I looked down at Kenadee curled up next to me in the bed, and I found myself reaching out to touch her, proving to myself that I wasn’t dreaming. She was warm and soft, and just having her next to me set my mind at ease, letting me relax for the first time in weeks. As I lay there staring at her, I knew my feelings for her were growing stronger. After we had eaten, I’d managed to convince her to lie down next to me, and we spent the next hour or so talking. I couldn’t deny that she had an effect on me, both mentally and physically. I also couldn’t deny that I liked it. I liked it a lot. Kenadee was an amazing, beautiful woman, and as I lay there watching her sleep, I wished that we had more time alone before we were hit with the next round of mayhem. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option.

The club was at war. Members—my friends, my family, my brothers—had lost their lives. Unlike most of the battles we’d fought, we had no idea who we were up against, which meant we knew nothing about our enemy; we had no idea how many of them there were, where they were coming from, or even the real reasons behind their attack. That no longer mattered. They’d made their move, and now, we’d make ours. We’d have our revenge, and we’d come at them with everything we had, showing them they’d made the biggest mistake of their lives by coming after Fury. We were the one club that no one fucked with and lived to tell about it, and we’d see to it that our reputation remained intact.

I was eager to hear any news the guys had uncovered, but first I needed to see about Kevin. I hadn’t seen him since I’d brought him over to the clubhouse with my folks. When my dad came to check on me in the med-room, he mentioned that he’d been asking a bunch of questions. I couldn’t blame him. With all the commotion, he had to know something was up. After losing his mother, Kevin tended to be a little overprotective, and since he hadn’t actually laid eyes on me in a few hours, he was worried. I’d sent a few random text messages, hoping to buy a little time, but after I received his latest message, I knew he was ready to see his old man. Thankfully, he wouldn’t have to wait long. With everyone stirring in the halls, doors slamming, and people talking, Kenadee started to wake up with a long, stretch and a sleepy groan.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

She was lying on her stomach, and her face was planted in the pillow as she answered, “Um-hmm.”

“Sleep well?”

“Um-hmm.”

Clearly, she wasn’t a morning person, so I asked, “Need some coffee?”

“Please.”

I popped her on the backside before I eased out of bed. “Get dressed. I’ll be back in ten. We’ll head over to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast, and then I need to see about Kevin before I head out.”

“Hold up!” She propped up on her elbows, and with her eyebrows furrowed, she snapped, “You’re not going anywhere until I check those stitches and replace your bandages. And the same goes for Murphy.”

“I think we can manage that.”

“Coffee first.”

I nodded. “I’ll be back.”

I started down the hall to my room to get changed. The first few steps were tough. While the shrapnel had only pierced the outer portion of my right thigh and wasn’t nearly as bad as the wound on my chest, it had grown stiff overnight, making it slightly difficult to walk. When Kenadee warned me about exerting myself too soon, I dismissed her completely, thinking I was strong enough to handle a few fucking stitches, but when I started to put on my jeans, I had second thoughts. I sat down on the edge of the bed, and I was panting like a goddamn dog by the time I had them pulled up to my hips. I managed to slip into my boots, but when I looked at my shirts, I started rolling out curses that could be heard throughout the entire clubhouse. It wasn’t long before I heard a knock at my door.

“Sawyer? Is everything okay?” Kenadee asked from outside my door.

“Everything’s fine! I just need a goddamn minute!” I roared.

Knowing I was lying, she eased the door open and stepped inside. She could’ve rubbed it in my face and told me she was right, but she didn’t. Instead, she looked through the clothes and picked up one of the oversized t-shirts. “Before I do this, I should probably check your bandage. Is that okay?”

I nodded.

She walked over and laid the shirt down on the bed, then went to the bathroom to wash her hands. Once she was done, she quickly came back over to me and lifted her hand up to my chest, gently easing the corner of the bandage back. “I really need to change this, and the one on your leg as well. It won’t take long.”

Knowing that it was only going to put me further behind, I grumbled under my breath.

“Come on, now. Don’t get all out of sorts,” she huffed. “Think of it this way. I won’t have to hound you in an hour to do it then.”

“Okay. Fine.”

With a satisfied smile, she rushed out of the room and quickly returned with fresh bandages and ointment. “I’ll be quick.”

Once she was done with the bandage on my chest, she started working on the smaller one on my thigh. I tried to be patient while she worked, and after she finished, I pulled up my pants and asked, “Feel better now?”

“Much.” She smiled as she reached for my shirt. “Now, let’s start with the bad side first.”

I grimaced as I lifted my right arm, letting her ease the sleeve up my hand and over my shoulder, and once she had it where I could manage, I finished putting it on and said, “Thanks for the help.”

“No problem. You probably don’t want me to say anything, but you’re going to need to take your pain meds with breakfast. At least half of it,” she suggested. “Today’s pain is going to be much worse than yesterday.”

“Got it.”

“Okay. Now, how about that coffee?”

We started out the door, and as we got closer to the kitchen, I could hear voices barreling down the hall and knew we were going to be in store for a crowd. Before we walked in, I pulled her over to me for a quick, but heated kiss. She looked up at me with surprise and asked, “What was that for?”

“That one was for me.” I teased her as I turned and headed into the kitchen.

I’d just started pouring me and Kenadee and myself a cup of coffee when Riggs came up behind us and said, “Hey there, sunshine. Good to see you back on your feet.”

I glanced over my shoulder and grumbled, “Morning, Riggs.”

“Kenadee, you’re looking mighty fine this morning,” he told her playfully.

He barely got the words out of his mouth when I jabbed him in the gut with my elbow, causing him to take a quick gasp for air. “Sorry about that, man. I was just trying to get the sugar.”

“Yeah, I bet you were.”

“Hey, Kenadee. You and Sawyer up for some bacon and eggs?” Sadie asked.

She and the other hang-arounds were busy making breakfast, and as usual, each of them were scantily dressed in low-cut tops and revealing mini-skirts as they went around serving each of the brothers. While we’d grown used to their seductive behavior, it was something new for Kenadee. I half-expected her to tell Sadie to fuck off, but she simply answered, “Sure, I’d love some. Thanks, Sadie.”

As I handed her the cup of coffee, I asked, “So, you’ve met Sadie?”

“Yep,” she answered as she started walking towards the table.

Riggs gave me a mischievous smirk as we followed her over and sat down next to Murphy. His left hand was bandaged from his wrist up to his elbow, covering his burns, but his other injuries, small lacerations and a slight concussion, were basically unnoticeable. I asked, “How’s the hand?”

“Better.” He nodded over to Kenadee as he continued, “Not sure I need all this shit, but Nurse Ratchet over here would give me hell if I tried to go without.”

“Really?” Kenadee complained.

“Oh, come on, now. You know I’m just messing with ya.”

Before Kenadee had a chance to respond, I asked, “Any word on Gunner?”

“Nah. He’s still out. I guess no news is good news.”

“Man, I hope you’re right.”

Before I got the chance, Riggs announced to the others, “Guys, this is Blaze’s girl, Kenadee. The one Gus was telling you about earlier.”

A light blush crept over her face as she brought her hand up and did a little wave of her hand. “Hi. Nice to meet all of you.”

Riggs turned to her and said, “The big bald guy towards the end of the table is T-Bone, and over here … this is Shadow.” I wasn’t surprised when Shadow made no attempt to even look in Kenadee’s direction as Riggs introduced them. He wasn’t one for meeting new folks, especially women, so he just kept eating as Riggs rambled on. “You’ll find that he’s not much of talker, but if you need anything, just let him know. He has a way of making things happen.”

Kenadee chuckled at that remark. “Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Without giving her time catch her breath, Riggs continued on down the table. “The big fella at the other end of the table … that would be our VP, Moose. He’s not only one of the toughest guys you’ll ever meet, there’s nobody on the planet who can BBQ ribs like him. And next to him, that’s his ol’ lady, Louise. You might’ve seen her over at the diner.” He motioned his hand to the teenagers beside them as he added, “Those are their grandkids, Kyleigh and Logan.”

Moose smiled as he said, “Our daughter, Rayne is here, too, but she hasn’t come down yet. I’m sure she’ll be glad to know you’re here.”

Kenadee gave him a warm smile as she replied, “Great. I look forward to meeting her, and I’m really sorry to hear about the diner.”

“That’s alright, sweetheart. We’ll have her fixed up in no time,” Louise assured her.

Meeting so many of the brothers and their families all at once was a lot to take in, but she seemed to take it all in stride. Kenadee was taking a sip of her coffee when Sadie brought her over a plate full of food and sat it down on the table. “Can I get you anything else?”

She looked down at the plate and shook her head. “No, thank you. This is plenty.”

Just as she was starting to eat, Jasmine, another one of the hang-arounds, came over with food. I felt her hand graze my shoulder as she leaned forward, thrusting her breasts in my face while she placed my plate on the table. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and purred, “There ya go, hot stuff. Need anything else?”

“No, darlin’,” Kenadee answered in a tone that was firm and demanding, and it only became more so as she continued, “He’s got more than enough.”

Shocked by her reaction, I turned to her, and when I saw that fire in her eyes, my dick nearly broke through my fucking zipper. I knew that fire was misplaced jealousy over a broad I didn’t give one single fuck about, but damn. Seeing her so worked up, got to me and I just couldn’t seem to help myself. Jasmine rolled her eyes and sneered, “Hmph … Alright, then.”

Amused by the little display, T-bone leaned back in his chair and chuckled. “Well, we’ve got us a fiery one over there, don’t we? I like it! We need some more of that around here.”

Ignoring his comment and me, Kenadee turned her attention to her breakfast and started to eat. I could tell she wasn’t happy. She made sure I knew that. Hell, I’d finished my entire plate, and she still hadn’t even made eye contact. Thankfully, the tension started to break when my folks brought Kevin in for breakfast. The second he saw me, he started rushing towards me and shouted, “Dad!”

I tried to brace myself, fearing that he might try to jump into my lap, but just as he was about to reach me, my father shouted, “Kevin!”

My son stopped dead in his tracks. I extended my good arm out to him and said, “Come here, kiddo, and give your old man a hug.”

He eased over to me, hugging me cautiously as he said, “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Everything’s fine.” Once he let go, I looked down at him and said, “I had a little accident at the garage, and I’ve just gotten some stitches that I have to be careful with for a few days.”

“Stitches? Why didn’t you tell me you had to get stitches?”

“Cause it wasn’t a big deal.” I lied. “No sense in worrying you for nothing.”

“You promise?”

Hoping to distract him from my injury, I motioned my hand next to me and said, “There’s someone here you might like to see.”

He glanced over his shoulder and his eyes lit up when he said, “Nurse Kenadee!”

“Hi, Kevin. How’s that arm treating ya?”

He held up his cast and answered, “It itches like crazy. Sometimes, it feels like there’s ants up in there, but I haven’t stuck anything up in there to scratch it.” He promised.

“Well, that’s good. I’d hate for you to poke yourself. That would only make it worse.”

“I don’t know. Those ants seem pretty bad sometimes.”

“Hey, bud. You hungry?” My father asked.

As soon as Kevin nodded, my father went over and told the girls what they’d like for breakfast. Then, they all sat down next to us. My mother sat next to Kenadee and immediately started in with her worrying. “Did you get settled in okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Did the girls get you everything you needed?”

“They did.” She nodded with a smile. “They’ve all been very nice.”

“Oh, good. I’m glad to hear that. I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to look around much, but there’s a TV room and a library. I’ll be glad to show you around later if you’d like,” she offered.

“That’d be great. Thanks.”

When the guys started clearing out, Riggs nudged me and said, “You ready?”

“Yeah. Just give me a minute.”

I turned to Kevin and said, “I’ve got a few things I need to see about, but I’ll be back in a couple of hours. We can hang out for a bit when I get done. You good with that?”

“Yeah. That’ll be good. I can play video games with Logan or something.”

I was relieved that Moose and Louise had decided to bring their grandkids in for the lockdown like they had before. Kevin had gotten used to hanging out with Logan, and it made it easier when I had to be away so much. Seeing that he was content, I smiled at him and said, “Sounds good. I’ll have my phone with me, so just call me if you need me.”

“Okay.”

When I turned back to Kenadee, she smiled. “I’ll be fine. Go do your thing. I’ll hang out with your folks, and then, I’ll go back to my room and watch TV.”

“There are things you need to know …” I started.

“I’ll go over everything with her,” my mother assured me. “Just don’t overdo it today. You know how I worry.”

I nodded as I stood up and followed Riggs out of the kitchen. The time for pleasantries was over, and it was time to get down to the business of finding out exactly what the fuck was going on with our attackers. As he started down the hallway, he looked over his shoulder at me. “Gus is in the conference room with the others.”

When we walked in, Gus and Moose were talking intently with Cyrus and several of the others about the destruction at the diner. “I put a call into Ronin last night. He sent some of his boys to board up everything at the diner, and they’ll help us keep an eye on things until the lockdown’s over.”

“And the garage?” I asked.

“Son, there’s not much left of the garage. We’ll have to either rebuild or relocate.”

“Fuck,” I growled.

“Don’t worry yourself about it. We’ll get it sorted,” Gus assured me, then he turned his attention to Riggs. “What’s the latest on the police reports?”

“Not much, which isn’t exactly a surprise,” Riggs grumbled. “They’ve questioned twenty or more witnesses from the diner, and they all have the same story. Black Mercedes came to a screeching halt in front of the diner. Rolled down the windows. There were three or four men wearing white, devil-like masks. They were heavily armed, and in a matter of seconds, they’d killed six people and wounded nine. Cops got no idea who’s behind it and doubt they ever will. They still got nothing on any of the other hits. Not even a single lead.”

“Fuck,” Murphy complained. “You’d think they’d have something by now.”

“Hell, I was there myself, and I couldn’t tell you much more.” Cyrus got choked up as he continued, “It all happened so fucking fast. Glass and bullets were flying everywhere. Everyone was screaming and running. They were shooting innocent people. Mothers. Kids. People I see every fucking day … It was fucked up.”

“We’ll get them, brother,” I assured him.

“Damn straight, we will.”

Gus turned to Riggs and said, “I know you’ve already looked, but I need you to go back over that security footage with a fine-tooth comb. There has to be something there that can lead us to these motherfuckers.”

“You got it.”

“I gotta hand it to ‘em,” Moose grumbled. “They cleaned their tracks at every turn. There’s not a single soul who has been able to tell the cops a damn thing about the drive-by other than the guys were wearing masks. How the fuck did they manage that in broad fucking daylight?”

“I can see that much on the security footage, but with the congestion on the street, I can’t see much else. There’s no tags on the car and I can only make out three guys in the Mercedes, but I’ll keep looking.”

“And go over everything at the garage. There has to be something we’ve missed.”

Riggs nodded.

A pained expression crossed his face as he said, “You all know we lost Runt and Lowball. I know times are tough right now, but we need to pay our respects. Neither of them had family, so we’ll do it here. Arrangements have already been made.” He ran his hand over his beard, and his voice was strained as he continued. “Losing a brother is hard. Lowball was a good kid … smart and had real potential to make his place in the club. He was taken much too soon. As was Runt. He was a strong, loyal leader. One of the fucking best enforcers around.” His eyes drifted to the ceiling. “We’ve got Gunner back there fighting for his life, and he’s a hell of a road captain. We’re praying he pulls through. He’s gotta pull through.”

Moose patted him on the shoulder, “He’s a strong kid. He’s gonna get through this. You’ll see.”

Gus nodded. “It’s times like these when a man shows his strengths. Be watchful and think about the future as we move forward. We’ll meet on the ground in half an hour.” With a solemn look on his face, he stood and left the room.

Riggs gave me a light nudge. “Want to give me a hand with this security footage after the service? Maybe you’ll pick up on something I’ve missed?”

“Absolutely.”

As I followed my brother down the hall to his room, it hit me that as bad as things were, they were only going to get worse. In the end, we’d have to find our way through it. There was no other choice. One way or another, we’d have to find our way back to the good—because the good was definitely worth fighting for.