Page 64 of Dancin' with Demons

Both the young cops look terrified as the holster their guns without meetin’ Gage’s glare. Thankfully, they walk away without sayin’ shit. I on the other hand glance at the dog.

“Dog comes with us,” I snap before takin’ Raylynn’s hand and gently pullin’ her to follow me to my SUV. Once she’s in the front seat, she scoot to the middle, lettin’ Catacomb get in next to her. Archangel and Trickster get in the back again as I move around and pop the back hatch. Restin’ my hand on the top of the open hatch, I look down to the pitbull sittin’ at my feet. “In.”

He doesn’t have to be told twice, and hops into the back so I can close the hatch.

As I get in the front seat, Raylynn’s shakes vibrate the entire front seat. I go to put my arm around her, but Cat waves me off, instead puttin’ his arm around my woman and pullin’ her against him. “Drive. I got her until you can focus on just her.”

As I pull onto the main road, my phone rings. Pullin’ it from my pocket, Joshua’s name lights up the screen so I hit the speaker phone button. “You’re on speaker.”

“Get here now,” he says, his voice strained.

“Joshua, what the fuck is goin’ on?” Catacomb growls from beside me as Raylynn sits up in panic and stares at my phone.

“Savior,” she says in a Shakin’ tone.

“Savior’s fine,” Joshua says, “physically. She’s upset. Just get here.”

Tossin’ my phone to Cat, I punch the gas and floor it toward my house. Cat calls Reaper and the others and tells ‘em what Joshua said. Thankfully, it isn’t long before I pull into my driveway. Raylynn darts out of the car as soon as I move, and sprints into the house before I can stop her.

By the time we catch up to her, she’s in the kitchen, and she sounds pissed. “What the fuck did you just say?”

“Raylynn, I’m sorry,” Joshua says, and the prospect sounds like he’s in pain.

As we emerge into my kitchen, I stop short because Raylynn has Joshua by the balls, and to his credit, his hands are grippin’ the chair backs on either side of him.

Yankin’ her hand from his crotch, Joshua drops to the ground and coughs with a groan. Raylynn, on the other hand, goes right for the back doors that lead into the yard. Catacomb and I follow her, and damn run into her. She’s stopped dead at the edge of the patio, starin’ at the yard, her hand over her mouth.

I follow her gaze and cuss under my breath as I grab her and pull her against me. In my backyard is what has to be a dozen dead and dismembered cats, spellin’ the word “princess” with a cat’s head as the dot on the “I” and this time, my stomach rolls.

Lookin’ over at Cat, it’s the first time his composure shows his anger. “Prez? What the fuck should we do?”

Turnin’ his icy glare on me, he growls. “Lockdown. Startin’ now. Pack ‘em up. Everyone goes to the clubhouse together. These motherfuckers aren’t gettin’ another shot at ‘em. I’m over this shit already.”

As he moves back into the house, he barks at Joshua to get pictures of the yard and get the shit cleaned up. The prospect pretty much limps to the backyard, and I feel bad for him. She had a death grip on the boy’s junk, and he is gonna feel that for a day or two.

Raylynn flops into one of the chairs at the table as Savior comes into the room with Sandra behind her. She’s hangin’ her head and snifflin’, and it fuckin’ kills me. When she stops in front of me, I drop to my knees and yank her to me, wrappin’ her in a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, little one.”

“He gave me this,” she whispers against my shoulder.

Lettin’ her go to stand in front of me, I realize she has a folded piece of paper in her hand. “Who gave you that?” I take it from her.

She shakes her head as she starts to cry again. “I can’t say.”

Catacomb goes to say Somethin’ and I hold my hand up, thankful he shuts it for once.

“Sweetheart, I need you to tell me,” I say gently.

Savior cries harder. “I can’t! He said he’ll kill Mommy.” She darts around me and jumps into Raylynn’s arms, buryin’ her face in her mother’s neck and cries harder. “I can’t!”

“It’s okay, baby,” Raylynn says softly, rubbin’ her little girl’s back. “You don’t have to say anythin’. It’s okay. Just breathe.”

Standin’, Catacomb and the others close in around me as I unfold the paper. The men all pretty much growl in anger or cuss as we read the sloppy writin’ that says, “Your real daddy says hello, princess.”

“Clubhouse,” Catacomb says in a strained voice, “now.”

He grabs the paper from me and puts it in his pocket before movin’ to talk to Sandra. I wait until Savior calms down before havin’ Reaper take her to pack some bags for the clubhouse. Raylynn won’t even meet my gaze as we go to our bedroom and pack our own things. After fifteen minutes of packin’ in silence, I can’t take it anymore, though.

Goin’ around to her side of the bed, I take her hands as she zippin’ her duffel bag and turn her to face me before tippin’ her chin up. “I am so sorry, little love.”

---