Chapter 25
Charlie
W hat the hell is going on? He’s saying one thing out loud and mouthing, help me ? I take the papers when he finally lets go of them. I speed read through the information, my heart beating faster with each word. By the time I get to the last page, I’m seconds away from full-blown panic mode when the bottom of the page catches my eyes. The judge’s signature doesn’t match the printed name. Plus, the document isn’t notarized.
A solid wall of muscle steps up behind me. I can feel Wizard leaning over my shoulder. Yeah, I know it’s him. He leans in until I feel his lips on the shell of my ear.
“Let’s play along.”
“You’ll take my girls over my dead body,” I say.
“I’ll call the police if you fight me on this,” JR replies
Wizard steps around me and puts himself in between me and JR. In a split-second, he cocks his fist and clocks JR on the jaw. My ex crumples like a sack of potatoes. Smoke picks him up off the floor and slings him fireman style over his shoulder.
“I’ll take out the trash, Principal Stanley.”
For his part, Jorden Stanley doesn't bat an eyelash. He nods, and I follow Smoke out of the conference room.
“I’m parked right out front.”
Smoke nods and heads in that direction. Everyone in the office stands and begins to applaud as we walk by. Maybe I’ll get through this day without getting arrested.
Wizard
SMOKE TOSSED JR INTO the back of the SUV.
“I can drive,” Charlie says.
“We’ll follow you.”
She wraps her arms around my neck. I bend to give her a brief but passionate kiss. I watch as she gets into the cage before hurrying to my sled. Smoke follows, as does Havoc and Mayhem. Hustle, Hurl, and Honda are on their way to give extra eyes on the school grounds.
I keep my eyes on roam as we drive back to the compound. JR was scared when he handed those papers to Charlie. I let my anger bleed away enough to see it when he mouthed, help me.
Tension flows from me the moment the gates close behind us. I direct Charlie to drive to the clubhouse. She parks in front. Smoke and I park behind her. Havoc and Mayhem grab a woozy JR out of the back, helping him to his feet and inside the clubhouse.
“Take him to Gambit’s office, boys.”
The alarm on my phone starts beeping.
“Fuck. Change of plans. Get him to the pool NOW!”
Havoc picks up JR, slings him over his shoulder and dashes through the clubhouse and out the back with the rest of us close on his heels.
Havoc tosses JR Into the deep end of the pool. He comes up sputtering.
“Strip, take off everything. If you have contacts, leave those in the pool too.”
“I need a prospect to get this guy towels, sweats, and a tee.”
While JR strips, one of the prospects rushes off to get what I ask for. I notice patches of color on his skin as the man strips. As well as multiple bruises.
“What happened?” Charlie asks.
“He has a wire or some other similar device. My alarm system picked it up. Drowning it was the quickest way I could think of to destroy the device.”
“Does he look like someone beat the hell out of him, or is that just me?” She asks.
I return my attention back to JR. As he moves toward the shallow end, he exposes a clearer view of the bruises. He’s taken a serious beating and whoever did it took great pains to make sure clothing would cover their handiwork. I almost feel sorry for the guy. Almost, but he was a shitty father, and I can’t abide by that.
By the time he’s out of the pool, dried and in spare clothes, most of my brothers have gathered around us. I spot Doc and give him a nod.
“Can you check him out then bring him to church?”
“You got it.”
Doc looks at JR. “Follow me.”
He didn’t wait for JR to respond. He turns on heel and heads back toward the clubhouse. We have a small clinic set up inside.
We’re prepared for an emergency, including surgery if needed. Not only do we have Doc, but we also have Nay, who recently started her residency as a Nurse Practitioner.