Slingshot by K.L. Savage

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” he asks, moving his eyes from me to my MC brothers. “I’m John.” He holds out his hand to introduce himself and the guys just stare at it. Dad drops his arm, and his hand hits his thigh. “Well, aren’t you nice people?”

“If Slingshot isn’t happy to see you, we aren’t happy to see you,” Reaper says, cracking his knuckles.

Knives plays with his ninja star, gliding it across his knuckles as he always does. It’s why he has a bunch of scars all over his hands from perfecting this little trick.

“Well, I’m not here for the son who abandoned me. He got emancipated from me.”

“You fucking deserved it. Don’t stand there and act all high and mighty. We both know you aren’t father of the year. If you aren’t here to talk to me, what are you here for?” I ask, hating that I still have on a blanket, especially when talking to my dad—a man I haven’t seen or talked to in almost twenty years.

“Let’s cut this short. What the fuck do you want before I do something I really regret?” I don’t like the look in his eyes, the one that says he’s about to fucking ruin everything. I’ve seen the same storms cracking in those irises one too many times.

“Someone told me down in New Orleans I’d be able to find her here. I want Maizey.”

“The fuck you say?” Reaper takes a step forward and grips Dad by the shirt collar slamming him against the truck.

“Maizey?” I whisper in shock. Is that why I feel so close to her? She’s my half-sister? No fucking way. I’m so much older than she is. I shake my head in denial. “No. Her dad is in jail.”

“No. Her mom's husband is. She was a mistake. I fucked some woman down in Central America. Maizey was delivered to me when her mom died, but I love her just the same.”

“Bullshit.” Reaper slams him against the truck again, then wraps his hand around Dad’s throat. “You sold her, didn’t you? And now you want her back to sell her again.”

“I’m a man that’s all about business,” he smiles through gasping breaths.

“You mother fucker! That’s my sister. I’ll be damned if we let you touch her. You’ll die before you ever get your hands on her. You hear me? No fucking way am I letting your rotten hands on her!” This has to be a lie. I don’t know how he knows about Maizey, but there’s no way a sweet, intelligent, innocent, and beautiful girl came from him.

“I should kill you. She wouldn’t miss you. She doesn’t miss you. I’m her dad now.” Reaper punches Dad in the face and a slew of blood strings along the hood of the truck.

“You wouldn’t want to do that to Maizey. She’d never forgive you.”

Fuck. Dad has a point. We don’t really know how Maizey feels about him. For all we know, she wants to go back with him.

We can’t allow that to happen.

I knew my dad fell off the deep end after Mom died, but I didn’t know how fucking deep he went. “Mom would be ashamed of you,” I spit.

I literally spit. Right as his feet.

“You’re mother is dead because of you. You don’t get to speak for her.”

“She isn’t. She had cancer. Not my fault. I know that, so try again, you fucking asshole.” If there’s one thing I never blamed myself for, it’s her death. Do I wish I could have fixed her?

Yes.

Did I want nothing more than to make her better?

Yes.

Her death? Cancer did that. Not me.

I can’t believe the man in front of me is the same man that planned the beach-themed prom we planned for Mom. He’s the man that taught me how to throw a baseball, how to shave, how to ride a bike. He was a good dad and now look at him.

He’s a shell of himself.

“You’ll never get her. She’s ours legally. You have no fucking chance.” Reaper gives Dad one last shove against the car. “I won’t kill you here and now because my daughters are inside and I don’t want Maizey to witness me killing you. Outside of this compound where the fucking light touches everything, you aren’t safe from me. I’ll find a way to kill you, and I’ll make sure your body is never found. No one fucks with my family, John. No one.”

“She was my family first. How do you think the courts will like my sob story?” He pretends to cry. “She was taken from me, and I’ve searched everywhere for her. I miss her so much.” His frown ceases, and a sardonic smile replaces it as he opens the driver’s side door. “I’m her biological dad. You are the one that doesn’t stand a fucking chance.” My worthless dad slides into the truck. “I’ll be seeing you.” His eyes leave Reaper to slide to me, and I’ve never been happier that I have my mother’s eyes. “Son.” He chuckles, tilting his chin in goodbye as he reverses out of the parking lot.

We’re left in the chaotic disturbance of a cloud of dust the tires cause from spinning against the ground. Dad holds his hand out the window and waves goodbye, leaving us standing there wondering what the fuck just happened.

Reaper turns around, and his face is white as a ghost. He rubs his hands over the ashen expression, trying to make sense of a man I used to claim as my father. Reaper is a strong, powerful guy. There aren’t many times he’s worried or scared or even afraid, but right now, his hands are trembling, and by the look in his eyes, I can tell a part of him believes my old man.

“Reaper, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think he’d ever show back up and I sure as fuck didn’t know Maizey was my sister. I swear, Prez. Please, believe me. I haven’t talked to him—”

“—Stop. Slingshot, I know. I know that. Fuck, what am I going to do? I can’t think. I can’t lose her. She was our first kid. We love her. I can’t give her up to him. I won’t. I don’t care if I do have to kill him. Maizey is my daughter.” He hits his chest, and the area around his eyes gets red. “No, I won’t allow this to happen. We have to go. I’m taking Sarah and the girls to Alaska. I’ll finally use that damn Christmas gift. I need to find Badge and make sure the adoption papers are solid. Maybe I can change the birth certificate too? I’ve got to go see Maizey. I can’t…” He lifts up his hand and then tilts his head back, roaring angrily at the sky. “Damn It! I want to know who the fuck told him where she was. I want that person dead. We’re calling Church right-fucking-now!” He stomps toward the side door and swings it open, gripping the handle as he walks, then slamming it shut.

The stain-glass window cracks, webbing across the pane until a big chunk falls, shattering to the ground. It causes a domino effect. The entire slab of glass that we had custom-made joins the broken pieces on the ground.

“Better get dressed fast. I have a feeling Church is going to be more about Reaper venting than actually planning.” Knives slaps me on the shoulder and begins to head toward the door. He steps over the broken glass. “You coming?”

“Give me a few. I need a minute.” To wrap my fucking head around this shit show of a morning. I don’t even think a taco would help make me happy right now.

“Sure, man. I get it. I’ll see you in a few, but don’t wait too long. Reaper is pissed, and he wants blood. Don’t let it be yours.” Knives carefully shuts the door and the bits of glass remaining on the door clink to the ground. Knives winces but leaves the glass for later.

I sigh and lean against the truck, exhausted. I roll my shoulders and stretch my neck to the left and right, then press my palms against my eyes. The stinging in my arm reminds me that less than an hour ago, I was shot.

Again.

Am I a goddamn target for bullets? I swear I could be walking down the road and a shot from fifty miles away would find me. I lift my head and stare down at my arm. It’s a long gash, deep, but nothing glue can’t fix. The heavy weight of exhaustion weighs my bones down, and I can’t quite wrap my head around what happened here. It’s all too…dramatic.

My long-lost father comes here out of fucking nowhere and says he wants Maizey back, who apparently is my sister. All this time, I had no idea. To put a cherry on top of my hurricane of a life, Mateo caught me fucking his daughter.

Not just kind of, maybe, we might have been having sex, but full-on fucking. Skin was slapping, moans were echoing, and we weren’t even under the covers to hide our bodies. Why couldn’t we have been covered? Just my luck. I had to be greedy and take her again this morning.

God, I can’t wait to feel her again.

And I will.

I don’t care what it takes. We deserve to be together and happy.

“Get your fucking ass in here, Slingshot!” Reaper bellows from inside the clubhouse.

I groan and reach into the truck for my pants, which are dry now, thank goodness—nothing worse than trying to put on wet jeans. I slide them on, zip up, and throw the pillows and blankets out of the way to look for my shirt and cut.

I can still smell her. Her scent lingers on the blankets, and I gather them in my hand, shove them against my face, and inhale. I want to soak in it. I want to smell her sweet cinnamon and sugar for the rest of the day until I can’t smell it anymore.

Knowing I can’t keep Reaper waiting, I reluctantly crawl from the back of the truck, leaving the sheets behind. I shut the doors with more force than necessary. The mess to the right catches my peripheral vision, and I turn my head to see the leftover tacos thrown all over the picnic table and ground from the storm. The lights have fallen to the ground, and the radio is lying flat on its face in the dirt.

A storm can be beautiful, but it’s the aftermath that makes people realize just how lucky they were to get out alive.

I guess that’s me.

My love for Natalia is the storm, and the aftermath has just begun.

“I won’t say it again before I carve a heart in your fucking chest! Better yet, let me rip it out. I’m in the mood to kill,” Reaper yells at me again and I get my ass in gear.

I run inside, and I expect yelling, screaming, and maybe a little crying, but as I shut the door behind me, it’s eerily quiet. There are a few pictures on the floor and shattered, no doubt from Reaper plucking them off the wall and breaking them.

He’s too hard to stop when he’s pissed off.

I hurry through the kitchen hallway and then hang a right into Church. “Sorry. I’m here. Sorry,” I blabber, and Bullseye kicks out a chair for me. It rolls a few inches, and I grab it before the sound of the wheels becomes too annoying. I take a seat on the leather cushion, roll forward and place my hands on the table.

Maizey is in here.

Bullseye is holding hope.

Doc is holding Dean.

Skirt is cradling Joey.

And Sarah is sitting next to Reaper holding Hendrix.

Everyone needs their kids close right now, and there is that familiar ache in my heart reminding me that I don’t have any. I do have a sister and seeing Maizey like that for the first time has tears brimming my eyes. I didn’t know…I swear to god, I didn’t know, or I would have taken her from my dad the moment she was born.

Maybe then I could have protected her from the harshness of the world.

Maizey is asleep, resting her cheek on Reaper’s shoulder as he holds her. He’s rubbing his hand up and down her back and I can see the love shining through his eyes, right alongside the anger.

“I know I said Tool was in charge, but right now, I am,” Reaper informs. “We have two issues. One, Mateo caught Slingshot fucking his daughter. Doc, check out his arm. He got shot.”

I bang my head against the table as all eyes fall on me. “To be fair, no one was supposed to come in.”

“Man, I’m not surprised. You were asking for it getting involved with Natalia,” Bullseye says.

I keep my mouth shut as Doc rolls up my sleeve to get a better look. “Oh, it’s just a flesh wound. He’s fine. I’ll clean it out and throw some glue on there. Good as new.”

Tell that to my body. I feel old and rusted like that fucking taco truck outside.

Doc grabs the first-aid kit from the wall and clicks it open, spreading the contents out on the table.

Reaper continues as Doc cleans me up, “Slingshot’s dad arrived after Mateo left, after barely getting a warning from Seer.”

Tool visibly shivers when he hears the Cajun man’s name which brings me much-needed happiness in a time like this.

“His dad? The one you got emancipated from?” Badge asks me.

“The one and the same,” I answer.

“What did he want with Slingshot?” Mars questions, leaning back in his chair. Damn, I’m proud of how far he’s come over the last few weeks. He looks better than he has since I’ve known him. Even after rehab, he didn’t look this good.

Something has changed in him, and it’s for the better.

“It isn’t me he came for.” I dart my eyes to Reaper. “It’s Maizey. She’s my half-sister.”

That causes a roar within the room. Everyone speaks up simultaneously, which makes it too hard to figure out who is saying what. Reaper holds his hand up to silence everyone, and it surprisingly works. He usually has to use the gavel.

“Yes, what everyone is saying is correct. He wants her back.”

Sarah inhales a sharp breath, and she’s crying, holding Hendrix close. God, she’s been through enough. Maybe they should leave and go to Alaska. They deserve peace while all of us deal with this on our end. It’s the least we can do. Reaper will feel obligated to stay, but he doesn’t need to. He needs to be with his family. That’s what is most important.

“We aren’t going to let that happen. Badge, I want you to make sure he doesn’t have a chance in hell at getting her back. I want adoption papers triple-checked a hundred times. I want you to figure out how to change her birth certificate. I want this guy erased, you understand me?”

“Why don’t we just kill him?” Skirt rocks a fussy Joey back and forth, but it isn’t working so he stands up and paces.

“Because of Maizey. At the end of the day, that’s her Dad. I couldn’t live with the guilt of hurting her because of my anger but believe me, I have thought about killing him. I nearly did. Maybe I should have.” He resigns himself and Maizey rouses, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder. Reaper closes his eyes as she yawns, blinking up at him with the same brown eyes my dad has.

“Daddy, what’s wrong?” She pokes his cheek. “You look sad.”

“I’m never sad. Not when I have you around.” Reaper settles her on his lap and her small palm cups his cheek.

“You owe me five dollars because you lied to me. You said you would never lie.”

Reaper’s cheeks puff as he exhales and he leans into her touch. Maizey glances at Sarah to see her crying, and she sticks out her bottom lip. “Mommy, why are you crying? Someone better start talking.”

Her demanding tone sounds so much like Reaper it makes us all chuckle. She might not be his blood, but that is his kid.

“Well,” Reaper clears his throat. “You’re right. I shouldn’t lie to you, but I guess it’s my way of protecting you, Maze.”

She crosses her arms. “I don’t need protection. I have my princess wand.”

“Kid, that shit don’t work.”

I kick Badge with my foot under the table, and everyone glares at him.

“What? Someone has to tell her.”

“You owe me five bucks too for cussing. And it does so work. I used it on Mommy for her to get better and she did.” Maizey tilts her nose in the air and sticks out her tongue at Badge.

“You did? I didn’t know that.” Reaper sounds amazed. “I should have known you were behind Mommy getting better.” Reaper brushes her hair over her shoulder, and he swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he tries to find his words.

This is all my fault. Somehow. This is all on me.

“Remember when you came to us? You didn’t have a Mommy and a Daddy?”

“Yep, but I had a Daddy. He wasn’t nice like you. You’re my Daddy now. The bestest Daddy in the whole world.”

Damn, this kid just melted the hearts of every biker in the room.

“You remember your dad? You never mentioned that before, Maze.”

She lifts a shoulder. “I didn’t think it was important.”

“It is very important. I’m about to tell you something, but you have to remain level-headed, got it?” He holds out his fist for her to bump knuckles.

“Got it.” She makes an explosion sound with her lips as their fists bump.

“Your dad came here today looking for you. He wants you back.”

Ah, fuck. Maizey is starting to cry now. “But I don’t want to go back with him. He’s mean. I want you and Mommy. Don’t you want me anymore?”

Reaper holds her tight as she begins to sob and I think he forgets he’s in a room with us because his lashes are a bit wet or it could just be the light.

We’ll say it’s the light.

“You listen to me, your Mommy and I love you so much. We’re never letting you go with him. Ever, but you needed to know he was here.”

“Are you going to do something bad?” Maizey drags her arm under her nose to clean the snot.

Kids can be so cute and so gross at the same time.

Reaper looks out to all of us before settling on Maizey again. “Well, no. I wouldn’t want to do that to you, Maizey.”

“He’s a bad man, Daddy. He killed my first Mom and took me from her.”

Everyone gasps and holds their breath. Obviously, it’s hard to take a kid seriously when they’re this young because they interpret things differently than grown-ups do.

“Are you sure about that?”

“I saws it, Daddy. I saws it happen.” She pops the P in the word before lying back down on his shoulder.

“That’s good to know, Maze. Hey, want to know something cool? You and Slingshot share the same Daddy. You’re brother and sister.”

She lifts her head quickly and stares at me with big doe eyes. “Uncle Slingshot is Brother Slingshot?”

“I sure am. I’m just as surprised as you are and I’m very happy about it.”

“Me too!” she cheers. “I always wanted a brother again. No defense Hendrix,” she whispers to her newborn sister while using the wrong word.

“It’s offense, Mazey-Pie. Offense,” Reaper corrects with a smile.

“That’s what I said.” She drops her head again and snuggles her face into his neck. She yawns again. “I just want to stay with you and Mommy and Slingshot and everyone. Don’t let him take me.” Her eyes droop, and she quickly falls back asleep.

Reaper has his arms snug around her, and he leans his cheek against her head.

She isn’t going anywhere.

Dad has no idea that he just signed his fucking death warrant.