CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

Payton

“Hi honey,” Payton said.

“You and Lily okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Fuck,” I said, my breath leaving my body.

“What’s wrong?”

I rubbed my forehead. “Somethin’s going on at the house. Not sure what yet. Do me a favor and stay close to Lily. Can you get your gun and have it holstered and on you?”

“Sure. Honey, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

“Don’t know yet. I’m on my way home, so just stay put.” I pulled my keys out of my pocket. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

I hung up and rushed out of the room. Jaxon was still on the phone, talking to someone internally, but I couldn’t wait for information. I needed to get home.

“Hawk, wait up,” Brock called, and jogged to catch up to him. “I’ll walk out with you.”

I pressed the elevator button, my stomach churning with fear. “What did you find out?”

“Pizza delivery. Guy looked off, so one of my guys patted him down. He was carrying. A little more investigation found the real pizza guy bound, gagged, and unconscious in his car a couple blocks away.”

“Fuck me,” I breathed out as we stepped into the elevator.

“It’s one of Arseny’s guys, but he’s in custody. I sent another car, and two guys will stay in front while the other two do a sweep. We’ve got this.”

I nodded, but wouldn’t feel better until I got back to the house and could physically hold my girls.

“Payton should carry at all times,” Brock continued. “Not sure what she should do at school, but we’ve got a week, so we’ll sort it out when the time comes.”

I nodded again.

“They’re safe. Bailey’s there as well and she says they’re fine. My parents left an hour ago, so the house is locked up and the alarm is on.” Brock stared at the wall. “Bailey knows the drill, as does Payton.”

“I hear you, but until they’re in front of me and I can touch them…”

Brock grimaced. “I get it.”

“You comin’ home?”

Brock shook his head. “I trust my team. I need to find out what else this bastard is into.”

I nodded and stepped out of the elevator with a chin lift to Brock as he headed back upstairs. I pulled out my phone again. Brock might trust his team, but I would only trust my family to my brothers.

* * *

Payton

I had been pacing the house for what felt like forever, occasionally peeking outside to see if I could see anything. I saw a man in a pizza uniform being led away in handcuffs and was irritated that our dinner had been destroyed… that was until Alex called. Then I was glad our dinner was the only thing that met its death in that moment.

At about five thirty, I heard motorcycle pipes, and glanced outside to see a million bikers driving up to my parents’ house. Okay, a million might be an over exaggeration, but there were a lot. I recognized Booker and Mack by name, a few others I recognized by sight, but just as many were strangers to me.

Lily came running into the foyer from the family room where she and Bailey were watching a movie and she smooshed her face to the window. “Uncle Mack is here. And Booker!”

She reached for the doorknob, but I held her back. “We need to wait a bit, honey. I don’t know if it’s safe yet.”

“But thewa dogs, Payton. They always keep me safe.”

I smiled. Her absolute faith in these men was adorable. “I know, baby, but with Daddy not here, I need to make sure first, okay?”

She sighed. “Okay, Mama.”

“If you want to check it out, I’ll wait here with Lily,” Bailey said, joining us.

I nodded and pulled open the door, making my way toward the group of some of the best looking men on the planet. Even the feds were gorgeous in a buttoned up, official kind of way. Of course, I knew them somewhat as they worked with my brother, but only in a casual capacity.

“Hey, babe,” Mack said, and gave me a chin lift as he approached with Booker.

“Hi guys. Did Hawk call in the cavalry?”

Booker chuckled. “Somethin’ like that.”

“There’s a little girl dying to see her uncles. Do you want to come in?”

“We’re gonna wait for Hawk,” Mack said.

“Oh, okay.”

I turned to leave but Mack caught my arm. “Where you goin’?”

I nodded toward José Flores, one of the agents. “I was going to say hi. I’ll be right back.”

“Hawk wants you inside, Payton,” Booker said.

“And I will be… as soon as I say hi.”

“Don’t think that’s what he meant,” Mack countered.