Page 38 of Haunted By the Storm
I shake my head, content to watch, but Eda nudges me forward. "Go on. It's a party. Live a little."
With a resigned sigh, I set down my drink and join the children on the makeshift dance floor. Emily beams as I twirl her around, her laughter a bright counterpoint to the thumping music. Soon, other adults join us: Effie and Mayhem, Eda and Ace, even Cruz, who demonstrates surprising rhythm for such a large man.
I'm so caught up in the joy of seeing Emily happy, of feeling almost normal for the first time in weeks, that I don't immediately notice the shift in atmosphere. But suddenly, the music seems too loud, the laughter too forced, the lights too bright. Tension ripples through the room, starting at the entrance and spreading like a wave.
I turn toward the door and my heart stops.
Eric is standing in the doorway, flanked by two men I've never seen before. His face is bruised, and there’s a healing split in his lip, but his eyes are clear and focused. On me.
The music cuts abruptly, plunging the room into tense silence. I reach for Emily, pulling her close to my side, my pulse pounding in my ears.
"Get the kids out," Ace commands, his voice carrying across the room without being raised.
Eda and Effie spring into action, gathering the children and herding them toward the back of the clubhouse. Emily clings to me, sensing the danger despite not understanding its source.
"Mom?" she whispers, fear creeping into her voice.
"It's okay, baby," I assure her, though I'm far from certain of that myself. "Go with Eda. I'll be right there."
She hesitates, looking between me and the strangers at the door. "Promise?"
"I promise," I say, putting every ounce of conviction I can muster into the words. "Now go."
Once she's safely out of sight, I turn back to face Eric, my fear morphing into anger. How dare he come here, to this place where we've found safety, where Emily is finally starting to feel secure.
The brothers have formed a loose semi-circle, creating a barrier between us. Storm moves to stand directly in front of me, his posture relaxed but alert, like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike.
"You've got about ten seconds to explain why you're breathing my air," Ace says to Eric, his voice deceptively calm.
Eric steps forward, hands raised in a placating gesture. His companions remain by the door, tense and watchful. "I'm not here to cause trouble. I just want to talk to Camryn."
"Not happening," Storm says flatly.
"This is between me and her," Eric insists, his gaze fixed on me over Storm's shoulder. "Come on, Cam. Five minutes. That's all I'm asking."
"She's not interested," Storm replies before I can respond. "Neither am I. So turn around and walk out while you still can."
"I've got rights," Eric says, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice. "She's kept my daughter from me for eight years. Eight years! I deserve a chance to know her."
"You lost any right to call her your daughter the night you forced yourself on a sixteen-year-old girl," Storm growls, taking a step forward. "Now get out before I decide to finish what I started in that alley."
Eric's face pales slightly at the reference, but he stands his ground. "This isn't over. Cantlay wants his money, and if I don't get it from her, he'll come for her himself."
The temperature in the room seems to drop several degrees. Storm's back stiffens, and I can feel the tension radiating from him even from behind.
"You threatening her in my clubhouse?" Ace asks, his voice dangerously soft. "Because that sounds like a real bad idea to me."
One of Eric's companions, a tall man with a scar running down his cheek, steps forward. "Mr. Cantlay doesn't appreciate people interfering in his business. The debt needs to be paid. One way or another."
"You tell Cantlay," Storm says, moving with a speed that belies his size, until he's toe-to-toe with the scarred man, "that Camryn is under my protection. Under the Fury Vipers' protection. Any problem he has with Eric is between them. He comes near her or her daughter, and it becomes our problem. And trust me, he doesn't want that."
The man doesn't back down, but I see a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "Cantlay doesn't take threats lightly."
"Neither do we," Storm replies, his voice a low rumble that sends shivers down my spine. "Now get out. All of you. Before this becomes something you can't walk away from."
For a tense moment, I think Eric and his companions might actually be stupid enough to push the issue, but then the scarred man nods slightly, touching Eric's shoulder.
"This isn't the time or place," he murmurs.
