Page 42 of Dancin' with Demons

Catacomb turns around, glancin’ at me briefly before turnin’ his shocked expression on my woman. “Raylynn? That true?”

Raylynn stands taller, adjustin’ Savior on her hip. “Damn right it is.” I’m slightly more worried as Raylynn’s jaw ticks the way mine does when I’m so angry I go postal on people.

“Mind explainin’?” Catacomb says, and it’s obvious he’s tryin’ to make sure the situation doesn’t explode again. Either that, or he’s worried Raylynn might hit him, too.

My woman takes a deep breath. “Savior, sweetheart, turn around and show Catacomb and Renegade.” Savior squeezes her mother’s shoulders and shakes her head. Raylynn takes another patient breath. “Sweetheart, you have to, okay? When we’re done, we’ll go out for a while, get some fresh air. I promise.”

Every eye is on my little one as she sits up with a sniffle. Raylynn readjusts again as Savior turns her body toward us. The growl that rips out of my throat makes even my president step back a little when I turn my attention down the hall toward Kitty, who shrinks back, her eyes wide and full of fear. “You put your hands on my little girl?” The side of Savior’s face is covered in a large, deep red handprint, which means Kitty swung on that kid hard.

“Since when do we tolerate whore’s hittin’ anyone here, let alone a kid?” Sandra’s voice comes from behind me and is oozin’ malice and anger.

I can’t focus on anythin’ except how bad I want to rin’ this fuckin’ whore’s neck, and I’ve never put my hands on a woman like that before in my life, but no one gets away with touchin’ Savior. As soon as I step forward, Catacomb steps in front of me, puttin’ his hand against my chest, and someone comes from behind me and slides their arms around my waist. Instead of stoppin’, I take another step, respectively pushin’ and pullin’ each of ‘em with me.

“Don’t do it, brother,” Reaper says through gritted teeth in my ear. “Not with the kid watchin’.”

Stoppin’, I stand straight. Kitty is fuckin’ lucky, and I mean she should go thank fuckin’ God kind of lucky. Catacomb drops his hand and Reaper undoes his arms from my waist as I stand with a deep breath. Pointin’ down the hall, right at Kitty’s face, I crack my neck. “You better count your lucky fuckin’ stars, bitch.” Turnin’ around, I step around Reaper and back in front of my woman. Without askin’, I take Savior, and this time she comes to me, huggin’ my neck as she puts her head on my shoulder.

Reaper opens my bedroom door and I put my free arm around Raylynn, leadin’ her back into our room. As Raylynn sits on the couch and reaches her arms up to take Savior, I shake my head. Bouncin’ back and forth on my feet as I rub her back, I kiss the side of Savior’s head and hold her tight. “I’m so sorry, little one.”

She sniffles against my shoulder. “All I did was tell her what you said.” Her voice is so low and broken that I think my heart loses a few pieces.

The door clicks and I turn to find Catacomb and Archangel standin’ in the room, too. Catacomb nods at Savior.

“What do you mean, sweetheart?”

Savior sits up and I swear, the little tears on her cheeks make me feel like I’m fuckin’ dyin’. If this is what bein’ a parent is like all the time, I can’t fuckin’ understand how any make it through to the teenage years. “That lady told Mommy you didn’t really love us. She was yellin’. I said that’s a lie. You said you’d always take care of us. Then she hit me, so Mommy hit her.”

Catacomb’s face betrays him, showin’ the anger he’s holdin’. “Arch, tell Recoil and Jester to take that bitch to the stables. Put Joshua on first watch.”

“You got it,” Archangel says before steppin’ forward and restin’ his hand on Savior’s back. “Hey, Princess. How about when I’m done, I go grab you a milkshake, huh?”

Savior shyly looks at me and I nod, so she does, too. “Chocolate, please.”

Archangel tweaks her nose gently with a smile. “You got it.”

Catacomb steps to the side and lets my VP leave. Once the door closest, Reaper clears his throat. “Don’t mean to be out of line, Prez, but if she gets away with this, it sets a real bad precedent for anyone that brings a kid into this club.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Phoenix,” Savior says from my arms, hangin’ her head.

Before anyone else can say anythin’, Catacomb steps up and pulls Savior from my arms, holdin’ her to him like I just was. “Hey, now. You didn’t do anythin’ wrong, princess. Okay? You have nothin’ to be sorry for, and I’ll deal with the lady that hit you. I promise, that will never happen again. Not with her, and not with anyone else, okay?”

“Okay,” Savior whispers before throwin’ her arms around Catacomb’s neck.

For a moment, Catacomb closes his eyes and squeeze my kid against, then bends and sets her feet on the floor. Savior turns and trots down to her room and disappears. A second later, the low echo from her television filters down the hallways.

“How about when you’re indisposed, I keep an eye on your family, brother?” Reaper puts his hand on my shoulder.

I finally look at him and nod. “I’d appreciate that, brother.”

“I’m sorry,” Raylynn snaps, and when my gaze meets her, I realize her anger hasn’t lessened at all, “but mind tellin’ me who the fuck he is before you agree for anyone bein’ near me and my daughter?”

Reaper turns toward my woman and holds his hand out. “Reaper. Glad to finally put a face to the legend, Raylynn.”

Raylynn’s face falls a little, her chest risin’ slow with her deep breath, and the mama bear in her backs down some. “Hi. Sorry for snappin’ at you. Listen, maybe it’s best if Savior and I don’t stay. I—”

“No, no, no,” I say movin’ past Reaper and sittin’ in front of Raylynn, panic chokin’ me, “we agreed, no runnin’, Raylynn.”

Her eyebrows come together as she bulks at my panicked ramblin’. “Whoa, Ren, no, I meant that maybe we should go stay at your house instead of the clubhouse.”

---