by K E Osborn
She looks up at me, a tender smile on her face. “They’re for Em?”
I bring my hand up, caressing her cheek. “Yeah. The angel watching over us all. And carpe diem, well, when Em died, I wanted to live by that. Seize every day.”
She leans in, pressing her lips to mine tenderly. “I absolutely love that.”
I shrug. “The others are just your general biker shit, but the chest piece is what means the most.”
She cuddles back down into me. “Thank you… for not running from us this time.”
My hand comes up swiping the hair from her face as I exhale. “I’m sorry I freaked out last time. You’re worth it, you’re worth all of it. Facing my fears, walking into the unknown… I don’t know how, but you’re making me believe I can have something more again.”
She bites down on her bottom lip, her eyes glistening in happiness. “I want that… more.”
I lean in and kiss her with everything I have.
Because I have no clue what more means for us.
All I know is that right now, I’m happy.
And I haven’t been happy in a really long-fucking-time.
So, I guess I’m just waiting for the other ball to drop.
Because when something good happens, something bad always follows.
And I’m not ready to burst this bubble I’m in just yet.
KEVLAR
The blasting of my cell wakes me from a deep sleep. My entire body jerks up as Jovie mumbles, her body smothering mine. Blinking my eyes a few times to get clarity, I check the clock on the side table, it’s just 3:48 a.m.
“What the ever-loving fuck?”
“Turn your phone off, Kevlar, and come back to bed,” Jovie groans as I reach into my jeans on the floor, grabbing my cell from the pocket, and seeing it’s Lou’s number.
My stomach flips as I sit up in the bed dramatically which gains Jovie’s attention. I swipe the screen quickly, answering the call. “Lou, what’s wrong?”
“Liam! Thank God you answered. Ethan’s called everyone he can. I don’t know what happened, I mean we were asleep. God, I’m so sorry. They were safe, I swear, I put them to bed myself…”
My skin prickles as a cold sweat rushes over me. “Lou, slow down, you’re not making any sense.”
Jovie sits up next to me, gently stroking my back to try to comfort me, but it isn’t helping in the slightest.
“Liam... they’re gone.”
My pulse beats faster as a bead of sweat runs down my temple. “I need you to be very clear with me now, Lou… who’s gone?”
She bursts into tears, and that fact alone is ripping my heart to shreds. “The kids. They were taken from their beds.”
The fucking world stops turning.
A massive black hole opens up right in front of me, sucking me inside. I feel the pull, the weight of it all too fucking much.
If I lost them, I lose everything.
Jovie’s hand on my leg snaps me out of it as she studies me. “Kevlar?” she whispers.
“I’m coming over.” I end the call to Lou without another word as I bend down grabbing my clothes.
“What’s going on?” Jovie asks, moving to the edge of the bed.
My chest constricts, not wanting to say the words out loud. “My kids are missing.”
Jovie gasps. She stands and grabs some fresh clothes, rushing to put them on. We frantically dress, then head for the door. I slam it open in my haste, then rush down the hall. As we almost reach the stairs, Zero pops his head out of his room. “Did I hear a cell ringing?”
I don’t wanna say the damn words again, but he’s my president, he should know. “My kids are missing.”
Zero’s eyes widen. “Go… I’ll wake Neon.”
I don’t waste another second as I grab Jovie’s hand, and we scurry down the stairs, outside to my bike. I should take the truck, but honestly, I need speed right now.
Fuck what the cops think.
I grab the helmet quickly, placing it over Jovie’s head, then I slide over my ride. I make sure she’s secure, then take off as quickly as I fucking can. The normally twelve-minute ride to Ethan’s takes me all of seven. If I’m honest, I can’t even remember how I got here. My mind is such a fucking swirling chaos of what-ifs and catastrophes right now, I don’t know what the hell I’m thinking.
As I pull up like a bat out of hell into Ethan’s drive, there’s fucking cops everywhere.
If I weren’t tense already, I’m even more anxious now.
These are the men I worked with.
The men I led for years before I left them for the club.
The men who look down on me now.
Who would take any chance they got to bring me in and to take the club and me down, but I don’t care about them right now. All I care about is getting inside and finding out what the fuck is happening with my kids.
I kick out the stand, the heated gaze of the men who used to fight alongside me all glowering at me.
Jovie slides off, and she slowly pulls her helmet from her head. “They’re all staring,” she whispers.
“Because they all used to work for me. C’mon.” I grab Jovie’s hand, leading her through the hardened eyes of the men I originally called ‘my men,’ and we rush inside the house. We step into the living room, where Tom Hammond is standing with Ethan, obviously taking his statement. If he is here, it means they’re taking this seriously.
Hammond is the man who trained me.
He was my mentor.
The man I looked up to.
My fucking hero in the force.
Then, he was the first man to shun me when I left.
I peruse the living room. Lucas’ Legos are on the floor.
The sight causes my breathing to hitch.
This is real.
This is fucking real.
Jovie tightens her hand in mine as I drop to the sofa, panting for a breath I just can’t seem to catch. Jovie kneels in front of me on the floor, her palms on my face as she tries to get me to look at her, but I can’t.
I can’t focus on anything right now.
“Kevlar, I get this is hard, but you gotta be strong. We need to find out what’s happening, then we can put a plan in place, okay?”
My head bobs up and down as she leans in pressing her lips to my forehead. Somehow, it’s all I needed. I stand from the sofa, finding my strength, then storm over to Ethan and Hammond.
I don’t give two shits what they think.
Official police business or not, they’re my damn kids!
“You wanna fill me in on what the ever-loving-fuck is going on?”
Hammond doesn’t snarl at me. He doesn’t turn his anger toward me like he’s done countless times since I joined Defiance. He simply dips his chin and grips my shoulder. “Liam, I’m so fucking sorry this has happened. The force is doing everything possible to find your children. I promise you… we might have bad blood, but when it comes to those kids, every officer here, no matter the gripe they have with you, will lay their life down to protect them. Because even though you chose a different path, you’re still one of our men. And those kids, though they were born at the club, we’ve all watched them grow. They’re a part of the force whether you wanted them to be or not.”
I glance around the room to all the nodding heads of the guys I used to call my men. To all the uniformed policemen who taunt me day in and day out. To the man that I wanted to be like as an officer. Now, they’re standing here as my biggest supporters.
“I don’t understand… you all fucking hate me.”
Ethan weakly smiles. “They’re angry at you for leaving, Liam… not for joining the club.”
“Though, we’re not overly excited about the club either, if I’m being honest,” Hammond relays.
“I’d take the kids into work sometimes when it was desk day. So, when the guys say they have watched them grow up, they mean it, Liam. They’ve had the best of both worlds, cop life and club life."
“And now they�
�re gone?” I ask.
Ethan rolls his shoulders. “I’m so sorry, Liam, I’ve let you down. I’m meant to be the one who protects them. The good cop, who always looks out for them. I failed you… I’ve failed them.”
“What the fuck happened?”
“I went to get a glass of water, and the back door was wide open. I ran to the kids’ room, but… they were already gone.”
“We’re fingerprinting their rooms now. Doing everything we can, Liam,” Hammond offers.
Jovie rubs my back as I turn to pace the room. My hands run over my head as I begin panicking.
“This is the Baron. It has to be. He’s still trying to get at us.” Anxiety cripples me. I have no clue what the Baron is capable of when it comes to children. My skin tingles and not in a good way.
“We’ll get them back, I promise,” Ethan insists.
My head is a blur. My kids are the only thing of Em’s I have left. I fall back onto the sofa with my head in my hands. The emotion of it all overwhelming me.
“I can’t fucking lose them. If they get hurt, or… worse—”
“Stop! Don’t think like that.” Jovie halts my line of thoughts as she cuddles into my side.
My entire body begins to shudder. My eyes flood, but I won’t let it overflow. I can’t show any weakness. Not around the cops, and certainly not around Jovie. I am trying to keep my shit together, but all I can think is, Where the hell are they? And how fucking scared they must be.
I swear if whoever has my kids lays a single finger on them, I will tear them limb from limb. Anger begins to sweep through me as the sudden roar of Harleys vibrates through the distance. I glance up.
Ethan’s eyes meet mine. “You expecting anyone?”
“I wasn’t, but I’m not surprised. Zero saw me on the way out. I’d say it’s him and a couple of the others checking in.”
Then, as if on cue, Zero, Wraith, and Neon waltz through the front door with a lot of heat on their tails. But for the first time, the cops aren’t following them with distrust in their eyes, it’s with a common goal in mind. My three brothers spot me, and the cops all pass, letting them in without a single hassle or one cross word spoken.
This is a far cry from the tone we’re used to when the Houston PD and the Defiance MC cross paths.
For the first time—things are amicable.
Maybe this will mend the broken fence between us, as my brothers move in around me.
Ethan steps off, he’s on the phone again, as Lou takes Hammond to the kids’ bedrooms to do another sweep.
Neon dips his head at me. “I have feelers out everywhere searching for them, on the net, on security cams, on coms, any chatter… we’ll pick it up instantly.”
I look at Zero. “You know this is the Baron, right? I don’t know what fucking strings he’s pulling here, but he’s getting on my last damn nerve. You don’t mess with innocent kids.”
“Damn straight. The Baron has fucked with this club one too many times. Once we find Sadie and Lucas, you have my word, Kevlar, we’re going to take him out.” The tone Zero sneers in is so authentic, I know, I just know, the Baron thought he played his hand, but damn if his bluff might have just cost him the game.
It’s been a tense few hours. All this sitting and waiting is seriously killing me. We should be out there searching. But I was a cop for years, and all my training has told me endless hours of mindlessly searching won’t do me any good. I need to be here, at the center of it all, finding out all the information as it comes to hand. Neon’s here, so is Hammond. Everyone with all the feelers out is right there within my grasp. I’m better off with everyone close, so the second I hear where they are, I can go get them, rather than being on the opposite side of town and it taking too fucking long.
I need to be here.
I need to know what’s happening.
Step by step.
Minute by minute.
It’s a process, and although these cops have been a thorn in my side for the last six years, they’re here boosting me up right now. My wounds aren’t healed, but they’re definitely mending.
Ethan barrels into the room from the kitchen. “I got a lead. We need to leave. Now!”
My heart slams up into my throat as I jump from the sofa. Jovie moves to follow me, but I shake my head. “We can’t be sure what we’re walking into. Please, can you stay here with Lou? I just… if something happened to you too, I just… I need to focus.”
She brings her hand up, caressing my cheek. “I get it. Good luck.” She leans in, planting a chaste kiss on my lips as Lou grabs Jovie, pulling her to her.
I rush off with the swarm of cops and my brothers at my side. Whoever thought the Defiance MC and the Houston PD would be working united? I never thought I’d see the day.
I hurry over to my bike, jump on, and start it as quickly as possible.
Ethan takes off in a squad car, and I have to admit, riding alongside the squad cars on my ride is all kinds of fucked-up right now. I don’t know if I feel like a cop, an older brother, a biker, a criminal, or just a broken father trying to get his damn kids back.
Maybe some version of all of the above.
But I need to focus if I’m going to be able to do this.
Because I have to go into this with the thought that no matter what, Sadie and Lucas are fine.
No matter what, they’re coming out of this fine.
Because any other alternative is not something I can ever comprehend.
Ethan’s car zooms down the road faster than I’ve ever seen him drive. At least he’s taking this seriously.
Zero, Wraith, Neon, and I follow as three other squad cars are behind us. We pursue Ethan as he approaches, sirens and lights off. The noise of our bikes is bad enough. We don’t need sirens and flashing lights to alert whoever the asshole is doing the Baron’s dirty work. Ethan pulls into an old abandoned warehouse, into the parking lot, a little way back from the actual building. I assume it’s so our bikes don’t alert whoever is inside.
It’s like a factory warehouse, tall in size with lots of ground to cover.
I tense all over.
My kids must be so fucking scared in there.
I slide off my ride. Zero, Wraith, and Neon all moving with me as we stride over to Ethan and Hammond.
“Okay, word is they’re inside. We just don’t know where or how many people are in there with them,” he whispers as he and Hammond both pull on protective vests.
Ethan hands one to me, and I raise my brow at him. “C’mon, there’s a reason they call you Kevlar, Liam. Wear the fucking vest… your kids need you.”
I peer over my shoulder at Zero, and he bobs his head. “Put it on, Kevlar. Think of it as a trip down memory lane. A one-time thing only though, brother.”
I huff, snatching the Kevlar vest from my blood brother, and I yank it on over my head. “Fine, but if you guys give me shit for this—”
“We will, but let’s get your kids back first,” Neon suggests.
“Okay, I’m assuming you all have weapons with you?” Hammond asks.
The four of us all pull our Glocks out from the back of our pants, loading them.
Hammond exhales, shaking his head. “Normally, I would treat this completely different. Having bikers on this with us is entirely off-book, but right now, Liam, I trust your judgment. Your men only use weapons if you have to and strictly for self-defense. No vigilante shit. Do you understand me?”
“Got it. I just want my kids back.”
I focus on Zero, nodding at him to play along. Once we know who is behind this, we can come for them when the cops aren’t fucking everywhere. Right now, I need my kids safe.
“Okay, let’s move in. Follow my lead.” Ethan signals, and we all move in formation toward the warehouse. It’s quiet. The early morning air is crisp with the threat of a storm in the distance. Cicadas chirp through the silenced night as the slow whistling of the breeze through the leaves makes it all too fucking eerie. We walk up the ramp toward
the giant roller shutter opening. The fact it’s open is warning enough. We move to the edge, guns at the ready.
Ethan ducks around the corner, heading inside. There’s no noise as we wait. My heart’s frantically racing, then Ethan pokes his head out. “Clear.”
We file in behind him into the open expanse, many boots hit the concrete with a thump as cops check the offshoot rooms, each whispering out “Clear” when they’re done.
A closed door grabs my attention, I signal to Ethan, and we all head that way. Ethan signals for one of the corporals to open the door.
He does, and we all stand back waiting.
Nothing.
So, we head through to a smaller room with packing crates lining the floor.
What the hell?
We search the room for any clue, any tiny detail when Neon sends a low whistle through the room, calling us over. We all make our way to him. He points to a crate that has a sign on it with one single word.
Eeny
My eyes shift to Zero. “What the fuck is Eeny?”
Ethan rolls his shoulder. “Maybe it’s another language?”
“We should keep looking,” Hammond suggests.
We make our way through to the next room, this one is smaller again, it smells a little moldy, and it has waste everywhere. I turn up my nose as we walk through the giant trash cans of stale litter.
“Lieutenant, you need to see this,” someone calls out, no longer using the whispered tone we’re all trying to keep.
We all spin, glaring as he points to the trash can, aiming his gun and flashlight at it. My skin prickles, tingling in the worst possible way as I slowly round the trash to view the sign on the front.
Meeny
My stomach swirls as my eyes shift to Ethan. “It’s a damn game. They’ve hidden them somewhere in this warehouse.”
“Spread out, look for anything with those signs,” Ethan demands, then everyone scatters in all directions.
Anxiety flows through me as I rush around, pushing over crates, turning over tables, searching behind anything to try and find them. Everyone seems to be doing the same thing when I spot a large filing cabinet. On the front is a blood smear, and I let out a sound I don’t even recognize.
