Chapter Two. #2
“Stop, Dynamo. You ain’t terrorising my girls,” Mike growled out. There was sheer anger in his face and a desperation to protect his children.
“Didn’t think of that when you took Maci.”
“Next time I see a kid in danger, I’ll allow that shit to happen,” Mike snapped. He kept struggling, and I refused to release him. Warden and Soul needed to deal with this.
“I. Don’t. Believe. You.”
“And I don’t give a flying fuck! Raven, no!” Mike shouted as a black-haired whirlwind headed towards me, and a sharp pain exploded in my knee.
The kid had kicked me!
“I hate you!” Raven screamed. I was surprised enough that I relaxed my hold on Mike, who moved like lightning and grabbed her. He swung Raven around, but she was shrieking insults, and Mike shoved her into the car.
Bike pipes roared, and Warden arrived with Soul behind him and several members. Soul had barely parked before he was off his Harley and heading towards Mike with murder in his eyes. I could have stopped him, but didn’t.
Mike ducked Soul’s punch, and screams came from the SUV.
“What the hell?” Warden yelled, staring at the two tear-stained faces. “Mike took other kids?”
“Fuck you, asshole, those are my daughters,” Mike snarled.
“Daddy, Robin’s having an attack!” Raven cried, and Mike shoved his hand into a jean pocket and pulled out an asthma pump.
Mike didn’t even look at us and tore open the door. He picked another dark-haired girl up and sat on the gravel. He rubbed her back and held the pump to her lips.
“Breathe, darlin’,” Mike ordered.
Robin nodded and sucked hard. She held her breath and repeated the action.
“Daddy!” Maci yelled as she escaped the clubhouse. Priest was on her heels as she staggered towards Soul. He moved and snatched her up, burying his face in her hair.
“What’s wrong with Robin?” Maci demanded.
As pissed off as Mike looked, his expression softened. “Robin has asthma, Maci; she just needs her medication,” he said gently.
“Daddy, Mike saved me from the bad man,” Maci announced, and the air turned electric.
“Mike did?” Soul asked, and I heard the anger and urge to kill in his voice. Mentally, Soul was sharpening Keres, his axe.
“A stranger tried to kidnap me, and Mike stopped him. Then he brought me home, and I’ve got some new friends. Aren’t they nice? And Mike didn’t lie, not once,” Maci rattled on.
“Mike took you,” Soul stated.
“No. The mean guy did. Mike saved me,” Maci insisted.
Crap, I bit my lip. Had I assaulted an innocent man?
Mike glowered as he continued rubbing Robin’s back. She glared at me with tears in her eyes. Raven was also out of the SUV, wrapping her arms around Mike’s neck. She kept patting his hair as she hiccupped a sob every so often. I closed my eyes. Ah fuck!
“You’re bleeding. That bad lady hurt you,” Robin wheezed as she patted the blood on Mike’s throat.
“It’s okay, baby girl. Daddy’s fine. I’ll get home and clean it up. How about I buy takeout?” Mike tried to bribe the children.
“We need to talk,” Warden ordered, no give in his tone.
“When I’ve got my kids safe, then we can fuckin’ talk,” Mike sneered. “They’ve just finished having nightmares, and I’m sure that bitch’s actions will start them right back up!”
Mike sent me a hate-filled look that made me squirm.
“We received a picture and a message. It was Maci looking scared, and the text said how easy it was to take her,” Warden explained.
“And naturally I kidnapped her with my two daughters on board and brought her home,” Mike sneered.
“Mike—”
“No. Fuck Mike. You and Vogue know me, Dynamo; we’ve worked together, and I didn’t even get the benefit of the doubt.
You’ve injured me, scared the shit out of my babies, and now wanna play nice.
Guess what? I don’t want to make nice. Screw all of you.
Next time I see something happening to a kid or one of you, I wave as I pass,” Mike spat.
He stood up and helped the girls into the SUV.
“I’m taking my kids home and fuck the RBMC. ”
Mike circled the SUV’s front and then got inside. Moments later he roared out. Warden turned to Cipher. “Find him.”
Cipher nodded and disappeared.
“Oh, Daddy, Raven and Robin were nice. What did you do?” Maci said sadly.
I flinched. Damn it, had I overreacted?
Mike
It took me ages to calm the girls down. I’d bought takeout on the way home, something I didn’t often do, and let them eat it.
After that, I ran baths, washed and brushed their hair, and settled them in bed.
It was their habit to climb into Raven’s bed, and I’d read them a story until they fell asleep.
Usually, I’d move Robin to her own, but I hesitated.
They deserved the comfort of company tonight.
What I’d said to Dynamo hadn’t been an exaggeration. Their nightmares had just stopped, but I had a feeling they’d be haunted by one once again.
Torn, I went to shower, pulled on some sweatpants, and then picked the girls up and carried them to my bed. Normally, I didn’t allow this on any day other than Sunday morning, but I knew they’d need me tonight.
Now that I was out of the situation and calmer, I could understand the panic and fear the club must have felt upon receiving that message.
But Dynamo and Vogue knew me, maybe not that well, but enough to recognise I was a decent guy.
There’d been sheer hate and anger in Dynamo’s eyes.
Those emotions often lurked beneath the surface with her, but they’d been fully engaged.
If not for Raven, Dynamo would have slit my throat.
My phone rang, and I picked it up.
“Mike.”
“Jude,” I greeted.
“How’s shit going?”
I ran a hand over my face. We were once a team, but after what happened, I worked from home now.
“Bad day, bro.” I explained the shitshow at the Royal Bastards.
“Need backup?” Jude offered immediately.
“Nah, I’m good.”
“The team misses you,” Jude stated, and I chuckled.
“They miss my cooking because the rest of you are shit.”
“Got a proposition for you…” “Jude, I can’t return to active duty. The girls need a parent,” I said instantly.
“Yeah. Ain’t calling you for that. You’re an old man now,” Jude teased.
“Forty-three ain’t old. Fuck you.”
“Damn ancient. Mike, we’re looking for a base. We’ve had enough of roaming. Camden has become your home, and we want a stable place to settle. We require land, a centre, assault courses, barracks, houses and a bunker or two. Can you help?” Jude demanded.
“Yeah. I can find the land.”
“Good. Do it—and you’re now compound manager. Locate what we need. You’ve got access to the accounts. Devise training programmes and recruitment checks. We talked about this shit, Mike. It’s happening,” Jude said.
“You’re coming home?” I asked my captain.
“Yeah. We’re still doing missions, but we want a base. Everyone’s tired of hotels and rentals. We’re the best there is, and we’ve not even got a decent base. Find it, brother,” Jude ordered.
“On it. Send me everything I need and list what you want.”
“Talk soon.” Jude cut the call.
Holy fuck.
The team was coming back. They planned to set shit up properly. I’d regretted leaving, but the girls needed me. I’d stashed away money, plenty to get me through the future, and didn’t have to work. I still worked from home for Jude. However, I was stagnating and had to use my skills.
Jude had just given me a lifeline I’d not known I needed.
Dynamo
Careful questioning of Maci and Romeo, who had read her thoughts, had revealed the truth. I’d attacked an innocent guy. I should have felt guilty, but didn’t. What worried me was the fear those girls had shown. I owed them peace of mind.
Maci was sulking and angry. Somehow, she’d turned this around on us.
But she admitted she was in the wrong for leaving the community centre.
Bryony was murderous. The club Maci had attended had closed an hour early, and nobody had informed her or Soul.
Maci remained alone; no other parent had waited.
Both were now on a rampage. Revenge would be had.
Nevertheless, if Maci had stayed there, Mike might not have seen what was happening, and we could have lost her.
Maci was also punishing us for costing her Raven and Robin, whom she really liked.
She didn’t have many friends and had attached herself to the girls.
Now everyone was in Maci’s bad books, which was amusing because nobody enjoyed being there.
Not even Warden had been able to cajole her out of her bad temper.
I owed Mike an apology, something I hated doing. But I owned my mistakes and never shied away from them. Damn it, this would suck.