Chapter 35

Gwen

We were all nervous. The guys had an important meeting today. One that would be the beginning of the end for Fremont, according to Static. I hoped it went well. We were back in our usual spots, watching the kids play on the field. It wasn”t so bad. I missed helping my clients, both four legged and two, but this was important. The last thing I wanted was to be a liability for the club.

A cry rose through the air, and every head whipped in that direction to see what happened. Sean was coming toward me, cradling his arm in his hand. I jumped to my feet and hurried over to him. The other women were on my heels.

”What happened, Sweetie?” I asked. Gentling prodding at his arm, I watched him wince as I touched him.

”I tripped,” he told me. ”Something snapped.” Worried blue eyes met mine.

”It”ll be okay,” I reassured him, though my heart sank in my chest. We were supposed to stay here, where it was safe. I glanced over at the others. ”Can you get him sitting and watch him for a minute?”

”Of course,” Sloane said, guiding Sean over to the chairs we were using.

He was being brave, but I could see the pain etched all over his face.

I hurried into the clubhouse, Kit on my heels, where I knew Cypher and Scythe were. The rest of the men were spread all over the property, watching out for any trouble. Both men looked up as I hurried in. ”My son broke his arm,” I told them. ”He needs to go to the hospital.”

”Shit,” Scythe muttered. He raked a hand through his hair and looked over at Cypher. ”What the fuck do we do?”

”Could Crash Cart fix it?” I asked Kit. Crash was the field surgeon that the guys often went to when they were injured.

Kit shook her head. ”I don”t think so. He wouldn”t have the supplies needed to set a broken bone. That wasn”t exactly his area of expertise either. I”m sorry,” she said, giving me a worried look.

”Nothing we can do then,” Cypher said, ”except take him to the hospital. Something like that can”t wait.”

”I”ll take him,” Scythe replied.

”And me,” I added. ”I”m going too.”

”Lockout didn”t want anyone going off the compound,” Scythe started to argue.

”If you think I”m letting you take my son to the hospital alone, you”re insane,” I all but growled at him.

”You won”t win this one, Scythe,” Cypher said with a chuckle. ”Besides, they won”t see the kid without a parent present. Christ, some biker shows up with a kid with a broken arm… Yeah, not a good idea right now. She goes.”

”Oh. Right.” Scythe shook his head. ”Don”t have kids. Or a wife. No dependents,” he said with a shrug. ”Didn”t think about them not taking care of him without a parent.”

”It”s okay,” I told him with a smile. It didn”t surprise me that a man like him didn”t know much about children. He was like Ricochet before I had kids. The first time my brother held Sean the panic on his face had made me laugh.

”Take Warrant with you,” Cypher told him.

”Is that a good idea?” Scythe asked. ”More of us there are, the bigger the target we are. Plus, it leaves this place down by two men.”

”Just so you know,” Kit butted in, ”if something happens, most of the women here can shoot.”

I nodded in agreement.

They both stared at us in surprise.

I shrugged. ”My brother taught me not long after he got back from basic training. And a lot of their old men have taught the other women. They won”t be totally helpless in a fight.”

”Good to know,” Cypher said with a huge grin.

”Still think it should just be me, her, and the kid,” Scythe continued, motioning to me.

”Yeah, take one of the cage rides,” Cypher told him. He looked over at me. ”You have everything you need?”

”Oh,” I replied. ”Let me run upstairs and grab my purse.”

”We”ll take care of Grace,” Kit told me, giving me a hug before heading back outside.

By the time I got back downstairs, Scythe had one of the cars pulled up front and Sean loaded into the back seat. I slid in beside my son and gave Scythe a grateful look. ”Thank you so much.”

He glanced at me in the rearview. ”No problem.”

The ride to the hospital was fast and quiet. Sean”s face was growing more and more pale with every mile. I hated seeing my babies hurt or sick, so I was relieved when Scythe dropped us off at the front entrance.

”Wait just inside the door,” he told me. ”I”ll park and be right back.”

There wasn”t a line at the front desk, so I waited until he got back to go check in. It didn”t take long before we were seated comfortably in a back room.

”Doyou think people will sign it?” Sean asked, lifting up his cast to study it.

”Yeah, Sweetie, I do,” I told him with a laugh. ”You know Toxic is going to want to be first in line.”

Sean grinned up at me.

”Pretty sure I should get first crack at it,” Scythe said.

We both looked over at him, shocked. He”d barely said two words as the doctor and nurses worked on Sean. He was a quiet man. Hearing him say he wanted to sign my son”s cast threw me for a loop for a moment. ”I think that”s fair,” I stammered. I smiled at him, grateful that he was being so kind to my son.

Sean looked over the moon. ”I”ll get a pen as soon as we get home,” he exclaimed.

Scythe grinned and nodded. ”Good. Alright.” His eyes scanned the parking lot. ”Wait here. I”ll go get the car. It”s all the way at the back and I don”t want him walking that far.”

I nodded and we waited while he took off across the lot.

”I like the Berserkers,” Sean stated.

Laughing, I told him, ”Yeah, me too.” I froze when something was jammed into the middle of my back.

”Move and I”ll shoot you, Cunt.” In less than a second the whole world flipped upside down on me.

I sucked in a breath, glancing down at my son who was watching the man with the gun with wide eyes. ”It”s okay, Sean,” I whispered.

The guy grabbed my shoulder and shoved me. ”Let”s go. Fucking move.”

”Run,” I told him, but a second man came up to us and grabbed him before he could get away.

”No. Fremont wants to see both of you.”

”Be careful,” I snapped at him, my protective instincts kicking into gear when I saw him manhandling Sean.

”Then come with us,” the guy behind me said, poking me with his gun again.

”Okay, just don”t hurt him,” I told them and began walking. I craned my neck, searching for Scythe as the men forced us to go along with them into another adjacent parking lot. Fremont”s name had sent a chill running down my spine. He must have had these men watching the clubhouse. How else would they have known we were here?

We were nearing the middle of a third parking lot when one of the men went down in a tumble of limbs. I grabbed Sean and stepped out of the way of the gun as the second guy swung toward where Scythe was beating the crap out of the first guy. Thank God. Relief exploded inside me, but I knew I couldn”t just stand there watching. ”Stay out of the way,” I told Sean, waiting for his nod of understanding before I moved.

It was like I was a different person. Though the fear was still there, it was a tiny echo somewhere deep in my soul. In its place was a fierce, angry, mama bear. These assholes weren”t going to hurt my kid. Or our friend. Or me. With a cry of rage, I flung myself at the man with the gun and landed on his back.

Butcher, Static, and Ricochet”s voices were in my head, reminding me that I”d fought back the night Trent had tried to kill me, too. This ability to tap into my rage wasn”t new. This was the old Gwen, fighting for herself and her family. It was invigorating. I wrapped my legs around the guy”s waist and held on as he tried to buck me off him.

There were shouts as more men came running. My heart sank as I realized—when one kicked Scythe in the ribs—that they weren”t good Samaritans. They were with Fremont. I raked my nails down the man”s face, grim satisfaction filling me as his blood began to roll down his neck. He cried out and reached behind him, trying to grab at me.

”Get the kid,” the man I was fighting told another, finally managing to get a hold on my arms and yank me off him.

As soon as my feet hit the ground, I steadied myself and kicked him straight in the balls. His howl of pain was music to my ears, but I didn”t stop. I rushed toward the man who was going after Sean. I had no weapons, they wouldn”t have been allowed in the hospital, and no plan, but I wasn”t going to let him touch my son.

That determination died, when Fremont stepped into my view, dragging Sean along with him. There were tears on my son”s cheeks from the rough treatment rattling his broken arm. All the fight went out of me. I glanced over and bit back a sob as I saw Scythe still fighting four men. He was outnumbered, but I couldn”t do a damn thing.

”Come with me,” Fremont snarled at me. He looked like a rabid animal. His eyes were wide and he was speaking in a choppy manner. His back was to the wall and he was desperate. I knew that meant he was dangerous, too.

”I”ll go,” I told him, ”if your men let Scythe go.” I pointed over to where the fight was getting vicious. Scythe plowed a fist into a man”s face, spraying blood all over the asphalt.

”Not happening,” Fremont told me. ”You come with me, or I kill your kid.” He pulled a gun out from beneath the coat he was wearing.

My heart dropped. I was doing my best to keep everyone safe, but I was going to have to leave Scythe here alone in order to keep Sean safe.

Scythe managed to detach himself from one of the men and started toward us. I gasped as one of the men behind him swung a crowbar. He ducked at the last moment, the bar whizzing past his head.

”Okay, okay,” I whispered. ”We”ll come with you.” Maybe with us gone, Scythe could get away from these guys and save himself. It would be a small consolation. I forced my body to move, walking over to Fremont. I wasn”t sure how to get out of this mess, but I”d figure something out. One way, or another, I”d get Sean safely away from Fremont. Even if it meant giving my own life. There wasn”t anything I wouldn”t do to protect my kid.

Fisting one hand, I tried to calm myself as another man jerked my purse out of my grasp.

”Wouldn”t want you trying anything,” he sneered.

I followed along after Fremont and his two men, eyes searching for anything that could help me. What I wouldn”t give for that crowbar. Or any kind of weapon. Fremont led us down into the nearby parking garage, and I knew my time was running out. I couldn”t let him take us from the hospital. It would be too hard for the club to find us. I was going to have to make my stand. Against three fully grown men. With nothing to even the odds.

So be it.

My breathing picked up as I waited for the perfect opportunity to present itself. I was going to make this the worst day of John Fremont”s life, or die trying.