Liliana yawned as she sipped on her coffee, sat at her dining room table. Taz sat across from her at the table, with the cup she made him as well. After the long day of errands and the park, both girls were in bed longer than usual. Well, Lily didn't get much sleep after Gunner had left at the crack of dawn. But she still got to sit in bed until around nine when Rowan began to get herself up out of bed.

She'd apologized to Taz, completely forgetting in the hecticness of the morning and the flurry of emotions that he'd be stuck in her living room for hours waiting.

He had reassured her, it was his job to make sure the house was safe and he didn't mind at all.

Now, they watched Rowan topple around the house. Every now and then coming to the table to grab the toast cut up for her. She'd cooked them breakfast a little bit ago and it was almost noon now, it would feel like a good lazy day if it wasn't for the club business looming over their heads.

"Y'know I always liked ya since that night at the pub." Taz murmured into his cup, his eyes flickered around the house. "I could see that damn look on Gunner's face too... was like the damn kid got struck by cupid," he snorted.

Lily's brows perked up, smiling down at the table. "Well must've been with the way he stayed determined."

"I know," Taz chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "We were all wonderin' when the bastard would settle down. Though I would say he definitely did it to the extreme," he looked at where his boots were left at the door next to Lily's and Rowans much smaller sneakers.

A light blush crawled up her neck, hidden by her soft, deep brown skin but Taz knew. He grinned at the young woman knowingly.

"He's really good with her," Lily admitted quietly while tapping her nails along the ceramic mug.

Taz nodded, "We all saw him with Addy. God, he's such a sucker ain't he? I always said he was too good with kids to let it go to waste with his lifestyle. I know the club has it's stereotypes but the Mayhem Men are different, as cliche as it sounds. We do our shady shit, yeah. But the town wouldn't run right without us. Half of us are chained with old ladies to take care of and that's all they want at the end of the day. The other half are loyal to the club 'cause it's a family. There's a bond there that can't be broken and Gunner's put his blood, sweat, and tears into making it like this."

Liliana's eyes widened a bit, almost not used to hearing someone speak to highly of her biker. "I'm proud of him, I was nervous about him... being a biker and all. It was what stopped me at first. To be honest, I still am nervous. Not just for me but for her, I'm entangling her in all of this too," she sighed roughly. "But I... Well Gunner is hard to say no to. Especially considering I knew how I felt pretty early on. I trust him enough now that I know he's going to take care of us to the best of his ability at least."

The two sat in what they'd said. Lily couldn't help but think back to what Gunner might've been trying to tell her this morning. The thought made her giddy, a coy smile pulling at her lips as she ducked her head bashfully even though Taz was busy being entertained by Rowan.

The little girl squatted up and then down, over and over again, while watching a children's music video on the tv. It was a remix of the ABC's or something.

As they watched, Taz's phone on the charger in the kitchen buzzed incessantly while on silent.

Gathering herself, Lily lifted her head up to Taz and tilted her head curiously. "You never found yourself settling down?" She didn't mean to pry and her tone was soft enough that Taz could dodge the question if he wanted to.

Shrugging, the older man pursed his lips. "Never happened for me. Was busy in the military for a bit, ended up here and I had my fair share of trouble. Just could never get it right with the right person at least." Taz swallowed hard, knowing it was past his time to find anything like the young bikers he watched over had managed to build.

Nodding as she thought about his answer, she understood that at least. But she hated to see the man alone, especially with the distant look in his eyes when the subject broached. Parting her lips, her eyes suddenly flickered over him. His hair was a dirty blonde, darker than Gunner's blonde at least. He had some grays peaking through his full head of hair and patching his beard. He was probably early fortiesnow, Gunner might've even mentioned him hitting forty-five recently. He was sturdy, broad and strong from the looks of it.

He was in much better shape than her parents who were definitely past fifty. Oh, she had a great idea.

"Hey- um I'm not sure if you're interest but my friend- she's actually my neighbor-"

Taz stiffening had made her pause. Through the closed blinds of the living room window, he saw a light flash from the driveway.

Lily, not having seen anything, frowned wondering if she said the wrong thing.

Suddenly, the biker was out of his seat and lifting his shirt from over his gun. Lily's heart lept into her throat as Taz moved almost robotically into the living room.

Instinctively, she followed. Rushing towards her baby, Taz beat her to it. Picking up Rowan, he passed her to Lily quickly.

Holding her close, Rowan squirmed around but Liliana refused to let her go. "What did you see?" The young mother asked under her breath. Her eyes flickered from Taz to the door to see what she had missed.

Taz held up a finger for a moment. The both of them were quiet besides the tv in the background, which luckily muffled any noises they might have made.

There was a slam from outside sounding suspiciously close to a car door closing and Lily's mouth parted as her brows furrowed.

Before she could even begin to think, pounding on her front door sounded. Slapping a hand over her mouth, the scream that tried to escape up her throat was tampered down as her chest heaved. Taz glared at the door, knowing deep in his gut who exactly it was.

His fears were concerned when the person banging on the door incessantly began hollering. "I know you're fuckin' in there! Liliana! Liliana Williams I know you are in there!"

Daminger sounded deranged, from the other side of the door it sounded as if he began throwing himself against the wooden door. They watched it shake and rattle under the grown mans weight.

"Your boyfriend really fucked you over here! Didn't want to have to do this but- I-I have no other choice!"

Taz, having moved himself in front of Liliana and the baby, began pushing them back after taking out his gun. "Yer bedrooms on the first floor?" Taz whispered to her quietly.

Nodding quickly, Lily confirmed as her stomach felt sick. Her arms wrapped around Rowan entirely, squeezing her nearly too tight. "Go to the room, if you hear somethin' and he gets in go through the window-"

"Taz wait- we- we can make it to the car or around back together," Liliana's entire body trembled as her face drained of any color. She just wanted all three of them to get out of here together.

"Can't do that, sweetheart. Gotta deal with crazy, you worry about the baby-"

Liliana couldn't muffle her screams when Daminger began shooting wildly at the door. Shoving her into the hallway, Liliana couldn't find it in herself to let go of Taz's shirt whether out of desperation or fear.

"Go! Go!" Taz shouted and as soon as he turned Liliana wailed when she watched a bullet graze across his temple. Rowan, still attached to her, screeched at the top of her lungs at the loud sounds and her mothers distress. Dropping to the ground as the bullets still flew, Lily attempted to reach out for Taz who'd fallen to the ground to pull him out of the line of fire.

For a moment she heard him groaning, holding his wound that gushed.

"Fucking motherfucker," Taz snarled. He blinked away the blood and waved Lily away.

"Lily now!" Taz's voice boomed as he too shot off some rounds at the door. The thing was barely on its hinges and soon enough it would be out of Daminger's way.

Swallowing hard, Lily pushed herself up haphazardly and bound towards the bedroom. Rowan's both arms were so tight around her neck that she wasn't sure how she was breathing.

Was she even breathing?

Scrambling with split second thoughts flying around her mind, she shoved her desk in front of her thin bedroom door. Swinging herself around she saw the only window in her bedroom.

Her broken window. Her broken window that was permanently locked. A strangled cry of frustration clawed its way out from her chest. She was crying by now just like Rowan.

Glancing down at Rowan who screamed for her, pleading for her even though she was in her mama's arms. Holding her, Lily acted fast as she had to pry Rowan off of her and onto the bed.

Grabbing the stool that normally sat at her desk that was now strewn across her room, a rogue sob heaved from her chest when she heard the door bust open. And gunshots followed.

Lifting the stool without another thought and another second to waste, Lily swung the stool into the window.

"Stupid! Fucking! Window!" She grunted with each swing, finally hearing a crack it only took one more swing before the window was shattered.

Any breath of relief was stolen when she heard footsteps stomping towards the bedroom. Leaping forward, she snatched Rowan off the bed. Cradling her, Lily's eyes widened at what she saw through the window.

"Esme!" Liliana sobbed when she caught sight of her friend. The bedroom door cracked as a foot kicked through it. Esmerelda was wide eyed as she sprinted from her porch that was in sight of the bedroom window.

"Take her! Take her, please, please Esme!" Liliana didn't think twice before thrusting the thrashing Rowan into Esmerelda's outstretched and startled hands.

"Lily what's happening?!" Her friend yelped while holding the baby and frantically trying to get Liliana out of the window.

Nearly lunging out, she hissed as the broken glass sliced at her stomach. The two women clasped hands desperately. Lily's eyes shot open when she felt hands wrapping around her thighs and yanking.

Both the women's blood curdling screams rang through the entire neighborhood. "No! No!" Esmerelda begged while trying her best to pull her friend through without letting the baby go. She didn't know who was around and she wasn't willing to put Rowan down.

"Esme!" Liliana bellowed as their hands slid out of one another's.

Practically tossing the smaller woman to the ground, Daminger's blazing eyes stared down at her before reaching for her. Flinching away, Lily turned around to try and make a break for the front door.

With a spitting snarl, Daminger snatched her by her hair and yanked her back. Pulling so hard she yelped out, he craned her head back and pressed his gun under her chin. With her scalp burning, she could finally get a good look at him now since he forced her head up.

He was bleeding heavily from his head and his shoulder. It looked like his entire face was swollen with new and old bruises. He bled from his mouth, more and more of it dribbled out with every breath he took. He looked deranged.

"You're goin' to be my ticket out of this god forsaken town." He spat, her head reared back from the blood speckling her face as he shot her a cynical grin.