Page 21 of Silk & Bones Reunion

Sam finally turned to Melora and asked her, “Why the fuck didn’t you answer your phone? I kept trying to call you but it always went to voicemail.”

Melora shook her head. “My phone went dead when I got to Geneva and I forgot to take a charger along with me. Then when the bikers shot up the car, the phone got hit by one of the bullets and I couldn’t use it anymore.”

Izzy looked over at Danny and asked, “How bad are you hurt?”

Danny shrugged. “I got hit by a through-and-through bullet, it looks like. It bled a lot but I think I’m okay.”

Melora shook her head. “You’re not okay and you know it. You lost too much blood and you didn’t get it cleaned very well on the road. And don’t you try to tell me you aren’t running a slight fever.”

“I can get Raine over here to check things out if you want.” Mountain nodded. “He’s our medic and he’ll do what needs doing. And what’s more, he won’t report the gunshot to the cops.” He looked over at Danny.

Melora smiled and thanked her father. “That would help a lot, Dad.” She turned to Sam and asked, “Can they stay here for a while? They really need to find a safe place. Rylan is still after them.”

Sam nodded. “What’s the name of this MC she’s with?” He stared at Danny.

“They call themselves the Devil’s Minions. They hail out of Little Creek. They’re nothing more than drug dealers and thugs. She’s with the leader of that pack. Her brothers aren’t going to be happy to find out that she’s running with their enemies.”

Sam snapped his gaze over at him. “Her brothers? They don’t know who she hangs out with?”

Danny shook his head. “No, they don’t. I don’t think they care about her or Breanna. They come from north of Chicago and when Rylan left home, they never had too much to do with her. They run an MC up that way.”

Sam growled. “I know an MC up there and they are nothing but trouble.”

Danny nodded. “That’s why I stayed away from them and kept Breanna away from them. They would park a little ways away from the house sometimes, but they don’t come around too much.”

“How many brothers does this woman have?” Sam stared at him.

“There are four brothers and Rylan in her family,” Danny said.

Sam nodded. “That sounds about right.” He looked over at Mountain. “From what I know of that family, her brothers are decent enough but the MC they run with isn’t the best one around those parts. It’s a rough group, one that doesn’t much care about following the rules.”

“That’s why I never wanted them around me and my kid,” Danny said. “I may be living from paycheck to paycheck but I don’t break any laws. And I’m trying to provide for my daughter the best I know how.”

Mountain nodded. “That's all a man can do.” He stood from the sofa.

Peering up at the large man, Danny noticed his cut. Then he looked over at the cut Sam wore. He suddenly wore a grim expression. “I don’t know your MC and what it stands for but I won’t be handing my daughter over to anyone. This is a hill I’m willing to die on, so if you expect me to just hand her over you can go to hell.”

At his outburst, Melora gasped.

Sam leaned his head back and laughed. “So you're willing to die for your girl, huh?” Leaning toward Danny, his laughter faded as he looked him in the eyes and growled, “Well, I’m willing to die for my woman too. My woman and my family, and that’s a hill I’ll die on, son. And you’d better believe that. As long as you do, we’ll get along just fine. But you step over that line, and you will regret it.”

Chapter Eleven

Sam stalked away angrily.

Melora watched him go down the hall with tears in her eyes. Then she turned to her father and let out a sigh.

“Why didn’t you tell him what was going on, little girl?” Mountain asked.

Melora shook her head. “I couldn’t. It wasn’t my secret to share. I didn’t want Sam to contact Rylan’s brothers and tell them he was protecting Danny’s daughter against her own mother.”

Mountain stared at her. “You know he wouldn’t have done that. He wouldn’t put that little girl in danger, no how, no way.”

Izzy leaned over and grasped Melora’s hand. “Mel, I know everyone has secrets they can’t share, but Sam needed to know something. He’s been going nuts all this time and when you disappeared, he thought the worst.”

Melora nodded, then snorted. “Oh, I know that. He accused me of cheating on him and I was gobsmacked. I would never break my wedding vows. I love that man, where does he get off accusing me of something like that?”

Danny groaned. “Oh God, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t run the risk that Rylan's family or the MC she was running with would find us. Breanna is about the only thing good in my life and I couldn’t take the chance on anyone else knowing. I asked Melora to not tell anyone. I made her promise me.” He shook his head. “I just couldn’t lose my little girl. Not like that.”

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