Page 46 of His Flawed Ride (Sons of Lost Souls MC #16)

Chapter Forty-Four

Leo

T here has been a certain buzz in the air today. We all know what is going down in a matter of hours and the thrill is threatening to take over me.

“Daddy, I love you so much.”

Narrowing my eyes at my daughter, she cuddles into me on the couch. I don’t remember when I went from daddy to dad, but I do know when she throws daddy at me, she wants something.

“I love you so much, too.”

I place my arm around her and enjoy the few moments between us before she comes out with what she really wants.

“Sebastian got a new phone,” she murmurs.

And there it is.

“You just got a new one.”

“That was at Christmas. It’s so old now.”

“Is it broken?”

“It may as well be, it’s old,” she repeats.

“If it’s not broken, you don’t need a new one.”

“But…”

“But nothing, Ray. I’m not gonna spend a fortune on something you don’t need.”

Holly comes down the stairs and dumps the laundry basket on the kitchen table. She joins us, sitting her ass on my lap and planting a kiss on the top of my head.

“Has she asked you for a new phone yet?”

I laugh. “We were just discussing it.”

“I’ve already told her no, but she has been insistent.”

Rayna sighs dramatically. My cuddle comes to an end as she bounces off the couch and yells out, “I’m going over to Uncle Zach’s.”

The door opens and closes before I can tell her to be back in an hour. Holly repositions herself until she is straddling me.

“That girl is gonna cost us a fortune if we’re not careful.”

“Daughters are supposed to. Unlucky for her, her father isn’t a pushover.”

“Have you seen the price of a new phone these days? It would be cheaper to send you a girls’ trip.”

She snorts. “If one’s going free, I’ll take it.”

“I bet you would.” I lean forward and lick the tip of her nose. “How about once this shit with the Hogs’ is done, you get away with Harper and Nina for a few days and I’ll watch the kids.”

She leans back and frowns at me.

“What did I say wrong?” I ask.

“Nothing, but don’t say things if they’re not going to happen.”

It’s my turn to frown. “Why wouldn’t it happen?”

“I don’t know, I just think that if things like that happen, it happens. I don’t like long term plans.”

“Fair enough.”

From his bedroom, Roman begins to cry. Holly slides off of my lap, I grab her wrist to stop her.

“I’ll go.”

I put his pacifier back in his mouth and cover him with his blanket and he settles down.

“Everything I’m doing is for you. Whether you take my patch or not, you will have everything you want. And though your sister is older than you, it will be your job to protect her. It’s our job to protect our family and after tonight, I’ll make it a little easier for us.”

He murmurs as he drifts off back to sleep. This is all for him, for the future. I head back downstairs and Holly’s on the phone. She hangs up and smiles.

“Rayna’s sleeping over at Zach and Nina’s, so with Roman down, it’s just us.”

She walks toward me and wraps her arms around me.

“Sorry, babe, I’m heading out in a minute.”

“You are?”

“Club business, but I’ll only be over in the bar. I won’t be far.”

“As much as I hate to say it, don’t wake me up when you come in. I need every second of sleep I can get.”

Twelve burner phones are lined in a row on the table in the backroom. With two minutes to go, we wait for the Lost Souls chapters to call, brothers wait, wanting to be in the fight themselves.

With one minute to go, all twelve phones begin to ring. Brothers lean over and answer.

I stand, leaning on the table. “Are you all in position?”

Ayes and yeses come through each line. At dead on 4 a.m. I order, “Blow them sky high. Now.”

Silence hangs in the backroom until the sounds of our enemy’s bases being destroyed fills the room. Brothers over the phone cheer and holler as do the brothers sat around the table.

Once the twins stop pounding the tabletop with their fists, the cheering on the other end descends into roars of panic and gun shots.

“What’s going on?” I demand loud enough they all hear me.

We all listen intently but no one answers. Tank cries out amongst the heavy gun fire but I don’t catch what he says.

It seems to go on and on, but after four minutes, calls start cutting out until every call ends. Nothing but silence lingers. What the hell just happened?

The brothers start to yell but I don’t hear what they say. I need a new fucking plan.

We’ll have to ride out, but to who? There are twelve shit shows.

“Zach. Get rid of the phones,” I order, taking out my own phone as I storm out of the backroom.

I need my brother and his chapter. I’m about to hit call when the sound of motorcycles grows louder. The brothers and I reach for our guns and run outside. We head for the gates, it only takes less than a minute for me to roar, “Fall back!”

Soft orange glows fly over the wall, landing and exploding.

“Petrol bombs!” Dad shouts.

Brothers take cover but more are thrown, and the prospect is targeted. He hits the ground and rolls around trying to put out the flames. His screams pierce the predawn air and echo around us.

A break in attack occurs and I order, “Shoot!”

Shots ring out in the early morning hour as the sun begins to rise. Hog fuckers start to come over the wall. But it’s the fuckers lining the gate with their guns aimed at us that I focus on.

“Everyone back!”

As I look around, brothers are falling and our shots run dry. “Mason, with me!”

He runs across the lot and follows me around Shane’s truck and into the bar.

“Did you see Myles?” he asks as I run for the basement.

“No.”

“Fuck.”

Opening the fake wall, I grab at the ammunition and stuff my pockets and grab two of the guns. Mason does the same and then we’re on our way up to the roof.

Keeping low, we position ourselves at the east corner and load the guns. Mason stares out over the lot.

“Head in the game, Mase. We’ll get to Myles once we get rid of these assholes.”

Together we let off shot after shot, trying to aim for them all but one by one.

“You stay here, I’m gonna go check none of them are trying to get in round the back.”

Taking my weapons with me, I cross the roof and now it’s grown much lighter, I have a clear view of the houses, and the wall encasing them.

I fucking knew it. Two Hogs jump down from the top of the wall, and one pulls out his phone.

I set up fast but precisely and let off two shots promptly.

They drop to the ground, and I look out for more.

Shots are replaced by engines and when I run across back to Mason, the Hogs are fleeing.

“Did you see who got hit?” I ask as we make our way down from the roof.

His silence has my stomach tightening and we step outside to the smell of gunfire and blood lingering around us.

“I shot down two fuckers around the back, near Shane’s house. They’re gonna have to be moved.”

“Let me find Myles and we’ll get on it.”

I notice dad standing smoking a cigarette. I nearly sweep my gaze away from him but snap back. Dad hasn’t smoked in years now. He wouldn’t. My gut tightens even more.

My eyes drop to what he’s staring down at and somehow, I force my feet to move.

I concentrate on counting how many steps it takes. Thirty-two. Dad inhales deeply on his smoke and on closer glance I see him holding a pack of cigarettes. I take it from him and light my own, keeping my eyes away from the ground.

“He saved my life years ago, you know. Saved you and your mom.”

I take a drag on my smoke and look down at Dex. Four bullet holes pepper his chest. His cut drenched in his blood. I cut my eyes to the body beside him and recognise the prospect. Burn marks have charred his clothes and his skin is blistered.

The two other brothers are ones I can’t bear to look at. Once I do, I can’t tell myself that they’re not off somewhere, still alive.

“I can’t look at him either,” Dad croaks.

I meet my father’s eye and for long seconds we do nothing but stare at one another.

“No,” Sparky murmurs coming toward us. “Not Slade. No. Fuck!”

I look away from dad and Slade is riddled with bullet holes. He didn’t stand a chance. Zachery runs over and drops to his knees. I can’t bear to watch the realisation that he’s lost his dad and look to the last body.

The most unfair of them all, not that any of them should be dead. Pain shoots across my chest and takes my breath away. His son is only a week old and now he has no one.

Shane.

My brother and the guy who loved the club like true family and loved reaping the benefits of wearing the patch.

I crouch down and place his hands on his stomach.

Anger begins to build. As I stare at the lifeless bodies, my mind runs away with itself.

All twelve targets had to have known we were coming. We were hit minutes after our attacks.

The only way they would’ve known is if they were told. I rise to my feet. Who knows who else we have lost tonight.

But one certainty is… we have a traitor in the club.