Page 132 of Choose the Bears

“Are your family bikers?” she asked, and as if to underscore her point, we heard the muffled roar of multiple motorcycles revving their engines. The sound grew and grew, feeling more and more sinister. Mike occasionally went to biker parties, but I didn’t think he or Phil were associates or anything, so who were these people?

“Bloody hell…” Kyle shook his head sharply. “The phone tree really did get activated. Some of our… distant relatives have MC contacts, and they must’ve decided to get involved.”

He looked down at me.

“I need to go outside and find out what’s happening.”

“No.” My hand clamped down on his forearm, able to see too many horrific scenarios just then.

“It’s OK.” He turned and placed his hands on my shoulders. “I know these guys. They’re rough, but their hearts are in the right place. Good guys to have in a fight.” Ginny let out a ragged sigh, and I found myself doing the same. “I’ll be back shortly. Just go sort out the coffee and then head straight back to the gym.”

I didn’t want him to go, but I saw his bear. No matter what shit Phil thought he could pull, nothing would stand against the might of a massive freaking bear stamping its paws on him. I nodded and let him go, turning to Ginny.

“So this is all very exciting.” She was using the same jolly tone nurses used when giving kids their vaccinations or something, like she knew this would be painful but was trying really hard not to show it. “I mean?—”

“Ginny!” God, was everyone on edge today? A woman jogged up to us, looking flushed. “Nathan is having another asthma attack.”

“Again? Goddammit, I knew those preventers weren’t working well enough. How bad?”

“We started administering Ventolin, but…”

When Ginny turned to me, I knew what she was going to say, so I said it for her.

“Go. I’m just grabbing tea and coffee. I won’t need you unless I spill hot water on myself. I’ve got this.”

“You sure?” The nurse asked, but she was already edging away. A child with his airways closing down trumped babysitting me and I told her that. “OK, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

But she wouldn’t. When the two of them rushed away, that same deadly stillness settled back over me like an oppressive weight. I pushed through it, walking quickly towards the kitchen, not really feeling like I could take a breath until I got to the doorway.

Only to find I wasn’t alone.

“Stay here.” Mary’s terse tone was familiar. It was the panicked one mothers used when they were terrified for their kids but needed their compliance. She gestured to the space under the workbench. “We’re playing hide-and-seek and you need to hide here.”

“Won’t Dad be able to find us?” Scott asked in a wavering voice, but he pulled his little brother closer.

“Not if you stay in here. He can’t get to you if you stay in the kitchen. Just wait until Imogen arrives. She’ll look after you and make you some more pancakes, OK?”

My heart clenched in my chest as I saw her blink back tears, Scott’s face way too pale.

“But what about you, Mum? What about you?”

“I’m just going to talk to your father.”

She was trying to be strong, I could hear it in her tone, but if I heard the moment when her nerve failed, so did her son.

“No, Mum!”

His hand shot out, grabbing at her pants, but she was forced to brush him off.

“Not for long. I’ll be right back, I promise. Just stay here and?—”

“We’ll make pancakes?” I stepped forward, and their focus shifted abruptly to me. “You got it. Scotty, can you go into the pantry and find some flour for me?”

Chapter 68

Imogen

“What the hell are you doing?” I hissed at Mary as soon as the kids left the room.

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