When I got there, I wished I had let Aunt Leigh explain more about the circumstances instead of hanging up on her like I did. The situation with Duke and Reese and their son wasn’t anything like what I had assumed. Reese was quick to tell me my brother didn’t know anything about his son until six weeks ago. She was adamant that I talk to Duke about it instead of her, so that’s what I did. I also had words for Chase as well.
Reese arranged a babysitter for James, and Ember drove us to the clubhouse. She mentioned they would likely be having a party, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. As my anger faded, my nerves escalated. I was ready to back out and go back to Sugar Falls by the time we pulled into the lot.
We walked into the main room to find Duke on a sofa, a whore in his lap, and Chase seated beside him, a whore rubbing his arm as she stuck her little tits in his face. “There’s your brother,” Reese snapped and stormed off down one of the hallways.
Duke shoved the girl off his lap, causing her to land awkwardly in the floor. He looked between me and the hallway, unsure of what to do. I made that choice for him. “Want to tell me why you have a son you didn’t tell me about?” I yelled. Yes, yelled, in the middle of a biker clubhouse. I was pissed. And hurt.
“Harper, I…shit. Can we talk about this later? I need to go find Reese.”
“No, we can’t talk about it later! It is later as far as I’m concerned. Don’t worry; I’ll tell her I saw you push the whore off your lap.” My eyes shot to Chase, who appeared to be whore-free for the moment. “I’m sure it didn’t feel good to walk in and see a known whore crawling all over her man.” At least I had seen Chase swatting the skank’s hands away.
Duke sighed, and his shoulders dropped in defeat. “I’m not her man, but I’m trying to be,” he said quietly and reached to pull me into a hug. “I don’t know what to do, Harpie.”
“I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on.”
He led me to the corner of the bar and gestured for me to have a seat on one of the barstools. He looked so lost and scared. “Why didn’t you tell me about my nephew?”
“I didn’t find out about him until six weeks ago, but I didn’t call you right away because I knew you would want to come see him and it wasn’t safe. It still isn’t safe.”
“Why isn’t it safe?” I asked, trying to keep my composure.
“I can’t tell you the specifics, but I found out about James when Reese didn’t show up to pick him up from daycare. That was because someone intentionally rammed her car and pushed it off the side of a mountain with her inside. She’s also been receiving some threatening letters. Anyway, I was going to tell you about James as soon as we got to the bottom of everything.”
“Duke, if you’d explained the danger to me and asked me to wait until it was safe to visit, I would have waited,” I explained.
“I’m sorry, sis. I was just trying to keep you safe.”
“Am I in danger just being here?” I asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know. Things have been—”
Duke stopped short when a deep voice shouted, “Carbon! Come quick!”
Chase was on his feet and down the hall in a nanosecond. “Reese!” he bellowed, sounding frantic.
Duke was on the move, right on Chase’s heels, and I was close behind Duke.
“What the fuck did you do to her?” Chase yelled.
Ember, Dash, and Phoenix came down the hall and walked right into the room with everyone else while I waited outside the door. I didn’t want to be trapped in the small room with everyone screaming and yelling the way they were.
I was quietly tiptoeing away from the door, trying to work my way down the hall without being noticed when Phoenix’s voice boomed through the entire clubhouse. “ENOUGH! Everybody out of this room. Right the fuck now!”
And that was it for me. My back hit the wall, and I inched down it until I found a corner to curl into. My hands came up to cover my ears, and I started going through the multiplication tables in my head in a vain attempt to block out everything going on around me.
Familiar hands landed on my shoulders and pulled me against him, cocooning me in the safety of his muscular body. I inhaled deeply, his scent helping to calm me. Chase.
“You’re okay, baby,” he whispered against my ear. “No one here will ever hurt you. I promise. Just breathe.”
I knew no one at the clubhouse would hurt me, especially Phoenix, but all it took was a stressful situation, a man yelling, and the threat of violence to send me into a tailspin. I didn’t know how much, if any, Chase knew about my past, but it wasn’t something I wanted to discuss with him, though I probably needed to.
“Come on; I’ll take you to my room.”
He scooped me into his arms and carried me to his room at the clubhouse. As soon as the door closed, he placed me on my feet, and I started babbling. “I didn’t know we were coming here tonight. I mean, I did, but not until I got to the farm. I’m not stalking you or anything. I just found out about the baby, James, and wanted to see him. I was so pissed. I got in my car and drove straight to Croftridge without telling anyone. Me showing up here has nothing to do with you. I swear it.”
Chase was leaning against the door, smirking at me. “You done?”
“No!” I shouted, my anger returning. “Why didn’t you tell me about the baby?”
His smirk vanished, and he pinned me with his intense green eyes. “Probably the same reason you didn’t tell me your brother was married.”
“Why would I tell you my brother was married? As far as I knew, it had nothing to do with you. I didn’t know he was screwing your sister. You, however, knew your sister had a child with my brother! A child she kept from him. And that does have something to do with me.”
“I found out about the baby when Duke did.”
“So? You still didn’t tell me.”
“I’m not trying to be an asshole here, but it isn’t exactly like we did a lot of talking,” he said carefully.
“You’re right. We just fuck. Silly me. Well, now that we have that cleared up and you know I’m not here for you, I’ll be on my way,” I said and reached for the doorknob.
His hand landed on the door, and his big body caged me in. “Now, are you done?”
I nodded but didn’t turn to face him. “Good. Didn’t think you were here for me, but let’s get one thing straight right now. I’m damn glad you are here.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “Really?”
“Yeah, baby, really. Now get your ass on that bed so I can show you.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Harper
Chase and I had just finished redressing when someone started banging on the door. “Carbon! We gotta ride, brother. Now!”
“Stay in here until you hear the bikes pull out, then go to your brother’s room and wait there until we get back,” he said and took in my wide, panicked eyes. “At least two brothers will be here with you, Ember, and Reese. You’ll be okay. I gotta go, baby.” With that, he gave me a hard kiss and left me standing in his room with no clue as to what was happening.
When I heard the roar of the bikes fade into the distance, I peeked into the hallway to see if the coast was clear. The moment I stepped out of Chase’s room, I heard Phoenix call out my name seconds before rounding the corner with Ember trailing behind him.
“Hi,” I said dumbly. “Uh, I was trying to find Duke’s room.”
“I need you to come with us first, sweetheart,” he said, never breaking his stride. He looked tense while Ember looked scared, neither of which sat well with me. Ember took my hand and pulled me along with her as we followed her father on his mission.
He came to a stop when he found Reese putting a load of clothes in the washing machine. She turned around, and the look of utter devastation on her face had tears pricking the backs of my eyes. “What happened?” she croaked, then screamed, “Tell me!! Duke? Carbon? Who is it?”
I also wanted to know what was going on, but never in a million years would
I have expected the words that came out of Phoenix’s mouth. “It’s James.”
The screaming wail that erupted from Reese as she collapsed to the floor is a sound I hoped to never hear again, from anyone. My own chest ached as I took a staggering step back. Ember’s arms surrounded me and held me steady as Phoenix scooped Reese off the floor.
“It’ll be okay,” she whispered.
We followed Phoenix as he carried Reese first to Chase’s room, then to Duke’s. He placed her on my brother’s bed and began explaining the details of my nephew’s kidnapping.
Kidnapped.
My nephew had been kidnapped.
I walked as fast as my legs would go on my way home from school. Dad was sick, and I needed to get back to take care of him. He’d been ill since we lost Mom a few months ago.
I watched the lines and the cracks in the sidewalk pass as I made my way home. I wasn’t paying attention. I should have been paying attention.
The dark cloth that covered my head came out of nowhere. One second, I was watching my feet move along the sidewalk, and the next second everything was black as unforgiving hands lifted my body from the ground.
I cried out in pain when I landed on something hard. Someone wrapped something tight and sticky around my wrists and ankles. I tried to scream for help, but they quickly covered my mouth with something that felt like tape. What was happening to me?
Tears ran down my face as I tried desperately to plead for help or mercy through the substance holding my lips together.
“Do as I say and I won’t hurt you,” a man said.
I nodded my head. I didn’t want him to hurt me, so I would do whatever he said.
“Good girl. You’re going to a new home with a new family. And your name is now Vanessa.”
“Harper, please answer me,” Ember cried.
I blinked a few times, and the room came back into focus. I was sitting on the floor of my brother’s room hugging my knees with Ember crouched in front of me.
“James?” I asked.
She smiled and nodded. “They got him. He’s okay, and they’re on their way back.”
I nodded and exhaled a sigh of relief as more tears slid down my cheeks. Tilting my head toward the sky, I whispered, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
Ember cleared her throat. “Harper, what just—”
I cut her off. “I don’t want to talk about it. James is okay, and that’s all that matters right now.”
She nodded, rose to her feet, and extended her hand to help me up. “Let’s go out to the common room with Dad and Reese and wait for them to get back.”
After James’s kidnapping, Duke was insistent upon me staying in Croftridge for an extended visit. I called work and told them I needed to take time off due to a family emergency. Luckily, I had enough vacation time available and agreed to stay for two weeks. It wasn’t a hardship as far as I was concerned. I wanted to spend time with my brother and my new nephew. Spending time with Chase was an added bonus.
I didn’t know how to act around him when we were around other people. I didn’t particularly want anyone in the club to know about our relationship, or lack thereof, but I didn’t want to completely ignore him either. It’s not like I could. All the man had to do was enter the same room as me and my attention was solely on him, complete with wet panties and all.
During the first week of my stay, everyone was so wrapped up in the situation with Duke and Reese no one paid any attention to Chase and I. At least, I was pretty sure they didn’t. During the day, I spent time with James, and usually Reese as she was hesitant to leave his side after he was taken. Duke usually joined us for dinner before I went to my room at the farm and waited for Chase to text me. Then, just like a teenager, I would sneak out and spend the better part of the night fucking him in random locations around the farm property. I was exhausted most of the time, but it was so worth it.
The second week of my stay was much more eventful, starting when Reese asked me to help her sneak into the basement of the clubhouse to question the woman responsible for taking James. When my eyes landed on Melissa Massengill, anger like never before consumed me. This bitch had bullied me all through elementary school, had a ridiculous obsession with my brother, and, apparently, had just kidnapped his son.
I snapped. Unethical as it may have been, I used every bit of knowledge I had about human psychology against her and had her spewing her evil plans to us in minutes. The girl was certifiably insane. If I hadn’t known it before, I would have the moment she started chanting about Nemo coming.
I looked to Reese, wondering if she knew what Melissa meant, when another voice spoke, scaring the shit out of both of us. “I can’t take this anymore. Reverse it so she’ll shut up. That’s all you need to do!”
“Where in the fuck did that come from?” I whispered.
Reese asked who he was as we clung to each other and inched closer to the cell. When the man identified himself as Octavius Jones, Reese stumbled and fell to the floor, taking me down with her.
“We need to get out of here, Harper. Now!”
“Okay, okay. Let’s go,” I agreed and helped her to her feet.
Once she was up, we both ran to the stairs and all the way up only to be stopped by Chase, Duke, and Phoenix. And they looked pissed.
Reese pushed past them, telling them she would puke all over them if they didn’t move. I wasn’t sure if she was serious, but I followed her nonetheless. I would much rather deal with vomit than the three angry men staring at us.
They followed us to Duke’s room and immediately began questioning us the moment Reese stepped out of the bathroom. We told them everything that happened. Then, Reese and Chase declared that Nemo was Omen which resulted in Phoenix calling the guys into Church. All the while, I was wondering who in the hell Octavius and Omen were.
Later that night, I was in my room at the farm, when a knock at the door startled me. Opening the door, I found Chase standing on the other side, and he didn’t look happy.
“What the fuck, Harper? What were you thinking going down to the basement with Reese?”
“Well, hello to you, too. Please, come in.”
“Cut the shit. You could’ve been hurt, and you’re damn lucky Phoenix didn’t ban you from the club.”
“Would you have preferred I let your sister go down there alone? Because I’m here to tell you, she was going whether I went with her or not.”
He frowned and took a seat on the bed. “I appreciate you looking out for her, but I’d rather neither of you put yourselves in danger.”
“Understood.”
His head shot up. “Yeah?”
“Yes, I understand. I’m not making any promises, but, hopefully, something like this won’t be an issue again.”
“It better not be,” he said seriously.
After a few beats of silence, his eyes flickered over me from head to toe, and the look on his face changed to one I was very familiar with. “Come here.”
***
The next day, Duke picked me up first thing in the morning and drove me to the clubhouse. I expected him to use the time to give me a good lecture about what happened in the basement. To my surprise, that wasn’t what he wanted to talk to me about.
“Are you doing okay?” he asked, his voice full of concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Why are you asking?” It was the tone of his voice that let me know his question had a far deeper meaning.
He shifted in his seat and blew out a breath. “My son was kidnapped, and Melissa is here. This whole mess has to be bringing up bad memories for you. I’m a shit for not asking about it sooner.”
I placed my hand on his shoulder to reassure him. “Duke, it’s okay. You’ve been focused on your son, as you should be. I’m not going to lie and tell you it hasn’t affected me, because it has, but I can honestly tell you that I’m okay.”
“Would you tell me if you weren’t?”
“Yes, I would. I promise.”
“Good.�
� He was silent for a few moments before adding, “Shannon is coming to the clubhouse today. You can stay in my room if you don’t want to see her.”
“I never had a problem with Shannon. I mean, I didn’t really know her,” I explained.
“Okay, but if it gets to be too much for you, my room will be available for you.”
“Thanks, Dukie,” I said and snickered at my use of the nickname I knew he hated.
Shannon arrived with the president of another motorcycle club. Not long after the introductions were made, the men went into Church leaving us girls sitting awkwardly in the common room. Shannon sat off to the side quietly sipping her water while Reese left the room to change James’s diaper.
I was trying to come up with something to say to Shannon when we heard a loud commotion followed by Chase’s enraged voice shouting, “You mean your piece of shit offspring killed my family?” The doors to Church flew open, and my brother came out frantically searching for Reese.
While Shannon told him where Reese had gone, I got to my feet and walked into a room I had no business entering, but I could clearly see Chase on his knees struggling against Phoenix’s hold and knew he needed help.
Phoenix was yelling for me to stay back, but I kept going until I was directly in front of Chase. He stopped fighting and looked up at me with so much anger and pain in his green eyes. I cupped his cheeks in my hands and put my mouth to his ear. “You can’t do this right now, big guy,” I whispered. “Your family needs you to be strong and stay calm.”
His big body relaxed, and his head dropped to his chest. I so badly wanted to pull him into my arms and comfort him, but I couldn’t. Instead, I whispered, “You can use my body to work through it later.” Then, I patted his shoulder and let him know I would be right outside the door if he needed me. Without making eye contact with anyone else in the room, I turned on my heels and planted my ass in a chair right outside the room, just like I promised.
Carbon (Blackwings MC Book 4) Page 4
