by Harley Wylde
My throat tightened. “You were in love with my mother?”
“Yes, but she was already married. Voronin already had a daughter with her. I couldn’t take her from him. It wouldn’t have been fair to your sister.” He paused again. “Where are you, Katya? I think we need to speak face-to-face.”
“I’m in Alabama.” I looked to Sarge for guidance. Was I permitted to give away my location? It wasn’t like my father’s men -- or the man I’d thought was my father -- didn’t know he’d come here before he vanished. If they’d come looking for him, I hadn’t heard of it. Then again, I doubted anyone would have necessarily shared that information with me. Sarge gave me a nod. “I’m at the Dixie Reapers compound.”
Sarge held his hand out and I gave him the phone. He gave Bykov the address and then hung up. He crouched at my feet, reaching for my hands, lifting them and placing a kiss against my fingers.
“Whatever happens, I’m right here with you, kitten. You’re mine. I’m yours. And no one is taking you from me.”
I gave him a nod. I only hoped those words were true. Even if Konstantin Bykov was my father, the fact I killed Voronin put me in a sticky situation. The Bratva would demand justice, and I wasn’t sure the Reapers would be able to stop them from taking me. For the first time since I was little, I prayed. If this was ever going to turn out okay, I was almost certain it would require divine intervention because the Bratva never backed down. They’d keep coming, sending more soldiers, until the Reapers were wiped out and I was firmly in their grasp. No one ever killed one of theirs and lived to tell the tale. I might have been born into that world, but I was a woman. Inferior. Only good for breeding and negotiations. And I’d killed one of their men.
Sarge sat and pulled me into his side, holding me as I tried to keep it together. I’d come this far. He called me his fierce kitten, and for him, I’d continue to fight. Whatever the outcome, I’d go down swinging.
Chapter Ten
Sarge
What had been an amazing night had turned to shit with one phone call. Katya had finally fallen asleep and I’d carried her to bed, then I’d gotten on the phone. Not only did Torch and Venom need to know we had company heading our way, but I wanted to see what Wire and Lavender could find on Bykov and anything that might be useful about the Bratva. After doing as much as I could, I went into Theo’s room. The paint wasn’t quite dry yet so I couldn’t do a lot. I remembered Pepper washing any new clothes or bedding whenever I bought stuff for Reed, so I gathered up the stuff I’d purchased earlier and carried it to the laundry room.
As I dropped all the bags onto the floor, I realized the room was too damn small for someone with a family. It was one thing when Reed was only here to visit, but now I had a son who would be living with me, and a woman under my roof. She’d want more space in here. I looked around the area. I couldn’t extend the width because Flicker’s house was right across from the wall where the washer and dryer were hooked up, but the rear wall faced the backyard. The house had always been a strange shape instead of straight across the backside, but that worked in my favor right now.
I tapped on the wall in a few spots, trying to get a few ideas. One of the newer Prospects, Austin, had worked construction until an incident had cost him his job. It hadn’t taken long for him to become our go-to for projects like this, even though he’d only been a Prospect for us about fifteen months. I didn’t give a shit if he was sleeping or partying. Grabbing my phone, I called and kept calling until he picked up.
“Sarge?” he asked, his voice thick but not from sleep.
“You drink until you passed out? Or you still drinking?” I asked.
“Uh, maybe a bit of both?” He didn’t sound certain, which told me he was pretty fucked-up right now. Great. “Get your ass to my house. I’ll have coffee waiting. Once you’re sobered up, I need to talk to you about something. And for fuck’s sake, walk and don’t try to ride your damn bike.”
The line went dead and I just shook my head. I didn’t know how long it would take for him to stumble his way here, but I hoped the fresh air would be a start to getting his head clear. The kitchen was still wrecked, but I could see that Pepper had taken quite a few things. I sifted through the stuff nearest the coffeemaker and realized most of it was probably hers too.
“My house isn’t a damn storage unit,” I mumbled. I kept a few boxes on hand and went to the carport to get one. There was a small room at the back that wasn’t big enough for much of anything, but I kept about a half dozen boxes in there in case I ever needed them for something. I grabbed one, then took it to the kitchen and piled anything I didn’t recognize into the box, then set it by the door for Pepper.
By the time I had coffee brewed, Austin came tumbling into the house. If he woke up Katya, I’d have to kick his ass, even if I did tell him to come here. I made him sit and got about three cups of coffee into him before he stopped slurring his words or looking about two seconds from passing out. When he was clearheaded and able to focus, I showed him the laundry room and explained what I wanted.
“Just expanding the laundry and nothing else?” he asked.
“What else would I need?”
He shrugged. “You have a woman now. Heard about your son. What if she wants more kids, or you do? Going to run out of rooms.”
“I don’t plan on having a dozen kids at my age.”
“Just hear me out. I heard about Hunter and Dalton painting the room you were using for Reed to make a bedroom for Theo, and a place where Reed could still visit. What about making the room next to theirs a playroom?”
I was already shaking my head before he’d finished the sentence. Not only did I not want to give up that space because it was a pain in the ass to set all that shit up, but I wanted a buffer between my room and any space the kids would use. Katya wasn’t exactly quiet when I was balls-deep inside her, and I planned on making her scream my name until I couldn’t get it up anymore. And even then, that’s what those little blue pills were for.
“You need more bedrooms,” Austin said. “This house isn’t designed for a large family in mind. Just listen. If you don’t want me to do it, then tell me, but not until I’ve laid it all out. You have attic space upstairs, but it’s not easily accessible right now. What if you made the master bedroom a bonus room and put in a staircase to the second floor? You could then renovate the attic and easily put the master bedroom up there and at least one or two other rooms.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. The kid was giving me a headache. “Austin, I appreciate your enthusiasm over the remodel, and your concern for how many kids I’ll have, but I like the set up just fine. Except this room. I want a counter in here with cabinets underneath for storage. The extra space would also allow Katya to put the hampers in here all at one time and be able to move around without tripping over stuff.”
Austin folded his arms. “How set are you on living next door to your daughter?”
Now he had my attention. I knew the Prospects didn’t have their own homes, so he wasn’t offering up his space. So what exactly did he plan to offer me? It wasn’t like he had any say over things around here. Had Torch asked him to build something new? While most things went through Church, new houses had gone up or at least been started without any of us knowing until we heard the hammering.
“I like being near my grandson, and I think Theo wants to stay close to Reed.” I leaned against the wall. “Why?”
“Since the club keeps growing, when we put in those small apartments for guests, Torch and Venom asked me to take on another project. At the time, I think it was more for Ridley’s benefit.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked.
“Farther back, beyond the apartments, there’s a cul-de-sac with four houses. Big ones. We’re talking six bedrooms each, three full bathrooms, and a half bath downstairs in each. The yards aren’t fenced separately out back, but instead it’s one huge enclosed area. I was tasked with putting in play equipment, a pool with a wro
ught-iron fence and gate around it, sandbox, and a few picnic tables. It’s nice. Really damn nice. No expense was spared on the inside either.”
I waved a hand, wanting him to get to the damn point, although I always wanted to know how all that had been added without me knowing. Did Flicker know about it? Or anyone else?
“Venom and Bull are taking two of the houses. Ridley wanted to be closer to her dad, and she’s gotten close to Darian too. The other two haven’t been claimed. Since Flicker claimed your daughter, it’s possible Torch would let you and Flicker take the other two houses. It would give you room to grow, keep you near your daughter and grandson, and it would give your woman three other Reapers ladies to lend a hand or keep her company when you’re out on jobs.”
Well, damn. The kid had really thought this one out. I didn’t know how he’d gone from falling-down drunk less than hour ago to being this fucking logical. It made me think if he ever patched in, he’d be a damn good asset to the club, and someone I’d gladly call my brother. I knew he had his issues, but we all did.
Looking at the time, I knew it was risky to call Torch. The sun would be up in a few hours and I could check in then. I’d already pulled him from bed once, and this was hardly an emergency. Although…
“What’s security like back there?” I asked. “Those homes easy to access without the club being aware of trouble? I didn’t even know they were there. I won’t ask Katya to move to a place that could leave her defenseless if our gates are breached.”
Austin dropped his voice, even though we were the only ones awake in the house. “There’s a bunker. It’s not right by the houses, but about fifteen feet from the one Venom is taking. Torch plans to add another cul-de-sac on the other side of the bunker. It’s big enough to hold maybe thirty or forty people. Not comfortably, but it would keep the women and kids safe if there was trouble. He’s going to take one of the other homes. Tank, Rocky, and Gears will be offered the others.”
Fucking hell. All the officers would have access to that bunker for their families. What about the rest of us? Sure, that meant Pepper and my grandson would be safe, but what about Theo and Katya? Or Zipper’s family? Tex’s and Wire’s? What the fuck was going on around here?
I wanted that house if for no other reason than to make sure my family was safe. I just didn’t like what it meant for everyone else. They were still near the front gates, and their families didn’t have a safe place to hide if trouble came knocking. I didn’t understand what Torch and Venom were thinking. We were brothers. We protected one another, including our women and kids.
My stomach knotted at the implication of what Austin had shared. I didn’t think the kid even realized it yet. Those houses weren’t the secret. It was the bunker. The rest was window dressing. Sure, someone would see them and ask questions, but if it was explained as a way for Bull and Ridley to stay close, or Torch and the other officers to be close to one another, no one would think anything of it. They’d never realize there was a secret room underground for those families.
“Thanks for coming by, Austin. I’ll talk to Torch about the house.”
He nodded and let himself out, but my heart was heavy. What was happening to the Dixie Reapers? And how had it all transpired without me even noticing? First Torch sending Katya to the gate to face who we thought was her father, and now this. As I thought over things, I realized there had been other risks over the years, ones that wouldn’t have happened a decade ago.
I called Venom, not caring if he was asleep or not.
“What the fuck, Sarge? It’s three in the damn morning.”
“We need to talk. Now.”
Venom growled. “Did you just issue me an order?”
I didn’t even hesitate. “Yeah, I did. So get your ass to my house before I lose my shit. Learned some things tonight that don’t make me very happy, and I doubt the others around here would like it either.”
“Christ. I’ll be there in ten. You better have coffee ready.”
I hung up, brewed a fresh batch of coffee, and waited for the VP to arrive. I needed answers, preferably before Bykov showed up. If there was even a chance the club was changing in ways I wouldn’t like, I needed to know before I entrusted them with keeping Katya safe. Once Bykov was inside the gates, all hell could break loose.
I heard Venom’s bike but remained in the kitchen, leaning against the counter. There was already a fresh cup by the coffeemaker. Venom stomped into the house, went straight for the coffee, and took three gulps before he even looked at me.
“What the fuck is going on?” he asked.
“That’s what I want to know. Learned about some houses at the back of the property, ones with a secret bunker for all the officers’ families.”
He sighed and closed his eyes. “I told Torch not to keep that shit to himself, but he said he wasn’t ready yet. You know we had to make a deal when Renegade’s sister got caught up in that mess a few years back. In order for our brothers to be released, Torch had to agree to let that asshole run trucks through here and let things fall off with no questions asked. He did the same thing with every club involved.”
I motioned for him to keep going. I already knew all that shit. We all did.
“Well, Rocky decided to open one of those boxes before it was retrieved. We’d thought it was drugs. It’s not. The guy is running guns and counterfeit cash. And I don’t mean your average guns either. We’re talking shit only the military should be able to access. Including a grenade launcher.”
“And you think he’s going to use those weapons against us?” I asked, not sure what that had to do with the bunker.
“It’s possible, but if not him, then someone else could easily bring that shit to our gates. After what happened with Lavender, Torch decided enough was enough. He started on those homes and the bunker, but there’s going to be more. Not more homes except for as we need them, but there’s going to be two more bunkers, one on each end of the compound. He got the idea from Hades Abyss. Their Mississippi chapter has a pretty fucking sweet one, and while it was breached, it only showed us how to improve ours to keep that from happening.”
“And it’s just a coincidence the officers are getting access to the first one before anyone else knows it’s there?” I asked.
“That was actually not my idea, or Torch’s for that matter. You can thank Tank. He agreed to take one of the last homes going up, which construction is supposed to start in a few weeks on that set, but he said that we needed to make sure the officers’ families were covered first. I guess he figured if anyone’s kids would take over one day, it would be ours.”
I still didn’t like this shit. Then I had another thought. “The house next to Flicker. It was for Ryker and Laken, wasn’t it?”
He nodded. “That was the plan, except Laken didn’t want to be that close to her brother. She refused to take the house.”
I folded my arms and thought about that a moment. Laken and Ryker knew, all the officers knew, but no one else. Well. Austin did, but he’d helped build them, which meant anyone else working on them knew about it too. How had they thought to keep this a secret? And why? What was the point in hiding the information until the bunkers were finished?
“I asked Austin to come over tonight. My laundry room looked too small now that I have a family, except he kept saying I needed more bedrooms.”
Venom sighed. “And he told you about the houses. Bunker too?”
I nodded. “He did. I don’t think he realized it was a secret, or his brain was still too pickled with alcohol for him to be thinking completely straight. He suggested I take the house next to Flicker so I could be near Pepper and my son could be next door to Reed.”
Venom ran a hand down his beard. “Makes sense. I heard the two boys were getting along well. I also know Pepper likes being next door to you. After not having you in her life for so long, I think she’s scared to go too far or you might vanish.”
I hadn’t thought of it that way before, but he was probably right
. She was a tough girl and put on a brave face, but I knew that after finding me, she hadn’t wanted to leave. The fact Flicker claimed her and already lived next door had just been a bonus. I hadn’t thought of it as a bonus when I realized a man older than me was fucking my daughter, but she was a grown woman and could make her own choices. Besides, he treated her so damn well that I couldn’t complain. Much.
“Why not just tell everyone the plan? It’s not like we’d fight over getting to use the first bunker. As long as we know there’s something be done to include all our families, that’s all that matters. Right now, the officers would look guilty as hell of hiding something if this got out.” I took a breath to calm myself down. “Look, I don’t understand the reasoning behind it all, and I don’t honestly give a rat’s ass. Just fix it. If I found out, someone else will.”
Venom nodded. “You’re right. I’ll talk to Torch. We’ll add it to the list for Church later. He should be calling Church pretty early. We stayed up brainstorming for a while after your call. I’d just closed my eyes when you called again.”
“Sorry, but I didn’t feel like this could wait.”
“I got here ready to knock the shit out of you. But you’re right. It did look bad to keep that from the club. We’ll fix it. Until then, if you want the house next to the one Flicker is supposed to take, you can have it. I don’t even have to ask Torch about it.” Venom drained his coffee and set the mug down. “Now, I’m going to go home and make another pot of coffee so I have a prayer of staying awake all day.”
I started washing Theo’s new things, then double-checked all the stuff scattered around the kitchen. I found more of Pepper’s things and added them to the box by the door, then tried to regroup stuff so we could at least use the stove and a sliver of counter. I didn’t want to leave all this for Katya, but maybe she could work on organizing this mess while I was in Church.
