“No. No,” Snakebite promised. “Jessy and Teeth took him. It’s just Viper was the buyer.”
“You planned this?”
Smirking, his split tongue slithered out. He couldn’t help but admit it. He was proud of himself. “Not the kidnapping. Jessy and Teeth took the baby all on their own. I’ve rescued him. They didn’t know Viper.”
“I left the club five years ago,” she explained.
“What about Anarchy?”
“Who? The General’s girl? What about her?”
“Did she help Jessy and Teeth?”
“No idea. I sent Slither to Tucson, knowing he’d be captured and his woman would be taken as a clubwhore. Loka was supposed to bring you and the baby back to me, but Jessy and Teeth had other plans.”
So, he didn’t kidnap the baby and just rescued him from being sold on the black market, but he’d planned to kidnap us both. Deep into their suite, with Snakebite by the door, I knew I couldn’t make a break for it. I clutched my baby to my chest. Staring down, I saw him root for a breast. Instantly, I felt myself leak.
“Go ahead and feed him,” Viper suggested. “I’ve fed him, but he was starving when I got him.”
My heart ached, hearing the cold fact, he’d been neglected by his kidnappers. Taking the blanket he was wrapped in, I draped it over us to give us some privacy. He latched on, and I petted his tiny head. He looked up at me, pulled away a bit and smiled, like he recognized me. “Mommy’s back,” I told him, tears flooding my eyes.
A cocktail of emotions clouded my head. Elation to be reunited with my baby, so not named Spawn and total horror of the circumstances mixed into one. Yes, a trap. This was a fucking trap. I’d been the mouse. My baby had been the cheese. Snakebite had caught his mouse. Snakes eat mice.
“What now?” I was almost afraid to ask.
Snakebite sat on the arm of the chair and pulled back the blanket. He petted the baby’s head as I fed him now. “You’ll tell that Cowboy you love me and are leaving with me. Real simple.”
“Nope.”
“You’ll come with us or you’ll never see little Spawn again,” Snakebite promised, still caressing the little guy.
“What about the Feds?”
“That’s why you’re telling Cowboy we found the baby and you’re leaving him. For me. That you love me. If the FBI come to California, they won’t find anything but you and Spawn happy and healthy.”
Viper piped in to add, “You don’t go back with him and be Star and play nice, I get to keep the baby.”
“Nope. I’m not going with you.” I looked up at Snakebite and met his eyes. Then I looked over at her. “And he’s not going with you, either.”
“I think you and yours owe me. I life for a life. Snakebite tell her, if she doesn’t go home, I get him. I’ll go to Canada then England. I’ve always wanted to travel the world. And since I told the Feds you killed him, when they can’t find him, you’ll be locked away for good.”
He said, “Viper, we’re all going home. You’ll make a great aunt. You can see him as much as you want.” Snakebite leaned down and kissed my head while I was still feeding him. “You’ll be my Star. I’m president now, Star. I hold all the cards. You’ll be a president’s old lady. You’ll have everything, I’ve always wanted to give you.”
Without a choice, I slept there that night with the baby. Well, I pretended to. Snakebite or Viper guarded the door all night long. In the morning, Snakebite made me call Cowboy. He drove us over to my motel. Viper planned to hide in the bathroom to make sure there was no funny business when I told Cowboy I was leaving.
“Make sure to tell him you love me,” Snakebite said, taking the baby from my arms.
“I’ll tell him I’m leaving, but I won’t lie.”
“You’ll tell him you love me or when we get back to Julian, you’ll be back down the rabbit hole.”
Snakebite took the baby to the car. I lied and told Viper I had to go to the bathroom before she got in there.
She wouldn’t let me close the door.
“Excuse me?”
“You can pee real quick, but I ain’t letting you out of my sight. No matter what my brother thinks, you’re not one of us. I’ll never trust a God.”
