Page 28 of Bond

“Fuck,” Bull groans, wiping his hand tiredly down his face, “don’t blow yourselves up for Christ’s sake.”

“Don’t worry, Pres,” Cairo claps his hand on Bull’s shoulder as we leave. “You know Bond and I live for all things that go kaboom.”

He claps his hands together before throwing them up in the air to show a bomb going off. Laughing at the look on Bull’s face, he walks out, and I can’t help but smile as I follow him. He’s not wrong; both of us do love our bombs.

The usual three-hour drive to the city was cut in half, with it being the middle of the night and there not being any traffic on the road to contend with. That, and the fact that we were on our bikes, meant we could travel faster than we would in a vehicle. We split up as soon as we got to the city. We each had our targets and knew where they were. After setting the last bomb, I got back on my bike and headed back to our rendezvous spot to meet up with Cairo.

We’d been in the city for just over an hour, and we were already on our way back home. The sky was just starting to lighten as we drove towards it. As the sun started to slowly rise in the sky, I couldn’t help but grin as I watched the first explosion in my wing mirror. We’d hit almost all their warehouses that held their stock. Rochelle had given their locations to us during the first Church meeting, and we’d had people watching them. Considering how much stock they held and the monetary value of that stock, the guards they’d had on them were shit. It hadn’t been hard to get around them. I’d been hoping to at least have one of them stop me. Cairo hadn’t had any issues either. A few of the properties he’d been to hadn’t had any guards at all; the one that did have a guard was so busy with a lady that Cairo found it easy to slip past.

“They’re going to be pissed, brother,” Cairo shouts over to me.

“I know,” I acknowledge. “Come on, let’s get home so that we can help Noni get her guests moved and the town shut down.” Opening up my bike, I relaxed as I flew down the road and the air flowed past, relaxing me. Even with the threat hanging over us, there was nothing quite like riding with a brother on an open road to blow your worries away. Even if it’s only for a little while.

CHAPTER 13

ROCHELLE

Bond leaves us. Picking up my handgun, I put Daisy back in her cot and checked the house. Everything is as it should be. Seeing a light on in Noni’s house and knowing that I’m not going to settle anytime soon, I get dressed, pack Daisy up, thanking my lucky stars that she’s such a good sleeper and an easy baby. Walking over to Noni’s door, I knock, “Who’s there?” Noni calls out.

“It’s Rochelle,” I answer her. “Can I come in?”

“Of course, give me a minute.”

It doesn’t take long for her to unlock and open the door for me to walk in. “I’m sorry to barge in,” I tell her. “I couldn’t settle.”

Noni waves her hand, “Don’t worry about it, hun. I’m not going to go back to sleep either. Come into the kitchen; you can put Daisy in Sam’s pram, and then you can help me sort out a list for organising things once the sun comes up. We’re going to move the guests to a friend’s hotel and the children with Julia and Grace.”

Guilt instantly fills me, ‘God, they’re rearranging their whole lives for me.’

“I’m so sorry, Noni,” I apologise as I follow her to the kitchen and put Daisy in the pram set up in the corner.

Noni waves her hand as if none of this is a big deal when I know that it’s a huge deal. “Don’t worry about it, Roch. The guys arepretty excited about shedding some blood. Plus, it’s been a little while since we’ve had some drama. We missed the drama with Navy and Gia because we were here.”

“What drama?” I ask curiously.

“Oh, girl, come sit and let me fill you in on the Crows and how they met their ones. It’s not all been plain sailing, let me tell you.”

That’s how I find out about the couples and how they met, and I have to say it settles me some when I realise they really do know what they’re doing and maybe I’d been part of the Black Mambas for so long that I couldn’t see them for what they are—a weak gang run by a weak leader who was so high most of the time that I’m not sure how he functions, especially as whoever pissed him off would get killed pretty quickly.

By the time the sun rose, Noni and I had a working list. I’d already made up my mind that I’d be staying because this was my fight too and I needed to take some of my independence back. Daisy would be going with Julia, though. I needed her to be safe and as far away from whatever was going to happen here as I could get her. And while Julia was a soft-hearted woman, I had a feeling that if someone threatened any of the children, a whole other woman would make herself known.

By mid-morning, with the help of Noni’s friends Ava and Marie, along with their husbands Drake and Sam, who’d helped, we’d ferried the guests to their hotel an hour away.

We were just waiting for Drake and Sam to return to help move all the children, Grace, and Julia. Rogue would be going with them, leaving the rest of us here.

Josie had said she couldn’t leave as she had a few animals that couldn’t be moved. She and Skinny were setting up at the vet’s office and barricading themselves in. The town had been warnedabout what was happening and were shutting up their shops and bolting the metal grates over the doors and windows.

I’d been surprised that there hadn’t been any pushback when it came to them losing business. I hadn’t realised quite how far the Black Mambas’ reign of terror had stretched, and it seemed most of them had been affected one way or another, and if they hadn’t, they knew someone who had.

I’d been relieved when Bond and Cairo had ridden back in half an hour ago; they’d both been filthy and tired. After a quick kiss, I’d sent him home to wash up because I knew that him being as filthy as he was would be bothering him. It didn’t take him long, and he was back to find out what the next steps were.

Julia and Rogue were getting ready to leave, and I was having a hard time letting go of Daisy. I knew I’d have to suck it up, but it was harder than I’d expected to let her go. We’d never been separated from the day she’d been born.

“Here,” I hand Julia the cool bag, “I’ve expressed as much as I can, but if you need to give her formula, there’s a tin in there as well as some bottles.” I bite my lip. I’m fighting hard against tears.

Julia wrapped her arms around me and Daisy, swaying us slightly. “I’ll look after her for you, Roch. She’ll be safe with me,” Julia assures me.

“Oh, I know that,” I answer. “I’m not worried about her safety; it’s just I’ve never been away from her.”

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