Chapter 6 - SAFE HAVEN
The Steel Ravens Clubhouse sat on a twenty-acre plot outside Hollow Creek. Surrounded by a tall wooden fence, security cameras, and two heavy iron gates, it was a fortress built by men who knew how to build things to last.
By 4:30 AM, the main hall of the clubhouse was warm and glowing. A massive stone fireplace crackled with burning oak logs, throwing heat across the room.
Lily sat on a plush leather sofa wrapped in a oversized yellow fleece blanket, drinking a cup of warm hot chocolate that Jax had prepared for her. Her small feet were bandaged, but her face was clean, and for the first time in hours, she was smiling.
The wooden double doors of the hall opened, and Boone walked in, supporting Thomas Vance, whose arm was draped over Boone’s massive shoulders.
"Daddy!" Lily squealed, dropping her hot chocolate onto the coffee table and sprinting across the room as fast as her bandaged feet could carry her.
Thomas collapsed to his knees on the wooden floor, wrapping his arms tightly around his daughter. He pulled her close, burying his face in her blonde hair, weeping silently as she held onto his neck with all her tiny strength.
"I’m sorry, baby," Thomas sobbed. "I’m so sorry I couldn't protect you..."
"You did protect me, Daddy!" Lily cried, pulling back to look at his bandaged face. "You hid me! And the giant Raven men came and saved us!"
Thomas looked up over Lily’s shoulder at Boone, Bear, Doc, and the rest of the crew standing near the fireplace.
"I don't know how I’ll ever pay you back for this," Thomas said, his voice thick with emotion. "I’m just a mechanic. That cabin and those thirty acres of timberland are all my late wife and I had left for Lily’s future. That corporate firm offered me three million dollars for the land last month, but I refused... because they wanted to strip-mine the ridge and poison the creek where my wife is buried."
Boone sat down on a heavy wooden bench opposite them. "You don't owe us a dime, Thomas. But you need to understand something—Appalachian Timber isn't going to stop because four mercenaries got arrested. The man behind that corporation is Julian Vance."
May you like
Thomas froze. His eyes widened in absolute shock. "Julian? My brother?"
Boone nodded grimly. "We checked the corporate registration filings while you were in transit. Julian Vance is the Chief Executive Officer of Appalachian Timber & Mineral Corp. Thomas... your own brother ordered that raid."
