Page 49 of Baja
Salem wastes no time. “Have a seat.” His tone is direct, focusing on Lily as she settles in a chair opposite the table. “You’ve been filled in about your old man?”
Lily nods. “Yes.”
“Your old man filled us in on the basics… names, location, reputation. Anything else we should be aware of about your baby daddy?” Salem’s voice is quieter but no less intense.
“Havoc keeps club business close to his chest. I’m pretty sure they deal in drugs and prostitution.” Lily hesitates before continuing, “Havoc sees everything and everyone as a pawn in his game.” Her eyes drop down, and she protectively embraces her swollen belly. “Including me and my baby.” Lily lifts her head, locking her eyes with Salem. “Havoc and his men are monsters who believe they are untouchable. He doesn’t lose.”
The room falls silent, heavy, and oppressive. Salem’s jaw clenches tight.
“You plan on going after my dad?” Lily questions, breaking the silence.
“Your old man’s on his own. The club ain’t got time to waste chasing him down when we need all hands on deck if trouble stirs up in Salem.” Salem’s voice cuts through like cold steel. He pushes from the table. “For what it’s worth, Jax is resourceful and a pretty damn resilient son of a bitch. There’s a possibility he’ll come out of this whole fuckin’ mess alive.” Salem turns and walks out of the clubhouse.
“You need to take a break,” Juneau says, moving closer to Lily. She hesitantly gets to her feet.
Lily looks at me, her eyes filled with sorrow. “I’m sorry... for everything.”
Nothing I can say will fix the situation we find ourselves in. The club’s hands are tied when it comes to my uncle. But that’s not her burden to carry. “Don’t. None of this is on you.” Lily’s lip trembles, fighting back tears that want to spill. She’s trying tobe tough. “You’re still here, still breathing, and your baby is safe. And I’ll make sure it stays that way.”
Her brow furrows, her arms wrapping around herself like she’s trying to hold together all the pieces threatening to fall apart. “But what if my dad doesn’t make it?”
“That’s not on you. We don’t get to choose how his fate plays out. Don’t focus on the what-ifs. You’ll drown if you do. You’re stronger than you think, Lily. Stronger than him, even. Use your strength and energy to heal and focus on the baby.”
Lily lets out a shaky breath. “If he dies, I’ve got no one.”
“Bullshit,” I growl, my tone sharp but not unkind. “You’ve got me. You’ve got this club. Understand?”
She doesn’t say anything and stares at me, trying to find the truth in my words. I hold her gaze, unwavering because I mean every word. Her tears spill, silent but steady, carving trails down her pale cheeks. For a second, I think she will break completely, but instead, she nods.
“Good,” I say to Lily, then cut my eyes at Juneau. “I’m headin’ back to my woman.”
Juneau’s arm slips around Lily’s waist, and she anchors herself against him. “I got it from here, brother.”
Moments later, I’m tearing away from the clubhouse, the unknown weighing heavily on my shoulders. But my fire to protect the club and keep my family safe is stronger than ever.
17
ALICE
The shrill ring from Nash’s phone wakes me from sleep, and I lose his warmth when he rolls over and swipes his cell from the bedside table.
“Yeah?” he answers gruffly. There is a second of silence before he follows up with, “We’ll be there in fifteen.” Nash jumps out of bed.
“What’s going on?” I click the lamp on and note the time, nearly three o’clock in the morning.
“I need you to get dressed, babe.” Nash snatches his jeans from the floor and pulls them on.
I follow suit and quickly climb out of bed. “You’re scaring me, Nash. Is everything all right? Is it Lily?”
He shakes his head. “Lily is fine. That was Prez. He wants us to get down to Belladonna’s right away.”
My stomach drops, and my knees threaten to buckle. “Oh my God. Sukie? Has something happened to her?”
I think back on the past week, which was chaotic. Ever since Nash’s uncle showed up with Lily, everyone’s life and daily routine has been thrown into a tailspin. The guys haven’t shared much of what’s going on, but it’s safe to say whatever troubleNash’s uncle brought is enough of a threat that requires around-the-clock vigilance. To make matters worse, Nash’s uncle up and disappeared.
Nash strides toward me. “Sukie is fine, babe.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Jesus, way to give a girl a heart attack.”
