Holding her hand as she drifted off to sleep, I looked around me and prayed. I’ve never been a believer, but things change, and I needed something other than my belief in my family to get me through this. I prayed that my father would find me. I prayed that he would still love me after everything that had happened, but mainly I prayed that these bastards all died—a slow, painful death.
I must have fallen asleep when a loud bang woke me up, startling Remi and me. The cages all around us started to weep as the kids inside them cowered in fear. More loud bangs were heard, followed by several pops, grunts, crashing glass, and familiar voices.
They were here.
My family had come.
“Remi,” I said, gently shaking her, waking her as softly as I could. “Max?”
“Hey, pretty girl. Guess what?”
“What?”
“My family is here,” I said just as more pops and a loud explosion shook the entire building we were in, rattling all the cages. Before I could say anything more, the door to the room we were in was kicked in, and in walked one of the biggest, baddest, meanest sons a bitch I knew.
My Uncle, Hellhound.
“Max!” my Uncle roared, flinging cages open as he made his way towards me. Stopping, he looked around and seeing the room for the first time. “Oh, fuck me. Hang on kids, we’ll getcha all out. Max! where are ya, boy!”
“Over here!” I yelled back, holding tightly to Remi’s hand.
My Uncle ran towards my cage. His eyes widened knowingly.
I knew what he was seeing.
There was no way to hide it.
Ashamed, I looked away.
“Don’t do that. Not ever. I mean it. You hold your head up high, look those fuckers in the eye and say fuck’em. Not today, not ever. Don’t let them win. Ya, hear me, boy?”
“Yes, sir,” I whispered and nodded.
Taking off his cut, my Uncle removed his shirt and handed it to me. I quickly put it on as he grabbed his cut, putting his arms through the vest holes. “There’s a lot of people waiting to see you. Let’s get the fuck out of here before Nitro blows this fucking place sky high.”
“Where’s dad?”
“Max? Hellhound, where’s my boy!” my father’s voice soared as he ran down the stairs into the room we were in. Instantly, a feeling of relief washed over me. He was here. I knew he’d come.
“Over here, Prez!”
“Max, is that your dad?” Remi whispered in my ear, my hand still in hers as she pointed to Hellhound with her other.
“No, Princess. I’m Max’s uncle Hellhound, but you can call me Uncle Peter, okay,” my Uncle smiled at Remi, trying to soothe her rising fear. I knew my family didn’t look like everyone else’s. They were different. I was different. We were bikers, or at least my dad, Uncle, and the other brothers were. I was still too young, but I loved the life.
“I want to go home, Uncle Peter,” Remi said, tears falling down her cheeks. My Uncle ripped the bars off her cage. Taking off his cut, he wrapped it around Remi, covering most of her. As he pulled her from the cage, Remi hugged my Uncle’s neck tightly.
“God damn, she’s so tiny. Fucking skin and bones,” my Uncle cursed as my father arrived, helping me to stand. The next thing I knew, I was engulfed in my father’s arms.
I didn’t move.
I couldn’t.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to hug him. I did. But after everything that happened, I didn’t want anyone to touch me. Ever. Standing stiffly in his arms, my father drew back and looked me in the eye.
“Max?”
“I want to go home. Now.”