Tina

T hey landed in Huntsville after a little over two-hour flight. had fallen asleep on Hurricane's shoulder, and he held her the whole time. "We're here?" she whispered.

"Yep, and they have a car waiting to take all of us to Savage Hell," Hurricane said.

"I'm excited to finally see Savage Hell," said, unbuckling her seat to follow him to the front of the small plane. "I feel like I already know the place from everything that Wren has told me."

"I've been down here a few times to visit Savage and the guys," he said. "Savage founded the Royal Bastards in Huntsville, and he got to name the clubhouse since he owned the bar. You're going to like him. He's a scientist like me. Well, not exactly like me. He's actually a rocket scientist," he said.

"Oh, that's a big deal," she breathed.

Ryder chuckled, overhearing their conversation. "Yeah, don't tell him that," he said. "Savage doesn't think that he's a big deal and if you make a big deal about him, he'll get all growly and grumpy. Nobody needs that shit."

"Agreed," Yonkers said, "to the guys around the club, he's just their Prez. The rocket science gig is his day job."

"Kind of like you," said, looking up at Hurricane.

"Yep," he breathed. He helped her off the plane and into the waiting SUV. Savage certainly had thought about every detail of their trip. She didn't have to worry about anything except finding her niece and she made a mental note to thank him for all his help.

"I can't wait to meet Savage and thank him for everything he's doing to help us," whispered to Hurricane.

"Well, you don't have to wait any longer," a deep voice from the driver's seat said. The big guy turned around and smiled at her through his bushy beard. "I'm Savage," he said, "it's good to meet you, ."

"It's good to meet you too," said. The guy was larger than life and next to him, in the passenger seat, sat another man almost his same size.

"This is Bowie, my husband," Savage said.

"It's good to meet you too, Bowie," said, shaking the guy's hand from the back seat.

"You too," Bowie said. "You'll meet our wife, Dallas when we get to the club. She and the Harlots are keeping an eye out for your niece." This was all so confusing to her. Hurricane had told her a little bit, but not everything about the Alabama club.

"Harlots?" she questioned.

"Yeah, the Royal Harlots are our sister club, and they share Savage Hell with us until they can get their own place. I think you'll fit right in with the other women," Savage said. She doubted that. Motorcycles scared the hell out of her still and she couldn't imagine being in a biker club with all women, but she nodded and smiled, pretending to agree with the guy.

Hurricane chuckled and pulled her to his side. "It's okay to be honest with them, honey. Good to see you again, Savage. I'm Hurricane," he said to Bowie, holding out his hand. They exchanged pleasantries and then Hurricane explained how didn't really like the whole bike thing. He said that he was working on her, but she was pretty sure that she'd never change her mind about being on the back of a bike, even if it meant wrapping her arms around Hurricane and holding on tight.

"Some of the Ol'ladies down at Savage Hell aren't into riding either," Bowie admitted. "Just be yourself. You'll fit right in."

"Thanks," said. The thought of fitting in never really crossed her mind. All she wanted to do was find Chasity, but she also knew that might take some time. She had already waited weeks, so what was a few more hours or even days?

"We'll be there in no time," Savage assured. Ryder loaded the rest of the bags into the trunk and hopped into a second SUV that was waiting for them. "We're only about ten minutes from the club." All felt capable of doing was nodding her head. She was too tired and way too worried to give any of the guys much more. Once they found her niece, she'd find a way to thank every one of them.

They pulled into the parking lot at Savage Hell at about ten and felt about ready to drop. The pregnancy drained her from being able to do her everyday routines usually. She was assured by the doctor that should end soon, but it hadn't. She guessed that she and Hurricane's baby was going to give them trouble from the start, and she didn't expect things to be any different. The idea of them having a little boy who was the carbon copy of Hurricane, but she also knew that kid would give them a whole lot of trouble.

"I want you two to sit tight. If your niece sees you both walking into the bar, she might bolt," Savage said. He was right. If Chasity saw them, she'd probably take off and they'd never be able to track her down again.

"When we spot her, we'll text Hurricane to let him know that it's safe to come in. We don't want to give Chasity the chance to slip out of the bar," Bowie insisted.

"Agreed," Hurricane said. "We have no problem waiting here." wanted to speak up and tell them all that she had an issue with waiting in the car while they waited for her niece, but they were all right. Losing her now would suck.

She watched as everyone got out of the SUVs and walked into the back of the bar. "You okay?" Hurricane asked.

"No, but I will be," whispered. "Look." She nodded to the edge of the parking lot that backed to the woods that surrounded the property. "It's Chasity." Her niece cautiously looked around and when she saw no one around, she started for the bar. took that as her cue to get out of the SUV when Hurricane grabbed her arm, holding her back.

"No," he whispered, "let her get in there. If she sees us out here, she'll run, and we won't be able to catch her. She probably knows the woods by now and has a place where she's lying low. If she goes into the bar, we'll have enough people in there to keep her from running." She knew that he was right, but watching her underage niece walk into a biker bar, looking the way that she did, gutted her.

They sat in silence, watching as her niece cautiously walked across the parking lot and rounded the building to the front door. As they lost sight of her, could feel her anxiety amp up. "Now?" she asked.

"Yeah, we can go in now," Hurricane agreed. He helped her out of the SUV, and she practically ran for the back door of the bar, where the others had disappeared just minutes before. Had it only been minutes? It felt like hours to , and she wasn't sure how she had managed to stay in the car to wait Chasity out when all she wanted to do was rush over to her niece and pull her into her arms.

Savage met them at the back door and nodded to the bar where Chasity stood, surrounded by some of the young club prospects. "The guys are keeping her occupied until you guys can get in here. Don't worry, they all know the plan."

"Then I won't have to knock any heads together," Hurricane growled.

"Not tonight," Savage agreed, "at least, I hope that's the case." They followed Savage into the main barroom and spotted Wren and Yonkers at about the same time that her niece seemed to. Chasity turned to run toward the front door and Hurricane stepped in her way. wasn't far behind him and when her niece looked at her, she wasn't sure if she saw relief or disappointment.

"What are you doing here?" Chasity asked.

"I think that's a question that you should be answering," Hurricane insisted. "Why the hell are you in a bar, Chasity? You're only thirteen and you look like you're trying to pass for twenty."

"Twenty-one, and I was doing just fine passing for that age until you showed up here and blew my cover," she spat.

"Listen, kid, I don't know what the laws are up in New York, but down here, you could get my whole place shut down for being here. And I don't think that my wife or my husband would appreciate me having to go to jail for harboring a minor in a biker bar. So, how about you, Hurricane, and your aunt go on back to my office and hash this out?" Savage asked. Chasity seemed to back down a bit as the big guy lectured her and wondered if he might be willing to handle this whole thing with her niece because she had no idea what to say to her once they got back to Savage's office.

"You can't tell me what to do," she said, standing up a little taller and staring Savage down. "You're not my dad."

"No, I'm not, but I have a daughter about your age, and I can tell you that she wouldn't talk to me or anyone else the way that you are. Now, how about you take my advice and go on back to my office before I pick you up and haul your ass back there myself?" Savage asked. watched as Chasity seemed to go over her options mentally, and when she sighed and started for the back of the bar, she felt herself let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding.

"We've got this, honey," Hurricane assured. She wasn't sure if he was crazy or just practicing wishful thinking, but no part of her felt as though she had any of this under control. In fact, she felt just the opposite.

"You can't be serious," whispered back to him. "You can see how angry she is with your own eyes."

"Right, but at least she's talking to us," Hurricane said. Savage showed them back to his office and ushered the three of them in. He joined them, sitting behind a huge desk and wondered if he planned on staying or giving them some privacy.

"I hope that you three don't mind an impartial referee," he said. Chasity made a disgruntled teenage noise as only a thirteen-year-old girl could do and flopped down into the closest chair.

"Do we have a choice?" she grumbled. almost felt bad for Savage, but the big guy seemed to be holding his own with the teen.

"No, you don't," he growled, causing Chasity to jump. "After you snuck into my bar as a minor, you have no say in anything that goes on from here on out—got it?" He pointed his finger at her and Chasity looked as though she wanted to lop it right off. "Now, you three are going to work this out, leave my bar and then, you're going to go back home, and I don't want to see you back here until you are at least twenty-one."

Chasity crossed her arms over her chest and sat back in the seat. "It doesn't matter, really. Once we go back home, I'm just going to run away again," she insisted. "She doesn't really want me. I heard your conversation about telling my dad that you didn't want custody of me if something happened to my parents." Her voice caught at the mention of her parents and 's heart broke a little bit more for her niece. She had already lost so much, the last thing she wanted Chasity to believe was that she didn't want her.

sat down on the sofa across the room from the teen, giving her the space that she seemed to need. "When your father came to me and asked me to be your guardian if something happened to him and your mom, I was only eighteen. I had just finished high school and wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life. I never imagined having kids or having to raise you because I never thought that anything would happen to your parents. James was my older brother and always there for me, so I thought he'd be around forever. When he asked me to take you, I told him that I'd probably screw up your life and that he should pick someone else who was more capable of handling the job."

"Yeah, you don't seem to know what you're doing, do you Aunt ?" Chasity spat.

"Hey, kid," Hurricane said, sitting down next to . "You don't get to talk to your aunt that way. Remember the whole respect rule?" he asked. He had drilled that into Chasity after she moved in with him. When first started visiting them, he'd remind her niece that she had to be respectful or go to her room. At first, she usually chose to go to her room, but after a while, they were to the point that they could all eat a meal together.

"How about some respect for me and my feelings?" Chasity asked. "Don't you think that it should work both ways?"

"Sure, I do, but what you just said to your aunt was uncalled for," Hurricane said.

"He's right," Savage chimed in. Chasity shot him a dirty look and he just stared her down until she turned back to to apologize. Sure, it was half-hearted, but it was a start.

"As you know, I was much older when your parents passed, and you came to live with me. I know that I had a learning curve, trying to take care of you and never having children of my own, but I wanted so much to try. I wanted you to be happy with me, and when I found out that you were running to Hurricane's club and staying the night there, I knew that I had to let you go. I knew that he'd take good care of you, and I was right. You being with him brought us closer—until you overheard our conversation."

"Gee, I'm so sorry that I ruined your plan for us to be a big happy family, Aunt . I guess I shouldn't have listened in on you telling Hurricane that you didn't want me."

"She didn't tell me that she didn't want you, kid. Your aunt told me that we're going to have a baby. You overheard the part where I asked her if she was happy about the baby, and she said that she had never thought about being a mother before you came into her life. If you would have stuck around for the entire conversation, you would have had no reason to run," Hurricane said.

"Is that true?" Chasity asked, sitting up in the chair. "Are you guys going to have a baby?"

"We are," admitted, "and Hurricane is right—I did say that I wanted the four of us to be a family, but you didn't hear that part. I love you Chasity and I want you to stay with us, but only if you want to."

"What about the new baby?" Chasity asked. "What if you guys decide that you only want him or her and don't want me around anymore?" The thought of tossing Chasity out because they were having a new baby never crossed her mind. It hurt her heart that her niece thought her capable of doing such a thing.

"Won't ever happen," Hurricane insisted.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"Because your aunt and I want to adopt you," he admitted. They had briefly talked about it on the flight down to Alabama, but she was shocked that Hurricane just blurted it out to Chasity.

"You do?" she asked.

"We do," agreed, "are you sure, Hurricane?" she asked. She had agreed to take care of her niece, not him. But the determined look on his handsome face told her everything that she needed to know.

"I'm sure," he admitted. "I want the four of us to be a family too. I love you too, kid, and I kind of like having you around—as long as you don't start breaking into my club again."

Chasity smiled—actually smiled, and nodded. "I think that I can manage that," she agreed. "Do you know if the baby is a boy or a girl?" she asked.

"It's a boy," said, "and we were talking about naming him James, after your dad, if that's all right with you."

"I'd like that," Chasity whispered, "and I think that Dad would have liked that too."

"So, does this mean that you'll be taking the kid and heading out?" Savage asked. "Because I don't need anyone calling the cops on me or my guys."

"Looks that way," Hurricane agreed. He stood and shook Savage's hand. "Thanks for everything, brother."

"You know that I mean this when I say it—any time, Hurricane. You and your family are welcome to visit us anytime—at my house. The kids need to steer clear of my club though."

Hurricane chuckled, "Same holds true for you guys. If you're ever up in New York, look us up."

stood from the sofa and crossed the small office. She went up on her tiptoes to kiss Savage's bristly cheek. "Thank you for everything," she whispered in his ear.

Savage nodded and if she wasn't imagining things, he actually blushed. "Send us pictures of the little guy when he gets here." He turned to Chasity and smiled, "And you, stay out of trouble," he ordered.

"No promises," she grumbled, making them all laugh. "Are you two ready to head back home?" she asked and Hurricane. "I kind of miss New York."

"In the morning," said. "Tonight, we promised Wren and Yonkers that they can show us a bit of Huntsville if you're up for it."

"I'd like that," Chasity agreed. "Thanks for coming to get me, guys," she said.

"Thanks for agreeing to be our kid," Hurricane said, pulling her in for a quick hug. got tugged into the mix and the three of them stood there, giggling and hugging each other like fools, and it was absolutely perfect.