The dog, p.13
The Dog, page 13
In the center of the room is a rusted folding chair. Behind it stands Darla. She has a malicious look on her face when she scans her gaze over me. Fear creeps up my spine as I try to figure out what is happening here.
“Mommy?” Kash asks.
His voice sounds so small. I want to pull him to me and keep him safe, but the moment I move, her gaze fixes back on me.
“I’m not your mommy,” she sneers at hIm. “I never was. I didn’t want a house full of brats. Let alone you bunch of broken rejects.”
“You bitch!” I roar.
I throw my whole weight at Darla. I want to end this bitch. I can’t believe she just said that. Not just because it’s Kash she is speaking to, but because he is an innocent child. He didn’t ask for any of the things that happened in his past. None of them did.
But I’m caught midair and shoved against the back wall. Hard. My breath leaves my lungs as I fall into a pile on the ground. Rose starts to cry as Kash stares at the woman he thought would always be there for him.
“You need to leave,” he says.
He’s trying hard to sound like he isn’t scared, but the tremor that shakes his voice is evident for anyone to hear.
“My dad is coming and then you are going to be in deep trouble.” His gaze lands on his vice principal before traveling to Darla. “More trouble than last time.”
Darla laughs loudly, the slightly manic sound bouncing off the bare cement walls. She watches both children closely as they move toward where I am still slumped against the wall. Rose’s little body is wracked with her crying, and I fear she may not be able to breathe if she continues.
“It doesn’t matter,” I say as I lift myself off the ground. “Clearly your fight is with Mad Dog, and he isn’t here. So how about we sort this out like grownups and leave my kids out of this?”
Rose and Kash each squeeze one of my hands. It’s the first time I have called them my kids, but that is exactly what they are. My kids. And I’m not about to let anything happen to them.
“You dumb bitch.” Mr. Parsons snarls as he grabs me by the hair, pulling me toward the chair. “There is no leaving anyone out of this. Your biker came to my house and kicked the shit out of me all because I enjoyed my bachelor party. That whore was begging to get fucked, and when she got what she wanted she suddenly cried rape. She just wanted to get more money out of us, and I wasn’t having any of it.”
“My husband,” Darla continues, “is no more a rapist than I am a mother to those brats. He was sowing his wild oats, enjoying his last little bit of freedom. And Bohdi thought that gave him the right to lay hands on him. That’s unacceptable.”
My God, they must be talking about what happened to Trinity. I’m aware of the situation, and she and I have spoken about it many times. She isn’t the same vibrant, fun-loving woman she was before that night. I know what rape victims look like, and she isn’t faking a damn thing.
“You’re both insane,” I mumble, which earns me a slap.
“No. You’re just another dumb cunt willing to jump into his bed because you think he hung the moon,” Darla sneers while gripping my chin. “I know better. I know who he is and what he is capable of.”
“So do I, and I know that you are all in for a world of pain when he gets here,” I reply with a smile.
“He isn’t going to find you.” Vice Principal dickhead laughs. “He would even know where to start looking.”
As he speaks the words, Kash removes my cell phone from his pocket, showing them both that his father is on the other end. Mr. Parsons grabs the phone and hurls it against the wall.
“You little shit!” he roars as he slaps Kash.
Kash lands on the ground, hitting his head hard enough that the sound can be heard throughout the entire room. He lies there unmoving. I struggle against the woman holding me down into the chair. When I think I may get free, I feel the cold metal of handcuff wrap around my wrists before being attached to the legs of the chair.
Rose crawls toward Kash’s prone body, holding his hand tightly as she cries even harder. That’s when something inside me snaps and everything within me stills. A calmness I have never known sweeps over me, and I stop struggling to get to my kids. Instead, I watch Darla and Mr. Parsons closely. They move a short distance away and speak in hushed tones, clearly trying to decide what to do with us.
Scouring my surroundings, I look not only for a way out but also for a weapon to use to defend myself. I don’t have many options, but I will make it work. Pulling hard on the handcuffs, I feel the skin tear from my wrists as I force my hand through.
It hurts like a motherfucker and it takes everything in me not to scream out loud. The pain is excruciating, but all I have to do is look toward Rose and Kash and I know it’s all worth it. My wrist finally slips free, and I’m grateful the two crazy people in the room are too busy whispering sweet nothings to realize what’s going on.
I’m also immensely grateful they only cuffed my left hand. I keep myself perfectly still while watching them from the corner of my eye, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. If I don’t catch them off guard, if they realize what I’m planning before I get a chance, we won’t be leaving here alive.
I watch as he cups Darla’s cheek tenderly before kissing her deeply, and I know there isn’t going to be a better time than the present. Rising silently from the chair, I lift it above my head, and with every ounce of strength I possess, I bring it down on his head. Darla shouts in surprise before falling back and hitting her head on a pipe coming out of the wall.
He moans before turning toward me, blood flowing down his face.
“You fucking whore,” he roars, rushing me.
I have miscalculated. He’s stronger than I thought. My only hope now is that Bohdi can get to the children before he does any real damage. Maybe he will take long enough killing me that they might still have a chance.
He grips me tightly around my throat and walks me backward until I hit a door. I can feel the panic rising up in me. I need to fight. Not just for myself, but for my kids as well. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to hold on, already gasping for air as he lifts me from the ground. My body flails around, and as a last-ditch effort, I kick him in the balls. I’m not sure I have enough strength left to do any real damage, but when he bends over, it’s obvious I hit my mark.
Drawing in deep, painful breaths, I frantically scan the area for any kind of weapon. Luck must be on my side as I spot a crowbar in the corner and grab for it. His hand circles my ankle, trying to pull me back, but I’m just close enough to grab it. Falling to the floor, I land on my stomach but quickly roll to my back. He crawls over me with malicious intent in his gaze.
He doesn’t have the chance to do anything though. I pull back and hit him in the side of the face, blood splattering all over mine. I don’t want to take a chance that he will stand up again, so I roll him off me. Lifting the crowbar above my head, I bring it down in the center of his forehead. Once, twice, more and more until my arms feel like jelly.
The entire front of my body is covered in blood splatter and little shards of bone. My arms are so tired I don’t think I will ever be able to lift them again. But then my gaze lands on Kash still lying on the floor, unmoving. And little Rose, holding his hand and trying to wake him up.
A surge of energy I didn’t know I possessed rises up in me, and I crawl toward my children. Pulling Kash into my lap, I rest back against the wall, taking a deep breath when I feel his little body breathe in and out. Hopefully, he isn’t too hurt, just knocked out. The need to get them out of here is overwhelming. I need to get them to the car and as far away from Darla as possible.
“Stay here with Kash,” I say to Rose.
She starts to argue, but I cut her off.
“I’m not going anywhere. I just need to get the car keys from his pocket.” I nod in the direction of Mr. Parsons. “And then we are all leaving.”
She takes Kash’s hand in her own, but her gaze never leaves mine. Tears still trickle across her cheeks, but she seems to be over the worst of the crying. I crawl back over to the man I just murdered in cold blood, and without thinking about it twice, I start to rifle through his pockets. When I find nothing in the front pockets, I turn him over. Stuffed in the waistband is a snub nose .38, which I take immediately. I don’t know who else is involved in this, but I will shoot whoever tries to hurt my children again.
His car keys. I fish them out of his back pocket before finally rising to stand. Crawling is so much easier, but I have a flight of stairs I need to carry Kash up and I can’t do that on my knees.
“Kaiya!” Rose yells out.
I turn quickly enough to see Darla rushing at me with what looks to be a knife in her hand. There’s no hesitation. I don’t consider the ramifications of what I’m doing. It’s quite simple, actually.
Lift the gun.
Point it in her direction.
Fire.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mad Dog
As I pull up to the school, a chill runs down my spine. This is a building that’s supposed to represent safety to most children, and after today, Kash and Rose will never feel safe here again. I want to tear this motherfucker limb from limb for ruining something so simple.
What I want is to find Kaiya and the kids and get them home safely. A shot rings out from somewhere in the school as I dismount from my bike. The sound of gunfire has never been so scary in my entire fucking life. Without waiting for the rest of my brothers, I hurl myself into the building and run around blindly, searching for my family.
“Kaiya!” I shout at the top of my lungs into the abandoned hallways.
The guys come running in behind me, their boots pounding on the tiles, sounding loud in the empty building.
In the distance, I see a door open, and I draw my gun, not knowing who is on the other side. For long, tense moments, no one moves, no one even breathes, but then they emerge. Kaiya is carrying Kash with little Rose walking slightly behind her. In her left hand is a gun. She is covered from head to toe in blood, and she’s walking a little funny. She hasn’t seen us yet, the darkness cloaking us. Slowly, she closes the door before turning her back toward it and sitting down.
“Kaiya?” Rose asks.
“I’m fine, baby, just a little tired. Let’s rest for a couple of minutes before we go and find the car.” She wraps her free arm around little Rose, pulling her closer but never letting go of the gun. One of the guys moves forward and at the sound, she instantly tenses. I want to go to her and take her in my arms, but I don’t know what she has been through, even in this short amount of time. Kaiya pushes Rose against the wall and angles her body in front of hers. She raises the pistol in our direction, squinting to see clearly into the darkness.
“I don’t fucking care who you are,” she shouts. “Get the fuck away from my goddamned kids or I will fucking end you.”
The last part is raw, honest, and quite frankly a little scary. She clearly isn’t going to take shit from anyone.
“Kaiya,” I call out from where I stand.
“Bohdi,” she sighs, her shoulders sagging and the pistol lowering. “Thank God it’s you.”
Moving out of the shadows, I approach her with both my hands held up. The guys follow me, adopting a similar pose. I walk haltingly, trying not to spook her, but when her eyes fill with tears, I run the last few steps.
“Babe,” I breathe as I cup her face in my hands. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” She sobs, breaking down in front of me. “But Kash won’t wake up. He hit his head so hard.”
“Don’t worry. We will have doc waiting when we get home,” I try to comfort her.
“Where is he?” Pope asks from behind me.
I take Kaiya’s hand, helping her to stand as Viking takes Kash from her arms. She is reluctant to let go at first but she is too tired to put up much of a fight. Tears stream freely down her cheeks as she looks at me.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispers before pulling away from me. “He is downstairs, and so is his wife. Darla.”
Shock courses through my system. This doesn’t make sense. Did he take Darla too? Why the fuck would he do that?
“They’re both dead.”
She hands the pistol to Bishop, takes Kash from Viking, grabs Rose’s hand, and walks down the hall. She is hunched over, and I want nothing more than to go to her, but watching her be strong in the face of what just happened has me frozen in place.
Without another word between us, she walks out of the building and into the night, taking my heart and soul with her.
Viking opens the door and heads downstairs as I continue to stare at the space she just vacated. My mind is running a million miles an hour, trying to figure out what the fuck just happened when I hear Viking call out.
“Brother, you better get down here,” he calls up the stairs.
I head down after a moment’s hesitation, considering rather going after Kaiya. But I know that I need to see what happened downstairs to be able to help her cope with what has happened. This won’t be our end. We will survive this just like we have survived everything else.
Entering the room, I take in the scene. Dala lies in a huge puddle of blood, a hole in the center of her chest, eyes staring unseeing at the ceiling. But what catches my attention is the man in the far corner. His face is mangled beyond recognition, and beside him lies a bloody crowbar.
“Brother, you need to be afraid of that woman.” Wolf laughs. “Shit, I am afraid of her right now.”
“Agreed,” states Bishop. “You need to watch yourself or you will get your ass kicked.”
All of the brothers grouse. I hear some of it but miss most. I stare at the body of the man who intended to harm my woman and children, and I couldn’t be prouder knowing that she fucking handled her shit.
****
Two hours later, after searching every place I could think of, I find Kaiya in my house, drinking hot chocolate with Tatum and Gunner. She looks bone-weary, but she has had a shower. I stare at them together at the dining room table and feel pride like I’ve never known before.
My two eldest boys are taking care of her like she took care of the little ones today.
“Kaiya,” I breathe out in relief.
All eyes draw to me. The boys look relieved to see me. Kaiya looks weary.
“Mad Dog,” she replies.
Fuck. When she calls me by my road name, I know something is wrong. She only uses it when she’s really pissed or as a defense mechanism.
“Kaiya,” I say again.
She doesn’t answer me, instead, turning to the boys. “I need to talk to your dad,” she states.
Both boys nod and push away from the table. Both round her chair and hug her closely from behind before walking past me wordlessly and leaving us alone.
“What do we need to talk about?” I ask, taking a seat beside her.
“We don’t need to talk. I do,” she replies without looking directly at me. “And I need you to sit there and listen.”
“Okay.”
“Today has been a long day, and I want to go to bed. So here are the facts. Your ex and her new husband were fucking insane. They were going to hurt not just me, but Rose and Kash too. I did what I had to do to keep my kids safe, and I don’t regret it for a single moment. Doc has been over to see Kash, and he is fine. He woke up and complained of a headache but is sleeping now, as is Rose.”
“Your kids?” I ask curiously.
“Yes, goddammit!” she yells, pushing back her chair loudly. She places her palms down on the table and glares at me.
“Those are my fucking kids.” She points toward their rooms. “I love those kids and they love me. The vile things Darla said to Kash will play in my head for years to come. If you can’t look past what I did, if you don’t want me anymore, then that’s fine. I can accept that. But know this.” She inhales deeply. “I will fight you tooth and nail to see those kids. You won’t get rid of me that easily.
This is a side to Kaiya that I have never had the privilege of seeing before. She is passionate and honest and a fire burns in her eyes. From the first moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she was special, but at this moment, I can see it all.
She is beautiful and fierce, bruised and broken, loyal and loving, and I can’t for the life of me imagine living my life without her. She is perfect for me.
“Okay,” I reply while standing.
I pull her into me without giving her the chance to push me away and fuse my lips to hers. I try to put all the words I struggle to say into that kiss. After long moments of feasting on her lips, I pull back slightly.
“You’re not getting rid of us that easy either,” I reply before picking her up and carrying her to bed.
Epilogue
Kaiya
Everything in our lives has fallen into place. The last six months have been crazy, emotional, beautiful, and unforgettable. It has been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
About a week after we were kidnapped and everything settled down at home, we got an unexpected visitor. Rose’s grandmother Charlotte, on her mother’s side, was informed by the state that her daughter had passed and that they were looking for next of kin. She is a lovely lady who lives two towns over. She didn’t have a relationship with her daughter and didn’t even know about Rose.
Over a cup of tea in my kitchen, she calmly explained that she wasn’t in the best of health and also couldn’t financially support Rose. She was more than willing to allow us to adopt Rose on the condition that she still be allowed to be part of her life.
Bohdi and I were so relieved that we both shed a tear. Neither of us wanted to lose Rose.
As it turns out, Charlotte is easily loved and is a great addition to our unconventional little family. Neither Bohdi nor I have any living parents, and Charlotte had lost her only child. She bonded instantly with the boys and became Granny to all of our kids. It got to the point that the boys didn’t want her to leave, so Bohdi built her a little cottage on the edge of the forest where she now permanently resides.
