“Yeah. I’ll drive.”
“Ms. Burns!” Katie whispers from the doorway to get into my classroom. “Tyler hit me!”
“I guess I better get going!”
226
Axl
Slash, Neo and me are running through Iron Mountain when I feel my phone vibrating. Sure, we could have taken our bikes but we can get there quicker in our leopard forms.
I ignore the phone call and run quicker through the woods. The trees hit and slap us as we run through, but I don’t think any of us give a shit.
We did our best to stop the next shipment of girls from going into Canada. We really fuckin’ tried. Those mother fuckers were faster than we gave them credit for and they out ran us.
Jesus fuckin’ Christ! Slash says under his breath.
God damned Canadians! I mumble.
I can still hear you, assholes! DoLittle chimes in back at the clubhouse.
We had to leave early and didn’t want to risk waking the kids up by taking them with us. Braydon loves going for rides with me like this, but this isn’t the time or the place to bring him.
He doesn’t need to know anything more about the dark world that we live in. It would kill me to taint his life anymore.
We get to the middle of the mountain before we stop. We need to figure out what the next move is before it’s too late.
And I’m fucking pissed beyond belief. That asshole gave us the wrong information.
When we get back, I’m killin’ him! I inform the brothers.
I’ll help! This is fuckin’ stupid! Neo answers.
Slash is pacing around the mountain ledge in his leopard form. He looks deadly as he looks out over the mountains.
He fucked with us. He fucked with us and now the girls are gone! He grumbles.
We should have beat the guy harder. Got him to tell us everything that he knows before we ran off like this! This is my fault for not securing the lead before running off, I tell everyone.
Truth be told, everything about this botched attempt falls on me. It falls on my legacy and everything I have been trying to build with this club. Everyone loved my dad, Red. The hardest part about taking the club over after he retired, is knowing I’m never going to do what he did.
I fucking hate it!
Want me to take care of the asshole in the shed? DoLittle asks.
Leave him. I need something to release my frustrations on when I get back to the club house! I answer back.
Uh, Slash and Axl… You have two people here who say they are teachers at your kids’ school.
I look up at the sun and growl. Fuck!
Without saying anything more, I run back to our clubhouse. If Dana is at the clubhouse right now, I don’t want her to see anything she doesn’t need to be seeing just yet.
When the hell did I become such a pansy that I care about a woman seeing my club? What is it about her that makes me so different? I have never cared enough about a woman.
Not even Trina.
Prez! DoLittle calls back.
What now?
Your ex-wife is here and is tryin’ to start shit with that teacher of yours.
My head snaps up to look at the sky. I need help to not kill this bitch for fuckin’ with Dana. It is bad enough her dad knows me very well, I don’t need my ex-wife to be starting shit too.
Keep them away from each other. I’ll be there soon!
What the fuck is goin’ on? Slash demands.
Trina is startin’ shit with Dana, I inform him.
This is some bull shit! Who’s Dana?
Bray’s teacher and she’s hot as shit.
Gotcha.
I see the lights around the clubhouse all lit up and I feel better about the situation. If Trina sees me, she might piss off and not bother Bray and I anymore.
I shift back and so do the other brothers who are with me. I’m running towards Trina to stop whatever the fuck she is doing. She’s giving me a nasty look.
“See, Bray. It’s women like this that make it hard for your daddy and me to get back together,” Trina explains to Braydon.
I look at the woman I never loved and shudder inside. Methamphetamines have not been kind to her.
“Get away from Dana and my son!”
“Your son? And why the fuck are you calling her Dana?” Trina asks. Her hair is bleached blonde with trashy roots showing. Her face has pock marks all over it from the constant drug use.
Gone is the woman I once found attractive. What has taken her place is someone I don’t even know more.
“Step away from our son and Dana.”
Trina looks at me carefully and thoughtfully. She’s scheming to see what she can get away with. I know she is. This bitch is the mast manipulator.
“Axl, baby. Please. Let’s talk about this. I know you miss me. I know you remember what it was like between us."
We’re standing in the middle of the courtyard for the clubhouse with all of my brothers watching the events take place. Dana’s eyes are watching me as if she’s trying to gauge what it is happening.
Should I take Braydon? What the hell? Is his mom capable of hurting him?
Dana’s thoughts is what seals the deal with me. I know without a shadow of a doubt that this is the woman for me.
227
Dana
“Ms. Burns!” Braydon yells as he comes running full force towards me.
I smile and drop to a crouch in front of him. “I had to come see you. We missed you in school today.”
He smiles with his crooked teeth. “Yeah. I got to stay home today. Are you looking for my dad?”
“Get away from my son, bitch!”
I jump up to turn and see who is cussing at me. The woman in front of me looks like a methed out whore. Her face is covered in pock marks and her teeth are yellow. “Excuse me?”
She steps closer to me and Braydon tucks himself behind
