Dressing her in a robe I found in the bathroom, it’s not long until she is out, exhaustion winning its battle. I wait until her breathing evens out before I slip out of bed.

The last thing I want to do is leave her right now, but for Emmy’s sake and for the sake of everyone she loves, all those unanswered questions need to be laid out. This all needs to be fixed.

Pulling out my phone I dial JB.

Answering, his voice sounds strained. “Yea?”

“How’s it going over there?”

“Hold on a sec.” Cupping the phone I hear his muffled voice as I assume he talks to Bailey. “Fine, brother. How is she?”

Walking out of the house, orange and pink swirl in the sky as the sun goes down, the colors giving this day exactly the kind of ending it needs.

Letting out a deep breath I answer, “Right now, she’s sleeping. I don’t even know where to begin.”

“This whole time...”

“Yea...” Exhaustion causes me to sag. Mounting my bike, I just lean my head in my hand.

“You need me to come there? Just talked to Jinx, he told me what happened. I’ll help you work this shit out,” he says, knowing that this isn’t going to be an easy conversation.

“No. Right now I think it’s best to just let shit play out. Stay there and keep an eye on Bailey until they get back.”

“Alright,” he answers and I go to hang up when I hear him say something else. “I’m fucking happy for you man. You’ve waited a long time for her.”

With my chest aching in physical pain I bring my hand to it. “Thanks, brother.”

Hanging up the phone, I start my bike and come back around the front of the club.

“Mikey!” I yell, shouting to one of the prospects hanging outside.

“What’s up, Romeo?”

“I need you to go to Pop’s house and sit outside. Keep an eye on things.”

“Got it,” he says with no hesitation. He will make a good member one day.

Walking back into the armory I see it’s practically empty. All the old ladies have gone home and all the whores are saddled up to members trying to make shit better in their lives. It’s quiet. At the bar Mayhem, Chuck, Jinx and Tank sit there passing around a bottle of scotch. They all look to me as I approach.

Taking a seat Chuck hands me the bottle and I take a healthy drink and pass it along.

“So, what’s the story Romeo? You fucking the Prez’s long lost daughter?” Mayhem asks, his face serious, his words shit.

This fucking guy.

Tossing him a dirty look Chuck cuts in, “You stupid little shit, show some fucking respect. That’s my fucking niece.”

My eye meet his and something passes between us. Understanding? Respect? Sadness? … Always fucking sadness.

“It true, Romeo?” Trigger asks, walking up to us and leaning against the bar. “You and JB both slaves?”

All of their eyes turn to me.

Shrugging, I do my best to keep my expression in check, not wanting to be looked at different. Or judged by the shit they think they know.

“Man, and we thought you were fucked up, Mayhem!” Tank jokes downing the shot in front of him.

“He is fucked up,” Jinx cuts in.

Passing the bottle back to me, Trigger smirks and they all start bickering back and forth not giving a shit what brought me here or what my past is about.

Blood doesn’t make you family. My blood threw me to the dogs when it came to their business. JB’s blood tossed him away to try and save their farm. These men here all have stories of their own, reasons why they chose this life instead of a civilian life. We all chose to be a part of this club. This is a family we chose.

You can’t throw it away.

Walking back to the room we hold church in, Pops sits where he was before at the head of the table and Bo is by his side. Sitting a few chairs down, Drifter leans back in his seat exhaustion in his face, and Buck looks the same with gauze wrapped around his arm.

Everyone looks tense but not in the way they were before, this is the kind that only happens when threat and blood are in the air.

As I sit down, we just stare at each other.

“Was this all a set up?” Pops asks.

Letting out a sigh Drifter answers, “The threat aside, I never planned on keeping her from you. I only planned on helping her until she remembered. Then days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months… The next thing I knew five years had gone by.” Meeting Pops stare he continues, “I fell in love with her like she was my own flesh and blood. Even before I knew who she was. That girl had a hold on me in ways I didn’t understand until she hugged me for the first fucking time and thanked me for just being there for her.” Taking a couple deep breaths he calms himself down. “When we found out Kodah had lived we put everything into motion. We set the course and let everything play out. With Emmy in danger of not just herself, but from someone we didn’t know… it seemed like the best thing we could have done.” Looking to me and then to Buck he squares his jaw and finishes, “I would do it all over again.”

Silence hangs around us as we all absorb what he said. I knew from the moment it all came together in the yard today just how much they had a hand in it all, but hearing it out loud I don’t know if I should thank them or not. There are so many different paths we could have taken… so many different outcomes that could have happened… but that’s just how it goes, isn’t it? You are constantly surrounded by choices, you never know the outcome until it’s too late. It might not have been the best choice for them to pick but the outcome brought everyone back together… It brought Emmy back to me. And that’s all I fucking care about.

Breaking the silence Pops gets straight to business. “Who is he?”

“His name is Marx Nixon,” Buck says, repeating what’s already known. Staring at the table he continues, and I watch as something takes hold of him, something I have never seen before. “His father’s father started the place from the ground up, came from filthy money and lots of it, knew how that kind of business went. He watched his grandfather and father turn that place into one of the biggest child slave rings there was. They molded Marx into a man who looked at kids as price tags. When he took over he took it to a whole other level. He cut out the drugs and stopped selling junkies. He started running a school for slaves. Sold to mayors and manufacturers, presidents and princes, you name it he had a kid for it.”

“Jesus,” Bo whispers.

“What did they do to her?” Pops asks, fear in his eyes.

“It’s not for me to tell.” He growls and rolls his neck, looking like he’s about to lose it. His behavior reminds me of JB… but I have never seen Buck less than collected. I have seen him angry and I have even seen him sad, but with every emotion he holds it together. Right now he looks anything but.

“Why is he after her now?”

“We don’t know for sure it’s him,” Buck says and Drifter’s hands fist on the table as he continues, “Your daughter’s name traveled to every competitor and every buyer that man had, his biggest enemies feared him because of her. They locked their daughters up tight thinking that if Marx was capable of doing that kind of shit to his own kid, what the hell would he do to theirs.” Pop’s nose flares and the vein on his neck pounds. “Until we know for sure who it is, we need to keep our eyes fucking open.”

“Who else would it be?” Bo asks. “From what you’ve said, you killed just about everybody who fucking knew her and everyone else has gone fucking silent. This guy is fucking with you. He’s making you question yourself. He’s making you feel like a fool.”

The realization and the truth of his words hang around us like fog.

“We’ve been trying to catch him for years. He’s smart and he’s desperate.” Drifter growls in his defense.

“When was the last time something happened?”

“’Bout 2 weeks ago.”

“Did you get what you needed from the city?” I cut in looking to Drifter.

“Just more names,” he answers. “Names of buyers, names of suppliers, and names of kids. None linked to Emmy.”

Shit.

“For now we wait. We keep our noses to the fucking ground and we sniff out anything that could lead to Emmy. Until this shit gets settled, she is not leaving my sight.” Pointing to me, Pops continues, “All I fucking know is the little you told me when you first got here. I’m not going to come between you two, because over the years you haven’t touched one club whore, you have driven hours to see her, you have proven yourself. But I’m telling you this now, son,” tears shine in his eyes and you can feel the hurt roll off of him. “I have spent the last eleven years thinking the worst fucking thing possible happened to my daughter, that I’d never fucking see her again and here she is and my fucking thoughts weren’t far off.”

“Dad,” Bo whispers, hearing and feeling the same anguish as his father.

“You come between me and getting to know my daughter, I’ll fucking take you out.”

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I just nod.

“I’m fucking done with this shit tonight. I want all the boys updated on what’s fucking going on, I want every sister chapter to be on the lookout, and I want you two out of my fucking sight,” he says turning to Buck and Drifter. “In your own fucking way you saved my little girl and that is the only reason your sitting there with your hearts still inside your fucking chests. Right now, we fucking need you. If you keep even one little bit of information from me and I find out, that’s fucking it. I’m burying your sorry fucking asses and I’m going to have fun doing it.”

Buck’s muscles bunch with tension, his head cocking from side to side.

Standing up, Pops goes to leave before he turns back to me.

“Don’t come over until morning.”

* * *

“You taking off again?” Drifter says as I storm out of the club

“Yes.” My monster claws me from the inside out. All I see is blood. All I hear are whimpering cries. I fucking need it.

Letting out a sigh, Drifter stays hot on my heels. Throwing my truck door open, I slide in and shut it behind me. Starting it up, I growl when Drifter leans against the open window.

“I see it, Buck. Just like I saw it when I first fucking met you. You keep feeding that demon inside you, you are going to become the person you despise the most. You’re not fucking him.”

“You don’t know fucking shit,” I growl, baring my teeth, my skin so tight it feels like it’s ripping from my bones. “Get out of my way.”

Narrowing his eyes, he threatens. “I can find out.”

“Fucking do it, Drifter,” I say, daring him to find out my secret. But he won’t. I see it in his eyes. He never does. He keeps his nose to himself and lets me do this shit on my own.

“Whatever you are fucking doing, wherever you keep fucking going, it’s not going to last forever. There’s only so much you can do to satisfy those voices before it’s not enough.”

“Back. The. Hell. Off.”

Dropping his hands, he takes a step back but doesn’t cower. “She forgave you, Buck.” Shooting my stare back to him he continues, “You should forgive yourself.”

“I don’t fucking deserve her forgiveness!” I shout and my body vibrates so hard the truck shakes. “I have to go,” I say desperately.

Crossing his arms, Drifter watches my monster take over. He watches me fall apart. Giving me a nod, he takes another step back. “I just hope whoever it is you take your shit out on tonight is someone who deserves it,” he says, before turning around and heading back for the club.

Blood pounds in my ears at his statement. Waiting for the gate to open I roll his words in my head. Do they fucking deserve it?

Rolling my truck through, I crack my neck from side to side, the monster has fully taken its hold over me. The promise of what’s to come brings a sadistic smile to my face.

They deserve every fucking bit of it.