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Shaking his outstretched hand, I reply,
“Yes, I’m Ephraim and this is my wife, Lizzie.”
“Glad to meet you both. Now about Saint. His injuries are severe. We had to remove his spleen and repair a laceration in his liver. His right hind leg is fractured, but we were able to set it without complications. He sustained several cuts to his body from the impact and we removed large amounts of glass from different areas. We’re keeping him sedated to manage his pain and allow him time to heal, but he’s breathing on his own. The next twenty-four hours are critical, but if he makes it through the night, his chances of a complete recovery will improve as each day passes. It will take several months, but he can live a full life again.”
I’m not sure if I should be relieved or devastated. Saint is so very still, suffering in silence as the medication keeps him from feeling pain and just like with everything else today, there’s nothing I can do. My face contorts in anguish as I look down at my beloved companion who lies motionless and unmoving even at the sound of my voice. My hand trembles as I reach out to touch him but I pull it back because I’m not sure if even the gentlest touch would do more harm than good. Tension fills me as I try to come to terms with the severity of his injuries. Despite my own pain, I stay by Saint’s side, unwilling to leave him in his time of need. Silently, I pray for him to heal, willing him to give me a sign that he’s going to be okay. Even with the reassurance from the doctor, I’m not sure if he will pull through. Looking at him like this doesn’t give me much hope, but I find myself letting hope bloom just a little from the doctor’s words. If I don’t, then all hope is lost and I need something to hold onto right now.
“May we touch him?” Lizzie hesitantly asks as silent tears roll down her bruised cheeks. The vet is aware of everything that happened so he doesn’t ask questions about Lizzie’s appearance.
“You may touch him but be careful not to put any pressure on his wounds. You can stay with him for a few minutes, but he really does need his rest.”
“Thank you, doc,” I utter as we move closer to the kennel. Reaching out, I gently stroke Saint’s head and behind his ears. Lizzie softly speaks to him, encouraging him to hold on and how we’re here waiting for him to get better. When he lets out the smallest whine, it’s then that my hope grows. It’s then that I feel deep in my gut that Saint will be okay and we just need to keep the faith and let the healing process take place.
Blaze aka Caleb informs me that he will escort Janie home and meet us at the clubhouse. We don’t spend that much longer with Saint, following the doctor’s orders that he needs to rest. We want to give him every possible chance to recover so we both kiss him on the head and reluctantly leave Saint in the hands that saved his life.
As much as I want to take Lizzie home to rest, I need to be at the clubhouse, diving into the rescue plan for Harper. She wouldn’t be able to settle down knowing that our baby girl is out there with strangers doing God knows what to her. She will insist on being there, so ultimately, I have no choice but to bring her along. Besides, I’m sure Angel and the rest of the women want to take care of her. We ride in silence as Krack drives us to the clubhouse. He’s one of the hardest motherfuckers I know, but the emotions swimming in his eyes when he saw Lizzie, didn’t go unnoticed. He feels this deep just as I’m sure the rest of the brothers do. No one feels this as much as Lizzie does. The bond between my girls is unmatched and she carried Harper closer to her heart than any of us. She gave birth to her and then watched as someone ripped her from our lives. How do I help her through this without breaking from my own heartache?
We ride in silence as a heaviness settles over us. I cradle Lizzie in my lap, taking on the weight of this burden for the both of us. Her body slumps against mine, slightly shaking as her pain meshes with mine. Quiet tears penetrate through my clothes dampening my skin as I do my best to comfort her. This is all too much and I’m on the edge of breaking. I’ve felt it before as memories of loss rear their ugly head. The pain of losing my best friend has never left me. Yes, I’m comforted by the good times we had, but loss is inevitable when you’re in the military and deployed to a war-torn country. You pray that death stays away but it looms overhead, waiting to claim its next soul. We were always in sync on our missions, but it only took a fraction of a second for Private First Class Reginald Demming to be taken from this earth.
After everything that has happened today, I know that both Lizzie and I will have nightmares. We’ve been down that road before and thankfully we have each other to get through this. We have to get Harper back. There isn’t a scenario in life that our little girl doesn’t exist. As the sun sets, it’s a reminder that time goes on no matter what happens to you. We can’t afford to waste a moment not looking for Harper. Her little face appears in my mind and emotion swells at the thought of her being scared, not knowing what’s happening. Is she okay? Did these people take her and hurt her? More questions and still no answers.
Pulling through the gates of the compound, I’m eager to see if Eagle and the guys have any leads. Once I have Lizzie settled, my focus will solely be on finding Harper. It’s been hours since she’s been taken and the more time that passes, the less chance we have of locating her. As we pull further into the property, Krack and I both notice the driveaway is overrun with several bikes and SUVs. We knew that some of the other chapters were coming but it looks as though they brought the cavalry. The Devil’s Inferno is here as well. The fact that they are here for us tells me that they do have a heart and no matter how much we hate each other, when it’s time to band together they are our brothers in arms.
Before we are out of the SUV, Angel, Holly, and Milly, are bounding down the stairs toward us. They surround Lizzie once I have her on her feet and usher her inside. Angel is especially emotional after what they’ve gone through together. As I climb the stairs, it feels as though the weight of the world is on my shoulders. The load is heavy and I have no idea where to begin to lift it. Once inside, the sound of loud banter comes from the meeting room, so Krack and I walk in that direction, needing to get in on the discussion about Harper. Turning to take one last look at Lizzie, Angel has her in her arms and mouths “I got her” and for the briefest moment a small sliver of relief fills me, chipping away at the heaviness.
18
Ephraim
Krack is the first to go in and as I cross the threshold, the room falls silent. My heart literally skips at the sight before me because never in my life would I believe that this is possible. Every single one of my road brothers are here, but what truly stuns me is seeing the members from the Devil’s Inferno standing shoulder to shoulder with them. The vibe in the space is of pure unity and solidarity. Scanning the room, I meet each of their eyes in appreciation for coming together for my family. When my eyes meet Eagle’s, I have to pause because the air suddenly changes. My mind and body are exhausted from the myriad of emotions coursing through me, but what I feel right now is pure rage. Before anyone can stop me, I charge across the room and his eyes go wide as I connect my fist to his face. Over and over again, I pummel him but he doesn’t stop me.
“You were supposed to protect them! I trusted you to keep them safe! I fucking hate you!”
Suddenly, my arms are restrained as Krack and Digg grab me and pull me away, which only fuels my rage. The faces around me become unrecognizable as blind anger obscures my vision.
“What the fuck happened? Answer me, motherfucker!!”
“Calm the fuck down and show some respect! I’m still your president!”
“Fuck you and that title! You’re supposed to be my brother and you promised to protect my family, dammit! You failed! You fucking failed!!”
“We took every precaution and we had no way of knowing that another player was in the game. Zeke was simply a puppet being pulled by a bigger string. Torch, you know I would never let anything happen to your family and I would protect them as if they were my blood. You fucking know that! Look, I know you’re hurting but we’re hurting too and I’m going to do everything in my power to bring Harper back to us.” His words come out with such passion that they penetrate my psyche, warring with my rage but bringing clarity and understanding. I know what he says to be true and the depth of our relationship shows with the fact that he took every punch without protecting himself. I’m a huge fucker, but Eagle has a few inches on me and could’ve easily cleaned my clock. The gravity of my reality comes back with a vengeance as the floodgates open, knocking down the walls that have kept me from breaking.
“Let him go,” Eagle says solemnly looking at me with such empathy that I feel as if he did in fact punch me in the gut. Once the guys release me, I stumble forward, no longer able to carry the weight of this heavy burden. Before I can fall, Eagle is right there, holding me up as my brothers surround me. Their strength encompasses me, allowing me to let go of it all and I cry like a fucking baby. I’m not a crier, but as the realization of my daughter being taken overwhelms me, I can’t hold back. It’s too much and this fucking hurts. My heart hurts in a way that it never has. All I want is for Harper to be safe and not knowing who has her is fucking with me.
As the guys give me reassurances of finding Harper, an unfamiliar voice comes out of nowhere causing me to pull away from my brothers to look in the direction of the sound. A man I’ve never seen before stands there, praying out loud and quoting scriptures from the bible, which of course has us all staring at him. He’s not wearing a kutte, but there’s a familiarity to him. Micah grabs his arm, but he jerks away from his grip.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God is with you wherever you go,” he shouts with conviction.
Ironically, his words bring a sense of calm and his intimidating presence commands the room, daring anyone to challenge him. He briefly pauses, staring around the room as if he’s challenging someone to interrupt him.
“Now that I have your attention, I’m just going to cut to the chase because we don’t have much time.”
Interrupting him, I question,
“Who the fuck are you and why are you here?”
“No need to use that type of language with me, but since you seem pretty hyped up, I’ll play along. I’m the motherfucker who knows where your daughter is. Name’s Templar and I believe in redeeming sinners and making them turn from their wicked ways. No sin goes unpunished and messing with children is the ultimate sin. Son, you got a lot of darkness in you and I'm sure plenty to repent for, but I suppose you need your demons to make sure those people pay for taking your little girl. Whatever happens is between you and God, but I'd like to think He would extend some grace to you for making them pay.”
