Page 26 of Vengeful Pawn

“He’s always been a bit of a hot head. Thinking he needs to do everything for everyone else and forgetting to take care ofhimself.” Hadley’s pointed glare after saying this speaks of the last couple of years. Of all the pain I’ve gone through since my final mission. The one that nearly killed me in the end.

“I’ve picked up on that,” Mia says with a smile, her eyes warming when she looks at me. The emotional display gets my dick jerking behind my zipper. This woman can rile me up like nothing else, and she has no idea just what that means.

“Hendrix.” At Dad’s voice, I glance over to see Mom entering the room with a nurse. The girls shuffle off the bed and move to sit on the cot, while Hadley finds a corner to stand in, next to Mom. “Let’s talk.”

“I’ll be right back,” I tell Mia, making sure the girls are settled before following my father out.

“Holden has a name. He’s waiting on you downstairs.” He must notice my hesitation. “Luther and King are already on their way up. We’ll protect her, son. Go get the son of a bitch who nearly killed my grandbaby and daughter. Make him hurt.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

I shouldn’t be surprised by the anger in his tone, by the thirst for blood that the older men in our family always have a need for. They grew up on the streets, fought their way to the top, and shed more blood than anyone knows in order to maintain control.

We grew up with the same intensity, but we never wondered if we were loved because the moms made sure we all knew it. After a quick goodbye with Mia, where she couldn’t ask too many questions because of the nurse, I head down to find Holden waiting for me.

“Where’s Bishop?” I ask. He wouldn’t miss this.

“He and Castle are following the asshole. Making sure they don’t lose him. A few more guys from the MC are prepared to do a snatch and grab.”

I was aware that Castle rode down this morning, but hadn’t realized he brought anyone with him, though I shouldn’t be surprised.

“So, what do you want to do?”

The million-dollar question.“I want to gut him and light him on fire.”

Holden whistles with an amused smirk. “Like father, like son, huh?”

That story is infamous in our family. How my dad did the same thing to my grandfather that he had done to my mom, what he had still planned to do at the time.

“A perfect way to make sure he knows who he fucked with,” I retort.

Holden is no stranger to violence. It’s been a few years since the family learned about what he was doing in the dead of night when he found a person who didn’t get the justice they deserved. There’s no judgment coming my way from him.

Calling Bishop, I tell him, “Take him to Beechmont.” The warehouse on the docks has long since been a place for this type of situation. Spending a lot of time with this asshole will be my pleasure and it provides the needed privacy.

CHAPTER 18

MiaBella

“Did you mean it?” Coral asks once everyone leaves, and we’re playing a game of Go Fish in bed while waiting to hear about my release.

“Mean what?” I ask, my voice casual.

“That we could be part of your family.”

Charlotte sits up from the cot where she was watching a movie on my phone. “You said that?” I’m not sure if Charlotte is angry or skeptical. Maybe both.

“I did,” I say to Charlotte. “And I did,” I tell Coral. “I didn’t realize you were awake.” Her cheeks tinge pink. “If it’s something you two would like to discuss, you should. If you already know you don’t want it, that’s okay, too.” No matter what, I’d like to be in their lives.

“So, you’d be what…like our mom?”

You can’t miss the hope in Coral’s tone, despite her shooting looks at her sister for approval. Whatever Charlotte decides, Coral will do the same, even if it’s not what she wants.

Laying my cards down, they both get my undivided attention. “I would be whatever you want me to be. Don’t feel pressured todecide right now; these things take time, and we have plenty of it. If you want me to petition the courts for fostering, I can do that, and we can test the waters.”

I glance between the girls. They are having a conversation with their eyes and facial expressions. Their bond is unmistakable and strong. Something I hope they will always have, no matter where they end up in life. If I can provide support, then I will.

“Where would we live?” Charlotte asks. And boy, is that a good damn question.

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