Chapter 16

"Camilla," I shout, shoving at the destruction surrounding us. Blood seeps from the wound in my head, and I look around to see my brothers getting to their feet.

We'd barely gotten the warning from Fuse's system when it hit. There was no chance of getting to Camilla, and now, I need to find her. Was she still outside with Fury when we were hit? In my room?

The structure of the clubhouse was a mess. Part of it is still standing, and the rest is a crumbling mess. The racing of my heart, the blood pumping in my veins, it's enough to roar in my ears. It's hard to focus on anything else.

Another explosion rocks the ground beneath my feet off to the side. All I can think about is finding Camilla and making sure my brothers are all okay. If Chains hadn't said something after I finished explaining the plan I had, none of us would have known to expect something. He'd already told the prospect to get the strays somewhere safe. The ol' ladies he said, were already somewhere safe and being guarded for the time being.

"Everyone good?" Chains yells, brushing dust off. He's got a cut on his cheek that I'm pretty sure is going to leave a nasty scar.

"I'm good," Breaker coughs, helping Brake to his feet.

"Same," Brake grunts, arm wrapped around his middle.

Tyres scrambles to his feet while Fuse sits up with his arms braced on his knees, head bent like he's trying to catch his breath.

Pitch Black is lifting some debris off Speed, and just beyond them, I see Spark's and Frame's bodies, both of their necks in awkward positions as Axel checks their pulses. Axel lifts his gaze and shakes his head.

Fear starts to seep in, and I push through the debris to find Camilla, seeing but not seeing, the death of some of those I call brother. Movement catches my eye off to the side, and a breath rushes into my lungs as if the very air were a sledgehammer ready to knock me on my ass. Fury has his arm wrapped around Camilla helping her through the debris.

"Camilla," I growl, unable to contain the emotions coursing through me. Seeing her, I don't give a shit about anything else other than getting to her in this moment. She doesn't look hurt, not like Fury does. He had to have shielded her from the explosion. Crossing the distance, it's all I can do not to trip over the debris to get to her.

"Oh God, Lynch," Camilla says, her breath hitching as I get close enough to take her from Fury and wrap her in my arms. Eyes on my uncle, I take him in. "You good, Fury?"

"I'm good, son." Fury grimaces and steps forward.

"Is everyone else okay?" Camilla says, burrowing into my side.

I give her a squeeze and hold my uncle's gaze. "Frame and Spark are gone."

"Pedal didn't make it either," Pitch Black says, joining us with my brothers slowly moving in behind him.

"I'm going to kill the fucker for this shit," Chains snarls, looking ready to murder someone, and I'm pretty sure I know who.

"I'm with you there." I nod. Now that I know my woman is okay, I'm ready to go after who's responsible.

"Let's get to the safe house, and we'll talk there. Get those who need to be bandaged up patched up and figure out the best way to execute your plan. If it were ever a good time, now is it," Chains remarks.

It's now or never. I have to agree with him on that.

Pulling down the drive to the safehouse, it's not really a house but rather a converted warehouse that sits off the water just over the Mississippi line. It was purchased by Brake's partner/ol' man, whatever it is Lawson prefers to go by, in their tri-couple marriage to each other. He bought it in his name for us, but it was club property. This was a way to shield the club for times like now, that is, if the person coming at us doesn't know about Brake's relationship/marriage or doesn't know about Lawson.

We'd been damn lucky that the bikes hadn't been damaged in the explosion. Half the club had been hit, destroying the main room of the clubhouse, the room we meet for church, a few other parts of the clubhouse, but not all of it. We'll rebuild and make it better. Some of the houses had a bit of damage from the debris, but nothing that can't be repaired. My brothers will be back in their homes in no time, and the club will be fixed.

My house is another story. I haven't seen it yet. It's not something I'm looking forward to. It's just a house, but it was bought for my woman.

I shove the thought to the back of my mind as I help Camilla hop off. Those of us who could ride, rode our bikes. Axel drove a cargo van, bringing the bodies of our fallen brothers. We couldn't leave them behind.

Chains put a call into our contact at both the fire department and police, letting them know what's gone down and that we'd be handling it. No one needs to come around. He'd tack on a bit extra for them to swipe the attack on the clubhouse under the rug and look the other way. As for my house, he reported to them Fuse would be sending them a file, and they could go pick up the person responsible for it, and contact Dan Morton. Dan would know what to do without us calling him. All he needed to know was that Helena started the fire.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Camilla whispers, giving my hand a squeeze.

"Yeah, baby, I'm good," I lie. My entire body is throbbing right now. "Let's get inside and . . ."

"Lynch Maxim Corbin." I tense at the use of my full name. Spotting the only person who would dare use it without getting a fist in the face.

Slowly, I twist in the direction, a grimace playing on my lips. "What the fuck are you doing here, Harlow?" I demand, seeing that she's dressed in fitted cargo pants I've only ever known her to wear when she's working. Something she hasn't done in a long while. She's supposed to be fuckin' retired and living a happy life.

"What am I doing here?" Harlow cocks a brow. "I should be asking you the same damn thing." She looks from me to Camilla and stretches a hand in my woman's direction. "I'm Harlow, Lynch's sister."

"Nice to finally meet you," Camilla utters, somewhat awkwardly and cautiously. "I'm sorry that we're meeting under such circumstances."

"Same, we should have met years ago," Harlow says, eyes shifting back to me. "Maybe then I'd have gotten to know my sister-in-law over the years."

Fucking hell.

"Can we continue this inside?" I grumble, not wanting to get into it with Harlow outside.

"Yeah, we can continue while I look you over and make sure you didn't break anything," Harlow says, stepping past me while shouting over her shoulder. "Don't think I don't know you better than you think, big brother. You're hurt and trying to hide it."

"Your sister, um, is she always like that?" Camilla asks, seemingly unsure.

"She used to be quiet and soft-spoken. She's also one of the scariest women I've ever met. Mostly because she's a known assassin, who will slit your throat without blinking and then laugh in your face while you die staring into her eyes."

"That would be me you're talking about, Lynch, not your sister."

A groan leaves my lips, and again, I turn to see Victoria and Raven both standing there. Raven with a sniper rifle resting on her shoulder, and Victoria twirling a Ka-Bar in her hand. "Why the hell are you three here?"

"Because Mom called us in," Raven answers.

"Great," I sneer and look to the sky, "just what we need, you three here to cause trouble."

"That's not what we're here for," Victoria remarks, shaking her head. "We're protection." She turns toward Camilla and smiles. "I'm Victoria, and this is Raven."

"Nice to meet you," Camilla says, smiling back, though hers doesn't make the dimples she's known to have when actually smiling. She looks at me, her brows furrowing. "If you're hurting, you really need to be seen to, Lynch." The concern in her eyes twists something in my gut.

"Yeah." I don't fight it with her. Enough has happened today, and I just don't have it in me. I'm hurting, but it's nothing I can't handle. Still, I'll let Harlow look me over, and make sure I'm good.

"Does someone want to explain to me why the fuck my sister seems to think she can stay and not get back home where her ass belongs?" Chains snarls hours later, evidently pissed Victoria and the others are in the area.

"Calm down," Victoria snaps back, hands on her hips, her man standing not far behind her, looking amused. Next to Tracker is none other than both my brothers-in-law, Blaze and Ranger. Blaze might technically not be, but Raven is like a sister to me, so he is. "You need to calm down and listen to me. We can help."

"The fuck you are." Chains growls, getting in Victoria's face.

"Chains, calm down," Tiny utters, getting between siblings, hands planted on her man's chest. "You're going to scare Brook more than she already is at seeing all of you hurt."

The mention of his daughter has my Prez backing away just a bit. He points at the men from the Devil's Riot MC. "The fuck you thinkin' allowing them to come here and be a part of this shit?"

"Brother, you know your sister. She's not about to let anything happen if she can help, same as the other two." Tracker shrugs. "We're here to help, and that's what we're gonna do."

I shake my head and think about how Harlow had bitched at me the entire time she'd been patching me up with Camilla sitting next to me. After she finished, she hugged me tight and told me she was going back outside where she could watch for visitors. That was hours ago, and she's yet to come back in. Neither has Raven. Victoria thought, she had no choice. Chains was ready to rip her a new one.

"I don't give a fuck. This isn't something she needs to be a part of," Chains states, gritting his teeth.

"Daddy," Brook calls, getting everyone's attention. A blanket clutched in her hand, and she sticks her thumb back in her mouth, her twin brother, River, standing protectively next to her.

Those two might be twins, but River is definitely bigger than his sister and already protective of her. He probably senses that she's going to need protecting and that she's going to be like her mother in size.

"Come here, baby girl," Chains says, releasing a breath, squatting down, and holding his arms open for the little girl to come to him. She does and he picks her up, kissing her cheek. "Everything's gonna be okay."

"I want Bart Bart," she says, tears in her eyes.

"You'll see Bart soon," he confirms and looks at me.

I give him a shrug. The plan I told them doesn't involve my sister and the others, but having them here would help in protecting the women and children. With their men here, that would be even better.

"Come on, Chains, you know we can help. Let us do this, and we promise to stay retired," Victoria remarks.

"Yeah, until someone else threatens your family." Tracker snorts, evidently knowing his ol' lady well enough to know she isn't ever going to ever fully retire.

"Fine, you best not go against what we have planned," Chains grunts and sets Brook back on her feet. "We'll talk about this outside where the kids can't hear."

I look at Camilla and give her a kiss. "Stay here. I'll fill you in after, okay?"

"Okay." She nods, drawing her lip between her teeth.

I'm sure she wants to be a part of the discussion, to know what's going on, but she's holding back. I appreciate this, though I know later she'll have questions, questions I'll have to answer. I refuse to hold back from her. She's proven she's able to handle not just this life, but a life we're going to share.

The sooner I get this taken care of, the sooner we can start to make it one damn good life at that.