Cas unlocks his old room and swings the door open, once I’m through I don’t hesitate and drop her on the bed. Sally pushes me out of the way and begins faffing around her, moving the sheets over her.
Kyla’s eyes struggle to open and she writhes around until she gets comfortable. She is so out of it that she doesn’t even know where she is.
The longer I watch her, the more infuriated I become.
“I can stay with her if you need to sort anything out,” Sally offers.
“It’s fine.”
I turn when Sparky comes in and I take the bag from him. Unzipping it, I dump the whole contents on the floor and search through everything.
“That isn’t necessary, Thomas. I packed it myself.”
“Yeah, is that why she jacked up on the way here?” I mutter, sarcastically.
She does well and keeps quiet. I find nothing in her belongings so I move on to pat her down.
In her jeans pocket, I produce three wraps. Sally pales and tears form in her eyes. Walking to the toilet in the small bathroom, I flush them all.
Sparky joins me and passes me the tiny bag she had with the needles and shit. I flush the other stash and throw the needles on the floor, bringing my heavy boot on top of them, smashing them all into smithereens.
“What now?” Sally asks, when I walk back into the room.
“Now she’ll stay in this room until the shit is out of her system and when I feel she’s good, I’ll let her out.”
She slams her lips together hard and closes her eyes.
“This is why you brought her here, Sal. You knew I wouldn’t be able to take this lightly. This is the only way I know.”
“I know. Please, please bring her back to us,” she sobs, unable to hide her upset any longer.
“I promise, I’ll do everything I can or die trying.”
A throat clearing behind us gets my attention and I turn around.
“We’ll leave you to it, we need to talk but that can wait till the morning. I’ll send a prospect up for you to use.” Cas offers.
I nod once and he closes the door after them, leaving me with my family, as fucked as it is.
“Come on, let’s go to my room. She’s too far gone to be any use right now, no doubt we’ll hear her when she’s awake.”
I don’t give her the choice to stay. She brought her here for my help and she’s got it and the help begins now. I reach down for her hand and guide her out of the room. I should let her say goodbye but I don’t. Kyla needs a big kick to the ass and she’s going to get one. No more pampering from her mother.
I keep my mouth closed till we are behind my door and completely on our own.
“You should have told me what was going on, Sal. I would have dropped everything and helped her sooner.”
“I know you would have, but I was scared. I thought she’s a good girl and it wouldn’t be so hard to get her clean but the deeper she got in it, the harder it was.”
She sits on my bed and slips out of her shoes, wriggling her toes, no doubt finding relief from the long drive.
“Make yourself comfortable and start from the beginning,” I say, joining her.
“It started not long after she graduated. I didn’t see it at first, she hid it well from me, but I found a used needle in the trash and when I confronted her, she said it was a one off. She tried it and didn’t like it so I left it alone.”
I can’t believe I’m hearing this, she actually had a needle in her home and took her word for it that it wouldn’t happen again?
“Don’t look at me like that,” she snaps, tiredly, “You never would’ve thought she was capable of turning out like this either.”
That is true but I would’ve watched her like a damn hawk if I had found the needle.
“Carry on.”
“She would stay out for days, sending me messages she was staying with a friend and each time she would stay away, it got longer and longer. I don’t know what it was, but something didn’t start to feel right so I went to her friends and asked to see her. Her friend looked at me like I was stupid and I found out she hadn’t seen her for months. She was hanging around with these awful people when I tracked her down. I nearly didn’t recognise her. I dragged her out of there and took her straight to rehab, luckily I was able to find one that would take her in. Apparently, it can take ages to be placed.”
“What happened next?”
“Humph, she stayed for two days before sneaking out and everything got worse. The second time she went was after I threatened to tell you about it. She did three days that time before sneaking out again. Every day that passes she gets worse and I don’t have the energy to help her anymore. It’s a constant fight and I’m not strong enough to help her beat it. I need you to save her,” she cries.
It crosses my mind that I’ve never seen Sally cry before tonight and I don’t like that she is now. I wrap my arm around her and lay her back on the bed, stroking her hair how I know she likes.
“I’ll do everything I can, I promise you Sal. Everything.”
CHAPTER TWO
Kyla
My stomach rolling in waves is what wakes me and the sun burning my fragile eyes makes sure sleep is over. Nausea hits me and I throw myself over the edge of the bed and vomit over the floor. I heave until there is nothing else to come up. The sweats are already starting and the ache that always lives in my head is pulsing heavily. Flittering my eyes fully open, I push myself up and look at my surroundings.
Not again, I moan silently.
Where am I?
The last time I woke up in a strange place, it took me over three hours to get home. I note I still have all my clothes on and roll off the bed. My landing is cushioned and when I look down, I can vaguely make out I landed on a pile of clothes. My clothes. What the hell? Why are my clothes here?
Pushing to my feet, I see a bag which last time I saw it was tucked under my bed at home. I don’t remember packing last night. I search my brain for the last coherent memory I have and no, the last memory I have is with my mom. She was crying like she does all the time now and I craved to get away from her.
Shuffling towards the door I try the handle and find it locked. I’m locked in. Rubbing my forehead does nothing to relieve the pain and I begin to lose my patience.
I bang my fists on the wooden door and shout.
“Open this door.”
I go quiet and listen out for any movement on the other side.
I bang again and still nothing.
“Let me out, you fucking jackasses,” I scream, hoping to be heard.
“Can’t do that, keep it down, people are still sleeping.” Comes through the door.
I jump back at the deep voice and stumble back onto the bed.
Someone is there. Standing right outside this door and keeping me locked in on purpose.
Hell no, this is not happening. I fly towards the door and bang my fists repeatedly.
“Let me out now,” I scream.
Like I care if anyone is sleeping. No one has the right to lock me in against my will.
“Open the fucking door, now,” I scream again, so loud it rattles between my ears.
The deep voice I heard a minute ago doesn’t come again, only silence. I scream into the door and start kicking it as well as thumping against it. Still nothing.
Continuing my outburst, I scream to be let out until my lungs burn and even then, I carry on. This can’t be happening to me.
During my rant, I hear the lock clicking open and I scramble across to the other side of the room, waiting to see who has done this.
The door opens slowly and I brace myself. Looking around, I can’t see anything that could be useful to defend myself with. Then again, I don’t think I’ll need anything. My heart stops altogether when I see who walks through the door.
“Dad?” I ask, unsure.
He looks like my dad but he looks completely different to how he usually does.
He’s always been well dressed when
he comes to visit. Right now, he is standing in jeans and leather and the glare he is throwing me causes me to shrink away.
He doesn’t say anything, he continues to stare at me, disgustedly.
I’m silently begging him to say something, not that he’s a man of many words but he normally says hello when he sees me.
Shoving my hands into my sleeves, I feel self-conscious under his scrutiny.
“What am I doing here?” I finally ask, finding my voice.
He steps further into the room and his presence manages to suffocate me.
“You don’t get to ask the questions here, Kyla. But to answer you this time, this is your new home now and until I can look at you without wanting to rip your fuckin’ face off, you won’t be leaving this room. At all.”
This isn’t my father. My father would never talk to me like this. This man is cold and I can feel the violence radiating off of him.
He knows what I’ve been doing, is all I can think.
“Mom did this didn’t she?” I say, wiping the tears that are beginning to fall.
“I said no questions,” he warns.
A comeback is on the tip of my tongue but I daren’t say it. He might as well be a stranger to me.
“I can’t bear to fuckin’ look at you,” he spits, turning his back on me.
“You’ll be staying in this room until all that shit is out of your system. Don’t bang on the door. Don’t yell or scream. Don’t think I can be swayed to let you out. No one here will help you in the way you want right now. Understand?”
I nod my head but he can’t see it with his back turned so I clear my throat.
“Yes.”
Silence hangs in the air like thick smoke and I want to choke on it. Take me away now.
“Your mom has filled me in on everything so I don’t need to hear your bullshit…”
“Dad,” I interrupt, I know who I am is disgusting but the pain of hearing it in his voice cripples me.
He spins on his heels and storms towards me, I back into the wall and feel fear I have never felt before.
“A junkie cunt doesn’t get to call me dad, no daughter of mine is gonna live like this. Until I see my daughter again, don’t call me dad. My name to you is Pope,” he yells in my face.
The venom pouring from his mouth cuts into me and I wish the wall would open up and swallow me.
His fist swings up and for a brief second I think he is going to hit me, his fist bypasses my head and lands close beside me and punches a hole in the wall.
“I don’t know who the fuck you’ve become but it ends now,” he growls, he pushes away from me and heads for the door.
He can’t leave me here, I don’t even know where I am.
“I’ll be back soon with your breakfast.”
He is out of the door and has it locked before I reach it. Squeezing my eyes shut, I hope to find this all a bad trip when I open them, but when I do I am still in this shitty room.
This has to be a trip, my father isn’t a fucking biker. He is an accountant who travels to audit big companies or so I was told anyway.
Scrounging in the pile of my things on the floor I look for my kit. When I don’t find it, I pat down my pocket thinking I still have the wraps I brought yesterday. When I don’t feel anything, I dig around and come up empty. The fucking prick has took everything. Screaming at the empty room does nothing but hurt my already raw throat.
Another round of nausea hits me and I run for the bathroom I spot off to the side of the room. Coming down is always the worst and the only way I can feel good again is to get another hit.
It registers pretty fucking quickly I’m not going to feel good ever again. Sweat pours off me as I slump against the wall by the toilet and I close my eyes.
Banging the back of my head on the wall I try to knock myself out. I know what’s to come and it scares me something spectacular. Maybe if he sees how much pain I am going to be in, he will give me just a little hit.
Ricky
The amount of alcohol I poured down my neck last night should have killed me. Surprisingly I’ve woken feeling fresh and unbelievably ready for the day ahead. My first full day of freedom and I’m not going to waste it. Showered and dressed, I lift my booted foot and nudge the naked woman in my bed awake. I think her name is Jessica. I don’t remember much after I arrived home last night but I remember this blonde bombshell and I like what I remember. Doesn’t mean I want her in my bed while I’m not around.
“Come on, you got to get up now sleeping beauty,” I say, coaxing her from her sleep.
“What’s the time?” she groans, trying to pull the sheet over her head.
“Time for you to go,” I reply, yanking the sheet completely off her.
“Don’t be a jerk, Ricky,” she snaps, looking around for her dress to cover herself with. I help her out and throw it to her from the floor and within thirty seconds she is dressed and I am pushing her out of the door.
Locking up behind me, I see a prospect guarding a door up the hall. Then I hear what’s on the other side. It sounds like a rabid dog in a female body trying to break through the door. I jog down the stairs and find mostly everyone sitting around the bar.
“Look who’s finally surfaced,” Sparky calls over laughing, “Enjoy your homecoming?”
“Sure did, fucker,” I grin, “What’s going on upstairs, can’t you hear some chick kicking off?” I ask.
“We’re meeting in the back room in ten to fill everyone in, a word from the wise…” Sparky says, before I cut him off.
“Don’t you mean a word to the wise?” I chuckle.
“Why would I mean that? I’m wise, you ain’t. Shut the fuck up. It’s gonna be a little tetchy around here, watch what you say around Pope. He isn’t in a good mood.”
“I’ve never seen him in a good mood, makes no odds to me,” I shrug.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Pope storms down the stairs and heads straight for the back room.
“Come on, let’s get in there.”
I follow Sparky and Pope is already sat in his usual place holding a photograph.
Cas is sat at the head of the table watching him closely.
Slade, Oak and the others follow in after us and once the door is closed, Cas begins.
“You might have heard we have a visitor staying with us, she’s going to be here for a while but I’ll pass it over to Pope to explain.”
Every pair of eyes turn to Pope and he fidgets in his chair uncomfortably. He slides the photograph he was holding when I came in into the middle of the table. Slade reaches for it first, takes a quick look and passes it round.
The photo reaches me and I blink twice. The only word I can think of is the girl staring back at me is stunning. Dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail, framing a heart shaped, tanned face smiling showcasing brilliant white teeth. She’s wearing a graduation gown and I can tell it’s hiding a banging body.
She is beautiful. Beauty I haven’t seen in a fucking long time.
I pass it on and look to Pope wanting to know more about the girl in the photo.
“Twenty-five years ago, I went along with Michael on a job. I didn’t ask what we were gonna do. I just got on with it. He wasn’t happy about the way things were being run back then and took it upon himself to sort shit out.”
Grunts from Oak and Cas vibrate around the table and Pope carries on.
“We parked up at a bar the Raging Riders used to drink at and waited them out. After so long, one came stumbling out. Michael didn’t think about it or hesitate. He crossed the road, stood in front of the Raging fucker and shot him between the eyes. Only the guy wasn’t alone, he was with a woman.”
“I remember this, you brought her back here. Mark was furious with Michael,” Oak says.
Pope nods and waits for silence.
“After I chased her down we came back here and Michael gave her two options. She could either stay around town but she would be watched in case she decided to talk or he wo
uld help her set up somewhere far from here. She choose to move on but on the condition I was to go with her until she felt safe again. The guy Michael shot was her boyfriend, well, she went there that night to break up with him after she found out who he really was. He wasn’t letting her go so she didn’t mind leaving or the fact he was dead. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I don’t talk much,” he grunts, and causes us to laugh.
“It’s not because I’m shy or any shit like that, I just don’t think silence has to be filled for the sake of it. But spending time with Sally was different, she understood me and she understood my quirks. We stayed in touch and I would go see her when I wasn’t on club business. She got pregnant pretty quickly and I agreed to allow her to keep the baby away from the club. She wanted no part in our world and I valued her that. I wasn’t exactly comfortable being a dad in the beginning, still not really, but she understood me and we agreed she would bring the baby up and I would visit as often as I could. I didn’t tell any of you because I didn’t see any point, and it kept her safe all these years. You all know the kind of violence I am capable of, I couldn’t trust myself to be the dad I had to be.”
He stops and clenches his hands into fists until his knuckles turn white.
“The girl in the photograph is my daughter, Kyla. It was taken when she graduated college two years ago with honours in Business Management. She is the brightest, smartest girl but she has lost her way.”
No fucking way. There is no way my brother had a hand in producing a stunner like Kyla.
He reaches across the table and picks the photo up and stares at it.
“Last night, Sally drove her down here as a last resort,” he pauses again and looks like he is struggling to carry on.
Cas speaks up for him.
“Kyla is currently addicted to…”
Pope barks out a sharp laugh and speaks for himself.
“My daughter is a fucking crackhead and she’s staying here until she isn’t. I don’t like the position I’m in right now and I would appreciate it if you could give me some leeway for a few days while she goes through the first stages of a recovery she doesn’t want yet. She is to stay in Cas’s old room until I decide otherwise. No one is to go in there and no one is to let her out, no matter what she says through the door."
Biker Saviour: The Lost Souls MC Series Page 2
