Footsteps sounded behind us, and we turned in unison once more as if we’d been trained together.
“Whoa! Whoa! Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!” Stan said.
“Stand down,” Daddy shouted.
They were coming back into the room, their guns still in hand. Daddy lowered his rifle, and came closer, holding one hand out signaling us not to shoot. I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest. What the hell was happening?
Tor came in after Daddy and Stan, his gun pressed into the back of another man dressed in black. One of the security guards that were stationed outside also came in with a man dressed in black.
“Move back, both of you,” Daddy said as he came closer to me and Shawna. “Get over there with your mama.”
“No. Who are they? What is going on?” I had so many questions.
Tor punched the guy he had in the stomach and when he bowed in pain, Tor slammed the butt of his gun down over the back of the man’s head. He crumbled to the floor.
The other guy was smart enough to listen when the guard ordered him onto his knees.
“Dakota!” Daddy yelled but I ignored him and attempted to move around him until he grabbed my arm. “Get. Back.”
I didn’t want to obey him. I wanted to see who these men were and find out why they were here. But this was my father. The man who’d barely said ten words to me since I’d announcedthat I was married. With my gaze locked on his very serious one, I took a step back.
Shawna came over and grabbed my hand. “Come on.”
We moved to where Mama was shaking, holding a crying Malissa so tight against her chest it was a wonder the baby could even breathe. Shawna took her daughter in her arms, and I wrapped mine around Mama.
Another one of Daddy’s guards came into the room with rope and tape and the two gunmen’s wrists and ankles were secured, their mouths taped as Stan continued to point his gun at them.
I barely had a moment to blink, let alone consider who these men might be when there were more footsteps and over them, I heard my name.
“Dakota! Dakota!”
Relief washed over me in waves as Fabian called out to me. “I’m in here, baby!”
He came through the walkway first, gun drawn, worried eyes searching the room until he found mine. The gray jogger suit he wore was full of black smudges and his face was dirty, but I didn’t care about any of that as he ran toward me. Removing my arms from around Mama, I was about to run toward him, but I paused and looked back to make sure Mama was stable. She was, tears streaming down her face, but she stood tall and took a steady breath.
When I turned again, I was being swooped up into Fabian’s strong arms. He hugged me so tight I felt like Malissa must have a few moments ago when Mama was holding onto her for dear life.
“I’m okay,” I whispered, my mouth right up against his ear. “I’m okay.” I hugged him tightly too, our hearts pounding in the same frightened rhythm.
When he finally broke the embrace, he took a step back. His gaze moved over me, surveying every inch of me. Then he turned me around.
“Fabian, I’m good. I promise.” Well, not necessarily good, but I wasn’t bleeding or anything like that.
He stepped to me again, this time planting a kiss on my forehead, then my lips.
“Oh, now you’ve got something to say?” Tor asked and Fabian and I turned our attention to where he stood over one of the gunmen.
From beside me, I watched Cade release Shawna and Malissa from what I suspect was another tight ass hug.
Fabian stalked over to where Tor stood in front of the two men on their knees. Cade immediately followed. Before they could say anything, KC came running into the room with two other guys who I knew were from their bike club, but I couldn’t remember their names.
“What the fuck?” KC yelled, coming further into the room. After a quick look around, he immediately went to stand beside his brother.
Fabian ripped the tape off the gunman’s mouth.
“You got something to say before I put a bullet in your head?” he shouted.
The man, with his almond complexion and close-cropped wavy black hair looked up at Fabian. A slow smile spread across his face before he said, “Hi, Dad.”
