Comp’s Chance (Reckless Omens MC)

Chapter 30

Thirty

SUNNY

I smile, holding Nix’s hand as we walk down the center of town to the dance studio where Rae takes classes. Well, actually, Rae and now Paisley. It’s been just over a month since the deal with Jason went down. He is long gone out of our lives, and luckily, everyone in his family is behind bars waiting for their trial. It’s all over, and I couldn’t be happier.

Nix surprised us the day after we got back from Alabama with the house he had built for us. It was everything I ever wished for and more. We have settled in here, and with the threat gone, I was able to sign up Paisley with Rae, and they are even more inseparable. I watch Rome grab Paisley’s hand in one and Rae’s in the other as he looks both ways down the street before we make our way across the street. We are heading down the sidewalk, only three stores away, when a figure moves fast out of the alley toward the kids.

“Come here, brat!” a dirty-looking blonde woman screeches, coming out of nowhere.

“Let me go!” Paisley screams as she tries to kick and get away. The woman holds tight as Nix and I yell, trying to get to the woman slowly backing up with my baby girl. Nix reaches behind him for his weapon, but the woman looks up and sees him, and I recognize her.

“Don’t your fucking dare, or I will slit her throat,” Kerry, Jason’s fiancé, warns, pulling out a small pocketknife and holding it up to Paisley. I’m freaking the hell out, not knowing what to do but looking at Rae and Rome, trying to get them behind me so they are protected.

“Please, let her go! She’s innocent. Just tell me what you want,” I plead with her. This woman is not the same woman who tortured me around my hometown, the one who looked down on me and spread rumors. The flawless, diamond-wearing diva. Now, this woman is dirty, looking like she hasn’t had a shower or change of clothes in weeks. She looks batshit crazy.

“What do I want? I want Jason back! He was supposed to make senator, then congress, then president. I was going to be taken care of. We were going to have everything! Then you took it all away. I know you did it! I know you’re the reason he’s gone. I can't prove it, but I know he wouldn’t run without me,” she screeches. She’s fucking crazy and delusional. Jason would have one hundred percent left without her. He would have thrown her into the lion's den to save his own ass, but I don’t tell her that.

“Rae, Rome. Get behind me,” Nix says calmly. The kids don’t listen, though. Kerry doesn’t take her fuming gaze off me and pays no attention to them. They walk to their right, where parked cars are lining the street. Thank god, they will hide behind one of them until it's safe. That makes me breathe marginally easier.

“Let go of my daughter. Now!” Nix says with authority. Kerry just laughs and pulls Paisley back down the sidewalk. I watch Paisley whimper as the knife nicks her neck, but my brave girl is staying strong, refusing to cry. I take a step forward, not knowing what to do.

“What are you going to do? You have to know we will come after you,” Nix states, keeping pace.

“I’m going to take the most precious thing to you. Just like you did to me. I’m going to take your precious baby girl, and you will never see her again,” Kerry laughs. She laughs so hard she doesn’t notice the two figures coming in behind her.

Before I can stop them, Rae and Rome attack. Rae pulls the hand holding the knife away from Paisley and takes a bite of Kerry’s arm. Kerry drops the knife as Rome kicks out into Kerry's back knee, making her go down. As she’s falling, Rome grabs Paisley and Rae and starts running back to us. Before they can get too far, though, Kerry grabs Rome by the back of the leg.

“You little shit!” she screeches as she reaches for the knife and takes a swipe at Rome. Rome yells but looks at Rae and Paisley, telling them to run.

As soon as Kerry went down, Nix and I were on the move. Unfortunately, Kerry had put too much distance between us, and we couldn’t get to Rome in time. I watch as his face screws up in pain, and he sinks to the ground. I grab the girls as Nix gets to Rome and Kerry, taking Rome and kicking Kerry in the face, knocking her out.

“Shit, Shit, Shit. Rome, are you okay? Where did it get you?” Nix asks, moving his hand all over Rome's tiny form. I see the blood on the back of his pants leg and quickly lift the fabric.

“It’s deep. He will need stitches; we need to get him to the hospital,” I say frantically as the girls start to fall apart.

“Take my keys and the truck and get him to the hospital. I’m calling the brothers now to come pick her up, but I’ll stay here so she doesn’t get away. The minute the brothers get here, I’ll be there, okay? I’ll let Halle and Loki know,” he tells me, and I don’t waste another second. I pick up Rome in my arms and rush him back to the truck, then to the hospital.

F ourteen stitches later and we are all walking out of the hospital ready to go home. The girls refused to go back to dance class, wanting to stay with Rome and make sure he was okay. He’s their hero, and they wanted to make sure he got the best care possible.

“Alright, kiddos, let’s get you all home. We will have movie, popcorn, and snacks tonight,” I tell them as Halle, Loki, Nix, and I all leave the ER.

“Can we stay in Paisley's room and have a sleepover?” Rae asks.

“Of course you can, princess,” Loki says, picking her up and carrying her to the trucks.

After we get the kids settled with snacks and a movie, which the girls let Rome pick, we all head to the back shed. It’s time for some fun, and I know Halle is getting in just the right headspace by the malicious smile she's sporting.