A few days later, Bear was delivered to me in Portstill and it’s not often someone sees me without him. I wanted to give him the night off with the party raging outside and to see him laying against Sadie, his neck across her lap, and his eyes scanning the room, I realized my buddy was sensing something deeper than an unconscious girl.
Hearing loud voices from outside my door, I reached over and scratched behind his ears. “Keep an eye on her. I’ll be right back.”
He sighed and his ears perked up as I gently stood from the edge of the bed and moved to the door. Glancing back at Sadie, I realized how beautiful she was and something deep inside me shifted. I fought the urge to adjust my dick as I stepped outside and quietly pulled the door closed.
Bear would protect Sadie until the Death Hounds could figure out what happened.
Then all hell was going to rain down on whoever hurt her and Jacob.
Chapter Five
Sadie
My footsteps were quick as I juggled the three bags of groceries, trying to not drop them as I moved faster down the broken sidewalk. I never wanted to be out past dark, but my teacher kept me after school, trying to engage me in the idea of college. I took extra classes, hoping to graduate early and be able to earn some money for my family, so I was the only fifteen-year-old senior in my high school’s history.
School came easily to me, but with a strung-out mother, there was no hope for college. I couldn’t leave my brother, Dalton, or my newborn brother, Jacob, alone with our mom, so I tried to brush off the desire to be something more. I wouldn’t leave them, and if it meant putting off my future for them, I would.
Living in the Flats, I saw the worst that society offered and never wanted that future for myself or my brothers. Drugs, prostitution, and random murders were common and more than a few of my classmates earned their money from the streets. The sky was growing dark with each step I took and every noise I heard had me shifting my eyes around, looking for potential problems.
Marco ran the Flats, always knowing who was doing what and using that to his advantage. His grip on the small section of town was extreme, and I never wanted to cross him. I could see the edge of my yard in the far distance and I shifted the bags in my hands, pushing myself faster toward home.
A man stepped out onto a front porch across the street from me, lighting a cigarette and blowing the smoke into the air. I could feel his eyes roaming over me as I moved past him, and shivers broke out across my body. The smell of weed wafted out the door and music from inside spilled onto the streets.
“Hey, baby,” he said, and I glanced at him to find two more men standing on the porch with him.
I briefly closed my eyes and continued forward, ignoring him, hoping to get home in one piece. It wasn’t safe on the streets after dark, but I had to pick up Jacob’s formula before I could go home. I was two houses away from the loud men when I heard footsteps behind me.
Quickly, I turned to see the man from the porch following me, his steps matching mine. Walking faster, I tried to keep the panic under control as I crossed the street.
“Where are you going, sweet thing?” he taunted, and I struggled to move any quicker with the heavy bags in my arms. “Don’t run off. I wanted to invite you to a party.”
His sick chuckle caused the alarms to scream in my head and I contemplated dropping the bags and running for home.
“No thank you,” I replied and glanced over my shoulder to find him less than three feet from me.
“Don’t be like that. I’ve seen you around here. Let me help you carry those,” he reasoned, and I shook my head.
A hand gripped my elbow, sending a shock through my arm, and I gasped as he spun me around and gripped my shoulders.
“Don’t be a stuck-up bitch. I was offering to help.”
The smell coming off him was horrible, and his once white t-shirt was stained with sweat. His teeth were rotting in his mouth and his eyes were glassy as I struggled under his hold. My eyes caught movement, and I hoped to signal for help when I realized it was another of the men from the house.
Dread filled me as he stepped up to us, crowding me against the stinky man and tears built in my eyes. This was what I always feared, and my nightmare was coming true right in front of my eyes.
A finger brushed my hair off my shoulder and the man behind me spoke, his voice scratchy, “What’s the hurry?”
“I . . . I need to get home to feed my brothers,” I replied, praying they would let me go.
“I think your brothers can wait a little bit, don’t you Rooster?” the man standing too close to my front replied and a sick laugh echoed around me.
A hard smack against the side of my head made me drop the bags, and I fell to my knees, the concrete digging into my skin as the man behind me grasped my hair in his hand. He wrenched my head back, and I tried to pull away through the foggy haze I was swimming in.
They dragged me back down the street, issuing threats against my brothers that made me not scream for help. Three hours later, I limped out of the house, bloody, broken, and irrevocably changed. I found the bags still sitting on the sidewalk where I dropped them, and I delicately picked up what I could and shuffled down the street to my house.
Dalton was sitting at the dining room table and I silently left the bags for him to put away. Locking the bathroom door behind me, I refused to look in the mirror as I peeled my clothes off and stood in the hot shower, watching the pink tinged water swirl down the drain, taking the good parts of me with it.
Tears refused to fall, and I stayed under the water until it turned icy cold. I shoved my clothes into a bag under the sink and when I opened the door; I found Uncle Mick sitting at the dining room table feeding Jacob. Dalton’s door was closed, and I could hear music coming through it as I straightened my spine, hoping to hide my injuries from my uncle. He glanced up when he heard the door and his appraising stare locked with mine as he burped Jacob and placed him in his playpen.
“I wasn’t expecting you tonight,” I explained and poured myself a glass of water from the tap. “Can I make you something to eat?”
“Sadie, sit down, please,” he reasoned, and the tremor in my hand was showing in the glass of water.
I placed it on the counter and sat down on the worn-out couch across from him. My eyes burned, but the tears still didn’t fall as he leaned over with his arms on his knees and spoke quietly. “Do I need to take you to the hospital?”
My chin wobbled, and I shook my head before clearing my voice. “I’m fine, Uncle Mick.”
“Bullshit, Sadie Elizabeth. Your brother called me and told me you limped into the house and locked yourself in the bathroom. I need to know what happened so I can make sure it never happens again.” His eyes were sympathetic but full of rage.
“I . . . I don’t want to talk about it,” I murmured and shifted, the couch rubbing against my back, causing pain to shoot through me. He could see how much pain I was in and he stood, pacing the living room.
He came and crouched in front of me, his voice soft and understanding, “Will you show me?”
Nodding, I turned away from him and lifted the back of my shirt, revealing the cuts that were seeping blood onto my shirt. His muttered curses had me pulling my shirt back down and crossing my arms over my chest.
“Please . . . don’t tell anyone.” The words spoken caused the dam to break and my eyes filled with tears as the memory of what I endured came crashing down on me.
He sat next to me and pulled me into his chest, allowing me to cry until I fought for breath. Jacob cried, and he kissed me on the top of my head and stood, gathering my baby brother into his arms and knocking on Dalton’s door. I heard him say something to Dalton and a minute later; he was sitting next to me again.
“Sadie, darlin. I’m going to call some of my brothers to come and get you and your brothers. I want you to stay at the clubhouse for a while. Would you be okay with that?”
The thought of having to walk past that house everyday fil
led me with terror. I whispered, “Yes.”
“I promise. No one will ever hurt you again.” His voice was filled with anger as he grabbed the phone from his pocket.
I didn’t listen to what he said as I stared at the blank wall in front of me. Within minutes, the rumble of bikes filled the air and some of the panic seeped from me. The President, Smokey, walked inside with his old lady, Piper. She was always nice to me and when she came and kneeled in front of me; I felt safe.
“Let’s get you some clothes packed, Sadie.”
She offered me her hand and I stood, pain shooting through my body. I whimpered and when I glanced over at the Death Hounds who were standing in the living room, I could see the rage and destruction pouring off them.
Piper helped me pack for myself and both boys before assisting me in getting Jacob secured into the back seat of her car. Dalton hopped onto the back of Uncle Mick’s bike and I gingerly settled into the passenger’s seat with Piper.
We stayed at the clubhouse for weeks, and Piper became the only person who knew exactly what happened to me. She held me while I recounted my ordeal and helped in my healing. Uncle Mick kept his promise and from that point forward, nothing and no one caused us trouble. When we finally left the clubhouse to go back home, I was shocked to find the house where my attack happened burned to the ground.
The feeling of a wet nose on my hand stirred me from the dark recesses of my mind and I fought to swim to the surface. I blinked my eyes and my head throbbed as I slowly came to. Looking down, I saw a beautiful German shepherd with its head resting on my stomach and when I took in my surroundings; I saw a Death Hounds winter cut hanging on a hook.
I was safe within the walls of the compound but had no idea whose room I was in. I tried to speak but my voice was scratchy, and my mouth was dry, and when I coughed, the beautiful dog barked toward the door. Within a few seconds a man walked in, filling the doorway with his broad shoulders.
I blinked, thinking I must still be dreaming as the handsome man with striking amber eyes and thick blond hair slowly walked to the bed and spoke. “You’re safe, Sadie. I’m Gunner and this is Bear.”
“Jacob?” I asked, and he jumped when he heard my voice, quickly handing me a bottle of water. I drank deeply and tried again. “Where’s Jacob?”
“He’s with Skid and your uncle. Would you like me to get them?” he asked and started to walk away.
Fear lanced through me at the thought of him leaving, and Bear pushed into my hand. I sat up and grasped Gunner’s hand to stop him from leaving. The instant my hand touched his, an electrical pulse shot through my veins, calming me. His eyes grew wide, and he turned to me, a smile on his face as he wrapped his fingers into mine.
Chapter Six
Gunner
Her touch was settling and the anxiety that was coursing through my veins lessened as I linked my fingers with hers. She tugged on my hand and I sat down on the bed and slowly reached out, brushing a lock of hair from her face. She leaned into the simple embrace and exhaled. Bear sat next to her, watching both of us as I stared down at her, memorizing every inch of her beautiful face.
“I need to get your brothers. Will you be okay here with Bear while I go find them?” My words were soft, and she nodded slightly. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” she whispered, and it took everything in my soul to walk away from her.
When our hands disconnected, I felt a pain shoot to my heart, but I pushed it aside and walked to the door, slipping outside, and pulling the door closed behind me. Three gazes turned to me and I looked around for Jacob.
“I sent him to my cabin for Piper to clean him up. Did she say anything about what happened?” Smokey asked as I approached the group.
The party appeared to be over and a large group of brothers stood near the clubhouse, watching us with curiosity and thinly veiled patience. Club rules are that family, women, and children are off limits and to witness Jacob and Sadie’s pain was obviously upsetting to them. I’m surprised they weren’t already on their bikes, patrolling the streets for whoever hurt them.
“She’s asking for Jacob. Did the kid say anything?” I asked Skid and noticed his eyes were red.
Emotion wasn’t something the Death Hounds relied on, but for his only family to be here, and both traumatized by something or someone, was too much for my brother to handle. Mick patted me on the back and walked toward Smokey’s cabin as Bullet joined the group. His expression was wary, and I wondered what the old timer knew that we didn’t.
“He was walking home from the library when some asshole approached him.” Skid started and cleared his throat before continuing. “The dumb motherfucker tried to rob Jacob and had a gun pointed at him when a man walked up and slit his throat. Jacob said the man was dressed in black and winked at him before casually walking away without saying a word.”
“So, he’s not hurt?” I asked, exhaling the breath that was stuck in my lungs.
“He’s scared to death, but he’s unhurt. What happened to Sadie?” Smokey responded, and I shrugged.
“One of the Cleveland brothers thought she was a club slut and propositioned her. She freaked out and kneed him in the balls and when she tried to leave, something freaked her out and she fainted. No one hurt her, but there’s more to what happened with her than a few rowdy brothers being assholes,” Bullet explained and my vision grew red at the thought of someone touching her, scaring her, or even thinking she was one of the easy sluts that lived off the attention of the club.
Piper walked out of the cabin and Smokey signaled for her to join us. Women were never included in the MC’s business, but Piper was like a mother to all of us. She approached and twisted her hands together in front of her, her gaze bouncing between her cabin, my cabin, and the group of us.
“Darlin, why don’t you go check on Sadie while we finish up,” Smokey suggested, and she silently entered my cabin.
I caught a quick glimpse of Sadie sitting in the middle of my bed and something deep inside of me settled, knowing she was safe in my cabin with Bear. He would destroy anyone who tried to get close to her and keep her calm until we could resolve whatever the fuck was going on.
“Do you think it was him?” Skid asked, and we all turned our attention to him. “Do you think it was Callahan?”
Devlin Callahan was the newest king of the Flats. He rose through the ranks and rumor was he killed Marco and took over his empire. He was changing the dynamics of the Flats and I wondered if he would be capable of killing someone without remorse and walking away without accolades.
“From Jacob’s description, it’s a fairly good assumption. Supposedly, he had a weakness for kids and a short fuse,” Bullet replied, and I thought back to right after I arrived back in Portstill and the news of Marco’s demise.
Everyone was terrified of Marco, but he always surrounded himself with loyal foot soldiers who protected him. If he was taken down from inside, there must have been a damn good reason. The sound of a door opening made us turn and Mick was carrying Jacob in his arms, the little boy’s eyes taking in everything.
Mick approached and Skid took hold of Jacob. I didn’t want to traumatize him further, but we needed to know exactly who it was that saved him. The MC now protected that man, and we owed him a debt. At least, I felt like I owed him something for saving him.
“Where’s my sissy?” Jacob’s little voice asked, and I pointed to my cabin.
“Would you like to go with her for a little bit?” Skid asked and he nodded.
We all followed him to my cabin and Smokey knocked, waiting for permission to enter. Piper opened the door, and her eyes were glassy from unshed tears. Worried that something was wrong with Sadie, I pushed past my brothers and saw she was leaned against my headboard with Bear resting across her legs.
She saw us and graced us with a smile before her eyes caught Jacob. Skid placed the little boy on the bed, and he crawled onto her lap, being pulled into a fierce hug. Piper excused herself and closed the
door.
“I want you two to stay here tonight until I can get to the bottom of what happened,” Smokey stated and Sadie looked over Jacob’s head, her chin trembling.
I was sitting on the bed, holding her hand before I realized what I was doing and all my brothers, and her brother Skid, watching with stunned curiosity. She linked her hand with mine and soon the silence overtook the room.
Skid smiled, Mick shook his head, Smokey chuckled, and Bullet fought the laughter as Sadie and Jacob leaned into me. Bear curled around the boy and was watching everyone as they stood and observed us. I felt under a spotlight, but something about this woman cracked the ice that I encased my heart in, and I didn’t care if they liked it or not.
Sadie was mine. And so was Jacob.
Mick sat down on the foot of the bed and spoke softly, “Jacob, I need you to tell me what the man looked like.”
Sadie’s eyes grew wide, and she looked to me. I shook my head, and she turned her attention to the scared child in her lap.
“Jacob. Do you know who saved you?” Skid asked, answering her unasked question.
“Callahan,” he replied, and my eyes caught Skid’s. He swallowed deeply, clenching his hands.
“Did he hurt you?” she asked and Jacob whispered, “No. He saved my life.”
A stomach grumbled, and I looked at Sadie who was resting her head against my shoulder. “Let me get you something to eat and then you two can get some rest.”
I don’t know where the compassion and understanding was coming from, but I wouldn’t ever do or say anything to upset her or Jacob. Something about the selfless woman who worked her fingers to the bone to support her brothers called to me and I made a silent vow to watch over them, protecting them.
No Man Left Behind: A Veteran Inspired Charity Anthology Page 10
