Page 29 of Torching Vixen
“Dad, usually I can follow what you are saying, but today your words are going in one ear and right out the other,” I tell him, tilting my head to make eye contact with him.
“Son, you walked through that front door not even twenty-four hours ago after being held in a fucking cage for weeks. You have several broken ribs, a concussion, and several contused organs. Yet, you sit in that chair, trying to figure out how to get your piece of these assholes without a single argument or complaint. That shows me that you are ready to lead because you’ll do everything in your power to keep things going and keep your men strong,” Dad states.
“I’m not ready,” I say and feel the cold clutches of panic start to wrap around my heart.
“You’re ready, and son, I’m ready. I’m ready to spend more time with your mother and that grandbaby that we have on the way,” Dad retorts.
When my brain finally latches onto his words, I sit bolt upright in my chair. Vix is pregnant. We’re going to have a baby. I’m damn sure I’m not ready to be a dad. Is it going to be a baby girl just like my sassy ass woman or a rowdy little mini-me to terrorize all the men? That’s when the black spots appear in front of my eyes, and I realize I’m holding my breath.
“Breathe, son, breathe!” Dad says, squatting down in front of me.
“She’s pregnant, Dad. I’m one hundred percent sure that the baby isn’t mine, but itismine. I can’t be a dad. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing,” I say, feeling the panic gripping me again for a whole different reason.
“First of all, does it fucking matter if that baby is yours or not?” I shake my head because Vixen is mine, so that baby is mine. “Secondly, no one is ever ready to be a father, but you’ll be the best one that you can be. I mean, shit, look at who your father was,” he retorts, placing his forehead to mine like we did when I was younger.
“Oh, you think you were all that? I can remember when you let me fall off this very table, and I broke my arm,” I say, leaning back laughing for about two seconds before I groan in pain. “Fuck, that hurts, asshole. Don’t make me laugh,” I emphatically state while breathing as shallowly as possible. I know there’s nothing to be done about the ribs, but fuck, they hurt with every little movement.
“Now, let’s go find that momma and woman of yours,” he says, pulling me to my feet.
When we walk out into the main room, I look around but don’t see Mom or my woman. We go into the kitchen and find Mom at the counter with some of the club girls, making what looks like enough food for an army. We walk over, and Dad wraps his arms around her from behind, kissing the back of her neck, making her smile so bright she could light up the darkest soul.
“Hey, Ma, have you seen Vixen?” I ask, looking around. She was going to sit outside for a bit, but I figured she’d have come inside by now. With the Georgia heat, there is no way she’d still be outside after this long.
“Not in a while. Last I saw her, she was headed out back after Ox’s ex came by, causing a scene. You can check with Lo, I know she was headed to her room.” Ma says, trying to hide the look of concern on her face.
I give her a nod and turn to find her. I check the main room again and check our room to see if she decided to take a nap like she had said she might. When I don’t find her, I knock on Lo’s door. After a few moments, Lo pulls the door open, not looking happy at all.
“Hey Lo, is Vixen in there with you?” I ask her.
“Not since I came to lay down about an hour and a half ago,” she tells me. The large ball of fear and panic starts to feel my gut.
“Did she say where she was going?”
“She said she was going outside for a walk and some fresh air.” The words don’t fully leave her mouth before I’m running down the hall. Something is wrong. My gut is screaming, and up to this point, it’s never let me down.
I bust through the back door, looking around, not seeing my woman. “Vixen. Vix, baby, where are you?”
I pull my phone out, calling her, and follow the ringtone to the side of the clubhouse. It’s on the ground near where I left her.What the hell?With another glance, I walk to the guard shack where a prospect is sitting. Vixen wouldn’t have left the compound without telling someone and getting a shadow.
“Hey, did Vixen come through here?” The little shit is playing on his phone, not paying any attention to what is going on at all.
“No, sir. I haven’t seen her,” the kid says, looking shifty.
When he refuses to look me in the eye, I can tell he’s lying. I pull my phone out, texting Dad.
Me: Send Smith & Wesson to the guard shack with another prospect.
Prez: Care to share?
Me: I’ll explain when we get to the basement.
Prez: This better be good!
Me: Vixen
That one word was all it took. Smith and Wesson come out of the clubhouse with Charlie behind them.
“Hey, VP, is everything okay?” The little shit looks scared.
