Page 1 of Storm

Prologue

“You better eat all of that,” my dad tells me, nodding toward the meal that he worked so hard on. I smile up at him and nod my head, shoveling food into my mouth.

“You did good, Daddy,” I say, earning a smile in return.

“Yeah, I watched those damn videos on how to make it. It better be good,” he rambles as I giggle at his curse word. Daddy knows that every time he says one, he owes me a dollar, and every other word that comes out of his mouth is a bad one. That makes me one rich, little seven year old.

“Put it on the table,” I tell him. He huffs out a breath and pulls his wallet out, pulling a ten from it and setting it on the table.

“That’s more than a dollar.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m pretty fuckin’ sure I’ll be sayin’ more words before the night's over,” he chuckles, making me laugh again.

I grab the money and slide it into my pocket before going back to my food. It’s just Daddy and me. Mom didn’t want us, that’s what Daddy says. He says that she was a whore who loved drugs more than us and that she ran off the day I was born.

I see the other kids and wonder what it’s like to have a mom, but Daddy says not to worry about it. He says that we don’t need one around, and if he ever found one to settle down with, she would be my new mom. I don’t know what all that means, really, and I don’t care too much. All I know is that Daddy and I live in this house, and sometimes he has sleepovers with women. They make all kinds of noises in his room, but he just tells me to turn up my audiobooks and get some sleep.

“Can we go to Build-A-Bear next week?” I ask, wanting to get that new bear that just came out. Daddy gives me whatever I want as long as I know how to act right.

“Yeah, we can. You’ve been a good girl.”

“I’m always a good girl. I’m the club princess,” I remind him as he smirks at me.

“That you are. You know how lucky you are to be the princess?”

“Very lucky! I have a big family there, right, Daddy?”

“That’s right you do. And you have people that will always love you and take care of you. You never have to worry about anything, Kenzee.”

“I don’t worry about anything, Daddy.”

“Not yet, but when you get older, you might,” he reminds me. I nod my head, although I don’t know what I could ever have to worry about. Daddy gives me anything and everything I need, and so does the club. I even have my very own cut that says Soulless Bastards across the back and a little Harley that I get to ride.

After we finish dinner, Daddy and I clean up the mess. I help him load the dishwasher when I hear a loud noise.

“What’s that?” I ask, looking up at him. My daddy pulls the gun that he keeps in the back of his jeans out and crouches down to my level.

“Stay behind me, Kenzee.” I nod my head as we make our way into the living room. Daddy stands up and peeks through the curtain when even more loud popping sounds rip through the room and shatter the glass. I scream even though I know I’m not supposed to. Daddy always said if something happened, I had to be quiet.

“Fuck,” he roars as he falls back and onto the floor.

“Daddy, you’re bleeding,” I tell him, pointing at the front of his shirt. He looks down and sees it before shoving himself up with a groan.

“Kenz. I need you to listen to me right now, okay?”

“Okay.”

“You remember what we practiced? Where I taught you to hide?” I nod my head. “Daddy’s gotta go for a little while, okay? I need you to go and hide and stay there until you hear the guys, okay?”

“No. I want to stay with you, Daddy!” I cry out. I don’t want to leave him. I don’t want him to leave me.

“I know, baby, but Daddy has to go. I need you to go hide, Kenzee. I need you to do this for me,” he says, trying to remain calm. More sounds pop around us, and my daddy curses under his breath.

“Kenzee, run, baby. Go hide and don’t come out!” he says, sounding angry this time.

“But, Daddy! I want to be with you,” I cry once more.

“I love you, Kenzee. Be a good girl for Daddy. Go. Run and hide until you hear the guys, okay? Just do it, Kenzee.” I rush toward him and drop to my knees, hugging him with all my might. He turns his head and presses a kiss to my cheek before shoving me away from him as more sounds come all around us.