Page 55 of Vengeful Mates

I leaned forward in my chair. “Poseidon sent the sea monster, Cetus, to destroy the coastal city to teach Andromeda’s mother a lesson for claiming a human was more beautiful than his creations.”

Mia pulled the cover up to her eyes. She needed to know that good always overcame evil.

“Don’t worry, Little Bird.” I tugged the quilt down. “This story has a happy ending.” And I didn’t want her to fret.

She let out a harsh exhale. “Phew.”

I let her catch her breath and went on, “Andromeda and the city were saved by the hero, Prince Perseus, who killed the sea monster with a special weapon.” I left out the part about using Medusa’s head and the snakes and turning the beast to stone, worried it might frighten her more.

Her shoulders relaxed and she sank back into the pillows.

I pretended to swing a sword and cut off the monster’s tentacles and stab it in the eye. “Andromeda married Perseus and became a queen. They lived a happy life and had many children.”

Mia’s fist cheered me on. “How did she become a star?”

“Best part of the story.” I smiled at her. “When she died, the goddess, Athena, rewarded the beautiful Queen Andromeda, placing her in the sky for her beauty to be admired forever.”

Mia clutched her toy. “I want to become a star when I die.”

I ruffled her messy hair. “Maybe one day, Little Bird.”

“I like that story.”

“Me, too.” I patted her hand. “Go to sleep, Little Bird. You’ve got school tomorrow. Then you’ve got to pack up your things afterward for the move this weekend.”

She rolled over and groaned, the quilt sliding down. “No more packing!”

I pulled the quilt up her shoulders and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Night, Little Bird.”

“Princess!” she corrected.

Fiery, like her mother. Why I adored them both with all my heart. “I’ll stand guard and fight off the monsters, princess.”

She murmured her appreciation. “Love you, Alaric.”

The words hit me in the chest like a bullet. She hadn’t said that before to any of her daddies. I was the first one to win her love. The one to make her feel safe and loved. Fuck, they were the best three words I heard since Aaliyah told me she loved me as well.

Heartened by her sentiment, I shifted Mia across the bed to the wall and settled in beside her, tucking her tiny head to my torso. “Love you too, princess.”

My hawk shrieked with delight, his nest almost complete. All it needed was a sibling for Mia.

***

Slade assembledfive men in the church room to discuss the plans for the third drop tonight. Brix, Pitbull, Benny, Dusty, and Chev. Drivers and rides for dummy truck two set to unveil the mole and rid the club of the cancer infecting it.

To avoid the rest of the club discovering the plan or blabbing about it, Slade ordered each team to meet at the clubhouse at separate times. No one was to say a word to the other brothers for plausible deniability if they got picked up by the cops.

Slade full well knew Brix would leak information, therefore, only trusted men were going with the real shipment to protect it. Dash’s men to get them up to speed, with Slade and me scouting. No more avatars along for the ride in case we all went down and left Aaliyah and Mia alone.

Nervous was an understatement. False charges laid against me for planted drugs were recently dropped, thanks to Castor and Aaliyah’s reckoning on the Bathurst Police. All that stress returned, bunching my muscles, throbbing in my forehead and behind my eyes, and I bounced my knee beneath the table. The price to pay to return to full-time duty.

Slade tested me to see if I had what it took to be his road captain. Yesterday, Aaliyah examined me and gave me a pass to return to full capacity, but that was only one piece of the puzzle. Everything else hinged on my performance tonight. Would I falter under the pressure? Or would I pass with flying colors? Tonight would tell.

“Got it?” Slade eyeballed every man with blades in his gaze, daring them to step out of line and meet his fist or gun.

“Yes, President!” Brix bellowed with a little too much enthusiasm, raising the hairs on my neck.

This was a big deal for him. Chief rider, responsible for delivery. An ego boost to a cockhead who coveted a leadership role. In the past, we didn’t take him on many of these rides because he had a habit of fucking around, being late, hung over, and unreliable. Tonight, he got a shot to show off his mettle and prove how big—or small—his balls were.

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