The guys had gotten home early this morning, around three, and between Maddie and Luke, we all had our hands full. There was no question that we would all put our lives on hold and stay together until this shit was sorted out. The clubhouse was big enough to house everyone, and the whole family had pulled together to take care of each other. If ever we needed one another, it was now.
“Luke’s not crazy. He won’t do anything that would harm Dallas. If he knows this guy will keep his word than he knows better than to go after her.”
Maddie had filled us in on the events that took place yesterday. It took her a while to get it all out, but she managed to tell us everything. The guys had called a support club in to bring a truck to carry Luke home, and a trailer for his bike. We called the club doctor in to stitch Luke up and check him out. Other than some broken ribs and a bruised up face, he was okay. He even walked through the door by himself. Damn pride. Once he was bandaged, fed and had a few hours of sleep, he was better. I knew better than to approach him with anything, and I had my hands full with Maddie. Plus, this was a pretty big hit on the whole club, so we had to find time somewhere in between to provide solace and comfort for our own ol’ men.
Church was being held tonight, and the guys would figure out what to do with Frankie. I was surprised Luke had not walked up and put a bullet in his skull as soon as he got home, but I guess he had other things on his mind. As much as I hated him, I felt bad for the fact that nobody would tell him if Maddie was okay. They wanted him to suffer. I wasn’t a parent, but I loved my sister’s kids as much as anyone could. I would have been devastated if something happened to one of them. Frankie was being held in the underground room in Luke’s house. The only people to have seen him were the brothers from Lake Charles. I wanted to go down there and give him a piece of my mind, but Regg wouldn’t let me.
We were sitting at the bar throwing back some much needed shots when Luke walked in, trying hard to hold his posture upright. He had a couple of bandages on his face, and I could see the tape wrapped around his stomach through his thin, white t-shirt. His baggy, torn jeans hung low on his waist and on his feet he wore flip-flops-something you rarely saw. He looked freshly showered and ready to take on the day. I was proud of him. Not every man could hold his shit together after what he had been through. He walked up to me, grabbing my face in his hands and kissed my lips, just as he had done many times.
“Thank you. For everything. Thank you all,” he said louder, looking out at everyone in the clubhouse. We all stared as the President of the Devil’s Renegades stood before us, and delivered a speech that left everyone in tears.
“There is no need in repeating the events of yesterday, or trying to decide what we could have done different. Not a man or woman in this room could have done anything to prevent it from happening, it was inevitable. I don’t know where this leaves us. I have run out of options, and I’m at a dead-end. If we go over there, if we try to fight, we will all lose. We are a small army up against a man with thousands of soldiers. I will not risk the life of Dallas, or the lives of my brothers again, but I will not stop looking for a way to make this right. I will find a way to beat him. When I do, I cannot ask you to help me. I cannot choose between the two of you. I made a decision yesterday to save the lives of two of the most important women in my life.” Luke looked away from us as he gathered himself, trying to find the right words to say. Maddie walked up beside him, snaking her arm lightly around his waist and giving him a smile. She seemed to give him the strength that he needed to carry on. “I won’t make it through this without you. I need you now more than I ever have. I love you.” He grabbed a beer from the bar and lifted it. “To Dallas.”
“To Dallas,” we all said in unison. I threw back the shot and looked over at Marty. He had been released from the hospital and seemed to be taking Dallas’s kidnapping just as hard as the rest of us. We had a long road ahead of us, but we would get through it together. That’s what family did.
Chapter 14
Dallas
Church was short and quiet. It didn’t take long to determine Frankie’s fate. Maddie had requested to see him, and although Luke didn’t like it, he eventually gave in. Maddie asked me to accompany her, and I wanted to decline, but of course, I agreed. It felt weird walking down the steps into the dark room that Luke used for God knows what. I felt like I was a priest visiting a death row inmate. Creepy. But, Maddie was my sister and one of my best friends and if she wanted me to come along, I would. I thought she would be in tears, but her face was impassive as Possum and Danny, two of the brothers from the Lake Charles chapter, led us down the stairwell.