by Harley Wylde
“Hatchet,” I said, holding out my hand.
It took him a moment. I started to think he’d refuse to shake when he gripped my hand. Hard. I didn’t flinch, wince, or give any indication he’d caused me any pain, even if the fucker did have the hold of a damn gorilla on steroids.
He flashed me a smile. “Good to meet you, Fox. Prospect at your gate said I’d find you here.”
I nodded to the truck. “About to take your daughter shopping. She wants new furniture.”
“What’s wrong with the shit you have now? She doesn’t want something another bitch has used?”
I straightened to my full height, which was still an inch shorter than Hatchet. “I’ve never had a woman in my house before. So knock that shit off. We decided to upgrade to a bigger house. With the baby on the way, and we may want others, we decided we needed more room. And I told her she can replace anything I have that she doesn’t like.”
Hatchet smirked. “I’m fucking with you. Now… where’s my daughter?”
“In the truck. You sure you want to meet her the first time in a parking area?” I asked.
“Motherfucker,” he muttered. “No. I probably shouldn’t.”
I heard the truck door open and shut. I felt Raven come up behind me and reached back for her. She pressed her body against mine.
“Looks like she took the decision out of our hands,” I said. “Raven, sweetheart, you ready to meet your dad?”
She tensed, but I felt her nod between my shoulder blades. I tugged her around me and placed my hand on her hip, holding her against my side. She stared at Hatchet and fuck me if the big man didn’t seem to tear up a bit as he saw his daughter for the first time.
“So beautiful,” he mumbled. “I wish I’d known about you sooner, Raven. I’d have gone to hell and back to make sure I was part of your life.”
“Mom never mentioned you,” she said. “I got the feeling she didn’t like you.”
He snorted. “Understatement. I knocked your mom up in high school. She’d been slumming it with me, I guess. If I’d known she had you, I’d have stuck around. She told me she’d aborted you. I left town and never looked back.”
Looking between the two, I could see the resemblance, although Raven definitely had more of her mom in her. The woman sounded like bitch, so Raven had to have inherited her demeanor from Hatchet. The overall shape of her face wasn’t his, nor her coloring, but her eyes? Those were all Hatchet. She had his strength too, whether she realized it or not.
“Raven, would you mind if your dad came with us while we shop for furniture? If you’d prefer to spend more time with him at home, he can hang out at the clubhouse until we’re done.” I noticed the slight tightening around Hatchet’s eyes, but he didn’t say anything. He knew giving Raven the option was the best thing to do.
“I’d love to spend time with you, but it can be on your terms,” Hatchet told his daughter. “I know I’m a stranger and need to earn your trust.”
Raven pulled away and took a hesitant step toward her dad. Then another. Before I realized what she planned, she’d thrown herself at her dad. Hatchet wrapped his arms around her, his eyes closing, a mixture of pain and pleasure crossing his features as he hugged her for the first time. I hoped like hell he got the chance to do something about Raven’s mom. The bitch needed to pay. If not for her, Raven would have never ended up at Balmoral. Hell, if Hatchet had known about her, there was a chance none of this would have happened to her.
Then again, I probably wouldn’t have met her either. As much as I didn’t want to think of my life without her in it, if it meant she’d have never been raped and beaten, then I’d prefer to have never met her. Anything to save her from the pain she’d endured.
“Guess that means you’re going with us,” I said.
Hatchet kissed the top of Raven’s head before releasing her. She came back to me, leaning against my side. I gave him directions to the furniture store in case we got separated and helped Raven back into the truck. When we pulled up to the store, the four motorcycles keeping pace with us drew more than few eyes our way.
Shooter and Marauder stayed outside, making sure we weren’t blindsided by the Balmoral guards. I still needed to give Hatchet the latest update, but it would have to wait for now. We let Raven roam the store, keeping her not only within sight, but within arm’s reach as well. I noticed her checking out the living room sets and gave her the freedom to buy all new pieces for the house. Whatever she didn’t want of mine, I’d leave behind for whichever brother moved into the place next.
Other than answering questions she had about what I liked or didn’t like, I hung back a bit to give her some time with Hatchet. I could tell he loved it when she asked what he thought about a couch or the kitchen set. The two were bonding, and it warmed my heart to watch them. Would I have a day like this with my own daughter sometime in the future? Assuming we had a daughter.
My phone buzzed and I answered, seeing Spider’s name on the screen.
“Hey, Pres. Everything all right?”
“Not hardly. You need to bring Raven back here. Now.”
“What’s going on?” I asked, quickly making my way over to Hatchet and Raven, who’d stopped to haggle the price of the bedroom set.
“Someone sent smoke bombs over the fence in three spots. I’m thinking it was the guards. They know Raven is here at the compound, or think she is. I’d rather have her in one spot, behind a locked door, with the perimeter watched at all times. I know we don’t have the manpower to keep eyes on every inch of the fence line, but I think she’s still safer here than outside the compound.”
“On it,” I said. I hung up and took Raven by the arm. “Honey, we need to go.”
“But the furniture…”
I looked at the store clerk and tossed out a number a few grand under the total for everything she’d said she liked. He must have seen something in my face because the little shit didn’t even try to argue, and he didn’t make me add delivery. He handed me the paperwork, I signed, and got Raven the hell out of there. I explained everything to Hatchet and the others as I buckled Raven in. Her scared gaze met mine, and I stopped long enough to give her a kiss, hoping it would reassure her.
I sped through town and toward the compound like hellhounds were on my tail. Didn’t even slow when I approached the gate. The Prospect threw it open as I barreled through.
The phone rang again, and I had Raven answer and put it on speaker.
“Take her to the new house,” Spider said. “I had Archer pick up surveillance cameras while you were gone, and we have most of them installed. Just a few more and it will be finished. Already made sure the Wi-Fi worked.”
“When the fuck did the house get Wi-Fi?”
Spider chuckled. “While you were gone.”
Raven hung up and I drove straight to the new house, pulling into the driveway and shutting off the truck. I noticed my bike parked in the open garage and wondered who had brought it over, and when.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s see what everyone’s been up to. It seems we weren’t the only ones who were busy today.”
She took my hand, and we went into our new home.
Chapter Thirteen
Raven
I looked around the house and noticed they’d brought Fox’s furniture over while we’d been gone. Everything had been packed and moved, including the dishes and the food he’d had in the fridge. One of the downstairs rooms held the guest room furniture, and I saw my dad had put his bag in there. How had they gotten all this done so fast?
“What do we do with all this when the new furniture arrives?” I asked Fox.
“We can have them move it back to the other house or store it somewhere in case anyone needs it. Why don’t you visit with your dad while I check out the security system they’ve installed?”
I nodded and went to find my dad. It felt odd, realizing I had a father, and that he actually wanted me. Why had my mom lied all my life? Not just to me, but to him t
oo? Had she hated him that much? Or maybe she’d hated both of us. The way she’d turned her back on me, I’d often wondered if it had given her the perfect excuse to get rid of me.
“Dad?”
He turned, a smile on his face and his eyebrows lifted. “I can get used to hearing that.”
“Fox said he needed to check out whatever security the club installed. He suggested I spend time with you while he’s busy with that.”
“Let’s go see if they set up the TV right. We can pick a movie and talk,” he said.
I led the way to the living room and found the remote on the coffee table. I handed it to Hatchet and let him pick something. He flipped through the options and settled on Halloween. I eyed him.
“You like horror movies?” I asked.
“Mostly eighties slasher flicks. Although I can admit I like the Scream franchise too. Why?”
Smiling I leaned into him, putting my head on his shoulder. That was the moment I fully accepted him as my dad. Mostly because no one else in my family liked these movies except me. At least, that’s what my mother had said. It had only been the two of us, and whatever boyfriends she’d had along the way.
“They’re my favorite,” I said. “Mom always wrinkled her nose and told me the movies were low-class and I shouldn’t watch them. But I’m addicted to horror movies and shows.”
Hatchet put his arm around me, and we settled in to enjoy the movie. Fox found us a short time later. I patted the couch next to me and he sank onto the cushion. My dad relinquished me to him, but I noticed he didn’t get up.
“We have cameras that cover every inch of the outside,” Fox said. “They installed an alarm system too, and it has a panic button that sends a silent alarm to the other officers and Surge. In addition to that, we’ll have at least three brothers outside throughout the day. Everyone is going to watch the house in shifts.”
“Until we catch those fuckers,” Hatchet muttered.
“Right. And they’re close. All three. Surge found them by searching camera feeds around town. When Simmons stood across from the restaurant earlier, the other two were nearby but out of sight. I have a feeling they’ll strike together. The smoke bombs they tossed over the fence earlier were most likely a test, to see how we’d react and maybe get an idea of how many men are here.”
“Smart, but are they smarter than us?” Hatchet asked.
“Let’s hope not. Surge is digging into their backgrounds. So far, there’s no military connections that he can find. Doesn’t mean they don’t have some other sort of training. I’m hoping we’ll have a full workup on all of them before nightfall. They won’t strike in the middle of the day. Not after the stunt earlier,” Fox said.
“I just want it to be over,” I said.
“We’re going to handle these men, Raven, and then we’re going after Balmoral. Their negligence allowed you to be raped right under their noses, every damn night. I won’t stand for it,” Hatchet said. “They’ll pay.”
“I’ll have to show both of you how to use the system. It can wait for a bit. I may have some popcorn in the kitchen. Anyone want a snack while we watch the movie?” Fox asked.
“You’re going to watch it with us?” I asked.
Fox smiled. “Of course. Horror movies are my second favorite.”
“What’s your first?” I asked.
“Action flicks where they blow shit up.” He shrugged. “I’m a typical guy.”
Hatchet snickered next to me. When Fox left the room, my dad nudged my shoulder. “He’s all right. Long as he protects you, and doesn’t break your heart, I can live with the two of you being together. Even if it means you don’t live as close as I’d like. I’d hoped to take you home with me.”
“You can’t kidnap my woman,” Fox yelled out from the kitchen.
Hatchet lowered his voice. “Is that why they call him Fox? Because of his super hearing?”
“I heard that too,” Fox shouted. “And it’s because I’m such a fox.”
My dad snorted, then started choking and laughing at the same time. I smacked him on the back and glanced toward the kitchen, not sure if Fox was being serious or just trying to get a rise out of us. I’d noticed he could be playful at times, like scraping up all the cherry filling on his pie plate at the diner.
“You lying little shit,” a voice bellowed from the back of the house. I craned my neck, not realizing anyone else was here.
Fox appeared with a bowl of popcorn and three sodas. He set everything on the table just as Spider strolled into the room. I didn’t know if he had a key to all the homes here, or if Fox had left the door unlocked. Either way, the President entered the place like he owned it.
“Spider,” Hatchet said, with a nod of his head. “Thanks for letting me come for a visit.”
“Like I’m going to keep you away from your kid?” Spider leaned against the doorframe. “As for this fucker, he didn’t get his name because he’s a fox, as he put it.”
“Pres.” Fox’s tone had a warning to it, and his cheeks had flushed a bit.
Now I really wanted to know why they called him Fox. I eyed my man and the President of the Hades Abyss. It was clear the two were close.
“Used to spend as much time with Fox as I could when he was younger, seeing as how his parents were gone. His dad was my best friend,” Spider said. “Kid was a runt until he hit puberty, then he sprouted up and bulked up overnight. Before that, he was small and smelly.”
“Hey!” Fox flopped onto the couch. “That was harsh.”
Spider grinned. “And true! You were always into everything, and had this musk, like a fox. You ever smelled those things close up? They reek. So I started calling him a little fox. It stuck. When he patched in with the club, I knew exactly what we’d call him. I just never shared why with the others.”
“Thank fuck,” Fox muttered.
“Think most boys smell,” Hatchet said. “It’s why we have to work so hard to win over the girls after puberty. They still remember us as those smelly kids who ate too much and put bugs down their dresses.”
I eyed my dad. “So how did you get the name Hatchet?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Probably not something you want to hear.”
“I know why they call him that,” Spider said, the humor fading from his eyes. “And he’s right. You may not want to know, but I think you should.”
I looked between the two men. “I’m so confused right now.”
“When I deal with bad people, I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty,” Hatchet said. “I’ve been known to cut them up… with a hatchet. I’m not like the monsters in these horror movies. I don’t kill innocent people, but men like the ones who hurt you. I’m all about making them pay for their sins and making them beg for mercy.”
I swallowed hard, trying to picture my dad as such a brutal person. When his gaze clashed with mine, I saw the sorrow and pain there, but also a steely determination. I knew he hadn’t regretted whatever he’d done in his past.
“For the record,” he said, “they don’t get any. I have no mercy for men who prey on the weak.”
I nodded. “Good.”
He gave me a slight smile and knocked his shoulder into mine again. “Glad you aren’t freaked out and running from me. It would have sucked to meet my daughter for the first time and have her be so terrified of me she ran away.”
“Not running,” I said. I leaned into Fox. “I’ve been told I’m strong. I don’t feel it most days, but I’m trying.”
“You probably have a few hours until the guards will make a move. They’re most likely planning things out right now. Hopefully, Surge will have more info on them before then. I told him to call in whoever else he needs. I know Shield has been in contact with him,” Spider said.
“Do you think it will be over after tonight?” I asked. “Or will I always feel like I need to look over my shoulder?”
“We’ll finish it before the sun comes up,” Spider said. “Luciana, Violeta, Vasha, and
the kids will be at my house until this is over. I’ll be staying with them, and so will Rocket. Everyone else will be focused on keeping you safe, Raven.”
“I shouldn’t have sent the others home,” Hatchet said. “If I’d known she was in danger, I’d have brought backup with me.”
Spider smirked and walked to the front door, yanking it open. I heard the heavy tread of boots, then three men entered the house. Men I’d never seen before. Hatchet stood and swore.
“What the hell are you three doing here?” he asked.
“You really think we’d leave you to face all this alone?” one of them asked.
“Raven, this is Copper. The other two are Nitro and Snake.” Hatchet pointed to each so I’d know who was who. I huddled a little closer to Fox. My dad might trust these men, but they were strangers.
“Raven still isn’t used to men she doesn’t know,” Fox said, putting his arm around me.
“Not a problem,” Snake said. “Thought I’d go help Surge out until closer to dark.”
Copper snorted and elbowed him. “Yeah, I’m sure you’d love to help him.”
The men all laughed, and Snake snarled at them before stomping out of the house. I had no idea what was going on. Why did they make fun of the man for wanting to give Surge a hand with whatever he was doing?
Copper must have noticed my confusion. He gave me a smile. “No worries, Raven. We’re just yanking his chain. Everyone knows he thinks Surge is smart and sexy, a combination Snake can’t resist. He’s bisexual, so the help he’s going to offer Surge is more in the --”
He got cut off when Hatchet knocked the wind out of him. “Enough. She doesn’t need to hear all that.”
“So they’re both bisexual? Or is Surge gay?” I asked.
“They both like men and women equally,” Fox said. “Slider is bisexual too. He’s with Vasha. Seems she was his one, so they’re committed to one another.”
I scanned the men in the room. I remembered watching some show about bikers a few years ago, until my mom discovered what I’d been watching. It made me realize she must have kept tabs on my dad, otherwise, how would she have known he’d joined a motorcycle club? The men in the show hadn’t taken too kindly to men who weren’t straight. For that matter, they hadn’t seemed to care too much for men who weren’t white.
