Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
He moved in and reached for one of Max’s arms. Channing wrapped an entire arm around his son’s middle and stood, lifting him. He began to carry him clear all over again.
“Boss.” Moose’s deep baritone cut through the fray. “Let us.”
He and Congo were there.
Matteo shifted out of the way so both Moose and Congo took hold of Max, who was still scrambling to get free.
“Max!” Channing got in his face. He blocked his view. Once Max couldn’t see the guy anymore, he blinked rapidly, seeming to come back to himself.
“Dad?” he choked out.
I inwardly flinched. That was the voice of a little boy.
Where had Max gone to just now?
“Dad,” Maddy whimpered, pulling my attention back to her. She was reaching for me, and I caught her hand. Yanking her into my arms, I held her tight to my chest. She was fine. She was whole. I had her. No one was going to get to her.
Logan stalked forward. “What the fuck just happened?”
Boots moved over the pavement. The sound of rocks sliding over the cement came from behind us. A few of the bikers had trailed us. One cursed under his breath before slipping away. I had a feeling he was going to get Stripes.
We needed to know what happened before he showed up.
“Start talking. Now.” I seared the two elitists with a glare before turning to my daughter. She was trembling and blinking rapidly like Max had before.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Both seemed still slightly in shock.
She looked almost identical to Sam at her age, but while she had Sam’s kindness, everything else inside of my daughter was me. She was a female version of myself, so I knew what was coming next.
Whatever had happened, it had happened fast, and it was all coming to her now. She was processing. As the shock began to seep away, indignant rage swiftly replaced it.
“Mase.” Logan was seeing the same thing.
“I got her.” I made sure my hold was firm because she was about to blow.
And she did. A guttural and animalistic growl rumbled from her and she began twisting, trying to rip from me. “I’m going to rip that fucker apart.”
“Maddy. Stop.” Logan stepped in, blocking her view.
I grunted, holding onto her, but not trying to bruise her. Christ. Her body was all muscle. She seemed slender. She didn’t look ripped, but there was no mistaking it. This girl was unnaturally strong. She almost got out of my arms, so I had to readjust, doing what Channing had for Max. I wrapped my arms around Maddy and picked her up. Her feet flailed in the air. That same animal sound roared from her, “I’m going to tear his insides out and wrap his intestines around his throat to strangle him. You piece of—”
“Maddy!” Logan dodged her feet, shoving them down when they would’ve gotten him. He got in her face. “Chill out.”
Some of the fight started to leave her.
I moved back, carrying her farther away from the group.
Nate and Matteo continued their glares with both groups. They weren’t letting anyone leave.
Channing, Congo, and Moose took Max away too, needing space. The two big guys were standing behind him now, and he wasn’t trying to get away anymore. His head hung down, resting on his dad’s shoulder as Channing had a hand on his shoulder. His head was folded down as he was speaking fiercely to his son. As that was happening, Max’s gaze was pinned on Maddy, regret and anguish all over his face.
Logan dropped his voice, moving closer to Maddy. “I need you to tell me right now what happened. Are you hurt? Did someone say something to you? Threaten you?”
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. There was no reaction from her.
He asked, “Touch you?”
We both heard the slight inhale of air from her.
Horror slammed through me, and I shared a matching look with my brother. That horror quickly morphed into the need to murder someone.
Logan swallowed and cleared his expression as we looked at Max. Seemed like he’d done our job for us.
Maddy stepped away from me a little, enough to place her hand to my chest. I looked down to see her biting her lip. “It’s okay, Dad.”
Fuck no, it wasn’t. “Where?” I seethed. Fuck. Shit. I gentled my tone. “Where did he touch you, Maddy?”
Fear leaped to her eyes. She swallowed nervously. “Dad…” Her hand began shaking against my chest.
I reached up, covering it with mine. She drew in a breath, her shoulders lifting and rolling back. Her mother used to do that as well. When she was drawing in strength, she readied herself like that. Her chin tipped up, and then she’d open her eyes and face whatever was coming at her.
A wave of tender love swept through me, for both Samantha and my daughter. Before she could say anything, I cupped the back of her head and pulled her to my chest once again. “We can talk about it later.”