Page 63 of The Keeper

“Da-da-da!” she exclaimed, her wobbly but determined steps echoing off the hardwood.

It was a twisted ankle waiting to happen, but I was more concerned with the scarf.

“I see. Come here, princess,” I said, kneeling to tie it around her shoulders like a cape. “Your head’s still healing. Let’s try to get through the day without a visit to the ER. Can you do that for Daddy?”

She patted my arm before toddling back toward her bedroom, clearly unbothered that her foot kept slipping in and out of the shoe.

I chuckled and went into the closet for more hangers.

As I hung up the last of Piper’s shirts, the chirp of the front doorsensor sliced through the quiet morning. My blood ran cold because I had Piper’s SUV, and Nikki would have knocked first.

I bolted down the hall, sidearm already in hand and my heart thrashing in my ears. Rounding the corner into the living room, I skidded to a stop to avoid colliding with Nails, the Dallas chapter president. An uncontrollable shudder swept through my entire body when I registered the figure leaning against his side.

“What the fuck happened?” I asked, shaking my head as I took in the bruises on Piper’s face and neck. “Who did this to her?”

Nails subtly positioned his body in front of hers before nodding to my sidearm. “You wanna put that away first?”

Fuck.

I holstered my weapon and forced myself to take a deep breath before reaching for Piper. She stumbled into my arms, her eyes glassy and unfocused with shock. I caught her gently, cradling her trembling body against my chest.

“Jesus Christ,” I breathed, gently tipping her face up toward mine. “Baby, can you tell me what happened?”

Her bottom lip quivered as she opened her mouth to speak, managing little more than a choked sob.

“Two men hit the bakery this morning,” Nails explained in a low voice. “Said they wanted to send a message to Ghost and Silent Phoenix through his Ol’ Lady.”

My jaw clenched so hard I thought my molars might crack. “And where are they now?”

“One’s dead, and my crew’s hunting the other.”

“A-ma owie?” Avery’s small voice cut through the tension. She stood in the hallway, still wearing Piper’s shoe and staring wide-eyed at her battered mother’s face.

“Hey, princess. Mama’s okay,” I lied, forcing my mouth into what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “Why don’t you go with GiGi for a little bit?”

Nikki stepped forward, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Come on, sweetheart. You can help me feed Mr. Fish.”

Avery hesitated, her little brow furrowed as she looked between me and Piper. I nodded encouragingly, and she finally made her way over to Nikki.

“She can stay with me as long as you need. Until things…settle,” Nikki said, distracting our daughter with a list of things they were going to do as she carried her out.

“Nuh-no, owie?” Avery asked, peering back at us over her grandmother’s shoulder.

Nails squeezed my shoulder. “I’ll be at Nik’s, making calls to your chapter as well as the Tulsa crew. Might reach out to Carnage too, see if he and Jimmy can’t help us track down this other guy.”

I nodded, waiting until the front door clicked shut behind them before leading Piper to the couch and easing her down onto the cushions. Her entire body shook violently, teeth chattering together noisily. She looked so small, so fragile—nothing like the woman I’d dropped off at work hours ago.

“Don’t leave,” she whispered when I turned away.

“Just grabbing a blanket to warm you up,” I said, draping the soft throw over her shoulders. It was a piss-poor attempt at protection after what she’d endured, but it was all I could offer at the moment.

I carefully examined the swelling on her cheek, my hands trembling with the need to shed blood. Piper flinched at my touch, and a soft cry spilled past her lips, the sound gutting me.

“Sorry,” I said, carefully brushing away the tears leaking from her eyes with the pads of my thumbs. It was a foreign feeling, this mix of impotence and protective fury.

Things between us had been shit for the past week, ever since I found the note in her purse. It seemed like such a small thing now, in light of what had happened. None of that mattered anymore. All I wanted was to put her back together and make the bastards responsible pay.

My mind raced with vivid scenarios of vengeance, each one more gruesome and satisfying than the last. Images of bloodied faces and broken bodies played out like a horror movie in my head. I could almost hear their agonized screams and pleas for mercy.

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