Rake's Redemption (Wind Dragons MC #4)(78)

Irish grabs Amethyst by the arm and looks at me. “Stay here.”

Cara whimpers into my neck.

A few minutes pass before I hear a car pull into my driveway.

When I hear Tracker’s and Vinnie’s voices, I relax.

My door opens, and it’s Tracker.

He sits on the bed and pulls Cara into his arms.

“What happened?” I whisper.

He looks at Cara before replying. “Wade thought he could use the two of you as leverage. He knew Rake was in Channon. He’s clearly not thinking right, his mind is just on drugs; he’s lost his shit.”

“Where is he now?” I ask, looking up at him.

Tracker doesn’t reply to that, all he does is look away and say, “Pack a bag, you’re going to stay at the clubhouse.”

I nod.

“And, Bails,” he says, standing and passing me my daughter back. “When you walk out of this room, don’t look.”

I pack a bag and open my room door. Don’t look? Don’t look where? I walk toward the front door with my eyes straight ahead.

I look at my daughter’s angelic face. She’s now asleep, feeling safe in my arms. Safe from the world. Safe from the sight before me.

But then, I look. How can I not? I see what they don’t want me to. I stand still, frozen in my spot and stare.

I’m glad Cara would never see what I was currently seeing.

Her “father” dead. In our living room. Blood dripping from his chest, onto our cream carpet.

No, she didn’t need to see that at all.

I wish I hadn’t.

*

“What did you do with Amethyst?” I ask Vinnie, when Cara was asleep in Rake’s bed in the clubhouse.

His mouth tightens, and he runs a hand over his bald head. “Don’t worry about her; you won’t see her again.”

I slam my hand down on the table. “Tell me.”

His eyes narrow at my outburst. “She’s with Talon for now, until we figure out what we’re going to do with her.”

My eyes widen. “You asked for help from the Wild Men?”

Vinnie scowls, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “Don’t f*ckin’ remind me. Our hands were full with Wade’s dead f*ckin’ body. I owe that f*ck a marker now, and I don’t like owing people shit.” He looks at me, his eyes softening. “Your house is being cleaned. Wade is being taken care of. Amethyst will be dealt with. You have nothing to worry about.”

“What did Cara see?” I ask, looking around the kitchen. “And where is Irish? He had blood on him, is he okay?”

“He’s being stitched up,” Vinnie replies casually. “Wade got him with a knife. He’s fine,” he says when I’m about to panic. “Wade got one jab in. Not too deep. I don’t think Cara saw anything. Wade attacked Irish while Amethyst went after you. I think the bitch was meant to get you and Cara in one room while Wade took care of Irish. Then he’d probably call Rake up and tell him what he wanted. But he underestimated Irish.” He looks me in the eye. “And you too.”

“I didn’t do anything,” I say, puffing out a breath. “I was just worried about Cara. If something happened to her . . .”

Vinnie put his hand on my cheek. “She’s fine. You’re fine. Why don’t you try to get some rest? No doubt Rake will be here the second he finds out what happened. Tracker is about to call him.”

“I guess there’s no more need for negotiations,” I say wryly, standing up off the stool. I look at Vinnie until he’s looking back at me. “Talon owes me a marker, maybe I could use it so you don’t have to owe him one?”

Vinnie shakes his head. “No, sweetheart. No one pays my debts but me.” He pauses. “But thank you. Do I even want to know why the Wild Men president owes you a marker?”

I shake my head.

“I thought so,” he says, lifting his Scotch to his lips and taking a mouthful. “Bed, Bails.”

I step toward him and give him a kiss on his cheek.

Then I go to bed.

But I don’t sleep.

How can I?

I spend the long night just watching Cara’s angelic face.

*

Rake arrives in the morning, alone. He rode all night. Me in his arms, he whispers “Sorry” into my hair.

Sorry he wasn’t here. Sorry this happened.

“It wasn’t your fault, Rake,” I tell him, over and over. “We’re fine. Irish was there, and nothing happened to us.”

“I should have been there,” he says so softly I have to strain to hear him. “If anything happened to you and Cara . . . Who would have thought they’d be so f*ckin’ stupid? Even if we gave them money and got you two back safely, we would have found them after. Same outcome, the bastard would be f*ckin’ dead.”

Having enough of the whole thing, I look him dead in the eye. “Rake.”

“Yes, baby?”

“Just hold me,” I whisper, my body starting to shake.

“Anything you need,” he replies. “Anything. Do you want to talk about it?”

I shake my head. “Not right now. I’m just so thankful Cara wasn’t hurt. It could have gone in a completely different direction.”

How could Wade do something so stupid and reckless? At the end of the day, Cara is still his daughter. She could have gotten shot with that stupid woman waving her gun around. I can’t believe the lengths some people will go to. Amethyst reeked of desperation, and I have to wonder just what was going on between her, Wade, and Pill. I have a feeling there’s more to it than meets the eye.