***

When everyone pulls into my drive way, I am the first one up my sidewalk and through the door. The sight of the person standing in front of me halts me right in the doorway which causes Braxxon to slam into my back. He lets out a curse.

“Pop,” we both say in unison with a strong tone of total disbelief.

This can’t be. We watched him die from an infection. We fucking have his ashes.

“I went ghost, I guess you could say. The originals know who I am.”

You mean to tell me that our older members fucking watched us grieve over our father and knew all along the fucker was alive?

“What in the fuck,” ZZ shouts. “Uncle Breaker?”

Our father shrugs. “Get over the shock. I’ve dosed the girls with hot tea and a little sleepy time drug. They’re asleep on your bed, son. Now if you motherfucking slackers could help me get these chains off their ankles, that’d be great.”

Chains?

I take off running to my room and growl as I see my best friend's face when I reach the bed.

“Oh my gosh,” Akela says and pushes me out of the way. “Ripley, babe, get over here,” Akela calls and then looks at me. “She’s a nurse. Now get out of the way!”

I turn around to punch my wall, but my fist is caught midair in my pop’s hand. “Uh, no. You’ll wake them.” He hands me a lock pick set and my mind is set on freeing my darling.

I scurry over to the bed, and with gentle ease, lean at the foot while my father sits on the other side to work on Jinx’s ankle. Blood is caked all over the metal that graces her beautiful, slender ankle, and when I hear the mechanism click and the shackle falls away, I can’t stop the tear that slides down my face. Biker or not, my heart is breaking.

“Thank you, Pop,” I say, chocked up.

When Jinx’s anklet falls away, he slaps a hand on my shoulder and forces me to look at him. “She makes my son smile. I’d give up hiding for that any day. I almost had to do it with your sister-in-law.”

I shake my head. “No, Pop, we’re not like that.”

My father gives me a sad smile. “She makes you laugh. It doesn’t matter.” He looks over to Pyro. “Get rid of these fucking chains. These girls don’t need to see this shit when they wake up.”

When I look behind me, Pyro has a scowl the size of the Grand Canyon lacing his face. “You ain’t my President.”

Before my father can respond, Akela rips him a new asshole. “Don’t talk to him like that. He fucking saved their lives. My sister would slap the tar out of you,” she hisses. “You can be pissed at him all you want, but you will help these girls. And if that help comes in the form of being a trash man, you’ll fucking do it!”

And with that, I see Lana through her sister.

“Low blow, Kela. Low fuckin’ blow,” he grumbles.

She eyes him with hatred. “Good. Go cry about it as you dispose of this atrocious shit.”

It’s a lesbian version of Lana. Akela has bite. Ripley smacks her on the arm when I am about to say something.

“You be nice.” She then looks at me. “I need you to hold her head still in case she wakes up when I open her mouth slightly.”

Oh fuck. Half of Piper’s face is swollen, and she wants to try to open her mouth? Like my darling isn’t in enough pain as it is. The only reason she is even sleeping is because my father drugged her. “Maybe we should wait for the Doc.”

Ripley looks at me with disgust. “Who the hell do you think doctors rely on for research and for most of their diagnoses?”

Clearly I have offended her. I walk to the headboard, bend down and kiss Piper’s forehead before I bring my hands up to her head, and press firmly to hold her in place. When Ripley opens Piper’s mouth, her eyes fly open and she starts screaming.

“Don’t, don’t, don’t.” she repeats trying to shut her mouth.

My arms are jerked around as Piper flings herself back and forth. Ripley stops and drops her hands. “Baby girl, you have a slight fracture. God news is you won’t need surgery to have your jaw wired shut. You’ll require a wrap around your head that goes under your chin until your jaw heels.”

Tears flow down Piper’s cheeks and she goes to speak, but Ripley stops her by holding up her hand. “Don’t talk unless absolutely necessary. You need to keep the talking to a minimum. I’m going to ask them to leave the room so I can ask you some personal questions, okay?”

Fuck if I am leaving this room. This bitch has me fucked up. I doubt I will ever let Piper out of my sight again.

Piper shakes her head no. “Family,” she says, and my fucking biker heart breaks all over again.

Nothing in this fucking universe can prepare me for the question she asks Piper, and nothing can take away the blind rage when Piper answers her.

“Were you sexually assaulted in any way?” Ripley asks.

My fists ball at my side as I stare down at Piper, and she nods a yes and closes her eyes.

I trail my eyes down her body, and when I see the blood stained panties for the first time, I growl, turn, and leave the room. When I am in the hallway, I press my back against the wall, slide down, and burrow my head in my hands and I cry like a fucking baby.

I cry and cry and cry. The tears don’t stop. My heart shatters over and over again as my blood pumps against my veins in anger, sadness, and all these other emotions I am not used to having.

How the fuck can people be so goddamn cruel? I’m no fucking saint, but you do not take from a woman what she isn’t willing to give. And knowing Piper’s past like I do, makes the tears heavier as they slide down my cheeks and into the palms of my hands.