“Yup, I’ll tell her.”
The yacht had staff, although fewer than my parents once employed. But a captain, a co-captain, the housekeeper, a maid, and a cook. While we’d been brought up around having employees, we’d not depended on them. But on a yacht this size and with the kids, I needed help. I couldn’t clean it myself while watching the twins; they got into everything.
I stuck my head into the galley on the way to my office and relayed Thatch’s request. Serena smiled and agreed, and I headed down to get to work. I’d been working on a new set of prints, but something was off with them, and it was annoying me.
“We have to leave,” Aubrey announced two hours later. I rubbed my forehead and frowned.
“What?” I muttered, distracted. I still couldn’t figure out what was bugging me. “Just pull up the anchor, and we’ll go wherever.”
Then Aubrey uttered the most devastating news I’d heard in my entire life. “Nana’s had a stroke.”
Chance
He stared out over the terrain that belonged to his club. With his back to the clubhouse, he could see their houses, a community starting to be built. There was plenty of land for great-grandchildren to build homes, too.
His gaze shifted to the lake, which was stocked with fish. Some of his brothers enjoyed fishing; he didn’t get the appeal. Then his eyes moved beyond the clubhouse to the road, where trees hid the buildings. Hellfire’s garage, parts store, and a design office for his nephew, Fanatic.
Hellfire finally had it good; they were starting to live the dream he’d always envisioned. But not all. Shotgun had drawn away from them. Chance understood his brother was hurting; he’d done a little digging with Rain. While Rain wouldn’t explain too deeply, it was clear to Chance that Allegra had been very adored.
Anger flared briefly. She’d walked out on Shotgun, causing him to doubt his worth. Although Chance’s gut told him there was more to it.
Shotgun hadn’t been wrong; the old ladies had slut-shamed Allegra, but she’d held her head up and not backed down. Somehow, Chance didn’t think Allegra’s leaving had to do with that.
“How are we gonna make him feel protected?” Bear asked.
That right there was the issue. Shotgun hadn’t felt safe. Fucker should have but hadn’t. The scars Zeus left went deep, even today. Shotgun should never have assumed he had to hide his sexuality or his relationship with Rain. Sure, a lot of MCs wouldn’t agree to it, but Hellfire was different. They’d earned clean and would fight to keep it.
Chance’s eyes swept the land again and lit on something. A smile crossed his lips, and Bear stared out, not seeing what he did.
“By proving we accept Shotgun and Rain and their wife when they find her.”
“How?” Bear challenged.
“Watch.” Chance wouldn’t let Shotgun or Rain become outsiders. They were family, and although they were healingfrom the past, they both needed a reminder of what family meant. Chance was going to show them.
Chapter Eight.
Allegra
The journey home was a nightmare. It was taking hours, and I couldn’t sit still. We hadn’t heard anything else since we boarded the plane and were unsure whether that was good or bad. Damon had reported that Nana had also fallen down the stairs and broken her hip when it happened. Which naturally meant she was in a great deal of pain and distress.
“Nana will be fine,” Aubrey said, placing a hand over mine as I tapped my fingers on the arm of the chair. We’d scheduled a private flight home, not wanting to drag the twins on a commercial plane. Our tempers and nerves were already frayed; having that pair loose on a minimum fifteen-hour journey wasn’t a good idea. None of us, apart from the kids, slept properly, just grabbing catnaps, and we were on edge when the plane finally landed.
Stafford and Damon were waiting in arrivals, and I was relieved to see them.
“Any news?”
“Nana’s resting. The hospital is only letting Gramps in right now, so I’ll take you home, and you can all rest for tomorrow.”
I was so tired. I couldn’t tell anyone when the last time I’d slept was. Stafford drove us to my grandparents’ house because it would have been cramped at my old place. He took over settling the kids as I face-planted into the bed and gave in to sleep. Nana would be fine; she had to be.
Shotgun
“Shotgun, I’ve had an alert of Allegra Spalding’s passport,” Leila said, and Shotgun paused. He’d been heading into a diner and stepped aside to take the call.
“Where?”
“RC Regional Airport. Shotgun, Allegra has returned to the country.”
