Page 33 of Fire

“I see your hunt was successful,” Hangman says as we jump out of the van.

“Damn straight.” I let out a whistle as I look around. “King’s right. No one is getting in or out of here easily,” I respond.

“We made this after the Feral Kings MC attack on the Savage Brothers. We saw how ill prepared we were. We wanted to make sure that the Feral crew—anyone really—couldn’t reach our families if they felt brave enough to try. This is all to protect our children and old ladies.”

“I like it. We have bunkers, shelters where they go on lockdown, but this would be a great safeguard to incorporate with that.”

We take Benny out of the back. He’s on a stretcher and I covered him with a sheet. I didn’t want to look at his face. Just his existence at this point is offensive to me. Grunt and Squirrely carry him as I walk along with them.

“Is he still alive?” Hangman asks, sounding confused.

“I’m not sure.” I move so that I’m right beside the stretcher. Then I bring my elbow down into what I assume is the area Benny’s gut would be. I hear him groan and then start to cough. Some splattering red color hits the sheet that’s covering him. Apparently, he’s still coughing up blood. “Seems like he’s still alive,” I answer with a shrug.

Hangman laughs. “It’s a month or so before Blade gets out and comes home. I think he would enjoy meeting you, Ford.”

“Tell him I’m open to strengthening our alliance any time. Just let me know when he gets out. You guys have done me a solid. I owe you a lot.”

Hangman waves it off. “No worries. The men enjoy putting scum like this away.”

I nod, but don’t say anything. Oddly enough, I don’t enjoy it at all. Still, this bastard deserves pain. Plus, I will not let him live after everything he’s done to Grace. I don’t want her to live in fear. Plus, she’s mine. After today, everyone will know what happens when you mess with what is mine.

Grunt and Squirrely let the stretcher fall and Benny cries out, sounding like a little girl.

“Want me to do this, Boss? It’d be my pleasure,” Grunt asks, but I shake my head.

“No, I got it. It’s my woman he touched.” Grunt just stands back, understanding at once. I pick Martelli up, throwing him over my shoulder. He’s not that heavy, and he hasn’t got the strength to fight with me. Besides, he knows his time is up. I walk over to the dog pin. They all come out of the kennels. They instantly begin growling. Hangman snaps out a word that I don’t understand. I think it might be German. The dogs immediately got quiet, sitting on their back haunches. They might be killers, but apparently, they are well trained. This is something I really need to check into. The idea is more and more appealing.

I fling Martelli’s body over into the lot. It doesn’t go very far, but then, it doesn’t need to. Instantly, the dogs begin growling, circling. I take a few steps back as Hangman issues another German word. This time I know what he’s saying. He’s telling the dogs to attack. Almost at once, there are six dogs surrounding Benny’s body. The bastard is crying out for mercy. Mercy is not something he will ever get from me.

I just stoically stand and watch. I stay and watch the carnage. I don’t flinch or take my eyes off the grizzly scene unfolding in front of me. I stay there until the final signs of life are gone. Then I take a deep breath. Grace will no longer have to worry about him. I can’t take away the past or even the last couple of days for her, but I can give her the reassurance that it’s never going to happen again.

I still have to deal with the Korslovas—and I plan on it—but this will go a long way to making her feel safe. That’s all I want for my woman. I need her to feel safe, loved, cared for, and protected. That will be my gift to her. I just need to get her to agree to let me. I tell my men I’ll get up with them tomorrow and then walk back into the clubhouse, to the room I’ve been staying in—or was until I moved into a hotel with Asher. I take a quick shower, put on some clothes that I left behind, and feel the weight of the past week slide off me. I head toward the hotel. I need to have Grace in my arms.

I just hope she agrees to stay there …

25

GRACE

I burrow down into my pillow as I let my fingers drift through Asher’s hair. I’m lying on the sofa in a huge suite inside the resort area of the Golden Hawk Casino. I was surprised when T brought me here, but I didn’t question him. I was just thankful that I was away from Benny. My poor baby had cried and held on to me so tight that it was almost painful. I was probably crying as much as he was. T—who I found out is Ford’s son-in-law—introduced me to his wife and Ford’s daughter, Lyla. She’s beautiful and was very sweet to me. She and Asher were doing dishes from a breakfast that, evidently, Asher helped her cook. He was really happy to see me. I could tell how worried he was about me, too. Still, it was surprising how happy and comfortable he feels here. My son also keeps talking about Ford. To hear Asher talk, the sun rises and sets on that man.

Currently, Asher is playing cards with Lyla and baby Tamsin is in a pack-n-play travel bed taking a nap. I’ve been able to relax a little bit. T and Lyla got me settled on the sofa and then T called a doctor to come look me over. The doctor checked me out and treated me. He went so far as to hook me to an IV to help flush the suspected drugs in my system, as well as gettingnutrition back into my system. The doctor said he was licensed, although he mostly just worked for Ford’s club. When I asked Lyla why Ford would have the doctor from his club drive here, she’d laughed. Then she informed me that her father had most of his club out here to help get me back. Next, she quite calmly let me know he had told her that he was in love. I’m not sure I can describe how that made me feel. I’m not sure what I expected, but knowing he told his daughter that he was in love with me took my breath.

I’m in more than a little pain. The doctor—which they nicknamed Sawbones—left me some pain medication, but I haven’t taken one yet. I wanted to be as present as possible for Asher. I needed time with him. I have been so worried about him, but seeing how good he’s been taken care of makes me want to just grab hold of Ford and never let him go. Which is crazy. Ford deserves much better than me.

He's everything I’d always dreamed of having in my life. I still can’t understand why Ford went to get Asher and kept him safe through this. Heck, I can’t understand why he came after me. The fact he did is something I’m still having trouble processing.

“Are you okay, Grace?”

I lift my gaze to look at Lyla and make myself smile at her. “I’m good,” I respond, still sifting my fingers through Asher’s hair. I have to touch him almost constantly right now to reassure myself we’re safe. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Everything is going to work out, you know,” Lyla responds. I give her a tight smile. There’s not much I can say to that. Nothing has ever just worked out in my life.

“It will, Mommy! Ford will take care of everything. He called in all his friends and they’re superheroes.”

A laugh bubbles up before I can stop it. “Superheroes?” I ask.

“Yeah. He promised they’d get you back and told me I had to stop crying because you wouldn’t like it, and he did it. You’re home now. They all brought you home to me, just like he said.”

---