“Safe houses? Why are we in danger? Is it Mom? Is she okay?”

Fuck, why did I use “safe houses”? Sometimes it was easy to forget how smart this kid was.

“We’re safe here. Follow me.” I motioned my head towards the small front steps of the cabin and sat down. Gun sat down next to me and peered up at me through his long lashes.

“A real bad guy had your momma. Me and the boys got her back.”

“She’s okay? She’s here? I need to see her.”

I put my hand on his shoulder to calm him, “Kid, she’s hurt. She’s inside and the doctors have seen her. They think she’s going to be okay, but she’s sleeping and might be asleep for a long time.”

“I need to go to her.” This kid. He was already so brave.

Doc grabbed his bag, “I’ll be in cabin four, if you need me.”

He stood up and I followed, “I want you to be prepared. It’s not good.”

He raced inside and I stepped in front of him placing my hand on top of his before he was able to turn the door handle. “Son, I’m right here. She’s going to get better, alright.” His lip trembled and I could tell he was trying to hold back tears. I opened the door and Doc had put Charlie under the blankets. The IV drip was next to the bed.

Gun spoke up, startling me, “Is she… Can I touch her?” With a shift of my head, I silently told Doc that I had this, and he left, closing the door behind him.

I grabbed Gun’s hand and sat us both on the side of the bed. He watched as I held her hand. “Mouse, Gun’s here. Want you to work on getting better and coming back to us.” I lifted her hand to my mouth and brushed my lips across her knuckles. He eyed us, and then he climbed closer to her, laid down next to her and wrapped his small arm around her waist.

He didn’t say anything, at least not for a while. He held her, and I stared at the two of them, suddenly slammed with more possessiveness than I’d felt my entire life. These two were my everything. Charlie might be broken, but I’d move heaven and hell to put her back together.

I leaned over the bed, kissed my son on his forehead and then dipped a knee into the mattress so I could kiss Charlie’s forehead.

“Don’t knock the IV, yeah? If she stirs, even a little, you come get me.”

“Where are you...”

I cut him off. “I’m not going far, just need to make sure that the bad guys don't get away with this.”

“Dad?” That word alone coming from my son’s mouth made my chest tighten every time. His chin wobbled and he barely got out, “Hurry back.”

Ace and Shane were in the living room/kitchen area of the cabin when I walked out. It was like they knew I’d need to meet with them.

“Are the last of the guys here?”

Ace gave me a head nod.

“Call church then. Need to see where everyone’s heads are. If I don’t have everyone’s support, I’ll…”

Shane cut me off, “You’ll nothing. We were there--saw what he’s capable of. There’s none of that going it alone bullshit. When will you get it through your thick skull?” He smacked me upside the back of the head. I supposed I needed it, but I glared at him anyway, to which he returned a toothy grin.

Fifteen minutes later, myself and roughly thirty other members were situated around a campfire, while huge tents wove between the cabins which were saved for families. There weren’t a ton of families, but enough that we wouldn't leave them out in the open for anything to happen to them.

“Listen up,” Shane bellowed, “Most of you have heard what went down. It went, for the most part, as planned. We got Gunner’s woman back, but not sure if we got the sick fuck.”

“Threw a few grenades at his ass,” Ace sat and sharpened a large M-9 Bayonet, the metal made a loud, scraping noise as it moved fluidly against the sharpening stone.

Shane continued, “We’re not sure if he made it out or not. I’ve already put out some calls and am waiting for confirmation from our contacts. That’s why you’re all here. I don't want to take any chances. Until we know for sure, you’re all to remain here.”

“Let’s just assume he’s alive, and start planning on what we’re going to do next,” I suggested knowing that I’d rather be prepared.

“Going to Colombia just depleted a huge chunk of our funds,” Ace added barely looking up from that damn blade.

“So, we have to be smart. He doesn't know where we are so, that’ll be in our favor.” Shane and Ace looked at me nodding their heads, agreeing as I spoke.

“Anyone hear anything about Hades lately? They’ve been awfully quiet,” Razor, one of the brothers, asked.

“Good point,” I added.

“We need to make calls, make sure every Bleeding Scar knows what’s going on. I want all eyes on this. Every contact we have needs to be looking out for signs of Enrico, and I need an ear to the ground on the Hades Runners,” Shane began barking orders.

Ace stood looking like the Marine he once was, “Need you men to think like soldiers on this one. We need to learn every in and out of these grounds. There’s no one around for miles and leading the enemy here might just work to our advantage, if we play this right.”

“All due respect, Ace, my wife and kids are here,” Porter flicked his cigarette into the fire.

“Mine too,” another brother added, “And I got a newborn.”

I put my hand up to stop them, I’m sure Ace had a plan. “My whole world is right there,” I pointed, “How do we protect them?”

“Rocket launchers are a start,” Ace laughed, but I knew he wasn't fucking kidding. I saw them. “We scout, for now. Get the lay of the land. And then, when the time is right, we take the women and kids out of here and end those motherfuckers once and for all,” Ace finished his go get ‘em speech adding more inspiring lines about loyalty and family.

By the end, the men all agreed. That was followed by the usual campfire shit, not the kumbaya shit, but the haze and blaze shit. Weed was plentiful and the booze ran freely. I didn't partake, though. No, I went inside the cabin and found my son curled up next to his mom asleep. I made sure loaded guns were within grabbing distance and then laid down on the other side of Charlie.

I was careful not to move her IV as I shifted Charlie so that my arm was around her. Her neck laid against my bicep and my other arm was around her waist. It laid on top of my son’s. He blinked up at me and momentarily stirred.