Chapter 37

Slate

M y adrenaline pumped like a hydrant opened in the summer, wild and out of control, as we headed to the spot where Mark Edwards was holding my girls captive. A mixture of excitement and anxiety pumped through me as the wind whipped through my hair and danced across my skin. The ride to his place was filled with hope and fear, victory and defeat. The things he could do to Emma and Ash turned my skin cold, but I wouldn’t let that happen.

I couldn’t.

Emma and Ash meant too much to me to let my emotions get the best of me. If I did that, he would win, and I would lose them both forever. I’d only just found them, just figured out what the fuck my life was supposed to be about and there was no chance I was giving it up now.

Or ever.

My brothers and I parked at the end of the next block over, just to make sure we had the element of surprise on our hands. There was no fucking way imaginable that I would give him the upper hand.

We dismounted our bikes and looked around, taking in our surroundings while we finalized our plan of action. Gio leaned against the van with his arms folded over his chest, taking his role to protect my girls seriously. I gave him a crisp nod and turned to Diesel and Rocky. Maverick and Rebel were already close to the house to see what was happening inside.

“You go after your little girl and we’ll get your woman,” Diesel ordered, his voice low and quiet, the air of authority ever present in each syllable he uttered.

Rocky gripped my shoulder in a tight, supportive squeeze. “We’ll make sure your woman is safe. We gotcha, brother.”

I nodded even though I didn’t like the idea of not going after Emma myself. She was mine to protect. I swore to her that I would keep them both safe and now I was leaving her in someone else’s hands.

I didn’t like it, but I couldn’t be in two places at once so I sucked down as much oxygen as my lungs could handle and nodded my approval. “The house has three bedrooms, all along the perimeter of the property. “He’s holding Emma in the living room tied to a chair. Ash is in a room just off the living room. We need to move quickly.” Maverick’s expression was serious as he nodded for us to follow him.

Rocky used hand motions to direct all of us so that all exits were covered.

We breach all the exits at the same time, going for the stealth method instead of an all-out assault. The house was warm and sparsely decorated other than a few photos of Mark and Alex along with an older couple I assumed was their parents. I went left and crept down the hall while they went right.

My heart pounded and my feet felt like they were filled with lead as I swept across room after room in search of Ash. Maverick said she was in the rear bedroom, and I made my way in that direction. A noise sounded from behind the last door, and I stopped, took a breath and let it out slowly. Ash was in there and she was counting on me to get her to safety. To freedom.

To her mother.

My hand wrapped around the doorknob, twisting it and pushing it open to reveal Ash sitting on the bed, eyes and nose red from crying. Her little body trembled with fear. “Ash.” I whispered her name and watched as her gaze flicked to a spot behind the door.

Mark. I knew it without her having to say a word.

“Come on out, Mark.” My hand gripped the gun at my side, and I dug my heels into the hardwood flooring. “We can handle this like men. Can’t we?”

He didn’t show himself, but he snorted his dissatisfaction. “You don’t know what it means to be a man.”

My gaze remained fixed on Ash who looked terrified and that was a look I would never forget for as long as I lived. “You’re all right, Ash.” I winked to keep her at ease while my focus remained on Mark behind the door. “You gonna be a man Mark or not?”

“You can’t fucking taunt me, asshole.” He took a few steps forward until he was visible, and he reached for Ash, who screamed out.

“Ash!” I reached for her, but it was too late, Mark had one arm wrapped around her throat and the other held a gun that was pressed against her temple. “Don’t do this, Mark.”

His lips curled into a wicked smile. “I’m looking out for my brother while you’re thinking with your dick.”

“No!” Ash shouted. She kicked and screamed and did everything she could to fight against that asshole. “Stop!”

Mark’s grip tightened and Ash went slack in his arms. My heart seized in my chest at the sight of the tears streaming down her eyes. Her face was red and her eyes—my eyes—were filled with fear. Terror. “Stay back or I’ll put a fucking bullet in her head.”

I believed him but what I felt wasn’t fear. It was anger. It pumped through my body hot and hard and fast. The only thing I wanted to do was end this motherfucker, but I had to make sure my little girl was safe. “Let Ash go.”

“Fuck that. She’s my ticket out of here.” He shook his head, fear danced in his eyes because he knew what I knew, only he refused to accept it.

He was a dead man.

“She has nothing to do with this, Mark.”

“Like I give a shit. Move out of my way and when I’m safe the brat can go free.”

There weren’t many options and even fewer good ones, so I tucked my gun into my waistband and took a step back. “Go on, then.”

With a satisfied smirk, he walked to the door with that fucking gun pressed to Ash’s head. “That’s right, biker. Take it easy.”

I nodded slowly and took it easy just as he suggested, at least until his back was to me. That’s when I took my moment to strike, gripping a handful of his hair before I yanked him backwards and pushed my fist directly into his face. “Is this easy enough for you?”

Mark scrambled to get his hands on me, gasping and panicking while I whaled on him. “Stop,” he begged. “Please,” he pleaded. The gun fell from his hands, but he was like every bully I’d ever met in my life, a fucking pussy ass bitch.

“Ash, go to the front door sweetheart,” I shouted.

“Daddy—”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Uncle Gio is there, wait with him,” I tried to make my voice sound as mild as possible. My little girl had seen too much in her short life, and she didn’t need to see what was coming next.

“You like scaring little girls, don’t you?” I said once we were alone, my fist worked overtime on his face until my hand was covered in blood and his grip on me went slack.

The fucker didn’t know when he was beaten, despite the blood pouring from his nose he spat on the floor and looked at me. “She conned you into claiming the brat,” he said with a laugh. “How cute.”

I let go of him as he slumped to the floor. Almost in slow motion I saw his arm reach out for his gun and the click as he took off the safety.

I flashed a smile and before he knew what was happening, I’d pulled out my gun and aimed it at him, squeezing the trigger before he even took aim.

Mark’s eyes were wide and then they were dead as his legs crumpled and he fell to the floor.

I left him where he lay and walked out of the house to where my brothers stood in a protective circle around Emma and Ash.

Emma spotted me before Ash did and ran over, wrapping her arms around me. “Slate,” she cried out and buried her face against my chest.

“Daddy,” my daughter’s voice called out as she came running over wrapping her little arms around my legs. I scooped her up, so she was safe between me and her mom. Our arms protecting her from harm.

“You’re okay,” I whispered to her. “We’re all okay.”

Emma pulled back but her hands continued to rub and soothe Ash as if she needed to touch her to make sure she was all right. She blinked and looked up at me with a watery smile. “You came for us.”

“Of course I did.” I dropped a kiss on top of her head. “I’ll always make sure my girls are safe.” That was my new goal in life, to do whatever I could to make sure they were happy and healthy. Safe. That was my job moving forward.

“You came,” she cried out and shook her head.

“I did,” I murmured and turned them around, herding them towards the van where Gio waited to take them home. “Keep them safe until I get back.”

Gio nodded. “Got it, boss. You ladies ready for the handsomest escort in all of Nevada?” He flashed a smile to ease the tension, helping them into the van.

Emma stopped and turned to face me. “You’re not coming?”

“Not yet. I’ve got a bit of cleanup to take care of, but I’ll be there. I promise.” I took her hands in mine and met her gaze until she saw the truth of my words. “I promise, Emma.”

She nodded, unhappy but resigned the way all our old ladies are when we leave. “Be careful,” she whispered before she pushed up on her toes and pressed a slow, hot kiss against my lips. Her hands curled into fists around the fabric of my t-shirt, and she moaned gently. “Be careful,” she said again before she released me.

“I will. I have a lot to come home to,” I told her with a cocky smile. “See you soon.”