Chapter Eleven

ALIANA

After breakfast, I took the boys to get ready for the day while Axyl, Trigger, and Reaper did a perimeter check.

“Alright, boys, let’s get cleaned up and ready for the day. We’ve got some stuff to do, then we can chill out with a movie.”

“Okay, mommy!” Danny responded.

“I don’t do baths. I do showers,” Murdock declared. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Well then, Mr. Independent, head to your dad and my room and take a shower. I’ll give Danny a bath.” He grabbed his clothes and headed to our room.

Danny and I went into their bathroom, which was connected to their bedroom. “I’m going to start the bath, and you can get undressed. Do you want bubbles?”

“Yes, please, mommy.” He replied. Hearing him call me mommy still felt new. I loved it, and I meant it when I said I wouldn’t replace his mother. If Axyl and I continue down the path I hope we’re on, I would become their stepmother.

Both boys mean the world to me. I’ve known Murdock since he was born, and Danny instantly found a place in my heart. There’s no escaping it, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I added his bubbles to the bathwater once it was the right temperature and helped him into the bath.

“Okay, sweetheart, I’m going to go get your clothes. You play for a bit, and I’ll be right back.” I told him after turning off the water. I only filled the tub enough to cover his legs and the bottom of his abdomen.

I’ve always been scared of a child drowning in the tub.

I went to his room and picked out a pair of basketball shorts, a gray t-shirt, boxers, and a pair of socks. When I returned to the bathroom, I asked, “Hey, buddy. Ready to get cleaned up?”

“Yeah, mommy. I want to see daddy.” He replied. I helped him wash his hair and body, then got him out of the tub and dried him off.

“Alright, little man. Get dressed. I’m going to go check on your brother, and I’ll meet you downstairs.” I left the boys’ room and went into Axyl and my bedroom.

Murdock was sitting on the bed, head down, kicking his feet. “Hey, Murdo. What’s wrong?”

“Are we in trouble?” He asked. I sat next to him on the bed.

“Why do you think that?” I asked, not sure what he meant.

“Why did we have to come here? Every time we go somewhere that isn’t daddy’s, grandma and grandpas, or the clubhouse, something bad is happening. I lost my mom already.

“I don’t want to lose my dad or you.” He said. My heart ached for him, and I fought back tears.

“Listen, you have nothing to worry about, sweetheart. Daddy, Reaper, and Trigger are going to make sure of that. We just need to stay here for a while until Westyn and the others take care of something at the clubhouse.

“You won’t lose your daddy, and you won’t lose me. If anything were to happen, just know that I’ll always come back to you.” I told him, my voice full of sincerity.

He may only be nine, but he understands what’s going on better than he should. Danny is still young enough to just think we’re on a trip. I wrapped my arms around Murdock and pulled him close.

His shoulders shook as he fought back sobs. My boy is so strong, and he shouldn’t have to be.

“Promise?” he asked.

“I promise. Now, let’s go downstairs so we can go over some stuff and we can have a lazy day,” I replied. He nodded, wiped his tears, and we left the room to find the others downstairs.

We went downstairs and saw the guys weren’t back from their perimeter check yet, so we went to look for Danny. “Danny! Do you want to watch a movie with us until the guys get back?”

It was too quiet. “Murdock, stay here okay? Get a snack. I’ll be back.” I left the kitchen and went into the living room. Danny was nowhere to be found. I checked the bedrooms, closets, and bathroom downstairs.

No sign of Danny. I went upstairs and checked each room. He wasn’t there. “Danny! Where are you? This isn’t funny!”

I ran outside. “DANNY!” I screamed, spinning around, calling his name over and over. I rushed around the house.

I saw the guys returning and I still hadn’t found Danny. “Axyl!” The guys ran toward me.

“Baby! What is it? What happened?” he asked.

“Danny. I can’t find him. I told him to get dressed after his bath and went to check on Murdock and we ended up talking about things. We came downstairs and he wasn’t there.

“I checked the entire house. He’s not there!” I shouted, panicking.

“Okay. Calm down. Go inside with Murdock. We’ll find him,” Axyl told me. I nodded and went back inside to find Murdock. I didn’t like the look on his face, but there wasn’t much I could do right now.

His voice was cold, emotionless. I understood why, with Danny missing, but how could someone get here without us noticing?

AXYL

We were just wrapping up our patrol around the perimeter when Aliana’s voice pierced the air, calling my name. Reaper, Trigger, and I sprinted toward her. Her face was a mask of fear. “What’s wrong, baby? What happened?” I asked as soon as we reached her.

Tears welled in her eyes, and my heart ached at the sight. But what she said next hit me like a punch to the gut.

“Danny. He’s gone. I told him to get dressed after his bath and went to check on Murdock. We got caught up talking. When we came back downstairs, he wasn’t there.

“I’ve searched the whole house. He’s not here!” Her voice rose in panic, tears spilling down her cheeks. I felt a surge of anger. Not at her, but at the thought that someone could have taken him when she was supposed to be watching.

But I couldn’t let my anger cloud my judgment. It wasn’t her fault. Maybe he’d just wandered outside to play. I needed to stay focused. I could lose my shit later. Right now, I had to find my son.

“Okay. Calm down. Go inside with Murdock. We’ll find him,” I told her, forcing my voice to stay steady. It came out cold, emotionless, but it was the best I could do under the circumstances.

She nodded and headed back into the house. I turned to Reaper and Trigger. Before I could speak, Trigger beat me to it.

“She doesn’t know about the basement. Could he have found it and gone down there?” Trigger suggested. The basement hadn’t even crossed my mind.

Trigger was always the one to think things through, while the rest of us were ready to charge in guns blazing.

“I didn’t think of that,” I admitted.

“I know. You never think about the obvious when shit hits the fan,” he pointed out.

“Let’s go check the basement. Grab Aliana and Murdock on the way. We can explain the saferoom while we’re down there,” I said.

We walked into the house and found Aliana and Murdock in the kitchen, both looking worried. “Follow us,” was all I said. I didn’t look at Aliana, just went straight to Murdock.

ALIANA

When I walked into the house, I found Murdock in the kitchen. He knew something was wrong but didn’t say anything. His face was etched with worry.

A few minutes later, the guys walked in without Danny. Axyl just told me to follow them. He didn’t look at me, just went straight to Murdock. He blames me. I know he does. And I don’t blame him. I blame myself.

I should have taken Danny with me instead of telling him to go downstairs and wait.

We walked to a door hidden in the pantry. Axyl opened it, revealing a staircase leading down to a basement. As we descended, we heard Danny crying.

Relief washed over me, and I rushed toward him, but Axyl beat me to it. He didn’t say a word to me or the others. He just picked up Danny and Murdock and headed back upstairs.

“He hates me,” I murmured, following them back up.

“He doesn’t hate you. He’s just dealing with things in his own way. He’s been extra protective since everything that happened with Lana.

“Give him some time,” Reaper advised, with Trigger trailing behind him. But I didn’t believe him. I knew that whatever we had was over before it even started.

I’d ruined it by not taking Danny with me. None of this would have happened if it weren’t for me. The club wouldn’t be dealing with Alex if it weren’t for me. Maybe I should just give myself to him.

Make all this go away. Trigger paused halfway up the stairs and looked at me. “Hey. You’re not giving yourself up to that asshole. None of this is your fault.

“I know what you’re thinking. I’ve known you a long time, Ali.”

“I’m just going to take a nap. I’ll see you later.” With that, I walked up the stairs and into the room Axyl and I were sharing. I opened the door to find Axyl with the boys.

“Sorry. I’ll go somewhere else,” I whispered, but he didn’t respond. He just turned back to the TV. “Axyl...I...I’m sorry.” Still nothing. He didn’t even look at me. Tears welled up in my eyes.

I left the room and went into another one. I picked up the burner phone Westyn had given me and dialed his number. He answered on the first ring.

“Ali? Is everything okay?” His voice was filled with concern, and that’s when the tears started to fall. I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. I just wanted all of this to be over. “Hey, hey. Talk to me. What happened?” He asked again.

So, over the next hour, through fits of crying and pauses, I told him everything. We talked for a few more minutes, and he managed to calm me down enough to function.

After saying our goodbyes, I went into the bedroom and grabbed some clothes for a shower. I glanced at Axyl and the boys. He still ignored me, so I just went back to the room I’d just left to take my shower.

I’d give it another week. If he still wanted nothing to do with me, then I’d just give myself up. It was the best way to keep everyone safe. After my shower, I got dressed and crawled into bed.

Exhaustion soon took over, pulling me into a restless sleep.