The whiskey warms my body as I lean my head back on the couch, closing my eyes. I had planned on just going to bed, but something was keeping me up.

The house is silent and empty of life, the eerie peace of my room haunts me.

Easy sleep eventually comes to me once the whiskey tips me over into a warm fuzz and I drop my phone face down on the leather sofa, not even bothering to check if the sound is on.

If anyone needs me they know where to find me.

Phone buzzing, I am bought back to a more material consciousness. Groggy with sleep and pissed off I have been woken, I answer the call with a ruff, cutting voice.

"What?" I growl at the prospects from the gate.

"Pres... uh we have a situation at the gates."

"What kind of situation?"

"Uhhhh...."

In the background of the call, I hear a woman's scream and a sickening thud as she hits the floor.

Getting up, I run to the door, hanging up the phone as I go. Women are not to be harmed. It's my number one rule, guess which two prospects are never getting patched in?

I run down the path that leads to the front gate, luckily it's not far. Snow crunches under my feet and I try desperately not to slip over as the ice begins to slowly creep over my boots. I arrive in less than a minute at the front gates.

I take in the scene before me with horror striking at my chest. It turns my stomach.

A small, emaciated girl lies on the ground in the snow, trembling both from fear and the frigid cold.

A deep bruise blossoms across her cheek bone. One of the prospects stands over her with a gun trained on her fragile body. The other is leering through the car window.

I move closer.

Footfalls heavy.

A baby is staring at the face, pure terror directed at the window. I rip him away and toss him to the floor.

"Stand down." My voice is soft with malice, a gritted teeth warning I feel coursing through my bones.

They both turn and run. There's a reason I'm president of this club.

I can't move fast enough as I drop down to my knees to pick her up. Gazing at her face, I loop one arm under her knees, the other over her back. She's as cold as death, and barely conscious. Her pale grey eyes gaze at me with a strange combination of trust and terror. I gently pull her closer to me.

"Shhh, I've got you now."

"L-Liam..." Her voice shudders and her lips tremble, the cold has seeped through into her bones, and she's so tiny anyway she must be permanently cold.

Walking towards the car for the baby I pull her closer to my chest. She's now flitting in and out of consciousness, but, as I hold her closer- hoping my body can give her some warmth- I feel the bump, small and distinct. Panic grips me.

She's pregnant? But that baby in the car can't be more than 9 months? In her white T-shirt I can see the bruises and cigarette burns littering her pale skin. Whatever has happened to her is beyond awful. But I'm here now.

I've got her.

Slowly, so as not to startle the baby more, I open the car door. Again pale grey eyes meet my dark ones with hypnotic intensity. His cheeks are stained with tears and flushed with fear. His little lips are trembling and he is whimpering. Confusion and frustration start to appear on his face as he looks up at me. He grizzles for a minute.

"Mama?" He mumbles quietly as his eyes frantically look for her.

"She's right her buddy, look." I turn my arms so he can see his mother. "It's ok now. No one will hurt you. Ever."

Carefully bending in to the car, I unbelt his baby car seat with one hand, the other still holding the small woman. Somehow I gradually ease him up and onto my chest, his head resting on my shoulder. I spin his mother round so she is holding him to me with her body, my arms wrapped around them both.

I walk back up the path, holding them both, and occasionally glancing down at the boy who is now repeating 'mum mum mum' over and over again. Almost as if it brings him comfort.

Then my instincts take over and I bend my neck down and kiss his forehead. I freeze at my own actions. That action felt so alien to me, and yet so right. I smile at the sweet baby smell and then frown. He too is freezing cold.

That crap sack of a car probably didn't have working heating. Who knows how far they've traveled in it? I quicken my pace and thank Thor there is no snow falling currently.

Kicking my front door open, I frantically stride towards the couch, and the open fire. I lay her down gently, but keep a hold of Liam. His body may be too small to warm itself, even with the fire.

Bending down, I pull a fur blanket over her and move to shut the door. I wrap Liam in my cut and a blanket as I move before the fire, rocking my knees slightly to calm him.

I wish I knew her name.

Liam's little fists hit my chest as he squirms slightly, I freeze.

Have I hurt him?

Am I holding him too tight?

All my fears vanish as I look down at him and one fist reaches up to bat against my cheek. It brings tears to my eyes, these arms of mine have never once been used for gentleness before, but Liam seems quite content in them.

I continue to bounce on my knees to create a slow rocking motion for him. He yawns and snuggles closer to my neck.

My heart trembles with joy. His little fists relax and his mouth hangs open on my chest, a little drool escaping.

His mama still hasn't stirred. I just pray that she just got cold and is exhausted, that it's nothing more serious. With one arm still clinging to Liam, I pull out my phone and text Viper.

My place Now Be quiet

I don't want Liam to wake up scared or startled. Right now he seems to trust me if babies can even do that... I don't know. Whatever, Liam trusts me, but from the look of anguish at the prospect I know that could change.

And that would break my heart already.