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“What a fucking shit storm,” Ben cursed.
“Where’s my daughter? Where’s Amelia?” I asked, panic clawing at my throat. My baby wasn’t here. I spun in Jett’s arms and looked around frantically.
“Got Amelia,” a boom echoed. At the top of them was Texas, with my little girl curled into his arms and Amelia’s head buried in his neck. Texas’s big hand held her face tight to his chest, so Amelia didn’t see the horrific scene below her. I flew from Jett’s arms, pushed through everyone, and ran up the stairs. I made a grab for Amelia, and Texas pulled me out of the room and then handed her to me.
“Four more bodies upstairs,” Texas said. “Just stay here, Sin.”
I nodded, clinging tightly. Jett’s arms encircled us, and I fell back into them. It was over. We were safe. I was terrified that the police may arrest Jett, but with his own wounds, it was apparent it was self-defence, surely?
“Let’s get you out of here,” somebody murmured, and I peered into a stranger’s eyes. “I’m Davies, Hawthorne’s second in command.”
I nodded and allowed Davies to lead me away with Jett. To my surprise, another man was waiting outside, holding a medical bag.
“Doc,” Jett said just as his legs gave out from under him. Davies caught Jett with a grunt, and Doc helped Davies lay Jett down on the ground. Texas came up from behind and moved me forward towards an SUV. I began arguing, but Texas tilted his head at Amelia, and awareness sank in that Amelia shouldn’t see her daddy like this. I got into the SUV, and Texas stood guard.
Sirens wailed in the distance, and I watched as an ambulance screeched up, followed by several police cars. Rage and Hawthorne men filed out and hovered around Jett. Artemis strolled out, looking calm and collected, and I found it hard to rationalise this new Artemis to the one I knew at the clubhouse. She sashayed over to the SUV.
“Let’s get you to the hospital. The ambulance will meet us there. Jett’s stable,” Artemis announced, swinging into the driver’s seat. I gave her a head tilt, unable to say anything as the day’s events finally caught up with me.
“Say nothing until our lawyer gets to you. Nothing honey, you understand?” Artemis asked gently, and I nodded. She said nothing else but carried on driving to the hospital. After that, everything became a blur.
???
I’d been checked over, and so had Amelia, and we’d both been given the all-clear. I still wore nothing but Drake’s tee. And I didn’t give a shit who saw me or what strangers thought. We sat in the waiting room with members of Rage and Hawthorne’s. I’d been brought up to speed on Gunner’s condition and Reid’s. Both men were stable for now, although Gunner remained in the ICU. Silvie hadn’t left the hospital since the phone call and looked devastated.
Jett was having his shoulder and stomach stitched up, and we were waiting on word from him. Turned out Dina had been the culprit in slicing his gut open and using the knife on him. That whacked-out bitch died too quickly. Detectives Ramirez and Benjamin had remained at the scene. We were expecting officers to arrive at any moment for statements. I kept worrying, and finally, Drake took me aside and clarified that no one would get into trouble or be arrested, no matter what.
It was a simple case of self-defence; Artemis had acted to save Jett from having his throat slit. Artemis claimed she stumbled with the groin shot, although we knew different. As Drake pointed out, knowing and proving were two separate things. Drake didn’t think the police would push too hard on this one, considering that kidnapping, child trafficking and drugs were involved.
Throw in battery, attempted murder, and attempted rape. Drake said we’d nothing to worry about. When Artemis had come for us, she’d arrived first at the house we’d been held in. Rage hadn’t been far behind. Artemis entered on her own, coming for Jett and me. She’d trusted Drake and the others to find Amelia. Drake, Lowrider, and Mac had joined her search. Ace had led the others to find Amelia.
Once Ace and the rest had Amelia, which was quicker than Artemis had found us, they came searching for Artemis, Drake, Jett, and me. The door to the basement was skilfully hidden, I was informed. If not for my screaming, Artemis may have been too late. Hawthorne’s men had stayed to protect Texas and Amelia while Rage came after us. I looked across to Artemis and a weight lifted from my shoulders. Hands touched my waist, and I twisted and curled into Manny’s muscular, silent strength.
“You okay?” Manny asked, and I shook my head. I was still dressed in Drake’s tee, which hung halfway down my thighs.
“I’m a bad person,” I announced to Manny, clutching his cut.
“Honey?”
“I told Jett he killed Dina too quick. Manny, I wanted her to suffer.” I bit my lip as Manny stared at me in disbelief.
“You said what?” Manny asked as if he’d misheard me. I repeated my words, and Manny made a grunting noise. I wasn’t sure how to take that and continued speaking.
“Fuck, I really wished that bitch knew fear like Amelia had.”
Manny kept staring and then suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly. Everyone looked in our direction.
“Fuck me. Who’d have thought it?” Manny finally chuckled. He twisted his head and informed a perplexed Lex what I’d said. Lex laughing hard, told the others my words. Laughter joined Lex’s, with a definite look of approval from Artemis. A mother’s hatred remained in my heart, contempt towards the one person who should have protected Amelia against all danger.
“Jett got a good’un,” Texas approved. He was still smiling when a doctor came and informed us Jett would be released soon.
Detectives Ramirez and Benjamin found Jett and me in Reid’s room. Reid had regained consciousness during our kidnapping, and while he was beaten black and blue, he’d be okay. The detectives wanted our statements, which were near enough identical.
We’d been eating breakfast when there’d been a knock. Reid answered it and had been attacked. Jett and I had been alerted by yelling, and Jett attempted to help when the back door was kicked in, and a masked man held a handgun to my head. Jett and Reid stopped fighting at once as another man grabbed Amelia with a gun on her.
Two continued beating Reid while I could only watch helplessly. In front of me, they’d stabbed Jett in his shoulder. Jett hadn’t been able to fight back, not with guns aimed at mine and Amelia’s heads. They’d knocked Jett unconscious and left Reid for dead. They had bundled us into a van and driven away. The rest, you know.
It had been agreed that Gunner’s attack had been entirely unrelated to ours. Sheer bad luck both attacks happened on the same day. Or maybe it was good luck, because no one would have known we were missing until it was too late. Amelia would have been sold and both of us would have been dead. Ramirez informed Jett there was nothing on the streets concerning the assault on Gunner. It was a complete puzzle. Gunner had yet to regain consciousness, and we were anxious.
