Page 3 of Bond

“What I didn’t know was that they’d done the same to her. They threatened me if she didn’t marry the youngest brother. She was twenty-one at the time. She married him, and her life has been hell ever since then. The only thing she had a say in was whether or not she had children, and then he messed with her birth control. Daisy is a blessing, but I can’t have my girls getting pulled in anymore to their gang.

“And they will be now that her husband has been killed; they’ll want Rochelle brought in. I’ve managed to keep her and Daisy at mine, saying that she was grieving and that she needed help as it’s not been long since she had the baby. Not that any of that istrue; she’s not grieving—we both breathed a sigh of relief when he was killed in a deal gone wrong, and she’s a natural mother.

“I only have a few months, if not weeks, left to live, and I need to know my girls are somewhere safe. I’m begging you to please take them with you. I’ve got money; you can have it all.” Tears were running down his cheeks as he looks beseechingly at me.

“I don’t want your money, Joe; that should go to Rochelle and her daughter. First, tell me about this gang. Why did they want your warehouse?”

“They’re called the Black Mambas, and they’ve been running drugs through the city for years. They wanted to use my shipments because my trucks move easily between bordering countries when I buy stock. Nobody bothers my trucks at the borders.

“They built false floors into the storage area of the trucks, and once the pallets of spares are over them, nobody bothers to check them. It was easy for them. It’s mostly cannabis and heroin that they run through their nightclubs, and of course, they make money off the girls they run. I know in my heart of hearts that if they get hold of my girls, that will be their fate.”

He probably wasn’t wrong; it’s how it seemed to work worldwide. On every continent and in every country I’d ever been to, there was always someone who profited off someone else. I should know; my childhood wasn’t far off what he was describing, except I had a father who didn’t give a shit and a mother who sold herself to pay for her fix. My blood turns cold thinking of Rochelle being used in that way. No matter what, I’d ensure that she didn’t suffer that fate, even if I had to ship her off to the UK to ensure she was safe.

Patting his hand, I stand up, “Let me call Bull and see what he has to say. I’ll do whatever I can to ensure that your girls are safe.”

He starts to sob. I hated to see such a strong man broken. “Thank you,” he whispers.

Taking my phone from my pocket, I find Bull’s contact details and, putting the phone to my ear, I wait as it rings until he answers.

“What’s up, Bond?”

I wasn’t sure how I was going to ask for this favour, “It seems like I have a bit of a situation here, Pres.”

There was silence from the other end of the line, then Bull tells me, “Hang on, I’m with Rogue. I’m going to put you on speaker.”

“Okay,” I reply, waiting for him to give me the go-ahead.

“You’re on speaker, Bond, go ahead,” Bull advises.

Taking a deep breath, I tell him and Rogue what has happened since I’d arrived in town and Joe’s request.

They were both silent when I finished.

“Is this the girl you asked Noni to check on?” Rogue wants to know.

“Yeah,” I reply.

“And she’s the reason that you haven’t been doing the runs for the last year?” Bull questions.

Gripping the back of my neck, I pull at the tension that is building. “Yes.”

“Is she yours?” Rogue asks, curiosity in his tone.

I’d never lie to them or myself; they needed to know everything, “She is, but she was married, so I stayed away.”

The two of them were silent again before Bull asked, “Was married? Meaning she no longer is. Are you going to make her your Old Lady?”

“I don’t know,” I reply honestly. “I’d love to ask her to be my Old Lady, but she was forced into her marriage; it doesn’t seem fair to ask her to become an Old Lady just for protection. If that’s the only way to protect her, then I’ll offer to get her out of the country instead. I never want her to be forced into a position again.”

“I’ll do it,” a soft voice says from behind me. Turning around on my heel, I swallow at my first sight of her in nearly a year. She’s as gorgeous today as she was all those months ago. Today she’s dressed in a pair of black cargo pants, a floral flowing tank top and the same boots from a year ago, her curls held off her face in a high ponytail. The only difference is instead of a clipboard, she’s cradling a tiny baby in her arms, and by tiny, I mean tiny.

“What?” I question, shocked surprise in my voice. I’d been so focused on letting Bull and Rogue know what was going on that I hadn’t heard her come in.

“I’ll do it,” she replies in a louder voice. “If becoming your Old Lady or marrying you means my daughter is safe, then I’ll do what I have to. I can’t protect her by myself, and I don’t want to leave Zambia. My life, such as it is, is here. It won’t be the first time I’ve had to do what I can to keep my family safe, but I’m hoping you’ll be kinder than the last man.”

My heart clenched at her words; that she’d suffered to do what she thought was right was no surprise to me. She had the bearing of someone who was strong and would do what it took to survive in this life.

“Bond?” Bull prompts. “Is that her?”

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