Priest: A Motorcycle Club Romance (The Viking’s Rampage MC: Tucson Chapter Book 2)
Priest: A Motorcycle Club Romance: Chapter 25

It didn’t take long to get over to the house. I smiled sadly as I watched the girls go directly to Wendy’s room and snuggle in together on her bed. I left them to go get dinner started.

Pouring myself a small glass of wine, I began dicing the vegetables. Thinking back over the last few months since I’d moved back to Tucson, I shook my head. It’d been a whirlwind, even for me. I wasn’t complaining. I had new friends, the other old ladies and I were trying to get together at least once a week to hang out. Unlike Seek, I hadn’t gotten into any fights with the sweet butts, I was relieved about that. I didn’t want to cause any problems and I pretty much wanted everyone to like me.

Then there were the little girls in that back room. I was completely head over heels for them and it seemed like they cared for me, too. Even Gabby was warming up to me day by day.

Arms wrapped around me from behind, making me jump, but as I turned my heart melted. Kneeling down, I wrapped Caitlyn up in my hug. “Thank you, sweet girl,” I murmured.

She smiled at me before scampering off to the living room. Walking out, I checked on them. All their eyes were dry and they were putting on a movie to watch. It eased my mind about bringing them here. I hadn’t wanted to keep them away, but I didn’t want to make things worse. It was a delicate juggling act and this time it’d seemed to work in my favor.

I set the table as the food cooked, finishing the one glass of wine I allowed myself. There was no forgetting that even though I’d gained friends and these kids, Priest was the biggest prize. Even though he’d hurt me before, he’d more than made up for that. He’d helped heal my own broken heart. It wasn’t like us getting together meant that I didn’t miss Grams. Priest had just managed to fix up the cracks a bit by replacing that aching loss with love.

If someone had told me a few months ago that I’d end up coming back to Tucson and replace myself with the man of my dreams—right down to the kids he had and all—I’d have told you that was crazy. Especially, if they had said Priest was the one I’d end up with. I thought for sure he was gone for good once he’d ghosted me.

“Dinner time!” I called out, as I went about setting the food on the table. I began dishing up for the younger girls and smiled as they all filed in through the door that separated the dining room and the living room.

It was unusual for a house here in Tucson to have a layout like this one. Most of them had open floor plans where the kitchens, dining rooms, and living rooms all bled into one another without doors separating the rooms. It wasn’t the case for this home. I didn’t care for it. I preferred to be able to keep an eye on the girls while I was cooking. That’s how the apartment back at the clubhouse was, all open. It gave the illusion of more space.

Priest had asked me to move in with him right away, but honestly I didn’t think the girls were quite ready for that. Enough had been thrown at them already, so I’d asked for more time. It was the right call judging by the way Gabby was relaxing around me. It didn’t hurt that I’d been watching them each day while Priest was out working with the club. I wasn’t going anywhere, and Priest knew that. We could do this at a slow pace and make it easy for the girls.

I watched as the girls chatted and dug into the dinner I’d made. I could see the shadow of melancholy in their eyes, but they had smiles on their faces.

“Are you girls ready to start school?”

I saw the worry creep over Caitlyn’s face. We didn’t have much of a choice. CPS was going to be checking in on her and her new family for the next six months to a year to make sure she was in the best possible environment for her. Sending her to school was going to be a requirement. I knew kids could be mean to anyone who wasn’t like themselves, but thankfully she had her new sisters. They’d watch out for her.

“Yeah, I can’t wait,” Gabby said with a grin. That got her started talking about her friends that she was looking forward to seeing. With everything that’d happened this summer there hadn’t been any sleep overs or anything like that and they’d already missed the first weeks of school.

I frowned as I thought about that. How were the other parents going to feel about sleepovers at the clubhouse? Not to mention, where would we put all the kids? The apartment was great, but they were already cramped with the five of them. Add in me, then eventually the friends that would want to come hang out and it made me realize we’d need more space.

That was a worry for another time. I’d mostly listened during dinner, just enjoying hearing them chitter at each other. It impressed me how much these girls loved each other. With four of them in close contact continuously I’d have thought there’d be some fighting, but they’d banded together and were taking care of each other.

We’d found Gabby sleeping in Cassie’s bed this morning. Auron and Jecht had been sleeping with the other girls. A grin spread over my face. Seek had given up on trying to keep the dogs in her and Hush’s apartment. Each night they scratched at the door until she let them out and then Priest let them in. They understood that those kids needed comfort and they were happy to provide it.

“Why don’t you go finish your movie while I clean up,” I suggested as the girls finished up.

“I can help you…if you want,” Gabby offered. Her eyes strayed toward the door to the living room though.

There was plenty of time later to get them on a routine of doing chores. For now, I just wanted them to take the time they needed to settle in and heal.

“Thank you, Gabby. I appreciate that, but I’ve got it. Go enjoy the movie.”

She gave me a shy smile and all but ran toward the other room. Chuckling, I started clearing the table. I ran hot soapy water into the kitchen sink and let my mind wander.

The scream split the air, echoing throughout the house. The glass in my hand slipped from my fingers and crashed to the floor, shattering into a million pieces. I wasn’t even aware of thinking, instinct had me running into the living room. As soon as I burst through the door it was as though time slowed. I saw the figure bashing at the glass window. The pane gave in and shattered glass flew everywhere. Without thinking, I pulled my phone out, hit Lockout’s number and dropped it on the floor. I needed to focus because the scene that was in front of me had fear and rage gripping at me.

I saw the girls, huddled in the corner of the room, staring in terror at the man as he crawled through the broken glass and into the house. The pounding of my blood in my ears kept me from hearing what the man yelled at them. I didn’t stop, never slowed, instead I raced across the room.

The only thought running through my mind was to save them. Nothing else registered. He hadn’t even had time to turn toward me, that’s how quickly everything happened. Still, I didn’t stop. I lowered my shoulder.

As soon as I made contact, time settled back to where it should be, and we both went flying. My shoulder hit him in the side, just below his own shoulder and I heard something crack. I could only hope it was his ribs and not my collarbone. I couldn’t feel a damn thing with all the adrenaline pumping through my body. All I knew was I’d hit him hard. An NFL linebacker would have been proud of that tackle.

There wasn’t time to let satisfaction fully settle because he slammed into the wall and only half a second later I hit him a second time. He screamed. The sound reverberated through my mind, but I knew I couldn’t let the pain sparking inside of my body slow me down. I was going to be battered and bruised tomorrow. Fear kept me moving. I didn’t know who this man was, or why he was here, but he was going to be damn sorry that he’d just broken into this house and threatened and scared my girls.

I wrapped my limbs around him—clinging like an octopus—trying to keep him down so the girls would have time to hide.

“Run,” I gasped. “Hide!”

The man started fighting my hold. I wasn’t a black belt. I didn’t know what I was doing. Sheer desperation kept me holding on. I heard Priest’s voice in the back of my head. Whatever you do, don’t stop. Just keep fighting.

Sports weren’t my thing, and honestly, I’d never been in a fight in my life. The only dangerous situation I’d even been in had been with Julie back in Texas. The case manager we’d worked for had been working with some bad people, trying to take one of the MC members’ kids. Not through legal channels either. We’d ended up in the middle of it, but all I had done was lead the bad guys away so Julie could escape with the babies. I hadn’t done any fighting.

My lack of skill didn’t mean I wasn’t going to do everything within my power to keep this creep from attaining whatever his end goal here was tonight.

I pummeled him with my fists whenever I could, stalling so the girls could run. I grabbed and pulled and somewhere in the fray a piece of his ear wound up in my mouth. The girls scampered toward the back hallway and I was glad. Who knew if there were more men waiting outside? I didn’t want them running around outside at night. Darkness had fallen an hour or so ago.

It was going to be easier for this man to replace them here in the house, so I needed to make sure he left. Raking my nails down his face, I smiled grimly as I felt wetness drip down my hand.

I’d always heard that any kind of push back usually scared off burglars. I hoped that was true because I was beginning to tire. “Get the hell out of my house!” I screamed directly into his ear.

He was squirming below me, trying to stand, but having a hard time because of my combined weight and whatever damage I’d managed to do to him during the tackle.

I was just about to roll off him and get out of the way when he jerked his arm back. Pain exploded behind my eyes as his elbow rammed into my forehead. Gasping in pain, I released him and stumbled away, holding my head. Now I knew why the cartoons always depicted stars floating over characters’ heads when they got knocked out. I was reeling. The world was rotating on its axis as I tried to stay standing. Touching my hand to my forehead, I couldn’t tell if the blood on my fingers was from him or from me.

Knowing I needed to keep fighting until he was out the door, I turned. My eyes widened because he was standing right there in front of me.

“You stupid bitch.” He didn’t yell. In fact his voice was tight, like he was in pain too.

Good.

I tried to duck as he brought his hand back, but everything was too fuzzy. I was too damn dizzy. The slap of his palm hitting my cheek had stinging pain blazing over my skin and the force behind it sent me to the floor.

His feet shuffled and I tried to curl into a protective ball as he kicked me. Over and over the blows came until I wasn’t able to gasp anymore. I was hardly able to breathe. Finally, they stopped. His shoes left my line of sight.

My cheek pressed against the carpet and I fought to gain control of my body. My limbs wouldn’t work no matter how hard I internally screamed at them to move. He hadn’t gone toward the front door. He’d gone after the girls.

It felt like hours passed before I was able to haul myself up off the floor. Everything ached, and I was pretty sure I was sporting a matching set of broken ribs just like the intruder. Holding my side, I considered my options. There were knives in the kitchen, but if he got it away from me, I was dead and maybe so were the girls.

I didn’t have a gun on me and I doubted Priest had left any in the vacant house. My eyes landed on the door that led out to the garage and an idea popped into my mind. I limped over toward the garage as quickly as I could.

Screams broke the silence of the house once more, just as my hand closed over what I’d been looking for. I hurried back into the house. Ignoring the protesting of my body, I fought to reach my girls in time.