"You tired?" Dalton asked later that night as they walked the mall. She'd needed to get a couple shirts, and he carried her bag in his hand, his other arm around her waist.She yawned loudly. "Yeah." She closed her eyes, putting her head on his shoulder for a second. "Sorry I'm no longer the life of the party."Mandy had never really been the life of the party, but he wasn't one to split hairs. "Let's get you home."By the time they pulled out of the mall parking lot, she was fast asleep in the passenger seat. Stopping at a red light, Dalton gazed over at her. Her features were soft in slumber, like most people's were. His heart squeezed with the emotions he felt for her. Reaching over, he grazed her cheek with his knuckle. He would do whatever it took to keep her happy; there was no doubt about it now.* * *Mandy felt heavy and warm. Opening her eyes, she realized she was in her and Dalton's dorm room, but she wasn't sure how she'd gotten there. Dalton sat in the chair oppo
Mandy looked out at the gorgeous day from her office window. Late summer in Kentucky was usually so hot and humid you couldn't walk outside and breathe at the same time, but they'd had a cold front move in overnight. The sidewalks and roads were still damp, and she could hear the birds singing and smell the fresh cut grass of the courthouse lawn. The breeze from the open window caressed her skin, causing her to close her eyes and think back to the night before.Dalton giving her his patch had meant more to her than she thought it would. It had been something she always wanted, but it was as if she'd never realized the implication. In her life, the patch meant more than the ring, and she couldn't wait to be able to wear that jacket.She breathed deeply; excited about the way things were going and the direction they were moving in. She was the happiest she'd ever been, and she knew most of that had to do with Dalton and his ability to apologize and work with her on things they needed
"Do we know where they are?" Liam asked as they congregated at the clubhouse. He wore a grim expression on his face, obviously worried for his family. The only one safe from the threat was the son who sat over in the corner, brooding, probably thinking of everything he could do to this asshole to get his mom and sisters back.Steele sat at his computer, running different programs, trying to figure out what in the hell was going on, while trying not to focus on what could be happening to his wife."Tyler!" They all lifted their heads when they heard Meredith's frantic voice. "I've been trying to get in touch with you, but someone cut our lines and messed with our cell phones at CRISIS. The alarm at Doc Jones' office has been going off for more than thirty minutes."Dalton watched as Tyler tightened his jaw, tagged Jagger on the chest, and motioned for the door. Turning to Meredith, he spoke in a calm voice that gave them all chills. "You get the kids and come back here, take one o
"You okay?" Denise asked her daughter as they sat in what looked to be an empty warehouse. It was dark, damp, and a little chilly—even with the hot, sunny day they'd left in the outside world. She glanced around, seeing Christine, Jessica, and Tatum huddled together too."Scared," she whispered. "What do they want with us?""I don't know," she whispered back. "As far as I knew, this shit was over, but don't worry, the guys will find us. They're good at that. They've rescued a few of us more than once."Mandy hoped like hell her mom was right. She was worried, not only for herself, but for Tatum and her own unborn baby. Crossing her arms over her stomach, she did her best to control her breathing, to stop the shivering of her chin, and the trembling of her whole body. She kept telling herself her dad, her brother, and the love of her life would be there for her. They wouldn't let her stay here too long.The door to the warehouse opened and a man walked in. He had an air about hi
"That was the weirdest situation I've ever been in, in my life," Mandy admitted as she lay in bed later on that night with Dalton. "He never actually threatened us, wasn't particularly mean or rude, but he went to all that trouble."Dalton tightened his arms around her. "That situation was exactly why I pulled away from you all those months ago. Why I worried myself sick, but I should have known you were stronger than that. I think Tyler was right. What he wanted to do was prove he could. Maybe he has other plans up his sleeve, maybe he's planning on hitting a bigger club in another city. Either way, they let us leave, they didn't hurt y'all, and tonight everybody's safe. That's all I can ask for. Calvert's a wild card. Sometimes things set him off; sometimes he's in it for the shock value. I kind of think he did this so he could say he was in charge. Ya know, he took you all, and then it was up to him to let you go. He chose to do it, which gives him power over Liam. Not directly, b
The fallout from the girls being taken had affected everyone in the club differently. Liam kept watch over his daughters and wife a lot closer, the guys kept their wives closer, and it looked like Tatum and Remy were spending a few afternoons together a week. Dalton noticed Remy was the picture of a gentleman. Him, though? He'd been thinking more and more about the land he'd intended to purchase. It was still for sale, and he had a meeting scheduled to get approval for it."You leavin' early today?" Liam asked as he came to sit next to Dalton.They were all taking a break from the work at the shop. A huge thunderstorm had rolled in, and the group of them sat in the garages, drinking Cokes and shooting the shit while they waited for the lightening to subside."I am. Thanks for letting me go on such short notice, by the way." Dalton took a drink and wiped his mouth. "I'm going to the bank to see if I can get approval for the land in Barren County and financing for a house."Liam
"I don't understand why I'm wanted at the clubhouse and why you're forcing me to wear this dress, Tatum," Mandy moaned and groaned a few days later.She'd been busy with Dalton, moving into the new modular home that had already been set up on the property. They hadn't had much stuff between them to move out there, but with her having limited capabilities of movement, setting up house was taking her a while. And today, while she'd been in the middle of it, Tatum had showed up with a dress, telling her to fix herself up nicely and come with her to the clubhouse.Who in the fuck had time for this?"My enormous tits are going to fall out of this dress," she complained as she put on the one good maternity bra she had left, before putting the dress on. The color was gorgeous, a pink that set off the pregnancy glow she still had, along with her dark hair, and dark eyes."Would you stop complaining?" Tatum chastised her. "I'm wearing a dress too if it hasn't escaped your attention. We'
Dalton knew he'd never held anything more precious in his arms than he did right now. They'd handed his son over to him so he could walk out and greet the family that had gathered. His arms shook because he held them so rigidly, but he was scared to death he was going to drop him."Go straight out those doors and an entire waiting room is there to see you," one of the nurses told him. "I don't think I've ever seen this many people so excited for the birth of a child."It filled his heart to know that his son was already loved by so many people. It gave him hope and made him believe maybe this was the end of the cycle. Perhaps he had broken it by having his child and bringing it into this group of people who would love unconditionally no matter what."There he is." He could hear Drew as soon as he opened the doors and stepped out. He was bombarded.Liam, who'd already met his grandson, stood to the side, letting everyone else get a turn. The questions were frantic as Dalton trie