"You have to ask? How's Caitie?" Jared stood by my side as always, ready to go to war. And as much as I would love to go it alone, I knew they'd never let that happen. "She's gonna be okay, a little shaken up but I took care of it. You should know I did a run on the Porters. I have their whereabouts as we speak. I have no problem coming back and helping these boys do what they have to, but I'm putting an end to my part of this deal now.""We shoulda taken them out since the night we left Law's place. When are we heading out?" Tommy was another who I knew I could count on. In the room were all the men who had ridden into the desert with me that long ago night. No one had ever mentioned it. It was just something we'd done, the same as we've done for others in need before and since.I was about to answer when my phone rang. I walked away to answer thinking it was probably Kat or one of the kids calling to let me know they'd made it home from school, but I picked up my stride when I sa

"He's taking up all my space." Her little hands went to her hips, which was something she'd picked up from her grandmother lately and which gives her daddy fits. "What space, you pay rent?" Oh this ought to be good."Daddy, don't be silly. So when's he going home?""He's not, what is it that you're doing down there anyway?""Stuff.""Stuff? What stuff, you're five years old you don't have any stuff." She rolled her eyes and hopped up on the bed for a cuddle.I pulled her in close for a smell of her hair. Her sister was getting too old for mommy time, which was heartbreaking, but I still had my little terror and her new baby brother. She studied her fingernails and toes, which were full of sparkles from the mani-pedi set my mom had given her for Xmas. Something else that had caused world war six in my house when Colt first saw it, but was also one of the things that tipped me off that he was up to no good.He'd been working up a good head of steam when he got a good look at

I should've known she was up to some shit. I didn't stand around any longer than it took to fill them in, but I wasn't about to be deterred. I got back on my ride and left them to decide what they wanted to do. It didn't escape my notice that neither man even tried to talk me out of going, I'm pretty sure they knew it wouldn't have worked.I can't say I was surprised when they flanked me two minutes later, but I wasn't sure how I felt about them coming along. I knew what I was going there to do, and though I knew these boys lived by the same creed, I wasn't too sure about all the extra eyes and ears that I now had on my ass.No one said anything for the rest of the ride. My mind was focused on what laid ahead. The last time I was here I had a plan in place, this time I was playing this shit by ear. All I knew was the end result.When we were about half an hour out I was struck by an idea. I held my hand up and made a turn into the parking lot of the chain retail store we came up

"Cord, someone's in the house. I think they're heading for Susie's room." There was fear in the kid's voice but he was holding it together. I knew I shouldn't have let her leave me. There was no time for recriminations now though; I had to move."I'm on my way." I hit the ground running. I tightened the waist on my drawstring pajama bottoms, pulled the socks off my feet for better traction, and picked up my glock in one hand and my phone in the other.I used the mechanism on my watch to open the gate as I ran flat out. I used my phone to call Lo, he'll alert the others. But I was sure I'd be done by the time they got there. "Lo, someone's after my girl, I'm almost there.""Fuck, I'll get the others. Cord don't..."I hung up before he could try to talk me out of going in alone. I know my brothers very well and Lo's first priority will always be one of us. He'd want me to wait, even though we'd just learned that they were the old man's, he'd still put my life before hers.I pac

I looked around at all of them, at my brothers and the way they were trying to soothe their women's fears, thinking of how drastically our lives had changed in such a short space of time. Especially us men, we were damn near domesticated. It helped to calm me down some as I looked at Ty rubbing Vicki's tummy as he whispered in her ear, or the way Lo and Con were comforting their women. Zak had the baby on his hip and was soothing Nessa with his other hand as she looked ready to go to battle.Lo motioned to me with his head and he and the others moved out of the kitchen headed for the backyard. I walked over to her chair. Someone had wrapped a blanket around her shoulders to help with the shakes. Taking her little face in my hands I studied her eyes; shock, but nothing we can't handle.I whispered words of comfort in her ear until I was sure she was going to be okay. "I'm right outside if you need me Gem. All you have to do if you get scared is call out and I'll be right here." I