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I no longer had a sense of time. When I saw the look of agony on Jaron’s face after I demanded to know why he never brought Brynlee and me to his parents to keep us safe, I knew that I had fucked up. My mouth had gotten the better of me and made it seem like I blamed him. Did I? No. Not really. I couldn’t even be sure anymore. But what I did know was that I needed him. I needed our daughter. I just needed us to go home and move on. I knew the mayor had it out for Jaron, but I never expected him to go this far.
Jaron had tucked me safely in his bed. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him to make love to me in it. To distract me and himself. Even if it was just for a moment. But those words never left my lips as he backed up and slowly left the room.
I cried myself to sleep then. I couldn’t help it. I could already feel him pulling away. He was going to go after the mayor. I knew because it would be what I would do if I knew exactly where he was. And if I wasn’t pregnant.
A light but firm knock sounded on the door. My heart jumped.
“Come in,” I called out, sitting up.
The door slowly opened, revealing Cyrus and Sammy.
A hard sigh left me at the sight of them. “When did he leave?” I heard myself ask.
“How did you know?” Cyrus asked, leaning against the wall.
Sammy came into the room and went to the window. He opened it and lit up a smoke. “She knows him, that’s how.”
“He’s going after him. The mayor.” I couldn’t even cry, I was so damn furious. It was like this newfound rage coursing through me, closed up my tear ducts.
“He is, kiddo,” Cyrus said gently.
“And neither of you could have gone with him?” I asked, my voice a little more curt than I had intended.
Sammy muttered a curse.
Cyrus’s jaw clenched. “We tried but he wouldn’t let us. He asked us to take care of you.”
“Well it seems to me that you should have been keeping me and my daughter safe and that hasn’t happened. She’s missing. Remember?” I regretted it as soon as I said it.
Cyrus flinched. “That’s not fucking fair.”
“I know.” I shook my head. “I know. I’m sorry. He didn’t even say goodbye. He just left. What if I don’t see him again? What if something happens and he’s taken from me? What if he just gives up on us? What if...” A sob broke free, tears finally filling my eyes. “What if he leaves me because he can’t handle it?” I dropped my head in my hands, covering my face and letting the cries wrack through my body. All of the emotions weighed heavily on my shoulders, making them shake and tremble.
The bed dipped in front of me and I could only assume that it was Cyrus. He was the hugger between the two of them. Sammy not so much. He didn’t like being touched. It made me wonder why when he’d had a damn good childhood. Both of them did. Even though they lost their parents and I could appreciate the pain and anguish they had felt and still felt, it made me wonder if something else had happened.
“You have no reason to apologize.” That was Cyrus.
I looked up, being met by his dark eyes. Sammy still stood by the window, puffing on his smoke. His jaw clenched and unclenched but he wouldn’t meet my gaze. He was probably as pissed as I was.
“Did he say when he would be back?” I asked softly.
“He’ll be back when he has your daughter in his arms, Piper. He couldn’t wait anymore. His contact told him where she was, and he went after her.” Cyrus stood and began pacing. “I’ve always known something was shady about the mayor, but I never knew what. We tried proving that he was operating an underage strip club but couldn’t pin anything on the bastard.”
Sammy only grunted.
“What about Greyson? What about the other guys? Do they know that Jaron went off by himself?” None of this made sense. No bike club would let someone fight a battle by themselves. They were like a brotherhood. I had seen that over the years with my mom and her sisters from the King’s Harlots. I had seen that with Shadow’s club. They must know that Jaron left.
Cyrus stopped pacing, his dark eyes locking with mine. “We were asked to keep this to ourselves.”
Sammy muttered another curse, slamming the window shut. “Why the fuck are we even listening to him? He’s been selfish this whole time and we haven’t seen...” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“But it does matter.” I slid out of bed and went to the door. “You two can come with me if you want but I will tell Greyson that his son left.” I lifted my hand when Cyrus and Sammy both took steps toward me. “Try and stop me and I will tell him that it was your idea for Jaron to leave.” I left the room, not waiting for them to respond. Knowing they would follow, I went to the one source who I knew could find Jaron and bring him and our daughter home.
Before it was too late.
Jaron
When I was a boy, I spent most of my time going through the motions. I was searching for something, but I didn’t know what. It could have been anything really. A new hobby. A new class at school. Maybe even a new friend. I had grown up around the same people. Saw them day in and day out. We spent so much time together, we would fight for no apparent reason. It drove my mom crazy and my dad and the rest of the guys would only laugh and shrug it off. Boys will be boys, they always said.
Sammy and Cyrus were the brothers I never had. They were older than me and I looked up to them with so much damn respect, I always felt guilty that I had both of my parents when they had neither of theirs.
They never said anything about it, but I could sense the longing. Although my dad took them under his wing, as did the other guys in the club, it wasn’t the same. I knew that. They knew that, even though they would deny it if asked.
It wasn’t fair. They didn’t have their dad to teach them how to throw their first ball or give them tips for their first date. They didn’t have a father who would tell them to man up and stop being a pussy when it came to the women they secretly loved. I wasn’t sure if there was anyone in Cyrus’s life, but I knew there was someone in Sammy’s. He had become grumpier over the past few months. I found that I couldn’t wait to meet her, knowing that no other woman had ever caused him to react this way.
While the twins had my dad, Tray, Catch, and a few of the other guys within the club, I knew it wasn’t the same.
I had never been jealous of their closeness with my dad, knowing what they had been through as children. Luckily for me, I didn’t remember any of it as I was just a newborn when Butcher and Trixie died. But I could feel the pain. The walls of the clubhouse wept with silent cries as vacant memories of their deaths still resonated in the air.
Sammy never went upstairs or down the hall with the pictures on the walls. Maybe in time he would. Cyrus did and then he fell into a bottle shortly after. It had been the same routine for the past few years.
See the pictures.
Drink a bottle.
Or fuck. A lot.
I tried not to let the guilt consume me, but it was hard not to. Especially when I had my parents, and they didn’t. Although they never lacked in family, there had still been something missing.
Before I left the clubhouse, I made Cyrus and Sammy promise that they would look after Piper and that they wouldn’t follow me. I knew as soon as Piper found out I had left, she would want to come after me. I just prayed that the twins prevented that shit from happening. She was carrying our second baby. I didn’t need anything happening to either of them.
Now that I had a family of my own, I fucked up and took advantage of it. That had been what it felt like anyway.
Whenever Brynlee had looked at me, it was like I was the only one who mattered in her little world. If I had it my way, I would be the only man she would ever love, but I knew that it was unreasonable to think that way. When the time came, I would deal with it then but first, I had to find her. I had to bring her home to her mama.
I shouldn’t have left like I did but I needed to avenge our daughter. I would get her back and if I lost Piper in the process, at least Brynlee would be safe in her arms. I would hold my head proud as long as my girls were together.
If I made it out of this alive, I would be lucky. I would then have to deal with Piper’s wrath. My body buzzed at the mere idea of fucking each other because we were furious. It would happen. In time. And I couldn’t wait.
It had been several hours since I left the clubhouse. Even longer since I left Piper in my bed. I was now sitting in the parking lot of a motel a couple of hours away. But it didn’t make sense. Rowan had told me that Price was on the move, but he was heading back in the direction of the town Piper and our friends had grown up in. Did he want to get caught? Did he want to face my full wrath head on? I wasn’t sure, but what I did know was that I needed to see that Brynn was, in fact, okay.
It was now later into the night, well past Brynlee’s bedtime but if my contact was correct, Price was staying in one of these rooms. My phone dinged and buzzed every so often. When I started getting messages that my father and some of the crew were on their way, I put my cell away. There was no point in arguing with them. The only thing I had asked was if Cyrus and Sammy were joining them and when I got back a no, I ignored the rest of the messages. I owed them. I owed them everything. I was thankful that they cared enough about Piper to look out for her and our unborn baby. But I had to do this. Without them. Our family, even though we weren’t all blood, had lost a lot over the years. It would kill them if they lost the twins too. So they had to stay home because I refused to be the reason they died.
A sudden movement in front of me, caught my eye. I was hidden in the shadows across the street of the motel. So I knew I wouldn’t be seen. My bike was parked a block away. It was close enough that I could run for it if I needed to. Or that was what I liked to tell myself anyway. In all reality, I was strung out. I shouldn’t have done this alone, but I didn’t want any more blood on my hands. What I did in jail and the guys I had killed was enough.
A door to one of the rooms on the second floor opened. I thought I was prepared for whatever happened but when I saw a man come out of the room with a small child in his arms, all breath left my lungs.
My knees shook.
My daughter – Piper’s daughter – was only a few yards away. It had felt like an eternity since I had seen Brynlee. Even though I couldn’t see for sure that it was her from where I was standing, everything in my gut said that it was her along with the jackass that called himself the mayor of a fucked up town.
“Baby girl,” I whispered, my feet carrying me forward.
I scanned the area around us. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but it didn’t mean that Price didn’t have his men standing close by. It made me wonder why he didn’t have a few walking with him.
My feet carried me forward another step before I could stop myself when a sound suddenly came from behind me. I stopped, slowly turning my head to look over my shoulder. When I realized that no one was behind me, I took a deep breath and jogged across the street to confront Price himself.
As he was nearing a car, his head snapped up. A slow grin spread on his face, when it dawned on him who was coming toward him.
When Brynlee looked my way, she cried out, struggling in his arms.
He scowled, moving Brynlee to his other arm and holding her tight. That single movement pissed me off.
“Give me back my daughter,” I bit out, not liking the sudden cries coming from her.
“You going to give me something in return?” Price placed a soft peck on her forehead, keeping his eyes locked with mine. “She smells so good. I could get a lot of money for her. She would be conditioned and trained. She wouldn’t know the difference and would spend her life as a slave.”
“You can have me.” I took another step forward. The closer I got to my daughter, the harder my heart raced. I just needed to get her away from him. My car wasn’t far. I could make it. I had to make it.
“Why, Jaron. Do you have a pussy?” Price paused. “Didn’t think so. Men don’t get me much money, so as much as I appreciate the offer, it’s not happening.”
“Why the fuck are you doing this? Is it because of Brody? Is it because you just hate bikers in general? What is it, Price?” I didn’t give a shit how desperate I sounded. Now that I had my daughter in my line of sight, there was no way that I was letting him leave with her.
“Why am I doing this?” Price nodded once, his gaze moving past me.
The sound of a gun being cocked, sent a tremor of unease rushing through me.
Brynn started crying, trying to get out of his arms.
Price ignored her, hugging her even tighter against him.
As I stared down the man who had taken the other love of my life, I realized that seeing Piper earlier that morning could have been the last time I saw her. I should have told her I loved her. I should have made love to her one last time. I should have had a conversation with the baby currently growing inside of her. I should have done a lot of stuff, but I didn’t. Instead, I let my anger get the best of me once again and left.
Knowing whoever was behind me was working with Price, I didn’t bother to turn around. Instead, I crossed my arms under my chest and leaned against the side of his car. “You still doing the mayor thing? Kidnapping a baby doesn’t look too good in the public eye you know.”
Price’s jaw clenched, a dark shadow passing over his face. Looked like I hit a nerve. “How did you find me?”
“Well, it wasn’t like you tried very hard to hide. Did you want to get caught?” None of it made sense. Price knew people. He had his hands in everyone’s pockets. The fact that he had remained out in the open and didn’t even bother to put on a hat or sunglasses to disguise himself, was odd.
“I wanted you to find me,” Price finally said.
I was taken aback by his words. “Why?”
“I was hoping you would have brought that sweet little thing with you but of course, you actually have to be a good guy and leave Piper at home. Where she’s safe.” Price sneered. “For now anyway. Think those twins don’t want her though? I know she’s been with other brothers. Seems like she has a type. Think you can satisfy her? There’s only one of you, Jaron. Piper’s a slut who needs more than one dick at a time to satisfy her needs.”
My back stiffened at his words, rage coursing through me. “Fuck you.”
Price chuckled. The smile suddenly fell from his face. He nodded once.
Something hard pressed against the back of my head, the sound of a gun cocking exploding through me.
“Knees,” Price demanded.
My jaw clenched but I did as I was told and lowered to the ground.
“Good boy.” Price chuckled. “Maybe I can get something for you after all.” He opened the back door of the car and placed Brynlee in the back seat.
“No.” My heart started racing. “Please. Kill me. Whatever you want to do. Just give Brynn back to Piper.”
Price looked from the guys standing behind me, down to me, and back to them. “Fine.”
“How do I know you’ll do it?” I was grasping at straws, but Brynn needed to go back to her mom. I didn’t care about me. I would do anything. I would die first before letting something happen to either of them.
“I guess you’ll never know.” Price shut the back door of the car. “Kill him.”
The last thing I heard was a gunshot going off before everything went black.
Greyson
When I was told by Piper that my son had done something stupid and went after the fucker who took his daughter, I couldn’t say I blamed him. At all. But I still didn’t like it. Especially when his mom found out and I had to watch her shatter in my arms again because of her son’s temper. Or the fact that it brought us back to a dark time in the beginning of our relationship where I almost lost them both.
I channeled that anger, the rage that my son felt, and let it be the driving force behind my actions. Eve knew I was going after Jaron. But I did my best to reassure her that I would bring him home along with our granddaughter. I had to. For her and for Piper.
I respected the hell out of Piper Michaels. Knowing that she could have left Jaron long ago, and never did. Even though in the beginning, things had never been official, I felt their love for each other even before I found out that she was carrying my second grandbaby. The twins let it slip and it only made me need to find Jaron more. This shit needed to end and the only way that could happen, was by putting a bullet between Price’s eyes.
I wasn’t sure why he had it out for my son. Even before Jaron killed Brody for attacking Piper, Price always hated him the most.
“Boss.” Catch, my former vice president before my son took over that role, came up to me and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jaron isn’t here.” He dropped his arm to his side and looked back at the motel. “We searched the room, and no one is in there. We even talked to the staff. The one maid recognized Price but didn’t see him with a baby, so she never called it in.”
“Fuck.” We had gone to the last known address that Price and Brynlee had been seen at, but it meant shit when they were no longer there, and neither was Jaron. “We have to find them.”
“I know.” Catch went to put his phone to his ear when something inside of me snapped.
I slapped the phone out of his hand and grabbed him by the collar of his leather cut.
“Greyson.” His eyes widened.
Bodies surrounded us, my men, guys I had known for years. Guys who were my family. They were my life besides my wife, son, and now grandbabies. Even Piper held a special spot in my heart because of the love she had for my boy. But for whatever reason, the fact that Catch thought he knew shit, pissed me off.
“You need to find my son and granddaughter,” I bit out through clenched teeth. My voice was so low, even I didn’t recognize it. “If you don’t.” I looked out at the men surrounding us. “If any of you don’t bring them back to safety, I will kill you and your families. You hear me?”
They shifted but nodded and muttered their agreements.
“Do you hear me?” I asked Catch.
He swallowed hard but nodded.
Smart guy.
I released him roughly and pulled my phone out of my back pocket. I knew it wasn’t my men’s fault. They didn’t take my granddaughter. They didn’t make Jaron disappear. But if I couldn’t bring them home, I was going to lose my wife and future daughter in-law.
When I dialed the number of the one person I knew I could trust and find out what I needed to know, I walked away from my men.
“Why, Greyson. I was just talking about you.”
I stopped walking. “You are not who I called.”
“Well, luckily for you, I have my dad’s phone and decided to answer for him. ‘Cause I am a nice guy and all.”
I rolled my eyes. Rowan Crane was the epitome of his dad. No matter what happened, Lucas would always walk this earth as long as his son was around.
“Fine, you’ll do I guess,” I muttered.
Rowan chuckled. “Aren’t you sweet? I really have no idea how you landed a nice lady like Eve.”
“As much as I enjoy this banter, I need answers. I can’t find my son.”
“Shit. I thought it was just Brynlee who was missing?” The humor quickly left and was replaced with the serious side of Rowan. While his parents were experts when it came to computers, Rowan liked to venture a little deeper. He enjoyed teetering on the edge of the law and what was considered morally sound, just to see if he could get caught. One of these days it was going to backfire on him. I would love to be a fly on the wall when that happened and his mom kicked his ass.
“It was and then my son found her location thanks to you and now he’s missing as well.”
“He called me asking for help, so if you want it as well, you’ll refrain from accusing me of shit. Got it?”
I let out a slow breath, trying to ease my racing heart. “Yeah. I got it.”
“Good.” I heard the sound of keys clicking in the background. “Um...Greyson?”
“What?” My back stiffened as my guys approached me with caution.
“I was able to hack into the security cameras at the motel. Surprisingly, for a shitty establishment, they have a good system, and the picture is crystal clear.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked, needing to know what the hell was going on.
“Jaron approached Price, who was holding your granddaughter. A couple guys came up behind Jaron and it looks like something spooked them but...”
“What?” I demanded.
“I think Jaron was shot,” Rowan said gently. “It was probably why they didn’t shoot him in the head. Something startled them.”
“Do you see them take him?” Red clouded my vision, my throat working over a hard lump. If Jaron was gone...
Catch came up to me, clapping my shoulder. That single touch alone calmed some of the nerves rushing through me.
“No. This shit is fucked up. Greyson,” Rowan continued. “Price placed Brynn on the ground, and they left. Just like that.”
“So they’re here,” I told him. “They have to be.”
“That’s what it looks like, but the video cuts out after that. They must have seen the cameras. I don’t know. Greyson, it doesn’t look good. Jaron dropped and was unmoving. He...”
“Thank you, Rowan.” I disconnected the call and turned to my men. “Jaron and Brynlee are still here. Find them. Please for the love of God, I need you to find them. Not for me. But for Eve and Piper.”
“We will.” Catch gripped my shoulder, gave it a squeeze, and went to walk away when I caught his arm.
“Listen, I’m—”
“Don’t.” Catch shook his head. “I would have reacted the same way. We’ll find them.”
A sharp scream had our heads turning toward the noise. A maid was backing up out of a room on the second floor.
The closer we got to her, the harder my heart raced.
“Ma’am.” Catch went up to her as Tray went into the room, followed by Cheesy and another prospect, Jamie Locke. A couple of other guys joined them. “Tell us what happened.”
“Blood. So much blood.” Her chin wobbled, not even mentioning anything about the fact that it was bikers going into the room unannounced.
Tray came out a moment later. “It’s Jaron.”
“What?” I rushed past him into the room. “Where is he?”
“Greyson, wait,” Tray called out, but I ignored him.
The room wasn’t overly big, so Jaron couldn’t be very far. Where the hell was my son?
That was when I saw Locke and Cheesy in the bathroom. Cheesy was crouched down by an unmoving body.
All blood drained from me, leaving me ice cold as I closed in on them.
When I neared the door to the bathroom, the scene before was like it came right out of a horror movie. Cheesy and Locke stepped aside as I entered the small room. Jaron was lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Another guy was in the bathtub with the shower curtain and rod on his lap. His dead vacant eyes stared back at me, sending a shiver down my spine.
But what bothered me most by the whole situation in front of me, was Brynlee lying beside Jaron. She had a pig soother in her mouth and was covered in blood. But she stared up at me and was sucking on that thing like her life depended on it.
“I searched the body and didn’t find anything,” Cheesy told me.
I crouched by my son and picked Brynlee up. Using my shirt, I wiped the blood off of her face. Jaron was not moving but I could see the faint rise and fall of his chest.
“Boss, I called for an ambulance,” Catch said from behind me.
“Cheesy, your dad still a cop?” I asked, reaching out to check my son’s pulse.
“He is,” Cheesy answered. “I’ll make a call.”
“Alright, Jaron. You need to stay with me. Help is on the way.” I wasn’t sure where he was bleeding from, but I didn’t want to move him in case there were other injuries I didn’t know about.
Brynlee pulled the soother from her mouth, drawing my attention back to her.
I hugged her against me and kissed her head.
“Dada.”
My chest tightened, a lump forming in my throat. “Yes, baby girl. That’s your daddy.”
Brynlee looked up at me with her big gray eyes. “Dada.” Her eyes welled.
I cupped the back of her head and cradled her into my chest. My stomach twisted, a sharp exhale leaving me as a wail left my granddaughter.
Piper
Depression had settled in rather quickly. I stayed in Jaron’s room at the clubhouse while Cyrus and Sammy remained close by. It was probably to make sure that I didn’t do something stupid. I didn’t know because I didn’t ask. I stayed in the bedroom. The scent of his cologne lingered in the room. The smell was faint, but it helped ease some of the anxiety rushing through me.
I didn’t know where he was. No one told me anything. He had gone after Price. Some of the guys had followed him but I didn’t know anything more than that. Had they found him yet? Had they found Brynn?
Time was lost on me the longer I didn’t have my daughter and the man I loved in my arms. I was pissed at him, but I got it. I did. I was mad with the way we left things. He probably thought I blamed him. A part of me did at first. I couldn’t help but admit it. But that didn’t matter. I got over it and just wanted my little family home safe and sound.
I slept off and on, crying myself to sleep only to wake up from a nightmare that I would never see Brynn or Jaron again. I kept dreaming that I could see them but no matter how much I ran toward them, I could never catch them. It made me wake up in a cold sweat with tears streaking my cheeks.
This pain was nothing like when Jaron was in jail. At least then I knew he was alive because Cyrus and Sammy told me so. But now they couldn’t tell me anything because they didn’t know themselves. I had told them to go with the guys to find Jaron, but they refused. They made a promise and no matter what happened, they planned on keeping it.
I cupped my stomach, praying that my unborn baby could survive this stress resting on my muscles. I tried swallowing my emotions, so the baby wouldn’t feel it, but I couldn’t.
Be strong, little one. Please be strong.
One morning, I was restless. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed since I last held my daughter or seen Jaron. Maybe a day. Maybe more. I wasn’t sure. No matter how much I tried to sleep, I couldn’t. So instead, I took a shower, got dressed, and went to see if Cyrus and Sammy had any news for me. But before I could ask any questions, I was stopped short by several members of Hell’s Harlem filling the vast room on the main floor of the clubhouse.
Cyrus and Sammy were talking to the guy I had come to know as Cheesy. Sammy caught my gaze and came toward me.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my heart racing hard.
“Jaron and Brynlee have been found,” he said gently.
“What?” My eyes widened. “Where are they?”
“At the hospital. The guys only just showed up here or else we would have woken you up sooner,” Sammy explained. “Brynlee is fine. There are no injuries. Price didn’t hurt her.”
“Oh.” I latched on to his arm to keep from falling. “Thank God.”
“But...” Sammy looked back at his crew.
“What is it?” I gripped his arm tight. “Tell me. Please. I can handle it.”
Sammy looked down at me. “Jaron was shot. He was in surgery last we heard.”
“I...” My chest tightened, tears streaming down my cheeks. “Take me to the hospital. Please.”
“Stay here in case Greyson needs you,” Cyrus instructed the guys. “We need to stick together until this shit dies down.”
“Let’s go, kiddo.” Sammy hooked his arm around my shoulders and led me out of the house.
“Let’s go see your daughter and Jaron.” Cyrus stood back. “I’ll join you in a moment.”
“Sammy.” I turned to him when we stopped at his SUV. “Tell me how bad it is.”
He searched my face before letting out a hard sigh. “I don’t know. Greyson said there was security footage showing Price holding Brynlee. Jaron approached them and guys came up behind them. Brynn is fine but she was found lying beside Jaron. She was covered in blood.”
“God.” I shivered, bile rising to my throat. “I’m glad she’s young enough that she won’t remember this.”
“Same,” Sammy said as Cyrus joined us.
We filed into the SUV with me in the back and the guys in the front. Cyrus drove like he usually did.
“Who shot Jaron?” I asked.
“One of Price’s men but he was found dead in a tub in a motel room,” Cyrus explained. “But we don’t know how Jaron got into the motel room. The footage shows Price leaving in a car. Unfortunately, the car didn’t have a license plate.”
“Of course,” I mumbled.
“We’ll find Price and he will pay for what he’s done, Piper,” Sammy said, his voice taking on an edge that made my stomach twist. I could feel the rage coursing through him. Through both of them actually, but Sammy’s anger set me on edge.
“Is Jaron going to make it?” I heard myself ask.
“I don’t know, darling.” Cyrus’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. “But whatever happens, we’ll protect you.”
“Oh, we should tell you that your parents are staying at the clubhouse for a few days,” Sammy pointed out.
My eyes widened. “What? Why?”
“It’s safer there and more secluded. I’m sure they won’t have to stay there for long but after your dad talked to Greyson, they both agreed it would be best. And we don’t know what’s going on with Price. He’s no longer the mayor according to the media. They’re saying he’s on leave due to personal reasons.” Sammy scoffed. “Right. We’ve always known he was a fucker, but we didn’t know how far that went until now.”
“Having a bar that underage girls work at, proves he’s sick in the head.” I shivered at the thought.
“Yeah, that’s only part of it, kiddo.” Cyrus pressed a foot on the gas. “But don’t worry about that shit. We’ll take you to your daughter and hopefully we can get an update on Jaron as well.”
I nodded, sitting back in the seat. I was on edge, my nerves racing and jumping through me. I was vibrating with excitement that I would get to see my daughter again. To hold her, smell her baby scent, to have her back in my arms and never let go. It wasn’t rational to think that, but I would keep her to myself at least for a few more years.
“We’re here,” Sammy said gently.
Hesitation coursed through me when I looked out at the large building. I wanted my baby girl back in my arms but then I also worried about how I would react when I saw Jaron. No one told me how he was actually doing. Just that he was shot, and he was fighting. No more details were said.
The door opened, revealing Sammy. “Come on, kiddo. They need you. Jaron...” His jaw clenched.
“Sammy?” I whispered.
Cyrus joined him, clapping his shoulder. “He’ll make it through this.”
Sammy shoved away from him. “You don’t know that.” Spinning on his heel, he stomped away.
My eyes welled, my chest constricting over the thought of losing Jaron. “Cyrus, I...”
“I know.” He held out his hand. “Give Sammy time. Jaron’s like our little brother, so it’s...hard.” When his voice cracked, a sob escaped me. “Shit.”
I covered my face, letting the cries shake through me.
“Piper.” Cyrus reached into the back seat and pulled me out of the vehicle and into his arms. “He’s a strong, stubborn fucker. He’s going to make it through this. He has to.”
I latched on to him, the scent of his leather cut wafting into my nose. While the smell was familiar, it wasn’t Jaron.
“Come. Everyone is here, including your parents. You need them and so does Jaron.” Cyrus wrapped his arm around my shoulders, closing the door behind me and leading me to the front doors of the building.
I was like a zombie, walking with him. Both he and his brother had been good to Brynlee and me. I remembered back to when Sammy first held Brynn. He was gentle with her. It shocked me at first because there were rumors that he had a violent streak. Whenever I had picked them up from Rouge after they had too many drinks, I had seen the women fawning over Sammy. But he would either give them a look or mutter something in their ear that would make them slap him or run off crying.
“Do you think Sammy will ever find his person?” I asked, my voice weak and hoarse.
Cyrus looked down at me. “You don’t worry about that shit, darling.”
“I just want you both happy,” I murmured.
“And we love you for that, but you know Sammy. He’s struggling. He won’t admit it, but he is. It’ll take a strong woman to put him in his place and not back down when he gets in one of his moods.” Cyrus shook his head. “But enough of that. You have more important things to worry about than our love lives.”
“It’s distracting.” But before I could say anything more on the subject, we reached the floor where I could only assume Brynlee was.
“This way.” Cyrus led me down the hall. “Your dad texted me that they were here with her.”
“You texted my dad?” I asked, my head whipping around.
Cyrus gave me a small smile. “Ever since Jaron went to jail, kiddo. I got your parents’ cell numbers and gave them mine in return. So did Sammy.”
“How come?”
“Because Jaron asked us to take care of both you and Brynn. His girls.” Cyrus nodded once. “They’re this way.”
As we continued down the hall, I kept thinking over Cyrus’s words. I wasn’t sure why I was surprised that the twins had my parents’ numbers. Looked like they took Jaron’s request and ran with it.
When we neared a room at the end of the hall, I could hear voices. My dad’s deep one along with my mother’s higher pitched voice. They were talking to someone.
Once I stood at the entrance to the room, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. A part of me kept thinking that my daughter actually wasn’t here, and that Price still had her but when everyone glanced my way and my eyes landed on her, a sob broke free from my lips and I ran toward her.
Piper
She was back in my arms. My daughter. I didn’t know I could love someone as much as I loved Jaron. Not until I held Brynlee in my arms for the very first time. What would have made it better was if Jaron had been there, but he was making up for it. He loved her. I could see it. With the way he looked at her, spoke to her, interacted with her. She was his world and this second baby, would be as well. We were his life.
Please, Jaron, fight to come back to us. We need you.
“How are you doing, sweetheart?” Mom asked, running her hand over Brynlee’s head.
“Now that I have my daughter back, I’m better but...” I still couldn’t stop thinking about Jaron and how he was fighting for his life.
“Jaron’s strong.” Mom kissed the side of my head. “I’m glad you both are safe. We’ll keep praying for Jaron.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, my eyes welling.
Brynlee was sleeping against me, with her soother in her mouth and her stuffed pig in her arms. She was safe.
I had learned that after the guys found Jaron at the motel, Greyson brought Brynn to the hospital to get checked out. Thankfully, she was completely fine, and Price never hurt her. The hospital staff cleaned her up from the blood she was covered in. My mom had told me that she brought a change of clothes for her, so she wouldn’t have to stay in the bloodied clothes. I still couldn’t believe Price had left her that way. I knew he was beyond evil but it made me wonder why he didn’t just take her with him instead.
We were now sitting in the waiting room that was supposed to be for family members only but held most of the Hell’s Harlem members that were from this area. The hospital staff only said once that they had to leave. When the guys stood and stared at the young male nurse without even saying anything, the nurse left rather quickly. It had been amusing and something I never expected to see.
When my mom left my side to join my dad, Sammy and Cyrus sat on either side of me. I realized then that it had been something they did quite often. Even if we were standing, Cyrus was usually on my left and Sammy on my right. I never noticed the routine until now.
“Thank you,” I blurted.
All heads turned my way. I looked out at the faces before me. Most I had seen before and met at least once.
Jaron’s parents were off to the side.
My parents were beside them.
They had been talking amongst themselves before I spoke.
Clearing my throat, I shifted in the hard seat beneath me. “I just wanted to thank you all. For being here for Jaron.”
“We’re here for you too, darling,” Tray said from the other side of the room. His hand was clasped in his wife’s. Zillah smiled at me, her eyes sad.
A shuddered breath left me. “I need to see him,” I said low enough for only Cyrus and Sammy to hear.
“I know.” Cyrus stuck an unlit smoke behind his ear. “Sammy.”
“Not leaving her,” Sammy muttered, stretching his legs out in front of him.
“Fine. I’ll talk to the doctor and see if I can get more information on...yeah.” Cyrus cleared his throat, leaning over and kissing the top of Brynn’s head. “I’m glad you’re home safe, little one.” He stood, signaled for Cheesy and Locke to follow him and they left the room.
“I’m going to kill Price,” Sammy muttered, crossing his arms under his chest.
My head whipped around but he never met my gaze.
“Greyson has tried keeping our noses clean. Jaron did what he had to do in jail to survive but still remained out of trouble as best he could. Price has gone too far this time and if Grey and Jaron won’t...” Sammy’s jaw ticked. “I’m going to take care of him, so Jaron doesn’t have to. He needs to behave for you. His family.”
“Sammy, you—”
“He’s done a lot of shit, Piper. A lot. Things that he needs to die for. I have no idea how he even became mayor in the first place. Clearly, he’s paid off everyone to cover his tracks, but he doesn’t know that I know people too.” Sammy looked at me then. “I’m going to uncover all of his dirty little secrets and make him fucking pay for hurting you and Jaron. For hurting the other girls and women. I will avenge you. All of you.” His head turned back to the front and I realized then that the conversation was over.
Before I even had a chance to respond, a man dressed in white, came into the room. He was looking at a clipboard in his hands. He was young with dark hair and features, but you could see the lines in his face from the stress his job had given him.
“Mrs. Mercer?” he finally asked, looking up then. His eyes widened a bit as he saw all of us sitting or standing around in the waiting room.
“Yes?” Eve stood up, keeping her hand locked in her husband’s.
The doctor frowned, looked down at his clipboard and back at us. “Piper?”
Eve gasped.
My eyes widened. “W-What?”
“Are you Piper?” The doctor asked me.
“I am.” I stood, holding Brynlee tight against me. I could feel all eyes burning into me over the doctor referring to me as Jaron’s wife.
“I’m Dr. Rainn. Will you step out into the hall with me please?” Dr. Rainn asked, looking past me.
“No. You can tell me here,” I insisted. “This is Jaron’s family.”
“Fine.” He looked back down at me. “Jaron was shot twice. Once in the abdomen and once in the shoulder. His right kidney was severely damaged and had to be removed. His liver, stomach, and intestines were also hit. The wound in the shoulder didn’t hit anything vital and both surgeries went well. But he has a long road ahead of him as we now have to worry about infection—”
“But he’s alive?” Eve asked, coming up to my side.
“Yes, ma’am. He is alive. You can see Jaron now, but I will warn you, he isn’t awake.”
I nodded, looking back at Jaron’s parents.
“Let me take Brynn,” my mom said, coming up to me. “I know you just got her back a few hours ago but...”
“No, I...I know she’s young, but I don’t want her to see her daddy like that.” Or for her to see me break down. “Thank you, Mom.” I looked at my dad who was still sitting by the far wall. “And Daddy.”
He nodded once.
“We love you, sweetheart.” Mom took Brynlee from my arms and kissed my cheek. “Now go see Jaron. He’s going to need you.”
I nodded, petted a hand over my daughter’s head, and went up to Jaron’s parents. “We aren’t married,” I said, grabbing Eve’s hands. “I promise you that. We would never get married and not invite you.”
She threw her arms around me, knocking me back a step. “I know. Jaron did tell me he was going to marry you one day.”
I leaned back, finding Eve’s red rimmed eyes staring down at me. “He said that?”
She gave me a soft smile. “You were kids. We had gone to see his Aunt Brogan and Uncle Coby and the rest of you. It was the first time he had seen you in a couple years. He told me...” She laughed lightly, a lone tear rolling down her cheek.
Greyson placed a hand on her shoulder.
“His words were, ‘I’m going to marry her, Mama. And I’ll follow her around the world until I convince her to say yes.’”
“He...” I swallowed past the hard lump that had suddenly taken up residence in my throat. “Really?”
She nodded. “You must have been talking about traveling or something. But that’s what he said. I never really believed him but now...” She shook her head. “He has you down as his wife and you’re not even married yet. God, I never realized...I just...He’s so much like his father, it’s unreal. He’s a stubborn one and can be a jerk at times, but he loves you. He loves you so damn much, Piper. Go see him. Our boy needs you. God, does he need you.” She cupped my cheek. “Take care of him.”
I nodded, swallowing hard.
Following the doctor, he led me to Jaron’s room. I tried to expect the worst, but nothing could prepare me for what I saw before me. A large tube was down Jaron’s throat. The doctor explained what it was for but the only thing I could focus on was how Jaron looked. Tubes were sticking out of his arms. The machines that he was hooked up to, beeped and controlled the life inside of him.
Jaron was usually strong and sure of himself. Now he just looked weak and like he was barely holding on.
My knees buckled beneath me when an arm wrapped around my middle.
I jumped, staring up at Cyrus.
“Eve said you were in here. I know I’m not supposed to be, but I also knew you wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
I nodded, words lost on my tongue.
I couldn’t handle it. He was right. Jaron didn’t deserve this. Neither did his parents. And neither did I.
I pulled out of Cyrus’s grip and rushed to Jaron’s side, falling to my knees. “Oh Jaron. I’m so sorry.” I kissed his cheek, pushing my face into the crook of his neck. He was back. But at the same time, fighting for his life.
Tears streamed down my cheeks. “Cyrus, I can’t do this.”
“You can. He needs you to be strong for him.”
But I wasn’t sure if I could.
I had never seen Jaron lose it. Even after everything that had happened to us, he never reacted or allowed me to see that side of him. Not until Brynlee was taken from us, had I truly seen him break.
Cyrus pulled up the chair behind me, gave Jaron’s arm a gentle squeeze, and left the room. As soon as Jaron and I were alone, a breath left me. I didn’t know what to do or say. I had heard of people being in a coma and their loved ones talking to them, but Jaron wasn’t in a coma. He just hadn’t woken up from surgery yet. But I needed him to. I needed to see his gray eyes as he told me he loved me. I needed to feel him as he whispered dirty words and sinful truths into my ears.
Slipping my fingers between his, I brought our joined hands up to my mouth and kissed the back of his knuckles. “I love you, Jaron,” I whispered.
Just then, Greyson and Eve entered the room.
It was a blur of emotions as Eve cried for her son and Greyson tried to console his wife while keeping his own feelings in check.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed but when I was once again alone with Jaron, he moved. I gasped, shooting to my feet.
His eyes remained closed, but his brow furrowed in the middle. He started struggling, the beeping of the machines becoming faster.
“Nurse!” I screamed, watching Jaron shift and move as he was probably trying to figure out what the hell was going on and why that damn tube was down his throat.
Several people filed into the room, yelling instructions to each other and trying to calm Jaron down.
I was pushed back. A young nurse came into my line of sight, her lips moving over words I couldn’t hear.
Jaron was struggling, fighting the nurses and doctor.
Pushing past the nurse standing in front of me, I placed my hands on Jaron’s shins. “I’m here, Jaron. Stop fighting them so they can help you, baby.”
His body seemed to relax a bit after that.
When he finally calmed down, the nurses and doctor removed the tube from his throat and continued making him as comfortable as they could. His wounds were checked, the machines were silenced, and further instructions were given to each other. But no matter how much they spoke, I couldn’t hear anything but the pounding of my heart.
***
