Chapter 28
Harley
After Amanda told me she wanted Dash to be her father, I couldn’t think straight anymore. My daughter had turned out to be more perceptive than me. Within such a short time of knowing Dash, she had already figured out that he was the best man for us. For our little family.
Family. That word had meant nothing to me. Not ever.
Even as a child, I had felt so disconnected from my parents that I didn’t feel like I belonged to them either. Being with Caesar had never felt like that. Even in the beginning, when I first started seeing him.
He was just a guy who served as an excuse for me to leave my home. I never imagined a family with him. When I got pregnant and after the way he reacted to the news, I knew that was never going to happen.
He might have been the biological father of my child but he was never going to be family. And now Amanda seemed to think that Dash could give us just that. Hadn’t he hinted at that too?
While Amanda played and talked, I zoned out. Imagining what a life with Dash might look like. Just the three of us, living together.
And now it felt like I had sent him to his death.
Every time Amanda said something that needed my attention, I was too distracted. I was thinking about Dash and if he was going to return to us tonight.
He had been gone for several hours and there was no news from anyone. The other guys from the MC who were guarding us said they had no information either. So, the only thing I could hope for was that he was still alive and that I would see him again.
I tried to put on a brave face for Amanda, to make her believe that nothing was wrong. After all, Dash had made her a promise and she was expecting whole-heartedly for him to keep his end of it.
If anything happened to him, not only would it break my heart to know I was partly responsible for it…but how would I break the news to Amanda?
We would both be heartbroken. We were so close to actually finding happiness and it felt suddenly like it was very far away.
Amanda laughed and played, blissfully unaware of how our happiness was hanging off the ledge with just a few fingers. I didn’t know how long I could keep it up. How long I could pretend for her that it was all okay.
If we didn’t hear soon from the guys, I was sure that my heart would explode. Right now, the only thing I could focus on was not crying.
***
Eventually, Amanda fell asleep on the couch in the lounge while I tried to tell her stories to keep myself distracted. It was some relief that she was able to sleep because I needed a moment to myself.
I covered her with a fluffy throw and after kissing her on her cheek, I walked to the balcony. It was dark outside and there was no light anywhere, as far as I could see. I was repeating Dash’s name over and over again in my head.
I was so caught up with those thoughts in my head that I didn’t hear Lila join me in the balcony.
“We’re all freaking out a little here, but you seem like you need some help,” she said and stood beside me. I looked at her, feeling guilty because I was only thinking of myself. It wasn’t just Dash’s life that was on the line. All his friends were out there as well.
“I don’t know what to expect…”
Lila smiled, even though I detected the worry in her eyes. She was thinking about Girth and how she wanted to see him again.
“You can expect them to win this,” she replied.
My throat had gone dry. I didn’t know how to express my emotions in words anymore. There were no words to describe it with.
“I’ve known most of these guys all my life. I grew up around them. My dad has been involved with the Marked Skulls since I was a kid, and now my husband is too. So, trust me when I say that I know a thing or two about what they are capable of.”
Lila was speaking in a soft reassuring voice. I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her. I wanted her to keep talking. It was calming me.
“They are good men. They are tough and kind and fair, and most of all, they know exactly what they’re doing. They are more capable than anyone else you’ll ever meet,” she said.
I nodded, but she could see I was still nervous.
“There’s something else bothering you too, isn’t there?” she asked.
“I feel like this battle is my fault. That Dash is out there because of me, putting his life on the line, because of me. So are Girth, Rodeo, Abe and Oz and the others…”
She came up to me and placed her hands on my arms.
“These men have gone into battle for all of us. Believe me. This is not your fault. They are out there because of justice and because those others are evil and they’re getting what’s been coming for them,” she said.
I couldn’t say anything. I had to believe her because I had no other choice.
“This has been brewing for a long time and now finally it is our time to destroy them. No more chances. We’ve given them enough opportunity and now Marked Skulls is going to take the lead. No matter what it takes,” she continued.
“No matter what it takes,” I repeated in a whisper after her.
***
Lila and I were still standing there in the balcony, talking, when we heard the sound of the motorbikes outside. We looked at each other and smiled before flying inside so we could get to the front door. The other women had come out of their rooms too but thankfully Amanda was still asleep on the couch soundly.
“Oh my God! Is it them?” Alexis squealed as we ran to the door in a group. But before any of us could even open the door, Dash had burst in.
“Dash!” I screamed his name, sure that Amanda had woken up by now. He charged straight towards me and lifted me up in his arms and swung me around.
“You’re here! You’re actually here!” I couldn’t contain my excitement. I could barely breathe while he covered my face with kisses.
The others had come in too. Girth lifted Lila up and she wrapped her legs around him. Rodeo went straight for Jordan and they were kissing. Abe and Alexis held hands and she looked over him carefully for any bruises, while Oz and Kaya ran to their room.
Dash lifted me up in his arms and I squealed with joy.
“Where is she? Where’s the kid?” he asked as I kissed him.
“She fell asleep just fifteen minutes ago. She’s probably awake now,” I said with a laugh and he carried me to the lounge.
I didn’t care about the details of what had happened. I wasn’t interested in anything other than the fact that he was well and alive. That he was actually here in my arms.
In the lounge, Amanda was waking up from the noise, just as I’d predicted. She rubbed her eyes and sat up on the couch.
“Dash?” she said his name and he put me down.
“I’m here baby girl,” he exclaimed and went up to her and knelt down beside the couch.
“You’re back! Where were you?” She threw her arms around his neck and he held her tightly.
“Just planning our next big adventure,” he said and I watched them together proudly. Amanda was right, Dash would make a wonderful father, and he didn’t even know it.
“Can we go on an adventure tomorrow?” she asked and he was nodding.
“I was thinking we start with an amusement park in the morning, pizzas for lunch and then water slides in the evening. Maybe cotton candy and ice cream for dinner?” he said. Amanda squealed with even more excitement. She couldn’t believe her luck. Pizzas for lunch!
“But for tomorrow to come, you need to go to sleep tonight,” I said, coming up to them. She was pouting her lips but she lay back on the couch again. She was tired.
“Goodnight, baby girl. We’ll see you in the morning, okay?” he said, patting her hand and then he stood up and turned to me.
“And as for you, you and I get to stay up all night!” he said and I squealed again when he lifted me up in his arms again.
***
Dash carried me to the balcony so we could talk. When he put me down, he kissed me again and I felt light headed from emotion. I held on to him, feeling his tongue slide into my mouth which comforted me. When he finally pulled away from me, I looked at him uneasily.
“You can ask,” he said with a smirk.
“What happened?” I asked quickly and he breathed out.
“It’s over, Harley, they’re done,” he replied, reaching for my face so he could run his finger over my lips.
“What about…”
“Caesar? He’s dead.”
“How do you know?” I asked and Dash looked me deep in the eyes.
“Because I killed him.”
I gasped when I heard that. Even though they were the words I was hoping to hear, I wasn’t expecting them.
“You killed him?”
“He died in front of my eyes. Harley, he’s not going to hurt you or Amanda again. It was the only thing I could do. He threatened you again and I had to…”
“I’m glad you did!” I snapped, fisting my palms tightly. After seven years of suffering at his hands, I didn’t care if he lived or died. I was glad he was dead. I felt no remorse or sympathy for him.
Dash was watching me closely, probably trying to judge my reaction.
“What about the others? What if the remaining club come after me? As revenge?” I asked.
Dash smirked.
“You’re learning to ask the right questions,” he said and stroked the back of my neck affectionately.
“As far as we could judge, they all died too. We set fire to the clubhouse. They’re gone, Harley. And if any of them got out, they will not have the strength or the ability to fight back anymore. This time they’re defeated,” he replied.
I felt choked up with emotion. After so many years of living under them, witnessing their cruelty and their rage—I felt no remorse for them either.
I stepped up to him and craned my neck back so I could look into his eyes.
“I knew you would do it. I trusted you,” I said. Dash took my hand and brought it up to his lips.
“And none of this would have been possible without you. I wouldn’t have gotten out of there if I hadn’t met you. We wouldn’t have found the clubhouse if you didn’t give us the address. This is a victory for you too,” he said and we were both smiling.
“What are we going to do now?” I asked and Dash leaned forward and scooped me up in his arms again.
He wasn’t going to answer my question, and he didn’t need to. He carried me out of the balcony, across the lounge and to our bedroom. Our bedroom. It felt strange thinking that but I knew it to be true now. Dash wasn’t going anywhere and neither was I.