I tightened my hold on her hip and pulled her forward several more inches. “We’ve gotta keep movin’, Katydid. Can’t stop now. Angel’s comin’ for us.”
She kept her hand on my arm for balance before leaning over to retch again. “I can’t—oh my god,” she panted, her words still slightly slurred. “We’re going to die out here, aren’t we?”
The moonlight hit her face, illuminating the terror in her eyes. We’d been limping along for hours now, narrowly avoiding steep drop-offs and forest debris hellbent on taking us down again.
“Ain’t a goddamn thing gonna happen to you, darlin’. Look up at those stars.” I lifted my arm toward the sky. “See those stars up there? It’s like a giant map, guidin’ us right to Angel. Just a little bit more and we’ll be at the lake. You remember which cabin was Wolverine’s?”
Kate wiped her mouth and gave me a shaky nod. “Yeah, it’s green. Everyone else painted their cabins red or yellow, but Wolverine’s was a deep green, like the color of the trees. And it’s not with the others, it’s off by itself.”
“That’s right,” I encouraged, cautiously taking another step. I had to keep us moving. If we stopped to sit, we weren’t getting up again. “You remember why he built it so far away from everyone else?”
“Because he wanted peace and quiet.”
In reality, it was because we used the smaller buildings on the property for cooking, and the last thing he wanted was nosy neighbors calling the badges in over a weird smell.
The feds would’ve had a field day.
Kate exhaled a soft laugh that turned into uncontrollable sobbing. She brought her hand up to cover her face. “Everything is blank. Like, I can remember things that Wolverine said forever ago, but I can’t remember the past twenty-four hours!”
“Don’t cry, Katydid. Don’t cry, baby.” I wrapped my arm around her shoulders in a half-assed attempt at a hug. Someone gunned a vehicle down a nearby mountain road, and we fell silent, holding our breaths as we listened. “I don’t think it’s comin’ this way. Just keep movin’.”
“I want to stop,” she whispered. “I just need to sit down and try to piece together what happened. I remember I woke up—” Her voice cut off in another sob and she stumbled.
“What is it, darlin’? Your foot?”
She shook her head and mashed her lips together, even as her nostrils flared. “It’s not that. I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking about Mike, and Nate came in—”
By this point, Kate’s grip on my arm was loosening as she tried moving down to the ground.
“No you don’t, baby. Gotta stay on your feet. What happened to Mike…” My own throat tightened. “It wasn’t your fault.”
I couldn’t let myself think about him right now. We had to keep going with what little strength we had left.
“It’s not that,” she hiccuped, twisting the diamond ring on her finger. “I’m—I’m pregnant. I just f-found out.”
The drugs.
We’d had club whores who’d gotten hooked on their club drugs, not even stopping when they got knocked up. The ones that didn’t pay a visit to Vic carried to term with no issues.
But they weren’t Kate.
I thought of Celia, miscarrying on the bathroom floor, and my molars came together. I should’ve killed him with my bare hands when I had the chance. For that matter, I should’ve lured Cobra out of the Jeep and slammed his head in the door. Fueled by nothing but sheer rage, I lifted Kate with my left arm and began powering through the trees. I’d live just so I could watch them die.
“Daddy?” she questioned.
“Gonna get you to Angel, and then I’m gonna rip that motherfucker’s heart out of his goddamn chest,” I panted. “Jesus fuckin’ Christ!”
“Y-you’re going to kill Nate?” she squeaked. “He saved your life—the night you were shot.”
I’d known those stitches were too perfect to have come from any club doctor. Eli could handle a lot of things, but a bullet to the chest wasn’t one of them.
“Nate? Why the fuck would I kill Nate?” I asked, pushing through a tangle of branches. “I’m gonna kill Jarvis. Nate can help.”
Kate fell silent again, except for the occasional sniffle and I wondered if she’d fallen asleep. The sounds of water lapping against the shore grew louder. We had to be getting close.
“Daddy?”
“Yeah, darlin’?”
She hiccuped again. “Do you think the baby—”
I jerked my chin. “Baby’s gonna be just fine, sweetheart. Now, just hold on. We’re almost there.”
“But Mama,” she protested. “I know about what happened. How do you know that won’t happen to me?”
My jaw tightened. “Cause I ain’t gonna let it. If I have to trick the sons-of-bitches into following me out onto the lake, I’ll do it if it’ll keep you safe.”
“When you said you were going to kill him, did you mean Jeremy?” Her voice was starting to sound drowsy again, her body fighting to shut down and recuperate.
“Jeremy’s goin’ to the Reaper for what he did to you—”
She gasped. “He told you about that?”
I pressed my arm a little tighter around the backs of her thighs. “Tell me about what? Drugging you to get you here?”
“He drugged me?”
I sighed. We’d been over the events several times, but the sedative kept wiping her memory clean.
“Jamie?” A voice whispered a few feet ahead.
I moved against a tree and lowered Kate back to her feet, signaling for her to keep quiet. The only person who would’ve known we were here was Angel, but I wasn’t putting it past the Sons to call me by my given name to draw me out.
“Goddammit, kid,” he cursed. “I just walked into a fuckin’ spiderweb, so if you’re there—”
I let out a low whistle. “Right here, old man. Comin’ towards you.” Kate draped her arm over my shoulders, and we began hobbling toward him.
The moonlight made the ripples on the lake shimmer like bits of silver as we broke through the trees into a clearing. Angel stood, looking every bit like a guardian angel that had come down just to save us.
“Christ, kid,” he finally said after looking me over. “You look like ya got one foot on a banana peel.”
“Says The Crypt-Keeper himself. What are you now—two hundred?” I joked as he moved to Kate’s other side, supporting her weight fully.
We’d done it.
“Three hundred, but who’s countin’,” he fired back before pointing toward the little green cabin. “Wolverine has a first-aid kit inside. Let’s see if we can’t get the two of you put back together for the ride home.”
I glanced around, but the forest was quiet. “Make it quick. Sons’ll be all over the place before long.”
“Katydid, thought you’d keep your old man company?”
Her gaze moved from the water to the trees and then back to the cabin. “Can we just go, please? I’ve got a bad feeling.”
“Sweetheart,” Angel said calmly as he led her up the steps and picked the lock on the front door. “Me and your daddy ain’t lettin’ those motherfuckers anywhere near—”
The sudden blast forced Kate into my side, the momentum sending both of us down in the entryway. My ears were still ringing as I called out, “Angel?”
I was met with ragged pants. “I’m here, kid.”
“What the fuck was that?” I reached back toward the porch, feeling along for his boots.
“Everything’s just fine. Get—get Kate in my truck. Can you do that… for me?”
“Angel?” Kate cried out. “Angel, where are you?”
Headlights kicked on from behind us, and Kate began screaming. Angel had managed to make it back up to his knees, a growing red stain spreading across his chest. As he fumbled for his holster, a second blast sent him sprawling face down onto the porch.
I worried I’d dislocated Kate’s arm as I dragged her away from the open door before moving back onto the por
ch for Angel. The motherfucker with the gun could take me out right now, but I wasn’t leaving him out there alone. “I’m right here.”
My ma was always rescuing wounded animals when I was a boy; said the trick was to keep your voice low and calm.
They’re scared already, Jamie. You don’t want to make it worse.
He lifted his head and reached for my hand, letting me drag him over the threshold. I reached up and flipped the lock, knowing it wouldn’t be enough to keep them out for long. The headlights streamed through the window, just enough for me to see how bad it truly was. Both bullets had hit him in the back and torn through his chest.
“It don’t hurt, Jamie. Don’t hurt a bit.” He began coughing violently, and a line of blood ran from his mouth and down toward his chin.
“You’re a shitty liar, old man,” I said through my tears, leaning over to take both of his hands in mine.
“Daddy, I need your shirt. We can use it as a tourniquet,” Kate begged as she crawled over.
“Katydid.” Angel shook his head. “Ain’t gonna do me a bit of good right now. You know what I need for you to do?”
“What?” she wept, lowering her cheek down to his.
“Need you and Kota-Bear to take care of your old man for me.” He swallowed, forcing the corner of his mouth up into a half-smile. “Ain’t the easiest gig in the world—”
“Don’t—” I choked on the rest of the words.
Don’t leave me.
Don’t make me figure this shit out on my own.
“Hey,” he said softly, bringing his hand up to cup my face. “It’s time, kid. Your ma’s been waitin’ on me for a long-ass time. Someone’s gotta keep Mikey in line up there.”
His hand fell away, and he reached into his pocket before pressing the keys to his truck into my hand. “Run,” he whispered. “I’ll hold ‘em off long enough for you to get her out of here. Go out the back door.”
“Angel, no.” I shook my head.
“You wanted to be just like me, my boy, but you were so much better. Might not have been my blood, but I was proud to call you mine.” His body began shaking as the shock from blood loss set in.
I pressed my trembling lips to his forehead, fighting to stay strong for him. “I love you, Charlie. Take—take care of Ma and Mikey for me.”
“Love you too, my boy,” he said through chattering teeth. “And Katydid, you tell that sister of yours that I couldn’t have asked for better granddaughters. You made my life worth livin’. Now, go.”
“Ain’t leavin’ you—”
“Now ain’t the time to play superhero, Jamie. Take the g-gun—” He exhaled loudly, but didn’t take another breath.
The heavy tread of boots hit the front porch, and I reluctantly let go of his hand to reach for Kate’s. “We gotta go now, sweetheart.”
She covered Angel’s body with hers and shook her head. “We can’t leave him. We can’t leave him for them.”
I bit down on the inside of my cheek as my resolve began to crack. “I can only carry one of you, darlin’. We gotta keep you and that baby safe.”
With that, she let go and reached for me. I had her climb onto my back like I did when she was a child, and we crawled under the windows, making our way to the back door.
I had no fucking idea how we were supposed to get around Saint’s men, but in here we were sitting ducks. They could burn the goddamn thing down around us if they wanted to. At least out there we stood a chance.
The back door was shoved open just as we reached it, the corner catching me in the temple hard enough to blur my vision. I blinked to clear it while fumbling to get Angel’s weapon up, but my movements were sloppy and uncoordinated. I found myself staring down the barrel of a gun and into the eyes of someone I knew all too well.
“The fuck are you doin’ here?” I managed to get out before Kate was pulled away and everything went dark.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Celia
I looked out at the caravan coming down Lauren’s driveway. “Why are there only two bikers?”
Molly avoided meeting my eyes as she arranged our weapons on the large wooden table. “About that—Bear and quite a few of the others had to make a last-minute run to Colorado, so this was the best we could do on such short notice.”
“The best?” I questioned as Wolverine climbed off his bike before turning to help Lucy. “You’re joking. You’re sure you told him about Kate and Jeremy?”
Lauren walked out onto the porch, crossing her arms over her chest. “What the hell is this?”
I jerked a thumb over my shoulder. “This is the army Molly got for us.”
Torch and Lou pulled up alongside Wolverine. With her magical ability to squeeze information out of Bear, I sort of imagined him sending us something a little more menacing and definitely a lot younger.
“We’re not ready,” Lauren said simply. “We need more time.” It was all she’d been saying since we discovered that Kate had been taken. “Wait—Abuelita? What are you doing here?”
Gloria waved cheerfully and held up a covered dish. “Do not worry, LoLo. I am not here to make the war. I brought tamales.”
“You brought… tamales,” Lauren repeated before running a hand over her face. “This is what you got us, Molly? This is how we’re going to defeat the Sons?”
“What?” Molly shrugged. “Nate and Garrett are sharpshooters, Jimmy’s ex-CIA, Wolverine can probably kill people just by looking at them now—and that’s not even getting into what we can do. But if you’re still worried…” Molly pointed behind us with a grin. “I got him too.”
We turned, and I sucked in a quick breath. “Carnage?”
Other than a red scar on his temple, he looked the same as he always had. It was miraculous considering he’d been shot twice by the Sons.
“Celia,” his mouth lifted mischievously. “Heard you were going to war with those cocksuckers and you didn’t invite me.”
I let out a huge breath and walk down the steps into his arms. “I can’t believe you’re here. Are you healed? You’re all better, right?” I traced the scar with my fingertips.
“Better than ever and ready to kick some ass. Thought I’d see if my old partner needed any help.”
“You mean the ‘kid’ you used to babysit?”
He shook his head and flexed his fingers. “No, I meant partner. We worked good together in Celia’s little house of horrors.”
“House of horrors?” Lauren questioned, her gaze darting between the two of us. “What does that mean?”
“Celia’s a master at torture,” Carnage proudly stated just as I opened my mouth to assure her that it was nothing. “Seen her make grown men cry.”
“Is that so? Celia, you’ve been holding out on us. Molly, did you know about this?”
Molly shifted a gun over several millimeters as if adjusting a place setting at a table before bringing a hand up to her hip. “Yes, I knew.”
Lucy patted me on the shoulder in greeting before going up the stairs to her niece. “Oh, you knew about it, did you? Lauren, these two went after an entire gang on their own once.”
I cringed, knowing if Dakota was within earshot I’d never hear the end of it. “That was a long time ago, and we would’ve gotten ourselves killed were it not for the club showing up.”
“And that’s how I ended up spending my free time with Celia.” Carnage grinned. “Learned a hell of a lot too.”
Lauren leaned back against the house with a thoughtful look. “You did it before, you could do it again, right? Carnage, what sort of things did you learn?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Torture, mostly. Oh, and she can do that kung fu shit real good.”
“Interesting,” Lauren said cryptically before winking at Molly. “You did well.”
I’d spent the afternoon biting my nails down to the quick while Jimmy and Zane worked to trace Jeremy’s cell, knowing there was a good chance he’d already turned her over and disappeared. Carnage’s trip down memory
lane had been a good reminder that we hadn’t always had a Jimmy or a Mike telling us what to do.
Once upon a time, I’d been a warrior…
“Got him!” Jimmy yelled from the bed of his truck, pulling me from my thoughts. He held up his laptop. “Bastard’s good, I’ll give him that, but I’m still better. Got him down south, maybe headed toward the border—”
“No!” I roared. The noose around my neck tightened and rage flooded my veins at the thought of Kate being handed over to traffickers. “We need to go. I have to leave. Has anyone seen my purse?”
I was rambling—my brain caught between preparing for battle and doing what I was told to do. I’d only ever been good at one of those things.
“Celia, we’re going to get her back. I swear it. Now, I’m going to need a team—”
“Me,” Lauren stated.
Jimmy’s face fell. “You know I can’t let you—”
“¿No puedes o no quieres?” she asked in a low voice. “You know we don’t have the numbers to go up against them, yet you refuse to let us fight.”
“Doll…” Wolverine stepped in. “Let me share a little secret with you. You’re never gonna have the numbers you want when it comes to war. Never gonna be fully ready. Know what, though? Worn these colors for longer than I can remember and they don’t run. So, you gotta look in the mirror and decide that today’s as good a day to die as any.”
Lauren’s mouth settled into a hard line. “Thanks, Wolverine, that was really… motivating.”
“Lauren,” Jimmy called as he leaped down from the back of the truck. “Lauren, come back!”
She stalked back into the house, slamming the screen door behind her. A woman after my own heart. While I’d initially been reluctant, we’d gone into this together, only to have it stripped from our hands as we approached the goal line.
“Where’s Angel?” I asked, scanning the yard. “Wolverine, did you talk to him?”
He frowned. “Ain’t spoken to him today, was he comin’?”
“I called him right after Nate arrived.” I patted the front pocket on the jeans Lauren insisted I wear, the denim almost rough against my skin. “Let me find my phone, and I’ll call him.”
Savior: Silent Phoenix MC Series: Book Five Page 30
