Page 7

Present Day

A red haze settles over my vision as I listen to the emptiness in Birdie’s voice as she tells us the hell that she’s been living. There’s a void in her as she explains what she heard two days ago that made her finally come to the one place she never wanted to be again.

Every fiber of my goddamn soul demands me to hunt down the monster who hurt her. To seek my vengeance on the motherfucker who thought he was going to sell my girl to whatever sick fuck he found with enough money.

Each horror Birdie plays out for us is a mark against me.

They’re a mark against us all. We sent her away because we thought we were protecting her.

We thought she would be safer away from us while the war with the Steel Slayers MC raged on.

None of us could have prepared for her to find another version of hell.

I should have expected it. If there’s one thing I’ve fucking learned about this damn world, it’s that monsters are everywhere.

We walk beside them on the streets every goddamn day and not even realize it.

We sleep beside them, we marry them, we create them.

They’re employers, teachers, police, goddamn politicians, and fucking clergymen .

They’re in our goddamn nightmares, and sometimes, those nightmares are our reality.

Birdie’s demon dug his poisonous claws into her deeper than most. He left scars on her soul that will refuse to fade.

Unless I cut them from her piece by piece and stitch her back together.

As her voice fades toward the end, blistering heat surges through my blood as my veins strain under my skin.

Fury springs to life inside me, threatening to suffocate me if I don’t let it out.

I lift one of the table chairs with a roar and sling it against the wall.

It crashes through the drywall with a loud crack, and white plaster fills the air.

I reach for another, but my hand freezes in place when Birdie’s whimper breaks through the anger that’s quickened my blood. Ice fills my veins as I realize I’m now the one making her afraid.

Ah, hell.

My body trembles as I lift my hands to the back of my neck and squeeze, doing my best to master my rage.

A heavy hand comes down on my shoulder, helping to anchor me, and I know it’s my VP, Malice. Cyanide steps up to the other side of me, both afraid that I’m going to lose my shit again and murder everyone in this room.

They shouldn’t worry.

It’s not my people I want to fucking slice up so I can play with their insides.

There’s only one person who’s going to get to taste the sweet release of my rage.

Birdie’s husband .

My lip curls at the title.

The motherfucker should feel the kiss from my precious blade just for that alone.

No worries.

Cold acceptance settles in me.

She’s mine. They’re mine.

It’s time every-fucking-body in this world is reminded of that.

I knew he was a dead man walking the moment I saw his arm curled around my woman’s shoulder. It was only a matter of time.

When I turn around with a smile on my face, everyone still in the room peers at me a little warily, some falling back a step. It’s a smart move. It always is. Who knows what can happen when the crazy comes out to play?

“Right,” I start, clapping my hands.

Cyanide lifts a brow, but I merely give him the finger and continue.

I glance at Manic. Normally, he’d be wherever his boy is, but since I called for council members only, he had to send him with the others. “Need you to get Valkyrie in here. Bring my kids, the twins, too.”

Birdie has her eyes glued to me, so I approach her slowly before squatting in front of the chair.

Hannibal cleaned up as much of the dried blood as he was able to.

The cut next to her left eye is stitched up, and a new butterfly bandage sits across the bridge of her nose.

There’s not much he can do for her swollen black eyes.

She’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life.

“I’m going to get you and the kids set up in my room. Your sister can go sit with you. I’m going to have Devious sit outside the door. He’s a new prospect.” She shakes her head quickly, and I go quiet, lifting a brow and waiting for what she’s declining.

“No new members,” she whispers.

I nod, seeing the terror in her eyes. My fists clench against my thighs. “Fine. How about I get Basilisk to sit on you?”

Her eyes widen as much as they can. “He’s finally out?”

My smile is a little wonky. “Yeah, little mama, he’s out.”

“Okay. Yeah. I trust him.”

And why wouldn’t she? He wasn’t here to participate in the betrayal seven years ago. He was still upriver, waiting for his lawyer to get him out.

“Basilisk?” I call.

The tall, broad, inked-up, bald-headed motherfucker steps next to me. Those inky blue and glacier eyes of his swirl with darkness as he stares at me, waiting for his orders.

“Need you to keep watch over Birdie and my kids. You good with that?”

The scar that cuts through his right eye and across his top lip moves when he nods his confirmation.

Birdie sucks in a sharp breath as she gets her first good look at the club brother who’d spent a year in prison before she left.

He went from a muscular, teddy bear of a man with barely any tattoos to this version of him.

Back then, he had smiles waiting for those he cared about, and his eyes would twinkle playfully.

It never diminished the fucking crazy he carried with him, though.

We all had it to some extent, having gone through our own versions of hell before we joined the Saint’s Outlaws.

“You can lock it if it makes you feel safer. I’m the only one with a key, but if you need that, I’ll hand it over to you.”

“I’d like the key,” Birdie whispers.

I try not to let my disappointment show. It’s not as if I don’t understand. She doesn’t trust us, and the hell she’s gone through at her husband’s hands has only added to that mistrust.

Doesn’t mean I don’t have to swallow back my growl.

Birdie’s head is so fucking full of demons, it’s a surprise she’s able to function. Just shows me how goddamn strong my woman is.

I’ve always had dreams of being a demon slayer. Buffy always did make my teenage dick hard.

At that moment, Valkyrie stomps into the common room with her head held high.

My daughter is hooked to her hip while my son marches next to her with a scowl on his face.

His eyes flit around the room, and I can already tell he’s assessing the threats that may await them.

Manic tags along behind them, his lips pressed firmly together as his eyes stay glued to the feisty redhead in front of him.

Kyrie ignores me entirely and shoves past me to get to her sister.

My kids rush to their mother, surrounding her with their little bodies and filling her with love and light.

I watch as Birdie’s eyes close, soaking in everything about them and allowing their presence to chase away her demons for now.

“Valkyrie,” I call.

She turns to me with sharp eyes, but I only lift a brow in the face of her hate.

“I’m going to send Birdie and the twins to my room.

She’ll only feel safe if you’re in there with her.

I’d like for you all to stay so we can figure out the best way to handle this shit.

” This time, I turn back to Birdie. “You all are safe here. I know it’ll take time to prove that to you after our past together, but I’m good with that as long as you all are under this roof so I know he can’t reach you. ”

My daughter turns in her mother’s arms and regards me solemnly. “Are you going to protect my mama, sir?”

That fucking vessel that’s spent seven years silent in my chest gives another hard thump at the tone of her words.

“I’m going to do my best, my little love.”

Her eyes widen as wonder fills them. “You know my name?”

Birdie cups her cheek and turns my daughter to face her again.

“He doesn’t, baby. Remember when I told you that Dad was super busy keeping all these people safe?

” Our little girl nods sadly. “I haven’t had the chance to talk to him about either of you yet, so how about I introduce you to your daddy? ”

“Oh, Mama, I think I’d really like that,” my girl whispers.

“Well, then . . .” Birdie turns our daughter back toward me and wraps her arm around her stomach. “Apollonos, I’d love for you to meet your daughter, Lovelyn. My little love, I’d like you to meet your daddy.”

I’m a big, strong, steady motherfucker, but when my daughter breaks away from her mama and barrels into me with tears in her eyes, I break the hell down. I drop to my ass with Lovelyn in my arms and bury my face into her hair, breathing in her childish scent.

After a few minutes, I lift my head and find my son.

He’s watching me with his sister, ready to step in if he deems me a threat to her.

I open my arm, showing him I have room for him too.

He eyes the open spot as he bites down on his bottom lip.

Legend wants to come to me, but when he peers back at his mom, I know it’ll take time.

My son, my fucking son, believes it’s his job to look after his mama.

There’s something that makes me so fucking angry about that, and I don’t know who the hell to aim it at.

“Legend?”

He turns back to me.

“Whenever you’re ready, son.”

His little lip quivers before he gives a sharp nod and burrows closer to Birdie.

I clench my jaw, ignoring the sorrow and apology that I feel pouring from Birdie when she witnesses it.

I’ve shoved it down to focus on her and the twins, but the anger at her for keeping my kids from me still creeps under my skin.

Kissing Lovelyn on the head, I stand and anchor her to my hip. “Cyanide, help Birdie to my room. Malice, bring snacks and drinks.”

I turn away from her and head upstairs, worried I won’t be able to keep my anger leashed if I stay around her.

“Fucking prick,” Valkyrie mutters, and my lips twitch.