Vengeance Road

by Christine Feehan

  What had happened to her hard-won independence? She felt as if she were reverting right back to that scared girl who had walked, pregnant and alone, into the diner, hoping for a job and guidance. She’d gotten both. She didn’t want to be this girl. She wanted to be that one.

  “I’m so happy to meet you, Breezy,” Anya said. “We could use more female voices around here to even things out. I know they’ll bring your son home to you.”

  Breezy managed a smile. “Thanks, Anya. It’s nice to meet you as well.” Anya seemed to genuinely welcome her, and that helped to restore a little of her confidence in spite of her tear-stained face.

  “It’s so exciting to meet you,” Darby said. “I’m really sorry about Zane as well, but I know Uncle Steele will bring him home to us.”

  Uncle Steele? Darby had been one of the children rescued from the human trafficking ring. The Swords had been the ones to kidnap her and her sister Zoe. There was no ill will there, only genuine sympathy. Darby was far too young to be able to fake anything. Breezy was adept at reading people. She had to be. If she’d misread any member of the club, they’d have beaten her. Right now, she could see that Darby was honestly concerned for her son.

  “Come help,” Alena invited, moving over to make room for Breezy. “I’m making French toast. You can help Anya peel the potatoes for hash browns if you’d like, unless you want to go into the dining room with all the men. They’re annoying, but . . .”

  “Annoying?” Maestro tossed a wadded dish towel at Alena. She caught it right out of the air and flung it back at him.

  “Children,” Blythe said drolly. The others erupted into laughter. Blythe shook her head with a little grin that told Breezy she wasn’t in the least upset and was used to the type of teasing the club members did to one another. “Get out from under our feet, Maestro, or you’ll be cooking the eggs.”

  Alena rolled her eyes. “I asked him to cook once. Once. He sucks at it. The house smelled burnt for a week. Every smoke detector went off and the neighbors called the fire department.”

  “She’s lying her ass off, Darby,” Maestro said and kissed the top of the teenager’s head. “Don’t believe a fuckin’—a thing she says.” He hastily tried to correct himself at Blythe’s glare.

  Darby giggled. “You’re in so much trouble.” She winked at Breezy. “Both Zoe and Emily have swear jars. Emily had hers first, and I think she has enough in it to pay for college already thanks to the club and the way they talk, so Zoe’s decided she wants in on the money making. I can’t say that I blame her.”

  Maestro groaned. “I’m going broke as it is just paying Emily.” He looked around. “Neither one is in here, so it doesn’t count.”

  Darby laughed. Her laughter sounded relaxed and genuine. Breezy couldn’t remember feeling relaxed when she’d been growing up and working in the kitchen or cleaning the clubhouse. She’d tried, for the sake of the other children, and she’d made jokes and laughed a lot for them, but she hadn’t felt safe enough to relax. It spoke volumes that Darby, who had gone through hell, did.

  Breezy took a step toward Alena, her heart pounding. Once she joined the other women at the islands, Steele would disappear, go in with the other men, and she would be alone. It was shocking how scared she felt.

  He stopped her by circling her waist and pulling her back against him. “You don’t have to help them.”

  He whispered it in her ear, but she knew she did. She would look like a coward otherwise, and she couldn’t afford for Alena and Lana, who had known her before, who knew her past, to look down on her any more than they already did.

  “I’m good,” she lied. She straightened her shoulders and gave him a small, false smile before stepping toward the aisle where Alena and Anya were working and a large mound of potatoes was waiting to be peeled.

  Steele pulled out a chair from the smaller table by the window, toed it around and straddled it. “How’s school going, Darby?”

  Breezy knew he’d stayed because he’d read her reluctance. He’d been like that. Always watching her. Always looking out for her. The way he focused on her had been what had made her fall so hard for him. He didn’t make a big deal, he just seemed to do it so naturally that no one questioned his continuing presence in the kitchen.

  “Good. Airiana has a way of making physics easy, and that was the one subject I was having trouble with. Zoe’s even getting some of the easier stuff just by listening. I’m pretty proud of her.”

  Breezy could hear the pride in her voice. She picked up a knife and began to peel potatoes. They were already cooked partially so it was easy enough, and the work allowed her to keep her head down and concentrate on the task rather than look at those in the room.

  “Uncle Steele!” Zoe came in and flung her arms around Steele’s neck. “You snuck in when I wasn’t looking.”

  “I did,” he said. “Brought my woman to meet you.”

  So much for not looking up. Breezy glanced over at Steele, her heart lurching in her chest at the way his arm, so muscular, surrounded the little girl.

  The child looked at her with solemn eyes. “I’m sorry about your little boy,” she said immediately. “Uncle Steele will get him for you. Czar came for us when bad men took us, right, Darby?” She looked to her sister.

  The room had gone electric. Alena leaned toward Breezy. “She never talks about what happened,” she whispered in her ear.

  “Thank you,” Breezy said immediately to Zoe. “I know he’ll bring him back to me. It’s just that Zane is so little and I’m very scared right now for him. I keep thinking he’s all alone and probably wondering where I am.” She couldn’t help the little catch in her voice.

  Steele half rose from his chair but stopped when Zoe came across the room and put her thin arm around Breezy.

  The little girl looked up at her face. “I was scared, but I had Darby. When Czar came to get me, I was really afraid, because he looked so scary, but they took us out of there, didn’t they, Darby?” She looked to her sister for confirmation and then turned back to Breezy. “They’ll get your little boy and bring him home. You’ll see, and he’ll be happy here.” She spoke with absolute conviction. With confidence.

  Darby held herself very stiffly. Beside her, Alena went still. Breezy looked to Blythe for an explanation of why everyone had gotten so emotional and was clearly trying to hold it in. For a moment there was a faint trembling to Blythe’s lips and then she nodded at Darby.

  “They did, Zoe,” Darby verified. “Czar, Reaper, Savage, the others, they came for us, and all of them will help Steele get little Zane back for us.”

  “I can babysit him when you need me to,” Zoe declared. “I know all about nightmares and if he has them, I can make them go away.” She believed so completely in Torpedo Ink, it clearly hadn’t occurred to her that the club might not find Zane.

  Breezy didn’t realize she was crying until a tear splashed down on the pile of peeled potatoes, drawing her attention.

  Zoe immediately tightened her arm. “Don’t cry. They brought us Kenny. They’re looking for another brother who is in trouble. They’ll find him.” She looked up at Steele. “Won’t you, Uncle Steele?”

  Steele was there, putting his arms around Breezy from behind and pulling her body in tight to his. “Absolutely, Zoe,” he assured. “He’s my little boy and his mama is right, he’s very scared right now and feels alone. That’s why she’s upset. She knows we’ll get him back, she just doesn’t like him all alone.”

  A shudder went through Breezy’s body and he turned her into his chest, so she could bury her face there. Hide. She didn’t even care that the others saw. She did care that Zoe was witnessing the breakdown though. She recognized, from the way the others were acting and from what Steele had briefly told her, that Zoe still struggled, and she needed to keep her faith in the club. She needed to know she was safe.

  Steele’s arms enclose
d Breezy, as he moved closer to Zoe. “You’re good to babysit, Zoe?”

  She nodded and reached up to take a bit of bacon that was near the end of the aisle in front of Blythe. No one stopped her. No one smacked her hand. Through her blurred vision, with her ear over Steele’s heart, Breezy could see the child lick her fingers. She didn’t get in trouble for that either, although Blythe handed her a napkin and another full piece of bacon.

  “I am, Uncle Steele,” she said. Then she looked up at her sister. “Almost. I have to do the CPR class. We all do, right, Darby?”

  “That’s right, Zoe,” Darby said.

  “You gotta pay for that class?” Maestro asked.

  Breezy had forgotten he was there, and she turned in Steele’s arms to look at him. He was looking down at the little girl with open affection on his face.

  “Of course we have to pay, Uncle Maestro,” Zoe said.

  He heaved an exaggerated sigh. “Fine.” He fished out two dollar bills. “I said ass and fuckin’ just now. Here’s the money.”

  Zoe giggled as she took the money. “You just said the bad words again.”

  He scowled at her and looked as menacing as possible while pulling two more dollar bills out of his wallet. “This is highway robbery, Zoe.”

  Breezy knew immediately he’d said the offending words on purpose in order to give the child more money for her bank. Not a single club member of the Swords would have given a child money, especially for swearing. She probably would have been slapped for getting the bacon before the men.

  Zoe’s giggle turned to full-blown laughter. Maestro swept her up and whirled her around. When he set her down, his hand enveloped the child’s as they danced around the kitchen and through the door. It was so different from anything she’d ever seen in the Swords club that she was almost jealous of Zoe’s relationship with the members. She’d grown up around the Swords and not a single one had ever treated her with compassion, let alone affection.

  “That’s beautiful,” she whispered and looked up at Steele.

  His eyes met hers and her stomach did a slow somersault. His smile was brief, but genuine. “You good now, sweetheart? Even Zoe knows we’re going to get our boy back.” He lifted one hand and wiped gently at the trail of tears down her face. “As soon as we all finish eating and the kids go off to school, we’ll come up with a plan. They’re homeschooled. They go just down the road to one of their aunts’ homes.”

  She swallowed down every fear and forced herself to nod. She had faith in Steele. She did, otherwise she never would have informed him they had a son. She had to keep believing. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t his old lady anymore. Or that he preferred to have several women, not one. She wasn’t buying into him needing saving. He looked . . . invincible. She doubted anyone could take him down. She just had to believe he would go get Zane and get him to safety.

  The pad of his finger stroked her chin. “Bridges has no imagination, Breezy, you know that. He’s not going to have some intricate scheme we can’t unravel. It will be something convenient for him. He won’t think it’s convenient, but he’s all about his own comfort.”

  It was a good observation. Her father was all about his own comfort. Everything had to be done his way because he refused to be inconvenienced. She took a breath and nodded again, trying not to lean into him. Steele was just so solid. A wall of pure strength. Her legs felt rubbery and she couldn’t stop shaking, as if she were very cold. Her teeth wanted to chatter.

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I held it together until I got here.” She needed him to understand she was capable of being strong. She had been strong the entire time she was alone.

  Steele lifted his gaze across the aisle to Blythe, as if she might have all the answers. Breezy followed his example. Blythe smiled at her.

  “I’d be a little in shock too if someone stole one of my children. I think you’re handling it very well. It’s natural to fall apart when you have someone strong standing by, ready to pick up the pieces. Before, there was only you to handle everything, so you did. Now you have all of us to help, and especially Steele, a man you know won’t stop until Zane’s back with you both. Of course your body is going to react to that.”

  Breezy took a step away from Steele and back to the aisle. She picked up the knife to finish peeling the potatoes. Steele stepped up behind her, trapping her between the aisle and his hard body. His arms wrapped around her middle, just under her breasts, and he dropped his chin on top of her head.

  “What are you doing?” She tilted her head to look up at him.

  “Seeking solace.”

  She blinked. That was such a Steele thing to say. It meant everything and nothing. “Well, you can’t have it, go away. I’m working here.”

  “You have to give me solace. That’s your job as a woman, Bree.”

  Alena, Anya and Blythe both laughed. Alena rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to him, Bree. He’s playing the sympathy card on you, which means he’s up to no good.”

  Blythe nodded. “Be on the lookout for treachery of some sort.”

  “Blythe. Not you too,” Steele said. “That’s betrayal, plain and simple. I’ll be having a word with Czar about this.”

  Breezy noticed that even with the easy teasing all around her, Steele’s hold on her didn’t loosen at all. She turned back to peeling potatoes, a small smile on her face. She couldn’t help it, Steele made her want to laugh. He had a way of making her feel as if she were part of everyone else, and very important to him. She didn’t want to let her mind go there. It was too easy to reach for that fantasy, even when he’d torn out her heart.

  “I feel that not sticking up for you is fair payment for the fact that, knowing I have four children, you’re in heavy negotiations to bring back a fifth.”

  “That was all Alena and Lana,” Steele denied.

  “We voted,” Alena explained hastily. “It was put to a vote. Only Czar didn’t get a vote, the rest of us all agreed we’d spend every penny we had to get him and bring him to you.”

  “How many more children do you think I’ll be able to handle?” Blythe asked, her voice infused with a mixture of laughter, genuine puzzlement and a touch of exasperation.

  Alena and Steele looked at each other. They looked at Darby. Then Lana. All of them shrugged at the same time. It was Steele who answered.

  “Any number, Blythe. However many need you.”

  They all nodded. Blythe met Breezy’s eyes and she looked a little lost, as if to say, See how they are?

  Breezy sent her a faint smile. “That could be a lot. Of course Steele’s good with children. He could take on a few.”

  She expected him to laugh and when he didn’t, she turned her head to catch the thoughtful expression on his face.

  He nodded solemnly. “Bree’s right, Blythe. It shouldn’t be all you. Bree’s good with kids. She spent her life taking care of them, and they all loved her. She has a big heart, and if you share your counselors with us, we could do it. We could help out by taking a few.”

  “Wait. Wait.” She couldn’t turn around and face him because his arms were solid bands holding her prisoner as surely as if he’d chained her to one spot. There was no getting away from him, even with a major struggle. “What are you saying? Why am I included?”

  “You’re my old lady, silly,” Steele said, as if he hadn’t crawled out from under three naked women. He was matter-of-fact. “If I’m taking on a child who has been abused in any way, that means you are as well. It’s the two of us.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Darby said. “I knew you were going to be awesome, Bree, the moment I heard Steele had someone. It would be so great if there were two homes providing for children who had nowhere to go and needed us desperately.”

  “Honey,” Breezy started cautiously. She was only a few years older than Darby. Did the teen really think she was capable of ta
king on a child with such an abused background? It was nice that Darby had said “us,” meaning Torpedo Ink and all of them, but ultimately, she would be the one responsible for any child they took on.

  “Not this child,” Steele qualified. “It’s too soon. Zane has to get to know me. And I can see by Blythe’s face that she isn’t about to give this new boy up.”

  Blythe burst out laughing, but then it slowly faded, and she was looking at them all with a sober face. “No, I won’t give him up. Czar showed me the video of him in that horrible little room. I really can’t get him out of my mind. Darby feels the same way, don’t you?”

  Darby nodded. “We have to find him and bring him home with us.”

  “We will,” Lana said. “These things take time and you just have to wait for the right tiny bit of information. That’s what we’re doing for both Zane and this little boy.”

  “It feels like it takes forever,” Darby complained. “I guess I just want them safe.”

  Breezy sent her a faint, knowing smile. “I understand exactly what that feels like.” Steele wasn’t going anywhere, and she wasn’t going to make a fuss in Blythe’s kitchen, so she leaned her head back against his chest while she worked. She should have protested his “old lady” reference, but what difference did it make how much she protested? It wasn’t helping get her son home.

  “We all do, honey,” Alena said.

  Anya stuck her head into the kitchen. She’d gone out to make certain everything was ready for the meal. “Tables are set and ready. The boys want to know what else you need done. Well, with the exception of Kenny. He says he’s on strike and no matter what you say, he won’t help.”

  Darby snickered when Blythe looked to her for an explanation. “He’s mad because I told him he had to set the table and he thinks that’s a girl’s job. Women’s work. You know what a chauvinist he is.”

  “All the boys set the table,” Blythe pointed out.

  “Doesn’t matter, Blythe,” Darby said. “He just wants out of work.”