by Addison Jane
I nodded. “We do, but it seems their superiors think he’s doing a stand-up job and won’t intervene.”
Angelo hummed, his eyes seemingly far away as he took in the small amount of information Op had granted me to share.
Hadley was still asleep. I’d managed to get five hours before my brain was awake and running over everything that had happened. It wasn’t ideal, but it was enough to keep me awake and alert.
“You know I can’t step in here,” Angelo said finally. “Anthony would not allow it because it does not directly impact on Rose.”
“Yeah, I figured as much.”
I wasn’t expecting Angelo to gear up and stand beside us in a war. What he had done by finding us a place to stay was enough for now.
“She worth it?” I looked up to find him facing me with his head tilted to the side curiously.
“More than worth it,” I answered without hesitation.
“Then you’ll figure it out.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes before I heard a throat clear. Hadley stood in the entrance to the kitchen.
“Hey, baby.”
“Morning,” she said softly, walking over and stepping into my open arms.
Angelo stood from his seat at the table, holding his hand out to her. “We weren’t introduced last night. My name is Angelo.”
She took his hand. “Hadley. It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for helping us out.”
He nodded. “Rose was insistent that since you’d been there for her before, that I help you now.”
Hadley turned in my arms. “What do we do now?”
I pressed on her shoulders, pushing her down onto the stool at the breakfast counter. “Right now, you eat. Then we make a plan.”
Angelo stepped around to the other side, pushing a plate of food across to her. “Emerson said to help yourself to food or coffee. She also laid out some clothes in the bathroom next to your room just in case. Take what you need.”
“That’s very kind. Thank you,” Hadley said as she began picking at the food.
I smirked at Angelo. “And who is this Emerson?”
Angelo’s expression stayed the same, not giving away any kind of emotion. “A woman close to my heart.”
“Like Rose?” I enquired.
“No,” he answered simply before heading for the door. “I’ll be back down soon, and we can discuss your next move.”
With that he was gone. This Emerson was obviously someone he held close. I sensed a story, but I knew it was one I most likely wouldn’t hear. It’s not like Angelo and I were best buds. We were lucky he was helping us out at all.
“What is our next move?” Hadley asked quietly.
“We keep running,” I answered.
Her shoulders slumped. “For how long?”
“Until you’re safe,” I said it with confidence, but inside I was burning up. I knew he was close. He had the kind of resources that I struggled to comprehend. Yeah, he was getting desperate and risking his place at the FBI, but if he got to Hadley and had her killed, it wouldn’t matter.
He would take his place as the leader of the Shadow Syndicate, and would no longer need the FBI. He would essentially be one of the most powerful men in the country, and that’s exactly what he wanted. It was also something that the FBI couldn’t offer him.
It was all starting to make sense.
He didn’t want a future with the Bureau. His aim was power and money and greed. The FBI had helped him get to the point where this was possible, and now Hadley was the last piece of the puzzle he needed to make his dreams a reality.
My eyes brightened as something struck me.
We were going about this the wrong way.
We were attempting to work our way through Judge and the FBI and have him cut off and withdrawn from his position. But in reality, that was what would happen eventually anyway. His end game wasn’t the Bureau, it was the Syndicate.
“I’ll be right back,” I told Hadley, kissing her softly on the cheek and rushing out of the room. I took the stairs two at a time. When I reached the top, I spotted Angelo standing outside one of the doors, the woman from last night, Emerson, in his arms.
He was speaking to her softly, one hand coming up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
I cleared my throat.
They both looked to me. Emerson blushed and stepped away. Angelo frowned, whispering to her quietly and using his hand to guide her back inside the bedroom before closing the door behind her.
He walked toward me. “Hope this is good.”
We walked side by side back down the staircase. “There might be something you can do to help.”
“Enlighten me.”
“Where are we going?” I asked Leo as we said goodbye to Angelo and climbed into the truck. There were two cars with us as we pulled away from the house, one in front, the other behind, both carrying Angelo’s men.
“To the airport,” he said simply. His brow was furrowed as though he was calculating things in his mind.
“Are we flying somewhere?” I asked, admiring the landscape around us as we drove.
“Back to Athens.”
I switched my gaze to him. “Am I missing something here?”
He shook his head. “Let’s just get back to the club. The boys are expecting us, and I need to make a plan with Optimus.”
I frowned. “Leo, just tell me what’s going on.”
“Just trust me, please,” he said, his eyes flicking to mine briefly. “I need to talk this out with the boys before anything is solid.”
I was frustrated but in a weird way, happy to finally be going back to the clubhouse. With Leo and I on our own, I knew he would protect me, but if Simon came and brought men, we could be severely outnumbered. Back at the clubhouse, Leo had his brothers to back him up. They would put their lives on the line to protect him and keep him safe. I allowed my body to slump into the seat, feeling a little more relaxed.
His hand reached over, resting on my thigh. I placed my own hand over it and linked my fingers through his. It gave me comfort.
Pulling up outside the airport, I suddenly turned to Leo. “What are we going to do about Blizzard’s truck?”
He grabbed his bag out of the backseat. “We’re going to leave it here.” He opened the door and climbed out, I followed suit, making my way around to his side as he stopped and talked to one of Angelo’s men, shaking his hand and saying thanks. He came to my side, grabbing my hand and leading me toward the door that said departures.
“Isn’t Blizzard going to be mad that you just ditched his truck in an airport, states away from home?”
The airport was small but busy. I held tightly to Leo’s hand as he pulled me toward the ticketing desk.
“Tickets to Huntsville, Alabama,” he said. The lady smiled and began tapping away on her computer.
“Do you have baggage to check?” she asked.
“No, we both have carry-ons.”
She nodded. “There’s a flight leaving in thirty minutes.”
“Get us on it,” he ordered.
The lady seemed unflustered by his firm attitude, smiling happily as she printed our tickets and handed them to us. “Have a nice flight.”
Leo grabbed them, pulling me away.
“Thank you!” I called back to her with a small wave, making her giggle.
We made our way through security fast and soon were waiting outside the gate to board our flight. I realized after our bags were scanned that Leo must have left his guns with Angelo.
“I can’t wait to get back,” I told him as we waited for them to call us up. The clubhouse had begun to feel like home and after being away for a week, it‘d be good to get back and be around the members again. I cleared my throat. “When we get back—”
“You’ll be moving into my room until we can find a house,” he finished, his eyes continuing to stare straight ahead.
“A house?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
He nodded. “I want to get M
acy out of the clubhouse, have her own bedroom where she can play, and a place I can come home to you both at night.”
My heart warmed, and I smiled.
When I didn’t say anything, he turned to me. “You good with that?”
“Yeah.”
He dipped his head, pressing his lips to mine. I didn’t care that there were people all around us. I wanted to climb over his lap and show him how excited I was, but I held back opting to enjoy the passionate kiss we were sharing. He pulled back. His lips brushed mine one last time before he sat back in his chair.
I was falling for this man.
Every time Leo kissed me, I was blown away. Swept up in the feelings and emotions that ran between us. It was like nothing I’d ever felt before and it had hit me full force.
“Like an avalanche,” I whispered.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
We stepped out the doors of the airport and my eyes widened. It looked as though the whole club was here.
Their bikes were lined up perfectly next to the curb, and each man stood next to their bike. I couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto my lips.
Optimus stepped forward, grasping Leo’s hand and pulling him in and patting him on the back. “Welcome back.” They pulled apart and Leo grinned. “Let’s get home.”
Optimus nodded. “Got Ham to bring your bike. He’s gonna catch a ride home in the truck with Chelsea.” I looked past the bikes to see Op’s truck, Chelsea waving out the window with a wide smile. I waved back before Leo grabbed my hand, and led me to where his bike was parked, next to Blizzard.
Blizzard folded his arms across his chest and smirked. “You gonna buy me a new ride?”
Leo snorted and handed me a helmet, before putting on his own. “Buy your own.”
I gave him an apologetic smile, but he just laughed, throwing his leg over his bike and starting the motor. Leo waiting for me to climb on the back before he started his up. The familiar rumble of a bike between my legs was nice. Being around Satan’s Sanctuary for the last few years, I knew how to ride. To me, it was a thrill, and I could already feel the excitement filling me as I wrapping my arms around Leo’s body, plastering myself to his back.
The roar of engines surrounded it, everyone at the airport turning to stare in awe as around fourteen bikes pulled away from the curb. We rode in a large pack down the highway, Chelsea’s truck in the middle surrounded by the deafening purr of Harley’s. As we cruised, I took the time to admire each of the brothers’ bikes.
Optimus’ had the Brothers by Blood logo airbrushed onto the side, something I noticed only he and Kit had on their bikes. I assumed it was an honor given to the presidents of their chapters.
Blizzard’s bike stood out too. While all the other men had varying styles—they were all black, a couple with accents of color. Blizzard’s though, it was a beautiful dark blue. It reminded me of his name, the dark shade of navy that the clouds would go when a storm was brewing.
It really was stunning.
The chrome on the bikes glistened in the sunlight, every single bike sparkling and clean. These men took pride in them, they were important and to be respected. You fucked with a man’s bike, you were looking for a world of hurt.
As we pulled into the road heading to the clubhouse, I noticed the black marks were still evident from where I’d slid Leo’s truck into the corner at high speed. The marks traveled across the road and bumped up onto the curb.
I shuddered. It was a day I’d never forget, the scars it left were a reminder.
Leo’s hand covered mine and he squeezed it. I squeezed back, telling him I was okay.
We pulled through the club gates, and the men backed their bikes back into line with flawless precision. I was saddened as I watched the men gather around Leo, realizing someone was missing from the group.
“Where’s Slider?” I asked, drawing the attention to me.
Leo looked around, realizing his brother wasn’t gathered with them.
“In the hospital,” Optimus said.
I grabbed Leo’s arm, I wasn’t sure why. It was like an automatic reaction, like touching him would give me strength. “What happened?”
Some of Leo’s brothers moved away while Blizzard and Op stayed.
“He came off his bike,” Blizzard explained.
I squeezed my eyes shut. “The drugs, they make him dizzy and lightheaded. It almost happened once before, I should have told you.”
“No,” Optimus said. “He should have told us.”
I opened my eyes, seeing Optimus clenching his jaw tightly.
“That should have never been put on you, and I apologize.”
“Op’s right,” Leo said, taking my hand. “We are his brothers and he kept it from us. That hurt us all.”
I leaned into Leo. “He’s hurting, too. He’s scared, he thinks he going to die.”
“Is he?” Blizzard asked with complete seriousness. I pulled my brow together in confusion. Blizzard sighed. “He won’t tell us anything. And there’s so much shit going on here at the moment, we’ve sort of just let him have his peace.”
I noticed the way Optimus clenched his fists. I looked up at Leo, curious to know what the tension was about, but he shook his head. “Later.”
I turned back to Blizzard. “He never really told me what the doctors had said. But yeah, there’s a high possibility he might not make it.” I laid it out for them. It was the truth. Slider may not pull out of this alive. For now, there were some options, but cancer was unpredictable at the best of times. It destroyed people’s hope, their families, their lives. And then it destroyed them.
When the men didn’t respond, I asked, “Can I see him?”
Leo patted me on the butt. “How ‘bout we deal with one drama at a time.”
“This place is turning into a regular soap opera,” Blizzard grumbled as we followed him inside the clubhouse.
Rose jumped up from a table where she sat with Jayla, rushing over to give me a hug. I giggled.
“I’m glad you got back okay,” she said as she stepped back.
I sighed. “Me too. But unfortunately, we’re no better off than we were when we left.”
“Not true. At least I have a workable plan now,” Leo interrupted.
“That you won’t inform me of,” I said, screwing up my nose.
“That being said…” Op cut in, “…let’s get into church and talk some shit out.”
Leo nodded, bending to kiss me on the cheek. “Won’t be long, go upstairs and try to get some rest. I’m gonna leave Macy at Carly’s tonight.” Then he was gone, following the boys out of the room.
I followed Rose over to the table where Jayla sat, tickling the young girl under the chin as I said hello and earning a giggle from her.
I sat down. “Thanks for calling Angelo,” I told her as she picked up a marker, helping Jay with the picture she was coloring.
She looked up and smiled. “When Blizzard said you guys were moving up the east coast, I knew he’d be able to get to you quickly. Angelo is good like that.”
I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the tension that had built up in them over the past week. “His lady friend, Emerson I think her name was, she gave me these clothes.”
Rose’s eyes widened. “Did you say Emerson?”
I frowned. “I’m pretty sure he said her name was Emerson.”
“Holy shit,” she murmured.
“Umm… okay. So who is she?” I asked, sitting forward. Angelo was mysterious. He had a darkness that surrounded him, but he was only ever polite to me for the small amount of time we were with him.
Rose swallowed. “My cousin.”
I sat up straight. “Woah. Woah. Woah. Isn’t Angelo part of your family?”
She shook her head. “Uncle Anthony took Angelo in when he was young, brought him up as a son. This is why his loyalty is to the DePalmas. Anthony was like his father, I’m not sure what happened with his real parents.”
“An
d Emerson?”
“Belongs to Anthony’s younger brother Antonio. He doesn’t have much to do with the family business. He built his own empire in hotels and resorts. From what I’ve caught, he distanced himself from the mafia side of the family. He attends family gatherings, but he refuses to have any part.”
“You can just step out of things like that?”
Rose shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’ve only met him and Emerson once, and there didn’t seem to be any animosity between Antonio and Anthony.”
“I’m sure there might be if Antonio figures out his daughter is screwing Angelo.”
Rose nodded. “Me too. That’s why I’m surprised. That and Emerson must be barely twenty-one. Angelo is like forty.”
“Well, that sounds like a whole mess I don’t want to be involved in.” I laughed.
Rose sighed. “I hope he knows what he’s doing.”
“He seems to have things pretty under control,” I commented, trying to ease her mind a little.
She nodded, forcing a smile. “You’re right.”
“Hey Hadley,” Chelsea said, followed by a yawn as she made her way down the stairs.
“Hey, you disappeared when we got back,” I said, standing to meet her in a hug.
She stepped back, nodding as another yawn took over her features. “Yeah sorry. These babies, they step on my bladder, and if I don’t rush to a bathroom I pee my panties.”
A loud burst of laughter rang out from Rose, but she quickly snapped her mouth closed when Chelsea shot her a death stare.
“You just wait. We both know once things are sorted with Jay, that Blizzard’s going to be putting as many babies in you as he can,” Chelsea said, pointing a sharp finger.
Rose snorted. “Yeah, at this rate I’ll be fifty. The courts keep screwing us around.”
Jayla looked up from her picture and looked at Rose. “Are you going to have a baby?” she asked in her whisper quiet voice.
Rose glared at Chelsea, before plastering a smile on her face. “Not anytime soon, honey. Aunt Chelsea is just hormonal and grasping at straws.”
Jayla screwed up her nose. “What’s hormonal?”
I tried to stifle my giggle, covering my mouth with my hand.