“There will never be enough time for me with you in this life.” With that I melt under his touch and decide I’ll give this man what he wants. How can I deny him after something so damn sweet?
His cell phone buzzes from the nightstand. “Lily,” he mutters as he stares at the screen. “It’s late.” He pauses. “Right. I can do that.” He makes a face and slaps a palm to the back of his neck. I watch curiously as he makes another call. “Gamble. Yeah, it’s Murder. Listen, two of my guys are coming up North. Perfect, baby doll. Yeah. Talk soon.”
“Is Lily okay?”
“She will be. I think she found someone she’s been looking for.”
“Who’s that?”
“My niece.”
“I didn’t know Lily had any kids.”
“Lily was married. Malcom couldn’t handle the rape. It changed him. Changed their marriage. He became a miserable drunk. Every time he looked at her all he saw was the face of her rapist even though I killed that piece of shit. Lily wouldn’t give up on him or their marriage. She loved him. Thought a baby would fix him. Make him remember the man he once was. Only when she told him he blew his brains out. She gave the kid up for adoption. Girl named Hazel, about twenty-six years old.”
“And you always knew about her?”
“Lily didn’t talk about it for years. Only started looking a few years ago. It was a closed adoption.”
“Poor Lily.”
“Yeah. It’s been rough for her. Said she felt like a piece of her was missing. So when Ruthie pressed me for a kid that shit hit close. Made me think of Lily and all the hurt she carried. If I could give Ruthie what Malcom couldn’t do for Lily...I thought maybe it’d fix her, but it didn’t work out that way. Every time around the third or fifth month she’d lose them.”
“I can understand that. I know that was hard for you and poor Lily. I almost gave Wylla Mae up, and I can’t imagine my life without her.” James squeezes my hand. I can’t fathom what him or Ruthie even as much as I hate her went through with loss after loss. So many miscarriages. I need to change the subject. This conversation has taken such a depressing turn I want to cry. “So who’s Gamble?”
“Female Prez of the Baltimore chapter of the club.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Don’t worry, babe. It ain’t like that. See her like a daughter.”
“I’m not worried. I know I got you wrapped around my finger.” I smirk and give him a kiss that leads to a blow job to remind him anyway.
Chapter Thirty-four
Alexa is visiting with Wylla Mae and the baby. I needed East here for church. Grudge has gone off the radar. I don’t trust it. Don’t trust him. Shit doesn’t add up. Him losing Ruthie. He’s tailed her for years under my order. Got the prospect, Rio collecting phones at the door. I sit at the head of the table watching each brother file in and take their seat. East to my right. Viking to my left. The chairs fill up. Sandman, Banks, Crawl, Slick, Holy, Roane, Hound, and Link. No Grudge.
Rio gives me a nod and closes the door. He knows the drill. That door doesn’t open till church is over. No interruptions. No women. I slam my gavel on the table with our club insignia carved in the center. “Meeting is called into order. First off I want to congratulate our VP on the birth of his beautiful baby girl.”
A few whistles and cheers sound. Sandman pounds his fists on the table.
“Up first is old business but Grudge isn’t here to report. If you didn’t notice he’s been absent a lot lately. As most of you are aware, I sent Ruthie packing after the fiasco with Lynn and those cunts plotting to kill Alexa and Wylla Mae. Grudge was supposed to escort her to the ends of the Earth. Said he lost her, but I don’t trust it. Truth be told there’s always been some bad blood between us due to my sister, Lily, slighted him when she turned him down after her husband died. But still I trusted he’d be loyal to this club. I’m not sure that’s no longer the case.”
Some murmurs resonate around the table but Holy is the first to speak up. “He came to me once for counsel. Had something weighing on his heart. Affection for another man’s wife. At the time I thought he had the hots for Pam. Looking back I think I had it wrong or he led me to believe what he wanted me to assume.”
“Wouldn’t have been Lily, that’s been too many damn years ago.”
“Could been he meant Ruthie. She was still your Old Lady at the time.”
“What do you want to do?” East questions.
“Let’s see if he turns up but Sandman and Hound want you two on the brother. Wanna know every move that bastard makes.” Both men share a look then give me a nod. “New business. Viking, want you and Holy to head up north soon as we’re done here. Got a call from my sister. Swing by her center. You know the place. She’ll give you the details. Ride will take you to Baltimore. Gamble has extended an invitation to you two since you’ll be in her territory. Banks, how’s our accounts looking?”
“Everything’s up to date. Bills, dues, the girls at the club are bringing in some serious cake. It all looks good, Prez.”
“Anyone have anything to add? Any grievances?” I wait a beat.
Roane holds up a hand. “Just need to know what kind of tattoos you and the Old Lady are gonna be wanting, so I can get a head start on the designs.”
“I’ll let you know.”
“Am I officiating?” Holy asks.
“Yeah, man, so don’t you two be dicking around when you get to Baltimore.”
“Real happy for ya, Prez,” Crawl says with a chin lift. He’s lucky I don’t put his ass in the dirt. He dated Alexa a few years back. I’m not too damn fond of the shit I heard about how he treated her or any other woman for that matter.
“Anyone else?” I’m itching to get out of here before I lay into Crawl. No one has anything to add. “Meeting’s done.” All the brothers file out except for East. I wait for the room to clear. “What’s on your mind, VP?”
“This Grudge situation. Man never has been a fan of Alexa, but you think he’s working with Ruthie?”
“Can’t say for certain. I just have a bad suspicion. That prospect, Rio. Dude said he overheard him on the phone talking about shit being all good, and he’d see them soon. What’s that sound like to you?”
“He coulda been talking to that granddaughter of his. What’s her name, Katie?”
“Fuck. Maybe I’m seeing what I want to, but still doesn’t sit right with me. Ruthie wasn’t any more faithful in our marriage than I was, but Grudge is the man I had on her.”
“Think he was feeding you bullshit and reporting back to her on you and the club?”
“Someone was giving her something, man. I don’t know why I never saw it before now. There’s something I’ve not shared with anyone except Alexa and Wylla Mae knows bits and pieces. Ruthie was blackmailing me.” I tell him about the shit Ruthie put me through and when I’m finished East stares at his shoes.
“Damn. I think Hound and Sandman had better find Grudge and bring the bastard in for questioning.”
“You got that right.” I follow him out to collect our phones.
The second East slides a finger across the screen he starts cursing and puts the phone to his ear. “What happened? Slow down, baby, I can’t make out what you’re saying. What do you mean Mila is gone? Where’s Alexa?”
I immediately dial my woman but get sent straight to voice mail. I stare at East who is glaring back at me. “What the fuck happened?”
East punches the wall next to my head. “We’re too fucking late. Grudge and Ruthie disarmed the alarm on the cabin. Took Alexa and the baby at gunpoint.”
Goosebumps fan up and down both my arms. “God damn I’m going to kill them.”
“Not if I get to them first,” East growls.
“Prospect,” I roar, and Rio comes running. “Get me Hound and Sandman now.” He shoots down the hall at my order. “You go to Wylla and get as much information as you can. I’m going tracking.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“Best place for you is taking care of my daughter.”
“They got my kid.”
“That kid is my granddaughter and they have Alexa. If I don’t get to her, they’ll kill her without a thought. Ruthie’s a fucking cunt but she won’t hurt a baby.”
“I shouldn’t have to choose between my wife and my daughter.”
“No man should.” Ruthie’s good at fucking forcing it. I’m going to kill the bitch. Hound and Sandman come charging back down the hall. “Sandman, you’re with East. He’ll fill you in. Hound, brother, let’s go hunting.” I grab East by the shoulder. “Don’t do anything stupid. I’ll bring them both home. Don’t worry. Just take care of my daughter and I’ll take care of yours.”
He gives me a nod. I hope he doesn’t go rogue, but I’ve got more important shit to think about it. Like all the ways I’m going to torture Ruthie and Grudge.
First, I’m going to tear off her fingernails with pliers then dip the raw bloody appendages in salt while Grudge listens to her scream. I want her to beg. Want her to suffer. Then I’ll cut out her lying tongue and traitorous heart. Fry them up and feed them to the piece of shit who betrayed me and this club. I’ll force him to swallow every last fucking bite. His death will be slow. Gonna bury him and Ruthie with their beloved Lion. The three of them can rot in hell together forever.
I climb on my Harley and roar out the lot with Hound, East, and Sandman. Grudge used to spend his downtime at his grandpa’s cabin. It’s the first place I’m checking. Should’ve brought a cage because of the baby but my bike is faster. The sooner I find them the quicker I get to put a stop to Ruthie for good. The world will be a better place without her in it. I’ve given her one too many chances. She’s made a fool of me for the last time.
Chapter Thirty-five
“I think I’m gonna lay down too.” Wylla Mae lets out a yawn as she places Mila in her crib.
“Get some sleep. I’m gonna finish those dishes up I spotted in the sink and put that roast I brought over in the crockpot for you and East to enjoy later. I know the last thing either of you want to do is cook.”
“Thanks, Mom.” She shuffles clumsily toward her bed and falls face down.
“You rest. If the baby wakes up, I’ll get her. I’ll take the monitor downstairs.”
Whatever she replies comes out muffled as she turns to her side and snuggles in the blankets. I switch off the light and pad down the stairs quietly. It’s hard to believe my baby has a baby of her own. She’s married and has her own life. I’m just grateful I get to be a part of it all. We had some rough months, but we’re in a good place now. Everything is finally as it should be. I have James and Wylla Mae has her Easton Reed and Mila Rochelle.
I start in the living room picking up odds and ends that have been left out. Stuff for the baby mostly. I pack it away in one of Wylla Mae’s many diaper bags. She has the one in my hand, one upstairs, one in East’s truck, another in her jeep, and finally there is one in my car. Mila will never be without no matter who she is with. No one will ever be loved more than this child. She’s the shining star we all need. Our hope for better days.
Setting the baby monitor on the kitchen counter, I switch it on, and give the screen a quick glance. Mila wears a sleep grin on her cute little face. I pull the crockpot from one of the cabinets and grab the roast and veggies from the fridge. With the terrible schedule they’ve been on since they came home from the hospital the last thing a couple with a new baby needs to worry about is what’s for dinner. I planned ahead and pre-cut the veggies. I wanted to make it as easy as possible for Wylla Mae but she’s exhausted. I know I wasn’t always the best mom. I’m hoping to make up for it now. By being here and doing the little things I wish someone had done for me when I was a young mother trying to juggle it all. This isn’t the path I would have chosen for her. East isn’t exactly the man I had pictured for a son-in-law considering our past. Somehow though he turned out to be the perfect man for my daughter, and in the end that’s all a mother can hope for.
The lights flicker off and on a few times. I don’t think there’s much wind or that we are expecting bad weather. I shrug it off and start the dishwater. Suddenly the front door blows open and Grudge struts in with Ruthie hot on his heels. “Don’t fucking move,” he snaps, pointing a shotgun at me.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“We’re here for the baby and you.” His top lip curls and he shoots me a wink. I don’t know if it’s meant to make me feel better or if he’s just a disgusting old pig. I’m thinking a filthy old fart. I never have liked the way he looks at me with his knowing beady little eyes and narrow nose. The man was never a looker, but he hasn’t aged well at all.
“You don’t want to do this. You know Murder will kill you.”
“Or maybe I’ll kill him and take my rightful place at the head of the club. That Prez patch shoulda been mine.” He jabs a finger in his chest.
“Don’t be stupid, Alexa. We both always wanted the same thing. To be the Prez’s Old Lady. You may have finally gotten your hooks into James, but I got the better man,” Ruthie says coming further into the house. I shudder at the thought of her and Grudge sleeping together.
“Are you stupid? James never loved you. He pitied you. Felt sorry for you. The only reason we weren’t together was because of you.”
“Don’t piss me off, pretty girl,” she mocks the way James talks to me. “James owes me a baby, and I’m here to collect.” She picks up the diaper bag on the coffee able and slides the strap up her arm.
“Wylla Mae and Mila have nothing to do with this. You aren’t taking my granddaughter.”
“And what are you going to do to stop me? You make one move and Grudge will blow your head off.” The prick pumps his shotgun to prove her point.
I need to stall them. If I can put them off long enough Wylla will hear and call for help or East and James will show up. Church can’t last that long can it? “I get it, Ruthie. James fucked you over. Cheated on you. Made you look and feel stupid. He did it to me too. I was a little girl playing grownup games. He’s your enemy in this. Not me. Rochelle was a casualty of all our actions.”
“Don’t. You don’t talk about Rochelle. You don’t get to speak of her. I let you play the victim for years. You’re nothing but a dirty little whore who ruined my family. You destroyed my marriage...you took everything from me. Now it’s your turn to lose it all.”
“Mom, what’s going on?” Wylla Mae calls out, peeping down from the loft.
“Take care of her,” Ruthie barks and Grudge shifts his direction for the stairs.
“Wylla, run!” I cry and lunge for Grudge, jumping on his back. The shotgun fires into the ceiling and the baby cries.
“Get off him.” Ruthie jerks me backward by my hair, ripping a strip straight from the scalp as I land on top of her. For an old bitch she’s stronger than I expected. A syringe jabs into my neck then everything is lights out for me.
**
“Wake up,” a gruff voice booms in my ear as a slap whips across my cheek.
My eyes pop open and come into focus slowly on Grudge. “You’re an ugly fuck to wake up to.” I go to rub my stinging cheek, but my hands are bound tightly behind my back.
Grudge smiles, makes a hocking sound, letting his spit fly at my face, hitting me in the forehead. Bile lurches in the pit of my stomach. “You don’t look so damn hot yourself, sweetheart.”
“What did she promise you?”
“I don’t owe you an explanation, but I’ll entertain you what little time you got left.” He licks his lips and plugs a cigarette between them.
“Why turn your back on the club?”
“The club.” he laughs. “Bastards turned their back on me years ago. You wanna know who’s had my back? It’s been Ruthie. We look after one another. Have for years. She was there when Bernadette died. Checked in on me. Was my shoulder to cry on. Lion was my best friend, and I promised him I’d look after his girl and his club. Murder had his ch
ance to do right by her and he didn’t. Tossed her out on her ass after all the years she wasted trying to be a good Old Lady.”
“You and I both know that’s bullshit.”
“All Ruthie wanted was a kid to replace the one you ripped away from her. Now she’s got it.”
“Is Wylla Mae okay?”
“Knocked her out but she should be fine. Ruthie would never hurt Rochelle’s sister.”
“You think ripping her child from her at gunpoint isn’t hurting her?”
“She’s young and can have more kids. Ruthie can’t. If you’d had another kid, we would have put our plan into action sooner. You can thank Murder for this. She did all of it because of him. Her main purpose was to keep you apart. Now that she can no longer do that, we’re on to plan B. Ruthie woulda settled for Lynn’s baby, but he gave Connor to Pam and Link. Ruthie couldn’t do that to her friend so here we are.”
They’ve been planning this for years.
“Isn’t she beautiful, Hank?” Ruthie rocks Mila in her arms as she paces the length of the living room of the cabin they brought us to. If I get my hands on this crazy bitch, I’m going to strangle the life out of her.
“Sure is, darlin’.” He blows a ring of smoke in my face.
“Don’t worry, Alexa. I’ll make sure my little Ro here grows up loved,” Ruthie says and kisses the top of her head.
“Her name is Mila.”
“That’s what I said.” She continues to rock my granddaughter, and I share a look with Grudge.
“She’s off her damn rocker,” I mumble.
“Shut up,” Grudge barks.
“What’s the plan here? Why take me and not just the baby?”
“All in good time,” Grudge says then looks back to Ruthie.
“Go ahead. Make the call. I’m ready to finish this and leave this hell hole.”
“You’re the bait to get James here.” He flicks the tip of my nose and pulls his cell phone out. “Got something that belongs to you. Yeah. You know the place. Come alone. No fire.”
Tempting The Biker (Royal Bastards MC: Charleston, WV Book 3) Page 21
