Page 12

ALPHA

Sitting up in my bed, my fingers gently stroke through my daughter’s soft blonde locks while she sleeps curled up against my body, I find myself listening.

Concentrating hard on Poppy’s breathing.

Making sure she still is.

The thought alone scares the living shit out of me.

Clenching my eyes tight to try to rid those feelings from my mind, but a memory slams into my head like a sledgehammer.

“Fuck! Pres, I think I found her,” Dutch said in a soft voice.

I turned, bolting toward him, but he stepped in front of me, gripping my shoulders. “I don’t think you want to see this, Pres.”

“Dutch, get the fuck out of my way, or so help me God,” I grit the words out through my teeth.

Dutch dropped his chin to his chest and slowly stepped to the side, showing me a small body.

Big enough to be a five-year-old girl.

Singed beyond recognition.

I knew it was her. My little Princess Poppy. The pink stuffed pig sitting on top of her burned body. A pain surged through me so intensely I couldn’t control it. I dropped to my knees, screaming in utter agony. My hands resting on her singed flesh, still so fucking hot to touch, the heat instantly burning my skin.

Jerking my eyes open from the horrific memory, my hand recoils from Poppy’s soft hair as if her touch burns me still. The sudden movement wakes her from her sleep. Her gentle murmurs as she shifts beside me push me to control my inner demons.

“Daddy?” she whispers, scrubbing at her sleepy eyes, then glances up at me.

Forcing a fake smile, I slide my hand to her smooth cheek. “Morning. Did you sleep okay?”

She shifts her legs to sit on her knees, furrowing her brows at me in a clearly judgmental way. “I did… did you?”

Raising my brow at her sass, I huff. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She frowns, shifting forward to cuddle me. “I love you, that’s all.”

Embracing her tightly, I lean down, kissing her hair. “I’m okay, Princess. I promise. I just want to make sure that you’re doing all right. You shouldn’t have been there for that yesterday.”

Poppy’s eyes meet mine in clear disappointment. “I think you always remember me as the girl who left. The innocent one who was taken…” She smiles. “But I’m not that girl anymore, Daddy.”

My stomach clenches hearing her words. I’ve known that ever since she came back.

She’s absolutely right.

Poppy 2.0 is not the little girl who left me.

She’s stronger, tougher, and definitely more capable.

But she’s still my little girl, and I will do everything in my power to protect her from harm, enemies, and emotions that are too big for her to understand.

“I know you’re not, but it’s also okay to feel whatever it is you need to feel. You just lost your mother. It’s okay to not be okay.”

Poppy sniffles and cuddles into me again. “You know, Dad, you lost her too. And I totally get that you’re the big man around here, but it’s okay for you not to be okay.” The little shit throws my words back at me.

Letting out a small chuckle, I hold her tighter. “Okay, point taken.” I let out a long breath, just holding onto her tighter. “I’m sorry, Poppy. I’m sorry your mom got caught up in all this shit.”

She glances up at me, her eyes glistening. “I think you’re too hard on yourself.”

Jerking my head back, my brows scrunch in confusion. “Huh?”

She sighs, takes my hands in hers, her tiny fingers looping around my callused fingers. “Dad, you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. All the stuff from what happened back in your military days, to me being taken by the Cartel, and now Mom… all while being in charge of the club. It’s a heavy burden.”

“Are you a fucking eight-year-old psychiatrist now?” I mock, smirking at her.

Poppy grins. “I mean, they did teach us psychology at The Nest.”

“Of course they did,” I mumble under my breath, but she continues.

“But that’s beside the point, what I mean is, you can’t be everything for everyone all the time. This is a club, a brotherhood, a family, right?”

Groaning, I frown at her. “Right?”

“So, if mom were here, what would she say to you right now in this situation?”

Shaking my head, I let out a light chuckle. “To take the support and lean on my family.”

Poppy’s lips turn up, that cute little dimple on her cheek popping in, just like her mother’s did. “I know you want to protect me, Daddy. You always do and always will, but you also need to let us, your family, protect you too . Deal?”

Reaching forward, I grab her, pulling her to me in a tight embrace. She lets out a small giggle as we both drop back onto the bed. “I love you, kid.”

She beams up at me. “Love you, too, Daddy,” she replies as the door to our room creaks open, and I glance over my shoulder when I hear Haven trying to sneak in.

“It’s all good, Little Lamb. We’re both awake,” I tell her.

Haven’s shoulders relax, and she moves through the room with more ease, approaching the bed as Poppy and I move to sit back up. However, as I notice the grim expression on Haven’s face, that’s when my muscles tense all over again.

Letting out a groan, I pat the bed beside me. “It’s not even seven in the morning, Haven. How could you possibly have shitty news for me already?”

She rolls her shoulders, moving to sit on the bed beside me. “I honestly don’t even know if shitty covers it.”

Clenching my eyes shut, I inhale sharply as Poppy slides in between us. “Hey, remember what I said, Dad?”

Opening my eyes, they focus directly on my innocent-looking daughter. The one who I know could slice a man’s neck open before he even has a second to react. “Family?” I reply.

Poppy smiles wide. “Exactly. Whatever this is, you have an entire clubhouse of family here to lean on and help you.”

Haven tries to fight back her smirk while simultaneously raising her brow. “Well, did you hear that, Big Guy? Your daughter’s saying the exact same thing I’ve been saying for months.”

Groaning at the smug look on their faces, I huff. “Mmm… it’s almost like you’ve been colluding or something.”

Haven shakes her head with a soft sigh. “Not this time. But it doesn’t negate the fact we’re both right, though, and to be fair, we always are.”

Poppy chuckles, banging her knuckles into Haven’s. Ignoring their mutual admiration society, I continue with the situation at hand. “The shitty news?” I grumble.

Haven wracks her jaw from side to side like she’s trying to figure out the best way to tell me, but she decides to just go for it. “Remember how I told you there was a bird with Javier?”

Furrowing my brow, I nod. “Yeah.”

She hesitates, moving to stand. “Well, it’s a little more complicated than that.”

Folding my arms across my chest, I sit taller. “Haven, just tell me what I need to know.”

Haven’s eyes shift to Poppy momentarily before moving back to mine. “I’ve just been with Loki and Montana. I know Montana spoke to you briefly about shit popping off in Valerie’s prison before all this escalated.”

Fuck, I forgot all about that when this crap with Livvy started.

My eyes widen. “Is Val okay?” I blurt out in concern.

Haven grimaces. “Depends on your definition.”

Standing abruptly, my pulse quickens as I walk up to Haven. “Don’t sugarcoat it. Just tell me everything I need to know.”

Haven exhales, then nods. “All right. When I was there, with Livvy, the bird I saw, her name is Nighthawk—”

“Nighthawk was there?” Poppy interrupts, sitting on the edge of the bed.

We both turn to look at her, her eyes wide in excitement, but Haven tilts her head. “She was there on mission with the Cartel, Poppy.”

The recognition on Poppy’s face takes hold instantly. Her face scrunching in horror. “Nighthawk hurt Mama?”

I spin back to face Haven, and she nods. “She did, but she was on mission. She was following orders. She didn’t know who Livvy was, why she was there, or why she was ordered to torture her. Just that Livvy was her mark by any means necessary.”

My stomach churns as I think about all the trauma Livvy must have gone through, but this isn’t adding up. “I don’t understand what this has to do with Montana and Valerie, Haven?”

“So, this is where it gets weird. When Montana was visiting Val, he was getting vibes. Weird ones. Even the guards were warning him of the hierarchy changing inside. He was told about new inmates coming in, and they all have a matching tattoo.” She turns her head, pulls her hair back, and shows me her V-shaped tattoo. If you look closely enough, the V is made up of tiny birds.

Swallowing harshly, I huff. “You’re saying the women’s prison is filling up with newly recruited birds?” I ask incredulously.

Haven shrugs. “They’re some version of birds. Normally, as we know, girls are taken from a young age and trained. But we disbanded, well, at least, most of those women and children. So, the Cartel obviously has to come up with methods to train this new batch of birds for The Nest, which Javier has now clearly gotten back up and running.”

Scrubbing at my face to ease the tension, I try to get this shit all straight in my mind. “So, you’re telling me we have a new leader of the Cartel, a new version of The Nest , and a new style of birds we know nothing about?”

Haven inhales, a grimace clearly forming across her face. “Aaand Nighthawk’s birth file shows that she’s Governor Bennett Marshall’s daughter, whom he sold to the Cartel to boost his political career.”

My stomach falls through the floor, my eyes wide as I stare at Haven, my mouth forming a perfect O as silence fills the room. After what feels like a solid thirty seconds of Haven staring at me, waiting for me to say something, I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding and turn to look at Poppy. Her expression is just as shocked as I am. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me?”

Haven steps up, gently taking my hand in hers. “I wish I were, baby.”

Turning back to face Haven, my eyes meet hers, understanding flowing back from her.

We’re in this now.

We’re deep in it.

But I can’t let this overwhelm me.

Does it look like the odds are swayed heavily in the Cartel’s favor right now? Fuck yeah. But there’s one thing Javier didn’t count on when he began this—if you want to start swinging at my family , there’s a whole club of us who will step up to the plate.

If he thinks his Cartel can come in to take over Los Angeles, then he doesn’t know Defiance MC.

It might have taken me a minute and my daughter and Old Lady pounding it into me to get it through my thick head, but this club isn’t just my family.

No.

It reaches well past the Californian Coastline.

My family is not just Angelenos.

They are not just blood.

My family is the thumping heart of Defiance MC, and that is what Javier doesn’t realize.

I crane my neck to the side and straighten my posture. Moving past Haven, I reach for my club cut on the desk and shrug it over my shoulders, feeling the power of my position embrace me. “We gotta get ahead of this and protect everyone. We don’t lose anyone else to this damn fight!”

Haven weakly smiles as Poppy jumps up from the bed, rushing to my side. “I got your back, Daddy.”

Glancing down at my daughter, the determination flowing through her, even through the loss she just suffered, is infectious. I can’t help but smile. Scuffing her hair, I let out a small chuckle and shake my head. “C’mon, let’s go, you little maniac.”

Poppy takes off for the door at lightning speed as I turn back, reaching out for Haven’s hand. She takes it, and we walk out into the hall together. She wraps her arm around my waist, whispering into my ear, “We’ve all got your back, Pres.”

A chill floods through me as we enter the clubroom, usually bustling with chaos and vibrancy, the somber nature instantly shows me the mood they’re all in. As they spot me, their sympathetic eyes tell me everything I need to know.

They’re not in fight mode.

But I need them to be.

Because we don’t know when the Cartel will come at us again.

Plus, with everything I just heard— they will.

And a Rojas always kicks you when you’re down—right now, this club couldn’t be any lower.

So, I need to step up and fix shit. Because if the Cartel comes for us, we need to be fucking mentally prepared to tackle them head-on and with all pistons firing.

Pressing a gentle kiss on Haven’s cheek, I detach from her and make my way to the center of the clubroom, all eyes follow me as I stand tall, proud, ready for action. Crossing my arms across my chest, I curl up my lip in my distaste for the Cartel and begin, “I’m not gonna lie, the last twenty-four hours have been rough. We lost one of our own, and that burns at the very fabric of Defiance. But we will get time to mourn. We will honor Livvy and do it right. But now, our club, our family, is still in danger.”

I shift my gaze purposely to Montana so he knows I’m including his mother when I say that.

“So, we push whatever fucking emotion we have to the back, and we use it as fuel to fight this fight. The Cartel isn’t going to stop here. We know from the shit they’ve pulled in the past that they don’t give a flying fuck who they hurt to win. It’s not a game to them—it’s an obsession. About being on top.” I shake my head in undeniable rage.

“Well, I’m here to tell you now, I’m not stopping this time until I know for sure we’ve done the job right. I don’t want any casualties along the way. None of you are replaceable.” I stop, letting out a heavy breath with the realization as it hits me. So, I turn and look at my guys with sincerity as I continue, “But, I can’t promise you there won’t be any on the way either.”

Glancing around the room at my club, at my brothers, I stop at Maverick standing beside his pregnant Old Lady and look him square in the eyes. “This fight could be quick, or it could end up a bloody, gory, torturous mess. I just don’t know. But I am here, standing before you, as your president, and as a man who just lost a member of his family, telling you that family comes first… every damn time.”

Sniffing back my emotion, I glance over my shoulder at Poppy, and she nods at me to keep going. So, I turn back, my eyes connecting with Maverick once more. “Mav, if you want to sit this one out so you’re guaranteed to see the birth of your first child, I swear to you, there will be absolutely no penalties. No one will hold it against you, and if you and Sadie leave once the war begins, when it is over, you’ll be welcomed back with open arms.”

Everyone turns to face them, and Sadie smiles at Maverick, already knowing his answer. He leans in, gently kissing her, not even needing to discuss it between them. She gives him a silent nod, and then he glances back at me, determination etched in his face. “Thank you, Pres. I appreciate that, but as you said, family comes first, and while Sadie and my little sister, Clover, are my family, so is every single other fucker in this clubhouse. And if I left knowing you were all here fighting, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. So, I stay.”

Montana nudges Maverick in the arm, a cheeky grin crossing his face as the two friends stand beside each other.

I continue the rounds, moving to Dutch, the oldest member of our club. “Dutch, if you and Ellie—”

“Fuck off!” he blurts out, interrupting me before I even finish, causing the rest of the club to burst into a fit of laughter. “Don’t be ageist, Pres. I may be old, but I can still fight. I’ve been here longer than you guys have known how to wank. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

“Jesus, Dad!” Rhyan groans, Montana chuckling as he wraps his arm around his Old Lady.

Dutch scoffs. “What? I said they were wanking, not me.”

“Mom, control your husband.” Rhyan chuckles.

Ellie shakes her head, sliding her hand up Dutch’s chest. “I’ve never been able to control your father, honey. You should know that from when you started dating Montana.”

Montana snorts out a laugh, nodding a little too aggressively, and Dutch glares at him. “Don’t forget, I’m reeeal good at making concrete boots if you piss me off, kid.” Montana instantly stops, straightening his posture.

“Dad, stop scaring my boyfriend!” Rhyan groans again. Everyone chuckles at how Dutch can still make Montana sweat.

Dutch grins, turning back to face me. “I think you get the picture, Alpha. We might be a dysfunctional bunch, but if one of us is going to fight, we all do. What the Cartel did to you, to all of us…” Dutch’s eyes mist up as he grits his teeth. “Nah. Those prissy-ass Cartel cunts don’t get away with it. We fucking nail them to the ground this time.”

A roar of cheering echoes through the clubhouse, a synchronization of unity, my chest instantly flooding with pride. My club. My brothers. My family. They are prepared to fight or go down in a blaze of glory to seek our vengeance.

My eyes shift to Poppy, my pride and joy, who looks so much like her mother. The excitement washing over her face, seeing everyone rise to the occasion, makes her beam.

For her mother.

For her.

This war escalated when Rico stole Poppy from me and inserted her into The Nest. When he made me believe I saw my own flesh and blood singed to nothing but ash.

I don’t think Rico knew what he was creating when he took Poppy. The amazing fighter she would become. The spirit she would insert back into this club when she finally came back home. The Cartel may not know it, but they thought Poppy was the catalyst to start the war.

But I believe she is the strength in our club to end it once and for all.

With a huge smile lighting my face, I shift my gaze to my brothers. My chest rises and falls with a calmness embracing me now that I haven’t had in days. “All right, now I know we’re all in, we need to make a plan. We’re going to war. Brothers… Church!”

The guys all nod in unison, instantly taking off toward the stairs for the Chapel, and I notice Phoenix staying behind at the bar. He’s newly patched, so he’s technically not allowed access to the Chapel yet. But right now, I need all my men in Church for this. “Phoenix, you too!” I call out.

His eyes light up, a slight smile crossing his face as his sister, Sadie, subtly winks at him, giving him a slight shove away from the bar.

“You got it, Pres!” Phoenix takes off like a rocket. I glance back at Haven, give her a weak smile, dip my chin, and move out toward the Chapel.

She reaches out for my hand, pulling back, her gorgeous brown eyes meeting mine. “Hey, I know you’ve got your brave macho man act on right now, and we desperately need that. But, when this is all over, and we’ve kicked Javier’s ass, I’m giving you permission to fall apart, okay? I’ll be here to pick up your pieces. Do you understand me?”

The corner of my lips turns up, my hand sliding to her cheek to caress it. “I fucking adore you. I’m okay. I swear. And anyway, I’m supposed to be the strong one in this relationship.”

Haven snorts out a laugh, rolling her eyes. “Oh, baby, please. We all know I’m the true Alpha in this relationship,” she quips, leans in, pecking my lips abruptly, then spins, almost skipping off like the freak she is.

With a smile on my face, I shake my head, my eyes instinctively shifting to watch her gorgeous ass sway as she scurries away from me.

Exhaling, I spin, then make my way to the Chapel.

Steading my shoulders, I try to wipe Livvy from my mind and focus on the carnage that’s about to unfold head-on on my brothers.

I’m the President of LA-fucking-Defiance, and it’s time to raise some hell!