Chapter Twenty-Two

T rigger and Binx have been working their asses off trying to figure out where Liza and Morgue might have taken Kaitlyn and Kolby. It's been an agonizing thirty minutes. I want to be out there tearing up the streets, but they wouldn't take her to their normal places. They are hiding out somewhere. I just hope they aren't hurting her.

"I have something. Baldie's phone is pinging out near your mother's house, Colt. Any reason he would be out there?" Trigger asks.

"No. My mother didn't associate with the club. None of them would have ever considered telling her about dad's death. As far as they knew, he didn't talk to her anymore. He preferred it that way so they wouldn't question why he was still taking care of her," I inform them.

"You think that's why that kid thought your dad was cheating the club?" Killer asks.

"Maybe. If they found out he was funneling money to her, but it was his own money. He would have never stolen from the club. My old man was a bastard, but not a cheat."

"I agree. He didn't die because he was cheating the club, but because he got too close to someone who was," Reaper says.

"I'm calling my men. Getting them ready to move. You have the weight of the Noche Oscura at your back, Colt. It's obvious now that Morgue and Liza were the rats in our club."

"Let's ride out then. Trigger, you keep looking and call us if you find anything else," I tell everyone.

It's weird being the one commanding with two presidents in the room, but I'm glad they are letting me take the lead. I need this right now. I guess, in a way, I'm a president too now. At least of this chapter. Not for long, though.

Reaper and Wrath climb into their rental truck while Killer and I climb onto our bikes. Fang walks toward Kaitlyn's car.

"What are you doing, man?" I ask.

"She's going to need a way to transport Kolby home. I'll be right behind you guys."

"Good thinking. Take it easy, though. You hit your head when you fell."

"I'll take it easy when we have them home," he says before he slides into the driver's seat.

I appreciate his dedication.

The ride out to the area my mother lives is long and tedious. I want to go balls out to get there, but the traffic prevents it. It's not until we get to the outskirts that the road opens up. I slow down when we start to get closer. Something doesn't feel right. The coordinates are taking us to my mother's neighbor's house. The rundown one I've never seen anyone at. It's not even a real house, but a mobile home. After years of being neglected, you can barely see the place anymore. The trees have grown up around it, the land starting to revert back to its natural state.

Why would Baldie be here?

Turning down the long driveway, I keep it slow, my eyes open for anything out of place. It doesn't take more than one hundred feet for several men to jump out and start shooting.

"Take cover!" I yell as I turn toward the trees, stopping my bike behind one of them.

Within seconds, Killer and Wrath are hiding behind trees behind me, while Fang and Reaper hide across the driveway.

"What the fuck? I recognized at least two of my men out there," Killer growls.

"The other three were Lotus," I tell him as bullets keep whizzing by us.

All of a sudden there is silence. "Come on out, boys. We have you surrounded."

I glance around to see a man I don't recognize standing in the middle of the other men. Several other men I don't know step out into the opening.

"There's at least thirty. What do you think?" I ask Killer.

"I think they have my daughter and grandson back there and we will do whatever we can to get them." He pulls out his phone, typing a message. "My men are about five minutes out. I only texted the ones I know I can trust. Hold them off until they get here?"

I nod, turning to take aim. I shoot the speaker right in the head, his body falling to the ground.

"Fuck, that was some message to send," Wrath jokes.

"Let's fight our way out of this," I say to Wrath as I nod to Reaper and Fang.

In the next instant, we are opening fire on the men standing in the clearing. Several fall while the others run to take cover.

I run closer, taking cover behind another tree before taking another shot. I watch as the Lotus member drops to the floor. I didn't even know his name. I only know that he was there the night my father was murdered. He could have even been the one to kill him.

Anger fuels me as I continue to pick their men off. I have to reload twice, but I feel good when their men prove they are not as good marksmen as we are.

The roar of motorcycles announces the arrival of our backup.

"You got this?" I call to Killer.

As he's about to respond, a bullet hits him, making him fall to the ground.

"Fuck," I curse, running over there.

Kaitlyn will break if her father dies. Especially after finding out her mother is a psychopath.

Pulling Killer behind the tree, I look down at him. "Where are you hit?" I ask.

"Gut. Don't babysit me. My men are here. Go get my daughter and grandson." He coughs, groaning as his hand cups his wound.

Blood pours from his abdomen as he leans against the tree.One of his men is at my side. I recognize him as Gauge, his vice president.

"Cover Colt at all costs," he tells his man.

He nods, yelling out to the other men.

As I go to stand, Killer grabs my hand.

"If I don't make it, you take them as far away from here as you can. You promise you will always take care of her."

"I promise," I vow.

Then I take off toward my bike. Bullets are still flying, but with the new influx of men from the Noche Oscura, they manage to send the other men running for cover.

Starting up my bike, I tear off through the woods away from the men, circling around the gunfight toward where I know the mobile home is. Once I get closer, I drop the bike behind a tree and rush toward the house.

My heart is racing as I bust through the door. The main area is empty, but I can hear a commotion coming from the back bedroom. Rushing down the hall, I kick the door open. There, in the middle of the floor, all I can see is Kaitlyn and Kolby covered in blood. My vision starts to bleed red as my body fills with uncontrollable rage.

I'm going to kill someone today.

The man in the doorway isn't anyone I know, but he looks as smug as Morgue. My eyes take in his cut.

Lotus.

He's one of Colt's brothers. Well, maybe not if he's standing here with Morgue and my mother.

I feel the rope around my wrists finally give way as the man turns to my mother.

"Liza, you look beautiful. Are you sure you don't want to become a Lotus? I could use an old lady like you."

My mother's lips curl up with disgust. "I'm a Noche Oscura through and through, Baldie. I will never convert. You are only here because William wanted proof we did what we said. Have you taken care of our problem?"

"It's being taken care of now. Can't you hear the beautiful music of gunfire?" he asks.

The room is silent as the distant sounds of pops ring through the room.

Colt.

I want to cry for him, but I can't. He needs me to be strong right now for our son.

Renewed strength flows through me as I think about my son.

"Well, then you have your proof. You can leave now." Morgue crosses his arms, his back to me.

"Oh, I don't know. William would love this one. He needs a new woman now that his decided to shack up with Reaper. How much do you want for her?"

My mom gasps. "She's not for sale. She's who we did all of this for. Take your nasty ass out of here."

"Liza, dear. You are cute. I wasn't talking to you, though. Morgue? Would you be willing to part with her for, say, one million?" Baldie asks.

Morgue pauses, as if he's thinking about it.

Movement at the door draws my focus away from the men. The door cracks open as a woman peeks in. The woman there looks somewhat familiar, but I don't know her. She looks nervous.

"I don't know. I've wanted her for a long time."

The man nods. "She is a beauty. I know what it's like to want something for so long. That's how I felt when I finally put that bullet in Rogue's head. Still, I think I could get him up to three million for the girl."

The woman at the door bursts into the room then, the door slamming shut behind her as she attacks the man called Baldie. He grunts as she takes him down, clawing and scratching at him.

As she distracts everyone, I rush my mother. Her eyes widen as I pull Kolby from her arms, swiping her legs out from underneath her.

I go for the door, but Morgue is there, pulling me back by my hair.

"Not going to happen, Katie," he growls, pulling me backward.

I hold Kolby as close as I can as he begins to cry.

I watch as my mother gets up and walks toward me. She slaps my face before trying to take Kolby back from me. Using one arm, I reach out and swipe at her face, my nails catching her skin. I keep fighting her as Morgue tries to lock my body against his.

Suddenly, Morgue is pulled away from me. I hear him grunt as he hits the ground.

The new woman wraps her arms around me, blood soaking my clothes as she pulls me back behind her. "Get out of here at all costs," she says.

Then she faces off with my mother.

"Jody, I'm surprised you can see straight. What are you even doing here?" my mother asks.

"You thought I didn't notice you bringing my daughter-in-law and grandson in here? I've been monitoring this place since Rogue died. He said that someone he suspected was a rat bought the place up. They didn't realize I lived next door. Looks like he was right," the woman says.

I realize then why I recognize her. She looks a lot like Colt. She's his mother. Kolby's grandmother.

My heart aches for the woman. She's an addict, but here she is giving her all for her grandson and a woman she has never met.

"I can't let them leave," my mother informs her.

The woman shrugs. "I have nothing to lose."

Then she charges at my mother. They start to fight. While they do, I start to inch toward the door. Suddenly, I slip, falling to the floor. I'm able to turn my body at the last minute to land on my back, Kolby on my front. He's still screaming, but I hush him as I wince in pain. Turning my head, I see the man from before, Baldie, lying with lifeless eyes. His throat is slashed, blood dripping from it. The knife is sitting on the ground next to him.

I look back at Colt's mother. She killed this man for us. I look at Morgue and see him slowly starting to get up.

I need to move.

Before I can, the door is kicked open, the frame splintering from the wall. Colt's eyes land on me.Before I can call out to him, his eyes grow angry.

Morgue is on his feet now, making his way toward me. Colt lets out an animalistic sound as he charges him. There's an audible bang as he tackles Morgue to the ground.

I slowly sit up, backing up until my back is against the wall. I look around the room, watching as both sets of people fight. Kolby is screaming his head off. It's pure chaos.

Colt begins to wail on Morgue as if he will not stop until the man stops breathing. Then I look back to the two mothers fighting, mine and his.

My mother has the upperhand, though. I watch as she starts to strangle Colt's mother.

Setting Kolby down, I whisper to him. "Mommy needs to take care of this, and then I will be right back."

Standing, I grab the knife from the floor. Then I take a few steps forward toward my mother.

I stab her once, then twice. Next thing I know, I'm releasing all of my anger, stabbing her over and over.

"She's dead, love. You can stop," a raspy voice tells me as she locks her arms around me.

I drop the knife, my arms shaking. Turning, I bury my head into Colt's mother's chest. I can't even speak as the woman leads me back to where I was sitting, helping me to sit back on the floor.

Then she picks up Kolby, smiling down at him. "My big boy. You are so strong.You have an amazing momma. She's going to take care of you," she tells him as she hands him over to me.

"Thank you," I whisper to her.

"Anything for my family." Then she turns, going to Colt. "Son, he's gone. You can stop fighting now. Your family needs you."

He doesn't stop as she speaks. She tries again, but he still ignores her.

"Spencer, we need you," I call out.

He pauses then and looks over his shoulder at us. Then he looks back to Morgue. I gag as I see his face caved in. He literally beat his skull in.

Looking back at Colt, I call to him again. "Spencer, take us home."

He crawls to me on his knees, holding both me and Kolby to him. Then he starts to cry.

"I thought I lost you. I saw the blood, and I thought I was too late. I can't live without you, Little Mama. You or our son. I would have killed myself. There is no world without you in it."

He's sobbing against me as he holds me, which only makes my own tears fall.

"I love you, Spencer. So much. We are here. Neither of us are hurt."

"I love you, Kaitlyn. I can't lose you. Ever."

As we sit there, all I can think about is that I can't believe we made it through this. That both of us are alive and well.

Looking over his shoulder, I spy his mother looking uncomfortable.

"Your mother saved us, Colt."

He turns and looks. "Ma?"

"You have a beautiful family. I know I didn't always do my best with you, but I've always loved you, Spencer. I hope you know that. I hope that maybe if I can keep up being clean, you will let me be part of his life?" she asks, looking at our son.

"I think I would like that," I tell her.

Colt looks at me, confusion in his eyes.

"He already lost one grandmother, I don't want him to lose another," I admit softly.

His eyes glance over at my mother. I know he has questions. He didn't see what I did, but he withholds them.

"I'd like that too, Ma," he finally says.

Boots on the floor have us all tensing as Colt jumps to guard us.

"Did we miss anything good?" Wrath says as he pokes his head into the room.