Page 24 of Kade

Channing roared next to me. He’d seen his son as well. We tore over to them, but Max was not the one getting his ass handed to him. He was the one delivering the beatdown, raining hit after hit on the guy. The other kid was trying to dodge and block, but it didn’t matter. Max herded him into a corner with the guy’s back against a shed. He reached over, took hold of the guy’s arm, and held it aside as he delivered a barrage of clean hits straight to his head.

I winced at one particular punch, almost hearing the guy’s nose break.

“Okay.” Channing waded in, grabbing his son and yanking him backward. He swung him clear. Max didn’t register it, still trying to kick at the guy. He landed one last blow before Channing had totally removed him. The guy folded, collapsing to the ground.

“Let me go—” Max screamed.

I winced. Whatever had happened, Max was in a feral place. He wasn’t thinking clearly. He was somewhere else, in fight-or-flight mode. There was a haze over his eyes, his pupils dilated but fierce.

I stepped between the two groups, a hand stretched toward Maddy. She’d stopped fighting as soon as she saw us.

Her eyes were wild. There was fear in there too.

What the fuck happened?

“Max! Stop.” Channing growled.

I turned back.

Max had gotten free. He was scrambling back to the guy, who was barely conscious. His friends knelt beside him to check on him, and one fell on his ass, trying to get away from Max. I began to head for him, but a hand caught my arm.

Matteo jerked his chin in Maddy’s direction and I got his meaning. I needed to focus on my daughter. I dipped my head in a quick response.

He moved in and reached for one of Max’s arms. Channing wrapped an entire arm around his son’s middle and stood, lifting him. He began to carry him clear all over again.

“Boss.” Moose’s deep baritone cut through the fray. “Let us.”

He and Congo were there.

Matteo shifted out of the way so both Moose and Congo took hold of Max, who was still scrambling to get free.

“Max!” Channing got in his face. He blocked his view. Once Max couldn’t see the guy anymore, he blinked rapidly, seeming to come back to himself.

“Dad?” he choked out.

I inwardly flinched. That was the voice of a little boy.

Where had Max gone to just now?

“Dad,” Maddy whimpered, pulling my attention back to her. She was reaching for me, and I caught her hand. Yanking her into my arms, I held her tight to my chest. She was fine. She was whole. I had her. No one was going to get to her.

Logan stalked forward. “What the fuck just happened?”

Boots moved over the pavement. The sound of rocks sliding over the cement came from behind us. A few of the bikers had trailed us. One cursed under his breath before slipping away. I had a feeling he was going to get Stripes.

We needed to know what happened before he showed up.

“Start talking. Now.” I seared the two elitists with a glare before turning to my daughter. She was trembling and blinking rapidly like Max had before.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Both seemed still slightly in shock.

She looked almost identical to Sam at her age, but while she had Sam’s kindness, everything else inside of my daughter was me. She was a female version of myself, so I knew what was coming next.

Whatever had happened, it had happened fast, and it was all coming to her now. She was processing. As the shock began to seep away, indignant rage swiftly replaced it.

“Mase.” Logan was seeing the same thing.

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