Page 31 of Gator (Bourbon Kings MC #1)

“Bar’s closed!” Juju shouted firmly, pocketing his phone as he, Thore, and Worm worked fast to clear all the patrons and tourists from the bar. The second the bar was empty, Thore locked the front doors, just as Wade walked in from the kitchen carrying a severely beaten young man.

“Juju, get your kit!” he said, laying the young man on top of the bar as the man ran from the room.

Rushing over to them, I gasped. “What happened?”

“His father beat the shit out of him,” Donut sneered, his body shaking with fury. I’d never seen Donut so angry before.

Hell, I didn’t know he could get angry.

Stepping back, I watched as Juju returned with his kit—a tattered old bag filled with enough medical supplies to rival a paramedic’s stash.

He worked quickly, his hands steady as he cleaned the young man’s wounds, stitching where necessary and carefully bandaging the worst of the damage.

The room was heavy with tension, each of the men simmering with unspoken anger as Wade asked, “Why were you there, Eliot?”

Eliot winced, his voice trembling as he continued, “Little sister. Scared. Dad’s a mean drunk.”

Juju paused mid-stitch, his sharp gaze locking onto mine. “Sister?”

“Shit,” Wade cursed, turning to Braveheart and Thore. “Go back there and tear that fucking place apart. Find her!”

Both men rushed out of the bar.

“Wade, he needs a hospital,” I said cautiously. I’d never seen Wade like this before. Or any of the brothers, for that matter. The tension was high, and I was afraid anything could set them off.

The sound of motorcycles roaring to life outside punctuated the thick silence inside the bar. Juju kept working, his hands moving with precision as beads of sweat formed on his brow. Eliot’s breathing grew steadier, though his eyes darted nervously toward the door.

“I’m so sorry,” Eliot whispered, his voice barely audible over the crackling tension. His bruised face twisted with guilt.

“Don’t you ever apologize for who you are,” Wade said, his voice lower than a growl as he carefully stroked the young man’s hair. “You’re safe now.”

Donut, still pacing, slammed his fist against the bar, causing the glasses to rattle. “That bastard doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as him.”

“Braveheart and Thore will take care of it,” Wade said, his tone icy and resolute. There was no question in his words—just the promise of retribution.

Minutes felt like hours as the brothers awaited news. I knew Braveheart and Thore wouldn’t stop until they returned with Eliot’s sister. The unspoken bond among the Bourbon Kings MC demanded justice, and even I had to admit, I wanted justice too.

Juju finished the last stitch and leaned back, wiping his hands on a rag. “Devlyn’s right. He needs a doctor, boss.”

“Get him upstairs,” Wade ordered, reaching for his phone to make a call. Placing his phone to his ear, I heard him say, “ M?man , you’re needed. How fast can you get here?” Satisfied, he hung up the phone and added, “She’s on her way.”

As Juju carefully carried Eliot up the stairs, I turned to Wade. “What happened?”

“Went to go check on a lead and shit went sideways.”

“I need more than that, Wade.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, “You know about Crawley Scrap Metal and what we do?”

I nodded.

“Well, we received a shipment a few weeks back that went missing. Been lookin’ for a lead when Worm finally found one. When the boys and I went to go check it out, I knew somethin’ was wrong. Then I saw Eliot and now we’re here.”

“Who beat him?”

“His father,” Donut sneered, unscrewing a cap off a bottle of whiskey before downing half of it in one gulp. “Fucker better be dead before I finish this,” he added, storming off.

“Shit,” Wade grumbled, shaking his head. “Worm, go babysit Donut.”

The generally calm brother nodded, reached behind the bar, and grabbed a set of handcuffs before following Donut up the stairs.

“Handcuffs?”

“Insurance,” Wade replied curtly. “Donut’s got a temper when he drinks, and I don’t need him doing anything stupid.”

I considered his words, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.

The faint sound of footsteps echoed from upstairs, followed by Donut’s muffled voice, sharp and biting, though no words were clear.

Wade didn’t flinch, his gaze steady as he leaned against the bar, his fingers drumming a slow, deliberate rhythm on the polished wood.

“What’s the plan now?” I asked, my voice low, careful not to disturb the fragile calm that had settled over the room.

Wade exhaled deeply, his expression darkening. “First, we deal with Eliot. Then we find my missing shipment.”

Looking at the man I loved, I walked up to him, wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. “I’m so proud of you.”

And just like that, all the tension fled his body as he sagged against me.

He softened under my embrace, his arms hesitating before wrapping around my waist. It was a fleeting moment of vulnerability, quickly smothered by the weight of responsibility that hung over him.

Wade tilted his head, his lips brushing my temple with a tenderness that belied the storm that raged within him.

“I don’t deserve you,” he muttered, barely audible, his voice rough with weariness and something deeper I couldn’t name.

“No, you don’t,” I whispered back, pulling away just enough to meet his eyes, steady and resolute despite the turmoil. “But I love you anyway.”

“I love you too, Chèr .”

A few hours later, I was sitting on Wade’s lap when his mother, Marabella, walked down the stairs with Juju. Both were talking in hushed tones as they approached the table we were at. Placing her medical bag on the table, Juju pulled out a chair for her to sit.

“I gave Eliot something to help him sleep. He will be out for the rest of the night. Without an X-ray, I can’t be sure, but I think he has a few broken ribs, so I went ahead and wrapped them.

Juju did beautifully stitching him up, but I’m worried about the goose egg on his head.

Someone is going to need to sit up with him and check on him every few hours.

The second he starts vomiting, I want him in the hospital. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Wade quickly said.

“I’ll watch him, Marabella,” Juju offered.

Leaning forward, she looked at Wade. “Tell me the son of a bitch is dead?”

“Jus’ waitin’ to hear from Braveheart and Thore.”

“Good boys.” Marabella smiled, leaning back in her chair. “I knew their mommas raised them right.”

We all heard the back door open and turned to see Braveheart walk in with a young girl, no older than ten years old, but it was Thore, who brought up the rear, that had all of us slowly standing.

Behind Braveheart, Thore carried two little boys, no older than three years old, in his arms.

I vaguely heard Marabella gasp as she rushed over to the small boys.

Walking over to the young girl, I smiled. “My name is Devlyn.”

“I’m Emmeline. Is Eliot here?”

“Yes, Bébé ,” Wade said, kneeling before her. “He’s upstairs resting.”

“Dad hurt him,” the girl sniffed. “He was gonna kill him.”

“Ain’t no one ever gonna hurt your brother again. I promise you that.”

The little girl jumped at Wade, wrapping her arms around his neck as she cried. Slowly standing with her in his arms, he rubbed her back soothingly as he looked at Braveheart, who looked ready to tear the world apart with his bare hands.

Thore cleared his voice and spoke, “When we got there, we could hear the kids screaming, boss. Made a mess. Had to burn the place.”

Braveheart nodded grimly, his usual stoic demeanor shadowed by something darker. “We found them in the back of the house, locked inside a tiny closet. It didn’t take much to break the lock, but they were terrified. He terrorized them, boss.”

“Go walk it off, brother. They are safe now,” Wade said, still holding the little girl.

Braveheart said nothing more as he walked out of the bar.

Brushing her hair back from Emmeline’s face, I asked, “Sweetie, where is your mom?”

“She’s dead. Rémy and René’s momma ran away after they were born.”

Wade’s jaw clenched as he gently set the little girl down on a barstool and handed her a soda from behind the counter. “You’re safe now, Emmeline,” he assured her, his voice low and steady as he crouched to look her in the eyes. “We’ll figure this out, okay?”

“Can we stay with Eliot?” her sweet, innocent voice whispered.

Looking at Wade, I shook my head. “Eliot’s in no condition to care for his siblings, Wade. What are we going to do?”

“I know what I’m going to do,” Marabella firmly said. “I’m taking these babies home with me and tomorrow, you boys will bring Eliot home where he belongs.”

“ M?man,” Wade slowly shook his head.

“No.” The stubborn woman held firm, glaring at her son as her eyes welled up with unshed tears.

“You will not change my mind, Wade Montague Crawley. I’ve grieved and grieved for years.

I’ve begged God to help me understand why he took Skeeter and my boy from me, and for years, all I’ve felt is this hollow emptiness where my heart should be.

Your dad and brother will always be a part of me, Son, but these babies.

They need me. They really need me. Please understand.

No one will ever replace your dad and brother, but I’ve got this hole in my heart that’s just sitting empty.

I need to fill it. Please let me fill it. ”

Marabella’s words rang through the bar like a solemn vow, her unwavering gaze fixed on her son.

Wade opened his mouth to argue but stopped short, the tension in his jaw betraying the conflict of emotions he felt.

There was love in his eyes, but also concern, a war between protecting his family and respecting his mother’s determination.

Emmeline, clutching the soda can with her tiny hands, looked up at Marabella with a glimmer of hope. “Do you really mean it?” she asked softly, her voice trembling as though she didn’t dare believe the kindness offered to her.

Marabella kneeled down, placing her hands gently on the little girl’s shoulders. “I mean it with all my heart, sugar,” she said, her voice warm but firm. “You and your brothers deserve a home where you’re safe and loved, and I’m going to make sure you have it.”

Wade ran a hand through his hair, sighing deeply. “ M?man , this isn’t just about filling some space in your heart. These kids have been through hell. Taking them in—it’s a lifetime commitment.”

“And what better commitment could I make?” Marabella shot back, her expression softening slightly as she stood to face him. “I’ll leave the patchwork of vengeance and justice to you boys. My job is to love and protect. I did it for you, didn’t I?”

The room fell silent as the weight of her words settled on everyone’s shoulders. Finally, Wade nodded, albeit reluctantly. “Fine, M?man . But we’ll do this together. These babies won’t just have you—they’ll have us all.”

A sense of resolve filled the room, a shared understanding that this family, unconventional though it may be, would stand together.

Wade glanced at the clock. “Alright, let’s get these little ones settled for tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll deal with Eliot and whatever else comes our way.”

Marabella smiled, her eyes gleaming with determination. “That’s the spirit, Son. Now, let’s get moving. These babies need a proper meal and a warm bed.”

As the group began to gather their things, Emmeline reached out to take Marabella’s hand, her gaze steady despite the uncertainty she must have felt.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Marabella squeezed her hand gently. “No need to thank me, child. You’re family now.”