Chapter 1

Z was lying in bed bored out of his f^king mind when he saw Data running by the door. He called out to his brother loudly, damn it, something was going on now. He was staying at the f^king medical house for a week; it was the only way Boo would allow him to actually be discharged, the little butthead. He grinned, she was like a little sister to him, well all of them, and they listened to her, so she took advantage.

Nike was back, he knew it, and he was waiting for her to show up here. He knew she would come, because there was something between them, had been since they first met. However, with all the bullshit going around, Z and Nike hadn’t had time to connect, which was going to end now.

“Data,” Z yelled, and he heard his boots stop and then return to the doorway. “What the f^k is going on?”

“Shit, I don’t know. Nike took a call, and everyone is moving out. Boony is in the Lady Riders office panicking ‘cause he had to talk to a kid, and he messaged me. I am going to help him out.”

“Do not f^kin’ leave me here, man, let me come,” Z grumbled, he needed something to do, and over the years he had worked with Data on several things. He and the brother got along and had even shared a few of the hangers-on together in the past. He was a good guy, but he would never have thought about anything long term like some of the others had done.

Z struggled to get up on the crutches to go and do something useful today. Hmmm, Nike, maybe she was already in next door, maybe with him immobile he would volunteer to be a guard at the office for the Lady Riders. Their Prez had already asked for volunteers, so this may work out perfectly. Two birds one stone, no more f^king around.

“Come on, gimp,” Data laughed as he brought back the damn wheelchair the hospital had insisted he get, mostly because when the car hit him, it broke his leg in two places, which completely sucked but they were clean breaks and add on the thirty-five stitches, they said the crutches could do more harm than good. Whatever, it just meant he was a f^king invalid for a while, at least until the stitches were taken out. But he could get creative with Nike, he had thought about it enough that he was now sure his dick would have a permanent bruise from getting hard in his pants with no place to go. And yeah, he needed to stop his current train of thought before he got more uncomfortable by another hard-on.

“Don’t go so fast, asshole, you are gonna launch me out of this f^king chair,” Z grumbled, and Data laughed.

“Hey, we need to move it. Boony could seriously scar a kid if he talks to them for too long.”

“This is true.” Z laughed.

They went out the front door. The clinic house was right next door to the Lady Riders’ house, and when they exited the door Z could see there was a group of people in the front yard of the Lady Riders’ house. He squinted and could make out Treat, who was standing with an older distinguished looking couple, Treat seemed to be upset, like really upset. War and Stone were standing behind her frowning. This couldn’t be good. He searched the street; there was a limo and a large SUV, which was pulling up as they hit the front sidewalk. Z ignored everything and said quietly to Data.

“Make sure everything is cool before we go inside; I don’t like the way the brothers are looking. We could have trouble.”

“‘Kay, but, dude, someone had to let them in the gates, Free has us on lockdown still, at least until they find that crazy muther f^ker, Chet.”

Long story short, Treat’s father turned out to be a crazy muther f^ker who stole her from her mom when she was a baby. Everyone was focused on finding the SOB. However, it didn’t seem likely right now. The man had vanished, poofed into thin air, and it was pissing them all off.

“Do as I say,” Z snapped, used to his orders being followed. He was an Enforcer in the Club; he had worked his ass off since he joined, climbing up the ranks to get there. It had nothing to do with wanting power and everything to do with wanting his leaders to respect him; they accepted who he was from the first time they met, at the time it was what he needed. Z came from California, his family was here, not that he saw them at all. It was mostly his fault because when he came back from his tour Z had a hard time with PTSD. His family, which were strong, predominantly Italian, didn’t get it either. It led to a falling out, and Z went his own way, making sure never to cross paths with his parents or brothers.

Data walked from behind his chair and slowly walked so he was in the path needed to help his brothers, while Z kept right on wheeling down the sidewalk and then turned, so he was in the path of the couple standing as well as the men who were getting out of the large SUV that pulled up. He wasn’t focused on them though; he was watching the couple’s body language, which told him something was off.

As he got closer he could hear some of the conversation; it didn’t make much sense. Then he realized who the couple was. Marco and Christina Acciai, which was Treat’s birthmother and stepfather, both of whom she didn’t know existed until a few days ago.

“What do you mean Nike is your daughter?” Treat said with an astonished voice. War and Stone both tensed and got closer to Treat who looked like she was ready to cry.

“Spice…” Christina said and Treat shook her head.

“Treat,” she said firmly. “I don’t know that name, and since I have been Brooke Thompson all my life that is what I would use, but since that muther f^ker gave it to me, I am not going to use it either. I came to a decision last night I am just letting that shit go, and everyone calls me Treat anyway, so that is my name.”

Christina bit her lip and nodded then continued, “Treat, please understand, we have not had a chance to tell you about Alessandra, she is mine and Marco’s child.”

Treat shook her head, took a step back, and Z stopped. War and Stone were holding her in place, but her face was pale, even from where he was sitting Z could tell Treat wasn’t dealing too well with whatever was going on.

The door to the house opened, and Jilly, who was Treat’s half-sister, stood there with her baby smiling at Treat, she looked like shit still, but she was up and moving around, albeit slowly.

“Brooke?” Jilly called and then frowned as she took in the sight.

Treat’s head snapped around and then she turned back to the couple. “That is the only sister I have ever known about and look at her. He did that to her, and I have to deal with that knowledge. Then I found a family who I finally fit into, the Warriors, met wonderful women who I have accepted into my heart as my sisters, and you are telling me one of them was blood, and we never knew it? What the f^k, I mean, I can’t even wrap my head around this.”

“Babe,” War whispered and pulled her back. “Take a second to think before you speak; we gotta deal.”

“I can’t,” Treat whispered loudly then began screaming. “I CAN’T BECAUSE I HAVE NO CLUE WHO THE F^K I AM!”

Stone stepped around Treat and War and said to the couple softly, “Maybe we should do this another time. When we get all the shit on the table, so we can deal.”

Christina turned with tears in her eyes, nodded, walked back to the limo, and got in. Marco stood there looking at Stone and then Treat and War, before he said, “I will leave one of my men, Alessandra and Treat need extra protection right now, especially if they are together.”

Stone shook his head. “We got it.”

Marco frowned and shook his head. “I am afraid I will have to insist. Each of them separately are in danger, not only from Charles but also from men who I would consider to be my enemies. Together though, they are almost irresistible for anyone who wants money from me.”

“We got it,” Stone repeated, and Marco shook his head.

“You don’t understand. I am not requesting to leave a man; I am telling you I am leaving a man, or else I will have to insist Treat and Alessandra come with us. I will not have them hurt.”

“They won’t be,” Stone said firmly and then Jilly called from the steps and distracted everyone.

“Um, Brooke? Are you okay? And can someone come in because there is a man who is talking to himself, he is freaking me out.”

Z watched as Brooke left War and walked to her half-sister, took the baby from Jilly, and ushered her inside without saying a word. Z nodded at Data who followed. War and Stone faced off with Marco and Z saw movement out of the side of his eye and turned his head. Shit, was his only thought as he watched his brother walk to stand behind the older man and fold his arms, what the f^k?

“I will leave my best man,” Marco insisted and then War leaned in and whispered something to Stone who looked pissed off.

Shit, he should have known, but then of course since he hadn’t been in contact with his family, he didn’t know who his brother was working for. To say that Z was Italian was an understatement, especially if you knew how Italian families worked. The Di’Midea family had been in the U.S. since 1941, the year Z’s grandparents immigrated to the U.S. Z loved his grandparents, but they were old school, and to prove that, when they arrived in the U.S. and later San Diego, they moved right into Little Italy. The area of town where old-school families moved strictly because the people who lived there were both extremely Catholic, and also believed family, like FAMILY. Marco Acciai was definitely FAMILY, or as the Americans called them, the Mob, he was connected and connected heavily since he was wearing a three-thousand-dollar suit. Z’s family was also, but they weren’t Heads of any organization, no, his father, Angelo, was the right-hand man to the Tomasi family, Z had been expected to take over the position, but he had declined and went into the military, much to his family’s dismay. Z figured his brother, Dante, had taken the spot, but apparently, he had been wrong, it looked like his brother had branched out on his own.

Finally, Stone nodded, and Z rolled forward a little and waited. No one paid attention to him other than War who lifted his head letting Z know War knew he was there.

“Good,” the older man said and then turned to Z’s brother and said, “Dante Di’Midea is my best man, he will remain here until we meet again.”

Z watched his brother nod and then the older man finally turned. He looked at Z, frowned, and then looked back at Dante. Yeah, there was no mistaking when they were seen together that they were related. The thick black hair, the strong nose, and cheekbones. They took after their father, hell, all of them did. His mother used to praise God that they got their dad’s looks. Not that their mom wasn’t gorgeous, but her brother, well, he didn’t fare so well on the gene side, and their mother had been worried.

“Dante?” the older man said, and finally his brother turned and noticed him. He saw his eyes widen and then his brother frowned as he took in Z sitting in the wheelchair.

“Zeke? What the hell are you doing?” he started and then began walking toward him, taking in the cast on the leg, and all the scratches and bandages. “WHAT THE F^K HAPPENED AND WHY DIDN’T YOU CALL MA? SHE IS GONNA F^KING FLIP, AND DAD WILL BE BESIDE HIMSELF!”

War and Stone looked at him curiously and waited. “Te, calm the f^k down.”

His brother stopped and shook his head. “F^k you.”

“F^k you too,” Z said back and then looked at Marco who was frowning, he held out his hand and said, “Marco, I am Zeke Di’Midea, Dante’s older brother.”

The older man’s eyes flared, yeah Marco knew him, and he also knew that Roberto Tomasi still actively called on Z to perform a few duties, which he did for his father. However, Z kept it on the down low.

“Zeke,” Marco said and took his hand and shook it. “I am pleased you have come back.”

Marco also apparently knew that even though Z did favors for Tomasi, he wasn’t officially in the family business.

“I’m not back, I’m here, this is my family as well, one which I defend without question,” Z said firmly, and Marco nodded and turned.

“Dante, call me when Alessandra returns, we have a lot to discuss,” Marco said and went to the limo and got in. The long car pulled away from the curb, and Z turned and looked at Stone and War who were staring at Dante and him, waiting. They had their arms folded and hell, Z had a lot of questions right now, and nothing really made sense.

“Should we go have a beer?” Z asked.

“We need to see where Alessandra went, and if she needs help. I would also like an explanation as to why the f^k you are in a wheelchair and your family knows nothing about it,” Dante said and looked at Stone expectantly.

“Let’s go in and see what the f^k is going on, Z can tell you his story.” Stone sighed. “Just one f^king day I would love for it to not have some f^king crazy ass drama in it, ONE!”

“I hear you, brother,” Z said and wheeled himself to the front of the house and then went up the ramp they had built and followed the others inside.

Nike bound up the stairs to the rundown house where the call had come from. Dear God, no child should have to live like this, it was sad. There was trash on the front porch stacked high in the corner, Nike could smell the rotting food and almost gagged, shit.

Match was suddenly by her side as was Bob and Grim. Match knocked on the door and called out gently and nicely, weird.

“Hey, honey,” he said and then looked at Nike who was grinning, and he flipped her off. “Come on, open the door; we are the people you called.”

“No,” a tiny voice inside called out. “I talked to a nice lady and the Boony; he is on the phone.”

“Honey,” Nike said softly. “It is me you were talking to; I am here.”

“Oh,” a now chirpy voice said. “Boony, your friend is here, I gonna answer door.”

They heard the child trying to open the lock, it took a while but finally, it clicked open, and this sweet little cherub face poked her head out and grinned. Nike felt her heart melt a little. She had curly brown hair, which was going everywhere, and she was wearing a pretty little nightgown with pink flowers on it.

“My mommy won’t wake up,” she said and pointed.

Nike bent down, scooped her up, and carried her out to the front lawn while the others went inside. She didn’t need to see whatever they were going to find again. She looked down at the sweet little girl who had settled her head on her shoulder and was playing with her necklace now, contently and quietly. Please let her mother be okay.

However, moments later when Bob walked out of the house and looked at her with a sad expression on her face, Nike knew this was going to suck, the mother was dead.

“D.O.A.,” Boony whispered and put his hands on his head. Match had called and told them when they arrived that Sandy Mecon had been dead and her daughter, Angel, was currently refusing to be separated from Nike since the little girl’s father was being arrested for murder.

“Bud,” Z said quietly. “She was dead when Angel called; there was nothing you could do.”

“But dead?” Boony said, and Z winced, the pain in the man’s voice was tough to take, he had heard it before, way too many times, and each time it cut him.

“Boony,” Z said firmly, trying to pull the man out of his head, he had to or Boony was going to lose it, he could tell.

“Didn’t we see enough of it?” Boony moaned and opened his eyes, looking at Z, the pain was harsh and right on the surface, all of it. “Haven’t we paid our dues, I mean in the whole realm of things, like the quotient of bad shit people can see? Seeing young kids, with shit strapped to their body, willingly walking into a crowd of people and blowing themselves and others up. Seeing your friends, your brothers, get killed right in front of you, and there is nothing you can do. The f^king waste of life I saw for years in that hellhole, coming home seeing everything colored, seeing the way people don’t care about each other, neighbors who ignore shit, people in the park ignoring a man beating his woman. F^king all of it, every single thing I saw branded on my brain, so much so, I can’t sleep at night, I can’t hold a job because I can hear the screams of the innocent still, I can’t be in a closed area ‘cause they are all with me, taking up space.”

Z sucked in a breath, shit, he was gonna lose it, and there was nothing he could do to stop it, no matter how much he wanted to because every f^king word out of his mouth was true, every f^king word. Z had felt it, he fought it daily, and he still to this day didn’t have a handle on it entirely, how was he supposed to tell Boony to get a handle on it? Shit, this was bad, this was very bad, especially if Boony did what Z had done in the past when shit had risen. It usually involved a 5th of whiskey and a night in jail for beating the shit out of some dude who pissed him off. He couldn’t explain the pain, so he found some asshole to give it to.

“Then Angel, sweet baby girl Angel, she was talking about cartoons, she was showing me pictures she had drawn as if I could see them over the phone, acting like shit was normal, and all the while she was alone, by herself with her dead mother, thinking we could save her. We would be the ones to help her mom wake up. Man, how the f^k do you deal with that?” Boony yelled and stood, looking a little crazed.

“Boony,” Treat said behind him, finally someone had come to help him, Z thought.

They had come into the house and heard Boony talking to the girl on the phone; he had been nice and funny. Then Match had arrived, and they had hung up. It went downhill from there, they hadn’t had a chance to talk about Treat, and that situation before the phone had rang and Match had told them the news.

Treat had been devastated, Stone and War had taken her to the kitchen. His brother had begun to wonder, saying he was going to get a good layout of the place. Z had been left with Data who took over the computers when he had seen the look on Boony’s face, so Z had moved the man into a spare room.

“Why?” Boony said in a whisper. “Why did they have to die? Who determines it? Tell me, people say that our lives are predetermined, that a higher power knows when we are supposed to die, the amount of suffering we can take. What about free will, what about the people who commit these acts, why are they alive and not dead, who chooses, who picks. AND WHY THE F^K WON’T THEY PICK ME! I WANT IT TO STOP, THE WHOLE F^KING THING. THE REMEMBERING, THE PAIN AND LOOKS IN THE DEAD MEN’S EYES BEGGING ME TO SAVE THEM, BREATHE LIFE BACK INTO THEM. SOMEONE F^KING EXPLAIN THIS TO ME.”

“Boony,” Treat repeated and stepped closer to the man. But her sister entered the room with tears running down her face and Z did a double take. Shit.

“I can’t, no one can,” Jilly whispered, and Boony snapped his gaze to her. “But I can tell you this, all the pain and the suffering I went through, begging for the same thing you are right now, every minute of the day, and still here I stand. I have to believe there is another purpose for me to live this f^king crazy life. Just as there is a purpose for you, it is the only thing we have to hold onto because if we don’t, then we become like them. Soulless and uncaring. You gave that little girl a ray of sunshine during a sucky time, she won’t remember it, she is too young, but you will. You will remember the day you were a lifeline to a lost little girl who had unknowingly called this phone to get help, and you were on the other end. You will remember that when she graduates from high school or college years from now, you were the one who helped to get her to safety because that is what you did. You helped her, and maybe her mother is dead, and her father going to jail because there is another person out there who needs to have Angel in their lives right now, maybe that was the plan all along, we don’t know. No one knows, and that is faith, knowing there is another purpose, and no I don’t mean religion or anything like that. I mean faith that you are here right in that moment in time to talk to Angel was arranged because you are what she needed. You were with your friends who died because you were strong; you were with the people who were injured because you knew what to do. You are the key, not the other stuff, and yeah you are gonna carry that with you, we all carry that with us. But you are strong enough to handle it, you are worthy of the burden, and you are the one who needs to remember that, not someone else.”

Boony was listening, Z could tell, so was everyone else who had wandered into the room, including Te. His brother wasn’t staring at Jilly and Boony though; Te was staring at him, looking at what his reaction to what Jilly said and from the look on Te’s face; it was as if he could feel the pain that radiated out from him.

Everything Jilly said had been right, but it still stung, all of it.

“I am not strong enough,” Boony whispered and then hung his head. Z could see the tears running down his cheeks, and he felt his eyes get wet. F^k me.

Jilly ignored it all, walked to Boony and put her hands on his cheeks, lifting his face slowly, so she was looking at him, forcing his eyes to hers, so they connected. You could almost feel it.

“You are,” Jilly whispered. “You all are, every single one of you who think they are not. Do you know how I know?”

Boony shook his head slowly. “Because you care enough to be worried you are not. If you didn’t give a shit, you would be walking around like nothing in the world had ever happened to you or someone you cared about. If you were not strong enough, you would not need to heal the wounds you have on the inside. You need to let the wounds heal; you are strong enough to do it, I know it, and so does everyone in this place. We know, we have the faith you are meant for something more because we all ended up in the same place. Someone put us here, and we need to heal together. Come on, let’s go get Buddy and then get some coffee in the kitchen, we will start there, neither of us running away from something shitty, we can face this with the people in this room, they will help us.”

Boony nodded slowly as if he was hypnotized and the two walked out of the room together like no one else was there. Z looked at Treat who was now in her men’s arms crying. If Te was shocked he didn’t show it, instead he walked to his brother and nodded to him slowly.

“We need to talk.”

Z nodded slowly and figured it had been years coming, but it was finally time to lay this shit to rest.