Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
CHLOE
I know you all didn’t think you would be hearing from little ol’ me, but my story deserves to be told just as much as Red’s. I’m sure he has painted me out to be some horrible villain. That isn’t the case at all.
I’m just a small-town girl who has had to survive any way I could.
When I met Red, it was love at first sight. At least it was for me. In the beginning, he only wanted sex with no strings. I was crushed, but I did whatever I had to do to be with him. After a while, I was the only woman he was sleeping with. We kind of fell into a routine like we were together, but not officially. That was good enough for me until it wasn’t.
I had to do something that permanently earned me a spot in his life, so I told him I was on birth control, but I wasn’t. He was furious at first when I told him I was pregnant. For a while, I thought I would become another statistic and raise my baby alone. But one day, he finally came back.
He was so attentive to me and my needs. I was over the moon to finally receive true affection from him. I knew he cared for me, but I wanted… no, I needed him to love me like I did him.
None of that happened. Once Cindy was born, it was like I had become a ghost. All Red did was love and dote on her like I had been begging him to love and dote on me for years!
I know it sounds crazy to be jealous of your own daughter, but I started to regret having her. It did the complete opposite of what I thought would happen.
To make matters worse, Red never wanted to do anything. We used to party at least three times a week before Cindy was born. Red no longer cared about hanging out or having time alone with just me.
It was all about Cindy!
A year after she was born, I met Blaine. He was a breath of fresh air in my sad life. A few weeks after we started partying together, I found myself in his bed. I didn’t have a single regret. Blaine showed me the type of love I had been craving and begging from Red.
When I ended up pregnant again, I didn’t know if Red was the father or Blaine. I was hoping my baby belonged to Blaine, and so was he. We were both highly disappointed when Colt came out looking like Red’s mini-me.
Blaine left me after that. He had been under the assumption I wasn’t sleeping with Red anymore. I tried to say things were better off, but I found myself sinking deeper and deeper into depression. I hated being home. I hated watching Red shower our children with a love he would never give to me.
Eventually, I returned to Blaine, begging and pleading for him to take me back. He said he would, but only under one condition.
I had to leave Red and my children behind.
I didn’t even hesitate to walk out on them. At that point, I didn’t even have a bond with my children. They only knew Red and his brothers.
When Blaine was killed, I was crushed. After watching Jason’s henchmen kill Blaine without blinking an eye, I knew I had to do something. I had been doing any and everything to survive over the years.
Getting involved with Jason was the biggest mistake Blaine ever made. He’s a loan shark with an infamous reputation. Anyone who doesn't pay that man his money on time won't live long enough to tell the story. By the time Jason's men had caught up to us, we had been on the run from them for months. I just knew my time was up when they cornered us that night. Imagine my shock when the gunman turned to me and told me I had a month or I would be joining Blaine. I knew I couldn't involve the police. Jason had a few on his payroll. If I was going to get out of this, I was going to have to come up with his money.
I was coming up empty-handed until I ran into Jeffery. We had only been around each other a handful of times, but I knew he was loaded with money. Not only was he going to pay the fifty thousand dollars I owed, but I would also reap the benefits of his wealth as his wife. All he wanted was Cindy to make all that happen. I didn’t even have to think about it.
She was the start of the downward spiral in my life. Had I never had her, things could have possibly been different between Red and me.
Imagine my surprise when I returned and found Red was giving some redheaded bitch everything I had been begging for!
I was furious.
I hated her, and I wanted her dead.
Before the day we approached them on the beach, we had our lawyers ready to file papers. That came to a crashing halt when Viper's woman revealed she knew about Jefferey’s little secret. Jefferey had paid a lot of money to keep that under wraps. We knew with Red having that little bit of information, no judge would grant me any kind of custody.
So, when Declan approached us the day that deranged woman ran us off the beach with her dogs, I was all in with his little plan. He wanted his woman back, and I needed my children.
Now that I had them, I couldn’t wait to live the lavish life that Jefferey had promised me. A life I deserved.
And I was going to get it no matter what.
VIPER
Sitting against the headboard in bed, I watch Cara do her nightly routine in front of the vanity mirror. Three and a half years later, and she’s still the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.
I’ve been told I have an unhealthy obsession with my woman, but I don’t care. She owned my heart the moment she locked those golden orbs with me.
My gaze snaps to her ass when she bends over to rub her legs down with her favorite apple cinnamon lotion. A growl rumbles through my throat. Cara straightens up and locks eyes with me through the mirror. There's a tiny smirk on her face.
The woman knows what she is doing.
“Why the hell you got all them clothes on, Hellcat?” I huff.
Cara titters before looking over her shoulder at me. “Since when is a bra and thong all them clothes.”
“Since you know I’m going to rip that shit off the second you lay in this bed.”
Turning around to face me, she takes her time strutting over to me. My eyes roam all over, taking in her voluptuous frame. Now, my woman was thick the day I met her. I love that shit. My babies defiantly added on some much-appreciated curves to her body.
Making it to the bed, she crawls over to me, biting her lip. Straddling my lap, she wraps her arms around my neck. My hands move straight to her round ass. Squeezing her cheeks, I rock up instantly.
“Maybe I like it when you rip my clothes off. Did you ever think of that?”
She darts her tongue out and licks across my mouth before taking my bottom lip into hers. Gripping her ass, I begin to rub her back and forth over my erection. A moan slips from her lips as she tugs at my hair.
I’m ready to flip us over and take control when my phone rings. Cara breaks the kiss, attempting to get off my lap. I pull her back, ready to feel her lips on mine again.
“Jace, it could be important.”
Not bothering to answer her, I reach up to undo her bra when my phone rings again. All I know is that this better be an emergency. If not, someone is going to have a meeting with my fist.
Snatching the phone off the nightstand, I answer it. “What?!” I bark.
“U-uh, hey, Prez, so to bother you, but?—”
“What is it? Spit it out!” I interrupt our newest prospect, Wyatt.
“Right. Well, I was headed into town to meet up with this chick from the party and?—”
“I know good and well, you didn’t call my phone for this,” I snarl.
Seeing as this call is on speaker, Cara covers her mouth as her shoulders shake from laughter. The brothers know not to call my phone after nine unless it’s an emergency. They know exactly what I’m getting up to and don’t want to suffer the consequences of interrupting me.
“No, sir! I found Red’s truck on the side of the highway, and the driver's window has been busted.”
The laughter dies from Cara immediately. She springs from the bed, grabs her laptop, and props it on the dresser.
“Are there any signs of blood or anything?”
“No. Just broken glass everywhere.”
“Okay. Get back to the clubhouse, now.” I hang up and make a call to Axel.
“What’s up?” he answers.
“Gather the brothers. I want everyone ready in five. Red, Alice, and the kids have been snatched.”
“Fuck! You got it.”
Ending the call, I get up and start throwing on clothes. Cara follows suit while making a few calls of her own. First was to Will, telling him it was an emergency, and she needed him to come to our house and Debbie to Sara’s.
“Goddammit!” she hisses, staring at her laptop.
“What is it?” I step behind her to look at the laptop. I have no clue what I’m looking at other than four red dots on the screen.
“They separated them.”
“What?”
“Cindy and Colt are together, and Alice is with Red.”
“We’re just going to have to split up. Grab what you need. We need to go.”
Cara grabs the box of earpieces from the closet and hands it me. As we walk out of our room, Will walks through the front door. Tears brim in his eyes.
“He got her. Didn’t he?” he croaks.
Cara rushes over and hugs him. “You know I can't tell you anything. Just know we got this. Okay?”
He nods and releases Cara. We give him a quick goodbye before racing out the door and to the clubhouse. By the time we get there, everyone is accounted for.
“Okay, listen up. Axel, you’re going to be taking half the brothers, and the other half will be coming with me. We have to split up because the kids are in a different location from Red and Alice. Grab your earpieces from Cara, and let's head out.”
After everyone has an earpiece, I tell Axel to go after the kids and who he’s taking. Mounting my bike, I notice Cara loading Duke and Daisy up in her truck. I huff, knowing at some point, I’m going to have to reel her and her killer dogs in.
Cranking up my bike, I take off out of the gate with Cara and the brothers hot on my heels.
Hang on, Red. We’re coming.
CINDY
I just want to go home. I thought the day my biological mother came back would be a happy time. But I didn’t like the look in her eyes from the moment she did.
My Aunt Cara said eye contact was always important when talking to someone. She said you could always feel their intentions and to always trust my gut. When she showed up at the beach, she didn’t seem really happy to see us. And that guy she was with gave me the creeps.
Now she has us. Colt hasn’t stopped shaking and crying since we saw Dad on the ground, not moving. I tried getting to him, but Chloe threatened to hurt Colt if I didn’t cooperate.
As soon as she said that, I knew I was right about her.
She’s not my mom.
Alice is.
I just want her and Dad back. Our family was finally perfect. It’s not fair!
Now, we’re in some dirty motel with stains on the ceiling. I huddle in the corner of the room with Colt, watching Chloe and her friend's every move. I need to figure out how to get us out of here.
Dad always said if he wasn’t around, I was in charge since I was the oldest.
I have to protect Colt and myself.
“Chloe, what kind of place is this?” the man asks angrily.
“We need to lie low. We can't go to a five-star hotel. Regardless of those brats being mine, it’s still kidnapping.”
Colt whimpers beside me, hearing her cruel words. Balling my fist up, I try to resist the urge to let out the years of hurt I have inside me.
Chloe turns to us with an evil smile. “Colt, come with me. Cindy, you stay and keep Jeffery company.”
Jeffery eyes me and licks his lips. My stomach churns as Chloe makes her way toward us. When she reaches out to grab Colt, something snaps inside me. Grabbing her wrist, I squeeze down on her pressure point, just like Aunt Cara taught me.
Chloe winces, and I shove her backward. “Don’t touch him.” I take a defensive stance, blocking my brother. I won't let her take him.
Chloe's face fills with rage. “You dare put your hands on me!”
She charges toward me again. When she reaches back to slap me, I punch her in the stomach, causing her to double over. Grabbing the back of her head, I slam my knee in her face, breaking her nose.
If you had asked me a year ago if breaking my own mother's nose would make me feel bad, I would have said yes. But once you hurt my dad, my brother, and now Alice…
All bets are off.
“Oh my God! My nose! She broke it!” Chloe screams. Getting up, she runs into the bathroom and slams the door.
“Now look here, you little brat!” Jeffery growls, stalking toward me.
Oh, he wants some, too? Okay. That’s perfectly fine with me.
When he’s close enough, I kick him right where the sun doesn’t shine. He drops to his knees, holding himself.
“I know that had to hurt,” Colt mumbles before grabbing the air freshener off the bedside table and spraying Jeffery in his eyes.
“Ahh!” he yelps, falling over and rubbing his eyes.
“Let's go!” I scream, grabbing Colt's hand and heading for the door.
As soon as I step out of the room, I run into a rigid body. On instinct, I begin to fight. I’m punching and kicking, trying to get the attacker off me.
“Cindy! Sweetheart, it’s me! Uncle Dice!”
Hearing his voice, I snap out of it. I look behind me to make sure Colt is there. Uncle Bear has him in his arms as he cries on his shoulder.
Knowing I’m finally safe, the need to be strong falters. My eyes water as my shoulders shake. Uncle Dice swoops me in his arms, making me cry harder.
“Shh, it’s okay. We got you.”
As they load us into the SUV, I watch a few of my uncles go inside the motel room. As we sit in the back seat watching, Colt lays his head on my shoulder, and my thoughts drift to my mom and dad. I don’t know where they are or if they're okay.
God, I don’t know if you’re real or not, but please don’t take my parents away.
ALICE
When I finally come too, I’m lying on a couch I’m much too familiar with. He brought us to the cabin his mother left him. The only time Declan brought me here was when he was planning some kind of sick punishment he convinced himself I earned.
Well, not today, Satan!
I will no longer be his punching bag.
Just like the egotistical maniac he is, he doesn’t bother to tie me up. He believes I’m still not a threat. I’m glad because his mistake is my blessing. I know I can’t afford to get into a full-blown altercation with him since I’m pregnant, but I’m for sure not about to take any more hits.
Sitting up, I grab my throbbing head.
“I should really knock your teeth down your fuckin’ throat,” Declan growls from the recliner.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I know what I have to do, and the thought literally repulses me. One day, during one of my sessions with Cara and Sara, they told me what to do if I ever find myself alone with Declan.
Play with his ego. Say everything you know he’s thinking, so he lets his guard down. Once he does. Attack.
“I know,” I say in a somber voice.
Declan rears his head back, stunned. I continue.
“I should have never left you. I should have known no one could love me like you.”
“How stupid do you think I am? You’re wearing a fuckin cut claiming you as his property while wearing his ring!”
He points to the coffee table in front of him where my cut and engagement ring are.
Shit. Think Alice.
“Because I was trying to trick them into trusting me,” I cry. “They kept me locked inside that compound, never letting me leave. I didn’t want to divorce you, but they swore they would leak the footage from the parking lot if I didn’t. Did you know Cara’s dad is the CEO of Roman’s Palace? You would have lost everything.”
Declan sits back, speechless, and some of the anger washes away.
Good. He’s falling for it.
Standing up, he follows suit as I approach him. Palming his face, I look into his eyes lovingly. “I know I have to be punished because we wouldn’t be in this mess if I had never called them. So, I accept whatever you have to give me. But before you do, I need to feed you. You’ve lost so much weight.” I rub my hands across his chest.
Declan's cheeks turn red as he looks away. “Y-yeah, I couldn’t really cook with a broken arm.”
Please! Your ass can’t cook at all.
“Well, come on. Let’s get you fed.” I grab his hand and lead him into the kitchen.
“Aren’t you worried about your man?” he asks with a tinge of attitude.
Yes. God, yes.
“My man is right here.” I plant a kiss on his cheek, barely missing his mouth. I have to take a deep breath. Apparently, my baby does not agree with the smell of Declan.
He relaxes from the kiss and takes a seat at the dining table. I start to go through the cabinet and grab a pot. Right as I’m about to close it, I notice a cast-iron skillet.
Thank you, Crystal!
Grabbing both the pot and the skillet, I place them on the stove. Filling the pot up with water, I turn the burner on high. I walk over to the fridge and pull out a steak. Going over to the pantry, I retrieve the potatoes and set them on the island.
“You’re making me steak and potatoes.” He smiles at me, falling for my tricks.
I knew making his favorite meal would put him at ease.
Once the water comes to a boil, I look over my shoulder. Declan has his eyes on his phone. It’s now or never.
Taking the pot off the stove, I turn and throw the scalding hot water all over him.
“Ahhh!” he screams at the top of his lungs.
Not wasting a second, I hit him over the head with the skillet, knocking him smooth the fuck out, as Cara would say.
Just as Declan's body hits the floor with a thud, the front door crashes open. Viper is leading the pack with his gun drawn. The guys sweep into the kitchen, looking at a knocked-out Declan with wide eyes.
Cara and Thor burst into laughter. Cara holds her hand up to me. I high-five her before setting the skillet down.
“I’m like a proud mama bear. You knocked his ass out good. That fucker is snoring.” She chortles.
“Alice, where is Red?” Viper asks me.
“More than likely, in the basement.” I make a move to go there, but he blocks me.
“No way. Red will kill me. Thor, Pops, and Tiny, head down and check it out.
“I need to see him!” I try rushing around Viper, but his hold is strong.
“And you will. After he’s out of there. Red will never forgive me if something happens to you or his baby.”
With slumped shoulders, I watch the guys go down the stairs leading to the basement, silently praying he’s there and okay.
BIG RED
I don’t know how long I’ve been down here. Vincent has been working me over since I opened my eyes. When I questioned him about Alice and the kids, he didn’t answer. I’ve been trying to snap these cuffs, but I’ve gotten nowhere.
Another fist slams in my face. Gritting my teeth, I imagine all the pain I’m going to dish out when I get out of here.
“I told you motherfuckers you were going to regret the day you crossed me. Viper sealed your fate the moment he touched my wife!” he roars.
“Well, if that’s the case, a few brothers sealed our fate.” I chuckle.
Vincent pales, staring at me in horror.
“Oh, you didn’t know?” I laugh, further pissing him off. “So many brothers ran up in her, they said it started to feel like sending their dick into space. Girly had no grip whatsoever. The night you caught them, Viper decided to play tonsil hockey with her. He said there was no way he was going to fuck a woman who could take ten dicks in one night.”
That makes Vincent snap. He places a pair of brass knuckles on his hand and sends blow after blow to me. As I feel myself about to pass out from the pain, the basement door is kicked off the hinges.
Vincent jumps and steps away from me. He tries to make a run for the gun he has on the table in the corner of the room, but Tiny is quicker than he anticipated.
“You alright?” Smoke asks.
Sucking in a deep breath, I nod. “Yeah, I’m straight. Where are Alice and my kids?”
“All safe.”
Sighing in relief, I watch Thor snatch the keys to the cuffs of the table before releasing me. As I make my way up the stairs, I hear Tiny beating the daylights out of Vincent.
“Don’t kill him yet, Tiny. Viper has special plans for these two,” Smoke says.
As soon as I enter the living room, I spot my woman struggling against Viper.
“He’s here. Now let me go, please.”
She is in my arms seconds later, and she cries on my shoulder. I hold her close, thanking my lucky stars she seems to be uninjured. Raising her head to look me over, she caresses me, a look of sadness on her face.
“Baby, look at your face,” she whimpers.
“I’m okay, kitten. I swear. What about you? Did he hurt you?”
Cara snorts, causing me to look up. “More like, did she hurt him?” She points to the ground and I spot Declan laid out. My eyes buck at the sight of him. His skin is red and swollen, not to mention the knot on his forehead.
Smiling, I gaze into Alice's eyes. “You did that?”
She shrugs unapologetically. “Yup. But I’m not done.” She breaks our embrace and goes into the kitchen. When she comes back, she has a cast-iron skillet in her hand.
“Aww shit!” Cara cheers, bouncing on her feet. “What are we about to do, Alice? Remove a few fingers? Gouge his eyes? Cut his balls off? You know I’m down for anything.”
Viper palms his face, shaking his head as he tries to keep his laughs at bay. Cara asks that shit like she is going over a grocery list.
“I like the way you think. But I’ll leave those sorts of activities for when I’m not around. I don’t think my stomach can handle it. For now, I need someone to hold his hands down.”
“You got it.”
Cara has a shit-eating grin on her face as she walks over to Declan and places the heel of her foot down on his arm, pinning him in place. The instant pain makes Declan snap out of it as he fights against Cara’s hold. Duke and Daisy raced forward with a growl, causing him to freeze.
“I would be still if I were you. My babies can get a little testy when they feel I’m in danger.” Declan gulps at Cara’s words, turning his attention to Alice.
“Alice. Please don’t do this.”
I think pregnancy hormones have turned my sweet little woman into a savage. She throws her head back and gives a big belly laugh.
“The irony. I remember saying that all the time.” She steps forward and stares down at his hand, which is flat against the floor. “These hands caused me so much pain.”
Not saying anything else, she raises the skillet high in the air, bringing it down on his hand.
Over and over.
Declan is a blubbering mess when she finally drops the skillet to the ground. I’m pretty sure she broke every bone in his hand.
All the brothers, including me, watch Alice in shock. She seems completely unfazed. Hell, honestly, she looks a little happy, scaring the hell out of me.
She goes over to a coffee table in the room and snatches up her cut and ring before putting them on. As she approaches me, I can’t help but notice that even though her stomach isn’t big, it definitely has gotten round. I get stiff just seeing the proof of my baby growing in her belly. Rising on her toes, she kisses my bruised lips gently.
“Let’s go check on the kids.”
With that, she walks right out the door, leaving me dumbfounded.
“Cara, you stay your ass away from my sweet Maddy. I’m starting to think your crazy is contagious,” Thor mutters, following Alice out of the house.
A few of the brothers chuckle and nod in agreement. Cara rolls her eyes before giving the finger to everyone in the room.
“Focus on your family for right now, Red. When the time comes, we’ll have Declan, Vincent, Chloe, and Jeffery waiting for you,” Viper tells me.
My lips sting as they stretch into a smile.
Oh, do I have plans for every single one of them. They’re going to regret the day they came for my family. Chloe might think her being the mother of my children will hold some weight around here, but it doesn’t. Her ass is taking a dirt nap with the rest of them.
She put our kids in danger, and for what?
There isn’t an excuse.
Exiting the house, I catch up with Alice and wrap my arms around her from behind. “I love you, kitten.”
Turning in my arms, she throws hers around my neck. “I love you, too.”
Yup. She’s mine. Nothing and no one will ever change that.