Cas
Thank fuck the nausea is easing up, but the dizzy spells are coming at me with a fierce vengeance. Every brother around the table has his own opinion of what we should do next and they’re being too fucking loud about it.
“Brothers,” I say, too tired to raise my voice above theirs. They all shut up and look at me. “Most of us around this table aren’t shy to finding ourselves between a rock and a psycho, only this time there are too many of our women and kids in the middle. If we ride up to the club in force, too much blood could be shed. Our loss could turn out greater than we’ve ever seen before. It could be a loss we would never recover from.”
No one disagrees. Sparky sighs, knowing I’m right and asks, “What do you propose?”
I wasn’t proposing anything until he asked, I was merely pointing out the fucking obvious.
“What if I go alone? Try and make a deal with him. If we can deal, we can at least get the women out before we revoke the deal and storm the place guns blazing.”
Three seconds of silence follows my idea before Ricky slams his hand on the table. Cocking a brow, I wait for him to continue, he obviously has something to add.
“That is possibly the worst idea you’ve ever had,” he throws at me. My brother’s entire family is at the club, I don’t know how he’s still sitting here so calmly. Only he’s not calm, he’s putting his faith in me to bring them out safe and it weighs me down like nothing else has done before.
“I agree,” Sparky pitches in. “You were just throwing your guts up, how are you strong enough to face down with him without us there beside you? No, you aren’t going anywhere.”
I lean back in my chair and they carry on fighting over what we should do next. I don’t think my idea was that bad, if it wasn’t for this fucking sickness and I was twenty years younger, not one of my brothers would have shot the plan down so fast. If this cancer wasn’t trying to take me down harder than all my enemies combined, I’d be able to think straight and come up with something else. Alannah catches my eye, wringing her hands together, her attention solely on the stairs. She’s listening out for Leo and Rayna and she won’t relax until she puts eyes on them.
“Go sit with the baby and send Leo down. He needs to be on this.”
She squeezes my shoulder lightly on her way out and heads upstairs. I relax knowing at least my wife will find some peace tonight.
I find Luca staring at me and a cross between anger and concern radiates from him.
“How you doing, son?”
Again, the brothers are too wrapped up in their arguments to hear me. I focus on my boy and a calmness settles over me when the double vision fucks off.
“I’m fine.”
He’s lying but it’s okay. I won’t call him out on it tonight.
“Taking Cas’s idea into consideration, why don’t one of us, maybe two, get inside undetected and go for a surprise attack. We could take a few down before they know we’re there?” JJ puts out there and it’s not a bad plan.
Banging from upstairs has us all looking to the ceiling forgetting JJ’s idea, it sounds like doors being thrown open and forced shut again seconds after.
Sparky and JJ rise from their chairs first and then Alannah is rushing into the kitchen like her ass is on fire.
“He’s gone, Harper too. They’re not here.”
Gritting my teeth, I ask, “The baby?”
“She’s asleep in her crib.”
Fucker. He must have settled her down and slipped out behind our backs. JJ disappears upstairs and all we hear is him slamming the door open and roaring, “Fuck sake, Harps.”
“They’ve gone to the club,” Ricky murmurs.
I can’t help it, I snap, “No shit.”
Not only do I have a club full of brothers and women under Ellis’s hold, I now have two of my children disobeying me on their way to join him. Fucking great. It’s all I need.
JJ’s heavy boots stomp down the stairs and with every step he takes it drives through my head like a punch to the jaw.
“What are waiting for? Let’s go, if he gets his dirty hands on Harper, who knows what he’ll do to her this time,” JJ casts out as he enters the room. Alannah stares off at nothing in particular and I can almost hear her mind working overtime.
“Babe, go sit with the kid, be there for her if these fuckers wake her up.”
Rising from the table, I turn from my wife and face JJ. He’s trembling with rage and I don’t blame him. Harper and Leo will both have me to answer to for this, whatever the outcome. Regardless that they are my blood, they will be treated the same as any brother who disobeyed my order. JJ stands half a head taller than me and his eyes burn into mine, daring me to keep him here.
“We’ve been sitting here for over an hour while we thought they were upstairs; they could already be there. We’ll wait for sunrise, when they’ve been up all night riding their adrenaline and start to wear themselves down, then we’ll attack.”
“Oh, so now your kids are in there, we can storm the place?” Ricky mutters.
“The fuck you say to me?” I growl, surprised by his acid tone. “We’re storming it now cause my asshole kids have moved the dice so to speak. Their presence in Ellis’s orbit will be enough for him to lose his damn mind as it is. Us showing up can’t make it any worse.”
Although, it can but we’re all out of options. Once Ellis has Harper and Leo, all bets are off and his leverage holding everyone in the club goes away. It’ll be a fucking blood bath.
“We have seven hours before sunrise, go and collect all the guns you can find and make it back here before the sun comes up.”
JJ shakes his head and digs his teeth into his bottom lip. “Do you have something to say, JJ?”
“Anything could happen before sunrise, he could kill them both.” Every shooting pain, every dizzy attack, every time I’ve had to stop and catch my breath, it all vanishes, and I raise my chin, stepping closer to him.
“I’m fully fucking aware of that; they could already be dead. Go with your dad and bring back every weapon you can find.”
Brothers begin to file out, but JJ remains unmoved until Sparks pushes him out the kitchen. I clench my right hand into a fist and the itch to smash it into the dry wall overwhelms me.
“And if I hear a whisper that any of you have tried any heroics and go to the club before I say, you’ll lose your place in the club, no vote, this is your only warning.”
Grunts and boots treading the wooden floors fill the air and then the front door shuts and silence descends on the cabin. Picking up one of the glasses left behind on the table, I grab it and throw it at the wall. Why can’t my son ever fucking listen to me? Harper will have to learn that there is a way of doing things around here too.
“So, I’ll clear that up before mom comes back down.”
I forgot Luca was here. “Does this mean I’m going with you and do I get my own gun?”
The little shit. “You think this is a game?”
I’m unable to control the fire burning fiercer within me and I can do without his cocksure attitude.
“You’re coming and if I give you a gun, your mom will put a bullet between my eyes. You’ll stay on the out until told otherwise.”
“That’s bullshit, dad. I want to help.”
“Why?”
His brows knit together in confusion and he drops his eyes to the floor.
“The people in there are our family, they’d fight for me.” He shrugs, and the fire dwindles.
“I slapped that prospects patch on you so you can start learning about the club from within, not from being my son. This is where you listen to what I say and follow it without question, without hesitation, and without nothing less than everything you have. You understand?”
He nods, biting his tongue, and I sit back down. He makes quick work clearing the broken glass away and dumps it outside in the trash.
The thought of my youngest son in the middle of the fight fills me with a cold dread t
hat has me second guessing what the hell I’m doing these days. Luca hangs around the back door, his fingers tapping against the screen on his phone and I leave him to it. I climb the stairs up to Rayna’s room and find Alannah sat in the rocking chair while our granddaughter sleeps away, completely unaware of the shit storm swirling over us.
“Where has everyone gone? I heard them leave.”
“They’re going to round up all their weapons. We’re going to hit the club at dawn and claim it back, finally take this prick out once and for all.”
A single tear rolls down her cheek and she doesn’t move to wipe it away. It’s rare to see her cry but when she does, it rips me in half.
“Hey, it’s going to be fine.”
I say the words but we both know I have no idea how this is going to end.
“I know why he did it, but how could he? He put his daughter to bed and walked away.”
Moving further into the room, I peek into the crib and my granddaughter’s beauty blows me away.
When it comes to family, I’m not so cold hearted I can’t see their beauty. When my sons were born, they were the most beautiful beings on the planet, the same with Rayna. I would have seen the same with Harper.
“He knew you were here for her, India needed him, and I reckon that’s how far his thinking went.”
Alannah sits forward and rests her head in her hands. She’s tired, we all are, and this needs to be over.
“Do I dare ask if Luca is going with you?” She doesn’t look up at me, so I cross the room and kneel before her. I pull at her hands until her face is staring straight at me.
“He’s a prospect, and any other prospect would go too.”
“I know,” I say, squeezing her hands in mine. “But he’s been a prospect for a hot minute and if you want, he can stay. He’s not even eighteen yet.”
“I would rather him be anywhere other than there, but he’s wearing the patch. I feel sick at the thought of him jumping into the fight, but I feel the same for you, for Leo, for everyone.”
She’s torn and so am I. Leo and Luca are different to me. Leo has wanted the patch since before he can remember, and Luca has never made a show of wanting to patch in. I assumed he would, but if I’m honest, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he chose another path in life.
“It’s not up for debate, I’m going with you, dad.”
Alannah looks around me and I look over my shoulder, Luca stands in the doorway, nearly filling it, and he’s determined and set on coming.
“Why?” I ask him again.
“He’s got a girl in there,” Alannah murmurs, realization hitting her hard.
He doesn’t confirm it or deny it and we say nothing. I rise to my feet, keeping Alannah’s hand in mine and look to my son.
“You do as I say, when I say, and if you put one foot out of line over pussy, son or not, I’ll make you regret it. You hear me?”
“Loud and fucking clear.”
India
There are two slit windows set around the basement and the sun rising is beginning to pour through, casting weird shadows across the brick walls and piles of boxes.
We haven’t spoken a word in the past couple of hours, there’s nothing to be said that we don’t already know. I don’t want him to be killed and he will tell me that won’t happen. I know he’s not asleep though, his fingers systematically draw circles on the top of my arm.
Instead of asking for more assurance he’s going to live, I ask, “Do you think Rayna slept through the night? She was restless last night before everything went…and we’re not there, you know how she gets. She needs her daddy in the mornings.”
For the last few weeks it’s been our routine when Rayna wakes, I collect her from her crib and then she lays with Leo, she cuddles into his side and they look so cute together. She won’t have him around this morning. I have no doubt Alannah will be there right at her side, but she’ll notice her parents are nowhere to be seen.
“She was sleeping soundly when I left her, I reckon she’d have slept peacefully all night because she was at home.”
His arms tighten around me and no matter how hard I try to relax; my muscles are wound tighter than ever. I need him like I need air, I need to feel everything from him. Before I can think of what I need to say or how to put my rambling thoughts in order, he speaks up.
“When they come for us, or me, or you, I need you to be strong. Do your best to keep your fear hidden, don’t let him see he can break us.”
“I can’t…”
“You can, and you will. You need to stone over, no matter what you see or what you hear or what he threatens, and when this is all over, you can fall apart and I’ll be right there to fix you back up.”
Rolling over onto my other side, I face the man I never thought would be the love of my life as he moves to stroke small circles on my cheek.
“Please trust I will have this straightened out by tonight, he gave my dad twenty-four hours, my dad will have the club reigning Hell over those guys in no time.”
“Then Cas will kill you.”
I’m glad I wasn’t there when Cas found out Leo had slipped out. Cas isn’t one to make jokes and be the life of the party on a good day, he’s always serious and the one who stays quiet, he’s cold. He’ll be even worse with his son disobeying him and putting himself in the line of fire.
“Probably, but I can handle him,” he smirks.
Oh God. This all sounds ridiculous, yet, this is our lives and completely real. This is really happening and the club not having the upper hand is terrifying.
“Please, India. Promise me you’ll not react to anything no matter what you see. Yesterday, when he shot the prospect you screamed out, you can’t do that today, no matter who he shoots.” My brows pull together so tightly I think they’re touching. Leo doesn’t repulse me, but his advice has left a nasty taste in my mouth.
“Even if it’s you?” I spit out.
How can he possibly think I would be able to stand by and just watch him be killed right in front of me without showing any emotion or heartbreak?
“I’m human, Leo, and I love you. I can’t promise you anything like that.” He shouldn’t even have asked. I wonder how he would react if I was to be killed in front of him?
“I love you, too.”
He closes the gap between us and tucks my head under his chin. It’s always so safe with him when we’re like this, it’s impossible to believe anything can happen.
“Fuck, I love you, babe. So fucking much.”
My mouth opens to tell him everything will be okay -although I don’t quite believe it- when the top door opens and two sets of boots jog down the bricked stairs.
We scramble up to our feet and Leo pushes me behind him. Usually I’d be pissed about that, but today I don’t mind.
“Come on, the boss wants you both up in the bar.”
Leo doesn’t move. My heart races against my chest as one of the Crows inches closer. He pulls his gun out from the back of his jeans and aims it straight at us.
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” he warns, coldly.
Leo’s hand snakes around his back and grabs onto mine. Stepping even closer to him I match every one of his steps as we pass the Crows and head for the stairs.
Thunder swims in my ears with every step we take. I try taking a deep breath, but it only leaves a lump in my throat. The bar doesn’t look any different from last night, not that it would. The brothers are now face down on the floor and the old ladies are sat on the couches over in the corner. My brother’s face is a technicolour of violence and Nina hasn’t taken her eyes off him. I don’t know her very well, if it at all, but it’s obvious she loves my brother and I’m glad he’s found someone he can be with. I did think for a while he and his moods would be alone forever.
“Good morning, Mr and Mrs Jackson,” Ellis hollers. “Oh wait, she’s not your wife yet, is she? She’s just the mother of your child.”
Harper is sitting at the bar, and she is st
aring down at the floor like it’s going to open up and she can jump into the abyss. I hate to think what she had to go through last night at the hands of this monster. She hasn’t got any physical marks I can see, but it’s the marks on your soul that are worse.
I cling to Leo’s side and offer a small smile at my mom. She looks tired and pissed.
Victoria is weeping quietly, perched against her mom and Bonnie is red cheeked with anger.
“Harper, how you doing?” Leo calls out, but it isn’t her who answers.
“She’s a little tired, it was a long night, you understand,” Ellis cuts him off and stands in front of her, blocking our view. “Actually, Bugsy, why don’t you take her back up to the room. She could do with some more sleep.”
To our astonishment, she slips off the bar stool and follows Bugsy upstairs. She glances at Leo as she passes and flinches as I reach out for her hand. She ignores me and disappears up the stairs.
“Shit,” Leo sighs under his breath.
I really don’t want to wonder too hard what happened to her in the night. While I was tucked in the arms of a man who loves me, she was subjected to God only knows what and with my cousin, it’s fifty-fifty whether she’s strong enough to withstand someone like Ellis.
“Sit him over here and shove her down on the chair,” Ellis orders one of his men.
Leo is dragged over to kneel before Ellis and I choose to sit before one of them touches me again.
“I assume you enjoyed your night together?” the prick says, dragging a chair across the bar.
He spins it and slams it down opposite Leo. Swinging his leg over it, he sits and comes face to face with my fiancé.
“I have killed you a thousand times, up here,” he starts, tapping the gun that never leaves his hand against his temple.
“Each time it was brutal, man. One time, I sliced you to ribbons and bathed in your blood. Another time, I shot out your knees and then your elbows, and then in the gut. I watched you bleed out for hours. It was beautiful.”
His One Regret: Sons Of Lost Souls MC Book Four Page 6
