BOONE
Vanessa was checking over my motorcycle when our phones began to vibrate. Before I fished my phone out of my pocket, Nine opened the office door and called out to us.
“The Jokers are hassling the foxes at the grocery store! Dali is involved!” Nine explained in a rush. “Goldie and Nova are there!”
I looked to Vanessa, who tossed me her keys. “Take my ride and kick a Joker’s ass for me.”
I ran to her motorcycle parked out back and raced to catch up with Nine and Rowdy. We managed to hit a lot of green lights. At a red one, we were joined by Rock.
“Don’t kill them!” Rock yelled over our rumbling engines. “Painful yet livable injuries only!”
I wasn’t sure what I would find when we arrived. The Baton Rouge-born Jokers had a habit of harassing the foxes, whom they viewed as glorified club sluts.
When I considered those fuckers putting their hands on Goldie and Nova, my mind blocked out all other distractions. The world became very quiet. I went cold inside. I wasn’t sure I could control my temper.
A gunshot rang out as we rolled into the grocery parking lot.
I saw two Jokers holding Goldie and didn’t hesitate to leap off Vanessa’s bike.
The men had been so startled by the gunshot that they didn’t even register my arrival.
Goldie did, though, and ducked when I came rushing at the two assholes attacking her.
I threw out my arms and knocked both Jokers to the ground.
One of them struck the hubcap of a nearby car and seemed stunned.
The other lifted his hand holding a switchblade.
I stomped on his bicep, snapping the bone.
He hollered and dropped the knife. Rather than back off, I lowered my boot down on the fucker’s head.
Once, twice, and almost a third time before Rock jerked me back.
“I said not to kill them,” he muttered in my ear.
“The fuckers cut off my braid!” Goldie hollered nearby while talking with Dalisay. “They attacked Elle’s baby bump!”
Rock’s gaze met mine as he muttered, “They die, but not here in front of a hundred witnesses, okay?”
My VP was a difficult man to tell no. Rock held himself like an impenetrable wall. No one could move past him. His word was final.
Right now, I considered testing his resolve. My temper raged hot, blinding me to common sense. I didn’t want to see past it. I wasn’t interested in patience when killing these men would solve my problems.
Before I made my move, Rock said, “Nova and her kid are watching.”
My rage collided with his words. Rock got what he wanted when my concern for Nova and Lyric overwhelmed my need to destroy these men.
“She shot my motorcycle!” one of the Jokers yelled as I went to my sister.
Goldie held one of her braids in her hand. She looked at me full of horror and rage.
“They need to stop breathing,” she snarled to me.
“Yes, but not here.”
Goldie showed me her braid. “Elle thought they were going to cut off more than just my hair. That’s why she shot the fucker’s motorcycle. Zodiac is going to go ballistic. You should make sure to beat him to the punch when revenge time comes.”
Nodding, I looked at the front of the grocery store. Dozens of people stood outside, watching the show. I moved toward the crowd, searching the faces for Nova’s. People moved out of my way as I approached.
Nova sat on the ground, holding and rocking Lyric. I could hear her crying. Lyric’s face was hidden against her mom’s neck. They were sweaty and scared. My temper insisted I kill the Jokers. Only then would Nova and Lyric be safe.
However, I knew what my dad would do in this situation. Turning off my temper, I squatted in front of Nova and Lyric and stroked their heads. They flinched in unison. Nova’s eyes popped open. She stared at me for a moment before blinking.
“Boone?” she asked as if doubting her eyes.
“Are you okay?”
Lyric lifted her head and turned to me. “The bullies hurt Mommy.”
“Hurt you how?” I asked in a soft tone disconnected from my rage.
“I just got roughed up,” Nova said and wiped her cheeks before doing the same for Lyric’s face. “I heard a gunshot. What happened?”
“Everything’s okay now,” I replied as she struggled to her feet.
When Nova’s knees gave out, I swept Lyric into my arms and helped Nova steady herself.
“I want to go home,” Nova said while Lyric studied me.
“Do you want to go home, too?” I asked the four-year-old.
Her bright blue eyes watched me as she nodded. “Are the bullies going to hurt Skylar?”
“No. They’re going to the hospital to fix what got broken on them.”
“They’re hurt?” Lyric asked and looked curiously over my shoulder.
“Yeah,” I said, holding Nova’s gaze. “I can drive you home if you want.”
“Will you stay with us?” Nova asked and reached for me.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, I hugged her against me. “Of course. I was so scared when I heard there was trouble.”
Lyric nodded. “I was scared, too.”
“It’s okay to be scared,” I said, talking to Nova as much as Lyric. “But we’re going to handle things.”
A commotion back at the cars caused Lyric and Nova to flinch against me. I turned to see Nine punching one of the Jokers. My friend was yelling about an asshole putting his hands on Dalisay’s throat.
“Let me fucking strangle you now, fucker!” Nine hollered as Rock and Rowdy worked together to pull him away. “You’re a fucking psycho!”
I looked down at Nova. “Did they hurt you like that?”
“No, I just got knocked on my butt.”
“Do you need to see a doctor?” I asked and then bounced Lyric. “How about you? Did they hurt you?”
“I was riding that horse,” Lyric said and pointed at the little carousel. “Goldie and I were playing cowgirl, but then Goldie helped Mama.”
Turning toward the sound of more motorcycles, I figured Clint and Tricky might tamp down the hostilities. However, I also spotted Zodiac and Exile pulling into the parking lot. Those two would most definitely not push for calm.
“We’re going to walk to your SUV,” I told Nova as the day grew louder. “You can sit in the back seat with Lyric while I drive us home.”
“I made a mess with my groceries,” Nova said, panicking.
“We’ll figure it out,” I promised and got us moving toward the commotion.
Clint smiled casually at me, meaning he was ready to kill someone. Zodiac also seemed overly relaxed. I assumed they both knew we’d bury a few Jokers in the quarry soon.
“I’m taking them home,” I told Exile, who did not hide his rage. “Someone will need to get Vanessa’s ride back to her. I dinged the damn thing up.”
Clint nodded and reached to close Nova’s liftgate.
“A mess,” Lyric whimpered as she saw the broken jars on the ground.
“We’ll buy new ones,” I promised and wrapped her tighter. “You can help me pick out the stuff on my phone for delivery.”
Lyric gave me a scowl before nodding at my idea. For a moment, I thought she would reach for her uncle. Her body shifted as if ready to lunge forward. Instead, she gripped my shirt.
“Mama hurt her butt,” Lyric told Exile while I opened the SUV door.
“I’m okay. I don’t know why this happened,” Nova said, and Exile flinched when her voice broke. “We weren’t doing anything.”
“It’ll be okay,” I whispered and nudged her toward the open door. “But only once we get Lyric away from these angry people.”
Nova’s timid stance hardened once she thought of protecting her daughter.
Her big blue eyes flashed to me, and a tiny smile flashed across her lovely face.
Once they were settled in the back seat, I signaled Goldie to get her ass in the SUV.
My sister shook her head and angrily waved around her sliced-off braid.
Elle appeared at the front passenger door with Zodiac behind her.
“Take my son to his grandparents’ house,” Zodiac told me as I adjusted the front seat to give me leg room. “And protect his incubator.”
Despite his calm tone, Zodiac refused to show even a bit of softness toward Elle. That was how he kept his temper in check with eyes on us.
No matter how rational everyone was behaving right now, the clock was ticking on retribution. Tricky could either hand over his rogue members, or we’d assume their behavior was sanctioned by his club. Either way, blood needed to be spilt.