Page 122

“Be my mom’s hidden hand and my dad’s secret weapon. They won’t get to you. The ones who watch will keep you safe. Do not fear the bears. The eagles soar above them. Now raise your head and ride, pale one.”

With that, the child hangs up. I stumble back and bump into Ronan’s strong body. The call from a child.

It’s begun.

* * *

LaSalle

It’slike I come out of my body and begin to watch this all from above the room. We’ve just been through an attack, but the bodies and bloodshed aren’t what I’m looking at.

I watch as all at once, Tasha, Val, and Roni move to the center of the room. I see these women before me with new eyes. This has been coming for a long time.

Freddie’s letter and Phoebe’s final message come back to me. They were pieces of the whole. It all starts to fall into place and make sense. La Belle Mafia. The horsemen’s new regime.

“It looks like you have your general. I’m claiming my seat at the table,” Roni says.

“Good, I have someone you’re all meant to meet,” I reply.

* * *

Tasha

I wasready to hold my babies and go to bed after all that. However, the look in LaSalle’s eyes piqued my interest. He made a call and told me, Val, and Roni to climb into the waiting cars. Of course, John and Uri followed.

Now we’re pulling up to an old warehouse. It looks abandoned except for the glow coming from inside. We pull to a stop outside and climb out.

Everyone gathers together, looking confused. The doors roll back, and LaSalle leads us all in. He keeps his hand on the small of my back.

As we get inside, I understand the glow. There are hanging lanterns swinging above our heads. I look ahead through them and there’s a woman standing there, about six-two.

She’s dressed in a black one-piece catsuit with a black leather half jacket, and knee-high black leather slouch boots. Next to her, on her left, is a big-ass gray dog and over her right shoulder she’s holding a semi-auto rifle with air holes.

“Danika,” LaSalle says in greeting. “I want you to meet my wife and some friends.”

“LaSalle. I think you already know my husband.”

My mouth drops open as Ronan McGowan steps forward holding the chains of two more big-ass pony-looking dogs. These two are black.

“Wait a damn minute. Are those heads? Oh shit. I found my new bestie,” Val sings.

I squint and look forward through the swinging lanterns. On either side of this woman, Danika, are two heads with bullet holes in the foreheads, swinging along with the lanterns.

“I always bring gifts,” she says with a smile.

“Whose heads are those?” I whisper to LaSalle.

“Men who told me no.”

A grin comes to my lips. Now this I can work with. This is the type of shit my husband needs.

“I like her boots.” I shrug.

“Right?” Val says and nods.

EPILOGUE

Holiday Return