Rivals 🌈 ✔

35 - Condemnation

Raine exchanged a look with Alvarez, who nodded to the door. Get out of here. 

The man was right. The sooner his father was home, the beter. They would have plenty of time to wrack their brains over this bizarre situation.

. . .

Ten minutes later Raine was in the car, his father was seated next to him. Neither of them was speaking and the silence between them was uncomfortable. He had a strained relationship with his father for years, especially since his mother died and his father broke down. Raine had taken the responsibility for their family; he'd given up his own dreams and still his father had criticized him for being a member of a motorclub. Nevertheless, Raine tried not to blame him. He knew his father was doing the best he could. Raine didn't know how it felt to lose your other half. Juice and he were only together for a few months and already the thought to lose his boyfriend could keep him awake at night. He could imagine how the loss of person you loved so dearly, with whom you shared every detail of your life, caused a complete change in a person, making it almost impossible to keep your head up. As the eldest son, Raine had been his biggest support.

"What happened?" Raine asked after a while. They couldn't stay silent forever. 

"There was a man at the door. A young man, a couple years older than you. All dressed up — the type of guy you don't want to mess with. The mob or something. He told me to sit in his fancy car. If I obeyed, nothing was going to happen to my son. So obviously, I did as he said." He looked away, Raine heard the pain in his voice as he continued: "I can't lose another child."

Raine bit his cheek. He knew this subject was very sensitive for his father. Raine had always been proud of his father; he was a fireman. He had risked his own life to save other people — but he hadn't been able to save his own wife, his own daughter. Even though there was nothing a fireman could about a wasting disease, Raine always had the feeling that his father did blame himself for their deaths. 

"So it had something to do with your club?"

He heard the silent reproach in his voice. The club who put his family in danger. Raine who put what was left of their family in danger. 

"We don't know," he answered. He slowed down as the car neared a roundabout. "But a parent from another club was also taken. Two weeks ago. Nobody contacted us. We have no idea what the meaning of this was."

Hopefully, the Sons would be able to extort more information. After all, Mary had been gone for over two weeks. 

Another silence fell. Raine stared at the road while he drove to his father's house. 

. . .

Sammy threw her arms around him once he entered Alvarez' house. Tears streamed down her face. "You found Dad!"

"Of course I did." He laid a kiss on her temple. 

"Is he all right?"

Raine nodded, rubbing her back. "He's fine. As it seems, it's all a misunderstanding."

It obviously wasn't, but he didn't want her to worry. Her connection with the Mayans should make her feel safe since his brothers would protect her no matter what. 

"I'll take you to him. Is Sasha awake?"

"She's playing in the garden."

Raine walked further into the house. He greeted Diana with a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you for looking after the girls."

"Always, Raine. You know that. Marcus called to tell me your father is unharmed. I'm happy to hear that, sweetheart. Will you take a few days off now? You need that, Raine."