After the Fall (The Fallen Men 4)

Felt good, like pressure on a knotted muscle, that she gave me her tears, that she could still feel safe enough with me to drop the thorns and be that sweet little girl she’d once been.

“My sweet Harleigh Rose,” I soothed, draggin’ my hand down her upper back like soothin’ a cat. “Hush now.”

She only cried louder, and I realized it was because Cress was there, wrappin’ her arms around us both, pressing kisses to H.R.’s wet cheeks. And Lila bracketed us from the other side, whisperin’ to her best friend.

“Can I get in on this action?” Nova asked with a leer in his voice. “You know I love a group hug.”

“God, don’t be gross,” Lila admonished, but she opened her arm so Nova could join our huddle.

“Ah fuck me, if there’s one reason I became a fuckin’ biker it was to avoid this shit,” Buck grumbled from behind me, and then he was there too, proppin’ his white beard up on H.R.’s head. “But fuck it, not every day we get our princess back.”

Then everyone was there, our hug six people deep, some fuckin’ biker kumbaya shit that we’d all pretend didn’t happen as soon as we disbanded.

Noticed Danner leanin’ in a corner with a small smile watchin’ H.R. and chuckled thinkin’ of all the times they’d look at each other like that thinkin’ the other didn’t notice.

“Danny,” I said, walkin’ over with a grin. “Fuck man, it’s good to have you back.”

“Yeah, I recall you not likin’ me much when Cress and Lou went through their shit.”

I shrugged a shoulder, grin still in place because fuckin’ with Danner had always been a hoot. “Water under the bridge, you were conflicted back then. You’re on the right side’a things now.”

Cress laughed as she held H.R. to her, strokin’ her hair and lovin’ on her without any bitterness at her absence, just happy to have her home.

Fuck, I loved my woman.

“You tell him I was leavin’ the force?” he asked my sister.

She shook her head, but I whooped loudly, fuckin’ thrilled to have corrupted another copper to the dark side.

I was getting’ good at that shit.

“Fuck yeah, you did! Wasn’t talkin’ about the right or wrong side’a the law, though. Was talkin’ about bein’ on our side again, mine and H.R.’s. We missed ya there.”

Somethin’ in his stoic face moved, like shadow over concrete. “Yeah, King, I missed you too.”

“Here to stay, I’m thinkin’.” I winked at him as I went to collect Cress and Harleigh Rose went to him.

It was good to see that, the way she smiled at him like nothin’ bad would ever happen again so long as she was with him.

If she didn’t need me anymore, I was glad it was him who’d bear the brunt of responsibility for her. She was a fuckin’ handful.

“Fuck, yeah!” Zeus hollered, havin’ raced back to the delivery room as soon as he’d arrived and now back, arms raised, fists tight like a rocker at a concert. “We got two healthy kids and a healthy Lou. Walker and Angel Garro.”

Maja climbed on a chair, spun her fist in the air, and started whooping.

Everyone else followed, shakin’ the thin hospital walls with our celebratin’, drawin’ nurses out to shush us only for them to start laughin’ and cheerin’ too as we thumped Z’s chest and let him roar.

“Zeus Garro,” a cold voice called out, hammering through the noise and leavin’ ears ringin’ with sudden silence.

Danner frowned, steppin’ in front of Zeus. “Robson, Hatley, what’s goin’ on?”

They stopped, surprised probably to see a cop with a crew of bikers in 1%ers cuts.

“Good to see you, Danner, but this is official business.”

“The fuck?” I demanded, pushin’ through the crowd so I could get between them and Dad.

They got to him first.

“Zeus Garro, you’re under arrest for the murder of Officer Gibson. You have the right to remain silent. An attorney will be provided to you by the province…”

“Fuck that.” I pushed through, stoppin’ one of them from slapping cuffs on his wrists. “We’ll provide his lawyer and fuckin’ roast you for this. What the hell are you talkin’ about?”

“Riley Gibson was found dead on a Christmas tree farm owned by Townsend, shot through the head.”

“Was nowhere fuckin’ near that place,” Zeus argued, calm as a fuckin’ monk. “Ask Danner, I was down here all night, half’a that spent with him.”

They paused, but the one named Robson held up the handcuffs. “You can put your hands behind your back or my partner can do it for you. The murder weapon was found a hundred yards away in a creek bed with your fingerprints on it, registered to you. You got a problem with that, I suggest you get one of your biker buddies to call your lawyer.”

“My wife just had twins,” Zeus said in a dead voice. “Let me say goodbye.”