but I suspect your little princess will be raped and killed by a guy like me before she hits twelve."
His words send me into a rage, and I nearly crack his skull. Just before th
e bat reaches his head, I stop myself.
"Fuck," I growl. "You aren't dying that quick, asshole."
Zombie laughs even though his body is a mess of broken bones.
"How long before the rats get him?" I ask Ford as we drag him deeper into the dark tunnel.
"I'd say an hour, but the rats don't fuck around. Hell, they'd eat us if we stayed in here for too long."
"I won't beg," Zombie mumbles.
"Wouldn't mean shit if you did."
"I was aiming for your cunt woman, but she ran into a fucking car and went airborne. After that, I couldn't find her. You got lucky, but someone will put a bullet in her face one day."
Swallowing my rage, I walk farther into the tunnel where the rats rule.
"Your name is what gave me the idea of having you eaten alive. That and my cunt woman wanted you to suffer before you died."
"She sounds lovely."
Loud squeaking in the darkness convinces Ford and me to stop. We drop Zombie on the ground then step back. The only light is from our flashlight, and the darkness feels oppressive. If I were the fucker waiting to die, I'd honestly piss myself. Rats are nasty.
"Why Maggie?" Ford asks Zombie.
"Sharpie hid his sister, and Maggie looked close enough."
I roll my eyes. "The world is gonna miss you, Zombie. They'll weep at your passing and speak of you for years. Well, that, or they'll forget you existed by next week."
Swinging the bat, I get one last shot and hear his balls crunch. Ford shudders. Ball violence always turns him into a wuss.
We walk out of the tunnel, hearing sounds from Zombie. He cusses, and I think maybe tries to move. When he can't, he cusses more. By the time we're at the entrance, Zombie is yelling for the rats to get off him.
"Maybe we should wait to make sure he's dead," I suggest.
Ford balks. "Are you going back in to check?"
"No, I guess not."
"Are you feeling okay?"
"No."
"The kid will be okay."
"Didn't you think they might be dead?"
Saying nothing, Ford nods. In the darkness, I see him remembering the fear when we left Maggie's house and raced to the mall.
"If they died, I don't think I'd want to live," I say. "I'm not being a drama queen. I just wouldn't see the point of living without them."
"Yeah, you're not finding another woman like Bebe or kid like Tallulah. They see you the way I do and no one else does. You'd probably be right to kill yourself if they died."
"Turd."
Ford smirks. "Hey, I was being profound."
"What does that mean?"
Laughing, Ford doesn't explain. We walk up the embankment to where the car and Harley wait.
"Let's burn this," Ford says about the car. "Then you can ride bitch back to your Harley."
I don't say anything about riding bitch until the little car is on fire. Only when Ford climbs on his Harley do I speak.
"Wait, didn't Shay fall in love with you while riding on your hog? Shit, I hope that doesn't happen to me."
"Shut up, turd."
I climb on behind him. "What if I swoon and fall off?"
Ford elbows me. "Don't try feeling me up."
"I promise nothing, asshole."
Revving the engine, Ford glances back. "Be a grown-up for the ride."
"So you don't want me using your pretty hair to wipe my nose? I mean, it's right here at nose level, and I do have allergies."
"Turd, we're still working."
"You're so nervous," I murmur, loving his irritation. "What do you think I'm going to do?"
Ford frowns, full of suspicion, remaining tense the entire ride. I don't have to say or do a thing to make him miserable. A little brother's dream comes true.
48
Bebe
Sleepwalking until Daddy Returns
Tallulah keeps watching the door, hoping Pax will return. I don't blame her. I've gnawed my lower lip raw from worrying. Shay plays cool in the chair near the door. On her lap rests a gun hidden under her jacket. She checks her phone every few minutes, yet says nothing.
"Who took the boys?" I finally ask when the silence bugs me for too long.
Shay glances up at me. "A lady I met at school. Her kid plays with Donnie, and they live a few blocks over. All I need is a short haircut and I'll officially be a soccer mom."
We share a smile. I consider pressing the subject, just so we can keep talking. Yet sensing Shay is nervous about her brothers, I let the conversation drop.
Around eight, another nurse enters the room to check on Tallulah. She's the chatty sort who wants gossip about the shooting.
"Some people are saying it was a terrorist attack," Ashley babbles while checking Tallulah's blood pressure.
A stony-faced Shay glances at me then at the nurse. "We'll tell you what we told the cops. We didn't see anything."
Hearing Shay's bitchy tone, the nurse decides gossip isn't on the menu. She finishes her checklist then leaves us alone. Tallulah watches her go and stares at the closing door as if Pax might appear at that very moment. When he doesn't, she sighs.
The TV is on, and we all pretend to watch cartoons. Seeing Tallulah's eyelids are heavy, I know she needs to sleep. She even tries to sleep, but every noise from outside the room startles her.
"Mom," she finally whimpers.
"Does your arm hurt?" I ask, caressing her cheek. "Or your head?"
"No. When is Daddy coming back?"
"He has to punish the bad men. He'll be back in the morning."
Holding my hand, Tallulah yawns super wide. For the next few minutes, I watch her while she watches me. My heart aches with guilt, always feeling I should have protected her better. Despite my regrets, Tallulah smiles at me as she dozes off.
Shay gets a text at nine thirty. Waiting while she reads it, I start to wonder if she's illiterate since she's taking so damn long.
"They're fine," she finally says.
I glare at her, so Shay glares back at me. We have a short contest. I'm fairly sure I win, but I'm too tired to care.
"Go to sleep, and I'll keep watch," Shay says, adjusting in her chair. "I promise to shoot anyone who messes with us. If I get sleepy enough, I might shoot someone who isn't messing with us."
I smile at her attempt at humor. Finally giving into my fatigue, I rest on the pullout bed next to Tallulah. The hospital is quiet, yet not like at home. I hear people talking outside in the hall and machines beeping in the room next door. Even without the real noises, my head is full of the chaos from earlier.
The more I relax, the louder the gunshots and screaming echo in my memories. Worse is how I hear my baby crying. Even telling myself she's sleeping and safe now, I can't stop replaying the bloodshed of the afternoon.
An hour passes while I struggle to sleep. My hip hurts, and I can't get comfortable. Nearly in tears, I cover myself with a second blanket and pretend the weight on my body is Pax.
Closing my eyes, I'm at home. My body doesn't throb with pain, but from Pax making love to me for hours. I'm warm and relaxed as we cuddle in bed. I imagine him pressed against my back while Tallulah rests in front of me. In my fantasy, Folgers snores in the corner. We're all together in our house, and nothing can harm us.
Only when the dream becomes real enough can I let go of today's horrors and finally embrace sleep.
49
Pax
Finger on the Trigger
Helicopters fly overhead, and I hear sirens blocks over. The night is alive with activity, so no one notices us arrive at the school. Ford and I only know Joker is inside. Based on the number of Harleys and cars parked behind the school, he isn't alone.
Joker texts to say he's on the second floor. Guns drawn, Ford and I enter the dark school. Even seeing no one until reaching the stairwell, I feel eyes on us.
A limping Taco meets us at the stairs. "Ginger's people have all the entries guarded. No one is getting in or out without us knowing."
We fol
low him upstairs where our people wait. Joker stands with his arms crossed. Across the hall is Madden. Not far away by the window, Ginger is texting on her phone. She gives me the once over when we approach then loses interest.
Joker takes us aside to talk. "After the mall shootings, Madden grabbed Ryder and brought him here. We used them as bait to get Trigger to the school. He came with a few of his loyal guys along with Sharpie who helped us ambush them. Now the old man is tied up in one of the classrooms."
"Where's Ryder?" Ford asks.
"Tied up in a different room. Madden still wants to let him live as long as Ryder leaves town. I don't know if it'll be that easy."
"If Madden can't pull the trigger on his brother, we will," I mutter.
Joker gives us his trademark grin. "Get in line. Ginger already volunteered."
Hearing her name, the blonde glances at us. Her expression is unreadable before she refocuses on her phone.
I glance around, wondering what the hell we're all waiting for. Joker must be a damn mind reader because he answers my question.
"I'm waiting for a call from Sharpie. He's supposed to take out Breaker, who is holed up in his house."
"Tell him to burn him out," I say.
"Breaker has his wife and kids in the house. I'm ready to kill anyone standing in our way, but those kids didn't do shit except have a dad who made the wrong call."
"Clears throat loudly," Ginger says, joining us. "Let me send my sniper to kill him. At this point, his kids aren't getting out of the situation without nightmares. We can help them get out with their lives."
Ginger looks at me and forces a smile. "See, I'm nice."
"Never had a doubt," I mumble, giving her a grin.
We all look to Joker. "You're the president now," Ford points out. "You need to make the call."
"If your guy can kill Breaker without hurting Kym and the kids, take the shot."
Nodding, Ginger says, "My girl will get him and end this shit before the cops show up and go hostage negotiation on the situation."
As Ginger walks away, Joker grins at Ford and me. "I always forget about the girl power stuff she's selling."
Ford shares Joker's grin. I think I do too, but they both frown at me. My brother grabs me by the jacket and leads me into an empty classroom. Once the door shuts, he loses his steely mask.