Today was the crew's annual random act of kindness day. I don't know how random it is though since we had a few things we always did around this time of year. Although I might not put much stock in Xmas per se, there was still a good percentage of the population who did. Every year for the past five or so, the sisters baked cookies and cakes and those little gingerbread men which they then wrapped in these cute little boxes for us men to pass out. Then later in the evening, we'd take them around to the women's shelter and the children's ward at the hospital. We collected money to buy gifts for the children and made sure they had something to look forward to as well. This year that shit meant a little more to me than in years past. The thought of those little kids, some of them not much older than Caitie, was hard to take. This is just one of the reasons my crew is so well loved in our town, because we do shit like this for our people. It didn't matter what they looked like, whi
"Fuck me." I ran my hand over my face as my mind raced. Everything in me wanted to run back to the house, bundle them up and take them the fuck away from here. The other side of me wanted to snap someone's fucking neck in half."I'm calling a meeting. You go drop the tree off and meet me back here in ten." I pulled my phone and called Paul, one of my crew, and told him what I needed. Jared and I headed back in the direction of the house. He broke off and went to his truck while I stood at the back of the house and looked back towards the woods trying to figure out what, if anything, whoever had been out there, had been watching. We hadn't been spending as much time back here because of the change in the weather but could they see into the kitchen and if so why the fuck would they want to? I knew who was behind this. There was no doubt in my mind that it was the chick that was on my driveway, but in the off chance that I was wrong or that for whatever fucked up reasons she might
"Hey boys, we all ready for this evening?""Hey Ms. Elena, we're ready where's Daniel?""He had to go into the hospital today. What're you lot up to out here?""Mom, don't you have pies in the oven?""I just came to see if you boys wanted some hot chocolate and a slice of my pie. We made plenty I think we might've gone a little overboard this year.""There's no such thing as too much pie Ms. Elena""Zack.""Fine, I'll have pie and chocolate after we help the Grinch fix his fence.""They're not twelve Elena and take my kid back inside, it's cold out here.""Colton Lyon I will have you know I've raised three kids you included. I know how to bundle her up against the cold."She sniffed at me and I rolled my eyes and started walking away as soon as Jared came into view."Go cook something ladies." I knew that would get her going, at least she would be too focused on that to wonder about what Jared was carrying.I walked far enough away to be out of earshot before turning to my
We spent the next few hours handing out gifts and cookies and spending some time with the kids in the hospital. This year that shit was tough. I kept looking at those kids and seeing my little girl. Some of the parents were almost in tears and of course Kat and the sisters were tearing up. We entertained the little ones by reading to them and playing games, but not surprisingly they were more interested in our gear and bikes. We left there and went to the women's shelter which we'd actually had a hand in opening years ago. One of the lawyers in the crew was part of some underground outfit that shifted women and children all over the country to get them away from fuckwits who had nothing better to do than abuse women and children. We never really had too many problems with repeat offenders. On the off chance that one of the offenders found their prey, they never got within ten feet of this place. It was heavily guarded at all times. The place was more like an apartment building
"Where's Lydia?""Her little ass better be home in bed if she knows what's good for her. So what're we dealing with here bro?"My boy Travis answered my call and showed up like I'd asked. I told him to come later in the night while Kat was asleep so she wouldn't stick her nose in my shit. We stood in the middle of my driveway with two of his boys out of the glare of the streetlight. Anyone seeing us standing there, arms folded, legs spread, would think we were going into battle. We were all well over six feet, very imposing and the tats and muscles didn't help to dispel the notion of biker dudes up to no good."Fuck if I know, this chick just turned up here under the front wheel of Kat's car.""What the fuck was she doing on your driveway?" See, like minds and shit."That's what I said but everyone else seems to think I'm blowing shit out of proportion.""What does your gut say?""This is fucked.""The gut don't lie bro, fuck what everybody else thinks. So what are we doing?
The next morning, just as I was heading downstairs, the doorbell started going crazy."Hold your horses what the fuck?" I opened the door to a comical sight; dad was carrying large boxes and struggling to keep them upright. Cy was behind him rolling his eyes. I guess he's spending too much time around Angel because he's picked up a lot of her nasty habits."What's all this?""You don't want to know son. I have to get to the shop." Cy walked by me and dropped his boxes."Don't you have to get to the hospital?" I turned my attention to dad who was struggling with whatever the fuck that was he was hauling."Took some time off, now help me put this thing together.""What the hell is it?" The description on the box said it was a gingerbread house, a six foot edible gingerbread house."Dad, were you blazed when you bought this?""It's cool right? Caitlin's gonna love this. I'm gonna win best Xmas gift hands down.""You're an idiot. There's no competition, besides, I've already got y
The next day her bloodsucking accomplices descended on my house with their bullshit. Elena was the first to arrive early in the morning laden down with parcels and chirpy. Only one thing I know can make you that damn happy first thing in the morning. Either that or she probably got into Daniel's stash again."Elena, why are you here?""We have to get things ready for the party tonight son, oh my word what is that?" She made a beeline for the gingerbread house."Your husband brought that here yesterday.""That rat, I knew he would pull something like this." She folded her fists on her hips with a scowl."Look I don't know what you two nut jobs are up to don't want to know and leave my kid out of it.""Stay out of it son, this is grandma's business, serious business, where're my girls?""Kat's getting the baby dressed, you want some coffee mom?""Nope, had plenty before I left the house with your father the snake." She eyeballed the gingerbread house once more before hightailing
The rest of the day was chaotic with people in and out all day with the party bullshit. Char's words bothered me because let's face it, when you're suspicious of someone everything about them comes under scrutiny. She wasn't invited tonight so I could rest easy there but I needed to know what the fuck was in that room. Elena had given her a TV and an old laptop for company so she wouldn't go stir crazy. I wondered if that's what she was hiding, those shits can be very dangerous.***"Kat where's the baby?""She's on the bed Colt." She was busy putting earrings in her ears as she stood in front of the mirror."The fuck's she doing there? I almost had a heart attack when she wasn't in her crib.""She can sit up now Colt and she likes to watch her mommy getting dressed. Don't you Caitie bear?" She dropped down on the bed and tickled the baby who was busy chewing the shit out of one of my tee shirts."There're people in and out of here all night I don't want her alone.""Colt, she
"Uncle Hank, can you get me some castor beans?" This kid, she keeps you on your toes; always up to something. Add the fact that she's her dad's carbon copy and well - "Who are you planning to poison little girl?""Who-what? No one, what do you mean? I have to go mommy's calling me. Coming mommy." The little sneak hung up as I grinned.I hung up on my end and called her dad. "Lyon, what did you do to piss off your daughter lately?""Which one? The damn place is crawling with them.""My girl.""Mengele? Nothing why, what did she say?""Well, she's trying to get her hands on castor beans and knowing your kid as I have come to, there can be only one reason for that.""Fuck me, Catalina, get in here." The panic in his voice cracked me the hell up."I'll go and let you take care of that little issue. Call me if she drops any bodies and you need help with clean up. Then again you're pretty good at that shit yourself.""Fuck you, I have to go deal with Hitler's youth catch you later." I hung
They were all set to come to my place because Elena had invited all the women to the surprise shower. Cierra Mancini was in the field and would be coming later than the others.On the way here in differing stages, they got the call that Catalina had been taken and rescued and that Kat had gone into labor.Mancini who wasn't supposed to be here for another day at least had flown out after talking to Jared who'd told him that we had the asshole in our warehouse."I knew that you would kill him and I couldn't let that happen. The cops would've had no choice but to look at you and I can imagine in that position you wouldn't have been thinking straight. We thought it best that one of us take it from there.""We? Who is we?" I looked around at all the men gathered in my backyard."All of us!" Logan answered for all of them, which is pretty much what I suspected.Mancini had made the decision to take point on this one and the others rallied around my family and I while he did his thing. No on
"Uncle Hank, can you get me some castor beans?" This kid, she keeps you on your toes; always up to something. Add the fact that she's her dad's carbon copy and well"Who are you planning to poison little girl?""Who-what? No one, what do you mean? I have to go mommy's calling me. Coming mommy." The little sneak hung up as I grinned.I hung up on my end and called her dad. "Lyon, what did you do to piss off your daughter lately?""Which one? The damn place is crawling with them.""My girl.""Mengele? Nothing why, what did she say?""Well, she's trying to get her hands on castor beans and knowing your kid as I have come to, there can be only one reason for that.""Fuck me, Catalina, get in here." The panic in his voice cracked me the hell up."I'll go and let you take care of that little issue. Call me if she drops any bodies and you need help with clean up. Then again you're pretty good at that shit yourself.""Fuck you, I have to go deal with Hitler's youth catch you later."
They were all set to come to my place because Elena had invited all the women to the surprise shower. Cierra Mancini was in the field and would be coming later than the others.On the way here in differing stages, they got the call that Catalina had been taken and rescued and that Kat had gone into labor.Mancini who wasn't supposed to be here for another day at least had flown out after talking to Jared who'd told him that we had the asshole in our warehouse."I knew that you would kill him and I couldn't let that happen. The cops would've had no choice but to look at you and I can imagine in that position you wouldn't have been thinking straight. We thought it best that one of us take it from there.""We? Who is we?" I looked around at all the men gathered in my backyard."All of us!" Logan answered for all of them, which is pretty much what I suspected.Mancini had made the decision to take point on this one and the others rallied around my family and I while he did his thing.
I woke up the next morning fully rested. My wife was still out so I went to check on my daughters. Catalina was ready for release or so they said, but I checked her over myself.She was her usual pain in the ass self and tried to con me out of some shit so I knew she was okay. I was feeling better until I walked back into Kat's room where she was just waking up and overheard the nurse telling her about her release later that day."Are you out your fucking mind? She just pushed three human beings outta her body. The fuck you mean she can leave in a few hours?""Sir, it's hospital policy""I give a fuck" I stopped myself there because I know she wasn't the one making the rules and it wouldn't be fair to rip into her."Hold him, I just changed him and fed him." I passed Kat the baby. "You can leave now." I sent the nurse from the room before leaving myself. "Colton what're you going to do?""Don't worry about it."I left and headed to the nurse's station. "I need you to make a note
I spent the next seven hours running between the two rooms because Kat wouldn't calm down unless I went to check on our daughter and I was seeing that shit played out on the monitor they had her hooked up to.Every time she panicked her pain level went up, something I was in no way equipped to handle. The whole fucking hospital staff knew how I felt about it because I told them at the top of my lungs.Law called me while I was making my way back to Kat for the tenth time. "What's up buddy? I can't really talk right now I have a situation here.""I know, your boy called us when we were on the road.""We should be there in about an hour but the girls are worried.""You're headed here?""Yes, the shower was this weekend remember? The SEALs are already in flight.""Shit I forgot, I guess I'll see you when you get here. I'll have my mom and mother in law set you guys up.""How're your girls Colt? He didn't""No, I got to her in time. She's sleeping it off right now but Kat's the on
"Colton something's wrong, Catalina didn't get off the bus.""What the fuck are you saying? Where are the others?""Everyone else is here except her.""And they didn't notice that she wasn't on the bus?""They did but the driver refused to stop the bus."I'd already pulled my little gadget. "I'm on it Kat no worrying." I hung up and called for my guys as I headed for my bike.My heart started beating right again when I saw the little red dot that showed me where she was."Someone grabbed my kid let's go." They mounted up and we headed out.There were no other thoughts in my head, only getting to her and dealing with whomever the fuck had taken her. I knew it wasn't anyone we knew, because no one would take one of my kids without me, or their mother knowing.Just who it could be was making me sick in the gut. I clenched my hands around the handlebars and willed myself to breathe. The warmth of my blood turned ice cold. This fuck is dead!I heard my guys talking to me in my hea
I rode up and around them and headed back the way I came with them following close behind. We didn't need to talk; we all knew where we were headed. I got there before they did and opened the security gate.I turned on only the bare bulb overhead light leaving the rest of the room in shadows. I kicked a chair into the middle of the room and waited.They dragged him in kicking and screaming. "Who are you?" He focused on me before I throat chucked his ass and pushed him down on the chair.I opened my little bag of treats and shoved two leaves in his mouth. Mengele wasn't lying that shit worked fast. It started out slow, maybe taking thirty minutes before the first sign of distress."What is that, what did you give me?" He eyed the bag in my hand and asked after I stopped holding his mouth together. "Where's the kid? You tell me that and I'll let you live, you don't, you die."He put up a good fight that dragged on for damn near three hours. That's when the fun really started. He los
I could hardly sleep that night my mind wouldn't let me rest. And maybe that's what saved me from my wife's wrath the next morning.Instead of reaming my ass for leaving her high and dry over the breakfast table, she picked up on the fact that something was bothering me.She reached over and squeezed my hand but instead of giving word to her thoughts just gave me a questioning look.I shook my head and indicated the kids who were trying to out talk each other. "Caitlin put it away." Her hand disappeared lightning fast beneath the table."I was just saying good morning daddy." She's trying to get this kid killed. I seriously tried to find justification for five solid seconds but the little shit hadn't done anything worthy of a gutting. Other than robbing me of my daughter."Not at the table." She's so much her mother's kid she left her chair and came around the table to wrap her arms around my neck. "I'm finished with my breakfast so can I be excused from the table?""Sure, go a