Chapter Nine.
Magic
Despite it being late afternoon, the bar was heaving.
The Riders of Vengeance were present alongside an out-of-state MC known as Rouge Legends.
They were what I called a borderline club, half in the shit, half out.
They knew not to cause trouble here, though they kept sending Riders of Vengeance dirty looks.
“What’s their problem?” Alice said, tipping a nod at the Rogue Legends.
“Dunno, but they’re working one up,” I replied.
“Should we kick them?” Alice asked.
“Not yet, a bad feeling isn’t enough for me to boot them, but keep an eye open,” I ordered. Alice nodded and hurried over to refill a tray of beers for Onyx’s table.
I headed out back to check the barrel levels and to make sure Stan, the night cook, had everything he needed. I was carrying a case of spirits to restock when I heard shouting. Dropping the box on the worktop in the kitchen, I stomped into the bar and froze before a roar of anger escaped.
In the few minutes I was gone, a fight had erupted with Alice and—Jesus Christ—that was my daughter in the middle.
Three of the Rogue Legends had Alice and Laila pinned to the counter.
One was positioned between Alice’s legs and was licking her face.
Laila stood quietly with fury burning in her eyes.
Rogue Legends VP had an arm wrapped around Laila’s waist, and she’d been pulled into his arms tightly.
Standing in front of them was the rest of their club, with Riders of Vengeance at their throats. Guns were drawn on both sides, and Alice and Laila were in the middle.
With a roar, I headed straight for the fuckers holding my girls captive.
“Back down, Magic!” Skitter, the President, demanded.
“You broke the rules,” I roared and slung two Rogue Legends aside.
“You’re willing to risk war for gash?” Skitter laughed.
“For my daughters? Yes.”
“Your daughters? You don’t have kids, it’s a well-known fact,” Skitter jeered.
“That’s where you’re mistaken, asshole.” I grabbed Skitter by the throat and squeezed, hauling him closer. “Order those assholes to release them. Now!”
Skitter smirked as guns were aimed in my direction, and I snorted.
“Think I’m scared? Motherfucker, you couldn’t be more wrong.
” I grinned and reached into my jeans with my free hand and yanked out a grenade.
Skitter’s eyes widened as I shoved it into his mouth, breaking several teeth by the sound of it.
“Now, ya can’t talk. But you can wave a hand to tell those fuckers to back off. If they don’t, I’ll pull the pin, and we’ll go boom!”
“You’ll kill yourself and the girls,” Mincemeat, the VP, chuckled.
Amused, I held his gaze over Skitter’s shoulder.
“Damn right I will, better than letting them be raped and abused by you cunts. You just declared war, and I’ll fuckin’ end it this instant.
Walk away. I’ll give you an hour to get clear of this part of South Dakota.
Come back, and there’ll be bullets waiting with your names.
That’s a damn promise.” I turned my attention toward Skitter. “Wave a hand, asshole.”
Hate burned from Skitter’s eyes, and I yanked the pin. Nobody moved, and then Skitter waved frantically. Casually, I shoved the pin in as Laila and Alice slid past me. Alice reached over the bar and grabbed a baseball bat.
“Anyone interferes with Alice’s justice, I’ll pull the pin,” I threatened.
Alice slammed the bat into Mincemeat several times, beating the shit out of him. Then turned her attention to the others. With precision, Alice beat the hell out of them before offering Laila the weapon.
“Anything you want to do?” Alice asked.
Laila smiled sweetly and then booted the three men directly in their groins. The screams that erupted sent shivers down everyone’s spine. Those sounds belonged to guys suffering greatly.
“That’s definitely Magic’s kid.” Storm smirked.
“Those genes can’t be denied,” Onyx agreed.
I leaned into Skitter. “Listen, asshole, or die. Head back over state lines; South Dakota is no longer accessible to Rogue Legends. That includes Sturgis and any other rallies. You declared war by touching an old lady of the Hellfire MC. Chance will probably formally declare by tonight. The allies, no doubt, shall follow. Don’t understand why you pushed, but it was a big mistake. ”
Skitter nodded, but there was hate in his eyes. He’d attack again when he thought my guard was down. What Skitter didn’t know was that my guard was never lowered. I yanked the grenade out of his mouth and wiped it clean on his cut. The ultimate sign of disrespect.
“Don’t fuck with me. The stories are truer than you think,” I warned, but knew he’d ignore it. Asshole.
“Hit the bikes,” Skitter ordered. “You’ll regret this, Magic.”
“Leave the trash. I have a disposal site for it,” I said as Onyx’s brothers moved in.
Pirate, Wyvern, and Baker slammed their boots into the heads of the three downed men and sent them night-night.
I jerked my head, and they grabbed their legs and began dragging them away.
Alice wouldn’t ask, but Laila would. No doubt she’d not seen violence like this before.
Finally, the question I should ask filtered through my mind. Why was Laila here? And alone?
“Magic, I want my brothers,” Skitter commanded.
“Get fucked,” I ordered as I moved towards him. “If you don’t? There are IEDs buried under your bikes, and I’ll blow them the hell up. Then you’ll disappear too. Your choice.”
“What the fuck? Who the hell buries IEDs in a parking lot?” Pinata from Riders demanded.
Storm shrugged. “It’s Magic. There isn’t much sound judgment in his thinking.”
I resented that. I had plenty of common sense. Although the way everyone was staring at me caused me a moment’s doubt. Skitter finally left, muttering threats and curses as he did. Onyx shouted a declaration of war and laughed as Skitter told him to go screw himself.
“What are you doing here, Laila?” I demanded, turning to her.
“Well, I came to see you,” Laila responded coolly.
“Appreciate that, honey, but I don’t suppose your mom would want you in a bikers bar,” I replied, moving slowly towards her.
Laila began laughing, and I had an ‘oh shit’ moment. Had what she’d seen unhinged her? I glanced at Alice helplessly, who stepped over and rubbed a hand up and down Laila’s arm.
“That? You think that scared me?” Laila moved her right hand and flipped her wrist. Stunned, I gaped as a knife appeared. “I’d have cut his fucking balls off if he’d touched me further.”
“Nice,” Alice nodded in approval. Screw nice. What the hell was my sixteen-year-old daughter doing tooled up?”
“You didn’t hear Mom, did you? Not properly.
My dad was in an MC. Lars and I grew up around biker bars and clubs.
Did you imagine I was some princess sitting in a stone tower?
Bullshit. Far and Onkel Kanon (Dad and Uncle Gun), trained us all to fight from the moment we could walk.
Especially me. Most men believe women are weak.
Far and Onkel Kanon made sure I could defend myself alongside the best of them.
Mom taught me some dirty tricks, too,” Laila replied calmly.
“Great. Laila, why did you come?” I asked bluntly, unprepared for this meeting.
“To speak to you,” Laila said.
“Well, you can’t talk here. There’s an apartment upstairs. We can chat up there,” I suggested. Laila looked unsure, and I raised my hands. “Or we can go outside.”
“Outside,” Laila replied.
I turned and led the way through the kitchen, and Laila followed. There was a bench and a table in the rear area that the staff used, and I waved my hand towards them.
“Want something to eat or drink?” I inquired.
“A Coke would be good.”
I strode back in and fetched Laila one and a sandwich. I was gone long enough that I thought she might have left when I returned. But nope, Leila was still waiting. I placed the plate and glass down and sat opposite.
“Did you love my mom?” Leila asked immediately.
“Yes. Worshipped the ground she walked on. Jody was the light of my life. I always regretted losing her.”
“What happened?”
“Life, honey, life screwed us both over. The truth was, I’d come out of prison for underground fighting and was banned from running the bar.
I got involved with the wrong people for the money, and shit went bad.
Instead of talking to your mom, I tried protecting her and made a series of fuckups I can’t take back. ”
“Do you wish you could?”
“Yes and no. I’m selfish enough to wish I’d raised you myself. But then it would deny you the father you loved.”
“You can’t replace Dad, you know,” Laila said.
I didn’t want to show that hurt, but it did.
A lot. It was hard accepting that another man got the privilege of raising my children.
It was possessive, but genuine. Lars and Laila were my flesh and blood, two perfect humans I’d never dreamed of having.
Now they were here within my reach, and I didn’t know how to act.
Everything in me urged me to father them as I wanted, but they wouldn’t accept that.
If it had been someone else’s kids, I’d probably have been full of advice. But they were mine, and I was lost.
“Nothing to say?” Laila demanded.
“I don’t want to replace Vulcan. From what I hear, he was a fuckin’ saint.” Laila bristled at my words. “But I have a right to know my children.”
“That remains to be seen. Far’s name is on our birth certificates, and we share his surname. You’re no one, and I don’t mean to be cruel. But you’re not.”
“Why did Lars let you come alone?”
“Let?” Laila laughed. “Nobody lets me do anything. I chose what I do. Lars dislikes you. He believes you want to take over from Dad. Like most guys, he doesn’t think using his brain.”
“That’s insulting.”
“Tell me it’s not true. Men are immature boys who haven’t grown up.”
“You swap between Danish and English.”