“Kodah! Wake the fuck up!” Groaning I turn over and go to wrap my arms around my girl, but the spot is empty. Opening my eyes, I search her side of the bed but she’s gone.

What? -

“Kodah!” Turning over I face JB. “We got a fucking problem.”

Instantly on alert, I sit up. Looking over at the clock I see it’s already noon. Shit. “What the hell is going on?”

Handing me a torn piece of paper, I take it and stare down at it. “This is the address to the club,” I say handing it back. “What’s the fucking problem?”

“Your girl ran out of here like her ass was on fire. This had fallen from her hands. I think she’s going to the club.”

What the fuck? Am I still dreaming? Shoving the covers off, I stand up and grab my jeans off the floor and put them on. “Why would she go to the club?”

“Don’t fucking know but the look on her face, brother… I think you need to get over there. I already called Drifter. Him and Buck are already on their way.”

Something stirs in my gut and sends warning signals down my spine. “You staying here?” I ask, throwing on my shirt and cut and heading for the stairs.

“No, I’m coming with you, you might need me.” His answer concerns me even more. Why wouldn’t she have woken me up? Why the club? Where did she even get this address?

“You should stay here with Bailey,” I say, taking the stairs two at a time.

“I’m coming,” Bailey’s soft voice says from the living room. In her hand is a torn piece of paper. “I need to be there for her.”

Coming next to me, JB steps forward and holds out his hand. Bowing her head, she hands it over. Tearing his gaze off of her he looks down at the paper. “Shit.”

Shaking my head, I push past them both, unable to stand there any longer. Something isn’t right. “Do what you want but I’m leaving,” I throw over my shoulder still feeling like I’m dreaming.

What could possibly be going on?

“Kodah!” I hear JB yell but I’m already on my bike. Starting it off I watch him and Bailey both rush out of the house but I don’t waste any time. Something in me is telling me time is fucking precious and my girl needs me now more than she ever has.

Flying through town that feeling of unease grows stronger the closer I get. So many things run though my head as to why she would go there, but none of it makes sense and none of them come even close to the truth.

Pulling down the dirt road I stop behind Drifter’s bike.

“Open the fucking gate,” he shouts at me as I shut off my bike, urgency like I have never seen before flashes in his eyes.

Waving for the prospect to let us in, Drifter doesn’t even wait for the gate to open. Shutting off his bike, he jumps off and squeezes through the opening.

What the fuck? Something is seriously not fucking right.

“Emmalyn!” I hear him shout and the anxiety that seeps from his voice causes my blood to pound.

Jumping off my bike, the sound of a vehicle coming up behind me forces me to turn as I watch Buck pull up behind me.

Throwing open the door he jumps out, “Where is Drifter?” he asks, looking at his empty bike.

“What the hell is going on?” I demand as he rushes forward.

The sudden sound of screaming and men yelling throws both of us into action. Running past the gate… what I see… I just don’t understand.

The entire club is filed outside, everyone is screaming or shouting. Hearing the familiar cry of my girl, I search her out and red tints my vision. With his arms wrapped around her, Mayhem holds her flailing body as she tries to break free, her eyes stricken with fear as she looks ahead.

Following her gaze, my confusion grows even stronger as I watch Bo straddle Drifter on the ground, his fist flying throwing one punch after another.

What the hell is going on?

Jumping into action, I storm over to Mayhem and rip Emmy from his arms. I’m ready to take him down but Emmy pushes me aside. I watch as she spins around and flies over to where the fight is.

“Emmy!” I shout at the same time I hear Bailey scream Drifter’s name. Looking to her, I watch as JB holds her back.

Taking in the whole mess I find Pops and Buck standing on either side of the fight, both with their guns aimed at each other.

Confusion and fear run through me. Not knowing why this is happening has me choking for air. The thought of picking a side nearly kills me.

But I don’t have to pick because the sight of Emmy throwing herself in front of the guns and into the fight forces me into action. She is the only side I want on.

“Emmalyn!” I shout again as she throws her body over Drifter’s top, half blocking him from Bo.

“STOP!” she screams at the top of her lungs, the terror and agony in her voice catches everyone’s attention. Tears and dirt cascade down her face. “Buddy, stop,” she sobs quieter using his real name.

How does she know his name?

Stumbling off of Drifter and to his feet, Bo stands there, his body shaking so hard I can see it from where I stand. Stepping closer to Emmy, I look between everyone, the situation so beyond me.

I just want to get to my girl. “Emmy,” I basically beg her to look at me, to tell me what’s going on.

Bo spins around at the sound of her name and the look on his face causes my steps to falter. With wild and devastated eyes Bo looks at me, his face covered in blood and tears.

“What’s going on?” I ask again desperately as I look back to Emmy, but no one says a word. The only sounds that blankets the yard are the quiet cries and the heavy breathing of everyone around us.

Not paying attention to me, Emmy lifts off of Drifter and cradles his battered face. Letting out a sob, Bailey rushes over and falls to her knees next to them both. Groaning, Drifter turns to his side and pushes to his knees coughing and spitting up blood. Throwing her arm over his back, Bailey covers him and Emmy pushes off the ground. Moving to her full height she stands over them both in a protective stance, determination, disbelief and hurt etched all over her features as she looks to Bo. Shaking her head her gaze lands on Pops. With his gun still aimed, she follows its path to Buck and something I have never seen before happens.

Standing in a stance fit for a fighter, I watch as defiance and anger take hold of her. I watch as her back stiffens and her chin lifts. I watch as the scared girl I once knew turns into a fearless woman. I watch her fight for what she loves.

“How dare you?” she says in a low voice I have never heard from her before. “How dare you!” she screams, her anger directed at Pops.

Fear trails down my spine at what he will do to her, and I step up behind her ready to pull her away when the look on Pop’s face stops me.

Lowering his gun, he staggers back as if he had just taken a bullet to the chest. “Em-”

“He saved my life!” she cries, pointing down at Drifter. “I wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for him! I would be dead.”

Pop’s gun falls to the ground and he takes yet another step back.

“You promised me I would always be your little girl! You said you would always be there!” she shouts, staring up at Prez like he was once her everything.

My ears ring at her words and things start clicking into place.

No. Fucking. Way.

“You never came for me.” Her anger dissipates as she keeps going, hurt and utter sadness takes its place. “I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

No.

Not able to stand any longer she crumbles to the ground, and I shoot out to catch her but Pops beats me to it.

I watch with my heart in my throat as he lifts her up cradling her like a child, her arms wrap around his neck and her face buries in his neck as her body shakes with her sobs. With so many emotions on the man’s face, I watch as tears shine in his eyes as he holds her like she is his everything, like she is…. his daughter.

Spinning around I watch them disappear into the armory.

I stand there unable to move. Unable to comprehend. Looking to Bo, I watch his chest heave as he stares at Drifter and Buck. So much passes between the three of them before Bo turns and follows.

Turning to Buck, I ask the one question I don’t think I really want an answer to. “Is it true?”

Giving a single nod he answers, “Yes”

Like a strike to my face I take a step back, my head shaking with disbelief. “Did you know?” my voice asks unrecognizable.

Again, he answers with a hard and straight face. “Yes.”

This whole fucking time? My family… the family I chose, the family I worked so hard for, that I have given everything for, that I would do anything for…Is Emmy’s family? The reason I could never find them to add to the list is because they were right here the whole time. The reality of it all sinks in, Emmy was never given away… she was taken.

Looking around to everyone who still circles the yard I look at all the old ladies and the old timers, all the members who were here before I was and I see the devastation and the joy. I see the questions and I see the anger… I see a family that had lost a little girl only to find her eleven years later. I see heartbreak.

It all makes sense.

I meet JB’s eyes as he stands behind Bailey and the remorse I see in his stare just confirms everything. With one last glance at the two, I turn and leave.

I was right, she is going to need me now more than she ever has before.

For the first time ever, silence greets me as I walk into the armory. Rushing down the hall I throw open the office door and stop.

Sitting on the couch is Emmy and Pops and on the table in front of them is Bo. All of them turn and face me.

Dropping a hard mask Bo growls at me. “Get the fuck out.”

“I’m not going fucking anywhere,” I say, shutting the door behind me.

“No!” Emmy shouts as Bo shoots off the table and meets me chest to chest.

“This is her, isn’t it?” he asks, his voice hard. “This is who you have been seeing all these fucking years.”

Giving him a nod, he pulls out his gun faster than anyone can blink and shoves it in my temple.

“Bo!” Emmy screams scrambling to get up but Pops stops her, his eyes just as cold as his son’s.

“Did you fucking know?” Bo growls, pulling my attention back to his.

Shaking my head, I clear my throat and meet Emmy’s eyes as I answer, “I had no fucking clue.”

Relief and understanding shows in her eyes as she stares back at me. Pops lets Emmy go and she stands and I push past Bo to meet her halfway. Gripping her face I just look her over, I just need to see the light in her eyes, I just need to make sure she’s okay.

Giving me a watery smile she just nods, seeing the obvious questions running through my mind and I sag. Bringing my lips to her forehead, I pull her to my side and she turns back to Pops… to her father.

Looking between us both his eyes stop and stay on his daughter. Not saying a word, he just stares at her, searching for his little girl, searching for the last eleven years, begging time to go back so he can take the years back.

“Emma,” he chokes. “Where have you been?” he asks, begging for answers.

Shaking her head, she ignores his question and asks the question she has been needing to know, the question that has haunted her all these years. “What happened?”

* * *

“You ready for this?”

Looking to my right-hand man and brother, Rooster, I give a single nod.

“We hook this deal, we will not just own the whole town, but the whole northwest up to Washington.”

Letting out a breath I just give another nod, not really one for fucking talking.

“You ready for that kind of responsibility? You ready to be the President? The man all these fucked up punks look up to to survive?”

Am I ready?

Staring at all my boys surrounding me, ready to ride and die with me, I think of how I found them all. Some were on the streets, some were looking to destroy their lives, others were back from war with the need for a brotherhood. I think of my little girl inside the house and my son, the spitting image of me, taking his first ride with us.

Am I ready to be responsible for us all?

Looking to my fifteen-year-old boy on the back of Rooster’s bike with a big stupid fucking grin on his face, I let my gaze turn back to the house and picture my little girl, who is about to turn ten, staring out her window waiting to see us all ride. She is the only girl who turns me to a pussy with the flick of her fucking wrist.

I’m doing this for them.

For everyone.

Not giving an answer, I lift my bandana over my nose and give the signal for my boys to fall in line. The rumble from the bikes shakes the ground, the sound gives meaning stronger than the law, and one by one we ride. One by one we start our MC, one by one we become the Soulless Sinners.

* * *

It’s been two days and I’m fucking exhausted. We closed the deal with the Russians and now own one of the largest shipping yards on the west coast.

It’s fucking happening.

Laid up at the motel for the night, I plug in my phone. Having had been in the middle of fucking nowhere for the last two days, none of us had bars on our cellphones to get any reception and I’m fucking itching to talk to my little girl.

Turning it on, I hold it up trying to get service when messages start pouring in.

What the hell?

One after another they come in nonstop, my phone buzzing so hard I think it’s going to break.

Hitting the voicemail, I put the phone to my ear. “POP! POP! She’s gone! She’s fucking gone!” Rooster’s wife, Mel, screams into the phone before it cuts off.

My blood runs cold.

As I hit the next voicemail, pounding on my door sounds but I can’t move, forcing them to bust the lock. Stepping forward, the look on Rooster’s face as he faces me is one nightmares are made of. “We got to go,” he says at the same time the next voicemail goes through.

“She was here one minute and then she was just gone.” Sobbing can be heard. “Pops, you need to come back. Emmalyn is gone.”

* * *

“He’s here, Pops.”

Strolling in behind Chuck, a man without a care in the world sits down in the seat across from my desk.

“Drove five days straight to fucking come out here. This better be fucking worth it.”

With tired movements, I reach under my desk and pull out the briefcase. Setting it on my desk, I push it forward.

“$50,000 now, $50,000 when my little girl is back here in my arms.” My voice comes out rough, the lack of sleep not helping any.

Grabbing the briefcase, he opens it and checks out the cash before closing it back up. “What do I need to know?”

Grabbing the file, my hand shakes like a bitch as I toss it his way. Opening it up he grabs the first picture, the picture of my little girl.

“She’s beautiful,” he says, moving to the next.

My heart aches so bad it feels like I’m fucking dying.

“This the girl’s mom?” he asks, turning the picture around so I can see and I grit my teeth.

“Yea that’s fucking her. Name’s Maurice. She’s been in and out until ‘bout couple weeks ago when we threw her ass out for good. She’s been seen with some really shady fucking people.” Fisting my hands I continue, “She is the only person I can think of who would dare fucking take her from me. I just don’t know why. She’s never fucking wanted her.”

Nodding, he flips through more of the file then stands. “I’ll do my best to find her.”

Standing up my knees fucking shake. Such a bitch.

Turning for the door the NOMAD on his cut taunts me.

“Drifter,” I call out before he disappears. “You fucking find my little girl.”

“I’ve never had a case I couldn’t fucking crack,” he growls, narrowing his eyes at me. “I’m not going to fucking start now.”

“This isn’t a fucking hit,” I growl knowing damn fucking well what his cases usually are. “If you find her, I want the people who are responsible left alive. I want to be the ones to end their lives.”

Seconds go by as we just stare at each other before he answers, “I’ll find her.”

* * *

Three years… it’s been three fucking years and not one single fucking word as to where my little girl is.

Nothing.

Pounding on the door forces my attention.

“Pops, Drifter’s here.” Lifting my head, hope surges through me.

“Let him in.”

Walking in, Drifter looks at me with defeat in his stare and everything crashes around me.

No.

Placing the same briefcase I gave him three years ago on my desk, he takes a step back.

“I can’t find her.”

I drop my head to my hands as I stare at the black box containing my only chance at finding my girl. I want to yell, I want to tear him and everyone else apart limb from fucking limb, I want to turn this world upside down.

But all I do is cry. I fucking cry.

Over the years, it doesn’t get any easier. I remove her presence from the walls of the club house, having it there only makes everyday life that much fucking harder.

I change our insignia and have a sun wrapped around it just like in her drawing. I open up shops and name them after her. I don’t ever touch her fucking room. I don’t sleep. I don’t dream. I just exist.

Drifter ended up staying in town. He never really said why, but I think it had to do with the only case he couldn’t solve. He grew attached to the town, to the little girl he never knew.

But it never got any fucking easier.