by KJ Dahlen
George went on, “Yeah that was about the time when her dad was killed in New Orleans. Things were getting bad here with the corruption in town and the Dogs moving in, he wanted to get his little girl out of danger so he went to New Orleans looking for a job. He went into a bar for one drink and was ambushed on his way back to the motel he was staying at. The two men that beat him to death heard his last name and thought maybe they’d get some of the money it was rumored his family had. They were prospecting for the Dog MC and they knew they would get in if they could bring in the info as to where the money was but instead they ended up killing him.”
Cin looked white as the two men spoke and she sat down on the sofa, away from Beast.
“It was only days after they got his body back, the Dogs came in force to take over the farm,” Silas finished while shaking his head in disgust. “Everything went to hell in a hurry that day.” He looked up at Cin. “Only she knows what really happened here that day, she and Ms. Katie were the only ones left alive by the time we got here. The bastards had shot Gabriel when he was standing next to Cin. She was splattered with his blood and she was in shock. Neither one would say what happened to Edward but his body looked like they’d dragged it behind their bikes and then they cut off his head and put it on a stake in front of the house.” Silas broke for a moment and gathered his thoughts. “His body was on the ground under the big old tree that used to be out front of the house. We could see a noose hanging there. It was bloody but it was empty. We didn’t ask what happened, we just did what Ms. Katie wanted us to do and that was bury him. She wouldn’t disrespect him and leave him for the wolves and such. That’s what the Dogs told her would happen.”
Beast stared at the woman. What a horrible thing to happen to a child. Her childhood had been destroyed the Dogs. He shook with rage, though after all this time there was little anyone could do.
The room grew silent as the two men finished their tale about the event that happened here sixteen years ago.
Then Cin spoke up, a sob in her voice, “I brought Ms. Katie home to bury her next to my grandfather. She passed away two weeks ago and her last wish was for me to bring her home to be with him.”
After a moment or so, Jackal wanted the rest of the story behind the Dog’s takeover. “Do you remember what happened that day? All of what happened?”
Cin looked up at his and he could read the fire in her eyes. “Yeah, I remember. I was old enough to see everything and to remember it all. It’s the stuff nightmares are made of and I’ve had them for years.”
“Can you tell us?” he repeated softly.
Noelle nodded at her. “If you can?”
She clasped her hands in her lap and spoke, “Ms. Katie told me I couldn’t talk about what happened that day.” Cin shook her head. “That no one else needed to know. She said to leave the past in the past and move on the best you could.” She looked over at Silas and shook her head. “Thank you for what you did that day. I don’t know if she thanked you. Her heart was broken back then and it never got fixed.”
“Oh baby girl, we just did what any decent person would do. We helped our friend.” Silas ignored the growl from Beast as she stood to hug him.
Silas stepped up to her and placed one hand on either side of her face, Beast growled again but Silas ignored him, instead looked deeply into her eyes. “Honey, there was never a need to thank either one of us. Not then and not now. Your grandpa would have done the same for us if we needed it. That’s just the way he was.”
Cin closed her eyes her heart breaking all over again. “God I’ve missed him so much.”
“Me too sweet girl, me too,” Silas whispered in her ear. He stepped away then looked over at Jackal. “I’m asking for privileges to see her.”
Jackal frowned. “Why? Other than the fact that you knew her when she was a kid and you knew her grandfather.”
Noelle looked up at him. “Babe, of course he would want to see her.”
Silas sighed as he gave her a small smile. “The truth is, she’s part of my family as well,” Silas dropped his bomb. “Her mother was my daughter, Morgan. She may not remember but I do.”
George snorted. “I was wondering when you were going to bring that up, you old fart.”
Jackal looked around. “Well...ok. Let’s all sit down for a bit.” He nodded at the men as he put an arm around Noelle’s shoulder and they both headed to the large table.
They all moved to the large tables in the huge space that the compound had in this main room.
A few minutes later they were all sitting down at one of the tables. Cin was stunned by what she had just learned. The blanket was still around her shoulders but she couldn’t take her eyes off Silas. “Why did no one ever tell me about you?” she finally asked.
“After your mom died giving you life, Elijah asked if he could keep you. He loved your mom so much he couldn’t live without you. You were the only part of her he had left.” Silas shrugged. “I had no way to take care of a baby and besides, he was your daddy. It broke my heart to bury your mom but I still had a piece of her too, in you. They told me I could come visit you anytime I wanted but that this farm was your home. I agreed with him. Then when Edward died, Ms. Katie asked if I would mind if she took you with her. She didn’t want you hurt by the Dogs and I agreed. The farther away you were, the better, in my mind. She never told me where you were going but I always knew you were safe.” Silas patted his chest. “I could feel it here in my heart.”
“Ms. Katie never forgot this place,” Cin told him. “The Dogs murdered her husband and only remaining son but she told me she did what she had to do by taking me away from here. She kept Edward, Gabriel and my dad alive with her stories. She even kept Ethan alive even though I never got the chance to meet him. I was a baby when he left for the service so I never really met him but I heard stories about him from everyone while growing up. He wasn’t killed until I was about two I think.”
Jackal frowned and looked around the room at his men. They wore the same expression he did. They had all served with a man name Ethan Shay and now they wondered if he had been Cin’s uncle. “What was your Uncle Ethan’s branch of service?
“He was Marines Special Services...” she told them but was interrupted when Cobra growled.
“Fucking hell Jackal. He was one of our own.” Cobra eyes snapped to hers. “Was his code name Hunter?”
Cin stared at them all as she nodded. She looked around the room and finally found her backpack. Getting to her feet, she went over to it and opened one of the pockets. She brought out a photo and stared at it for a moment. The photo was almost twenty one years old. It looked tattered and missing a corner but the faces could still be seen clearly. Then she gasped as she stared at it. Slowly, she lifted her head and stared at the men in the room.
They might have been twenty years older but she could see characteristics they had been then in the faces, she found herself looking at now. She slowly walked over to the table and handed the photo to Jackal.
He stared at her a moment then looked down at the photo she gave him. Pain unlike any other hit him in the chest as he stared at the faces caught in time. His hand went to his upper arm where a tattoo was hidden by his shirt. The tattoo was each of the names of those he’d lost in the war. Ethan’s code name and the date he died were forever engraved on his arm. The whole team when it had been a whole team. Some of them had died over there, died but they were not forgotten.
He passed the photo along to Beast but kept his eyes on Cin. “So you’re Hunter’s niece huh?”
She shook her head. “I never knew him but he came alive in Ms. Katie’s words. She remembered stuff when her boys were young, fond memories she called them. She not only introduced me to him but to Gabriel and my dad as well. She also told me about my grandfather too.” She turned to look at Silas and George. Reaching out, she grasped Silas’s hand. “She told me so many stories about the three of you but she left out one important detail. She never told me you were my famil
y too.”
Silas squeezed her hand. “There was a very good reason for that. I asked her not to. Not that I wanted to deny you, I didn’t but the less people that knew about us the better. The Dogs were after anyone who might know about the money your grandpa. That was the reason the Dog’s killed them after all.”
“But I was a kid, I didn’t know anything about money, whether he had it or not or even where he put it...” Cin argued brokenly.
Silas nodded. “I know that honey but Ms. Katie knew. George Norris killed Edward and Gabriel too soon. When he got back to town that night, he was so pissed at himself. He was coming back for Ms. Katie that was why she left when she did, and why she did in the middle of the night. She didn’t want them to get to either of you in order to force the issue. But know this child, Edward would have given them anything they wanted but he knew as well as I did they wouldn’t have left you alone or alive for long. Not them dogs, no. They were vile men to be sure. They still would have killed Gabriel, and him, probably Ms. Katie too after they found the money, but he could see what they wanted from you and that was unacceptable to him.”
Cin looked over at Beast. “He told me the Dogs were gone and have been for some time. Can I ask what happened to them?”
“They messed with the wrong people and it came back to bite them in the ass,’ Jackal told her. “Twice.”
“When?”
“The first time was almost eleven years ago,” Beast told her when no one else answered. “Our old President had his woman and his daughter kidnapped and they were held for two days before we found their bodies. Our commander lost his entire reason for breathing when he saw what George Norris and his band had done to his family. Using his best asset, which had always been his military skills for war, he came after them and took out fifteen men alone. When the smoke cleared, he was the only one to walk away. He was wounded but he was still breathing. He did the right thing and turned himself into the police but the cop he went to was the Dog’s leader’s brother. No one knew they were brothers, as no one ever knew George’s last name at the time. He took Blane out to the swamp and left him for the gators.” He looked over at Jackal. “Then we as his men came and took over their compound. We made a home here for ourselves and for our families. Some of the guys have women and kids and we gave them a safe place to live and grow.”
Cin thought for a moment then asked, “And the second time?”
“Just about a month ago,” he replied. “After Harvey left Blane in the swamps, he knew he had to leave town before the real cops arrested him for his actions. Murder is still a crime and they knew they couldn’t brush it under the rug. Then a while ago, big things began to happen around this town and Harvey and his gang of criminals and thieves came back. They thought to take this compound away from us and grab your grandpa’s money and land but we weren’t about to give it up. We fought back and for the second time we came out ahead of the game.”
“You said you had this place wired, what did you mean by that?” Cin asked.
“Since the first attack, we set up cameras around the perimeter so we could see trouble coming and prepare for the worst. After the second go around with the Dogs, we increased our cameras and when you showed up on our feed, I knew I had to find you and find out what you were doing here. Of course, I didn’t know who you were or what you wanted so I brought you back here.”
Cin looked down at the floor. “Now, you know but I can’t stay here.”
Silas reached out and squeezed her hand again. “Honey, does anyone else know you’re here?”
Cin looked over at him and shook her head. “Who else? My family is all gone now, except for you. Why?”
“Because you still could be in danger,” he told her softly.
“From who?” Cin frowned, as she looked confused.
Silas sighed. “The Dogs had many people in town telling them secrets and such. Eleven years ago and ever since then. We just took down more bad guys a month or so ago. We have no idea if we got them all or not but we’re all on alert until we know that danger is truly gone. There are still some people who remember your family, still remember the rumors. Most of the town is still in transition from the whole shake up that’s been happening.”
Cin nodded. “I’ve been reading about that.” Looking around the room she asked, “Is everything settling down now?”
“We’re not sure just yet but we hope so,” Jackal told her. The photograph she had produced had made the rounds and now was laying on the table in front of him. “Ethan was our brother even after he died, so I guess that makes you family now too.”
Cin shook her head. “I told you I can’t stay and with what Silas told me, I have to go. I’m tired of running, looking over my shoulder every minute of every day. Which is what we did after we left here. Ms. Katie tried to give me a life she really did but I always knew she was scared all the time. She was so strong and she tried to hold on but eventually, she just couldn’t do it anymore. She got sick about four years ago and she never got better. It just took her that long to finally let go.” She wiped a tear away and shook her head. “Near the end of her life, she began rambling about secrets and vaults and wishing she could be with her Edward again.”
Silas quickly glanced at George and repeated her own words, “Vaults? As in more than one?”
Cin nodded. “She kept talking about secret vaults and how they were hidden in plain sight but you needed to know where to look.”
“Did she ever say where they might be?” Jackal asked curiously.
Cin started to shake her head but something in the far corner caught her eye. It was the original fireplace her grandfather had put in the house when he built it. She got up and walked over to the corner. Her fingers glided over the brick work as she remembered well sitting in front of the fireplace reading a book or just staring into the flames. She’d felt safe back then, sitting with her family just listening to them talk about their dreams and hopes for the future.
Being here now was flooding her heart and soul with memories of the past and it hurt something fierce at times. As she ran her fingers over the stone work, she frowned. Her fingers had found a pattern she couldn’t identify but it nudged a memory she couldn’t quite remember.
Silas walked up behind her. “What did you find sweetheart?”
Cin shook her head. “I’m not real sure but there’s something I’m trying to remember. It’s like... it’s something on the tip of my tongue but something is blocking it.”
“I remember the day Edward built that fireplace,” Silas commented. “Old George and me helped with the stonework for the actual fireplace but he wouldn’t let us help with the hearth. He said he wanted it just right.”
Cin’s eyes widened as his words triggered a certain memory from the past. She turned to Silas and kissed him on the cheek. “That’s it.”
They both turned to see Beast coming over toward them. Grabbing Cin’s arm, he pulled her away from Silas.
Cin tried to pull her arm from his grasp but Beast wasn’t letting her go easy. His other arm came around her waist and Cin reacted instinctively. Catching him off guard, she flipped him over her shoulder again, only this time he hit the floor with a hard thud.
Beast just laid there stunned and trying to catch his breath. He stared at her with a wounded look in his eyes while she looked down at him with a horrified expression.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.” She covered her mouth with terror is her eyes. Backing away slowly, she was prepared to run but Beast got to his feet and blocked her way.
“Don’t you dare think about running because I will catch you,” he told her quietly. “I will keep you safe, you hear me?”
Chapter Four
Jackal and the others just gaped at the two of them stunned.
Cobra shook his head as if he was seeing something incredible and murmured, “If I hadn’t seen it with my own fucking eyes, I never would have believed it.”
“You ain’t the only one brother,” Wolf
whispered. “Wow. She flipped him so easy. She did what many have tried and failed to do for years. How the fuck?”
“I’m gonna have to ask her how she did that.” Hades laughed. “It would be a true skill, all right!”
“I wouldn’t get so cocky brothers. She did it twice now, I don’t think she’s gonna get a third bite of that particular apple,” Jackal replied dryly.
Noelle grinned. “Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that. She knows Beast would never hurt her. On the other hand, you could be right about it too. He knows she’s capable of doing it and he won’t be so caught off guard the next time.”
Jackal snorted. “Don’t be so sure about that. He seems to forget himself when she touches another man. I think the big guy is smitten.”
Noelle stared at the pair and nodded her agreement. “I think you could be right.”
“Well, it looks like this crush...” Cobra chuckled. “...will hurt the big guy in more ways than one.”
Jackal rolled his eyes at his lame joke.
Noelle giggled.
Wolf kept shaking his head. “Fucking amazing. I need to know this secret.”
“Well, don’t get to close to her to find it,” Cobra warned. “Beast might grab ya and you won’t be able to feed yourself with a pair of broken arms.”
“Yeah,” Hades added. “Did you hear that growling?” He shrugged. “I never heard that growl out of him before.”
Noelle looked around at them. “I think she might be a tough one for him to...” She laughed and shook her head, as she didn’t finish.
Jackal watched the couple in question. He didn’t like the feeling he got. Somehow, this girl could lead to more trouble. Yet, they were honor bound to protect her. and he assumed by his actions that was what Beast would obviously be doing from now on.
Cin just stared at him. “Are you ok? I really didn’t mean to do that again. You just scared me and I reacted.”
Silas sensing the moment of danger had passed chuckled and asked, “How did you to do that?”
