Chapter 17 ~ That Would Be Me

Delilah’s POV ~

We rolled out.. three wide and two hundred deep.. all of us geared for war. Search and rescue had gone out ahead of us by forty five minutes. Venom and Delaney were in the lead.. in a military grade humvee.. fully armored.. indestructibly built.. bulletproof glass.. six foot wide ram brush guard..

Doc and the triage unit brought up the rear.. a huge rolling clinic.. fashioned from an old school bus.. neither vehicle built for speed.. but more than capable of getting their jobs done.

We were ten miles out from the Vikings clubhouse.. pulled into a Walmart parking lot.. when we got word seventeen people had been rescued from the cells.. without incident. That was our cue.. and we rolled out.. heading to break some shit.

Venom didn’t slow up.. he slammed the accelerator to the floorboards and rammed through the gates.. driving the humvee straight through the front doors of the clubhouse.. running over anyone who stood in his way..

Half our men laid down cover fire, as we entered the clubhouse.. Thor was standing on the second floor landing.. yelling “I demand to know the meaning of this!”

Venom looked at me “This vengeance is yours, little sister. The floor is yours.” I stepped forward and said “Bring your sorry ass down here and face me like a man… if you dare!”

He laughed.. Like he was going to put one over on me.. I asked “Why you laughing? Thinking it’s a stall tactic while you wait for backup? Guess what, DoucheNozzle!? No backup is coming.. what’s left of your men have either been captured.. or surrendered.. “

He growled “Now!” And I shot the man who had been hiding low and to the right behind Thor. I said “That’s one.. Now.. the man on your left is next.. the last one will be the guy in that room two doors off the landing to the right.. he keeps peeking at me. I think he’s scared.”

I growled “Bring your sorry ass down here.. Now! Coward. What? Scared of a little girl?! You weren’t too scared when you tortured my father.. I figure you can die first.. or you can hand Eric Garrison over to me.. He owes me.. more than he ever owed you. I live by the old creed.. A life for a life.”

He still didn’t move.. and I was getting pissed.. The second floor picture window shattered inward and Hunter landed directly behind Thor.. and shoved him down the stairs.

Maddox took the stairs two at a time.. then he and Hunter went room to room.. clearing them as they went. Venom lifted Thor from the floor and snarled “Where is Garrison?” Thor just laughed.. and I kicked him in the nuts with my steel toed boot.. Venom groaned “Ouch.. Low blow..” I laughed and said “When he decides to sing.. he will either be soprano or falsetto.. but he WILL sing!”

I dragged him out front.. throwing him to the ground, I yelled “Where is Garrison?” His men didn’t make a sound. I roundhoused Thor in the face.. “I will ask again.. Where. Is. Garrison?”

Still nothing.. I jerked Thor’s head back and lengthened my claws “Last chance.. someone answers or your president dies.. and I burn this shithole to the ground. Where the fuck is Garrison?”

A voice in the back said “He isn’t here.” I laughed and said “Really? He was here an hour ago.. and nobody left the compound. So, I’m curious.. Did you think a lie would save your president?”

Maddox and Hunter came out of the clubhouse.. shaking their heads. I grinned. They didn’t find him.. but I am almost positive he’s hiding in there somewhere. I smiled at Venom.. “Shall we torch it? I’m interested in what crawls out of the woodwork.

He laughed “Hell yeah! But for the record.. you’re a vicious little thing.” I laughed with him “Don’t fuck with mine.. I will come for you.. every time.”

Thor finally decided to speak “Who the fuck are you?” I slapped him “Me? Oh.. I’m just the daughter of the man you kidnapped five years ago.. Did you know.. I can’t even access my inheritance until I am twenty one.. And only if my guardian ad litems allow it.. Perhaps you should ask them, yeah? Venom? Queen?”

When Thor realized who had come for him.. he resigned himself to dying. And once the flames had started licking at the floor joists of the second floor we heard yelling “Okay.. Okay.. I’m coming out.”

Maddox yelled “Fuck, dude! Looks like you’ll have to jump. No worries though! I’ll catch you.” Hunter looked at me and said “He won’t.. He’s lying.” Making me laugh.

Eric Garrison did indeed jump.. and Maddox did not catch him.. He had, in fact, lied. Delaney asked how I wanted to handle this.. and we discussed it.. deciding Thor died now.. and Garrison would be held in the cells. Until my father was well enough.. Then, after he could face them.. I would let him have his vengeance.. They had killed my mother.. but she was his mate.. and that trumps everything.

By the end of the hour.. the clubhouse was nothing but smoldering embers.. Thor was dead and Maddox addressed the remaining survivors..”I strongly suggest you head out of our area.. Warrior Wolves are now claiming this territory and you are all trespassing. You should consider going legit.. One percenters statistically don’t survive past thirty.. Something to think about on your journey.. If I see any of you five minutes from now.. you will die!”

Every single one of them jumped on bikes.. taking off for parts unknown. There was only about a hundred survivors.. but it was amusing watching them scramble to get away from Maddox, anyway..

Venom walked over and told him “You did good, little brother! Word will spread now.. your name will become known as one of the don’t fuck with me..”

I cracked up “There was so much grammatically wrong in that sentence.. I don’t even know where to begin.. Yet, I understood it perfectly. What’s that say about me?” Delaney laughed “Once you start comprehending Venomese.. there’s no hope.. You’re a goner.” Making us all laugh.

Delaney said “I’m riding your bike home.. Go.. Be with your dad.. he’s already being triaged. The sixteen others aren’t in great shape either.. so we need to get on the road.”

I ran for the bus.. and immediately searched him out. He was lying on a gurney.. unconscious. So pale.. and frail. He was so thin.. and gaunt. His face covered in cuts and bruises.. I was afraid to see the rest of his body.. Blue reached out to Amadeus.. she whimpered when she felt how weak he was.

I took his hand in mine.. and held it against my cheek.. his warmth.. his scent.. He was here.. he was alive. I have mourned him so many years.. and when someone says miracles aren’t real.. they had better not say it where I hear them. My daddy? He is my miracle..

We reached the infirmary in just under an hour.. with some woman screaming she wanted to talk to Venom now. Everyone was looking at me like ‘Fix it’ So, as they took Daddy in to clean him up and assess his injuries.. I went to the woman’s room.

She snapped at me “Who are you? Get Venom! I want to see him.” I smiled at her and continued walking to her bedside “Lower your voice.. this is a hospital, for Goddess’ sake! I am the woman who found you.. saved your life, as a matter of fact.. So learn some respect! As soon as my brother gets back, I will inform him of your demands.. Although, as a Sweet Butt.. I have a feeling you will be speaking with his wife.”

She snarled “That fucking bitch better stay away from me.” And I had her by the throat.. lifting her off the bed.. That’s how Maddox, Delaney and Venom found me. Venom asked “Saved her life, so you can kill her? Nice! I like your method of preplanning.” I laughed “Asshole. She called my sister out of her name..” I let her go and walked away to lean against the wall.

Venom said “Well, Tammy? You wanted to speak to me.. Start talking.” She sputtered “I wanted to warn you about the Vikings. They are planning to attack you..”

Venom laughed and told her “That’s old news! The Vikings are no more. The president is dead.” She screeched.. trying to get out of the bed “You killed my old man? How fucking dare you!”

I laughed and said “No.. that would be me!”