I stare at the phone and I can’t deny there’s a sour feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’m now on Kuzma’s payroll—provided he gets the Garcias off my back—which is a formality at this point. He gave me his assurance that Alvaro would back down relatively easy. Apparently Toi killing someone and being mine will have tainted her. Bastard paid for an innocent and that’s what he wants. Fuckers like that need to stop breathing.

“How long you going to be beholden to the man?” Ride asks, bringing it down to what’s important.

“You know how this shit works, Ride.”

“Jesus. Marcum, man…”

“I’m good with it.”

“Bullshit.”

“For Toi, I’m good with it,” I tell him and I’m not lying one fucking bit. If I have to be Kuzma’s hitman for the next five years, and probably stay under his thumb for the rest of my life, big fucking deal. I’ve made worse bargains and gained a lot less. If this keeps Toi safe, then I do not give a damn.

“So, lockdown is over?”

“Kuzma got word this morning. Start moving people up top today around noon.”

“Noon?”

“Better safe than sorry. Can’t hurt to give it a few hours and be cautious.”

“You worried, man?”

I look at Ride. I have this unsettled feeling in my gut, though I can’t put name to it.

“Let’s just say that it seems too easy.”

Ride agrees right away, nodding his head.

“Does seem mighty anti-climactic.”

“If it’s indeed over, I’ll take that any day,” I laugh as Ride gets up and walks to the door.

“That’s because you’re getting old,” he says with a laugh and I give him the one-finger salute. Bastard’s not that much younger than me. “Whoa!” he says once the door opens and Toi is there. He catches her before she falls, because she was trying to wrench the door open.

She’s crying and I get up immediately and go to her, lifting her in my arms and carrying her over to the couch. Ride quietly shuts the door as I settle Toi in my lap.

“What’s going on, Dragonfly?” I ask as her almost silent sobs shake her body. I can’t stand to see her like this. She was fine this morning and my woman should never know the kind of sadness which is bothering her right now.

“Harley,” she cries, the word becoming muffled until it’s so quiet I have to strain to hear it, but once I do, I breathe a little easier. Harley is having growing pains where Toi is involved and it hurts her, but it will get better. It’s just going to take time.

“I told you, honey. This will get better. Bub just has to get used to us being together. Once he sees that you being here is permanent, it will be fine. You just keep loving him, it will get through to him,” I try reassuring her, combing through her hair with my fingers.

“You don’t understand.”

“Tell me.” I kiss the side of her head, unable to stop my smile. She cares about my kids so deeply. Toi has so many things about her that I love, but her heart might be my favorite.

“He said he hated me, Marcum. He was so hurt.”

“Hurt? Honey, what’s going on?”

“He heard us talking this morning. He thinks I’m pregnant.”

“Fuck…” I groan. This wasn’t how I wanted my son to find out.

“Or maybe that bitch told him. She’s using him, Marcum. I know you said you’d deal with it after the lockdown, but…”

She stops talking as she starts crying again. I know Cherry is a sore spot for her and I don’t trust Cherry, but I haven’t stopped the kids from seeing her while on lockdown… because I didn’t want them to fucking hate me and have Harley resent Toi even more. I don’t know what Cherry’s game is, but I honestly thought she cared for Desi and Harley. Fuck, I’d rather deal with a man any day of the week. Women are too damn conniving.

“I’ll deal with it, honey,” I reassure her.

“I want her gone, Marcum. She’s toxic.”

“I will deal with her, I promise,” I assure her again.

Toi cries a little longer, but eventually the sobs subside. She lifts her head and looks at me. I was feeling better, thinking Toi was through this crisis. She knows I’ll take care of everything. She has a right to be mad, hell I’m mad at myself. I should have taken Cherry out of the picture much sooner. But, when Toi looks at me, it’s not anger I see at all. It’s something else entirely.

“Are we on lockdown because of me?”

Fuck.

“Dragonfly, I told you that your father left a mess… I’m just cleaning it up.” I try to skirt the truth as much as I can.

“My father sold me,” she whispers and anger wars with concern.

“Who told you that, Toi?” I growl.

“Is it true?”

“Who the fuck told you?”

“Are you going to war because of me?”

“Toi, who the hell told you this shit?” I demand again.

“Is it true?” she repeats.

“I’m handling it.”

“So, it is true.”

“You don’t need to worry, honey. I’ve got this handled.”

“We’re on lockdown. Your men are in danger, your kids are in danger because of me,” she whispers, shaking her head no.

“I just got off the phone ending the war. We’re all fine. Everyone will start moving back upstairs in a few hours.”

“How did you take care of it?” she asks, still not trusting me.

I hold the side of her neck, enjoying the feel of her pulse against my palm.

“You’ve never had one before, Toi, but you need to realize that you have a man in your life now that will take care of you. A man who will protect you, always.”

“I couldn’t live with it if your family got hurt because of me,” she says, her head going down. I pull it back up and bring her closer to me.

“You’re forgetting one thing, Dragonfly.”

“What’s that?” she asks, her big eyes—so beautiful—staring at my mouth.

“You are part of our family now. You’re a part of me now,” I tell her and I’m rewarded with the sweetest words I’ve ever heard. I’ll never get tired of them either.

“I love you, Marcum,” she says and I take her lips.

Our kiss starts soft. She fills me with so much emotion that I don’t know how to begin sifting through it. When we finally break apart, both of us are breathing harder.

“Damn it, Toi, I want you, but I have work to do.”

“I want Cherry gone. I know you think it’s jealousy, Marcum but…”

“Is she the one who told you about your father?”

“Yes… and Harley.”

“She fucking told Harley about that shit?”

“She said he overheard her talking to Babs, but…”

“That fucking bitch,” I growl. “I’ll deal with her. Fuck. I’ll do it right now.”

We get up and the only thing on my mind is getting to Cherry and shutting her down. I’ll have her out of this damn club by nightfall. We’ve barely made it out of the door of my office before sirens start to go off.

“What’s that?” Toi asks. I can’t hear her over the siren, but I can tell what she’s asking by her lip movements. Plus, fuck that’s the question on my mind. The siren going off means there’s an attack topside. Topper and Babs come running around the corner.

“What the fuck is going on?” I ask Topper.

“Ride sent me down. Fucking blast at the garage, man. The men are up there, returning fire.

“You see to the women and get them and the children in the shelter. Then meet me up top.”

“You think it’s the Garcias?”

“If it is they lied to Kuzma,” I growl.

“Marcum,” Toi cries and I look down at her.

“I need you to keep the kids safe, Dragonfly. Stay here and do that for me.”

“But—”

“I got this, Toi. Remember?”

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” she whispers.

“I won’t. Trust me, the club and I have been through worse shit. I just need you to make sure the kids are safe. Can you do that for me?”

“Yeah…” she whispers.

“That’s my girl,” I tell her and I give her a quick kiss. I am running toward the stairwell that leads topside when something occurs to me. I turn back around. “Hey Top!”

“Yeah, man?”

“Lock Cherry down. I want her away from my kids. She doesn’t breathe the same air as them and Toi. You hear me?”

“Got it,” he says, but he says it to my back because I’m already heading upstairs.