Page 30

Tusk

I ride back to the clubhouse furious. I don’t like the idea of not putting a bullet in Harper’s brain pan. After finding out from Queenie and Rock that he’s been stalking Brittany all these years, hoping to recover some religious artifact, it makes me want to hunt that fucker down and end him once and for all.

What Queenie said about us not ripping into Harper and the church her daughter loves so much makes perfect sense. Just because Brittany and her mom are at odds right now doesn’t mean it’s okay to go all scorched earth on them. I’ll suck up my anger if it’s in Brittany’s best interest, no matter how much it hurts.

We ride into the clubhouse parking lot with the Sons of Rage following close behind us. I don’t think I’ve seen our parking lot so full of bikes. I’m trying my best to stow my anger, and I’m worried about what my old lady might have been subjected to at the hands of that deranged religious lunatic, Harper. The moment my engine is off and my kickstand is down, I scoop her up into my arms and stalk into the clubhouse with her. Tex is right behind me. Levi rushes to greet us.

I ask him, “Are all my kids here?”

The always-too-serious teen nods. “Yeah, Evan and I did just what you said. We texted Clara and told her to get them all ready, and we picked them up in one of the vans. Their grandparents threw a royal fit, but we took them anyway. They’re upstairs in the suite you’ve been using.”

Tex speaks up. “Is there anything else you need right now?”

“Yeah, I want Patch to have a look at Brittany, and I want someone to find Gina, she’s got some explaining to do.”

Levi says, “I’ll get Patch.”

Brittany rubs her thumb across the side of my chin. “I’m fine. I don’t need a doctor.”

“Humor me,” I grumble.

As we head to my room, Tex begins texting. He looks up to open the door for me and states quietly, “Crow picked her up when she ran at the mall. He’s bringing her back now.”

“Lock her the fuck up until I decide what to do with her.”

He throws me a disapproving look, but I’m still angry enough to rip her head off, even if she is a woman. I take Brittany straight into our suite. I’m greeted by Clara, Queenie, Rock, and my boys. Queenie has her little namesake all wrapped up in a baby blanket, fast asleep on her shoulder.

Brittany turns her head around to look at the newcomers and breaks down crying. A look of alarm crosses Queenie’s face.

I hug my old lady tighter and announce, “Brittany has been through an ordeal, and she’s a little emotional right now. Everything is going to be all right. We all feel out of sorts at times.”

Just then, Patch walks in with his medical bag. Not reading the room at all, he jokes, “Did someone call for a doctor?”

“You can examine her in the bedroom.”

He heads into the bedroom and starts setting up his equipment.

Turning to look at Queenie, I tell her, “Let’s just give Brittany a few minutes with the doctor, and then when she’s in control again, we’ll make introductions. I’m sure she’s been looking forward to meeting all of you.”

Queenie nods, holding our baby closer. Rock comes up beside her and puts his arm around her. Although they don’t look like traditional grandparents, they sure do act like ones.

I carry Brittany into the bedroom and lay her gently on the bed. They’ve got my woman dressed in that weird clothing they all wear, and it’s pissing me off. When I stand up to get out of Patch’s way, she grabs my wrist.

I immediately drop to my knees and tell her soothingly, “I wasn’t joking when I said everything is gonna be okay.”

“It’s not,” she tells me with a trembling bottom lip. “He’ll come after me again.”

“No, he won’t. Your grandmother came up with a plan to keep him away.” Reaching out to tuck a strand of long blonde hair behind her ear, I tell her, “I’ll tell you all about it after your visit with Dr. Patch, and you’ll laugh.”

She nods as her tears dry up. “Is it true? That’s really my grandmother, the one who ran?”

I nod, sensing what a big moment this is for her. “Yes, ma’am. Her name is Victoria, just like you said. It was right there on her helmet. ‘Queen Victoria,’ with a little crown over it. I saw it with my own eyes.”

She gives me a faint smile. “She even looks like me.”

I smile down at the woman I love. “Technically, you look like her. Her old man and club nicknamed her Queenie.” Bringing her hand to my lips, I give it a kiss and tease her. “It makes me think she might be spoiled, like you’re gonna be from here on out.”

She relaxes back into our bed and breathes a sigh of relief. “It’s good to be home.” After pausing for a few seconds, her mouth turns up into a little smile. “I can’t believe I have family, and they’re perfectly normal.”

“Talk to Dr. Patch and let him examine you. I’m gonna go look for some proper clothing because the Brittany I know wouldn’t be caught dead dressed like that. My old lady is a bit of a fashionista.”

She laughs and nods. “Yeah, I don’t want to look like an extra from a period piece when meeting my family for the first time.”

When I move back, Patch steps forward. I gotta say, he has a reassuring bedside manner. I feel comfortable with her seeing our club doctor. Once he’s in doctor mode, he’s way too serious to do anything out of pocket.

I slip back out into the main room. All my boys come running over to me. Jack asks a little too loudly, “What’s wrong with your old lady? Why is she dressed funny?”

Before I can answer, Roan complains, “Stop calling her old. She’s young and pretty.”

Robbin chimes in, ganging up on Jack. “Don’t be mean.”

I stoop down to talk to them face to face. My youngest, Charlie, just comes to sit on my knee ‘cause all this is going right over his head. I say to them, “Jack isn’t being mean. Remember, ‘old lady’ is just what bikers call their girlfriends and wives.”

Robbin is only six, but he’s clearly wanting answers. “Why is she crying? Is she hurt?”

I always try to be truthful when I can without confusing and scaring them. “She’s been through something scary, but she’s going to be okay. Dr. Patch is with her right now, if she needs anything then he’ll make sure she gets it.”

I’m in the middle of trying to reassure my boys when my phone buzzes. It’s Siege telling me that they’ve got Gina. I tell the boys, “I’m gonna have a word with your mother. I want you to stay here with Uncle Tex and Auntie Clara, okay?”

They all nod because this isn’t the first time they’ve heard us argue. When I head downstairs, I become aware that Queenie and Rock are at my back. I don’t particularly care if they want to see me give my deranged ex a piece of my mind.

Once I’m in the basement I see my club brothers are trying to put Gina in the same room with Silver, but she’s kicking up a fuss. I grab her by the arm as Ghost unlocks the door. When I drag her into the room, she tries to slap me. I shove her towards the far wall where there’s a small cot, “Sit down and shut up.”.

She screams, “I cooperated, did everything you asked me to do. I don’t deserve to be taken to the utility shed and tortured like Silver.”

Silver stands there with her arms crossed. “God, you’re stupid. They don’t torture women here. They just said that to trick us into turning on each other.”

My ex gives Silver the once-over, realizing that she doesn’t have a scratch on her, and then flies at me in a rage. I push her back with one hand, sending her staggering backward.

I point at her. “You were foolish for abducting Brittany and downright stupid for thinking that if you could get her out of the way, I’d take you back. You hurt the woman I fucking love in order to get to me. Do you have any idea how angry that makes me?”

Something about the tone of my voice finally gets through to her, and she backs all the way up.

“Yeah,” she says with a trembling voice. “That was messed up. It won’t happen again.”

“I know it won’t,” I spit back. “Because I’ve got a good mind to give the both of you a fucking dirt nap.”

Silver speaks up. “You already know Siege said no to that plan. He just doesn’t know what to do with us.”

This is when Queenie steps forward. “These are the two bitches who took my granddaughter?”

“Yeah, fucking idiots that they are, they left forensic evidence all over the place. And the security feed recorded them leaving the building with her. Trust me, they weren’t hard to find, nor was it difficult to get them to talk. They turned on each other alarmingly fast.”

Queenie says, “Turn them over to me. I know exactly what to do with them.”

Suddenly, Siege is at the door. “What’s going on here?”

Rock turns to him. “Our club wants the women who turned on Brittany. You asked for an alliance with our club. This is the price of that alliance.”

Siege’s eyes flicker to mine, and I jerk my chin at him. It’s an affirmative gesture.

He reminds me, “That’s the mother of your children.”

“I don’t care. I want her gone.”

Siege’s expression turns shrewd. Glancing at Rock, he asks, “What do you plan to do with them?”

It’s Queenie who steps closer. “I’ve got some ideas that don’t involve trafficking, torturing, or hurting them in any way. I’ve spent my lifetime breaking women of their asshole behavior. Trust me when I say I know exactly what to do with these two.”

Siege holds out his hand to Ghost, who immediately drops the key to the room in his hand. He tosses it into the air in front of Rock, who reaches out and catches it.

Siege looks Rock in the eyes and says, “I can’t seem to remember where I put the key to our lockup.”

Rock jerks his chin at Siege. Message received.

We follow Siege out of the room. He continues upstairs along with Ghost. The three of us stay behind and talk.

I ask Queenie, “What’s the plan?”

She spits her plan right out. “Much as I’d like to show her the error of her ways, I’m not gonna do anything bad to the mother of your children. My plan is to give her a pile of money to leave with the understanding that if she shows her face again, it’s not going to end well. As for Silver, she seems to like being a club girl. I’ll offer her a chance to be one for the Sons of Rage. It won’t give her quite the same freedom she has to make mischief here. And my girls get punished for sneaking around our clubhouse.”

Rock chimes in, “That sounds like a pretty decent plan to me.”

“Yeah, I just want her out of our lives for a while so we can enjoy some peace. As for Silver, she’s a nuisance who got thrown out by the last club she associated with, so be careful that she doesn’t end up backstabbing you.”

“I’ve been handling backstabbing club girls for longer than you’ve been alive, honey. I’m sure I’ll be all right.”

“The two of you can go back to our suite and make yourselves comfortable. I’m going to get Brittany some presentable clothing and join you.”

With that, I go up to our closet and pull out an armful of women’s clothing for Brittany to choose from. By the time I get back, Brittany is fast asleep with Victoria in her crib beside her. I lay the stack of clothing aside and quietly close the door to give her some peace after what she’s been through.

Her family seems to have grown in number while I wasn’t paying attention. In addition to Queenie and Rock, Jasper has made his way to our suite along with another biker. His patch says his name is Slate. They are playing with my boys. I glance at Tex, who is sitting with Clara while their kids watch a cartoon on their tablet. He jerks his chin at me, an unspoken acknowledgment that all is well.

“She’s sleeping,” I say, by way of a greeting.

I see Patch is still in my suite, so I ask him for an update. “How’s she doing, brother?”

“It’s clear that she received proper medical attention at the hands of her abductors. the wound on her head is looking good, they used Steri-Strips to close it. She said she had a headache for a day or so after, but she’s been okay since.”

I point out, “You know they left an indentation in the wall when they shoved her. How do we know she didn’t end up with a fractured skull?”

Patch replies, “I didn’t see any evidence of a fracture, but I’ve scheduled her to come into my office tomorrow for an X-ray.”

“Why not today?” I ask.

“If she’d been confused, in pain, or had any signs of concussion, then I’d have sent her urgently. But based on when the accident occurred, and the fact she’s not got any signs of brain trauma, I don’t think it’s urgent. I’ll recheck her when she wakes, just to be sure,” he says.

I nod, “Okay, that sounds reasonable.”

“At least we have that to be thankful for,” Rock comments, pulling Queenie closer to his side.

“Yes. I’m grateful to hear her physical injuries aren’t worse,” Queenie agrees. “The thing I’m worried about is her mental trauma.”

I nod and turn back to Patch. “I’ve been thinking about her situation. Not only was she abducted, but this was the situation she most feared and wanted to avoid at all costs. I feel like her parents threw her under the bus by pressuring her to marry Harper.”

Queenie responds sharply, “She has family, and we intend to be her support system moving forward.”

I open my mouth to remind her that Brittany is my old lady and, as such, she has her own family as well.

However, Patch cuts me off before I can say anything. “It’s clear Brittany still has a lot to process about this situation and will need all the support she can get. But I’d be a bad doctor if I didn’t caution you all about putting her under too much pressure right now. Right now, she needs the people in her life to just be there for her. She needs to rest, relax, and be given space to process what happened without letting herself isolate. Let her talk when she’s ready. If you can’t, now would be a good time to bow the fuck out.”

It takes us a few seconds to wrap our heads around what Patch is saying.

Jasper takes the opportunity to crack a joke. “You almost sounded like a real doctor there for a minute. Then you went off the rails by cursing at us.”

Patch reaches over and flicks him playfully in the forehead. “I am a real doctor, dumbass. That’s how I got my club name. I patch the brothers up when they get injured.”

Rock’s hand presses Jasper back. “Now’s not the time for jokes. Your niece is lying in there hurt. Show some respect.”

Jasper lowers his head. “Yes, sir.”

I speak up to let them know I plan to be a team player. “Between all of us, Brittany has all the support she needs to make a complete recovery. I plan to do whatever it takes to get my old lady back to her fucking sassy self.”

Queenie gives me a firm nod. “My Rock always says, ‘Whatever doesn’t kill you can only make you stronger.’ I believe my granddaughter is a fighter.”

I just shake my head. “You have no idea. Brittany was hell on wheels when she was a club girl. When she went on a tear, everyone got out of her way. She’s stronger than any of you know.” Glancing away, I wrestle my emotions under control.

It’s Jack and Robbin that tell the rest of the story. Jack speaks first. “She’s also a good mom to our sister and we like her.”

Robbin adds, “She’s pretty and nice too.”

I bend down to pick my son up. “Brittany was just settling into our family when all this happened. My boys took a strong liking to her right away. Ain’t none of us gonna be all right again until we know Brittany is okay.”

I have the overwhelming need to rush into the bedroom, scoop her up into my arms, and reassure her that she is safe and that all of us are gonna be there for her. And maybe tell her that I’d kill Harper and every single one of his followers before I let them within a hundred yards of her again. But I know she wouldn’t like that because her parents were among his followers.

So, I tell Queenie, “Brittany told me how excited she was to finally have the opportunity to meet you and the family members she never got the chance to meet. The minute she wakes up, I suspect she’ll want to see you all.”

The older woman’s expression turns cautiously pleased. “My granddaughter is alive. She’s back where she belongs. And she’s gonna have more family than she knows what to do with. We’ll also welcome you and your boys into the fold.”

I twitch a smile. “We’re all gonna be one big happy biker family, right?”

Rock answers for her. “Damn straight we are. Allied clubs, looking out for each other and all.”