AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ve got it covered here,” he said. “Go take a look. And call for back up.”
Crow gave a single nod and slipped away into the trees with long, silent strides. The way he moved was graceful and lithe, like a fox, light on his feet despite the salt and pepper coloring his hair.
Bear strapped Katelyn into her car seat with surprising deftness. For a man his size, gruff and dark, with tattooed and scarred knuckles, I didn’t expect him to be so agile with a car seat, much less a six-year-old little girl.
Finally, Dad and Amelia appeared, hauling two suitcases each. Dad shoved them in the back of the van. I exhaled a breath of relief at seeing everyone okay.
Then a crack split the air. Bear lurched.
Blood stained his shoulder.
“Get in,” he barked. “Get in!”
I scrambled into the van, yanking the door shut. Bear pulled himself into the driver’s seat, fumbled with the keys for a moment, blood turning his fingers slippery. When he got the engine started, he wasted no time in stepping on the gas and spitting gravel with spinning tires before veering onto the orchard.
“Jules,” Bear said, his voice strained. “Need you to make a call. In the pocket of my kutte, get my phone.”
I didn’t know what a kutte was. I leaned over the seat but my hands faltered, unsure where to look.
“Front pocket,” Bear said. “Vest.”
Plunging my hand into where he’d indicated, I found his phone and tapped the screen.
“Code?” I asked.
“Zero-four-two-two.”
I keyed in the numbers and his phone opened. Katelyn made a small sound of distress beside me and I gripped her tiny, sticky hand. I navigated to Bear’s contacts list.
“Call Brewer,” Bear said. “Let him know I need an escort.”
After finding Brewer’s number, I pressed the call button. Brewer picked up on the first ring.
“Bear’s been shot,” I said. “He says we need an escort.”
“We’ll meet him on the road.”
I relayed the message to Bear and hung up. The van jostled along through the orchard before hitting the gravel parking lot. Then he turned onto the main road. Blood dripped from Bear’s shoulder onto the gray carpet of the van but he gritted his teeth, gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, and fought to remain conscious.
Two minutes later, three motorcycles came roaring up behind us. One broke off and surged to the front. I recognized Brewer immediately with his broad shoulders and dark beard. The other two motorcycles flanked the van.
“It’s going to be all right,” Bear said.
The motorcycles stayed with the van until we reached the clubhouse. By the time Bear parked, Brewer and the other two bikers had created a line to the door – a protected passageway, using their bodies as shields to defend us.
I unbuckled Katelyn from her car seat and passed her to Mom. Calvin clutched Jayden’s hand and hurried after Mom into the clubhouse. Dad and Amelia followed close behind. I felt Brewer at my back, the breadth of him blocking me from anyone who might try to hurt me.
“Any word from Tank?” I asked.
“Not yet. He contacted Lars and they set up a meeting, but nothing beyond that. We’ve got eyes on him though.” Brewer gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Just sit tight. I’ll keep you posted when I hear something.”
The slow creep of relief began to sag through me. My family was huddled in a booth, looking scared, confused, and exhausted. I took a deep breath.
I had a lot of explaining to do.
Chapter Nine
Tank
