Daughters of Chaos

20

Chapter Twenty

Phoenix

It was the last thing I thought I'd see when I showed up at my dad's house earlier- the guys carrying in a horribly wounded Tweak as blood trailed behind them. I thought I'd come hang out with Lace and catch up with Dad if he was around since my classes got canceled for the day.

I've seen blood before and I've cleaned up wounds, but as they carried him to the table everything seemed to freeze. For a moment I thought they were carrying a dead body. He was so pale and still. I couldn't move. Not until I heard Lace gasp and crumple into my side.

When she showed up in a panic and rapidly relayed what happened at the store to my dad and Bear it didn't seem real. Dad looked conflicted as he looked at me. It was like he wanted to explain what was happening but couldn't bring himself to do it. There was no time to let everything sink in as Lace clung to my side. She was sobbing and terrified, mumbling about what happened.

It all became real when the guys and Raven showed up behind her, toting Tweak's ravaged body inside. So much blood. So much chaos.

From what Lace and Raven said, it was all because of some guy named Dom. He started mouthing off to them in the store parking lot, insinuating terrible things to provoke Stitch and his brother. One thing led to another and an all-out brawl ensued.

Tweak wasn't the only one hurt. Almost every guy that was there from the club had some degree of injury. Most were still oozing blood as they watched Doc work. Everything started to make sense. The tension everyone radiated lately, the whispers, closed-door meetings that no one wanted to talk about. Dad was cagey about the club. Everyone was when it would come up in conversation. Even Rae and Lace had been hiding things from me when it came to the MC.

I'm not stupid. I've seen Sons of Anarchy. I know that there are dangerous motorcycle clubs out there. But when everyone kept insisting that nothing strange was going on with the club, that it was just a club- I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I let them keep me in the dark so they'd have one less thing to worry about. After this... After today, that ends. I won't let them shut me out any longer.

I'm too invested in everyone involved to let that happen.

Someone said Raptor and a few others were out dealing with the fallout from the brawl. It didn't take a rocket scientist to read between the lines. They were seeking retribution for what happened to Tweak. They were doing something dangerous, something violent.

Tears welled in my eyes. He promised he'd be careful. What if what happened to Tweak happens to him? What if he's hurt even worse?

As if sensing my distress, Raven nudged my shoulder. "How about we get her upstairs and cleaned up?" She nods to Lace, who's still coated in blood from checking on Stitch earlier.

That's when I see the red splotches streaked over Raven's skin and clothes. I hadn't noticed them until now. It must have happened when she helped get Tweak out of her car. I give her a nod and pull Lace toward the stairs.

We help get Lace cleaned up and settled in our old room before Raven does the same for herself, nabbing a couple of clean shirts from the laundry basket. Lace tucks her knees to her chest as I sit next to her on the bed. I have so many questions- for both of them- but now is not the time. I let Lace rest her head on my shoulder, rubbing her arms soothingly as we all sit in silence and wait.

It seems like hours have passed. Maybe they have since Lace is now asleep next to me. Her tears had been flowing since she got here earlier and relayed what went down at the store. The stress of everything seems to have finally taken its hold on her.