Page 55 of Tyrant

Lark rushes around to my door. I should be shielding her, not the other way around, but she slips her hand into mine and leans in, to whisper in my ear so close that I catch the honey summer scent of her. Flowers, even so far removed from them.

“I love you so much, Gray. Does it numb some of the pain being back here?”

I nod.All of it.The agony of pain that’s been a part of me for days now feels like it’s lifted. I might only have vision out of one eye at the moment since the other is too swollen and hazy to be much good, but there’s something about being back in the embrace of my club and my woman, that makes it all clear. I wrap an arm around Lark and lead her inside. The heavy curtain of grief is wrenched away. It’s time for the main act and it starts right now with me seeing my daughter.

“We sat with you when you were sleeping,” Lark whispers beside me as we walk through the heavy steel door, Raiden and Gunner following behind us, our boots echoing in the darkened entryway. She already told me this earlier, while we were waiting for our ride to arrive. “She knows all about you. She’s ready.” My arm snugs around her a little bit tighter. I’m not willing to let her go. I couldn’t stop touching her if I wanted to. There’s a new desperation there for me, knowing by rights I should be underground.

There’s another metal door, always locked with a keypad. We change the codes every week and we each have a personal one for our own rooms.

“Eight, one, four, nine, eight, six.” Gunner gives it and I punch in the numbers.

I crack the door, loud as thunder. The main room is empty, which makes sense with all the brothers on duty, running surveillance at our properties, and already assembled for church. It’s disquieting not to see any of those big men lounging on the couches and chairs in here, the TV on, pool balls cracking together. There’s no insults, no jokes, no loud conversation. No smoke hanging in the air and no whiskey to balance it all out.

“Take your time,” Raiden repeats, but I reach out and clap a hand on his shoulder before he can leave to trace Gunner’s path down the hall to the large room where we hold all our club meetings.

“Would you join us?” Lark asks. The way she looks at her brother makes it impossible for him to say no.

“This is a family moment.” He tries to deny her, but gets no traction.

“Perfect. You’re my brotherandGray’s. Dad’s going to be there. Before you do your church, this is for us.Please.” Lark reaches for Raiden’s hand, holding onto both of us.

“Can you assemble all the men?” I ask roughly. It’s the first thing I’ve said since we left Archer’s. “Not just the officers.”

Raiden’s surprise is clear. “I can make it happen, but I’m going to have to talk to Reaper and Wizard about it. Someone needs to watch the cameras, but we could conference him in with a phone. It’s not normal protocol, but facing down a war, I agreethat every single man needs to be there hearing what their future is going to be. They should all have a say.”

I’ve always known that Raiden is capable of this kind of leadership and my heart is full to bursting. If my brothers still want me to lead them, will Raiden finally stand by my side officially? He’s filled in as VP for the last few days and I know that undoubtedly, he was made for it. He’s not just intelligent on paper. He’s got an intrinsic way with people that gets men to listen and follow.

“I’ll go talk to them now. I’ll join you shortly.”

It’s just Lark and me, side by side, her hand latched firmly in mine. She puts in the code for the door. It’s one of our bigger rooms, at the end of the hall in the wing we use for guests. When this place was converted, it was built with everything from emergencies to daily living in mind. Lately, it’s been good and when the club thrives, I’ve made sure we all thrive. We’ve made so much money with our businesses, both legal and not so, that every brother has a property in Hart, whether they’re single or have a family.

As soon as we enter, Henry gets to his feet. He’s on the leather couch with Penny tucked beside him. Her hair is combed into braids. She drops the book she was looking over with her grandpa and stares at me instead. For a kid, she has a wicked poker face. I can’t tell what she’s thinking.

I’m not sure what I expected with Henry either, but it wasn’t a hard clap on the shoulder and a nod as he leaves us in private.

Lark’s fingers sweep up my arm. “Dad’s just respecting our time right now. He’s not… he’s not how he used to be. He doesn’t disapprove of you.”

She sits down on the couch beside Penny. “Hey, sweetheart, we’re back. I know it’s a lot and it’s been really overwhelming, but do you remember what I told you about your dad?”

Never have a stare down with this kid. She hasn’t so much as blinked. I’m proud as can be, knowing my daughter is tough. She’s not going to give in and run to me or let me into her life as her daddy. That’s something I have to earn from her. I’m just a stranger with a title right now.

Penny looks at her mom. I watch her eyelashes, like little black wings, flutter up and down as she finally blinks. “Are the bad men gone now?”

Lark sucks in a breath. “Not yet, honey, but hopefully soon. Everyone will get to come home pretty quick. Your dad and the rest of the men from the club will make some decisions about what’s going to happen, but whatever they decide, we’re absolutely safe here. You have nothing to be afraid of.”

It’s my daughter’s eyes that I first found so striking. I’m having trouble breathing as it is, but when she gets off the couch and walks over, hands on her hips and looks up at me, a gasp escapes that probably scares her. She doesn’t flinch. Four years old and a sassy little MC princess in training. My heart swells with love for my little girl.

“Mom says that you got hurt.”

All I can do is nod.

If I’d died that night, it wouldn’t have been from the fuckery my father and his band of cunts performed. It would have been from watching Lark’s heart breaking, savage and fierce as she held our daughter to her, spitting like a feraldemon even though she was wild eyed and scared. I should have protected her better. Should have kept all of Hart and my brothers safe. I failed her and I failed all of them.

“Can you bend down?”

I’d do anything this girl asked me to do. Give up my life to protect her in a second, but hopefully live to watch her grow up. As pretty as she is already, growing up a biker princess, she’s going to need her dad and all his fearsome brothers around to bash in the heads of any fucker who is stupid enough to think he could ever hurt her. Or look at her. Or get within a hundred feet of her.

One little hand lands on my jaw, so very carefully.

---