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Gunnar

“She’s out.” I told the contact Knuckles had given for me to get a message to the other man.

“Condition?”

“Banged up and likely drugged, but she’s coherent. Passed out when we got underway.”

“I want a detailed list of her injuries.”

That got my attention, but I knew better than to ask now. The convo had to be short and to the point. “Copy that.” Then I disconnected the call.

The woman in my arms was nothing like what I’d expected. And I’d expected quite a lot. There was a palpable gentleness about her I’d never associated with Knuckles. Despite her nature, she fought when she had to. I got the feeling I was gonna lose my shit when I found out all she went through. Yet, despite her trauma, she could still fall asleep in my arms.

I was under no illusion that all the shit Knuckles spouted in prison about him wanting me to take care of his daughter was the only reason he chose me for this task. Knuckles wasn’t a complete monster, but he wasn’t above using whomever he had to, including family, to get what he wanted. Unfortunately for him, I was going to ignore his duplicity and keep his daughter, and there wasn’t a Goddamned thing he could do about it.

We rolled into the Bones MC compound an hour later. I’d already been here before heading to Pippa, but I’d come in secret. Scout and Goose, a couple of guys in Bones I’d known as a kid, had helped me get in and get the package Knuckles had sent for me. I’d left and pored over the information he’d sent in a hotel room for two days before calling Torpedo. Much as I wanted my brothers to help me, I wasn’t ready to face them. Especially while bringing something like this to their door. Torpedo had sent two of his men and the Humvee to help me with this mission. Chains and Hawk had proven to be solid all the way around, offering their military insight to my brute force approach. I’d soaked up the knowledge, seeing it as a critical skill I was sorely lacking. I could learn. I’d just have to not be too proud to ask for help. In the end, we came up with a good entry and exit strategy that had worked perfectly.

Pippa hadn’t moved but was breathing steadily and easily. One small hand curled into the material of my shirt, and I covered it with my own. This was the woman I was going to make my old lady. She didn’t know me. I didn’t know her. But somehow, I was going to make this happen.

The second we stopped in front of the clubhouse, my adopted brother, Ice, opened the door and held it for me. I stepped out with Pippa cradled against my chest, sound asleep. My other adopted brother, Cyclone, moved close to us and brushed a hank of dirty hair away from her eyes where it had fallen. “I’ve got Mama waitin’ for you, Gunnar. She’ll take care of your girl.”

I nodded my thanks, then turned back to Ice. “What do you know about an MC called Fire and Steel?”

Ice frowned. “Bad lot, that bunch. Pretty sure the members Torpedo and Bohannon didn’t kill in Kiss of Death migrated this way. Most of them moved on northward, but a few settled near Richmond. Outside our territory, but when you called with this” -- he indicated Pippa – “we started digging. Data, Zora, and Suzie are still investigating, but there’s no doubt they’re trafficking.”

“I confirmed that myself. I got in to get Pippa by posing as a buyer. Bastards ain’t real smart. They didn’t even make me put down a deposit or pay in full before seeing the merchandise.”

“Did you leave any of them alive?” Ice gave me a hard look, and I wasn’t really sure what the correct answer was.

I was my own man, especially after the time I’d spent in prison. But Ice was still my big brother. And Cain was still my father. Lying wasn’t even an option. “Not inside or in the immediate vicinity of the compound. Anyone left alive in that club wasn’t home.”

“Were you careful?” That came from Cyclone. Ice gave him a hard look too, but Cyclone didn’t back down.

I wasn’t going to lie, especially to myself. This hurt. Horribly. “You don’t want us here.” It was an accusation, pure and simple, without even a hint of a question. I’d told them the situation when I realized I’d have to get Pippa seen to before making the trek to Nashville. It hurt like a motherfucker knowing they didn’t care enough about me now to offer us their protection for more than a few hours, but I got it. Didn’t mean I liked the idea of my own brothers kicking me and my woman out to save the club. Of course, I hadn’t really claimed her as my woman in front of others. Also, Pippa needed to know the score, too. Once she was sober.

“Dawn and Willa are both pregnant again.” Cyclone was talking to Ice. Not me.

“And we don’t turn away defenseless women. Or family . What the fuck’s the matter with you?” I don’t think I’d ever seen Cliff or Daniel seriously argue. They were always on the same page. Obviously more than a few things had changed since those two took over as president and vice president.

“We didn’t even know you were out of prison until you called to tell us you were rolling in!” He turned back to his brother. “You can’t tell me you’re completely comfortable with this. We’ve got more than just us and our family to worry about, Cliff. We’ve got the whole fuckin’ club and all their families to worry about, too. If he’s brought trouble back with him and someone gets hurt…”

“Then you deal with it.” Mama appeared from the shadows and moved to me and Pippa. As she passed Ice, she smacked him in the back of the head none too gently. “You don’t abandon family, boy,” she snapped. “Your father taught you better than that.”

“The fuck, Mama!”

“The fuck indeed,” she muttered as she ran her hands over Pippa. “I can’t believe you’d even entertain the thought of turning your brother and his woman away.” She shone a light in Pippa’s eyes, pulling up her eyelid as she did.

Pippa cried out and turned her face into my chest, ducking her head. I held her tighter, which seemed to be what she needed. She settled, then turned her head and met Mama’s gaze.

“I’m sorry, child,” Mama soothed. “I’m a doctor. I only want to make sure you’re OK.” Mama smiled kindly at Pippa before looking up at me. “Bring her to my clinic, Gunnar.” She looked back at Cyclone. “You can stay here, young man. And if you think that just because I love you like a grandson I won’t make sure you’re stripped of your rank in this club, try pulling a stunt like this again.” She gave Cyclone a derisive sniff before turning and heading back to the clubhouse.

I didn’t look at my brothers. I wasn’t sure I could. Not right now. Instead, I followed Mama and carried Pippa inside, shifting her around so her front was to my chest as I held her close. This wasn’t the homecoming I’d envisioned.

“Lay her here.” Mama put the head up on the stretcher and put a pillow under Pippa’s knees for comfort as well as one behind her head when I did as Mama asked. Pippa whimpered and clung to me when I tried to back away from her. “Don’t worry, sweetheart.” Mama brushed her fingers over the bruise on Pippa’s cheek. “Your man’s not going anywhere without you.”

Pippa whimpered again, but nodded her head slightly, then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” she whispered as she let me go.

I took her hand in mine and brought her fingers to my lips. It was an instinctive move on my part, an attempt to soothe her when I didn’t really know how. I’d not been in female company for fifteen years. I’d love to say I went out and got laid my first day out of prison, but I had a job to do and I was determined to do it as safely and quickly as I could. Which didn’t leave time for learning to be around women. Giving comfort was something I forgot how to do a long fucking time ago.

“You got nothin’ to be sorry for, Pipsqueak.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Never heard that before.”

I grinned at her. “You haven’t? Good. That was some of my best work.”

“I was being sarcastic.” She gave me a tremulous grin.

“Oh, little Miss Sassy?”

She shrugged. “Maybe.” Then her smile wavered and her chin quivered as she valiantly fought to keep her composure.

“I like sassy. Lets me know you got fight in you.”

She was trembling like a leaf now. I glanced up at Mama and she shook her head slightly, keeping her watchful gaze on Pippa. “I tried to fight them. It’s why they hit me.”

“Did they…” I trailed off, clearing my throat. “Did they rape you, Pippa?”

She shook her head. “No. A-at least, I don’t think so. I-I got hit on the head when they first took me, so I don’t know for certain, but I never felt like I’d been touched.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “They tried to keep me drugged, but I can’t get high from opioids.”

“You seemed like you were pretty high when I found you.” I frowned at her, not sure if she’d been hallucinating or maybe trying to convince herself she didn’t have any memory gaps. Kind of a self-defense mechanism.

“I was really fuzzy. I know they hit me with a higher dose than normal. My guess is, it was enough to knock out a horse because I don’t really have a whole lot of pain. So, yeah. I was really out of it, but I could still process what was happening. I was more startled by the sudden light in the darkness than I was disoriented.” I could tell she understood what I was concerned about. I knew she had to be heavily drugged. “I swear, I’m not being delusional. I really do have a resistance to opioids. They take away my pain, but I don’t get the euphoric effects.”

“When did you need narcotics, child?” Mama had a stethoscope in her ears and placed the bell on Pippa’s chest.

“When I had my appendix out. They gave me something to help me relax before they tried to put me under, but it didn’t work. Neither did the gas they used to put me under before the procedure. The fact I was affected at all by what those bastards drugged me with means they really hit me hard.”

“I’m going to take some blood, honey.” Mama tied a tourniquet around Pippa’s upper arm before swabbing her inner elbow with an alcohol swab and quickly inserting the needle to take her blood into several tubes. “I’ve got a friend who’ll process this for me with a comprehensive drug screen. I’ll know what they used on you in a couple of hours.”

“Will you, um, you know.” She twisted her fingers together nervously. “Check for other things, too?”

Mama studied her as she finished labeling the tubes with Pippa’s name. “I can do the standard HIV/Hepatitis screen. Do you want me to do a swab? Just in case?”

Pippa gave me a sad, resigned look. “I think maybe it’s a good idea.”

“I’ll step just outside the office door and give you privacy, Pippa. But I promise I won’t leave. I’ll be right back when Mama tells me it’s OK.” I have no idea why I said that. She might not have cared. Probably didn’t care since she didn’t know me from Adam. But I had this driving need to take care of her. Maybe it was because I’d already started thinking of her as my old lady. I’d learned how a man should treat his woman from my father and how he treated our mom. What I said to Pippa was something my dad would have said to Mom.

“You promise?” Pippa’s gaze was both hopeful but resigned. Like she didn’t really expect much, but needed to believe she could have it all.

“Yeah, honey. I promise. All you have to do is holler for me and I’ll be in here before you shut your mouth.” That got a small smile from her. So I put my hand on her head, leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Not much, but I’ll take it. I’m just out here.”

“Your name’s Gunnar?”

“Yeah, honey. Gunnar Gill.”

“Thank you. Thanks for rescuing me.” Two tears fell from her luminous eyes, and I felt like I’d been stabbed in the heart.

“You never have to thank me for that.” My voice was husky as I tried to swallow the sudden lump in my throat. I pointed to the door. “I’m just out here.” She nodded, and I stepped out of Mama’s office and shut the door behind me.

I turned around to find Ice and Cyclone standing from where they’d been waiting in the small outer office. I scowled at them, keeping my arms loose at my side in case I needed to defend myself. “Post a guard outside if you want, but I don’t want you here.”

“Gunnar, we’re sorry,” Ice offered. Cyclone looked down at his feet, not meeting my gaze.

“Yeah. I can see that. If it makes you feel better, we’re only staying until Mama says she can leave. I’ve already talked to Torpedo and Bohannon. They’re gonna take me in at Kiss of Death.”

That finally got Cyclone’s attention. “Kiss of Death MC. You’d leave Bones? Your home club?”

“This hasn’t been my home for fifteen damn years, Dan.”

“And who’s fault is that?” Ice -- Cliff -- stepped toward me in an aggressive move. If he thought I would back down from him because he was my older brother, it was time he learned just how wrong he was.

“It's the fault of that son of a bitch Hannah was dating,” I snapped back, taking my own aggressive step forward. “One of us had to do it. I happened to be the one there at the time.”

“And yours.” Ice shoved me back, but I stood my ground. “All you had to do was call Dad. Tell him what happened, and he’d have taken care of it. Why didn’t you do that, huh?”

“I had my reasons, and would do the same thing in the same situation. I don’t regret one single second of my time in prison.”

“What reason could you possibly have for not letting Dad take care of that killin’? No one would have ever found the body or known what happened to that fuck. They certainly wouldn’t have been angry with you for killin’ him. Why didn’t you just let the club do what needed done?”

“Not your business and not something I’m ever gonna tell anyone.” I thought I heard Pippa whimper and realized I wasn’t calming her anxiety by yelling at my brothers.

Cyclone tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at me. “You don’t have to.” He and Ice exchanged a look. “Hannah knows.”

“Yes,” I conceded. “And if she’s not told you in the last fifteen years, she’s not telling you anything now.”

“We’ll see.” Ice gave me a superior smirk that had made me want to hit him in the head with a rock when I was a kid. Had pretty much the same effect now.

“So, after all these years, now you want to know what happened? You guys came by at Christmas and that was it!”

“Dad came every week, askin’ for the truth of it. Begged you to tell him. He’s on his way here now, you know. Was on the ground with ExFil in France on some high-profile babysitting detail. I called him right after you called me, and he was on the company jet back to Somerset as of twenty minutes ago. Dad will get this out of you. If he doesn’t, I’ll get it out of Hannah.”

“No. You won’t. And neither will Dad. It’s done. I served my time. I’ll finish my parole and try to find a normal life for myself.”

“You can do it here,” Ice urged.

“Not happening. Not after the warm welcome I got.”

“Why would you expect anything other than the reception you got?” Cyclone was pissed as shit, but he wasn’t the only one. “You’ve been out of prison for weeks . You didn’t bother to let any of us know. Instead, you dragged a half dead woman into the compound, not knowing if you were followed or not, and you still expect a warm welcome?”

I lunged for my older brother, driving the heel of my hand into his chin. From the way his eyes widened the split second after I moved, Cyclone had thought he’d see any move I made in time to defend himself, if not get the jump on me and go on the offensive. What he hadn’t realized was, telegraphing your movements like that in prison would get you killed. I’d gotten good at being unpredictable and fast. Another strike out with my hand smashed his nose.

This time Cyclone stumbled backward, backing off to reassess the situation. He wasn’t giving up, but neither was I.

“What the fuck is going on out here?” Mama threw open the door and stomped between me and Cyclone. She shouldn’t have bothered because Cyclone was shaking his head as he backed off. “Daniel Gill, get your ass outta my office! If you can’t be a decent fuckin’ human being, don’t come in here anymore. And this is your only warning.” Mama stomped the two steps separating the two of us and jabbed her finger against his chest. “Next time you say or do something utterly stupid, I will call for your fuckin’ patch.”

“How do you know it was me who was stupid?”

“Really, Cyclone?” I drawled. “Are we twelve?”

He rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean. Why assume it was me?”

Mama smacked the side of his head. “Because when you get something in your head, you won’t leave it alone. You’re pissed at your baby brother because he grew up faster than you and doesn’t need your help anymore. And while you’re trying to take out your anger on Gunnar, you’re also taking it out on a young woman who doesn’t deserve anyone’s anger. Gunnar can take care of himself. Right now, Pippa cannot.”

Cyclone winced. “Fuck. I didn’t think about it that way.”

“You didn’t fuckin’ think at all,” Mama snapped. “Now stop being such a fuckwit and admit you missed your brother.”

Cyclone rubbed the back of his neck, glancing between Mama and me with a pained expression. “I… fuck. You’re right,” he admitted grudgingly. “I’ve been an asshole.”

I clenched my jaw, seconds from walking out, leaving Bones for good. I mean, I was leaving. How long I stayed gone and to what extent I kept in touch was still up for debate. The tension was palpable and the absolute only reason I hadn’t already gotten the hell outta Dodge was because I wasn’t leaving Pippa behind. Not even with Mama and Pops.

“I’m only here until Mama says Pippa is OK to travel. Last thing I want to do is bring trouble to your door.” I did my best to keep the sneer out of my voice but wasn’t sure I managed. “Torpedo and Bohannon said we could hole up there as long as we like.”

“Stay here, Gunnar.” Ice held out a hand to me, wanting me to take it. I wanted to, but I wasn’t ready. I knew everyone was angry with me for how things went down. Not because I’d confessed to killing the man who’d assaulted my sister, but for me not even trying to fight the charges and mount a defense. But mostly for making my mother cry.

“I don’t think that’s the best idea. For so many damned reasons I don’t even want to think about them.” We were all silent for a long moment, them studying me, me studying them. All three of us trying to figure out how to get the upper hand. Finally, it was Cyclone who broke the silence. I’d never wanted to hit my brother more in my life than I did in that moment.

“You want to get out of here before either of them can get here.” Cyclone sat back in a chair and crossed one ankle over the opposite knee, all smug like he’d won this round. Which he might have. “Who are you afraid of seeing most? You know. Now that you’re out of prison and all the monitors and guards and inmates listening aren’t a factor?” That smug expression on his face was nearly my undoing. “Mom? Or Hannah?”

“Fuckin’ Christ.” Mama grabbed my upper arm and tugged me back inside her clinic before I could attack my brother again. “When Angel and Hannah get here, the two of you are on your own. You’ve effectively ruined any chance of convincing Gunnar to keep Pippa here instead of leaving just when Angel got him back.” She shot my brothers an angry, exasperated look. “God help you when Cain finds you, because this time, it’s not Gunnar who’ll make your mother cry. And your father will be less tolerant with the two of you than he was with Gunnar because your infraction was completely uncalled for.” She shoved me toward Pippa where my woman lay on the stretcher, then shut the door behind us.