“Holy Shit.” There were almost as many men in the kitchen as in the living room. Lucky and Train were guarding the back door.
“Where are you going?” Train asked as she drew close.
“Shade’s house.”
“They’re down in the basement with Beth.”
Penni nodded before going downstairs.
She steadied her nerves, not wanting Lily to see she was worried.
Bliss, Diamond, Willa, and Winter sat stoically on the couch, Lily held a sleeping John, and Beth paced back and forth, watching their children play. Cash, Razer, Drake, and Stump stood by the door that led to the outside. There were more men upstairs than there were down here to protect the children.
Cash saw her staring at the door with a worried expression and assured her, “The door is steel, and the window is bulletproof. If I hit the button, the door at the top of the steps closes, and no one can get in or out.”
“Is it steel, too?” Penni asked, reaching down to pick up the pretty, little girl who had wrapped her arms around her legs.
“Yes.” Cash’s stony countenance wasn’t what she was used.
Penni was surprised that he had been willing to be left behind at the house, but now she knew. He would die to protect every woman and child in the room. All of the men would.
Bliss rose to take the beautiful child in her arms. “Sorry. When Darcy gets tired, she wants to be held.”
“I didn’t mind.”
Penni had met Bliss several times when she had visited Shade, but she had never become friends with her.
The love she held for the little girl she and Drake had adopted as she sat back down, singing softly to her, showed how content Bliss was in her new life.
“Does anyone know what’s going on?” Willa murmured, not wanting to wake Darcy who was beginning to fall asleep. “Lucky just told me to stay down here and then went upstairs.”
The men hadn’t told any of them what was going on, but they had come down here, anyway. It was a testament to the love these women felt toward their husbands—respecting and trusting that it was for their own good.
Unfortunately for them, Penni thought they deserved to know.
“There’s a fire at Genny’s home.” When Willa seemed about to jump off the couch, Penni reassured her, “She’s at the sheriff’s office; she’s fine.”
“Thank God.” Willa and the women didn’t want to alarm the children, so they talked softly.
Willa and Beth carried the children to Lucky’s bedroom, settling them so they could sleep as they waited.
“Chance and Noah think it’s a sleepover.” Beth had given up her pacing to sit down next to Lily, running her head over John’s hair. “He gets more beautiful every day. Women aren’t going to stand a chance from falling in love with him.”
“If he takes after his mama, it will be love at first sight.”
“That’s not exactly how I remember it.” Penni snorted. “You were afraid of your own shadow then. I had to drag you out of the dorm room to go to a party, and you hugged the wall the whole time.”
Lily laughed. “I may have been exaggerating a little bit.”
“A little?” Penni and the rest of the women laughed with her.
Diamond turned the television on, starting the third movie in the series, I’m Having a Baby with a Zombie.
“Uh … Diamond, do you think it’s a good idea to watch this now?” Penni really didn’t want to watch a zombie movie when the clubhouse was under attack. She personally didn’t think that a blood and guts movie would take their mind off their fears.
“If I die, when will I get to watch it again?” she retorted.
Cash, Razer, Drake, and Stump didn’t look like they appreciated her humor.
“You’re not going to die, but it will take our mind off being worried about Genny.” Penni settled down on the other side of Lily. She wanted to call Jackal to see what was going on, but she didn’t want to interrupt him.
Once the movie ended, they were about to start another one when Cash stopped them.
“They’re back.”
Penni followed the women upstairs, anxious to find out what had happened.
The living room was crowded, so Penni stood in the open doorway. She could barely see Genny shivering beneath a blanket.
“I’ll make some coffee,” Penni said to no one in particular, turning toward the kitchen and filling the empty pot.
Viper led Genny to the kitchen table, telling everyone, “Go to bed. The fire is out. Train, Rider, and Max will keep an eye on the house.”
The crowd began to dissipate.
Willa sat down next to Genny, taking her hands in her own. “What happened?”