“The old abandoned Laurel Elementary School. Dragon, we have to save her. She’s in such bad shape.”
“What kind of fucking shape?” Crusher picks that minute to come in the door and the anger in him at hearing Dani is hurt vibrates through the room. My brother has it bad.
“He…they beat her. She, oh God, I’ve never seen someone hurt that bad before. He’ll kill her if we don’t get her.”
“We won’t give him the chance. I got one of his men being followed even now, Mama. I’ll find out where he’s staying. In the meantime, we’ll go check the school out.”
“Okay, I’m ready to…”
“No, Mama, you’re staying here. We’ll talk about what you went through when I get back. Bull will watch over you and this time he won’t let you out of his sight.” I add that last part with a death-glare at Bull. He nods in agreement.
“But I need to be there for her, Dragon…”
“You need to think of our little one, Mama. I’ll go and if Dani is there, sweetheart, I’ll be careful with her and bring her back to you.”
“I…okay, can Poncho check me out?”
“Shit, Mama, did they hurt you?”
“He just slapped me and pushed me. But he pushed me into a wall and I hit my stomach…”
“I’ll get him right to you. I’ll let Crush and the boys go to the school,” I respond picking her up in my arms, intent on lying her on the bed and holding her until Poncho gets here.
“No, you need to be there to help Dani, Dragon. Please? I’ll be fine, I promise. Little Dragon is already moving around. I just want to be safe.”
I don’t respond till I have her back in our room and place her on the bed. She looks so tired and beaten right now, but there’s never been a more beautiful woman in the world.
“Are you sure?” I ask still not convinced and hurting at the thought of leaving her.
She takes my hand and guides it to the top of her stomach. It doesn’t take but a minute, and I feel the strong fluttering beneath. Will I ever get used to that miracle? I don’t think so. I bend down and place a kiss there. I raise back up and look at my woman—my life.
“I love you, Mama.”
“Forever, Dragon,” she whispers back.
I want to kiss her again but I don’t. I’m so raw, that if I give in, I won’t be finished with just a kiss.
“I’ll be back,” I say giving her one last glance and taking in her weak smile before I leave the room and close her door softly behind me.
“Bull, you call Poncho to get here and you do not leave my woman unguarded for a minute!”
“Got it, Drag.”
I nod and turn to the door. “Load up, we’re headed to the old school building on Old 25.”
Crush is already gone. Just one more fucking problem at this point.
“Frog, you can take the SUV with me, just in case Dani is still there. The others can take their bikes.”
“No need for sneaking in?” That comes from Hawk.
“Nah man, I don’t look for them to still be there. I’m just hoping for a clue to where he might have taken Dani.” I don’t add that they wouldn’t have left Nicole still breathing if she could lead us to them. I don’t even want to think of that shit.
Kavanagh likes to orchestrate things, he wants a big impact. In this instance, that works to my advantage. I just need to make sure all my bases are covered before I retaliate, but I will. I’ll come down on him like a blazing fire and when I’m done, the son of a bitch will not be breathing.
“Frog, who do you got tailing our man?” I ask getting in the driver’s side of the vehicle.
Frog turns around and looks at me confused.
“What man?”
“The scumbag we’ve been holding to lead us back to Kavanagh,” I say with a weary sigh, peeling out of the parking lot.
Frog rakes the side of his face.
“Uh, Boss?”
“Yeah?”
“Crusher came by the cabin and said you told him to deal with it.”
“Say, what?”
“Honest man, he showed up at the cabin, said you told him he was in charge of letting the worm go and following him back to his Boss.”
I reach down into my pocket and pull out my phone.
“Hello?”
“Yo, Dance, meet me out at the old elementary school.”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“A fucking lot. Need you there man, I’ll explain then.”
“You got it, let me just get Nailer here to watch over my woman.”
“Have him take her back to the club, she can keep Nicole company. We may be awhile.”
“Got it. Later Drag,” he says hanging up.
“Boss, I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s not you, man. Though from now own you double check all of my orders through me. You get me?”
“Yeah, I got it.”
We’re silent the rest of the way to the school. My club is a mess and the two men I thought I could depend on the most are the very ones fucking up.
*