Chapter 26
Tank
I put my hand up to Arthur as he opens the gate for us, the club’s now-empty van following behind me, Dirty, Stone, and Anchor right behind the van as I drive through the gates, my back aching like a fucking bitch while frustration fills me and maybe, if I admit it to myself, a little bit of fucking fear.
I wanted to head straight to the farm to see my girls.
Normally, as we get into town, I’d take the front, but this time I wanted Anchor to just keep front formation home while I ride behind so I could veer off but nope, Doc demanded I come to the club first, falling back into my usual routine after a run, despite knowing I need to get back to Jas.
His request pissed me off so much that I have ignored his calls the whole ride home, my anger growing with each ring.
Three whole fucking days with barely any contact with Jas doesn’t sit right with me.
Even though she says she’ll fight for me, I can’t stop worrying that her mind will wander, or she’ll feel the urge to leave again.
That fear sits heavy, shaped by when she left six years ago, and I want nothing more than to speed away, say ‘fuck you’ to my friend and pres, and get home.
I need to get fucking home.
The past week hasn’t been easy by any means.
I can see she’s trying to make amends and I’m trying to learn to forgive because I know I can’t live without her.
I’ve done nothing but miss her since losing her and wish she’d come home, but fuck, the resentment hits every time I learn something new about our daughter that I would have loved to be part of but wasn’t—especially when Ais asked if she could join ballet class.
I got excited thinking maybe it would be her first time, something I finally got, but it wasn’t.
Jas admitted she hadn’t eaten properly for about a month when she enrolled Aisling in a class, but had to pull her because her funds were too stretched, and the tutu she had before I found them was two sizes too big for her.
Fuck my heart broke, and the resentment built, and I know even though I can’t help it, if things keep going this way, Jas will think her leaving would be for the best, not thinking about how I just need time.
Two months to learn to live with the fact I lost my home in her and I lost the first five years with our daughter, all because she didn’t trust me, isn’t enough time to try and get over things, she just has to be patient, something, according to Axel, most old ladies lack.
The fucker turned up with bright pink hair and a scowl, ready to lay into me while I looked at him in shock because I’m pretty sure Brit mentioned Annie was going to give him a break with the pranks after the last one nearly started a gun fight.
Apparently, if I’d shown up to each run instead of walking away like a jackass – his words, not mine – then I would have seen his woman’s pranks have instead increased since he knocked her up purposely after she had not long given birth.
Annie is pissed, and he’s taking it like a man because he did mess with her birth control yet again.
The man likes his woman knocked up, while his woman just wants five minutes to herself without needing to piss every five seconds.
He mentioned that if I quit again, he’ll leave Annie here for a week, and I must admit, I pissed myself laughing at the look on my brothers’ faces.
Annie is not one you want around your old ladies, and to be fair, neither are the other Untamed Old Ladies, and I swear I heard it was Slicer’s kid that started the whole prank shit off.
Sighing, I pull up near the front door, passing my normal space, adamant not to stay for more than five minutes, when the door swings open and a frantic Vincent runs out with a pissed off Doc on his heels, confusing me.
What the fuck?
Doc looks ready for murder while Vincent looks petrified.
What the fuck did he do?
“Go to the Main toy store, now, go, go, go, it’s Jas!” Vincent shouts when he sees me, and as panic hits, I rev my bike and speed out of the parking space without even questioning why, Anchor, Dirty, and Stone hot on my heels while the prospects in the van look on in confusion.
All I heard was Jas, and that is enough to get me going without questioning him, especially with the panic laced in his voice.
Arthur thankfully left the gate open, and I speed off down the road with my heart in my throat, fear sweating off me in buckets while my mind spins.
Did she try to leave me again?
***
I skid outside the toy shop, not even five minutes later, turn off my bike, and run toward the door, my entire focus – finding my girls but suddenly, a terrified scream from the alley beside the store halts me and, without thinking, I move.
Instinct takes over, my earlier fear about Jas leaving, vanishing—replaced by dread for my girls' safety.
I hear the brothers behind me as I run into the mouth of the alley, and my eyes zone in on where the screaming is coming from, and I curse, seeing my daughter pushing herself into the side of the dumpster, clutching her arm that looks to be in an unnatural position.
Mother fucker!
I roar out and rush over to my little girl and she cries, “Daddy,” hearing my roar.
Her tears coat her little cheeks, her eyes so much like my own full of pain and I skid near her and crouching down, I gently cup her cheek and wipe away the tears with my thumb, nothing else taking my attention from my injured little girl.
Fuck, her arm is broken, there is no doubt about it.
“Hey, baby girl,” I whisper, and she hiccups a sob and tries to move to me, and I quickly let go of her cheek and gently pick her up, making her cry out even louder. “You’re okay, baby, I’ve got you,” I murmur as I stand, trying not to jolt her arm.
Turning, ready to go see where in the fuck her mama is, I freeze at the scene before me as Stone chokes, “Fuck.”
Holy…
I suck in a breath, shock jolting me as I watch my girl, my love, continuously hit someone in the face with a plank of wood, someone who is clearly fucking dead, blood surrounding them.
Shit, shit, shit!
“Doc!” I snap, needing to grab Jas.
She’s gone, she’s blacked out…
“Pass her here, brother,” Doc says as he goes to grab her, and I growl, “Be careful, her arm is broken.”
“Shit,” he curses as I gently hand my daughter over to him, and she cries louder causing him to flinch and I lock my jaw.
As soon as I’m positive he has her, I rush by them and say, “Stone, help Doc, Aisling’s arm is broke,” and he rushes over to them while I go to my girl.
She smashes the plank onto the person again as I get close, but before she can lift it, I quickly wrap my arms around her waist and yank her back. She fights me instantly, trying to get back to the dead body I’ve yet to look at, but I tighten my hold.
“No, let go of me,” she screams, “she tried to harm Ais, she was going to kill her!”
I instantly look at the body with anger but suck in another breath, recognizing the woman despite all the blood, and I whisper in my girl's ear, “It’s me, buttercup, Ais is safe.” and Jas instantly relaxes in my hold, making me sigh in relief, before I turn to Dirty, whose eyes are wide, and I choke, “I need you to do your magic, brother,” gaining his attention, and I admit, “It’s her mother. ”
The brothers all gasp in shock before Jas chokes, “She wanted to kill her, and I-I didn’t, I…”
Jas trembles in my arms as she gasps for breath, her shock setting in, and I gently pull her away from the bloodied mess as Ais cries, “Mama…”
“Oh god, what have I… What did I…” Jas stutters as her legs give out, and I hold her tighter.
“Fuck, she’s going into shock!” Thunder growls as he quickly stands in front of Jas, trying to block her view of her now dead mother.
“Dirty, erase all the cameras from inside the store and surrounding the place then make it look like the woman stole from her husband and the office, Stone, get the prospects to wrap the body then take it to our docks to burn the body and throw it in the ocean, Anchor, call a prospect to bring the clubs other truck, Tank can’t ride with Jas in shock, I’ll take Aisling to the hospital and get Tank’s dad to follow.
Vincent, you’re with me in the truck,” Doc orders while Jasmine completely fucking shuts down on me.
“What did I…” she repeats over and over, and I swear to fuck, I’m petrified I’m going to lose her to her guilt, to the trauma of taking a life.
I knew I should have called her while away then maybe she would have waited to come to the toy store until I got back.
The brothers get into action while I move Jas over to the side of the alleyway, away from the dead body, before sitting her on the floor.
Then I kneel before her and cup her cheeks, trying to lock eyes so she can see I’m here, but her eyes are clouded, her mouth continuing to mumble, completely in shock.
Fuck.
“Doc,” I rasp, “bring Aisling quickly!”
Within seconds, Aisling's sniffles can be heard as he gets closer, and Jas looks up at our daughter, her tears fall and a hint of life sparks into her eyes before they cloud over again, and I swallow the panic I can feel rising.
“Mama,” Aisling sniffles, and I gently turn and take her from Doc, who mentions, “A few minutes, brother, then I really need to get that arm X-rayed,” and I nod as he looks at Jas with concern.
“Jas?” I say but get no reaction, even as I help our daughter sit in her mother's lap and rest her head against her chest, my girl doesn’t react, and that panic deep inside me rides higher.
Fuck, have I lost her?
No, I fucking refuse!
“Doc, take Aisling to the hospital. I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I murmur, and Aisling looks at me, shaking her pretty little head. I smile softly and whisper, “We need to get your arm checked, baby girl. Mama will be okay, I promise.”
She looks at her mother, her tears falling, and she kisses Jas’s cheek before whispering, “Thank you for sabing me, Mama,”
I don’t correct her words, my heart fluttering at the love our daughter is showing, and Doc bends down, gently picking Aisling up, who curls into his arms, and I give him a nod as a few bike rumbles echo, and I know backup has arrived.
“Son?” Dad questions, but I quickly say, “Follow Doc to the hospital and stay with Aisling, her arm is broke!”
I hear him curse before he follows Doc, Aisling calling, “Grandpa,” with a cry before I hear, “Brother?” and I turn and lock eyes with Trigger's sad ones.
“We need to get her back to the clubhouse, and I-I, fuck brother, I can’t lose her, not now that I have her back.” I choke, and he nods before we both look at Jas, whose tears trail her cheeks while her mouth continues to move, her beautiful eyes completely clouded over.
Fuck, I really cannot lose her, I won’t survive.