Page 8 of Viking (Dixie Reapers MC #24)
Viking
I scanned the perimeter even as I focused on the small sedan with Athena inside.
“We need to get your things,” I said as we approached the car. “Pack whatever you and Athena need.”
Her cheeks colored slightly. “I know you mentioned you have a house here, but Lief, I can’t just move in with you. We haven’t seen each other in years. Athena’s already traumatized enough without…”
“This isn’t a suggestion.” I softened my tone, seeing the flash of resistance in her eyes. “Kris trusted me to protect you. Both of you. My place is the safest option.”
She held my gaze for a long moment, weighing her options, before giving a small nod. “Okay. We’ll need to stop by my house for clothes and Athena’s things.”
“Let’s go now. The sooner you’re settled, the better.”
We approached the car, and I got my first real look at Athena through the window.
Jesus Christ, she was tiny -- smaller than I expected for three years old, with a wild mane of copper curls that matched Karoline’s exactly.
Her eyes, gray-blue and solemn, watched me with the wary assessment of someone who’d seen too much change in too short a time.
Never seen that look on a kid’s face before.
Karoline introduced me to her friend Marnie who eyed my cut with poorly disguised suspicion. I didn’t blame her. A six-foot-four biker with tattoos and a beard wasn’t most people’s idea of a safe haven for a traumatized child.
“We’re going to get their things,” I explained. “I’ll follow you to Karoline’s place.”
An hour later, I pulled my truck behind Marnie’s sedan in front of a small, well-kept house in a quiet neighborhood.
The kind of place that screamed “teacher lives here” -- flower boxes under the windows, a welcome mat with sunflowers, wind chimes hanging from the porch.
Too exposed. Too vulnerable. No security system that I could see.
Standard locks on the doors and windows.
Anyone with basic skills could be inside in under a minute.
I got out, scanning the area. I’d need to check the perimeter to ensure it was safe before Karoline got out of the car.
I motioned for her to remain in the car, and she looked like she wanted to argue but stayed put.
I did a quick sweep around the house, noting all the entry points, checking for signs of surveillance or tampering.
Nothing obvious, but that didn’t mean they were safe.
These types of operatives knew how to stay invisible until they struck.
“All clear for now,” I said, opening Karoline’s door. “But we need to be quick. Fifteen minutes, tops.”
Inside, I positioned myself in the living room doorway, where I could see both the front entrance and the hallway leading to the bedrooms. My hand rested near my waist, close to the gun concealed under my cut.
Athena clung to Karoline’s hand, a stuffed blue rabbit clutched against her chest with her free arm.
Her eyes never left me, watching my every move with an intensity that was unsettling in someone so young.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” Karoline murmured, kneeling beside her. “This is Lief. He was a good friend of your daddy’s. He’s going to help keep us safe.”
Athena didn’t respond, but her grip on the rabbit loosened slightly.
“Go pack,” I said. “I’ll keep watch here.”
While Karoline moved quickly through the house, gathering clothes and necessities, I kept my senses on high alert. Every car that drove by, every shadow that moved outside the windows set my nerves on edge. This wasn’t club business. This was personal, and the stakes felt infinitely higher.
“Do you have a picture of Kris?” I asked when Karoline passed through with an armful of children’s clothes. “Something recent?”
She paused, then nodded toward a framed photo on the mantel. “That’s from the last time he was home.”
I picked it up, studying the familiar face of my oldest friend.
He looked older than I remembered, lines around his eyes that hadn’t been there before.
It had been a while since I’d last seen him.
How the hell had he aged so much so fast?
I’d known he was into some bad shit, but still…
Just the same, his smile was the same -- that grin that always made you feel like you were in on a secret joke.
My chest tightened. Kris was gone. Really gone.
Movement caught my eye, and I turned to find Athena standing a few feet away, watching me intently. She’d set down her rabbit on the coffee table but still kept it within reach.
“Hey there,” I said, my voice gentler than I’d used in years. “Your dad was my best friend when we were younger.”
She didn’t speak, but she took a step closer, her small face serious as she studied mine. Then, to my surprise, she pointed at the photo in my hand.
“That’s right,” I said. “That’s your dad.”
She nodded, just once, before returning to her rabbit. The interaction was brief, but something about it felt significant -- like she’d assessed me and decided I wasn’t an immediate threat. It wasn’t trust, not by a long shot, but it was a start.
Karoline emerged with two duffel bags and Athena’s small pink suitcase. “I think that’s everything essential. Clothes, toiletries, some books and toys.”
“Good. Let’s move.”
I carried the bags to my truck, hyperaware of our surroundings as Karoline secured Athena in the car seat I’d hastily installed before leaving the compound.
With all the kids the club had over the years, we kept one or two stashed in storage at the clubhouse for emergencies like this.
Marnie hugged Karoline goodbye, whispering something that made Karoline nod with tears in her eyes.
As we pulled away, I watched Karoline’s house recede in the rearview mirror, wondering if she’d ever return to it. In my experience, once you entered the kind of danger Kris had warned about, normal life was never quite the same again.
“The compound has three entrances,” I explained as we drove, filling the silence with information she needed. “Main gate, which you came through earlier. Service entrance on the east side for deliveries. Emergency exit to the south. All guarded 24/7.”
Karoline nodded, her hands folded tightly in her lap. “And your house?”
“Set back a bit. More privacy, but still within the fence line. Not close to a gate.” I glanced at her profile, noting the worry lines between her brows. “Every man in the club would die before letting anything happen to a woman or child under our protection. You’ll be safe.”
“I believe you,” she said softly.
“The club has rules,” I continued, pushing past the emotion.
“Respect the patches. Don’t ask about club business.
Stay within the compound unless you have an escort.
” I paused, glancing at her. “And don’t go into the clubhouse without me.
Some of the guys bring women around who aren’t… appropriate company for Athena.”
She nodded, taking it all in. “How long have you been with them? The Dixie Reapers?”
“From being a Prospect to now, nearly twenty years.”
“Is that why you stopped coming around? To our family gatherings?”
The question caught me off guard, the hint of hurt in her voice unexpected. “Partly,” I admitted. “Club life is demanding. And Kris and I… our paths went in different directions.”
We fell silent as we approached the compound. The guards at the gate straightened as my truck approached, nodding respectfully as they swung it open without question. Several brothers stood near the garage, tracking our progress with curious glances.
“That’s the clubhouse,” I pointed out as we drove past the main building. “Garage and shop over there. Behind all that is a picnic area and playground. And back here… This is it,” I said, pulling up in front of the porch steps. “Home, sweet home.”
Karoline stared at the house, then at me, reality seeming to settle over her features. She was about to move in with a man she barely knew anymore, into a biker compound, with a traumatized three-year-old. All because her brother had died with secrets that might get them killed.
“We’ll be safe here?” she asked, her voice small but determined.
I met her gaze directly. “On my life, Karoline. On my life.”
We got out and I watched as she helped the little girl out of the backseat.
I shouldered their luggage and led the way up the porch steps, suddenly aware of every creak in the weathered wood, every scuff on the paint, every detail of a home I rarely saw through others’ eyes.
The key turned in the lock with a familiar click , and I pushed the door open, stepping aside to let Karoline and Athena enter first. My place wasn’t fancy -- never had been -- but I felt an unexpected twinge of self-consciousness as they crossed the threshold, bringing their tragedy and fear and copper-bright hair into my solitary domain.
Although, I’d once let another woman stay here for a bit, until Hawk could pull his head out of his ass.
She’d added some homey touches during her stay and I’d left them.
“It’s not much,” I said, setting the bags down by the door, “but it’s secure.”
Karoline stepped into the main living area, Athena’s small hand clasped firmly in hers.
I watched her eyes take in the space -- the oversized leather couch worn smooth from use, the solid oak coffee table bearing rings from countless beer bottles, the bookshelves lining one wall.
She paused when she saw the sword hanging on the wall but didn’t ask about it.
Her gaze lingered on those books, surprise flickering across her features at the number of volumes. Yeah, bikers read too.
“It’s nice,” she said, and sounded like she meant it. “Comfortable.”
I shrugged, closing and locking the door. Three deadbolts -- two standard, one custom -- plus a security bar I slid into place at night. Paranoid maybe, but paranoia kept people alive in my world. Too much shit happened around here to take any chances.