I clenched my jaw as I punched his face.
Motherfucker.
“I’m really fuckin’ happy that fire didn’t kill you, and that one of Harlow’s customers pulled you from it,” I snarled.
He spat blood from his mouth. “Fuck you.”
I punched him again. As the satisfaction coursed through me, I yelled, “No, fuck you!”
“We need to hurry this along, brother,” Griff warned.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
I yanked one of the pillows out from under Rogue’s head, enjoying the fear I saw in his eyes. His arms lashed out at me, trying to halt my progress, but nothing would stop me from this. When I finally had the pillow over his face, I pressed down hard while Griff restrained his arms. His body fought death and his grunts composed the soundtrack to his demise, but all I heard was the sweet, sweet music of triumph.
Finally, something is going our way.
As I eyed the drinks available in the hospital café, Griff said, “Blood is about to be shed, isn’t it?”
I grabbed a can of coke, a bottle of orange juice, a carton of strawberry milk and a green smoothie before answering him. Meeting his gaze, I said, “A lot of fuckin’ blood.”
“You thirsty, brother?” he said as he jerked his chin at the drinks in my arms.
“Not me. Harlow. She didn’t tell me what she wanted so I’ll just get her everything she loves.”
A smile twitched at his lips. “When are you gonna marry that woman?”
“As soon as I can fuckin’ perfect the proposal.”
He laughed. “Four words, brother, that’s all it takes. I’m sure you can manage that.”
I paid for the drinks and as we walked towards the elevator, Griff’s phone rang. He took the call and I watched as a frown replaced the smile on his face.
When he ended the call, he said, “That was J. Nash and Velvet were just run off the road. They’re not hurt - thank fuck they were in her car and not on his bike - but Nash is fired up and ready to take on Julio. J’s trying to talk him down and get him to wait for us. And Scarlett turned up at the clubhouse, minus her brother. Apparently she got word from him, though, and he’s left town and is okay.”
I thought about that for a minute and then balanced Harlow’s drinks in my arms so I could pull out my phone. I dialled a number and when he answered, I said, “We’re gonna need your help, King.”
“I’m one step ahead of you, brother. We’ll be there tomorrow.”
I didn’t even ask him how he knew we needed him. King had his sources and if he wanted to share that information with me, he would in his own time. I simply said, “Thank you.”
“King’s on his way?” Griff asked when I’d finished my call.
“Yeah. Someone, somewhere, knows something, and I’m hoping we’re about to get to the fuckin’ bottom of this shit.”
“You and me both. It’s time Storm had some good shit happen. The last couple of years have been hell.”
When the elevator hit Harlow’s level, we stepped out and almost ran into Blade who was on his phone, pacing in front of the lifts. He spun around and ended his call as he met my gaze.
“Julio’s gone to ground,” he stated.
“How? We’ve got Gunnar watching him,” Griff said.
“Someone drugged Gunnar. I just sent one of my guys around to check in with him and he was just coming to. Julio’s cleared everything out of his place and I can’t find anyone who knows where he is.”
“Jesus! Can this day get any worse?” My temper exploded.
“Also, your mother needs to see you.”
“Why the fuck is my mother contacting you about needing to see me?”
His brows lifted. “Apparently you don’t answer her calls.”
Fuck.
I had been ignoring her today.
He continued, “She says it can’t wait.”
So much for spending the whole night with Harlow.
15
Scott
“Is Harlow okay?”
Irritation at being dragged away from her, and a need to get back to her as soon as possible, caused me to snap at my mother when she didn’t deserve it. “She’s fine. What was so important that I had to come right now?” Harlow had understood, but I didn’t feel the same way.
Mum squared her shoulders and placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t take that shitty tone of voice with me, Scott. I would not have asked you to come if it wasn’t important.”
I forced out a breath and tried to calm down. “Sorry. Today’s been hard, but you didn’t deserve that.” I paused as the emotions running through me came to the surface. My voice softened as I added, “Harlow is pregnant again.”
Her eyes widened and a smile spread across her face. “That’s the best news I’ve heard for a long time!”
Nodding, I said, “Yeah…I’m concerned, though.”
“Why?”
I sat on her couch and rested my elbows on my knees. My muscles had knotted in my shoulders and back, and I dropped my head forward to stretch my neck. Looking back up at her, I laid out my fears. “Harlow told me she didn’t want to try for a baby again just yet. I’m worried this is too soon for her when she’s still trying to work through her grief. She’s come so far and I don’t want her to ever go back to where she was.”
Mum sat next to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. “Scott, sometimes what we think will be the worst thing for us, turns out to be exactly what we need. I’ve been keeping an eye on Harlow and I think things have changed for her. I think she’s stronger now and has the mental tools to cope with whatever happens. Amongst other things she’s been doing that helped, you going away was good for her.”
“Why?”
“It forced her to take some responsibility on again, and it also gave her something besides herself to think about. She was busy looking after Lisa and Michelle, as well as the café with her mum, and trying to help Wilder out.”
I thought I’d noticed a change in Harlow, but I figured I’d been seeing something that perhaps wasn’t there. What I wanted to see. But maybe Mum was right.
Pressing my back against the couch, I said, “I hope you’re right. And I hope to fuck we don’t lose this baby.” I drummed my fingers on my leg and did my best to ignore the tightness in my chest. We can’t lose this one.
“If you lose another child, you’ll face that together. You’re an amazing man and I’m so proud of the way you’ve stood by Harlow. Even though your father set the worst example of how to be a man and a husband, you’ve figured out how to do it right, and Harlow is very lucky to have you.” Her eyes misted over as she took a breath. When she spoke again, her voice cracked as she felt her way through her words. “I’m so sorry for allowing your father to remain a part of our family while you were growing up. I wish I’d done better and given you and Madison the kind of father you both deserved. But I can’t go back; all I can do is be there for you now, whenever and however you need me.”
I took all her words in, hearing her for what felt like the first time in a long time. I’d shut her out over the last year, but it was time to let her back in. Mum had suffered at the hands of my father for so long; she didn’t need to keep hurting.
It’s time to put our family back together.
Reaching for her hand, I murmured, “When you know better, you do better, right?”
Tears slid down her face as she nodded. “Yes,” she whispered.
We sat in silence for a while, lost in our own thoughts. A man who only cared about himself had screwed up our family from the beginning. I would build us back up and give us the opportunity to be the strong family we always should have been.