Veer’s white button-up shirt is without so much as one wrinkle, and his black slacks perfectly fitted.

He runs the hand holding the gun over his black hair, a blinding smile punching me in the stomach.

I turn quickly to grab my phone off the charger on the side table just outside the room, and Veer tsks, halting me.

“Looking for this?” He has my pink iPhone dangling from his hands. He drops it to the floor and slams the heel of his leather shoe right into the screen. Cracking it into pieces.

Fuck.

“I’ve been looking for you, Simone.”

“How did you find me?” I can’t help but ask, anger and terror battling in my chest.

“Well, it wasn’t easy. I came here first and killed one lover only to find you not here. Then I went to the other lover from a different club, to find out you weren’t there either. “But alas a broken-hearted cop reached out in attempt to hire me to do her dirty work to off an entire club, and in return, she’d give me your whereabouts, but she went missing before we could become accomplices. So,” he takes a deep breath, looking back into the crib. “Good ol’ birth records gave me everything I needed to find you in the end.”

“Please, don’t hurt her,” I plead, my eyes filling with tears. My body trembles and the fear in my chest is so heavy I can hardly breathe.

His head snaps in my direction, the disgusted look pulling at his face makes my knees tremble with fear.

“Hurt her? She shouldn’t be here, Simone! You broke the unwritten laws of our marriage agreement! You made me look like an idiot!” His face turns red, his voice shouting. That’s when I realize this is all about pride and he’s not going anywhere without me by his side.

I’m a statement, and he’ll stop at nothing to show everyone he knows that he’s a man of his word. I hang my head, knowing if I fight him he’ll kill anyone in his way.

“Please, if you just let her go… I’ll- I’ll go with you.” A tear slips down my cheek. The idea of not having Catori in my life seems bleak, but I’d rather not have her next to me, than her be gone forever.

“Simone!” Jillian hisses, but I can’t look her in the eyes. She doesn’t understand, if I don’t willingly go with him, he will kill Catori and her. I can’t let anyone else die because of me.

“Where is your mother? Is she here?” He changes the subject, throwing me for a loop. Like my submission means nothing to him.

“Wh-what? No,” I reply confused.

His face turns toward mine, his dark snake eyes causing a chill to race up my neck.

“When I killed your father, she ran. I figured she’d be with you. She deserves to die for your betrayal,” he sneers.

“You- you killed my father?” The words sound foreign spilling from my lips. My actions have caused so much spilled blood.

A maniacal laugh wracks his whole body, the sound making my limbs shake with terror.

“He let you become a whore! I don’t take breaking a contract lightly,” he growls. As if I’m not a person but an object. “You’re mine, and you will learn how to be my wife if I have to beat it into you. You will redeem my last name with honor!”

“She’s not going anywhere with you!” Jillian seethes through gritted teeth. He waves the gun at her, but she seems unfazed by the threat. Her face lax and eyes conveying boredom.

“Jillian,” I warn. She has no idea what kind of man she’s dealing with, Veer will shoot her without warning.

Her eyes fall to the gun on the floor and a fearing chill bumps up my back.

She dives to the floor reaching for the spare gun, and Veer jerks as a loud boom echoes through the room. Jillian’s body suddenly going limp. Oh my God, he shot her. Catori cries, and I scream at Jillian’s lifeless body on the floor. Reaching for the wall to hold me up, I try and hold in my sob.

“You didn’t have to do that!” My voice cracks.

“Yeah, but she was really getting on my nerves,” he chuckles. Not able to take my eyes off Jillian, blood begins to stain the surrounding carpet under her body. Her back rises taking in a shallow breath. Oh my God, she’s alive.

Shaky movements, I fall to Jillian’s side, trying to turn her over to see where she’s been shot.

“You’re okay,” I lie. I have no idea. All I can think about is how cold and shaky I suddenly am. Her thigh has a massive amount of blood dripping out of a hole in her sweatpants. That’s where she’s been shot. Looking on the other side of her leg there’s no exit wound.

I did enough in medical school to know that if I don’t slow this bleeding down, Jillian won’t make it long enough for Mac to find her.

Ripping Mac’s shirt, I attempt to wrap her leg tightly with it. My hand under her thigh, Jillian grips my fingers and I freeze from her sudden strength. My eyes dart to hers, and she nods, shoving something into my palm.

Spreading my gaze across her limp body to my hand I realize she’s giving me her phone.

Veer looks at Catori, his gun waving around and I quickly shove the phone down my shirt.

Maybe I can get a break to call Mac and tell him where I am, or maybe he can use one of his computer programs he loves so much to trace it.

“Get up!” Veer suddenly barks, and I jump where I kneel. His voice shrill and terrifying.

“Get up, or I will pull this fucking trigger!” he threatens, turning the gun to the crib. A blood-curdling scream makes my throat raw. Instantly, I climb to my feet, my hands outstretched to stop him from pulling the trigger.

“Please don’t, I’m up and listening,” I cry in a hoarse voice. I’ll do anything for him not to hurt Catori. Anything.

“You made a fool out of me,” he seethes. His hand tightening around the trigger of the gun. “Look at her, she’s not even full Native American!” he insults.

“Stop!” I scream. “Don’t hurt her. I know, I’m sorry. Just, please. Let’s go,” I coax, waving him toward the door. Trying to get him away from the crib and away from my baby girl.

He looks at Catori with disgust, and my heart sinks to the pit of my stomach. Doom swallowing any hope that Mac and Catori sparked in my cold heart that my life may be different. He’s going to kill her and if he does, he might as well kill me too. I’ve caused so much chaos with my actions, ruined lives even. But losing my little girl will put a bullet through my brain. I’ll be a living vegetable. Breathing, but not surviving.

“Please Veer, I will go with you if you just let her live. She doesn’t have anything to do with my betrayal,” I explain. “She’s just a baby.”

Scratching his temple with the barrel of the gun, he contemplates my offer. Looking at Catori as if she is a baby for the first time rather than a bastard child.

“You want to go with me?” God no, but I will go anywhere if it means Catori is safe.

“Yes, let’s go. We can get married, we can still do everything you wanted. Just let her go.” Every word is sharp glass to my throat, but I’m scared to death he’ll hurt my little girl if I say the wrong thing.

Waving the gun from the crib, he points it at me and I freeze.

“Get your shoes on. We’re going home. Wife.”

Vomit fills my mouth hearing him call me wife. Swallowing, eyes teary, I glance at the crib.

“Can I say goodbye?”

He looks at the crib before finally nodding.

Quickly, I erase the space between me and crib. Catori’s in a pink elephant sleeper, crying hysterically. Placing my palm on her chest, she begins to calm down. I situate the purple dragon next to her, and she settles.

“Hey there,” I whisper. “You be strong, okay?” I sob, trying to paint her face to memory. The smell of her baby soap, and the feel of her heart beating against my palm. I impregnate my mind with every detail of my little girl.

Tears down her face, she looks up at me and it brings me back to when my mother had to walk away from me for my own good. Ordering me to run for my life. I wonder if it was just as hard for her as it is for me.

“I’m doing this for your own good, but know that I love you, and always will.” My voice wavers, tears slipping down my chin and dripping on her bedding.

“Time’s up, let’s go. We’ll have babies. Children meant to be in this world.” He growls, and I squeeze my eyes shut, the truth of me having a hysterectomy on the tip of my tongue.

If I tell him, it will just make everything worse. I need to control myself and get him away from Catori.

He tugs on my arm, pulling me away from the crib. I step over Jillian lying on the floor and find my shoes next to the couch. Slipping them on one by one with trembling hands.

Mac will look for me, and if he can’t rescue me, he will be the best dad to Catori any girl could ask for.

My heart breaks in my chest, and I can’t breathe. I feel lightheaded, as if someone is squeezing the life from my chest with their bare hands.

Snot and tears dripping down my face I remind myself I’m doing this for Catori.

Looking at the lamp on the side table, thoughts about bashing it against Veer’s head wavers in my mind, but one wrong move and he’ll kill Catori for sure.

I can’t risk it.

Standing, I lift my chin, trying to be strong like my mother.

Letting my daughter and Mac go is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Like a little kid lifting the lid to a jar full of beautiful rare butterflies.

Shoving the grease stained bag of Chinese food in my saddle bag, I listen to Machete go on about how him and Raven have been fucking like mental patients gone wild. With his red hair flying in the wind he looks mental right now.

“I tied her to the bed and painted a picture with hot wax on her back and if she guessed the picture wrong, she got a spanking.” Machete slapped his palm with his other hand, a wild grin on his face.

I just shake my head. They’re into some kinky shit.

Straddling my motorcycle seat, I start it and rev it up. Excitement buzzes through me needing the silence and solace the wind and the motor of my motorcycle have to offer, along with my brother by my side on the black pavement. It’s a peace I can’t explain.

The warm air of the summer feels good against my sweaty skin, every time we hit a stop light, my boots on the ground to balance myself, beads of sweat instantly form on my back. I need it though, it’s better than the air conditioner of the suite.

A car pulls up beside me, a young woman with blonde hair looking my way before she quickly darts her eyes forward. Her shoulders tensing with fear. I smirk at her cowardly demeanor.

Seems our name still upholds our reputation.

Pulling up to the club, I back my bike into its spot and turn it off. Exhaling a long breath, I climb off my motorcycle and grab the food from my bags. The smell of hot noodles and crab rangoon making my stomach growl.

“Thanks for riding with me man, I needed that,” I state, buckling up my saddle bags.

“Not… not a problem, brother,” Machete replies, distracted with his phone in his palm. The way his face contorts into concern, I know something is wrong. Raven must have grabbed the wrong nipple clamps or something.

With a lift of my chin I ask him, “What’s up?”

“Zeek has been blowing my phone up,” his tone distressed.

Setting the food down on the seat of my bike, I tug my phone free and see four missed calls from Zeek. My hands become jittery with anxiety.

“He can’t get ahold of Jillian,” Machete reads a text out loud. My head swoops upward to where Jillian and Simone are in the hotel as if I can tell what’s wrong from down here. The feeling of fingers digging into my heart, push my feet forward. Leaving the Chinese behind, I sprint inside the casino, past gamblers and half-naked women serving over-priced cocktails, to the private elevator to our suite.

Machete beside me in the elevator, he tugs his machete from his boot, and I pull my gun from my waistband ready for whatever may go down. This is what I’m trained to do, yet I feel like a loose cannon ready to spray bullets and pray they hit their target.

“I see the vein in your neck pumping, brother. Take a deep breath,” Machete schools.

“Fuck you, your chick isn’t up there,” I growl in response.

I shouldn’t have left Simone. It was too risky leaving her without Outlaw protection. God, I hope they’re just being stupid with the TV too loud or something. Deep inside my gut though, I know they’re not. The sharp coldness on the back of my neck, and the knot in my stomach silently telling me something has gone wrong.

The elevator doors slowly open, and I slide through the opening needing out now. Entering the hallway, I notice the front door to the suite is wide open. I was right, something bad happened. The sound of Catori’s screaming from inside her room makes my blood chill to the bone, and the grip on my gun tightens.

“Simone! Catori!” I run to the sound of her crying and into the baby room. Jillian is laying on the floor, blood pooling around her while Catori cries in her crib.

Rubbing my chin anxiously, I step over Jillian and Simone’s cracked phone to check on Catori. She’s crying hysterically, her dragon right next to her. I frown, knowing for a fact someone placed it next to her. Simone and I made sure it was in the corner of the crib watching over her. The only people to know it means anything is Simone, and I thought she must have moved it. I place my hand under her and pick her up. Spinning her in the air, I check for any injuries, but she’s clear of any wounds. I sigh with relief. Thank fuck.

“Easy baby, Daddy’s here,” I soothe her, pressing her to my chest. I kiss her head, and she quiets some. Her baby smell and soft touch what I needed.

I bend at the knee next to Jillian’s body, pressing two fingers to her neck.

“Is she alive?” Machete asks, coming into the room, his voice cracking with concern. The same question hangs heavy on my mind as I try to look for a pulse. She’s the club’s queen, if she dies the club will lose a part of its soul. Our president will lose his fucking mind, bringing all of us to insanity.

Faintly I feel the vessels in Jillian’s neck beat against the pad of my finger.

“She’s alive, call 911.”

Before Machete can pull his phone out, Zeek and Felix are flying through the front door of the suite, yelling Jillian’s name. He must have given up trying to call her and headed over here himself.

“In here!” I inform.

Zeek marches in, his hair a fucking mess, and he’s wearing just his leather jacket and some jeans. Looks like he was at home relaxing when he started to become worried about Jillian. Felix’s hair is down, his Harley shirt on backward, and jeans smeared with Dorito dust.

Zeek falls to the floor next to his queen, his face pale. For the first time in my life, my president looks lost as to what to do next. It makes me feel vulnerable. Zeek always has the answers and strength for any situation, and right now… he’s fucking lost.

“Oh my God,” he mutters. “Jillian, wake the fuck up!” He shakes her with a trembling hand. Regret smothers me in a dark remorse. I never should have left these girls here by themselves. I bet Veer fucking waited for me to turn my back. Makes me wonder how long he’s been watching Simone, waiting for his chance to strike.

Rubbing my neck nervously, I notice something wrapped around Jillian’s bloody thigh. A piece of my shirt to be exact. Simone must have done it to slow the bleeding, good thing too or she might have bled out.

“We need to get her to a hospital and now,” I tell Zeek. He knowingly gazes at me, he hates the hospital but knows we don’t have a choice.

“An ambulance is on the way,” Machete informs us, already making the call.

Standing with Catori tightly pressed against my chest, her warmth and heartbeat somehow keeping the little bit of sanity I have in check.

“I’m going to check the camera I installed in the hallway.” I hooked it up after Simone came home with Catori.

“Vee—” Jillian crackles from the carpeted floor. I freeze, looking down at her.

My brows pinching together I scowl at Zeek. “What’d she say?”

Jillian coughs, her eyes closed.

“V-Veer!” she replies with more clarity this time. My neck tenses as hard as rocks, my hands coiling into fists at the mention of that fucker’s name. I knew it!

I was right, Veer finally found Simone. But why didn’t he take the baby? Looking down at Catori, her eyes are closed, her cheeks wet from crying.

“Where would he take her?” Felix asks, kneeling next to Jillian. Him standing in the back looking everything over, I almost forgot he was here. I exhale a ragged breath, not having a clue where this creepy fuck might take her. I should have given Simone a pin with a GPS device on it, something Veer never would have seen. Why didn’t I think of that?

I hang my head trying to think where Simone is.

“I don’t know.” The complex words slip out with grief laced around them. Sliding both of my sweaty hands in my hair. I silently pray to God he doesn’t hurt her, he better fucking pray he doesn’t hurt her. Catori needs her mother. Fuck, I need her. She pulled emotions out of me and gave me strength to withstand any storm life relinquishes me. Without Simone, I’ll become numb and suppress any wave of emotion, I’ll be of no use to anyone, let alone Catori.

“Jillian’s phone is missing!” Zeek proclaims, grabbing my attention from Catori.

Wait, maybe Simone has it. My eyes widen and fall to the floor next to Jillian, my mouth next to hers.

“Did Simone take your phone?”

“Dude, back up!” Zeek becomes protective, but I brush him off and ask Jillian again. I need to know if Simone took her fucking phone. It might be the only thing to find her.

Zeek shoves me in the shoulder, but I don’t budge. My eyes glued to Jillian for any sign or signal she can give me about this damn night.

Seconds pass, and she doesn’t respond. She’s out of strength to answer me, and I’m running out of time and patience.

Jumping to my feet, I jog to my laptop sitting on the coffee table in the living room. Placing Catori down on a cushion, I barricade her in with pillows while I work.

Brushing the chip crumbs from the keyboard, I pull up my handy programs.

“You really think Simone has it?” Felix asks over my shoulder.

I type Jillian’s number into my computer as fast as I can and pull up a GPS map.

“I fucking hope so,” I mutter, my focus on the screen.

A map displays on the screen, and a little red dot finally pops up on the left side.

She must have taken it when she was fixing Jillian’s leg because it shows the phone outside the casino. It will take a while for the GPS to exactly pinpoint where she is though. Anxiety causes my neck to pulse nervously. Shaking my hands out, I stand and begin to pace, wishing my programming was better. I always want it to be better, that’s why I’m always working on it. Learning new backdoors and adjusting my codes. I can get better results with this program, but it takes longer to get them.

Dropping my head, I take a deep breath. I can work with this, I can still save her. I just have to be patient.

“Las Vegas EMT!” Three women race inside the suite with a stretcher, and I stand quickly. One’s short and chubby, one tall and built with muscle, and the other of medium build.

“In there.” I point to the room where Zeek and Jillian are.

Stepping up behind them, I watch as they look Jillian over, and talk to Zeek about what happened.

“Intruder, we’re looking into it. Can you just fucking get her to the hospital!” Zeek snaps at them hatefully. He won’t tell them who it might have been, because in reality, they won’t do anything. Cops will come and ask a bunch of stupid fuck questions, and then leave. That will be the end of it.

No, we will be the law tonight.

They inspect Jillian’s wound and place her on the stretcher, Zeek and Felix by her side.

As they pass me, Zeek stops in front of me. His brows furrowing, jaw clenching.

“Get the ol’ ladies up here to watch Catori, and take whatever men you need to find Simone,” Zeek demands. He grips my shoulder, his eyes becoming ablaze.

“I’d do this quietly if you don’t want the Devil’s Dust getting in the middle. They’ve been blowing my phone up wanting the man’s head who killed Kane. I’m giving you first dibs. So when you find him, don’t fuck it up.” Zeek gives me a commanding look, and I nod accepting.

When I’m done with Veer, he’s going to be coyote shit in the desert. There won’t be enough of him to worry about putting a toe tag on him.