It was a dark time for all of us, seeing her suffer. Thankfully, after a few weeks of torment, she started to pull out of it. She started to realize her daily validation for what she did when she looked at Deacon and Willow.
Speaking of Willow … My gaze momentarily left Alexandra to search out my niece. A smile played at my lips at the sight of her. Already a little diva in the making, she had requested her flower girl dress be pink and poufy. And of course she had gotten her way. Her long dark hair cascaded down her back in waves, while a headband of pink roses sat on her head. At her feet was the almost-grown Walter. He looked less than thrilled by the sparkly pink leash and collar that Willow had put on him for the day. When Deacon had seen him, he’d rolled his eyes and said, “I guess I’m going to have to get you a girl dog soon, or you’ll make an absolute sissy out of Walter.” Of course, Willow had been thrilled by the prospect of a dog of her own.
As I scanned the crowd of wedding guests again, an ache burned its way through my chest at the way Alex glanced up into my brother’s face with such intense love in her eyes. In that moment, I wished she had just once looked that way at me. But there had never been more than friendship for us. I’d known that even when Deacon had tried to push the two of us together. I’d known it from the first time I’d seen her look adoringly at him.
Even though I loved him, I couldn’t help feeling jealous of Deacon. I wanted the love of a good woman more than anything in the world. I wanted to be a husband and a father. Yet for some reason, my simple wants went unfulfilled.
When Deacon’s hand swept around Alexandra’s waist to tenderly rest on her abdomen, I had to turn away. It hurt too much to see such happiness. Although he or she was very much unexpected by their parents, I had no doubt how much Deacon and Alex would love their future child. Willow was already beside herself with excitement about being a big sister.
I swallowed the rest of my champagne and went in search of more. After I grabbed another flute from a snooty waiter with a tray, I went back to my spot beside the tree. I was surprised when Bishop walked up to me, a serious expression on his face. I’d expected him to already be banging one of the wedding guests.
“Need to talk to you,” he said in a low voice.
“Can’t it wait?”
He shook his head. “No, brother. It’s bad.”
“Not here, then.”
We started away from the tent and the happy-go-lucky wedding guests. When we got to the parked cars, I leaned against one and nodded.
“Breakneck just called.”
“Why the hell isn’t he here?”
“He needs a favor.”
“Shit,” I muttered as I dug in my pocket for my cigarettes. “He knows we’re going straight, doesn’t he?”
Bishop nodded. “I made that very clear to him.”
One of the stipulations of Alexandra marrying Deacon had been that the direction of the Raiders needed turning around. With Case’s death fresh in our minds, it hadn’t been too hard for Deacon to convince us that things needed to change. Every one of us officers at the table had lost more people than he cared to count due to club violence. If things kept on like they had been, we would have been extinct in a few years.
“Then what’s the deal?”
“His daughter has been kidnapped by the Highway Henchmen.”
I exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Jesus, how the hell did they find her here?”
“They didn’t. She was at Texas A&M. Once they found out who she was, they started making demands to Breakneck.”
I couldn’t even begin to imagine what Breakneck was going through. “He wants us to put out the word or what?”
“This is where shit gets kinda weird.”
My brows shot up in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“He said to tell you specifically that he knew she was being … raped. That you would understand that.”
I turned away from Bishop’s questioning gaze. With bile rising in my throat, I fought hard to keep my dinner down. Fucking Breakneck! I wanted nothing more in that moment than to beat his ass for dredging up the long-buried shit of my past. I also knew he was desperate for help, and in his desperation, he thought the best way to reach me was to appeal to that broken eleven-year-old boy he had treated.
Bishop cleared his throat. “Look, man. It’s not fair he’s playing on your tender heart. We can put out some feelers, do the best we can to find her.”
I shook my head. “No. I’ll handle this myself.”
“Excuse me?”
Flicking the cigarette onto the grass, I stomped out the glowing embers and met Bishop’s wide eyes. “You heard me.”
“How in the hell are you supposed to lead the club straight when you’re about to go death wish on the Henchmen?”
Grabbing him by the collar, I stared him down. “Don’t question me on this, Bishop. You keep what was said between us. Don’t go flapping your jaws to the other brothers. This stays contained—you got me?”
“Wait a minute. Does this have anything to do with what happened the night Pop killed that guy and left his church?”
I had to fight the urge not to close my hand tighter around Bishop’s throat. “Once again, don’t question me.”
Releasing him, I stalked off into the night. I had some calls to make, favors to call in, and packing to do. I’d be leaving before dawn. The unlikely hero had some avenging to do.