Fucking finally. He didn’t mince words. He didn’t have time. “Ava’s daughter. They’ve got her.” He choked on those words. Emily had been special from the moment he’d clapped eyes on her simply because she was Ava’s, but now? He had a child. Doc’s head swam. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to find Emily and bring her home. He knew he had a reputation. A healer, not a warrior. That was all about to change. The Jokers were going to find out exactly what happened when you fucked with him. He knew a million ways to kill a man and make it very, very painful. Perhaps he’d make it different with each one of the sons of bitches, keep it interesting. His lip turned up in a snarl. First, he had to get Emily back. Then it would be time for vengeance.
“Ten minutes.” Vlad’s voice was strong and clear. The line disconnected, and Doc shoved the phone back in his pocket. In ten minutes, Ava’s house would be filled with members of the Steel Kings, all intent on bringing Emily back home.
Ava. God. He’d left her all alone in Emily’s room. She must be losing it. What if the Jokers had come back? What if she’d left to go after Emily on her own? The thought chilled him, and he sprinted down the corridor for the second time that night. Emily’s room was empty and so he continued down the hall to Ava’s. His head stopped spinning out of control just a small bit when he found her. She had her leg half in a pair of jeans, shoving them on while searching through her closet with her other hand. He looked over to the bed, where a pair of heavy hiking boots already lay out ready.
“Ava?”
She looked up at him, the pain in her expression making his heart fracture further than he thought was possible. The fear that had overtaken him when they’d discovered Emily missing had been swiftly overtaken by anger when he’d heard the bike speeding away. They had been blocks away by then, the sound traveling on the evening breeze, but he’d know that sound anywhere. He’d moved fast, summoning the brothers and planning his next move, and adrenaline was still flooding his body. One look at Ava, and his gut had dropped to the floor. She was . . . broken. There wasn’t any other word for it.
He crossed the room, gently grasping her shoulders and guiding her to the bed. She tripped over the pants gathered around her ankles, and he steadied her as he sat her down on the bed. She’d been changing, ready to go after Emily, no doubt. Sorrow and fury raged through him together.
Earlier that day—God, had it really only been a few hours ago?—he’d been in this bed with Ava, thrusting deep inside her as they came apart together, finding their pleasure and themselves again, too.
Now, that was shattered. Emily was gone, and even when he found their daughter and brought her home again, it was likely that Ava was never going to forgive him. He’d lost his chance for a real family before it had even begun, and he deserved it.
A sniffle came from Ava, and Doc pulled himself up. He could wallow later, when this was all over and Emily was safe with her mom. Until then, there was no time for self-pity. Ava and Emily needed all his attention right now. There would be time for self-recriminations later, when he’d put things right.
He grasped Ava’s chin, guiding her gaze to him. Tears glistened in her eyes, and he wiped them away with his thumb. “It’ll be okay.” How he could promise that, he had no idea, but he needed to make her believe it. Maybe if he said it enough times, he might even believe it. Who was he kidding? There was nothing even remotely normal about all of this. It would never be okay, no matter what he did. But for now, all he had to do was make Ava believe it. Five minutes at a time. He’d take that right now. “Everyone’s nearly here. They’ll gear up in the living room, and Sticks is making a run back to the club for anything else we’re going to need. I’ll get her back. I promise.”
She nodded, quickly, as if maybe that would make it true. Ava sucked in a deep breath, wiping her nose on the back of her hand before scrubbing at her eyes. She seemed to allow herself just that small moment of pity before her gaze turned fierce. There was no elegance. She was a wreck, her cheeks streaked with tears, nose running from crying, and her hair a mess, but she’d never been more beautiful. A mother ready to go to war to save her child. She was incredible. But he needed her to stay right there.
Connor hated himself for it even before he’d uttered a word. But he couldn’t do what he needed to do with Ava there. Plus, if he was honest, he didn’t want her to see that side of him. She knew him as a physician, a healer, and he would be neither of those things tonight.
“I need to go with you.” The words slammed through him. The thought must be written all over his face. She pulled away from his grasp, but thankfully no further. “Connor, I can’t just sit here. I can’t!” Tears filled her eyes again. “She’s my child, and right now . . .” Ava stopped talking abruptly, guilt covering her expression. “Oh, God. I didn’t . . . I mean of course . . .”
He leaned forward, stopping her with a quick kiss, a press of his lips, and then he pulled away. There was nothing more to be done until he’d brought Emily home. “Shhh. It’s okay, I understand. We’ve only just found each other again, and I would never expect to . . .”
“But I want to, I want both of us to . . .” her voice trailed off again, her chin trembling as her eyes filled with tears. “What happens now? What are we doing?”
We. He had no right to keep her away, but the desire to keep her safe, to keep her apart from all this brutality, was as strong as his need to find their daughter and bring her home safe. Connor felt like he was being torn apart. He looked over at Ava, now nearly crumpled on the bed. How could he ask her to just sit here, slowly losing her mind? It would also mean leaving a significant part of their small army behind, as there was no chance in hell he was leaving Ava unprotected. As much as he wanted to spare her from any of it, she needed to be there when her daughter was found. Connor didn’t want to keep her waiting a single second longer than she needed to for the reunion. It would be easier, too, to keep Emily happy and calm once she saw her mom again.
“Okay.” He nodded. “But promise me you’ll stick close by me and the second I tell you to run, you run. I don’t care if you leave me behind, you get the hell out.” His jaw tightened so hard he thought a molar might crack under the pressure. He’d already failed once tonight. There was no way he was going to let it happen again.
Her head bobbed up and down, returning his nod even as she moved to finish getting dressed. The jeans slipped up over her thighs and were buttoned before he stood from the bed. Boots and a leather jacket finished it, and Connor had to stop himself before he launched himself at her slight frame. Fuck, how much was he going to fuck up tonight? Sex should be the furthest thing from his mind, but the sight of Ava wearing leather . . . the only thing that would be sexier was if she was wearing his name. For just a moment, he allowed himself to dream. Maybe it could still happen, one day, when she’d had enough time to recover from the ordeal and with enough distance she could consider forgiving him. Maybe. For tonight, that idea would get him through.
He grasped her hand and led her through to the living room, where he locked eyes with Levi. The man had let himself in. There would be no stopping for politeness or pleasantries tonight. There were no introductions, not even a single word. There was no need. The club had his back, and they knew what to do. If Connor had his way, there would be not a single living Joker after tonight.
He tugged gently, leading her outside and onto his bike, before slipping a helmet over her head. Then he climbed on in front of her and made sure her hands were tight around his waist before gunning the engine and peeling away from the curb.
It was time to go to war.
22
Doc
The bike shuddered under Doc as he rode. It was strange. The world was blurred and yet sharply in focus all at the same time. Discovering Emily was gone—ripped from her bed in the night by a rival MC. It had narrowed his focus to a point. Get her back. Nothing else mattered. What he needed to do, how many Jokers he had to kill, even whether his burgeoning relationship with Ava woul
d still be intact when the sun rose. Hell, he wasn’t sure he would even be alive to see the sun rise. He had to stay alive long enough to get Emily back into the arms of her mother and get them safe. That was his mission, and it was all that mattered. The rest, if he was somehow after all his sins still granted a chance at a future, well he’d be damn grateful, but he didn’t believe it for a second. Happy endings weren’t for men like him.
Still, the feel of Ava’s body wrapped around his was comforting, if he let it be. He shouldn’t be feeling anything of the sort. Unlike the last time she rode on his bike, this time there was no hesitation, not a single inch of distance between them. Last time, she’d hung onto him only when it had been essential to stop herself from coming off the bike. This time, she’d pressed herself to him from the moment he’d climbed on after helping her mount the seat. She’d clung to him so tightly he could feel her heaving breaths against his back. Her fingers were twined into his belt loops, gripping so tightly he was sure her knuckles would be white from the pressure. Her hands were chilled, from shock or the coldness of the night air he didn’t know. Probably both.
He wished he’d had more to dress her in, but time had been of the essence when they’d left. Even calling Vlad and waiting for reinforcements had taken too long. The second he’d heard the squeal of bike tires pulling away from Ava’s house, he’d had to stop himself from rushing out the door himself. It would have taken him seconds to be on his bike, another few to start it, and then he would have been giving chase. He shook his head. For what cause? Him against the entire squad of Jokers? If there was one thing he was sure of in this entire god dammed mess, they needed backup. Serious backup.
The Jokers had to know what response kidnapping a child would bring, and the daughter of one of the Kings, no less. This was a declaration of war, and there’s no way the Jokers had taken that step without some serious planning, and even more serious firepower. He’d been right to wait, as much as every second he’d spent after Emily had been whisked away killed another little part of his soul.
The wind blew cold across his shoulder, Ava wearing his jacket. Thank God he’d been carrying a spare helmet for her since he’d first placed her under his protection. He would have given his up in a heartbeat, but with their size discrepancy, it wouldn’t have offered her full protection. Doc was an excellent rider, but he was no way he was taking this ride the slightest bit carefully. Corners were sharp, and straights like a bat out of hell. The sooner they caught up, the less prepared the Jokers would be, and he’d take any damn advantage he could get.
In what felt like hours later, they finally pulled up at the rendezvous spot. Sticks had chosen well, an old empty lot hidden from view of the road by thick overgrowth, close enough they could approach the Joker’s reported hideout on foot if they needed to, but just far enough they could camp out there, hold back weapons and reinforcements. It was a safe place he could leave Ava, in the care of his brothers keeping watch. He would be leading the first scouting group, along with Sticks and Vlad, and there was no way in hell Ava was coming with him.
As the noise of his bike throttling down quietened, new sounds met Doc’s ears. Cars shuffling past on packed highways not so far away mixed with wildlife on the outskirts of the city. Racoons, likely, rustling through Dumpsters and cans for a midnight feast. Shakespeare had done his part, played the computer like the virtuoso he was. The Jokers hadn’t taken Emily to their clubhouse or one of their satellite warehouses. No, they were either too smart or too stupid for that. They’d have had the best defense positions there, all locations well-armed and positioned to defend. But they’d also have been way too obvious. After what they’d learned about Jade Williams, the ten year old the Jokers had kidnapped, it had been obvious to Doc from the second Emily had disappeared what they had in store for his daughter. He hadn’t said a word to Ava, couldn’t bear to break her in that way. If she knew the Jokers planned to traffick her child to some perverted asshole . . . she’d never recover from that, even after he brought Emily home safe. Better that she never know. The knowledge would burn itself into his soul alone, where it would remain for the rest of his life. There was no way anything else was even an option.
Doc stepped off his bike, looking around. They’d managed to assemble quite a crowd given the short notice. All the Kings, plus a few allies, other clubs in nearby counties who had been equally burned by the Jokers. Many gazes settled on Ava as he reached up to lift her off the bike, of the Steel Kings and others. A few of their own looked curious, but knew better than to outright challenge him. If Ava was there, it was with Vlad’s permission, and they knew it.
Some men from other clubs were less respectful, a few eyeing her with outright hostility. Not every MC was like theirs, Doc knew. Vlad held women in the highest esteem, and the club followed his rule, but not all clubs were the same. Some believed club business was strictly a man’s domain, women never to be involved. While none of the Kings would ever place a woman in danger, they also weren’t fools enough not to know it was women who kept the club going. The counsel and support offered by partners, plus often outright service to the club by some such as Old Maggie and Allie. It was a fool who kept their influence away entirely.
Vlad, of course, picked up the brewing argument before a word was said. He moved, standing next to Doc, a hand on his shoulder. “A mother has the right to fight for her daughter, for her family,” he said. “Any man who doubts the ferocity of a mama bear and has a problem with that can leave right now.” His gaze roamed the gathered group, as if he was daring someone to challenge him. Vlad wasn’t as young as some of them anymore, pushing well into his thirties, but he could take any one of them down in seconds. Of that, Doc had no doubt. A couple of murmurs sounded, one or two with a grumbling tone, but no one rose to the challenge, and the prickle on the back of his neck died away as the men diverted their attentions. Good. They had far more important shit to deal with than a pissing contest.
He took Ava’s hand and walked over to where Shakespeare had a map of the area splayed out on the hood of one of the club’s trucks. While every man preferred to ride whenever possible, the trucks were a necessity at times when they needed to transport certain items. They’d also come in handy more than once when rescuing victims of the Joker’s evil activities. There was no way a scared, sometimes injured, victim could get on the back of a bike. It would be used again tonight to transport Ava with Emily as soon as their mission was complete. Doc ground his teeth. It had better only be because he wasn’t putting a three year old on a bike. If the Jokers had harmed so much as one hair on her pretty little head . . .
“We’ll enter here.” Shakespeare’s words pulled Doc from his quickly mounting fury. He pushed the red in his vision aside. There would be plenty of time for that very soon, when it was time for the Jokers to discover why you never, ever challenged the Steel Kings. To succeed, he needed focus right now and nothing else. “They chose the place, I suspect, because they think no one knows about it. Thankfully, the assholes have enough of a reputation that one of my contacts was happy to give them up.” Shakespeare shook his head. “No one, not even civilians, seem to care if we nuke the fuck out of these guys. This entrance keeps us away from the main streets. It gives us less cover in the foot traffic, but also less chance of innocent casualties if we’re spotted.” He looked up. “And we would be. They’ll know who each and every one of us is by now, and we don’t exactly blend in regardless. Stealth is our best asset here.”
Vlad poked the map. “There. That building at the end of the block. That’s where your contact said they were moving the girls for final prep?” He almost spat the last words out, the idea no doubt leaving a bad taste. Shakespeare nodded and Vlad’s lips thinned. “Then perhaps we’ll save more than one life tonight.”
23
Doc
While the ride to the meeting spot had felt like it had taken an age, the trip to the back of the building where their intel said Emily was being held felt as if it had been
only seconds. Doc’s hands tightened on the handlebar grips, the rubber squeaking slightly under the pressure. His head swung around. In all likelihood, the noise was too quiet for anyone else to hear. Hell, he barely had, but even the soft rustle of boots against rocks on the path sounded like bombs going off all around him.
This was it, the moment where he either saved everything important to him, everyone that mattered, or it was where his life would end. Those were the only two outcomes. The entire trip up, he’d been champing at the bit, his muscles tensed and ready to pound the shit out of whatever Joker crossed his path. But now, standing in a small, nondescript parking lot, the air chilling his flesh, it suddenly all became real. Could he do it, or was he doomed to be paralyzed by fear? Just the idea of what Emily was going through, what he might find behinds those doors, froze his heart.
The rumbling of the truck’s engine grabbed Doc’s attention. He shoved any thoughts of failure out of his head. Sticks was here with their arsenal. It was time. He had to get Ava out of the line of fire, and then the mission was a green light. He could see their target just across the street. Only two stories high, it was dwarfed by its neighbors, even on the city outskirts. The place definitely looked abandoned. Tags and other random messages decorated the brickwork in a colorful mess, accented by the broken glass and empty beer cars littering the front steps. Whatever wasn’t covered with graffiti was streaked with dirt. Still, if you looked carefully, just in the right spot, a clear walking path could be seen. Someone had tried very hard to make the place seem abandoned, but kick a can there, leave a streak in the dust with fingerprints there. Doc shook his head. Merc was the expert in tracking, but it was as if the chill in the air and the adrenaline had honed his own senses. There was someone in there, likely more than one someone, and recently.
Vengeance (Steel Kings MC Book 3) Page 12
