by Bella Jewel
Nobody says anything else, and I'm god damned thankful.
This is going to be a hell of a ride.
I can just feel it.
25
FLICK
"The girl ain't respondin' well," King murmurs, staring at the room where Cova is currently smashing shit to try and get out.
"No, she ain't. She's that hyped up on drugs. The fucker had her completely at his mercy. He mind-fucked her, and she's all over the place. When she comes down from this high, she might see things clearer, but for right now, she doesn't want a bar of us."
"Understandable," King nods. "Can't be easy, bein' dragged out of a life you thought was good. Even if your mind tricked you, it's a fuckin' scary thing. She's hurtin', she's confused, and wants to go back to that piece of crap because she thinks that's better for her. She needs to see that life here is good, too."
"Can't show her that when she won't let anyone help her."
"Let her come down from the worst of this, and then show her what the club is about, what family is. Let her feel the freedom it brings. Show her some fun. It might very well just change her mind."
"She's got a therapist comin' this afternoon. No idea if she's goin' to respond to her, but it's worth a shot. Also gettin' them checked out for medical issues and gettin' some stuff to help them get clean."
"Merleigh is a strong kid," King says, staring at the other door that's open, where Merleigh is currently staying. "Barely heard a peep from her."
"Yeah, she's a fuckin' warrior alright. I've spoken to her when she's dripping in sweat and trembling, and she keeps her cool. She's likely one of the strongest people I've ever met."
"Probably a damn sight better than the life she was livin', so she's willing to do whatever it takes."
"Yeah, likely. Briella has been amazing with her, and even Cova. She has kept her cool no matter what her sister spits at her. That takes some guts. It must hurt."
"That girl is strong like her momma," King murmurs, and his voice trails off. "She'd be so damned glad to know we got Cova out and that Briella was takin' care of her. It's all she wanted."
"Thanks to you, she got it."
He stares at me and then exhales. "Feels like suddenly I've got nothin' to work for anymore. No mission. No club. Feelin' like there is little for me out there in the world now."
That's not good.
Not fuckin' good at all.
"You're part of this club. You'll always be part of this club. And you do have things out there; you have Cova who needs help. You have Dax who needs to be brought down. You have Briella, who needs a father. You might not be blood-related, but that girl sees you as a father, and more than anything, she needs that. You've got plenty here, you just need to let yourself adjust again."
King nods. "You're right; I'm bein' fuckin' stupid. It feels strange to be back into the world when so much has happened. It's fuckin' terrible not to feel like you belong anywhere."
I slap him on the shoulder. "Give it time, it'll come good."
He nods, and I walk out of the room and towards Merleigh's room, where Briella is currently sitting. She hasn't bothered to try and get in with Cova, for now, she's just letting her scream it out in there. Doesn't feel nice, hearing her yell and scream down the halls of the club, but it's also the only option right now until she's willing to let us in.
"Knock knock," I say, popping my head around the door and glancing into the room.
Briella and Merleigh are sitting by the open window, just talking softly. Merleigh is holding a cup of tea, and she looks pale and exhausted. The poor girl must be feelin' like hell. The effects of coming down off heavy drugs are said to be horrific. I can't imagine what she's goin' through right now.
"Hey," Briella smiles and then frowns as something else smashes in Cova's room. "I'm so sorry you have to listen to Cova losing it and breaking everything."
I shrug, even though yeah, it's fuckin' driving me up the wall. "She can't go on forever; she'll wear herself out."
"Do you think we're making the wrong choice here?" Briella says, more to herself than anyone else.
"No," Merleigh answers before I even get the chance. "No, trust me. She is better off here."
That girl has probably seen things we can't even begin to imagine.
If anyone would know, it would be her.
"Listen to Merleigh, Briella. She knows what she's talkin' about."
Briella nods and then looks back to Merleigh. "We're thinking of going to the lake for a swim. Merleigh hasn't swum in a very long time, and it might help her to feel better. Do you think we can do that?"
I shrug. "Can't see why not. Take Bohdi with you, just to keep you safe."
In other words, make sure Merleigh doesn't lose it and do somethin' stupid. It's not that I don't trust her, but I don't trust the fact that she's had drugs in her system for a long time, and now she's coming down from that. They can trick the mind and make people do stupid things. Even if they don't want to. I'd feel better knowing they were protected.
"Okay, great. Should I ask Cova?"
I shake my head. "You need to let her get through the worst of this in whatever way she needs to. Right now, this is the best option for her."
"You're right. Her therapist is coming in two hours. I hope that'll help her out a little bit. I can't imagine how she's feeling right now. Believing she's lost the love of her life, even if we don't get it, it hurts her all the same, and that's a terrible, terrible feeling."
She's right.
It's fuckin' gut-wrenching.
We should know.
"She's goin' to get through this. She's got the best person to get her through."
Briella smiles at me, grateful. "Thank you."
"Welcome, honey. I'm goin' to a meeting now, but I'll send Bohdi your way."
"Thanks."
I disappear down the hall and into the main room where everyone is sitting around, having a few drinks and a few laughs. I go over to Bohdi and tell him he's going to escort the girls. He takes it like a champ and gets up without question. He'll be patched in, in no time. I do not doubt that.
He's going to make a hell of a biker.
"I'VE TRACED SOMETHIN' interesting," Cohen murmurs, flicking through some pages in front of him on the desk.
"What might that be?" I ask, lighting a cigarette and bringing it to my lips.
"Back to Aviana's uncle. Was lookin' into a heap of documents we got from Bryant's place and happened to find a receipt made out to Aviana's uncle, for the payment of two items. Doesn't say what. Doesn't say who. But it's for a shit load of cash. It made me look into it further, and they have some business dealings. I got a feeling Aviana's uncle could be the big dog in this picture."
No fuckin' shit?
Is that even possible?
Makes sense, he's had a hand in this from day one. We just haven't been able to figure out how exactly he slotted in. Had a feeling he was big time, considering what happened to Aviana when shit went down with her family. She disappeared, and I'm damn sure he had somethin' to do with that. I'm also certain he had somethin' to do with makin' it look like she was still alive.
Smart. Rich. Big-name.
It's damn possible he's got control of all this.
It's starting to come together nicely.
If we can link it back, we might just be able to bring this down.
"I'll get onto Zariah, see if we can figure it out. If we can, it'll make this operation a fuck load easier to bring down."
"You're right about that," Kendric agrees. "Less bloodshed that way, too. Are we still sendin' Waverly in?"
"Yeah, the more we know, the better. The more people involved, the bigger case we have. It's worth takin' every risk."
"What about Bryant, chances are he's goin' to show his ugly fuckin' face up again soon?" Mykel growls, angry that by the time they got back to that dick bags mansion, he was long gone.
Out of the way, he disappeared.
He was smart enough to go
running, but he won't be smart enough to stay hidden.
We'll find him, and we'll make sure he's out of the picture.
Until then, it's best to let Cova believe he's dead.
If she thinks he's gone, then she's far more likely to get on with her life.
"If Bryant shows his face," I mutter, inhaling a deep puff of my cigarette. "I'll take him out so fuckin' fast he'll wish he never popped back up."
"Either way, we're on a better path than we were before," Cohen throws in. "That's better than what we were dealin' with."
"It's far from over, but right now, feel like we've got the upper hand. If we can get underneath this, we can bring it down to its knees. We just need to figure out every single player, so we don't make any wrong moves."
"I think there's a lot more to this, I think we're only just scratchin' the surface," Mykel murmurs, more to himself than the rest of the group.
"You're probably right about that, brother, but for now, at least we've got what we need. Everything else can wait a bit."
I'm not makin' mistakes this time.
I want the entire empire to fall.
I want Dax and whatever evil he's working for to crumble.
No more girls deserve to go through what I've seen Merleigh and Cova go through.
No more girls deserve to fear a monster that they've been sold to.
I'll find a way to the end of this road, no fuckin' doubt about it.
And when I get there, they're going to wish they never met me.
Or my club.
26
BRIELLA
"How do you feel?" I ask Merleigh as she dries herself off with a towel and rubs it in her dripping hair.
She has a little color back in her cheeks, which is a step up from what she looked like earlier. Her skin was pale, her eyes sunken, her body trembling uncontrollably. She looked a lot like she was going to just fall down and not wake up, but now she looks like she's breathing a little clearer again. Even if it is only temporary.
"That was incredible," she sighs. "I can't remember the last time I swam or..."
"You should try surfin'," Bohdi says.
He's sitting with us, and he too joined us for a swim. I'm not going to lie, watching that gorgeous man strut around with no shirt one was something I'm not sad I was witness to. He is absolute perfection, and I know Merleigh appreciated the view, even if she wasn't sure how to take it.
Now, she looks to Bohdi and narrows her eyes. "I've never been to the ocean. The whole thing seems scary to me."
"You've never been in the ocean?" he asks her, shocked.
"No, never. I've lived a very...sheltered life. I guess that comes with being captive for a good portion of it."
Bohdi's face darkens, just a little. "Know that we'll get vengeance for you on that topic. Nobody should go through that kind of hell."
Merleigh's cheeks get a touch pinker. It could be that she's cold, or maybe it's that Bohdi is so damned nice to her. It's tough not to see how appealing that man is.
"Thank you," Merleigh says softly. "I guess I have a lot to experience now that I have a choice."
"Oh honey, you have so much to experience. I'll make sure of it," I tell her with a smile.
Bohdi glances at her, and I can see the warmth in his eyes that I haven't seen before. Since I've known him, he's kept to himself and showed minimal reactions to anything. Nothing seems to scare him, nothing bothers him, and even in the most heated times, he keeps it together. He's seen a lot. Bohdi has a past that's terrifying. You can see it in his almost numb gaze. But when he's looking at Merleigh, he's looking at her with a kind of warmth that is saved for someone you care about.
He can relate to her somehow.
That's nice.
She needs people around her who understand.
"Have you and Alarick been together long?" she asks me, looking away from Bohdi and wrapping the towel around herself tighter.
"We've known each other since I was just ten, but only together a little while. It has been...complicated."
Merleigh nods.
"We better get back," she says, her voice a little shaky. "I'm feeling a little unwell."
She's open when it comes to how she's feeling, and I adore her for that. She's not scared to tell me she needs to lie down or to lock her door, or that she's going to be sick. It takes a lot of guts to be so brave.
"For what it's worth," Bohdi says, standing and extending his hand to her. "It won't feel like this for much longer. You'll have bad days and good days, but this constant horror is going to be a distant memory if you stick with it just a little while."
Merleigh looks up at him, and for a moment, I feel like I'm intruding on something pretty damned special.
She reaches out and takes his hand. His fingers curl around hers, and he lifts her to her feet. With a warm smile, she thanks him and then rushes off to the car.
"Bohdi?" I call, when he starts walking towards the car, too.
He looks back at me.
"Thank you for being so nice to her."
"Don't have a reason not to be."
With that, he's gone.
But I can't wipe the smile from my face.
I feel like, for the first time, everything might just be okay.
Just maybe.
"I'M NOT GOING TO FORCE you to eat, but I will leave this here," I say to Cova, putting a plate of food down for her, on the desk that she hasn't yet upturned in a rage.
She's sitting on the sofa, her legs crossed, her clothes covered in sweat, her hair down and damp around her shoulders. She looks terrible, and it's so hard for me not to rush over and try to fix that, but there's nothing I can do for her right now. She won't let me in, and I just need her to see I'm going to be there for her, no matter what.
"I'm not hungry," she tells me.
"Maybe not right now, but you might be later."
I glance down at the platter of sandwiches, fruit, and some yogurt that I've laid out for her. I don't know if she's going to eat it, but it's there if she needs it. I've also put down a heap of fresh water because the doctor said the more water she can drink, the quicker it'll leave her system. She's not helping me out with that, but I'm not going to give up on her. Not now, not ever.
"Can you just get out of my fucking room. I want nothing to do with you."
Her voice is a low whip, like even speaking hurts.
She's not going to be easy to get around, but I'm strong-willed and can handle her insults. I sit down on the edge of the bed and just start talking. One way or another, she's going to learn about the world she came from, even if she doesn't like it.
"You would have loved Magnolia," I say. "She was younger than us, but she was a ray of light. She was so bubbly and happy. If you could ask for a sister, it would be her."
"I didn't ask for a god damned sister. I don't want any of this."
"This one time," I go on, laughing to myself, "she punched a boy in the face because he said something about me behind my back. She was so much smaller than him, but it didn't stop her. She raised a fist and just punched him as hard as she could. Her hand was bruised for days, but she walked around like she owned the place."
"I don't care about Magnolia or you or your stupid fucking mother. She gave me up, remember? She handed me over like trash."
"She would never hand you over like trash. If you gave five minutes to find out why she did what she did and what it cost her trying to find you, you'd probably appreciate it a little more."
"She didn't even try to keep me!"
I shake my head. "Did you know what kind of man your father was? A dangerous one. She did what I would call giving you the ultimate sacrifice. She gave you a good family. She gave you to someone who she knew could love you. It was that or spend your life with a terrible father who would have made your life a misery."
"In case you missed it, my life was a fucking misery."
She's talking, even if she's angry about it. I'm not going to argue that one. As
long as she's getting it out, I don't care how she does it. Talking is essential, her therapist said it was the most important thing she could do, even if it's laced with anger.
"I'm sure all of it wasn't a misery, Cova. I'm sure before you lost your adoptive parents, that they loved you and cared for you."
Her eyes glaze over, she looks away, and for a moment, I can see something in her. A longing, hurt, pain. So much of it tucked away beneath the surface. It kills me to know she's suffering so badly.
"Tell me something good about them..."
She looks back to me, and for a moment, I think she might talk. Instead, she shakes her head and mutters at me to get out again.
"For what it's worth, Cova, I am sorry your life went the way it did. I'm so sorry you lost your parents, I know exactly how that feels. I'm sorry you went into a system that didn't treat you right, and into the hands of someone you think you love..."
"I don't think I love him," she snaps. "I know I do!"
"How can you love someone who mistreats you? I want you to think about that. Think hard about it," I exhale and stand, walking towards the door. "If he loved you, he would have never hurt you, Cova. That's not love. It's control. He would have never purchased you. He would have never done any of the things he did. Love, it's so much purer than that. I'm not going to give up on you. You can scream and yell at me over and over, but I'm not going to give up on you. I love you. You're my sister. You're my family. I'll show you what real love feels like."
With that, I step out and shut the door.
And, for the first time, she doesn't scream or yell or break anything.
It's not much progress, but it is progress all the same.
I'll take that.
27
FLICK
"You'll never fuckin' believe it," Kendric says, walking into my office, beer in his hand. "Aviana's uncle is back in town, and, you'd never guess, but he's fuckin' been seen chattin' to Bennett."
"That so?" I murmur frowning. "That makes a good deal of fuckin' sense. We knew they were playin' with someone higher, and now we know who that is. What do you think he's doin' back in town?"
