by L. Wilder
When Corry looked across the street and saw my Harley, his mouth dropped open. “You’re taking me on your bike?”
“Yeah. That cool with you?”
“Heck yeah.”
When he darted across the street, I shook my head and muttered, “Damn. Your mother is gonna have my ass and yours over this.”
I walked over to him and grabbed a spare helmet from my saddlebag. Once he had it on, I got him settled behind me and gave him the rundown on how to hold on. I was about to start the engine when my burner started to ring. I grabbed it out of my pocket and answered, “You got Widow.”
“Hey, man. We found him.”
I would’ve thought it was good news, but something about the tone in Lynch’s voice told me it was anything but good. “He alright?”
“They fucked him up good, brother.”
“Who?”
“Got no idea.” My blood ran cold as I listened to him say, “We found him behind one of the dumpsters at Stilettos. It’s bad, brother. Really bad, but I’m hoping we got to him in time.”
“Where is he now?”
“At the clubhouse with Doc. He’s doing what he can to work on him.”
“I’m on my way.”
I was in such a panic, I’d all but forgotten I had Corry with me. I didn’t even tell him where we were going as I raced towards the clubhouse. The kid just hung on for dear life, never saying a fucking word, and he remained silent as we pulled through the gate and parked at the back door. I wasted no time getting off my bike and starting inside. I’d just reached for the door when I heard Corry ask, “Should I just hang out here?”
“Damn.” I turned around and found Corry standing by my bike. The poor kid looked completely freaked out, and I couldn’t blame him. Seeing the size of the clubhouse, the enormous fence surrounding us, and the gate with the prospects standing guard was a lot to take in—especially for a sheltered kid like him. I motioned him to come forward as I said, “No. Come on. You can hang out in the family room.”
“Cool.”
Looking like he’d just won the lottery, Corry came rushing over and followed me inside. I led him down to the family room and took a quick second to point out the remote. “Hang here. Watch TV or whatever but stay put. Do not move from this room.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I mean it, Corry. No fucking around.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll stay right here.”
I nodded, then raced down the hall to the infirmary. When I walked in, the whole fucking crew was standing in the corner, watching as Doc worked his magic on Country. Even from across the room, I could see that Country was pretty fucked up. His eyes were almost swollen shut, his lip was busted, swollen and bleeding, and his face was covered in bruises. And that was just his fucking face. His entire body was covered in contusions and blood, and there were two gaping wounds on his side where he’d been fucking stabbed. It wasn’t a state I’d ever want to find my brother in. In fact, it pissed me the fuck off. I leaned towards Menace as I asked, “How’s he doing?”
“Hard to tell.” Menace never took his eyes off Country as he continued, “Look at him...He’s barely moved since we brought him in.”
“Still no idea who did this shit?”
“No clue. I tried checking the security feed. Only saw a few guys hanging out in the front lot, but they were wearing hoods, and I couldn’t make out their faces. Not that it mattered. I’m not even sure they’re the ones who did this shit.”
“So, how we gonna find out?”
“Gonna have to wait on Country. Hoping he’ll be able to tell us something.” Menace turned to me as he said, “Doesn’t matter. One way or another, I’m gonna find who did this, and when I do, we’re gonna make them pay for what they did to Country.”
“Damn straight we are.”
I looked over to Rafe, and it was clear from his expression, he was struggling to see Country in such a state. We all were. Country was always the life of the party. Hell, you never knew what was going to come out of his mouth, and it hurt to see him fighting for his life. We all watched as Viper went up behind Doc and asked, “Whatcha think?”
“They got him good. I’ll give them that.” Doc continued to tend to the largest of the two wounds. “They nicked his liver, but not enough to cause him any major trouble. Looks like one of ‘em might’ve been using a set of brass knuckles. He’s got a few pretty bad contusions, a concussion, and several bruised ribs.”
“Well, damn. They did a real number on him.”
“Sure did. I figure they’re trying to make a point with all this. Either a threat or a retaliation.” Doc shook his head. “Either way, I’ll get him patched up and back on his feet.”
Viper stepped closer, and anguish marked his face as he looked down at Country. Viper wasn’t one to let his emotions get the best of him. He was hard, tough as nails, and never let anyone or anything get him down. So it was tough to see him look so distraught as he leaned down and whispered, “I need you to hang in there, brother. Stay strong. We’ll get the motherfuckers who did this shit. I promise ya that.”
Country didn’t respond. Instead, he just lay there, passed out cold, and it was all I could do to keep myself from going over there to shake him and yell. I wanted to do something to bring him around, but Country was young, strong, and determined. He would come around eventually, but for now, I and everyone in that room would just have to wait. Viper looked to Doc as he said, “I want to know the second he wakes up.”
“You got it, Prez.”
Viper nodded, then started towards the door. Before walking out, he turned to us and said, “Time to clear out and give Doc some space.”
We followed him out into the hall and listened intently as he said, “I wanna know who did this, and I wanna know now.”
“It’d help if Country could tell us something,” Menace replied.
“That’s not happening any time soon, so you’re gonna be on your own with this one.”
“I’ll start going through the security feed at the club. Maybe I can come up with something there.”
“Check through street cams, too. We need to know if that fucking van has any connection to all this.”
“I’m on it.”
Hawk stepped forward as he said, “I’ll come help you out.”
“Thanks, brother.”
“Let me know if you find anything.” Viper turned to the rest of us as he announced, “Stay close. I’ll let you boys know as soon as I hear anything.”
“You got it,” Shotgun answered.
When the brothers started to disperse, I went back to the family room to find Corry. When I walked in, he was standing over by one of the pool tables rolling the balls into the corner pocket. He was so enthralled in his personal match he didn’t even notice when I walked up. “We need to call your mother.”
“Oh, man.” A look of disappointment washed over him as he asked, “Do we have to?”
“Afraid so. It’s getting late, and I’m sure she’s wondering where the hell you are.”
“Yeah, I should’ve already called her, but my phone died when I was at the park.”
“I’ll make the call.”
I took my phone out of my back pocket and dialed her number. As I stood there waiting for her to answer, Corry mumbled, “She’s gonna be sooo pissed.”
“Don’t I know it.”
Chapter 10
Frankie
Even when I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a mother. It was engrained in me. While other kids my age talked about being a lawyer or a cop, I was thinking of my future kids—their names, how I’d dress them and care for them, and how I’d love them with every ounce of my soul. For the most part, those dreams had come true. I loved being a mother. My boys were my life, and they always would be. But there were many aspects of being a mom that were tough—really tough. When I was young, I didn’t think about the sleepless nights, the endless to-do lists, and the constant worrying that was often overwhelming. Sometimes
it was downright crippling—just like it was tonight.
I had no idea what to think when Roman called and said he had Corry with him at his clubhouse. Even after he assured me several times Corry was okay, I was still absolutely frantic. I couldn’t imagine how Corry had ended up with Widow when he was supposed to be at Sean’s basketball practice. There were so many questions rushing through my mind, and it didn’t help matters that my son was at a strange place where I’d never been before. I had no idea if it was safe. I didn’t know any of the people there, just that they were Widow’s brothers, but that didn’t set my mind at ease at all. Instead, it worried me even more.
I could barely breathe as I put Sean in the car and raced to the address Widow had given me. I tried to be rational. I tried to remember Widow was a good guy. He’d been sweet to Corry. He’d taught him how to change a flat tire and listened to him talk about his father—which had seemed extremely endearing to me. It was those thoughts that had led me to sleep with the guy, but at that moment, I couldn’t seem to hold on to those thoughts. It was only the negative, fearful thoughts that were running through my head.
I was simply too freaked out to think. My child wasn’t within my reach. I had no control of the situation. I couldn’t protect him if something went wrong, and that was making me crazy. By the time I actually made it to the Ruthless Sinners’ clubhouse, I was a complete wreck, and apparently, I hadn’t done a great job concealing my anxiousness from Sean. I was looking down at my phone to make sure I had the right address when he said, “You don’t have to worry so much, Mom. Corry’s gonna be alright. He’s with Widow. He’ll take care of him.”
“It’s not Widow I’m worried about.” I glanced up at the large building with the tall security fence and barbed wire, and it was impossible not to be slightly horrified by the fact my son was locked away inside. “It will be fine once I get him out of there.”
As I inched up to the gate, Sean leaned forward to get a better look. “Holy crap. This place is awesome. They’ve even got guards.”
“What do you mean guards?”
The words had barely left my mouth when a young man came up to my car and tapped on the window. He had thick blonde hair and intense dark eyes, and he was wearing a black leather jacket just like the one Widow always wore. As soon as I rolled down my window, he asked, “Can I help ya, ma’am?”
“I’m here to see Widow.”
“He know you’re coming?”
“Yes. He just called me a few minutes ago. He has my son with him.”
He nodded. “Hold on a sec.”
The man stepped away from the car as he pulled out his phone. I was trying to eavesdrop when Sean said, “You think Widow will let us come inside?”
“You are not going in that place, Sean.”
“But Mom...”
“Don’t even start. You’re going to sit in this car until I get your brother.”
Sean started grumbling but quickly stopped when the man came back to my window and motioned his hand towards the door. “Pull on up. Widow will be right with ya.”
“Thank you.”
I eased forward and parked next to the building. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to stay in my car or go inside, but I was simply too impatient to wait. As I opened my door, I looked over to Sean and said, “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
“And lock the doors and keep them locked until I get back. Understood?”
His brows furrowed with concern. “You’re kinda freaking me out, Mom.”
“It’s going to be fine.” I gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “Just stay put until I get back. Okay?”
“Okay.”
After I got out of the car, I closed the door, then pointed to the car lock. When I heard the locks click, I turned and rushed for the door. I tapped on the door. When there was no answer, I knocked a little harder. I could hear the low rumble of music coming from inside, so I opened the door and stepped inside. As soon as the door closed behind me, I knew I’d made a grave mistake. There were several tattooed and oh, so scary looking men sitting at the bar, and they were all glaring at me much like a predator would look at its prey right before it snatched its head off.
“I’m...ah...looking for Widow.” Sounding more like a question than a statement, I muttered, “He told me to meet him here?”
“Well, that’s a first.” One of them looked me up and down, then asked, “You got a name?”
“Frankie...Frankie Sullivan.”
“Never seen you around here before.”
He crossed his arms and scowled like I was some kind of intruder. I was waiting for the man to say something more when Widow walked in with Corry. The man nodded his head over in my direction as he announced, “Your girl Frankie is here to see ya.”
Widow didn’t respond. Instead, he walked over to me and asked, “You find the place okay?”
“I found it just fine.” I looked over to Corry as I asked, “You want to tell me what is going on?”
“Nothing, Mom.” He nodded his head towards the men sitting at the counter. “Widow just gave me a ride.”
“A ride from where?”
His eyes dropped to the ground—a clear sign he knew he was going to be in trouble as he answered, “The park.”
“What were you doing at the park, Corry? You know you’re grounded.”
“Yeah. I know.” He turned and glanced over his shoulder, grimacing when he saw that the men were watching us. “Can we just go? I’ll explain everything when we get home.”
“We can go, but you might as well get ready. You and I are going to have a very long talk.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I looked over to Widow and shook my head. “I don’t even know what to think about all this.”
“Talk to him.” He showed not so much as a sliver of emotion as he continued, “If you have any questions about anything, you have my number.”
“Okay. Thanks.” I gave Corry a nudge. “You ready?”
“Yeah. Let’s get out of here.”
I glanced back at Widow one last time, then headed back out the door. As we walked towards the car, I was surprised to find someone standing next to the passenger side door. As I got closer, I saw it was the man who was standing guard at the gate, and he was talking to Sean. “I started off with a Honda dirt bike, and then I worked my way up to a Yamaha. Had that for a few years until I finally managed to get my hands on my Harley. She still needs a little work, but she’ll be badass when I’m done with her.”
“That’s awesome.” Sean didn’t seem to notice when Corry and I got in the car next to him. “I’m gonna try to talk Mom into getting me a dirt bike for my birthday.”
“Not a chance, bud.”
“Why not?” Sean fussed. “Danny got his when he was my age, weren’t ya, Danny?”
The man standing next to my car nodded as he answered, “Yeah. Pretty much, but I was a country kid. Had lots of room to ride and crash without having to worry about running over anyone, ya know?”
“Yeah. I get it.”
“Okay, you two. We’ve gotta get going.” I leaned forward so I could get a better view of Danny as I said, “Thanks for looking out for Sean while I was inside.”
“No problem. You folks be careful gettin’ home.”
“We will.”
I rolled up Sean’s window, then backed out of the parking lot. As soon as we drove through the gate, I glanced up at my rear-view mirror so I could see Corry’s face as I asked, “How in the world did you end up with Widow tonight?”
“He saw me at the park and stopped to say hi.”
“The park? What were you doing at the park? Your dad said you were at Sean’s basketball practice!”
“I was, but I left.”
“You just up and left? What the hell were you thinking? You’re still grounded!”
“I know, but I didn’t want to sit there and watch Sean’s stupid practice.” Trying to sound innocent, he explained, “So, I
went to the park to hang out with Evan and Jace.”
“Oh, that’s great, Corry. The two boys you just got in trouble with.”
“It wasn’t a big deal, Mom. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Uh, wrong,” I scolded. “For one, you were and still are grounded, and then you left without telling me. I had no idea where you were! I was worried sick!”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to scare ya.”
“Well, you did.” When we pulled up in our driveway, I parked, then immediately turned back to face Corry. “I just don’t understand why he didn’t just bring you on home. The park is just a block away from the house. Why did he take you to his clubhouse?”
“He was going to, but he got a phone call.” Corry’s eyes filled with worry as he said, “I’m pretty sure one of his brothers got hurt or something.”
“How do you know that?”
“I overheard some of the guys talking. It sounded like one of them got beat up pretty bad, and you should’ve heard them. They were all kinds of pissed about it.” Corry unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his door. As we all started inside, he leaned over to Sean and whispered, “Dude, you should’ve seen inside the clubhouse. It was fuu...freaking awesome.”
“I wanted to, but Mom wouldn’t let me.” Sean glanced back at me with malevolence. “I bet it was awesome.”
“It was!” Corry continued talking as we went inside the house. “It had everything. This big family room with TVs mounted on the wall. There were pool tables and dart boards, and a refrigerator full of drinks. It was like a big hotel or something. It had all these different bedrooms, and a big ol’ kitchen. It was so freaking cool!”
“Wait.” I whipped around as I asked, “Widow took the time to show you around the clubhouse?”
“Not exactly.” His face twisted into a grimace as he admitted, “He told me to wait for him in the family room, but I got curious and snuck out to look around a little.”
“So, once again, you didn’t do as you were told!”
“Oh, come on, Mom. It’s...”
“Do not tell me it isn’t a big deal like you always do, because it is a big freaking deal! You have no business snooping around that place! We don’t know anything about them.”
