Chapter 1 #2
“Standin’ in this goddamn ER’s a good fuckin’ reminder that none of us are protected right now. ‘Specially the women and kids.”
Zeke ground a hand against the back of his neck. “Wonder why they went after the Angels of Fury?”
“Easy targets to deliver another message?”
“Don’t let any of ‘em hear you callin’ them an easy target.”
“Callin’ it like I fuckin’ see it, Prez.” Rage blew out a breath to try to keep his shit tight. “What d’ya wanna do?”
If it was up to Rage, the first score he’d settle would be with the bastards who injured Piper, Bri and Lyric.
Somehow he’d need to figure out who the guilty parties were first. It would take finding the right Soul to squeeze that info out of.
And by squeeze, Rage meant choking the living shit out of whatever outlaw he could wrap his hands around. But that was shit he could handle on his own and no one else had to know.
“Need to put our fuckin’ heads together and come up with a solution that ain’t gonna put a target on all our backs.”
“Easier said than done,” Rage grumbled.
“No shit. And the fuckin’ reason why we haven’t come up with anything yet. Do fuckin’ know we ain’t partnerin’ up with the feds like my old man.”
Rage agreed with him on that. “But gotta give your pop credit ‘cause it was the easiest solution at the time.” He could see Zak’s reasoning. They didn’t want to start another war after ending a long one with the Shadow Warriors.
“We ain’t them.”
“Fuck no, we ain’t,” Rage agreed.
“Last thing we need’s other clubs findin’ out we partnered with pigs. Gonna come off as weak. Could open us up to other clubs testin’ us.”
“Then we’re back to where we are now…scramblin’ to find a way to protect our property.”
“Yeah.” Zeke sighed, then growled, “For fuck’s sake. Hate feelin’ so goddamn helpless.”
He wasn’t the only one and Rage was the goddamn club sergeant at arms. The club’s protection fell on his shoulders.
Over Zeke’s shoulder, Rage spotted Bri coming out from the back flanked by her brother Chaos and her fathers Nash and Cross. Rage’s lip pulled up at the sight of the latter, a retired pig.
Chaos peeled off and joined them.
“She okay?” Zeke asked the club secretary.
“Yeah. A few scrapes and bumps. She’s gonna have a shitload of bruises for sure.”
“She have any info on who did it?” Rage asked him.
Chaos shook his head. “Fuck no. But I can guess.”
“Yeah. We’re thinkin’ the same,” Zeke confirmed.
“What’re we gonna do about it?” Bri’s twin asked. “They crossed a fuckin’ line that never shoulda been crossed. Cross and Nash are pissed and want answers. They ain’t the only ones.”
“We all want fuckin’ answers,” Rage grumbled. “Ain’t gonna get ‘em from the women. Lexi don’t know shit.”
Chaos huffed, “Or she does and is keepin’ that shit to herself so she can handle it the way she wants.”
“She better fuckin’ not,” Rage growled.
Chaos shrugged. “You know how fuckin’ stubborn these women are.”
“It’s in the goddamn blood,” Zeke said with a shake of his head.
“It’d be stupid for them to try to handle those fucks on their own,” Rage reiterated.
“Maybe they’ll finally fuckin’ realize how stupid it was to start their own club,” Zeke suggested.
Chaos snorted. “Good luck with that shit. Givin’ them too much credit. Wonder how those motherfuckers even know the women’s so-called club’s tied to us?”
“Goddamn women love to flap their traps,” Rage answered.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw the crowd part again as Lyric, her brother Phoenix and father Crow exited into the waiting room next. The men’s expressions were unreadable.
Good fucking thing he was taller than most of the others so he could quickly scan her from where he stood. But before he could finish, his feet were already moving. He needed to see the damage done up close.
Though with every stride over to them, his jaw got tighter and his blood began to boil.
Crow’s dark eyes tracked him as he approached.
“Brother,” Rage responded when the OG jerked his chin up at him in greeting. He immediately turned his attention to Lyric. Her long, black hair wasn’t contained in its normal French braid, instead it was a mess and hanging loosely down her back.
“Ash,” she greeted softly, her dark eyes turned up to him.
At six-foot-three and two-hundred and thirty pounds, Rage dwarfed her.
His eyes skimmed over her, taking in the bandages and an arm sling.
“What’s the damage?”
“Some road rash and a sprained shoulder and wrist,” Nix answered for his sister before she could.
“Good thing it’s my left arm and not my right. I wouldn’t be able to tattoo for a while.”
She probably didn’t realize she used both hands to sling ink. He knew that because since she’d done the majority of his tattoos.
And he had a shitload of them. So, yeah, he knew very well about her using both hands on him.
“Guessin’ you were wearin’ a helmet.”
Crow shifted sharply next to her.
“Yes. It’s ruined.”
Being a skilled artist like her father, she had custom spray painted her helmet. In fact, once everyone saw it—club brothers and sisters alike—a lot of them asked her to do theirs. If they wore one. Unlike the women, the majority of his brothers did not.
“Better than smashin’ your melon.” The thought of her cracking open her head and possibly dying due to those motherfucking Souls made the anger bubbling deep in his gut to start heading toward the surface.
Crow grunted in agreement.
Even so, the man was keeping the fear of losing his daughter pretty damn well contained.
Rage really needed to take a fucking page from Lyric’s father on how to keep cool in the middle of a shit storm. And being so much like him, Lyric was wise beyond her years. Despite only being twenty-three.
Rage repeated what Lexi revealed to Crow. “Weren’t wearin’ cuts.”
Crow nodded, catching the meaning of those three words immediately. “Means we can’t assume it’s the Souls.”
“Sure as fuck can,” Rage growled. “No other goddamn club’s on our fuckin’ radar right now.”
When a hand landed on his arm, his first instinct was to shake it off. But he fought the urge and allowed his gaze to follow the arm to the person it belong to instead. Despite already knowing because her touch always seemed to douse any fire roaring in the pit of his gut.
It was no surprise Crow caught that whole exchange. He was the most observant man Rage knew. Only, Crow didn’t say shit.
He didn’t have to.
Rage managed to soften his voice enough to not sound like a raging asshole when he asked Lyric, “Where’s your sled?”
He was tempted to smooth out her disheveled hair for her, but that would come back to bite him in the ass since they were surrounded by his brothers. And under Lyric’s father and brother’s watchful eyes.
Rage never liked the taste of a shit sandwich and today was no fucking exception.
“I don’t know. But I’m assuming it’s totaled.”
“Hook will tow it from wherever it is back to the shop and see if it is.” He met Nix’s gaze. “Figure it the fuck out and let Hook know.”
Nix nodded. “On it.” He left his family’s side to go talk to Lexi and Indie.
With a frown, Crow glanced at a text on his phone. “Your mom’s almost here.”
“There’s no point in her coming now. We can head home.”
“Already told her that.”
Rage waded in. “Need to ride in a fuckin’ cage, Lyric, not on the back of a goddamn sled right now. Got only one good arm to hang on.”
“Dad’s got a sissy bar.”
“Don’t matter, he’s right,” Crow said softly, squeezing her good shoulder and dislodging her grip on Rage. Most likely on purpose. The OG was a pro on being subtle but effective. “Your mom can take you home.”
Lyric was one of the rare club sisters or brothers that actually still lived in the DAMC compound with her parents. After her older brother patched in, Nix moved out of their house and into one of the rooms above Church a few years ago.
The DAMC women were limited on where they could live. If it wasn’t in the compound or his family’s farm or the apartment above the pawn shop, which was currently occupied by Bri, then they were shit out of luck.
Lyric asked, “How is Piper?”
Rage glanced down at Lyric and his gut twisted when it hit him that she could’ve been lost today.
That made him more determined than ever to get justice for her.
And he would.
“Dunno,” he answered. “Gonna go find out next.”
Again she squeezed his arm, drawing both his and Crow’s attention. “Will you let me know once you do?”
“Yeah, baby, I will,” he whispered.
“Thank you.”
Anything for you. “You got it.”
He jerked his chin up at Crow and went to go have a word with Piper.
Hopefully the Angels of Fury’s sergeant at arms knew more about their attackers than the other women.
Because right now, they didn’t have shit besides assumptions.
And the fuck if he liked being left in the dark.