Page 67 of Wizard's Spitfire

“Doc and Nay have him. They’re on their way to the hospital.”

I look the girls over. They don’t have a scratch on them. Ace’s face is bruising and I haven’t seen Flea yet. Charlie will see us as soon as we step out of the lockers.

Chapter 45

Charlie

From the time I spot the guys on campus until I see my girls are safe only takes about ten minutes. It’s the longest ten minutes of my life. I about freaking lose my mind when they go into the locker room. For obvious reasons, there are no cameras in the locker rooms.

“They’re safe, Charlie,” Bug says, startling me.

I was so focused on watching the scene I’d forgotten he was in Wizard’s room, the command center, with me.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he adds.

“Sorry. I hate to admit this, but I was so engrossed watching the feed I forgot I wasn’t alone in the room.”

“That’s understandable. Four people you love with all your heart lives were in potential danger. I’d have been focused on watching the events, too.”

My body starts to shake, tears stream down my face, as a sense of relief washes over me. My phone rings. I look at it. It’s Ma. Fuck! I forgot to call her and Pops. I answer the phone.

“They’re okay. Wizard has them.”

‘Oh, thank God. I just saw shots fired on the news.”

“Sorry, Ma. It all unfolded so fast.”

A text came in.

School wants to send

the girls to the ED.

??

“Ma, Wizard sent me a text. The school insisted the girls get looked at. They’re taking them to the emergency room. Come to the clubhouse. We can go together.”

“Pops and I are on our way.”

Wizard

HOURS LATER, WE’REsitting in Gambit's living room with Charlie and her entire family. My family. Papa, Nay, Bug, and Doc are here as well. The prospects just dropped off a ton of pizza, breadsticks and salad. Charlie and Stormy insisted the kids have vegetables.

After we eat, the ladies settle the younger kids in the media room with a movie. Genni and Teagan agreed to monitor the younger kids while the rest of us processed the day.

I take a long pull from my beer while we wait for the kids to become engrossed in their movie.

Crab is propped up on the couch. He has a nasty bump on his head, a mild concussion, and a bullet graze to his left arm. Stormy fluffs the pillows behind him and brings him a soda.

“Mom, I’m alright, stop fussing.”

I watch Stormy’s face light’s up when he calls her ‘mom.’ Crab, Bastian, recently turned eighteen. Stormy and Gambit adopted him and his siblings when he was sixteen. To say the kid had a rough life before would be an understatement. The kids' mother disappeared after the twins were born. Bastian was eleven. His father, a no-good son of a bitch, was completely worthless. Bastian took on the role of mother and father to his four younger siblings at that tender age.

Charlie, the girls, Regina, Pops, and I are all sitting on the sectional in Gambit’s enormous living room.

“Are you girls ready to talk about today?” Gambit asks gently.

They nod their head. Valentina speaks first.