Chapter 20
Cade
My blood was running so hot I figured it was going to start cooking my skin. Harper had seemed so scared, and then flipped a switch and seemed so cool. I had no idea what kind of condition she was in, but I knew one thing was for certain. If whoever the fuck this were harmed one fucking hair on her head, I would slaughter everyone in his family. For every bruise he left behind, one of his family would die in front of his eyes. And for every pain that ached in Harper’s body, I would leave a pain of the greatest magnitude on his.
“I’m getting the money,” Ryan said.
“Now hold on a second. There’s nothing that tells us he’s gonna come with Harper,” Doc said.
“He’s right. This might just be a setup to get your money,” Ink said.
“I don’t give a shit about my money. I want my daughter back!” Ryan said.
“Then we go with you,” I said.
“What?” Blade asked.
“Look, I don’t know how the fuck someone like this got by you, but we can figure that shit out later. For all we know, he was hiding in this fucking how the entire damn time,” I said.
“No, he came in from the street. I saw him,” Blade said.
“Not helping your case,” Vex said.
“Ryan, we’re gonna go with you. If they have Harper, we can make sure he gets none of your money, and you get your daughter back. If he doesn’t have Harper, we can follow his car or put trackers on the undercarriage to get us back to your daughter. Either way, come five in the morning, we’re gonna be with you in that park,” I said.
“Fine. I need to get to the basement,” Ryan said.
“What’s in the basement?” Vex asked.
“I have a personal vault where I keep our valuables. There’s cash in there in case of emergencies. I think I have enough.”
“Someone’s going with you. You aren’t going to be alone from here on out,” I said.
“That’s fine.”
“I’ll go with him,” Ink said.
“What about me?”
We all turned towards Harper’s mother as she stood in the doorway. Her face was streaked with tears, and her eyes were completely vacant. Her hands were twirled up in a blanket she was holding to her face. I recognized the blanket. It was one of the blankets off Harper’s bed. I studied the light bruise on her face and the way her body seemed to crumble into the floor.
Ryan dashed for her body as he caught her in his arms.
“We’re going to find her, okay?” Ryan said. “We’re going to bring our daughter home.”
“Can I come?” she asked.
“You should stay here, sweetheart,” Ryan said. “I think that’s for the best. I can’t risk having you get hurt, too.”
“I’ll stay behind with her,” Blade said. “Keep eyes on the house.”
“Better eyes than the first time around, I hope,” Doc said.
“Stop fighting. It’s already done. We’re on to the next thing. Mrs. Thomas, you’ll stay here with Blade. When we come home, you’ll have your money and your daughter. I promise. Ink, you’re with Ryan. Get everything put together. We’ve got five hours before we have to be at the park,” I said.
“Cade?”
Ryan’s voice had changed in an instant. From confident and concerned husband to frightened, feeble father.
“Yeah?”
“You do whatever the hell you have to do to make sure my daughter and my grandson are okay.”
Son. That part hadn’t even registered yet. Harper was pregnant with a boy. I was going to be a father to a bouncing baby boy. I stood there as I watched Ryan cradle his wife as tears flowed down her face, and the only thing I could think about was how I wished I was doing the same with Harper. Cradling her stomach in my hands. Protecting her and my baby boy. But instead, I was now forced to chase down whoever the fuck took her from her own damn bed.
“I’ll do whatever it takes. You have my word. I love your daughter. I’ll get her back.”
I felt everyone’s eyes on me as fire burst behind Ryan’s eyes. It was now or never. If we were working on shortened time, then I needed to go ahead and come clean with everyone here and now.
“What the fuck do you mean ‘you love her’?” Doc asked.
“Do you know our daughter?” Patrice asked.
I could feel Ryan’s eyes on me as he looked me up and down. He unraveled himself from his wife and slowly approached me. I could feel everyone gathering behind me, waiting for me to make the call so they could pummel this shithead into the ground.
“You’re the father, aren’t you?” Ryan asked.
“Holy shit, I thought she looked familiar,” Vex said.
“You’re the father of my grandchild,” Ryan said.
I nodded to answer his question, and it was followed by an eruption behind my back. Everyone in my club was slinging me questions. How long had I known? Did I just find out? Is that why I insisted on taking this job protecting her? How did I feel about everything?
But I rose my hand to shut them up as my eyes stayed connected with Ryan’s.
“I wondered,” he said.
“You wondered what?” I asked.
“What your relationship was to her. I saw the way the two of you looked at each other at the rally.”
“Then why did you allow me to guard your daughter?” I asked.
“I couldn’t prove it. And I figured any man who loved my daughter like that would always have her best interest at heart.”
“You’re the father?” Patrice asked.
It was like she was just beginning to wrap her head around things.
“But… how? When did the two of you meet?” she asked.
“We should probably save that conversation for later,” I said. “Your daughter’s in danger, and she’s carrying my son.”
“If you get her out of this mess,” Ryan said, “you have my blessing.”
I heard the guys chuckle behind me, and they knew what was coming.
“I don’t need your blessing, Mr. Thomas. But I will save your daughter.”
Then I turned around to the guys and began to fill them in on the story.
“When I saw Harper at the rally, I knew the baby was mine. It was the only logical conclusion. I haven’t been able to get her out of my mind since that rally-”
“What rally?” Patrice asked.
“She’s pregnant with my son, guys. I won’t apologize for lying because lying to you guys got me this job. It got me closer to her. I got me one step closer to my family.”
“You told us there was a looming threat and that we needed to protect this family,” Doc said. “You weren’t lying.”
“But my intentions were… misleading,” I said.
“Who the fuck cares about that?” Blade asked. “You’re gonna be a dad, and the mother of your child has been taken. We’re getting them both out alive.”
“I fucking knew it,” Vex said. “I’m surprised you didn’t burst on me sooner for all the jokes I was cracking. I was waiting for it, you know.”
“You’re an asshole, and I’ll deal with you later. Ryan, go get your money. Ink, make sure the GPS trackers work in case we need them. Our next stop is Pioneer Women’s Park.”