Chapter Twenty.
Amy
The gun spat, and I screamed and waited for the pain.
Instead, I kept staring at Viking, who still held it pointed at me. Instantly, the sound deadened around me. My ears rang, and although I could hear, it was like I was underwater.
“Motherfucker!” Venom roared. He had one hand grabbing something sticking out of the ground while Onyx dripped sweat, holding us in place. Viking grabbed the hose again and hauled us over.
Desperately, I scrambled away, still shrieking, and curled into a ball.
“That asshole had woken up. Fucker had a gun on her!” Viking yelled at Venom, who looked murderous. “He’s now dead, thank you very much!”
Onyx collapsed on the ground, breathing hard. Overwhelmed, I covered my eyes and refused to watch as Venom and Viking shouted at each other.
“Amy!” the shout echoed, and I tried to glance up but couldn’t. Slowly, I was shutting down. Enough was enough.
Strong arms wrapped around me, and I breathed in a scent I knew too well. Vortex. He was here. I didn’t even open my eyes, but climbed into his lap and clung to him.
“She okay? What happened?” Vortex demanded.
Onyx began talking while Vortex rocked me back and forth. I was safe; nobody could hurt me now.
Vortex
The whole situation nearly became a clusterfuck. Inglorious reported to Drew, who arrived and, in turn, called Monroe and Sully. Those fuckin’ idiots almost arrested Onyx, Venom, and Viking, which led to calls to Winslow to stop them in their tracks. Not every day POTUS phones to bawl your ass out.
Monroe insisted on questioning Amy, whom Doc stated was in shock and needed medical attention.
That put their noses further out of joint.
There was no denying that the perpetrator they’d searched for was lying in a sinkhole with a hole in his head.
Doc won the battle, and Amy was loaded into an ambulance and rushed off.
Onyx was also loaded up, much to his disgust, but the bullet had lodged in his shoulder.
Monroe had to follow us to the hospital because nobody was sticking around for statements. Sully had their team secure the crime scene and stayed behind to organise everything. Willow met us in the waiting room as Monroe kicked his heels.
Amy was taken to surgery to have glass, rocks, and whatever else had embedded itself into her feet removed. She was high as a kite when she came out and quite chatty. Onyx had the bullet extracted in the ER, gave a statement, and after checking Amy, hit the road.
“And that’s when I dragged him over the edge,” Amy said with a smile and nod.
“Amy, you were very brave,” Willow replied.
“Yup. Girl, you should have seen me jump out of that window. It was like a professional.” Amy beamed.
I rolled my eyes and prayed for my heart to calm down. I’d contacted Duke and Phil, and they were on their way. Amy was quite happy now, but I knew she’d been through yet another ordeal.
“Did Foster say why he did it?” Monroe questioned, and Amy’s head bounced up and down.
“Edwin was invisible.” Those around us frowned, and Amy continued. Finally, we understood, although we didn’t agree with what Edwin had done.
“Death wasn’t coming for me. It was just a sad, tragic man who had ideas stolen. That movie can take a hike,” Amy chortled.
Wow, whatever the docs had given her was the good stuff.
“I love you!” Amy declared, and I smiled. There was my girl.
“Ditto, brave girl.”
“Oh, Edwin also put bombs on the Olympus airship; you might want to ground it and find them,” Amy added.
“You’re just telling us this?” Monroe exclaimed.
“Victoria-Aurora hasn’t seen a second explosion. Everyone is safe,” Amy scolded as he left the room, fingers jabbing at buttons on his phone.
“Is it over now?” Amy asked, and I nodded. There was a plea in her eyes for this to be finished.
“Yeah, babe. It’s done. We’ll go home in the morning. You and Nanci can spend time picking out more outfits and ordering equipment for the schoolroom,” I said, and Amy grinned again.
“Thank you for the job!” she cried to Inglorious.
“Welcome,” he replied, amused.
“God, you’re floating right now,” I murmured as Willow got up and offered goodbyes. I nodded as Willow walked out, and it was just the club, and Amy left.
“We’ll be all over the media again. Idiots should have filmed me jumping from that window. So badass!” Amy stated proudly.
I didn’t think my heart could have stood watching her do that. Now all that remained was getting my ring on Amy’s finger, ordering her cut, and growing our family together. I had everything to look forward to.
Amy
It had been a week since I was released from the hospital, and the chaos was finally dying down.
Between my dads, Vortex and everyone else, I’d been spoiled, pampered and indulged.
It had been nice, but I really hated being the centre of attention.
I looked up as Papa sat next to me at the clubhouse where I currently was.
“Well, pumpkin, how are things?”
“Much better, Papa, I feel like a weight’s been lifted from me,” I replied.
“Not surprised. Dad and I wanted you to know. Inglorious offered us a house here. We’re accepting it, and Mari’s coming too,” Papa said.
“What?” I asked, sitting up, taken aback.
“Mari’s moving in, too. We’re all the family Mari has left, and she’s like a sister.”
“Not that bit. Seriously, you’re leaving Sioux Falls?”
“It’s too far. You’re making a life here, and we have two grandchildren. This is what we want,” Papa said.
“That’s wonderful news,” I exclaimed. “What about Natasha, though? Papa, we can’t leave Natasha there alone.”
“We’re not. Inglorious offered to have Natasha moved to the Unwanted Bastard graveyard. Mari agreed.”
I was slightly shocked but didn’t say a word. That was really generous, because I knew how rabidly they guarded the cemetery.
The doors opened, and a hush fell over the room. A young woman walked in with an older lady beside her. The younger one held Inglorious’s eyes. She was absolutely stunning, and I felt insipid compared to her.
“Hey.”
“Isabelle, Carole, are you okay?” Inglorious demanded, getting off the barstool and heading towards them.
“We’re good. You know why we’re here,” Carole said, turning to stare at me as Daisy-Duke let out a squeal.
“Is that you!” she cried, rushing over to the older woman.
“Daisy-Duke, you never change,” Carole declared as they hugged.
“Lady, you look fine, although you resemble one of those fuckin’ country club women!” Daisy-Duke exclaimed.
Vortex walked in and ignored them as he headed for me. He stopped, and his jaw dropped open.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he demanded. Tingles ran down my back as I realised Vortex wasn’t happy.
“We’re moving here. We have a right to. I’m the old lady of Buck, the mother of a former VP, and Isabelle is a princess. Her grandfather and father rode for the Unwanted Bastards. Grinder and Ginny died for the club,” Carole replied.
“You’re here to interfere, to cause trouble,” Vortex accused.
“Is that true, Carole?” Inglorious asked.
Carole turned a beautiful smile on Inglorious before staring at me. “No.”
“Bullshit,” Vortex exclaimed. Warily, I edged down the sofa closer to him. I’d no idea what was happening, but I wasn’t going to leave Vortex to stand alone.
“Don’t speak to your mother like that!” Carole chided, and Vortex growled.
“What the hell?” I gasped.
Vortex turned and winced. “Brave girl, meet my mom and niece,” he muttered and glared.
“Uh, hi,” I said lamely.
◆◆◆
“Start talking, asshole, do you know how blindsided I was by that shitshow!” I snapped as Vortex laid me on our bed.
“Yeah. There are some issues in my family.”
“No, shit,” I replied, and Vortex snorted.
“Okay. I’ll nutshell it. Mom was born in nineteen-fifty-eight.
She was seventeen when she met Dad. Dad was fifteen years older than Mom, but they both fell madly in love.
Dad’s name was Buck. They had my brother Grinder within a year.
He was born in nineteen-seventy-five. Two more kids followed, and then I turned up as a late baby when Mom was thirty-two.
I was born in nineteen-ninety. Which meant I was a spoiled little fucker.
“When Grinder met Ginny in two thousand, they fell head over heels. Isabelle was born twenty-oh-oh-two. Dad died in two-oh-oh-nine, by which time I’d also joined the MC.
Shit happened: the club split into two sides, but we still inhabited the same clubhouse.
Until the night that Inglorious wiped out the filth infecting the club.
Mom took Isabelle and refused to raise her near anything to do with the club.
Let’s say Mom was relieved when I left.”
“Wow, that’s a lot to absorb.”
“Complicated is us. Mom’s returned for a reason, and that’s you. She’s imagining grandchildren. We’re screwed,” Vortex moaned. He fell backward onto the bed and closed his eyes.
I grinned. “Then isn’t it great we can provide Carole with two instant ones!”
Vortex’s eyes popped open, and he smirked. “There’s a reason I love you.”
“Smart, sexy, wonderful?”
“All that and more. Wanna get naughty?”
“Oh, hell yeah!”
And on cue, Arabella opened her eyes and wailed.