Avenging Angel by Naomi Porter

16

Storm

I slowed on my Harley as another pang hit my chest. The sons of a bitches came and went at the oddest times. It was strange. I was only thirty so it couldn’t be my heart. Could it? Damn, I have no idea. Maybe I should have Patch check me out. I hadn’t had a physical since I was in the Marines.

It couldn’t be stress-related either. Madeline and I were better than ever. I even suspected she might be pregnant. I felt it down in the marrow of my bones. My Angel was pregnant with my baby. I could tell by the changes in her body. Though I hadn’t mentioned it on the off chance I was wrong. Her dusky mauve nipples were darker. Little green veins appeared on her tits. Sugar told me she’d been taking naps in the afternoon while I was out. It was possible none of those were signs of pregnancy, but I hoped my woman was having my baby.

Madeline deserved an engagement ring. She wanted a wedding. I’d give her whatever her heart desired. Because my woman was my rock, the calming balm to my chaotic spirit, my everything. I guessed all that might be the culprit for these sharp little pains. I was about to have everything I wanted—my woman as my wife and a baby. Life was beautiful. Maybe my heart was having trouble adjusting to this change of pace.

Track slowed to a stop on the dirt road leading to the compound. I pulled over to the side as he took a phone call. He waved his hand, telling me to go. Another pang hit me, this time in the heart.

“Go, go, go!” he yelled, taking off like a bat out of hell.

Shit, something had happened. The pain in my chest grew. Maybe I was having heart issues after all. I’d call Patch after dealing with whatever was amiss.

Track and I pulled through the open gate. Dodge was out front, like he’d been waiting for us. Madeline’s parking spot was empty. Fuckin’ hell. I’d told her to be home by five.

It was after five-thirty.

I inhaled a deep breath, forcing myself to not blow a gasket. Pushing my kickstand out, I got off my Harley, irritated as fuck.

Track cut me a sidelong glance. “Let’s go but stay cool, man.”

Right. After Madeline disobeyed me. Not happening. She was lucky I let her off the goddamned property. Fuck, my firecracker knew how to rile me up.

Track ran into the clubhouse. Why was he running? What the fuck was going on?

“Who called?” My blood pressure rose with every step. Something felt off. Was I about to have a heart attack? I pressed my chest, wishing to ease the pain.

He rushed around the building, without so much as an answer.

“The fact that you’re telling me to stay cool is proof you know it’s bullshit Madeline isn’t home.” I clenched my jaw, blasting through the glass door. I needed a drink before calling my woman and giving her a major ass-chewing.

Track looked over his shoulder at me. He didn’t seem right. Still hadn’t answered me.

“What’s going on?” I would kick Hero’s ass when I saw him. He knew better than to defy my orders.

“Where the hell have you been?” Lynx made a beeline toward Track and I. “I’ve called you a dozen times and sent just as many texts!”

“Excuse me?” I stopped, narrowing my eyes at Lynx. I didn’t take kindly to being yelled at. I was the fuckin’ president. This boy needed to show some respect.

“With Track. Don’t you ever yell at me like that again!” I passed him, then stopped, wholly taken aback by the grave air in the bar. “What the fuck’s going on?” I grabbed a beer from the fridge. “Somebody die?” I twisted the cap off the bottle.

“It’s Madeline,” Lynx said.

I whirled around to face him and removed my phone from my pocket. Another sharp pain sprouted in my heart. “Shit! I forgot to turn it back on after the jew…” I mumbled the last part of the word because nobody knew about the jewelry store. Track was the only one. “What about her? If shit went down like the last time I was gone, I’m gonna bust some faces!”

“Christ, I wish it was just that.” Lynx gripped the back of his neck.

“If it was so important, why didn’t anyone call Track?” I gritted my teeth.

Lynx threw his hands up. “I didn’t know he was with you! Because I’m a fucking idiot!”

“Clearly!”

“The Hunters…” Lynx’s voice trailed.

I checked my call log and saw Lynx’s number several times, then checked the texts. There was one from Madeline.

The tension radiating off Track put me more on edge. He hovered as if knowing I’d lose my shit.

“What about the little maggots?” I opened the message, trepidation building in my stomach. Another pang in my chest hit me like a Mack truck.

Madeline: Hello prez. Got your pretty lady with me. Can’t decide what I’ll do with her tight little body. Keep her or sell her to the highest bidder. Got her friends too. And your SAA. I’ll be in touch – DH.

My hands trembled as the greatest fear I’d ever felt roared through my body with tsunami strength. The message had been sent over an hour ago. My whole body violently spasmed. My Angel... 

“Goddammit!” A guttural roar ripped from my throat as I let out the beast I kept locked up. I threw my beer at the mirror behind the bar. I swept my arm across the shelf. Dozens of bottles fell and shattered on the ground as I continued to cry out in agony. “Nooo!”

“Prez, I… I…” Lynx stuttered.

Track took my phone out of my hand as Raul entered the bar.

“The Hunters have my woman!” I yelled to anyone listening. “Call Justin! Those fuckers have Emilee too. And Hero! Fuck and AJ. Get every available brother here!” I barked orders like a crazy man. “I want everyone on the streets! Now! They have my woman!”

“Jesus Christ,” Track said in a venomous tone.

“I already have men in Winters.” Raul gripped my bicep. “Pull yourself together.”

“Anyone touches her, I will kill them! Kill them!” My chest burned as I tried to draw in oxygen. I couldn’t breathe. Fuck, I couldn’t fill my lungs. Dread ripped through my body like a deadly F5 tornado.

Raul squeezed my arm. “Calm down, son. Wolf and Jill saw squad cars and an ambulance at Dairy Queen.” Raul swallowed. “They saw Madeline’s Honda in the parking lot and went to check it out. AJ is gone.”

I cut my eyes to his. “Gone? What do you mean?” But I knew. Fuck, I knew.

“Dead.”

I grabbed the back of my neck. “Jesus,” I hissed.

“The Hunters won’t hurt them if they think they can use them for leverage.” Raul put his hand on my back.

“Storm.” Sugar slipped into my side, wrapping me in a hug. “She’ll be okay.”

I felt on the verge of breaking, but I couldn’t. I had to keep my head.

“You put the tracking app on Madeline’s phone, didn’t you?” Track asked.

I nodded while he clicked around on my phone.

“Shit, it looks like her phone is at DQ. I’ll call Wolf.” Track stepped to the side.

My heart thundered so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. If those fuckers hurt any of them, I would destroy every single one of them. If they laid even a finger on my Madeline, all hell would break loose.

“Here, Prez. Take the edge off.” Lynx handed me a tumbler of whiskey. “I’m sorry about this.”

“No,” I snapped, tossing back the amber liquid. The burn did nothing to ease my nerves. “This is my fault. I shouldn’t have let her leave. I knew the Dirty Hunters were pissed at us, wanting revenge for us plucking off their men.”

“Hey.” Track appeared from behind me. “Wolf said Madeline’s phone was in her car. Prospects are bringing it back. Wolf’s bringing Hero’s bike.”

“Good.”

“She’s gonna be okay. She’s strong.” Sugar whispered, still holding onto me.

“I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to her. The Hunters are a bunch of animals. Goddammit!” I squeezed my eyes shut and tilted my head up. I didn’t want to imagine what the bastards were doing.

Track growled. “We’ll destroy the whole fucking lot of them.”

“No mercy…” I shouted as we parted ways. “I’ll be in my office.” I needed a moment to rage in private. I could depend on Raul and Track to get shit in order. I just need a minute.

“Where’s Storm?” A loud growly voice yelled. “Storm!”

“Who’s yelling for me?” I stopped, turning around.

Dodge appeared, chest heaving and hands fisted. He looked ready to kill.

“What do you want?” I barked at him.

“I need to talk to you and Track.”

“Gonna have to wait.” I continued down the hallway.

“Now, goddammit! We talk now!”

I turned on my heel, sneering. “Excuse me, motherfucker?”

“In private,” Dodge demanded.

“Boy, you are lucky you’re Track’s cousin, or I would beat your face into a bloody pulp.” I was barely hanging on by a thread.

Dodge exhaled a labored breath. “It’s important… about Emilee.”

I grabbed Dodge by the arm and jerked him to the side, and hollered for Track. Dodge’s breathing was about as erratic as mine. We stared at each other, waiting for Track.

“What?” Track entered the hallway. When he saw his cousin in my grasp, he scowled. “What’s going on?”

“Your cousin here has important information about Emilee. He wanted to talk to you and me.” I bore my gaze into Dodge.

Track crossed his arms over his chest. “Spill it, Danny.”

“Dodge,” he hissed.

“Boy, say what you gotta say, or I’ll beat your ass myself.” Track got in his cousin’s face. “I don’t have time for your punk-ass shit.”

“Emilee is my girl,” Dodge blurted.

“Come again?” Track shoved him in the chest.

Dodge squared his shoulders as if ready to fight. “You heard me, Emilee is my girl. I need to help find her.”

“You will be where I say you’ll be, prospect,” I cut in. Who did this punk-ass kid think he was?

Dodge faced me. “No Prez, she’s carrying my baby. I need to help find her… them.”

Track scrubbed his hand over his cheek. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. You have got to be kidding me.” He slapped Dodge upside the head. “If her dad finds out, no one will be able to save your ass. Not even the prez here.”

Dodge stood firm against us. “I don’t need saving, cuz. I need to find my woman.”

“She ain’t a woman. She’s a girl. A nineteen-year-old girl, and you got her pregnant?” Track pinched the bridge of his nose. “Justin is going to kill you. Then chop you in pieces and feed your worthless ass to the fish.”

“Enough,” I shouted through gritted teeth. “I don’t have the patience for this drama. You can stay,” I told Dodge. “But you better listen to the orders because if you screw up and endanger my woman, I’ll cut your balls off and shove them up your ass. You get me?”

“Yeah, Prez. I get you.”

“How far along is she?” I asked, unsure if I wanted to know. But it made me think about Madeline. Dammit. My stomach tightened.

Dodge’s face softened a little. “Just found out before the barbecue. Five weeks.”

“Sonofabitch,” Track hissed. “What was it, a one-night stand?”

Dodge blanched, clearly offended. “Fuck no. We’ve been together since Christmas. Just been hiding it.”

“Christ,” I rasped. “Boy, get out of my face.” I pushed him away.

“Okay, Prez.” He fell back, heading for the bar.

“I’m sorry about this.” Track paced. “I sponsored the little shit. I can’t believe he knocked up Justin’s only daughter. You don’t need this crap right now.”

I shook my head, hands on my hips. “Justin’s going to lose it as it is with his daughter missing. Her being pregnant will send him over the edge. You better find a way to keep Danny out of his way.”

“I will. Wolf should be here soon. I’m going to go talk to my dad.”

“Church in thirty,” I told him.

“I’ll be there.”

I returned to the bar for another shot. Lynx must’ve read my mind, pouring me a glass. I nodded, then swirled the amber liquid before tossing it back. I welcomed the burn in my throat, trying to focus on it, but all I saw as I squeezed my eyes shut was Angel’s face.

Fuckin’ Hunters. We should’ve driven them out of the state a long time ago. We should’ve made a statement, challenged them, and showed them we wouldn’t take their shit.

“Storm?”

I turned toward the hesitant voice. “Jill.”

“I… um, found this notebook in Madeline’s car. When I went to put it back, this note fell out.” She handed me a paper. “I only glanced at it when I saw your name. I wasn’t sure if it was important.”

Wolf stepped up behind Jill and wrapped his arms around his trembling old lady. “Prez, I talked to one of the deputies. Lots of gunfire was reported. AJ had one shot to the heart. He’s been taken to the coroner.”

I held the paper in my hand, barely hearing Wolf’s words. “Okay.” I stalked to my office, closed the door, and went to my chair.

My hands shook as I unfolded the letter.

Kaleb, my love,

I have a weird feeling something awful is going to happen. You weren’t here when I arrived to ease my fears. On the off-chance I never see you again, I wrote you this letter. God, I hope I’m just overreacting, but I feel it in my bones. Something horrible is coming.

Whatever you’re thinking about Tommy’s death, stop. JUST. STOP. It was an accident, baby. I know it was. I don’t blame you. Toby told me everything. I want you to know, none of it changes the way I feel about you. I still want to be with you. I want to be with you more than anything. Every day I dream about us having a baby and our future together. A life with you is all I want.

I love you, Kaleb Knight. I have since I was a little girl. I will love you until I draw my last breath. Whatever happens today, tomorrow, or years from now, never stop living. Even if I’m gone, keep moving forward.

Yours always and forever,

Angel

I stared at her words, her handwriting. She must have written it the day she caught Carla in our room. Madeline had sensed something was off. She was so damn perceptive. Always. But the part about drawing her last breath undid me. I leaned over my desk, crossing my arms on it, and put my head down. And I broke into a sob.

This was all my fault.

If I didn’t get Madeline back in one piece, I’d pull the roof down around me. I’d personally hunt down every fuckin’ Hunter and do to them what they did to her.

When I get you back, I’ll marry you and never let you out of my sight again.