“I came to get my family back.” His tone was straightforward, no fucking around.
Calvert laughed, leaning against the wall, crossing his arms and his legs in front of him. “Funny, huh?”
Mandy had come to the conclusion this fuck was either crazy or just stupid. Most of the things he said made no sense, and this all seemed to be some sort of game to him. It was a game she would not have played with someone like her dad, ever.
“Funny?” Liam leaned back against the opposite wall, copying Calvert’s pose. “What’s funny about it?”
Calvert pushed off the wall, approaching cautiously. “You said I couldn’t get to your family. Guess what? I did.” He pointed to where the women all sat. “Notice they aren’t tied up. I didn’t want to hurt them, William.” He used Liam’s given name. “I wanted you to take me seriously. I want you to realize you aren’t above being targeted.”
“Targeted? Is that why you tried to steal everybody’s records from Doc Jones? Why you beat up an older woman?”
He shrugged. “No, I wanted to see what everybody’s damage is. I mean, we all have it, and she put up more of a fight than I thought she would.”
Liam was beginning to lose his patience. “You’re talking in circles, and I have no idea really what the fuck you want, but I can tell you what the fuck I want. I want the women back, and you to leave us alone. In turn, we’ll leave you alone, and everybody goes home happy.”
“Not sure I’m completely agreeable to that.”
Tyler came barreling through the door then, all savage and scary. His eyes flashed, and he held a Glock in his hand. Walking right up to Calvert, he put his hand around the other man’s neck and pushed him back against the wall he’d come from. Cocking the hammer, he put the handgun to Calvert’s head. “You’re gonna be fucking agreeable to it.”
Denise grabbed Tatum into her shoulder, burying the younger girl’s head so that she didn’t have to witness any of this. No matter how strong her daughter thought she was, she didn’t need to see this.
“Tyler, I have no beef with you.”
“I got beef with you, motherfucker, and I’m not nearly as calm as my pres over there. So here’s what I want. I want the women, and I want you to stay the fuck away from the club until you get too big for this city. If you don’t, I’ll take care of you myself. Out of anyone in the club, I’m probably the one you don’t want to mess with the most.”
Calvert held his hands up. “There was no harm intended, man.”
“Tell that to whoever raided Doc Jones’ house. She’s got stitches in her head and possibly a concussion. Not to mention one of the women over there is fucking pregnant. If you did this to prove you could, which is what I think you did, just remember, we’re not going to be so nice next time.”
Liam motioned through the door for the rest of his guys.
And just like that, it was over.
‡
Chapter Thirty-Six
“That was the weirdest situation I’ve ever been in, in my life,” Mandy admitted as she lay in bed later on that night with Dalton. “He never actually threatened us, wasn’t particularly mean or rude, but he went to all that trouble.”
Dalton tightened his arms around her. “That situation was exactly why I pulled away from you all those months ago. Why I worried myself sick, but I should have known you were stronger than that. I think Tyler was right. What he wanted to do was prove he could. Maybe he has other plans up his sleeve, maybe he’s planning on hitting a bigger club in another city. Either way, they let us leave, they didn’t hurt y’all, and tonight everybody’s safe. That’s all I can ask for. Calvert’s a wild card. Sometimes things set him off; sometimes he’s in it for the shock value. I kind of think he did this so he could say he was in charge. Ya know, he took you all, and then it was up to him to let you go. He chose to do it, which gives him power over Liam. Not directly, but in the eyes of others. This was all about him gaining respect in the crowd he runs with. I’m almost positive of that.”
She snuggled deeper into his arms. “I think you’re right, because I never really felt threatened after they got me in the van.”
“Speaking of,” Dalton ran his hands down her back and then around to her stomach, “I wish you would have let me take you to the hospital.”
“Ashley was here, and she checked me out. She said I’m fine, I feel fine. We’re fine.” She leaned in, giving him a lingering kiss.
He pulled away, lying flat on his back, tucking her in close to him. “So Remy and Tatum, huh?”
She laughed. “I think so, and I gotta say I’m praying for the guy. He has no idea what he’s up against with her.”
“I had no idea what I was up against with you,” Dalton admitted.
She sighed, thinking back to their days in high school and how she’d always had a crush on him, and how she’d always wondered what he’d thought of her but wouldn’t ask. Vividly she remembered them going to his trailer that night and her giving herself over to him. In all honesty, she hadn’t realized what she was up against with him either. In a perfect world, they would have been married by now, expecting a child with a ring on her finger, but life wasn’t clean-cut. It wasn’t always how they expected it to be, and if anything had been driven home in the past few months, it was to expect the unexpected and to be grateful for what they had.
Mandy knew she was beyond grateful the two of them had found their way back to each other. Knowing how much Dalton helped her, how much he took the stress off her; she couldn’t imagine doing this herself.
“You almost got away,” she teased.
His face lost all playfulness and went a hundred percent serious. “I was a dumbass. No other way to put it. I’ll never question us again; I’ll never make a decision for us without asking you first again. I’m pissed at myself over how much time we lost.”
Grasping their fingers together, she brought his hand up to her lips, kissing it softly. “Then promise we’ll spend the rest of our lives making up for the time we lost. Don’t do that to me again.”
“You have no fear of that. I’ll spend what’s left of my time here proving to you how much I love you.”
Sounded fucking amazing to her.
*
Tyler knocked softly on one of their normally empty dorm rooms, waiting for the voice of the person on the other side to invite him in. When they did and he walked in, letting the door close behind him, he did his best to control his emotions.
“I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
Doc Jones had helped most of them in one way or another, but she’d been extremely beneficial in Tyler and Meredith’s relationship, culminating in their marriage. She’d always had time for both of them and had always given sound and fair advice. It was one of the reasons they’d always suggested her to other people in the club. It was why they still made trips to her even now, years into their marriage.
She sat in one of the chairs they had in the room, staring at the TV. He could tell she didn’t actually see it.
“I’m okay,” she told him, her voice still masked in that tone he associated with shock. “I just can’t believe they came to my house. That place has been my home for years, and I’ve never been scared there. I’ve lived out there by myself for most of my life, and I’ve never once felt threatened.” She shook her head, disbelief apparent.
“I feel like we brought this to you,” Tyler admitted, having a seat on the bed, facing her. “That I brought this to you, because I’m the one who started taking Meredith to you in the first place.”
She took a deep breath and turned so that she faced him as well. “The whole time I’ve been helping the club, I’ve known what that meant. I knew one day that could mean I would be a target, but you all need help. You’re such amazing people, and with a little push in the right direction, you’re extraordinary. I don’t regret helping you, I never will.” She sighed. “I just need some time to feel safe again, some time to deal with what happened.”
“T
hen we’ll give you that, and I personally will make sure you’re safe,” he vowed, reaching over to grab her hand.
She smiled at him, her face showing the wrinkles that had deepened over the years. “The moment I met you, Tyler Blackfoot, I knew you were a rare human being and an amazing man.” She reached forward, cupping his cheek. “You’ve never disappointed me.”
He grinned, letting his white teeth show. “You’ve never disappointed me either, Doc Jones. And that’s why you’ll always have my protection.”
As he left the room, he realized he meant every word he’d said to the older woman. Until she was no longer on this earth, she was his family.
‡
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The fallout from the girls being taken had affected everyone in the club differently. Liam kept watch over his daughters and wife a lot closer, the guys kept their wives closer, and it looked like Tatum and Remy were spending a few afternoons together a week. Dalton noticed Remy was the picture of a gentleman. Him, though? He’d been thinking more and more about the land he’d intended to purchase. It was still for sale, and he had a meeting scheduled to get approval for it.
“You leavin’ early today?” Liam asked as he came to sit next to Dalton.
They were all taking a break from the work at the shop. A huge thunderstorm had rolled in, and the group of them sat in the garages, drinking Cokes and shooting the shit while they waited for the lightening to subside.
“I am. Thanks for letting me go on such short notice, by the way.” Dalton took a drink and wiped his mouth. “I’m going to the bank to see if I can get approval for the land in Barren County and financing for a house.”
Liam grinned, thinking of what a huge step this for his daughter and one of the men he considered his sons. “Scary, isn’t it?”
“Adulting is fucking scary,” he admitted. “But we’ve gotta have a place to bring this baby home to. She doesn’t want to be in her apartment anymore, and to be honest, as much as I love the clubhouse, it doesn’t feel like a good place to raise my son. I want him to have a home; I want him to have his own room, and a real kitchen. Ya know, all the shit I didn’t have growing up.”
“Ya know,” Liam started, running a hand through his hair, “I think that’s what all of us want for our kids. The things we didn’t have. The stable household and all of that. I hope I’ve been able to give that to my kids, anyway.”
Dalton glanced over at the man they called pres. “You’ve given it to way more than your kids, Liam. We stick around here because you and Tyler are like the fathers none of us had. We all look up to you, and we all hope like hell we can be the type of men you’ve taught us to be. My son is going to be damn lucky to have you for a grandpa.”
They were quiet for a few minutes, and Dalton got the impression Liam needed to get his emotions under control. But Liam surprised the fuck out of him when he gave him the best compliment he ever could have.
“Your son is going to be damn lucky to have you for a dad, too. Don’t discount yourself, Dalton. You’ve turned into a really good man.”
And that was enough to make his damn life.
*
Mandy stood in front of the bathroom mirror, trying to find something that fit comfortably. Three weeks to go and she was miserable. Even dresses, which had been her go-to, were starting to feel tight against her skin. She’d gained a total of twenty pounds, but damn, those twenty pounds felt like a million. The door to the dorm room shut, and she heard Dalton yelling for her.
“Yeah?” She quickly put on one of his over-sized shirts and the most comfortable pair of sweatpants she’d been able to find.
“Hey.” He grinned, kissing her on the cheek. “Things okay?”
“Other than the fact that nothing feels like it fits anymore, I’m good.” She wrinkled her nose.
He put his arms around her waist, supporting her back with his hands. “You’re still gorgeous, and you totally have the glow of motherhood going on.” He moved his hands down to her ass and squeezed. “Still sexy as fuck too.”
“Totally don’t feel it.” She laughed. “But thank you for saying it. Where have you been?” She snaked her arms around his neck. “I’ve been off work for a couple of hours, and Dad said you left work early today.”
He walked them over to the bed, sitting them down. “I don’t want you to freak out, but I did something today. Something I hope you’ll like.”
The look she gave him told him she was nervous. “I’ll reserve my response until I find out what the thing you did is.”
He reached into his cut and pulled some paperwork out, handing it over to her. “I went to the bank today. The adjacent lot to Samuel’s up at the lake is ours, and we have financing to build the house you wanna build.”
Her hands shook as she looked at the paperwork he’d handed her. “Is this real?”
“So real,” he assured her. “This was actually where I was headed all those months ago when I heard what was going down with Samuel. Back then I’d decided I was sick of being away from you. Things happened, and I didn’t get to the bank that day. I didn’t get to surprise you the way I wanted to, so I hope this is good enough.”
“I never expected this, Dalton.” She fused their lips in a kiss. “Are you sure we can afford this?” she questioned when she caught sight of the amount of the loan.
“I put half of that down today. I’ve been saving money since I could work. I knew when I decided to make things official with you; I wanted to have all the things I never had as a kid. I want our son to have a home to come to.”
The brightness in her eyes dimmed slightly. “There’s no way we’ll get a house built before he comes.”
“Already taken care of,” he promised. “I got a modular to put out there while we’re building the house. The modular is furnished with everything but the nursery. They’re moving it out there today. We probably won’t have cable, but we’ll have each other.” He prayed to God that was enough.
She bit her lip before moving over so that she straddled him on the bed. Burying her head in his neck, she nipped at the skin. “I guess I can do without my Sons of Anarchy reruns,” she joked. “Really, each other is all I’ve ever wanted.”
‡
Chapter Thirty-Eight
“I don’t understand why I’m wanted at the clubhouse and why you’re forcing me to wear this dress, Tatum,” Mandy moaned and groaned a few days later.
She’d been busy with Dalton, moving into the new modular home that had already been set up on the property. They hadn’t had much stuff between them to move out there, but with her having limited capabilities of movement, setting up house was taking her a while. And today, while she’d been in the middle of it, Tatum had showed up with a dress, telling her to fix herself up nicely and come with her to the clubhouse.
Who in the fuck had time for this?
“My enormous tits are going to fall out of this dress,” she complained as she put on the one good maternity bra she had left, before putting the dress on. The color was gorgeous, a pink that set off the pregnancy glow she still had, along with her dark hair, and dark eyes.
“Would you stop complaining?” Tatum chastised her. “I’m wearing a dress too if it hasn’t escaped your attention. We’re being requested at the clubhouse. We don’t ask,” she pointed out. “We just go.”
Mandy had already done her hair and makeup, and was trying to slide sandals that buckled over her feet. Her belly was too big, though, for her to bend down and clasp them. In frustration, Tatum bent down, doing it for her. “You’re already learning how to be an old lady, little sister. Is that what you do with Remy? Don’t ask, just go?”
“I’m not talking to you about Remy. It’s none of your business,” she huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for Mandy to grab her purse.
“Oh no, girlfriend.” She grabbed a bottle of water and a granola bar too, because at this point, being comfortable, hydrated, and fed were the top three priorities in her
life. “You don’t get to tell me to mind my own business. You were so far up in mine when Dalton and I were first dating that you might as well have been a third wheel, even at your age. You don’t get to brush off my sisterly concern.”
“I was like three,” Tatum defended herself.
“Doesn’t matter,” Mandy argued as they got into Tatum’s car. “Payback’s a bitch. Now spill.”
*
“Why are all these cars here?” Mandy asked when they pulled up to the clubhouse. The parking lot was as full as she’d ever seen it, and it made her a little nervous. Had something happened to one of their members and they were trying to figure out how to break it to her gently so she wouldn’t go into labor?
“It stands to reason if they wanted us here, then they probably wanted everybody else here too…right?”
Again with the pregnancy brain. Mandy would be glad when her mind was her own again. “Whatever you say. Let’s go see what all the fuss is about.”
Tatum held the door open for her older sister, making sure she got out of the car okay. The two of them got to the door of the clubhouse, talking about Drew’s bike, which they saw parked around to the side. He’d just gotten new mufflers and had them chromed.
“I wonder if they’re louder?” Mandy asked as they opened the door.
Almost immediately there was a loud yell of Surprise! which caused her to take a full step back, she was so shocked. Looking around, she saw the faces of everyone she knew and loved, and then she saw the big mound of gifts over to the side, all in blue, green, or yellow. Raising her eyes, she saw a banner hanging that proclaimed this a baby shower.
“Oh my God, is this my baby shower?” she gasped, not sure what to think. It hadn’t even crossed her mind.
“It sure is.” Tatum clapped her hands together. “Thanks for being so damn cooperative.”
Mandy laughed and cried at the same time, realizing how blessed she was to have the people she did in her life.
Shield My Heart (Heaven Hill Book 9) Page 16