I tilt Noah’s face towards mine. “Hey, little man. You don’t have to be frightened. This is Copper, and he’s my Old Man. He won’t hurt you. I promise.”
Noah tucks his head into my shoulder and peeks at Copper from under his lashes. “You no hurt me?”
Copper swallows hard. Anguish darkens his eyes as they meet mine.
“No, bud.” He rests a big hand on Noah’s curly head and gently rubs it. “I won’t hurt you. None of the men with me will hurt you. They’re here to look after you.”
“You promise?”
“I pinky promise.” Copper holds up his little finger.
A ghost of a smile appears on Noah’s face as he reaches out and hooks his little finger with Copper’s. My heart melts into a puddle.
Copper wraps his arm around us and turns us towards the door. Outside, I see the Queens Wraiths brothers milling about along with the Cursed Skulls. It looks like a war zone. Huddled on the far side are a group of women and young girls.
Cahir turns as we walk up. Well, Copper walks, and I limp with Noah still in my arms.
Relief lights up Cahir's face when he sees me, even as he catalogues my injuries.
“Bella,” he whispers, taking me from Copper and gathering me into his arms.
Noah squeaks in alarm, but I soothe him. “They’re friends, Noah. Don’t worry.”
“They all big.”
Smiling at him, I agree. “Yeah, they are, but they’re the best of the best. You’re safe with them.”
Silas, Cai, and Ramzi push past Cahir to get to me, but they’re careful of the boy in my arms. I welcome their embraces; they’re my family just as much as my own blood is.
“Did we get him?” I ask Cahir.
He shakes his head. “No, but we’ve got a tracer on him, so we know where he’s heading. We’ll get him.”
“I’m coming with you when you go after him,” I warn them. I need vengeance, not for me, but for Noah and the women currently huddled on the far side of the parking lot, talking with Thea and Jeanie.
Cahir nods. “Okay, but first, the hospital. You heal, then we go hunting.”
“Perfect,” I agree. “You got a cleanup crew coming?”
“On their way,” Silas confirms. “We’ll get the women to safety first. Thea and Jeanie are calming them and will get them on the bus. We’ll then take them to the safe house, which isn’t far from here. Our volunteers are ready and waiting to help them.”
There are so many moving parts, and I’m flagging. I lean heavily on Copper.
“Come on, Spice. Let’s get you to the hospital,” he murmurs.
“I’ll drive,” Cai says gruffly, walking towards a black four-by-four with tinted windows.
I’m too tired to argue. Copper and I settle with Noah between us in the back. Noah clings to me. Just before we drive away, I lean across Copper and open the window, calling out to Ramzi. He jogs over to us, and I give him the information I have on Noah,which isn’t much. Ramzi is good, and I know he’ll find out what he can with the little I’ve given him.
“If you don’t find any family for him, I want him to stay with us,” I say, then pause. Shit, I should probably check with Copper first. I’m not a lone wolf anymore. I capture his gaze. “Is that okay with you?”
Copper cups my uninjured cheek and smiles, “Yeah, Spice. That’s fine with me. He’s ours if he needs a home.”
I press my lips to his palm. “Thank you.”
“Leave it with me,” Ramzi says, knocking on the car roof so that Cai knows we can leave.
I slip into sleep before we’ve even left the docks, my head on Copper’s shoulder and Noah in my lap.
