Our Secrets

by Erin Osborne

  “Thank you. It was nice meeting you, Victoria. I’ll talk to you soon,” she offers with a smile.

  While some other people may see that as rude or a brush off, I don’t. It’s a challenge to get past her barriers and see who Becky really is. I’m going to make it my mission to befriend her. I wait outside for her to leave the parking lot of the clubhouse before heading inside. Raine is going to need help as these heathens are descending upon the kitchen in need of food.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Tags

  I’M LEAVING ON a run today. I’ll be gone for two days as long as there’s no problems with anything. If there is, we’ll be gone even longer than that. With everything going on with Vic, I hope we’re only gone for the bare minimum amount of time. Yeah, that’s not the way to go into a run, but I can’t help how I feel.

  It doesn’t help I have a gut feeling something bad is going to happen. I’m sure Scott is going to make a move on Victoria, and I won’t be here to protect her. Torch will be around. He has his own shit to do though. It’s not like she won’t have a babysitter as one of the Prospects will be following her around whenever she’s not at the clubhouse. Still, things happen, and I don’t trust anyone with her who’s not Torch, Pyro, or myself. We know what she’s been through and are the only ones she trusts right now. Especially after seeing Scott when she was out with the ol’ ladies.

  Walking back in my room after grabbing us breakfast, I wake Vic up with a soft kiss pressed against her lips. She stretches and yawns, my eyes immediately drawn to her bare tits. I ravished her body all night long and she did mine too. I’m not sure if it’s because of me leaving or not, but she couldn’t keep her hands to herself. At some points through the night, it seemed as if she were memorizing every detail about me.

  “Mornin’, darlin’,” I tell her, handing her a cup of coffee as she sits up.

  Yes, it’s decaf so she won’t have any caffeine with the baby. She abhors it, but knows she needs the decaf. So, I have taken to adding flavored creamers and shit to mask the horrible taste she has suffer through. Her words, not mine.

  “When are you leaving?” she questions me, setting her mug on the stand next to her.

  “In a few minutes. I want to make sure you’re good with openin’ and runnin’ the shop before I head out.”

  “I’m good. I’ll eat my breakfast and get ready so I can meet Trevor and Millie there. Is Kaitlyn going to be there today?” she questions me, accepting the plate I hand her of eggs, sausage, and toast.

  “She’ll be there. You can simply hang out if you want. Just be there to run the shop. If you have any problems call Wrath or Satan. Satan will be at the clubhouse so he may be the better option right now,” I fill her in on what plans in place. “Torch will be stoppin’ in to check on you too.”

  “We’ll be fine,” she states, a little upset feeling as if I don’t have any trust in her.

  “Baby, it’s not you I don’t trust. I’m worried about Scott and him makin’ a move while I’m gone. Pyro is gonna be with me so it will just be Torch who knows everythin’ goin’ on. Yeah, the guys know about the situation and to be on the lookout for him. They don’t know the rest. I’m also the only one who knows about the baby,” I state. “No one else will be in overprotective mode because of your pregnancy.”

  “I know. I’m just not ready. Well, I mean my brothers know about the baby, but that’s it. I can’t keep secrets from them. I refuse to after the whole drinking thing and hiding you like a dirty secret. That was never my intention,” she swears, looking me in the eyes so I know she’s not lying to me.

  “I know, baby. You were never my dirty secret either. I was goin’ to talk to them when you were ready. I will tell you now, you’re it for me. We’ll talk about shit more when I get back.”

  “Okay. Anything I need to worry about at the shop while you’re gone?” she asks, setting her plate in her lap so she can eat.

  “Check over my schedule and make sure all of my clients have been rescheduled please. I think I got them all, but I’m not sure. I gotta head out. I’ll call when I can,” I inform her, leaning in for a kiss.

  Victoria picks her plate up. She knows I’m going to lean in so I can kiss her stomach. There’s no bump or anything showing yet, it’s a matter of simply knowing she’s carrying my baby. I want to watch her grow round with our child and eventually feel him or her kicking. I’ll be there for every single milestone or anything she needs from me. Including late night runs for any cravings she may have.

  “We’ll talk when you get back,” she says once I’ve kissed her stomach. “I love you, Tags. Please be careful and come back to us.”

  “I love you, too. More than you know,” I state, giving her a deep kiss.

  When I finally break away from her soft, plump lips, I pick up my bag and leave. If I don’t leave right now, I’m not going to. I’m going to crawl back in bed with her and spend the entire day with there. Satan needs me on this run though, so I drag my feet away from her ass.

  Meeting Pyro and the rest of the guys outside, I make my way to my bike. Thomas, a new Prospect is driving the van today. He’s a new Prospect we’re testing out. He needs to get brought in on shit on day so why not today? Pyro looks at me, silently asking if I’m okay. Shaking my head, I pull out my phone and send a message to Torch.

  Me: Keep a close eye on your sister. Got a bad feelin’.

  He’ll definitely keep her in his sights while he can now. We’ve all learned through our various experiences not to ignore any gut feeling we get. This one is telling me it’s not about the run we’re heading on right now.

  As we leave the compound, my gut feeling gets worse. This is definitely about Victoria since the worse it gets is the farther I get from her. I want to turn my ass around and stay with her. That’s not an option though. For now, I’ll remain on my run. If anything happens to her, I’m going to be pissed as fuck.

  We’ve been on the road for hours now. Usually we don’t make pit stops, but this trip we are. I need one for gas and to check in with Torch. Pyro pulls up next to me before I can do anything though.

  “What’s goin’ on?” he questions, not getting off his bike.

  “Got a bad feelin’. The farther from the clubhouse we get, the worse it gets. Messaged Torch before we left to keep an eye on Victoria. Was gonna call and check in with him now,” I respond to him.

  “I’ll check in,” he states, pulling his phone out as I put my card in the gas pump.

  I listen in on Pyro’s side of the conversation. Torch is with Victoria at the shop now. She’s hanging out and taking a break from doing the supply order. I’ll get the rest of the information when he gets off the phone. They’re still talking when I pull from the pump and make my way inside the store. Grabbing a cup of coffee, bottle of water, and some snacks I pay for my purchase before heading back outside. Everyone else is already out there.

  After stashing my stuff in my saddle bags, I head to the bathroom since I know we won’t be stopping again except for emergencies. Once I’m done I head over to Pyro. I need to make sure my woman is good before we get back on the road or I won’t have my head in the game. That can get myself or someone else hurt or worse. I’m not one to make decisions I willingly know will get my brothers in trouble.

  “Your sister good?” I question him as we all prepare to get on the road again.

  “She is. She’s hard at work right now. Torch has to leave in a bit. With Trevor and the girls there he’s not worried so much about bein’ up her ass. It’s bad enough we’ve got a Prospect on her ass,” he informs me, getting his helmet on after making sure his cut is stashed in his saddle bags.

  We’re riding blacked out for this trip. No cuts or colors of any kind are being worn. Satan wants to make sure we’re under the radar as much as possible with this shit with Scott hanging around. While he hasn’t made any moves against the club, it’s just a matter of time if he doesn’t get his way. If I have any say in the matter, he won’t. Vic
toria is mine and will be with me for the rest of our lives.

  Still, the feeling isn’t going away. I feel something bad is about to happen to take Vic away from us. I’m not sure if it will damage her more than she already was or if she’ll just be taken from us in a physical manner. Either way will kill me because she deserves nothing except the very best in her life. I plan on making her mine permanently as soon as I get back.

  I can’t wait like I originally planned to make her my ol’ lady or put a ring on her finger. My only thoughts are making sure she knows I love her, want her, and I’m in this with her for the long-haul. I’m not going to run away at the first sign of hard shit, I’ll never treat her the way Scott did if something happens to her or the baby, and I’m not using her for some reason.

  After thinking about the situation, I fully believe Scott has been using Victoria for some reason. Torch is digging into him, but he hasn’t really given us any updates about him. Or why he would be hurting so bad he needs her. He’s flat out stalking her ass now and it’s not going to happen. We’ll get our hands on him hopefully before Scott ever touches a hair on her head.

  If we don’t, there won’t be much of anything left of Willow Creek, the clubhouse, or anything else until we get our hands on her again. I find out she’s hurt, there will be hell to pay. Scott will never be able to find a location to hide from us. Victoria is one of our own; she’s family because of Torch and Pyro. I’m hoping to bring her further into the fold when she becomes my ol’ lady.

  I’m hoping we make it that far before anything else happens. All I know at this point is when I get back we have doctor’s appointment. Victoria wants to just have another check to make sure everything looks good and she isn’t in the high-risk category any longer for losing our child. I’ll do whatever it takes for her to have peace of mind and not stress over this pregnancy. Stress will only make things worse for her if she believes something is going to happen.

  While I don’t know what it’s like to lose a child, I don’t want to find out how it feels either. It hurts more than anything to know she not only experienced this but did it alone. I mean, she’s grieving now that she has a counselor and has shared little tidbits with her brothers and me. Still, it’s not something we can understand about because we haven’t suffered through it. Pyro is the only one who can even be considered close to knowing what she’s going through. Even he doesn’t know the full extent of what she’s been through.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Victoria

  IT’S BEEN A long day at Blazing Ink. I’m ready to head back to the clubhouse, take a shower, and relax in bed. With Tags being out of town on his run, we’ve been pretty damn slow at the shop. Trevor and Millie want to go catch a new movie, so I let them go. I’ve also let Kaitlyn go home early because there’s no point in her being her. Now, I just need to make sure everything is cleaned up, check Tags’ schedule, and then lock up for the night.

  Knowing I couldn’t get Tags on the phone, I didn’t waste time calling Wrath either. He’s been busy filling in other spots for the club until Trevor and Millie head to their next shop. I called Satan and he gave the approval to close the shop early. There hasn’t been any walk-ins today. Trevor and Millie had a few appointments nothing since then. Tags truly is the draw for the shop. His work is known all over the place.

  After making sure all of Tags clients know he won’t be here for a few days, I shut the computer down, double check the supply order I did and restocked the shelves with stock I over ordered, I’m finally ready to head home for the day. Well, to the clubhouse at any rate. I don’t have a home right now. Hopefully that’s one of the things Tags wants to talk about.

  I know he wants to make me his ol’ lady. If you asked me a month or two ago, I’d have said no way in hell I wanted any of that. Now, I do. We’re having a baby together and I truly love him with my whole heart. He’s a great man and he’s been by my side even with all the shit I was going through. Things I’m still dealing with.

  Walking outside, I expect Ryan to be there waiting for me. I’m using one of the club’s SUVs because the garage still has my car. I’m not sure what they’re looking for, I’ve learned not to question anything. As I walk out the back door of the shop, I look around for the Prospect with me for the day. He’s been in and out of the shop. Torch even had words with him while he was here.

  Glancing around the parking lot, he’s nowhere to be found. No one is here. My heart rate kicks up as I look around. I’m ready to head back in the shop to call Torch or Satan when I’m stopped.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Scott whisper shouts in my ear sending a shiver through me. “I’ve got you now and you’re mine.”

  “I’m not yours. You threw me away a long time ago,” I state, letting the venom I’m feeling fill my voice. “I’m nothing but a no-good slut you’re sorry you fucked and let ruin your life. Remember? The woman who’s not a woman at all because I can’t carry a baby to term. All the other vile and lies you said about me because I wasn’t meant to have a baby with you.”

  “Fuck you!” he growls out, pressing a gun in my temple. “Lock this door and make sure the alarm is on like it should be. Then, we’re gone.”

  “You honestly think they won’t come looking for me? Not only will my brothers kill you, my man will destroy you in ways you never imagined possible. That’s just three men in their club. They’ll all make sure no one will ever find you again,” I state honestly.

  Scott laughs maniacally as he digs the gun in further to my skin. He doesn’t give a shit what I’m telling him. Glancing to the side, I see his eyes are red as hell and his nose is dripping. Scott’s high as hell on something. I’ve never known him to do drugs or anything before.

  “We’re gonna do this one of two ways,” he growls out once again, pulling a syringe filled with something out of his pocket. “You can come with me and drive where I tell you to. Or, you can get knocked the fuck out with my little friend here. I’ll drive and you’ll either wake up or you won’t.”

  Knowing I’m not going to willingly or knowingly put my baby in jeopardy, I let him know I’ll drive where he wants us to go. It’s the only way I’m going to have any chance of figuring out where the hell he’s taking me. Then maybe I can let someone know where I’m at. If he doesn’t find my phone that is. It’s in my bag and on silent so I hope he won’t find it.

  “Get in the fucking car,” Scott orders as he pushes me roughly around the front of the SUV.

  He’s got the gun trained on me so if I try to run or anything, I’ll be shot before I make it very far. So, thinking of my baby, I walked around the SUV so I could get in the driver’s side. Once we’re both in, I start it up and wait for him to give me directions. For right now, this is his show and I have to obey his orders once more.

  It’s been hours. I’ve been driving for hours upon hours. Scott hasn’t let me stop to go to the bathroom or anything. He said I could either piss my pants or wait until we got to our destination. My bladder is close to exploding right now it’s so full. I’m done with this and ready to be at the clubhouse in the bed I share with Tags.

  My brothers begin to filter through my mind as I realize Pyro has no clue I’m not back at the clubhouse. I’m not even sure if Torch knows since I didn’t let him know I was going to close up shop early. By now I’m sure he understands I should be back at the clubhouse, but we’ve got a few hours on them now. Unless they have tracking on this damn SUV they won’t know where we are. No one will even know which direction to even head in when they start looking.

  “Take your next fucking left,” Scott yells at me as he fidgets in the passenger seat.

  Turning on my blinker, I make sure to slow down and take the next left. It’s a dirt road leading up into the forest. The trees are so dense, I’m surprised I found it in the mainly dark of night. There isn’t even really any moonlight to guide my way. If it weren’t for the SUVs headlight’s I’d have missed the turn completely. I don’t even want to k
now what Scott would’ve done if that happened.

  Following the dirt path, I wouldn’t classify as a road with the grass growing in the middle and barely enough broken up space to be considered tire tracks. Honestly, it reminds me of an overgrown path in the middle of a forest people hike on because vehicles are no longer allowed in the area. I don’t have any clue where we’re going either, so it makes the entire situation scary as hell for me.

  “In a hundred feet there will be a driveway on the right,” he practically shouts as I hit a nasty bump in the path jarring us both.

  Looking at the path in the bleakness ahead of us, I see a small break in the trees. It must be where I’m supposed to turn. As I do, the headlights illuminate a small building which has definitely seen better days.

  I’m looking at a ramshackle building I suppose was once a cabin or something similar. Maybe a hunting cabin. There’s a pump for water outside and I hope with everything in me there’s running water inside. I’m just not holding out hope for it. The porch leading to the front door is sloping to one side with missing boards both on the steps and the porch itself.

  “Park around the fucking side so no one sees the SUV if they come up here,” Scott demands, pointing to where he wants me to go.

  Once I park the SUV, I put it in gear and shut the engine off. Scott removes the keys from the ignition before pocketing them. Well, it looks as if one way of escape has been eliminated already. He may not be as dumb as I give him credit for.

  With the interior lights on, I get a good look of what Scott has become in the time I’ve been away from him. Before, he was always put together, his hair was cut and styled, no wrinkles in his clothing, and his appearance was always immaculate as if he just rolled from the pages of a J. Crew catalog.