them carefully in the disposable garbage bags she’d brought with her.
Torpedo Ink slipped into the various vehicles and began the four-hour journey home.
EIGHTEEN
“We’ve divided you children into groups according to where we think you’ll be for weapons and self-defense training,” Absinthe announced. “The older children will go with Lana, Preacher, Reaper and Maestro. Lucia, Benito, Kenny, Darby, the four of you go with them now and they’ll take care of you. You’ll be receiving more advanced training. The program we’ve put together calls for training every other week, but that means practicing on your part daily. You have to be dedicated. All of you, not just the older ones.”
He waited until the older ones got up from where they sat in the grass and followed the four Torpedo Ink members across the field to where they would be working. The other children nodded at him, acknowledging that they would practice.
The little ones looked at him very wide-eyed and it took all he had not to smile. Little Emily was so cute it was heart-stopping. He decided he needed a little daughter just like Emily, with Scarlet’s bright red hair.
“The middle group will go with Ice, Storm, and Ink. Siena and Zoe and Nicia, you’ll be with them. Again, whatever you work on, you’ll have to practice at home and when you come back to class in two weeks, we expect that you’ll have it down. Czar only gave us a week to practice and hone our skills before he gave us our next assignments, so you’re getting extra time.” He waved them toward Ice, Storm and Ink.
They’d decided ahead of time that it would be good to have one-on-one help. So each child would have an instructor to watch over them. The older and middle-aged children were going to be using deadly weapons and they wanted to ensure they were safe. He waited until they had gone with their instructors to their designated area at the corner of the field almost out of sight of the younger children. Absinthe thought it best if the younger children weren’t so reliant on the older ones for comfort and aid. He wanted them to try to make their own decisions and work on their own during the time he had with them.
“Emily, you and Jimmy are with Alena and me. We’ll be teaching you some very interesting techniques that will help you with all sorts of self-defense and weapons skills down the line. Give us a couple of minutes to set up.”
He kept a watchful eye on Jimmy, Czar’s newest son. The boy wouldn’t meet his eyes and continually looked as if he might bolt at any moment. Emily, Czar’s youngest daughter, sat close to the boy and held his hand. Jimmy clung to her but looked at the motorcycles and the various bikers and the colors they wore with a mixture of apprehension and hope.
“Where’s Savage?” Alena asked as she placed a set of colored rocks in front of each child. “Shouldn’t he be here? He said he’d come.”
“Had a hard time lately,” Absinthe said. “Knows an underground club in the Bay and decided it was best to go there for a day or two and get it out of his system. Said he’d be back tonight.”
“And our newest member?”
“He went to watch Savage’s back.” Absinthe placed the wall Master and Player had built for him made up of wood with a multitude of small holes set at different heights across from the children. “Someone had to, and we had this gig. Savage knew he couldn’t get back in time.”
“I’ll just bet he went to watch Savage’s back. He’s probably just like Savage, needing to fight in the clubs and then go after the women.”
“There’s nothing wrong with Savage, Alena,” Absinthe said, keeping his voice low. “Any more than the rest of us. He thinks there isn’t any hope for him, but he’s saved my life more than once. I resented him for it too. I resented you.”
“I had to save you, Absinthe. You were starving yourself to death.” Her voice dripped with tears. She didn’t pretend to misunderstand him, although the confrontation had been so many years earlier. “None of us could let you go. You’re part of my soul. Part of all our souls.”
“I know that now. I just didn’t know that then.” He slung his arm around her neck and brushed her cheek with his lips. “Thank you for saving my life. I didn’t appreciate it then, but I