“Enough!” Marx bellows, drawing both Chewy and the man up short.
“One of those little girls is my fucking daughter.” Marx takes one heavy step toward the Foreign Ginger who has quietened his screams to pained hisses and whimpers. “The other is your torturer's daughter.”
“Hello!” Chewy waves at him, blood on her gloves.
“The other three belong to my brothers and their Ol Ladies, so you see? You done fucked up big time. Now, we know the who and the why, but the million dollar question is … who knows you’re here?”
“I called it in,” he whispers, “told them how many of you to expect. I-I’m so fucking sorry, I was just doing my-”
Quick as a flash, Rhodie uses the butt of his gun across the man's face, his body going limp as his head lolls, blood dripping from his mouth.
“Keep him alive, Chewy. I need to sit down and wait for the rest of my men to get home before we plan our next move.” Marx slowly shuffles out, accompanied by Lovely, Gallows and Mercy.
“Hey Pops, when we finally get rid of this guy do you wanna see what type of damage the caustic soda did?”
“Oh hell yeah!” Pops roars, fist pumping in the air. “I’ll get the autopsy kit outta the SUV. Hopefully Marx doesnt fuck around for too long, I can’t wait to see what damage the soda did on the dick!”
“And we’re out.” Jazz hooks her arm through my elbow and we march out of the shed, into the bright light of the day, the warm sun on our faces.
One day I’ll be able to soak in this feeling, but today is not that day. Not until all our girls are safe and the bad guys are gone.
Chapter 17
Switch
Iam so fucking happy that we are on the home stretch, rumbling down the long-ass drive of my childhood home. Twelve hours on a bike ain't for the faint of heart, and even less so when you know there are people waiting in the shadows to snatch away your loved ones. And I mean that. I love Joy and I love Kit. As far as I’m concerned, they are my family and have been since the damn night I laid eyes on them.
“Not quite home, but close enough,” Sniper mumbles after he backs his bike into the space beside mine.
“Home is where your people are, brother. And I’m pretty sure that little girl and woman on the porch there are waiting for you.” I jerk my chin toward the pair on the porch, wild curls framing their heart shaped faces.
The corner of Sniper’s lips lift, just a little, but enough to confirm what I already knew.
“Reid!” My eyes close at the sweetest sound that ever hit them, and I turn in my seat, toward the voice of the woman who has my heart.
She flies toward me, her auburn hair whipping around her shoulders and at the last minute she throws herself into my arms.
“Reid,” she heaves out, “you’re home!” She pushes against my shoulders until I loosen my grip, and she leans back, beaming. “I was so worried but I didn’t have to be. Turns out I’m pretty handy with a knife. Oh, and I carry my stun gun with me everywhere.” She holds up a tiny purple thing, and you know what? Fuck yeah.
I can’t help myself, I lean in and press my lips to hers. Not demanding anything, just wanting to feel her skin on mine, her breath on my face. My lips open on a moan when she leans further into me, her small fists gripping my cut, her tongue sweeping across my bottom lip shocking me enough to allow her access. Our tongues duel, taste, tangle until Joy pulls back slightly, but not before nipping at my bottom lip gently.
“Where the fuck did that come from?” She hunches into herself a little at my volume, but fuck me, she shocked the hell outta me.
“That,” she grins, “came from a badass that got to watch Chewy work today.”
What the fuck? What does she mean “work”? Needing the answers to my questions I grip Joy’s hips, gently lift her and place her beside me as I throw my leg over my bike. Her giggles make my gut fizz, but not enough to calm the unsettling feeling washing over me. Joy is pure, and kind and -
“Hey,” Joy’s voice filters through my spiralling thoughts, her small hand on my stubble as she turns me to look at her. “I’mtougher than I look. I handled it and I can handle a lot more. IknowI can. Just, be proud of me?”
All the air rushes out of me like she’s taken her little fist and punched me square in the gut. “Joy, babe, I will never be able to tell you how fucking proud I am of you, of Kit. Of the both of you. You have a spine of fucking steel, little Joy, and I’m fucking awed that you think enough of me to even want to be in my orbit.”
“I think everything of you.”
I press a kiss to the crown of her head, before twining my fingers with hers. “Come on, let's go see our girl before I have Church.”
“OK,” she says, leaning into me, wrapping the hand not holding mine, around my bicep as we walk toward the porch.
“Joy?”
