Chapter 5
Arthur Pendelton walked into the room like he owned the hospital.
He opened his briefcase on the small rolling table meant for food trays.
David’s face went pale.
The bought-and-paid-for cops looked nervously at each other, realizing they were suddenly massively outnumbered by very angry, very large men blocking their only exit.
“What is this nonsense?” David sputtered, taking a step back. “I have full custody—”
“You have a piece of paper signed by Judge Miller,” Arthur interrupted smoothly. “A judge who, as of twenty minutes ago, is currently sitting in federal custody answering questions about wire fraud and bribery.”
Arthur pulled out a thick stack of folders.
“Thanks to Mr. Bones here, who made a very quick trip to Ms. Hayes’s apartment, we have recovered the original birth certificate.”
Arthur held it up.
“Father: Arthur ‘Grizz’ Monroe. Mother: Lena Hayes.”
David swallowed hard. “That’s forged!”
“Is it?” Arthur smiled, a cold, shark-like smile. “Because we also have three audio tapes of you explicitly detailing how you threatened to murder Mr. Monroe if Ms. Hayes didn’t comply with your financial extortion regarding her grandfather's estate.”
The room fell dead silent.
The only sound was the steady beep, beep, beep of Lena’s monitor.
Arthur turned to the police officers.
“Gentlemen. You have a choice. You can continue to assist a man currently under federal investigation for kidnapping, extortion, and forgery… or you can quietly step out into the hallway and pretend you were never here. I strongly suggest the latter.”
The lead officer looked at David.
He looked at Grizz.
He looked at the hallway full of bikers cracking their knuckles.
The officer took his hand off his weapon.
“We were just responding to a domestic disturbance call,” the officer mumbled. “Seems like it’s a civil matter.”
The three cops turned and squeezed past the bikers, practically running down the hall.
David was left alone.
His power was gone.
His money couldn't save him now.
He looked at the doorway, realizing his only escape was blocked by a wall of leather and tattoos.
He looked back at Grizz.
Grizz didn't say a word.
He didn't have to.
He just stepped forward.
David threw a desperate, wild punch.
Grizz caught it effortlessly in his left hand.
With his right hand, Grizz grabbed David by the throat, lifting him an inch off the floor.
David gasped, his eyes bulging.
“You made her run,” Grizz whispered, his voice dark and deadly. “You made my daughter cry.”
Grizz pulled his arm back, ready to drive his fist through David’s skull.
“Grizz.”
The voice was soft.
Weak.
But it stopped him instantly.
He looked back at the bed.
Lena was watching him.
Emma was watching him.
Emma’s big, brown eyes—his eyes—were wide, filled with fear, but also with hope.
She had run to him for safety.
Not to see a murder.
Grizz looked back at David, who was turning purple.
Slowly, Grizz released his grip.
David collapsed to the floor, gasping for air, coughing violently.
“Get him out of here,” Grizz ordered Tracker. “Leave him on the curb for the feds.”
Tracker and Bones grabbed David by his expensive coat and dragged him out of the room, throwing him into the hallway like a bag of trash.
The room was suddenly quiet.
Peaceful.
Arthur Pendelton nodded respectfully, closed his briefcase, and stepped out, closing the door behind him.
Grizz stood in the middle of the room.
His hands were shaking again.
He turned back to the bed.
Lena was smiling.
It was a weak smile, but it was real.
The fear was finally gone from her eyes.
Emma let go of her mother and slowly crawled to the edge of the bed.
She reached out her tiny arms.
Grizz closed the distance.
He wrapped his massive arms around his daughter, burying his face in her messy hair.
She hugged his neck tighter than she had on the motorcycle.
“Are you really my dad?” she whispered against his collar.
Grizz squeezed his eyes shut, letting the tears fall freely into the collar of his leather vest.
“Yeah, kid,” he choked out. “I really am.”
He reached out his other arm and wrapped it around Lena, pulling her gently into the embrace.
Ten years of pain.
Ten years of missing pieces.
Finally put back together.
***
One Year Later
The bar was loud.
Too loud.
Glasses hitting wood.
Boots scraping across the floor.
A jukebox growling out old rock songs from the corner.
Laughter.
Shouting.
Pool balls cracking against each other.
But it wasn't a place of danger anymore.
It was a place of family.
The front door swung open, and the afternoon sun poured in.
In walked a little girl.
Nine years old.
She wore a small leather vest, custom-made, with the Iron Wraiths patch on the back.
“Uncle Bones!” she yelled.
Bones looked up from the pool table and grinned, scooping her up into the air.
“There’s my favorite terror! How was school, Emma?”
“Boring!” she laughed, kicking her legs.
Lena walked in right behind her, looking healthy, radiant, and smiling.
She walked straight past the pool tables, right up to the bar where a massive man was wiping down the counter.
Grizz looked up.
He smiled, the scars on his face wrinkling in the best way possible.
He leaned over the bar and kissed Lena softly.
Then he looked at the little girl laughing with his brothers.
His family.
He had thought his life was over ten years ago.
But it had only just been waiting for the right moment to begin.
Emma looked over, caught his eye, and smiled.
The same exact smile.
The same exact eyes.
Grizz tossed his rag on the counter.
May you like
Life was loud.
And it was absolutely perfect.
