Owning Destiny (Forsaken Sinners MC Series Book 4) (18 page)

Nodding, I kiss his lips. “Make them pay, Michael. For me, for the prospect, and for Tyke,” I tell him.

“I will, baby. I promise you that.”

Standing up, he puts me on my feet. “Why don’t you clean up a bit and then go sit with the girls out in the bar? I’ve got to go talk with the guys and figure out what we’re going to do.” He makes his way toward the door, but I can’t let it go another minute without telling him something.

“Michael,” I call out, waiting until he stops and turns around to face me before I say, “I love you.”

Smiling, he winks. “I fucking love you too, baby.” Then he’s out the door.

***

After Michael leaves the room, I do exactly as he said. I take a shower and change into some comfy clothes, which is the only outfit I left behind when I left here only hours before. Shit, so much has happened it feels like longer than that, but that’s all it’s been―five hours.

When I’m dressed and my hair is pulled back into a messy bun, I make my way out into the main room to find Dani, Harlow, and Sara sitting around a table drinking what is most likely green tea.

“Got any of that for me?” I ask as I walk up to the table.

“Of course, honey. Or I can make you some coffee if you’d like,” Sara says, already standing and pulling out a chair for me beside her and Dani.

“Oh no, that’s okay. I don’t think I need the caffeine.” I’ll probably be up for days after everything that went down anyway. I may have to get some sleeping pills in order to get some rest. I just pray that when I finally do lie down to sleep and close my eyes that I don’t see the face of the prospect right before he died. Or Tyke’s limp body as Gutter and my brother beat him.

Sara comes back a few minutes later with a cup of hot tea for me in one hand and a canister of sugar. “I wasn’t sure how you take you tea so I thought I’d bring some sugar,” she explains.

“Thank you, sweetie.” I only put a few shakes of sugar in my tea and then stir it up before bringing it to my lips.

Mmm, it tastes like heaven. This is exactly what I needed.

We sit there for a few minutes in silence, each in our own thoughts and enjoying our tea when Dani finally asks me what happened. I really don’t feel like explaining this all again, but I want to at least give her something. I mean, I am the reason this is all happening right now, no matter what Michael says.

“Long story short; my brother is the new VP of the Street Kings. He took me because he used me as a bargaining chip with his president to get the promotion. I guess the guy’s had a thing for me for a while and I was the only thing he wanted, so my brother agreed,” I explain.

There are mixed looks of shock, sadness, and anger on the girls’ faces.

“I’m so sorry that happened, honey,” Harlow says.

I laugh even when it’s not funny, although it kind of is. They don’t know my brother or the way things are with us.

“It’s okay. Nothing any of you need to be sorry for, that’s for sure. I learned a long time ago that my brother is a bad man, so what he did doesn’t surprise me. Plus, I’m starting to get that this was all set in motion a long time ago

“Well, still, I’m sorry you had to go through this all. I guess it’s just something we all have to go through.” I don’t know what she means, but I nod anyway. Maybe I’ll get to hear her meaning later, but for now, I’m content to just sit here in the knowledge that for now, we are all okay.

We sit there for a few more minutes silently. “Did you girls already go through the kitchen? I could help make a list of everything,” I offer, needing to keep busy. I can’t just sit around and wait for the guys to decide what they’re going to do. It’s not in my nature to sit idle, no matter what the reason is behind it. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to be a nurse, because I’m always on the go and busy.

“Yeah, we’ve already been through it all while you were in the shower,” Dani answers, but she too stands up like she can’t sit anymore.

“Well, is there something else I can do? Dishes, maybe?” I ask.

Laughing, Dani replies, “Sorry, babe. I beat you to that one too.”

I look around the bar to find something out of place or get an idea of something else that could be done, but there’s nothing. For being a biker clubhouse and bar, it’s sure fucking clean, though I think that’s all thanks to these three women. Though none of the guys really seem like the messy type either, so maybe it’s everyone.

“Look, the best thing for us to do—” Dani starts to say but cuts herself off when she sees something behind me. Turning around, I look for what she saw when I see a small screen television on top of one of the coolers behind the bar. It looks like it’s surveillance feed.

“Who’s that?” I ask when I notice what she did. Lots of bikes pulling up to the clubhouse.

“I don’t know. It’s too soon for them to be our support chapters,” Dani says, then turns to Sara. “Go tell the guys something’s up. And hurry.” She pulls out a gun from behind her back. What the fuck? Where did that come from?

“Here,” she says, thrusting the gun into my hands. “Take this. If anyone comes through those doors that ain’t Forsaken, you shoot. Do you understand me?” she asks in a hard voice.

“Whoa, what?” I ask, panicking. We don’t even know who they are yet, why is she giving this to me?

“Just do it, okay?” she yells. Then the doors to the chapel burst open and the guys start rushing into the bar just seconds before total chaos breaks out.

Chapter Seventeen

Mack

As soon as Sara came and told us someone was here, I knew right away they weren’t friendly. We had just gotten off the phone with our sister chapters, so it couldn’t be them.

When we made it out front, we were just in time to see the first bullet fly. “Everybody get down!” I yell, looking all around for the girls.

Harlow and Sara are closer to me than Dani and Rose, so I grab them and get them behind the bar. It’s built out of wood, but what most people don’t know is that there’s bulletproof glass on the inside. After our first clubhouse got blown up, we decided to take a few extra measures to make sure something bad didn’t happened again. So if I can get all the girls behind there, I know they’ll be okay. Then I can worry about everything else and kill these fuckers.

I misjudge them. I thought after they came back to their clubhouse and found their brothers dead and Rose gone that they’d regroup for at least a little while before trying to hit us again. I thought we’d have time to plan but I was sorely wrong. I just hope I don’t have to pay for that mistake with someone’s life.

“Stay here. Don’t fuckin’ move,” I yell to Sara and Harlow as soon as I get them safely behind the bar. They’re both crying, but they nod. Good, now I just have to get to Dani and Rose.

“Toby, Louie, cover me!” I yell to my brothers who are currently laying down fire from behind the bar. I don’t know if they saw that Dani and Rose are out in the middle of the bar, no protection except the few tables and chairs, but it doesn’t matter. I’m going to get my girls.

As soon as I hear Toby and Louie laying down some cover fire, I take off like the devil himself is chasing me down. Shit, he might be.

“Get down,” I tell the girls when their heads pop up to see what’s going on.

Thank God they listen because just as their heads go down, a bullet flies right above them. That could have been one of their heads! I’m seeing nothing but red but I can’t do anything about the fuckers outside shooting up my family until I know the girls are safe. I need my family out of harm’s way before anything else happens.

“Mack, the twins!” Dani yells at me and I practically stop dead in my tracks. Fuck! I forgot they were here.

Looking behind me, I don’t see Blaze anywhere. I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. I need my girls to be safe but I need to get my grandbabies too. Fuck!

“Mack! You need to go get them!” Dani yells again, and it kills me to see her tear-soaked face with fear written all over it.

I look to Rose and she locks eyes with me. “Get her behind the bar!” I yell above the sounds of bullets flying everything.

A look of determination and strength passes over Rose’s face and I know she’ll be fine. She’s strong and knows what to do. They’ll be fine, at least for a minute while I get the twins.

Turning on my heels, I run down the hallway and make it to Blaze’s old room in seconds. Throwing open the door, I don’t see the twins anywhere. Panic sets in as I rush into the room and start throwing the pillows and blankets off the bed. They’re not here!

“EJ! Harley!” I yell, afraid that someone came in and took them.

I think I hear a whimper from somewhere close, but I can’t be sure with the sounds of war going on all around us. Thankfully, I don’t see any bullet holes in this room, but that doesn’t mean one won’t come flying in any minute now.

“EJ, Harley, it’s Papa! Where are you, babies?” I try again, praying to any god they will hear me that they’re okay.

Then suddenly, like an angel was looking down on me, I hear a small voice say, “Under here, Papa.”

Not even wasting time to get down on my knees, I lift the whole bed up and see my grandbabies lying on the floor, crying and scared out of their minds. Again, I see red. My fucking family is here; my brothers, my daughters, the woman I love, and my fucking grandkids. And those fuckers come rolling up and start shooting? Hell fuck no! I will end them. Every last fuckin’ one of them. I don’t care if it takes me years, I will eradicate every single one of them from the world.

Bending down, I grab the twins and hold them close. I need to get them out of here. I don’t dare take them out into the bar, even with a bulletproof shield. They don’t need to witness what’s going on. And then I remember the panic room Dani asked me to put in when we built the new clubhouse. When she and Sara were here and that crazy bitch Trixie and that piece of shit ex of Sara’s came in and took them, she said that if anything like that happens again, then we need a panic room. One that only a few people knew about or knew how to get into. That’s where I need to take EJ and Harley.

Grabbing one of the blankets they were covering up with, I cover them both up and they sit cradled in my arms, clinging to my neck. “It’s okay. Papa’s here. I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise,” I tell them, then make my way out the door and carefully down to my office. I didn’t know where to put the damn panic room so I just put it in my office. I figured that’s where the girls are half the time and it would be easy for people to get to if needed. Now I almost wish I would have put it in the back room so I wouldn’t have to take my grandkids closer to the danger and not away from it.

A few long seconds later, we’re in my office. I try to set them down so I can move the desk to open the door to the panic room, but the twins won’t let go of my neck. “Hey, it’s okay. I just need to put you down so I can open the door to a special room. It’s going to be fine. I promise. You gotta trust Papa,” I tell them, ready to pry them off me if that’s what I have to do to get them to let go, but EJ lifts his little head and looks me dead in the eye. His face turns from scared to brave. Such a young boy like him shouldn’t have to be brave, not yet, but he’s having to step up, and that pisses me off, but makes me proud of him all at the same time.

“Okay, Papa.” Then he lets go of my neck and reaches up to his sister’s hands. “Let go, Har-har. I’ll protect you.” His words melt my heart but harden my resolve at the same time. These fuckers must die.

When Harley lets go of me, I quickly push my desk out of the way and put in the passcode to open the door to the little room underneath. Once opened, I pick them both up and jump down inside with them. There’s a little switch that will light the room so it won’t be pitch dark but it’s not enough that will be seen through the door. Not like anyone could anyway with the seal we have around that fucker.

“Okay, Papa has go back out front to help your uncles. Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise. But you need to stay quiet and you need to stay in here,” I say, motioning to the little room that’s big enough to fit five adults.

I hand them the blanket and see that Harley is hanging on to her brother’s hand for dear life. I look at EJ and place my hands on his shoulders. “I need you to look after your sister for me, okay?” I tell him.

“I will, Papa. I won’t let anyone hurt her. I promise,” he says and I know that even at his young age, he would do just that.

Kissing them both on the head, I climb out of the panic room. Just as I’m getting ready to close the door, I hear someone scream from the front room. It sounded like it was one of the girls.

“Papa, what was that?” Harley asks, concern and fear on her beautiful face.

Getting down on my knees, I tell her, “I don’t know, baby, but Papa will go and find out. Stay here.” I close the door, looking at Harley’s tear-soaked face and EJ’s brave one. As soon as it closed and I hear the clock engage, I move the desk back and rush out of the room, not even caring that bullets are flying everywhere and one could hit me. I need to know what happened and which one of the girls screamed and why.

I skid to a stop in shock and fear when the first thing I see is Rose and Dani on the floor close to the bar. They’re both covered in blood, so it’s hard to tell if either of them were hit or both. I see Blaze, Toby, and Louie trying to get them but every time they make a pass to leave the protection of the bar, bullets come flying right at their heads, like those fuckers know exactly where we are and when they’re trying to come out.

Rage like nothing I’ve ever felt before takes over my whole body. I feel invincible and strong, like nothing and nobody can stop me. I’d like to see them fucking try.

I rush over to where their bodies are lying still on the floor, dodging bullets like I’m in the Matrix. I don’t even know how I’m doing it and didn’t know my body could move that way, but it can and I am.

Sliding up next to them, I pull Rose’s body off of Dani. She fights me for only a moment until she sees that it’s me. “Are you hit?” I yell, searching her body for injury.

She’s crying and shaking her head from side to side and looking down at Dani with fear. Following her eyes, I look down to Dani’s limp body. The first thing that registers in my brain is the puddle of blood underneath her. Then a spot on her shirt, just below her ribcage on her side, a massive amount of blood. Her shirt is torn and it looks bad. Really fucking bad.

“What happened?” I ask Rose as my hands fall down to Dani’s stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. I don’t know exactly where she was hit but if the amount of blood soaking through my fingers is any indication, I’d say I found the right spot.

“We were trying to get to the bar, but every time we stood up, bullets were flying everywhere. We were so close I thought we could make it. I’m so sorry, Michael! She got hit just before we could get behind the bar!” Rose sobs, losing control, but I can’t let that happen.

“Listen to me,” I say, but when she doesn’t respond or look at me, I yell, “Goddamn it, look at me, Rose!” This time, she obeys. “It’s not your fault, baby, but I need you to help her. You’re the only one here that can save her and the baby. Do you hear me? You need to get your shit together and be the fucking nurse I know you can be,” I tell her, tears filling my eyes. I can’t let myself believe this is the end.

Dani has been through too fucking much to die now. Not when things are going so damn well for her and her family. I won’t fucking let that happen, not to my girl. No, Rose is going to save her. She has to.

Rose finally stops sobbing, but the tears don’t stop…but that’s okay. At least she seems more under control now and the take charge nurse I know her to be.

“Okay. Okay, I can do this,” she says, but I think she’s talking to herself, not me.

“Yes, you can, baby, and you will.” I pick Dani up and somehow make it behind the bar without jarring her or getting shot myself. Rose follows me with a look of determination.

Once they’re behind the bar, I look at her and nod my head in encouragement.

“I need towels and lots of them,” she yells to no one in particular.

Sara and Harlow were both sitting behind the bar crying, but now that Rose and Dani are there, and Rose needs help, they jump into action. They scurry to a cupboard and grab all the hand towels they can fit in their arms.

Knowing that everyone else is accounted for, my grandkids are safe, and that my woman will do everything she can to save my daughter, it’s time to focus on killing the assholes outside.

***

Rose

I can’t believe what I have to do right now. I have to keep Michael’s daughter from dying. I can’t believe any of this shit is happening right now. This place is being riddled with bullets and there’s nothing any of us can do but take cover.

Sure, the guys are putting off some shots too, but that’s mainly for cover. This shit is insane. I don’t know how any of us are going to get out of here alive.

And poor Dani. She’s been shot. And in the stomach. I don’t know if she’s going to make it or if the baby was hit. All I know is that Michael is counting on me. Dani needs me and so does her unborn son. I’m a fucking nurse and its time I quit crying like a little bitch and pull up my big girl panties. I got this shit.

Harlow and Sara hand me the towels and I start to pull Dani’s shirt up so I can see what I’m dealing with. I’m not sure if the bullet entered through the front or the back, but at this point, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that does is that I find out if the bullet is still inside or if it went through and through. Then, I need to dig around to see what kind of damage was done. Thank fuck she’s passed out right now because otherwise she’d be screaming in pain.

I’m only able to get her shirt up her stomach halfway, but it’s still in my way. “I need a scissors or a knife,” I yell out to no one in particular.

Seconds later, I have a buck knife thrust into my hand and I’m able to cut the shirt away from her.

Once that’s taken care of, I make fast work getting the material completely off of her so I don’t have to worry about it getting in the way or inside the wound. While I have her tilted onto her side to get the shirt out from under her, I take a look at her back to see if there’s anything back there. Nothing. That means the bullet entered through the front and is still lodged inside her somewhere.

Laying her back down, I take one of the towels and sop up as much blood as I can.

Looking over at Sara, I ask, “Can you get me a bottle of water and a bottle of whiskey?” After she goes to do my bidding, I look at Harlow. “Find me a lighter,” I order. I’m not trying to be a bitch, but this is just the way it is sometimes during an emergency. Hopefully after all is said and done they’ll forgive me.