Defiant Dodge by Naomi Porter

23

Dodge

I was pretty damn happy about the progress I’d made with Justin. It would make things easier for Emilee if he and I were okay with each other. I’d do anything to make my woman happy.

I was about to thank Justin when a woman screamed, “Storm!”

I whirled around, my heart seizing when I saw a distraught Angel.

“The babies are gone!” she cried. “Birdie and Dante are gone!”

“Jesus.” I jumped out of my seat, following Storm.

“Baby, calm down,” Prez told her. “Gone where?”

She was beside herself, sobbing. “Em… She’s unconscious.”

I ran to where I’d left her in the kitchen with Maddy so I could talk to Justin. My heart jumped into my throat. She was on the floor, a small pool of blood beside her head.

“Emilee!” I dropped to my knees beside her. “Baby, baby, wake up. Please, Em, open your eyes.”

Justin kneeled beside me. “Jesus. Emmy, baby girl. Open your eyes, sweetie.”

Angel’s wracking sobs came from behind, putting the fear of God in me as I brushed Emilee’s blonde hair off her face.

“Dodge, we gotta go, man. The babies,” Storm barked.

My heart thundered in my chest. My son. My woman. My son.

“I’ll stay with her,” Justin told me, putting his hand on my shoulder. “I promise I’ll take care of her. Just bring Dante back.”

Commotion abounded as brothers scrambled, Storm barking orders.

The babies.

My son.

Grizzly ran in. “The camera at the entrance door only shows Misty leaving within the last fifteen minutes, with a duffle bag.”

“Misty?” Justin got to his feet. “Let me see that.”

Storm hugged Angel as she sobbed. “I’ll get Birdie back, baby. I promise, I’ll get her back.”

I looked down at my beautiful Em. Her lashes fluttered a little. “Em, baby. Come on, wake up.” Only she could tell us what happened, tell us who took the babies.

“That’s Tami’s sister!” Justin shouted. “She must’ve been the insurance Rat mentioned.”

“Tami, the woman who held a gun on Emilee?” Storm roared.

“Yes,” Justin said. “Tami is Rat’s sister. Misty must’ve been sent here.”

“Fuck, we had a rat in the club!” Storm’s face turned red.

I rolled my hands into fists as fury washed through me. Misty had always rubbed me wrong, but I couldn’t think about that bitch. My son was gone. Birdie was gone. We had to get out there and search for them before Misty got away with kidnapping. Not fucking happening.

“Danny,” Emilee muttered. “Dante.”

I brushed her hair off her face. “I know, baby. Tell me what happened.” I held back, pushing her to talk. Time wasn’t on our side though.

The room quieted, but Maddy’s whimpers didn’t.

“Maddy needed to pee. I told her I’d watch Birdie in the swing. After she left…” Em let out a shuddered breath. “Misty came in. It happened so fast. She said, ‘Lucky me, I get two for one.’ Then she attacked me. Hit my head with something.” Tears streamed down her face. “I blacked out.” She lifted her hand. In it was one of Dante’s shoes. “Maddy wanted to know the size.”

I took Little D’s black high-top. It was so small sitting in my palm. All I could hear were Emilee and Maddy crying and the rumble of my brothers’ voices.

What was I missing?

“Dodge, the shoe.” Grizzly jerked his chin toward my hand.

I’d forgotten all about his shoes. After Rat had tried to take my boy, I’d talked to Grizzly about tracking devices for babies. Putting the chip in the high-tops I’d bought him seemed like a good idea.

How could I have forgotten?

“Yes!” I pulled my cell phone from my back pocket, praying the other shoe was still on his foot. The tracking app came up showing they were heading north out of town. “I got them.” I raised my phone.

Storm snagged it and barked more orders.

I kissed Emilee’s lips. “I love you, baby. I’m going to go get our boy. Your dad will stay with you.” I kissed her again.

She grabbed my cut. “If that fucking Misty hurts them—”

“She won’t. We’ll get them back.”

“Hurry, Dodge, hurry.”

Bikes raced off the property, along with a couple of SUVs, as I mounted my hog.

“I will kill that fucking bitch,” Storm roared as he sped away.

“Not if I get her first.” I took my gun out of my saddlebag and tucked it into the back of my pants, then started my bike and took off after my boy.

I hauled ass to catch up to Storm, who led the way. I didn’t give two flying fucks that I was breaking formation. My kid was in the bitch’s car.

In my rearview mirror, flashing lights appeared. I made out an ambulance and a sheriff’s car. Someone probably called Sugar’s dad, Sheriff Hendricks.

My stomach churned. It was wise to have medics following. Anything could happen to the babies. Dammit, if the sirens and flashing lights didn’t terrify me.

There weren’t many cars on these dirt roads, not at suppertime. It made it easy to spot Misty’s car kicking up dirt. By my estimation, she wasn’t more than a mile in front of us.

Storm pointed and gave a thumbs-up. I assumed Grizz had confirmed it was Misty via the Bluetooth device Storm had in his ear.

We both stepped on the gas, and the rumbling sound of our army of brothers behind us filled the air. If she thought she’d get away with stealing our kids, she was a fool. Nobody would live to see another day if they tried taking what belonged to us.

The distance between Misty’s car and us narrowed. Cutting her off could send her into the ditch. I doubted the babies were in car seats, not both anyway. She’d only planned to take Dante.

How in the hell could we get her to stop without causing the car to flip?

I clenched my jaw. It was like I could hear Dante wailing, feel his fear.

I’m coming, son. Daddy’s coming for you.

Up ahead, at the end of the road, was a T intersection. Misty could only go right or left. In the distance, more cop cars came from both directions. She had no way of escaping.

It sure paid to have family in law enforcement and be part of the Knight’s Legion MC. All it took was one call, and the cavalry came.

Misty’s brake lights flashed, and the back end of her sedan fishtailed.

I gripped my handlebars and held my breath, praying the car didn’t flip over.

Suddenly she slammed on the brakes, rocking the car to a stop. The driver’s side door flew open, and she bolted.

Storm and I skidded to a stop simultaneously, dropping our bikes on the ground, and we pounded the dirt after her.

“Look out!” I shouted when she pulled a gun.

Misty fired several shots as she ran into a wheat field. We ducked behind her car. The ping of bullets hitting metal sent me over the edge.

The babies were crying. Fuck I wanted to get to my son, but I was focused on the bitch who’d stolen him.

I whipped my gun out. “Get the babies,” I told Storm as I ran after her.

“Dodge!” Storm yelled. “I’ll go after—”

“No!” Did he really think I’d listen during a time like this?

Hero and Track caught up with me.

“Sheriff is coming.” Hero had his gun out.

“Don’t care,” I hissed, slowing down in the yellow field. I couldn’t see where Misty had gone. I tromped through cautiously with my gun poised to shoot, watching the wheat stalks dance from side to side. Of course there had to be a breeze blowing.

What had I expected?

We were in Minnesota. Most days, it was windy, whether it was winter or summer. It made it difficult to see which way Misty had gone.

“I’m an eyewitness,” Track said, humor in his voice. “She fired first.” Leave it to him to try to calm the situation.

“And you were with her,” I hissed through gritted teeth. I didn’t like him distracting me. Typical Track.

“Yeah, but sucking cock doesn’t really count.” There he went again with the fucking humor.

Where the fuck did Misty go?

Hero snorted. “It’s oral sex, ese. It still counts.”

“Come out, you baby-stealing bitch!” I yelled, doing my best to ignore those two. “You’re not leaving this field alive.”

Misty fired again, and the whizz of the bullet went past my face.

“Son of a bitch.” I’d had enough of her. I aimed and fired three rounds in the direction her bullet had come from, praying one hit her.

“I think you hit her.” Hero took off running, first.

Track and I looked at each other, then met up with our SAA, who’d stopped twenty feet ahead of us.

“Damn, cuz. You hit her twice,” Track said with his head tilted to assess Misty.

She was on her side in the field, her eyes open and vacant.

Hero elbowed me. “Here comes Hendricks.”

I sought out Storm. I didn’t even know the condition of my boy. Both babies needed to be okay. Goddamn, they needed to be okay.

“Is that Wolf holding a baby?” Track pointed toward the ambulance.

I squinted. Sure as shit, the Russian giant had something, someone in his arms. Did that mean the baby he had was okay?

“Must be Little D,” Hero said. He pointed toward one of the black SUVs. “Storm is also holding a baby.”

I craned my neck to see, my heart hammering in my chest. Did Prez have Birdie? If one was hurt, wouldn’t they be in the ambulance?

“All right, which one of you killed her?” Hendricks’s voice came from behind us, his footsteps closing in.

“Wasn’t me.” Track raised his hands, a wry grin playing on his lips. “I don’t even have a gun on me.”

Pussy.

Hendricks rolled his eyes.

“It was self-defense,” Hero said, Mr. All Business. “Our lives were at stake. She’s one crazy bitch, stealing two babies, Sheriff.”

Again, Hendricks rolled his eyes. “So it was you.” He looked at me.

“She took my son.” I didn’t think twice about pulling the trigger. It was best to keep that detail to myself. “She’s linked to the Rat Brotherhood in Fargo.”

“Yeah, I’m up to speed on who she is. Emilee’s doing okay, by the way. Put that gun away and go get your boy.” He put his hands on his hips and looked around. “I’ll deal with this.”

“Appreciate it, Sheriff. Hope you can make it to the wedding next weekend.” I was sure he’d be there. He’d known Emilee since she was in diapers.

I jogged toward Wolf, anxious to hold my boy.

“Hey! Who’s gonna be your best man?” Track hollered.

I didn’t pay him any mind. As if he didn’t know it was him.