Shane

"Because I'm the oldest, I should always be entitled to get the last one."

"That's a bunch of bullshit if I've ever heard any."

"Look you little shit, mom made these cookies because Candy told her she had been wanting some. My woman, my cookies."

I roll my eyes as Austin and Max go back and forth for the hundredth time about these goddamn cookies. Normally I would simply walk in, grab the last one they always fight about, and end that shit right then and there causing an uproar between the two brothers, but tonight I have no strength. Since the moment Lyla broke me in half last night, I have been walking around with a stick up my ass. I decided to come with Max and Austin to visit their mother Julia. Partly, to get out, and partly because I could never say no to seeing Julia. She was there for me when the cruelty of my father's life ending was too much to bear and my mother was too busy latching onto whoever gave her attention.

Julia is a strong woman, someone I have always felt comfortable confiding in. She practically took me in as her own and I will be forever in her debt.

"And so, she hasn't spoken to you?" Julia asks, and I shake my head. "And you feel as though she's wrong?" I am about to answer her but get cut off when I hear Austin and Max arguing again.

"Mom, Max just ate the last cookie." Austin yells causing Julia to laugh.

"Austin Stone, are you seriously acting like a five-year-old brat that didn't get his way? Your mother not only slaved all day in the kitchen to prepare dinner for all of us but made three dozen of those cookies at which you and Max demolished all by yourselves. Don't you dare bother her now." Candice screams, and I look back to see her reprimanding Max next while Shawna sits on the couch laughing her ass off.

Shawna's doing much better. She has her moments and I can tell she still isn't quite ready to talk about it but seeing a smile on her face is enough for me.

"I always knew I liked her." Julia whispers.

Julia and I are currently outside on the back deck watching as the stars dance all around us. I used to love coming here as a kid. The vast acreage was always freeing when a troubled teen just wanted to get away after battling his demons all day.

"She's good for him. Meant for this life." I comment.

"Maybe, or maybe she's perfect for reminding him that there is more to this life than guns, violence and the club." I look over at her with confusion and she smiles then straightens out. "Sweetheart, it's hard being a single mother, and it's even harder when we try and protect our children against what might take them from us. I've met Lyla and always thought she had a good head on her shoulders, I think you owe it to her to hear her out. You never know why someone is hiding their demons from plain sight. Don't give up on your happily ever after Shane, you of all people deserve it."

Julia stands, grabbing her glass of lemonade and heads inside. I can hear her yelling at Max and Austin about being ungrateful, but I tune them all out and focus on the space in front of me. It's dark, the sun barely setting an hour ago. There is a light breeze indicating the fall season beginning soon. My fist clench and unclench as I think about the last thing Lyla said to me. I've had a hard shell my entire life. First trying to get my father's attention when it was so solely on the club, then came after he died when my only purpose in life was to get revenge. When I met Lyla and Adrianna, that all changed. All I wanted was them. They made me want a home again.

"Shane." I turn around to see Austin running out from inside the house. He looks panicked and angry causing me to jump right up. "Torque needs us at the clubhouse, right now." I nod my head and head inside where Max and Austin say goodbye to the girls.

"Be careful guys." Shawna says and we all head out to our cars and drive out.

We make it to the compound within an hour. I had driven myself and Austin and Max drove together. Torque is waiting right outside with one of his many laptops under his arm. He looks anxious, making me feel like I need to vomit. I assumed when we got called down here, that there was an abundance of cop cars again, but knowing Torque, he most likely just found something, which still has me feeling anxious.

"What's going on? Your message sounded important." Austin says as we enter the clubhouse. A few of the brothers are there milling around and one of the new prospects is cleaning.

"It is. Sorry I couldn't explain over the phone, but I still don't know if someone is wiretapping our phones." We walk in one at a time into the room designated for church and sit down. Austin in his chair in the middle, me to his right, Max to his left. Torque remains standing, never one to be able to sit still very long.

"What's up?" Max asks.

"I got the information you needed about Lyla's past. It's not pretty, which is why I called Austin and Max here as well."

"Spit it out." I shout causing Torque to quickly sit and open his laptop, clicking on the keyboard like a goddamn road runner.

"Okay, so I ran her background and at first everything seemed normal. She was born and raised in Texas, father is a pastor, mother is a baker, and she has a little sister, whom we all know." I rub my palm down my face ready to tear him a new one, but he continues. "She was engaged to a man named Rory Mitchelson, but here's the rub. I had to dig that up. When I finally found it, there was an abundance of things that was covered up."

"Like what?" Max asks calmly.

"Like the fact that she was taken to the hospital before for a broken arm and punctured rib. Like the fact that their engagement was spread around Texas like wild fire, then suddenly covered up and swept under the rug. Like the fact that Rory's father is some big deal realtor, and like the fact that Rory is now running for Mayor."

"Why would they cover up their engagement?" Austin asks but my mind isn't on that question, it's on why in the hell would Lyla go the hospital for those things?

"It was a strange notion for me too. So, I dug a little deeper. Lyla was never hurt, and when I ran more information and cross referenced it with the timing in the hospital, I found that the documents were forged."

"Forged? Who the hell would forge documents on a woman getting hurt? That makes no sense. You think she was faking it?" Max asks.

"Lyla wouldn't do that." I quickly cut in.

"She did Shane." Torque looks up and pins me with his stare. "Because she needed an alibi for a quick doctor appointment, and a run to the police station."

"What?"

"Lyla found out she was pregnant exactly one month after going to the police station and filing a report. She also requested a restraining order against Rory."

"What the fuck are you talking about Torque?" I ask afraid of the answer.

"She was raped Shane. She filed a report about the whole incident, but it was swept under the rug. Once she found out she was pregnant, her footprints move like crazy. Withdrawals from the account they shared in the thousands, and a plane ticket to New York. I've traced phone calls and it looks like she tried to run to her parents after it all happened, but they either didn't believe her, or¡­."

"They needed the money the Mitchelson's had." Austin finishes.

My mind is in a peril of disbelief. I recall all the nasty things I called her, the way I treated her about the custody hearing. How I told her it wasn't a big deal that Adrianna knew her own father. I never once asked why Lyla kept her pregnancy from Rory, I never once made it about her. I compared her to my ex, compared her to my mother, treated her like the other women who have done wrong by me, when all along, she was running from this fucker.

"That's some fucked up shit." Max states.

"My news doesn't end there. I got some intel on Chance too Aus. You were right to assume." Torque finishes.

"The fuck is he talkin' about?" Max demands.

"Look, right now I need all of your heads in this. I had Torque look into something specific for Chance, it was about Alberts. With Snake spouting shit the other day about Chance knowing more than he is leading on, I had to get to the bottom of things. He's still our brother."

"That's bullshit, and you know it. You're the only one that knows his past, it should be brought to the table." Max walks over and shouts, but I ignore their banter, too focused on the previous news.

"And it will, but not now. We need to handle things one step at a time. We will deal with Chance when this shit is over." Austin shouts then turns to face me.

"Shane, now that you know the truth, need your mind to grab hold brother. We can go runnin' after some soon to be mayor right now. He will get his in the end, but it can't be now." Austin says attempting to control the situation.

"It's too late, he's already gotten partial custody of Adrianna. Lyla told me he was tryin' to go for full."

"Shit."

"Must be because of the election coming up. The man he's going against has three kids and a loving wife. It makes sense to make Rory out to be the victim, then six months later, thousands of pictures of him and his little girl that he was able to win back from the big bad woman that stole her away from him." Torque explains.

"I need to go to her" I stand and head for the door as Max's phone rings.

"Wait Shane, we need to figure this situation out together. I told you we can't have him on our hands too. He brings too much media shit and Alberts would only use it against us, we need to be smart." Austin says.

"I can't wait Aus. This fucker needs to be put down." Max's phone rings again and this time he answers it.

"Know you're hurtin' brother, but right now you're angry, she doesn't need to have all that shit hit her in the face just because you're hurtin'." I blow out a breath and shake my head. He's right, I can't run over and demand she tell me everything just so I understand it all. I should have spoken to her in the beginning.

"Fine, I'll wait brother, but I want this fucker down, as soon as we figure out Alberts." Austin nods and I catch Max's movement as he walks over to us with a solemn look.

"Shane. That was Miles." He looks from me to Austin and back again. Something bad has happened. "There was a break in brother. Someone took Lyla and Adrianna."