SIOBHAN

The arrival of Natasha’s brother, Maks, signals the Kovak Syndicate are rallying the troops. He shows up in a small helicopter. Maks and four armed men speak to Natasha outside for a few minutes. I see her nodding a lot. The security team stands at the front gate, staring out at the cops.

Likely startled by the helicopter, Deirdre gives up on playing. She shuffles to where I sit on the couch and uses my belly as her pillow. My second born shows me her pouty face and says Indigo’s name. I stroke her cheek and promise he’ll be okay.

“Zoot will take care of things. Remember when your uncle yelled at that man who was too loud at your soccer game?”

Nodding, Deirdre asks if she can call Sync. When I say he’s helping Indigo, she gets mopey and hides her face against my breasts. I’m cradling her when Kiera and Nora exit the playroom and stare out the front windows.

“The police are going to take me away,” Nora says to Kiera.

“No!” my baby squeals and grabs hold of Nora. “Stay with me!”

“Me, too!” Deirdre cries and runs over to hug Nora from the back.

With a little assistance from Natasha, I get to my feet. Glen exits the playroom and looks outside. He glances down and touches the crotch of his pants.

“I made a mess and got Indigo in trouble,” he says as his face pinches and tears fill his eyes.

Wrapping my arms around his little body, I promise he did nothing wrong. Glen looks outside where the cruisers’ lights still flash. After yelling at Kovak Syndicate security and making threats about busting through the gate, the cops have given up on entering the estate. They are waiting for something now.

“We can’t make them smile,” Hector tells Natasha behind me. “My friends have sad faces.”

“I know,” his mom replies. “They had a scary day.”

Jacinda and Hector watch the kids who encircle me. I usually know how to fix bad feelings, but I’m scared right now. My stomach is also upset from the shitty pizza and stress. I keep hearing the sickening sound of the baton cracking against Indigo’s flesh. I want to hide and have someone else take charge.

“How about we go outside?” Natasha suggests as she notices her brother talking to one of the officers at the gate. “We can see better from the side patio.”

“Is that a good idea?”

“The fresh air might help with your stomach.”

“The pizza was so gross,” I whine dramatically, winning smiles from the kids. “Nora’s going to make me a good pizza once we’re back home.”

With Natasha’s help, I get my mama mojo back. We shepherd the kids outside where I settle into a patio chair while asking about pizza toppings.

“Indigo loves chicken on his pizza,” I tell them.

Nora leans close to me and whispers, “I know Indigo’s favorite vegetable.” Gasping, I gesture for her to share in my ear. “Mushrooms. He told me when he was at Caveman’s house.”

Her little smile is so nervous. I know she thinks Indigo is why she gets to stay at my house and wear matching clothes with the twins. Now he’s gone, and she’s afraid about her future.

“Well, we’ll get mushrooms at the store and surprise him, okay?”

Nora nods, trying to feel hopeful. Her nervous mood mimics her brother’s. Nothing will feel right for them until they see Indigo again.

Hunter sends a message saying the media has started broadcasting the incident. “There are videos. Don’t watch them!” she texts before calling and adding, “Please, don’t watch them.”

“Is he okay?” I ask, sounding scared enough to rile up the kids who immediately encircle me again.

“Tack said Indigo is on his way to the hospital to get checked out.”

“Hospital?” Deirdre cries and begins to cry. “Where’s Daddy?”

“Sync is taking care of Indigo,” Hunter says, sounding calm. “Indigo has some bruises. He’s going to the farm later.”

Deirdre ignores the reasonable words and starts wailing. I hug my baby while Kiera tries to get her sister to calm down. Nora and Glen step back like they’re in trouble and need to run. Natasha convinces the kids to sit in the grass with her .

“Indigo is really strong,” Natasha explains while flexing her muscles. “Bear said Indigo is one of the toughest guys he knows. But he’ll have ouchies, so you’ll need to take care of him tonight.”

Before anyone can answer, I hear approaching motorcycles. Kiera mumbles about her daddy, having forgotten Sync is at the hospital with Indigo.

As my parents’ convoy nears the security gate, I text my ex and ask about Indigo. I hadn’t wanted to bother anyone when they were in danger. If things are settling down, I can nag people for an update.

“Nothing’s busted but a whole lot of shit is bruised,” Sync texts back. “His eye is busted up, and he can’t hear shit out of his right ear. Be ready to calm your ass down, S. He’s going to look worse than he feels.”

Rather than give Sync shit for giving me shit, I ask him to call his girls when he has a chance. “They saw you on the road going to help Indigo, and they’re worried.”

Now that he’s feeling all gooey over his babies, I turn my attention to my parents. Dad climbs off his motorcycle while Mom exits one of the SUVs.

“Grandpa!” Kiera cries and runs toward him before noticing her grandmother and changing directions.

“Hey, what happened there?” he teases while Deirdre runs to him. “Give Grandpa some sugar. I was worried about you.”

Deirdre gets lifted into his arms where she immediately starts crying over Indigo. My dad hugs her as my mom walks with Kiera toward me.

“It’s time to go to the farm,” I tell Glen and Nora.

“Where are we going?” Glen asks, certain he’s losing his new family.

“To the farm,” I say, brushing hair from his eyes. “I know things are stressful and it’d be calmer in the hills, but I want you to stay with me, okay?”

Despite looking relieved, Glen takes Nora’s hand as if they might get left behind if they’re not ready to go.

My mom’s expression says she knows I’m hurting. She understands how helpless I feel. Without words, she steals my fear and takes command of the situation.

Wrapping her arms around me, she whispers, “Your uncles are about to go to war with the cops. We need to get you and the kids to the farm. ”

“Is Indigo really okay?” I whisper in her ear.

Mom shows me a photo of Indigo. He’s wearing a hospital gown. His face is bruised and swollen. My heart hurts at how his handsome face is battered. He must be in terrible pain right now.

Indigo stares at the camera with the same intensity as when a person gets on his nerves. A second photo shows him smiling at whoever holds the phone.

“Bear, Tack, and the boys are with him. They’ll escort him to the farm once he’s released. We need to get the kids out of here.”

“What about the cops?”

We look at where the cruisers were once parked. Though they got spooked by the arrival of so many bikers, the cops might be waiting somewhere to stop us and grab the kids.

“Tommy Brennan lost control of himself today and made a public spectacle. Things are fluid. We need to get to our territory before the cops regroup.”

As hugs are quickly exchanged with Natasha and her kids, I promise I’ll keep her updated. We share a silent understanding at how our lives will never be normal.

Dad corrals the four kids inside my mom’s SUV. She takes the front passenger seat while a club prospect drives. I manage to wiggle my ass into the middle spot between the twins’ booster seats. I use my phone to see Glen and Nora behind me in the third row. They sometimes wave at me. Other times, they stare sadly out the windows.

As we near the city limits on the south side of Banta City, I get a text from Indigo on Sync’s phone. He says he’s okay, but that his mouth is mumbly and he’s riding high on pain med.

“That’s how comes I’m not calling.”

After showing the kids how Indigo is well enough to text, I respond to his message.

“When this is all over and you’re well, I want you to let me suck you off. Swallowing your jizz is very important to me.”

A few seconds later, I read, “Good Lord, Siobhan. Aren’t the kids with you?”

“Stop reading the texts, Sync! Where’s Indigo?”

“They’re taking him for one last test.”

“Is he okay?”

“I already said yes.”

“Yeah, but you lie a lot, you dumb fucking shit-covered butthole. ”

A moment passes before Sync replies with, “Is this Zoot?”

I laugh at his bullshit and ask again, “Is Indigo really okay? Don’t answer like a biker. Answer like family.”

“He’s in a lot of pain, but it’s temporary. He’ll be ready for that blowjob in no time.”

“Thanks, ya tiny-dicked wrinkled ballsack fuckwit.”

“Don’t teach my daughters that crap.”

“I promise I won’t. However, I WILL teach MY daughters how to stand up to men with mutant testicles.”

“What happened to mocking me for being a greasy French fry?”

“I’m channeling my O’Malley side and using new fun words.”

“I’m ignoring you now.”

“Tell Indigo to text me when he gets back from his test. I want his answer to that blowjob question.”

Sync refuses to respond with words, but he does give me a “thumbs-up” emoji.

I feel a little better knowing Indigo is getting checked out in a real way. None of the biker bros want to admit when they’re in pain even after they’ve gotten shot, stabbed, and even run over. They laugh off the pain, but those things catch up to them. I want Indigo to live to be a very old man sitting next to my saggy ass on our porch and talking shit about the neighbors.

First, though, we need to get everyone back to the farm so our family of six and a half can feel safe again.