Chapter Thirty

Storm

The club had been looking for Delany and Harlow all night and into the early hours of the morning, when Montana received a call from Bane, telling us that we all needed to get our asses to his home in upstate New York. None of us were in the mood for a fucking road trip, but he said it was important. It wasn't like him to jerk us around, so when Bane said we were needed, he meant it.

Pulling into the drive, we all parked our bikes and dismounted just as Bane walked out of the front door.

"Well, we're all here. Now, you want to tell us why?" Montana sneered at his long-time friend. There was no love lost between the two men. Once the best of friends, now they barely tolerated each other and even that was tenuous.

Standing his ground, Bane crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. "Delany and Harlow are out back."

"What?" I snarled, rushing the man and grabbing him by the scruff of his collar. "You had my wife and daughter this whole time, knowing damn well the club was looking for them. Why?"

"Because no one listens to her. From the moment she entered our fucked-up world, not one person has given two shits about what she thinks or feels. She says nothing because she doesn't understand, and when she tries to open her mouth, you ignore her. Montana threatens her and takes away her daughter. This shit stops, right now. Delany is a human being. She's had a shit life thanks to this fucking club and some fucking lunatic hell- bent on destroying her dad's reputation. I refuse to stand by and let this club, or anyone else, hurt her anymore."

"What the fuck are you blabbering about, Bane?" Payne asked.

"You never considered someone close to home," the irate club doctor sneered. "If any of you had just taken your head out of your asses long enough to see the truth, you would have known this whole fucked-up mess is nothing more than a power-play. You fucking morons played right into his hands."

"Who's hands?" Montana growled.

"Gale Stevens."

"The captain of firehouse 43?" I questioned, letting the man go. "He's the one who had Delany's parents killed?"

"Yes. And just for some extra fun, your former piece, Stephanie, is his daughter."

"Was." Payne chuckled.

"What?"

"Was his daughter." My brother grinned. "Storm snapped the bitch's neck. She will not be a problem anymore."

"Well, that's just fucking great!" Bane snarked, throwing his arms in the air before pointing a finger at me, causing me to back up a few steps. "And you wonder why Delany ran. She isn't used to this life, Storm. Fix it fast or I will."

"Don't threaten me, Bane." I growled.

"It wasn't a fucking threat. That woman's been through enough and considering who she is and what she means to several people, I would have thought you and this club would take better care of her. But all I see is a bunch of idiots only concerned with their own needs."

"Enough!" Montana roared, halting Bane's rant.

But it was too late. My brother had said enough. He was right. From the beginning, all I'd cared about was my needs. What would be best for my situation. What would best help the club and my company. I'd never considered what would help Delany.

"Where is she?"

"In the backyard with Harlow."

Leaving my brothers to contend with Bane, I ran into the house heading for the backyard, only to come to a stop when I saw her running around the luscious backyard, laughing as she chased Harlow in the early morning light.

She looked so carefree.

So happy.

Free of the burdens of this world, almost like everything that mattered to her was in that one moment in time.

Our daughter.

And she was right to think that way because Harlow was her life. Her entire life.

Not me.

Not the club. Nothing.

Just Harlow.

Watching them, I felt myself drawn to them. Part of me wanted to run out there and experience the joy surrounding Delany. She truly was a remarkable mother. There was so much love in her body, it spilled over to all those around her. It made sense to me now why Malice was drawn to her. Why Bane took her away from the darkness.

My wife was the light.

Without her, the world would be a darker place and that was something they couldn't allow to happen.

I knew my life wasn't for everyone. Only the strong survived. And while I wanted to protect Delany and Harlow from the darkness; the longer they were around me, the easier my life would find them.

"Whatever you are thinking don't, brother," Montana said, standing next to me as he, too, watched Delany with Harlow. "I see you wavering, but you can't. You've come this far. All you can do now is see it through. You want to protect her, then do it. We will all help. Anything you need, you've got it, but you can't walk away."

"She will always be in danger because of me."

"Yes, she will, but we can build a wall so fucking high around her that no one will ever be able to climb it. I'm not proud of my part in all of this, and I swear to you, brother, I will make amends if it's the last thing I do. But right now, we need to secure her and your daughter until we remove every threat to them."

He was right.

And the only place I knew that was secure enough to protect them was the clubhouse. Knowing how Delany felt, I knew trying to convince her to return to the clubhouse would be an impossible feat.

Still, I had to try.

Opening the back door, I walked out into the backyard.

Harlow saw me first and she giggled, running over to me. "Daddy!"

Picking her up, I held her close as Delany stopped and stared at me, not moving. God, she looked so beautiful in her pretty dress in the early morning light.

I didn't deserve her.

"Daddy, Momma was chasing me!"

"I saw." I smiled, taking my time to walk over to my wife. "It looked like you two were having a lot of fun."

"Momma was tickling me."

"I know," I said, snuggling my little girl closer when I stopped a few feet from her mother.

"You found me."

"August called."

"I see," she replied, looking everywhere but at me. I didn't like it. It made me feel like a stranger to her. Maybe I was, and it was what I deserved, but she was still my wife. I needed her to understand that part. Even if it was the only thing she understood. "Why are you here?"

"Because you are."

"Shouldn't you be with Stephanie? I saw you two together last night."

"She means nothing to me. She never did."

"I bet she doesn't think that."

"She doesn't matter, Delany. You and Harlow do."

"You have a funny way of showing it, Jason," she clipped. "Look, I don't know why you are here, and I don't care. I'm done. I won't go back to that penthouse or the clubhouse, for that matter. So whatever you've come to say, just say it and leave."

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? For what, Jason?"

"Everything," I admitted honestly. "All of it. From the moment I came back into your life. I never meant to hurt you."

"But you did," she whispered. "I tried to tell you, but you never listened."

"I know," I agreed, putting Harlow down on the ground.

I stood there watching my daughter run off, laughing as Marco appeared out of nowhere, watching her. Turning back to Delany, I saw the fear in her eyes, the pain I'd caused her.

Reaching for her hand, she didn't stop me.

She never did.

I noticed that. She never denied me contact with her.

"Delany, can we please talk?"

Nodding, she allowed me to walk her over to a small bench Bane had placed under a large oak tree. Waiting for her to sit, I kneeled before her, taking her hands in mine. When she looked at me, I said, "I know you don't trust me. I've given you no reason to. I've been selfish. Instead of thinking like a partner, a father, a husband, I continued to do things that benefited me. I never took your worries or concerns into account. For that, I am truly sorry. I should have known that my life wasn't what you wanted or needed."

"It's not that, Jason. I just don't understand it all. One minute I'm just a mom trying to raise Harlow, and the next, I'm thrust into a world I know nothing about, and everyone is keeping things from me. Instead of telling me, explaining everything, I'm more confused than ever."

"What confuses you the most, baby?"

She huffed, looking away. "All of it. This other club. The Golden Skulls. Why are they so interested in me? I don't get it. I've never been around them before. I didn't even know they existed until Remi and Layla told me about them. Who are they and why do they care so much about me? Remi said that I'm some kind of biker royalty. I don't even know what that means. Then she had this Sypher guy ink a tattoo on my back as protection. Protection from what?"

"What else?"

"Why does Montana hate me so much? I had never met him before that day at the clubhouse. I mean, I'd seen pictures of him in the papers, but that's it. One minute he is kicking me out of the club and keeping my daughter from me, then at the Fireman's Ball, he's apologizing. Then there is this mess with my dad. Everyone believes the lie, Jason. I can't just sit back and do nothing, but I don't know what to do. You said you would help, but you've done nothing. Now, I learn that this Gale Stevens is the reason my dad is dead, and that Montana's father is the one who killed him. It's all too much."

I kept a tight rein on my temper because what I really wanted to do was ring Bane's neck. I know that fucker told her that last part. I already had my hands full with trying to smooth things over with her. Now I had to explain shit she had no reason knowing.

I didn't know where to begin. I didn't have time to sit down and explain it all to her. Even if I could, I needed Montana's permission to tell her everything, and we didn't have time for all of that. Time was of the essence. I needed to get her to safety, hunt down Gale Stevens, find out exactly what he knows and has on the club, then put a fucking bullet in his head.

"You can't tell me, can you?"

Looking at her, I frowned. "What?"

"I just asked you to tell me something and you're silent."

"It's because he can't tell you, Delany."

Silently cursing, I didn't move as I felt Delany stiffen.

He couldn't give me a few minutes. Time to smooth things over? Asshole.

"He can't tell you, but I can."