by Addison Jane
I chewed my lip. “Do… do you think she will?”
His body seemed to slump before his eyes moved across to mine. “I never told anyone, because I’ve never had any proof, but I think Peter had something to do with her disappearance.”
I felt my face pale. “Why?”
He shrugged. “Lisa was curious. She liked to have answers to questions, and when you left, I knew she could tell there was more to it than what Peter told people.”
“You think she got too close?”
“I’m just not sure,” he replied sadly, tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair.
We sat in complete silence for a while, the sounds of the trees rustling and birds chirping surrounding us in peace and tranquillity. My mind and body were impatient and wary as I kept listening for sounds of a motorbike. I tried not to imagine how angry he would have been when he found me gone. The fury and rage he would have gone through would have been frightening.
“How did you manage to get away?” Eric finally asked.
“Some girl knocked on the door while I was there,” I explained, trying to remember the sound of her voice and her long blonde hair that hung down her back. I didn’t get to see her face, but it was obvious that she was young and he had manipulated her. “They were arguing, so I managed to slip out the window.”
I hope that girl got out okay.
Eric frowned. “What kind of girl?”
I pulled my knees closer to my chest, hugging them tightly. “I think he called her Ruby. She sounded so young. I’m pretty sure…” I cleared my throat and lay my head sideway on my knees, “…she was looking for drugs.”
Eric’s hands closed around the arms of the chair. “Just another one to add to the list.”
“I hope not.”
The roar of a motorcycle filled the calm air and I felt my body relax.
Wrench was here.
“I’ll be back in a second,” Eric said begrudgingly as he stood and walked back through the house calling out, “Come in. It’s open!”
I felt for him. He’d lost the woman that he loved, not even sure whether she was still out there somewhere or if she was dead. All possibly because of his connection to Peter. The more I thought about it, the more I just wished someone would take him out, lock him up, throw away the key. This world was no better off with him in it, he was actually making it worse. Peter was hurting people, a lot of people, with this drug that he had created.
He’d already destroyed me. It had taken me a long time to find the person inside that I used to be, happy, motivated, strong. One step back inside that house, and once again, I was this broken mess. I was embarrassed about how strongly he still affected me, even after everything that was done to move on from the torture he’d put me through.
Heavy boots beat angrily against the wooden floors of Eric’s home, and I forced myself to my feet as the doors opened. He came straight for me, a hard look on his face but worry in his eyes. I stretched out my arms and he scooped me up, squashing me against his chest. His heavy breath ruffled my untamed hair and I inhaled the scent of his leather. It was comfort.
We stayed like that for a long few minutes until Eric cleared his throat, pulling us from the moment.
Wrench kept his arms around me as he pulled back and looked over my head. “Want to tell me what happened?”
I sighed. I knew he wasn’t happy about me being here, but Eric had saved me, and now he’d been there for me on more than one occasion. With all that was going on, I had a feeling that Wrench was going to have to get used to Eric being involved.
“Peter showed up at the funeral. He threatened to hurt people if I didn’t go with him,” I explained softly, holding tightly to Wrench’s clothing, my body still feeling weak. “He took me to his place. And then when he was distracted, I snuck out. Eric found me running down the road.”
“How convenient,” Wrench growled softly.
“Look, you may not like me, but I care about her wellbeing, too. Peter has lost it, and his focus is on her,” Eric explained, standing his ground. “I wasn’t just gonna leave her there. What the hell kinda man do you think I am?”
“You really want me to answer that?” Wrench shot back.
I tapped his chest. “Stop. That’s enough,” I warned him gently.
“You need to do something,” Eric said.
Wrench’s nostrils flared. “You better watch what you’re saying, lawyer. Wouldn’t want people to know you’re working with the enemy.”
I turned to look over at Eric who was clearly unimpressed, his jaw set.
“All right, I think we’re done here,” I said calmly, trying to cool the temperature of the air that had suddenly begun to burn around us. I met Eric’s eyes. “Thank you for helping me. I’m not sure what I would have done.”
His face softened dramatically as he turned his attention to me.
Wrench’s arms tightened around me. Such a damn caveman.
“I’m here if you need me, I really mean that,” he said with sincerity. “I know Peter has some problems. Something needs to be done, and you need to stay safe.”
Wrench huffed and grabbed my hand, one arm going around my waist as he led me back through Eric’s house and out to the curb where his bike sat. Handing me his helmet, he didn’t say anything as he placed it on my head and buckled it underneath my chin. He climbed on his bike and started the engine, waiting for me to climb on behind him. I looked over my shoulder, seeing Eric standing at the front door, watching on. I waved before mounting the bike behind Wrench and wrapping my arms around his waist.
“It’s time we talked to Op,” he said seriously, his voice carrying over the loud rumbled of his Harley.
My gut sank, but my brain told me that he was right. Taking a deep breath in, my body started to feel stronger as I held on tightly to him. Wrench was like an anchor, holding me in the realm of sanity, reminding me that he cared, that he didn’t think any less of me because of my disorder.
He was right.
I wasn’t bipolar.
Bipolar was just a part of me, something that sometimes dragged me down, something that sometimes lifted me up, something that I would live with for the rest of my life. And I was okay with that because I knew it didn’t define me. It wouldn’t stop me from doing everything that I’d always wanted to do. It might be hard sometimes, but it would also make me stronger. It would be worth the fight to prove that I could accomplish anything.
To have to look Optimus in the eye and tell him my story, I’d probably cry, I might even break down, but I wouldn’t run away.
I took Sugar to her house to collect her shit, she didn’t argue when I told her to pack enough clothes to last her a while. With Peter having the guts to show up at a fucking MC funeral and just pluck her away, I was beginning to realize that this asshole had bigger balls than I’d given him credit for. Either that, or he was just plain fucking crazy, and neither of those would bode well for us. So Sugar needed to be where she could be the best protected.
That, and I needed to pull my head out of my ass and find some information about him that we could use to take him down. Eric was right about that much at least.
With Sugar’s headspace still not quite right, I managed to sneak her in the back door and rush her upstairs to my room. With the party still going on full speed ahead, no one noticed us making a break for it, or asking us to stick around.
I knew Optimus would want to talk to her soon, but for tonight, I wanted my brothers and our family to focus on Slider. That and I wasn’t sure whether she would be able to cope with giving him an explanation right now, after such a massive scare.
Sugar was safe now, this could wait.
“How are you feeling?” I asked her as she took a seat on the edge of my bed and I reached over, starting up my computer setup.
She fell backward, her arms above her head. “Completely drained, as usual, when I have an episode.”
“Just relax. Have a sleep,” I told Sugar as I sat beside h
er and brushed the hair from her face. “I’m gonna do some digging, everything else can wait until tomorrow.”
She turned to look at me, her eyes were dazed and tired. “What do you think Op is gonna say?”
I could hear the trepidation in her voice, and as much as I wanted to reassure her, I knew honesty was the best. “He’s gonna be upset… maybe angry. But you have to remember that it’s because he gives a shit about you. He loves you, and he doesn’t want to see you hurt.”
She licked her dry lips. “I didn’t want to see him hurt either.”
I dipped my head and brushed my lips across hers. “Don’t think about it now, we’ll deal with it tomorrow.”
She reluctantly nodded and shuffled herself up the bed. Then she slipped off her clothing and climbed in under the covers. “I love you,” she whispered softly, making my heart soar.
“I love you, too,” I replied, taking a step back. “Now go to sleep.”
She nodded, but her eyes were already half-closed, her body completely drained as per usual when she had an episode or a stressful day.
I sat at my computer, tapping away at the keys. This was my element, this was where my strengths lay. I was going to pull out everything and anything I could find on this fucking asshole, and I was going to burn him to the goddamn ground.
He couldn’t hide from me.
No one fucking could.
If there were skeletons in his closet I would find them, and then I would use them against him because he fucked with the wrong woman.
My woman.
It was late afternoon the next day when I finally pulled Sugar from the bedroom and headed downstairs. She was still feeling out of sorts, but she understood now just how important it was that the club—our family—knew now what we were dealing with.
She’d tried to fight it too long on her own.
She’d tried to protect us, but now it was our turn to protect her.
Optimus was sitting in the dining room having lunch with Chelsea, Harlyn, Blizzard, Rose, and Jayla. There were still brothers floating around from the other chapters, but for the most part they’d paid their respects and had left for the long ride home.
Op saw us come in and I nodded my head. He said a quiet word to the table and Chelsea rose with him, while Rose kissed Blizzard softly and pulled the girls in closer, directing their attention to a picture book in front of them as the others moved away.
“Church,” Op nodded as he took Chelsea’s hand and we followed behind as we moved through the clubhouse and into the room we used for church. Chelsea pulled up a chair beside Op, and Blizzard took his usual seat while Sugar and I sat opposite, her sweaty palm closed in mine.
The room was quiet, and Chelsea offered Sugar a supportive smile. She needed it.
Taking a deep breath, she laid her heart and soul on the table. “There are so many pieces to this, I just don’t know where to start,” she said softly, looking to me. “I guess I’ve tried to run from myself and my past for too long now and it’s caught up to me. I thought I could handle it on my own, but as it turns out by doing that I’m just digging myself into a hole and hurting more people.”
Optimus nodded. “We need to know what we’re dealing with so that we can help. The club is family, and you are part of that family. One person’s problems impact on us all. But that’s what makes us strong, the fact that we pull together when one person is feeling weak.”
“We’re here for you,” Chelsea echoed. “Let us be there for you because trust me, running and hiding only makes things worse. As does pushing the people you care about away when you need them the most.”
Sugar was silent for a few moments and I looked at her. “Do you want me to—”
“No, I need to do this,” she replied with a thankful smile.
And then she started at the beginning.
“You sure you wanna do this?” Optimus asked as we walked along the street looking for the house that night. The street lights were on, but they gave an eerie vibe to the upper-class suburb.
That was the thing about rich people. While we hung our flaws and who were like a flag for everyone to see, unashamed of whether people would judge us, these people kept their secrets, and their demons locked up tightly in their perfect homes and perfectly manicured lawns. They had shit to hide, each and every one of them, and the thing about secrets—they all came out eventually.
“This one,” I said, pointing to the house. It was basically what I’d expect, dramatic, modern, overdone.
Blizzard and Optimus walked behind me as we made our way up the path.
After hearing Sugar once again explain her story today—my mind a lot clearer this time as I listened to the details of her past, the trauma she went through just to feel like she was a normal person, and then the betrayal—it all was like a kick in the fucking gut.
The information I’d found on him was little. My guess being that his parents were so desperate to hide the fact that they’d raised a psychopath that they’d done everything they could to have things like medical records and testimonies destroyed. He was their golden child, the only one they’d been able to have after years and years of trying. He had to be the one to take over the family business that they’d fought so hard to create, to keep their name in the spotlight and their brand strong. I hated to tell them though, he may be a great businessman, but he was also a fucking criminal. Not exactly the person who I’d want representing my family name.
We stood at the front door, and I raised my fist, knocking as hard as I could. I wanted him to know I was here and I wanted him to know I wasn’t fucking happy.
Understatement.
I was actually feeling pretty damn stabby.
The door pulled open and I got my first look at this bastard. He was dressed in a suit, even though it was nine p.m. and it didn’t look like he was going out. Maybe he just liked to feel important. Fuck that.
“Peter Davenport I assume,” I asked through gritted teeth. At least he had the decency to look a little nervous as his eyes flicked between my brothers and me.
“And you are?”
He knew who we were, but I’d play along.
“Name’s Wrench. That’s Blizzard, and this is Optimus.” I smirked. “You might know him from such places as the man who impregnated your wife.”
Blizzard chuckled under his breath while Op just snorted and rolled his eyes.
Peter pursed his lips, he didn’t like being looked down on or made to feel inferior.
“That must make you the man who got his seconds, huh?” he shot back, but I was already prepared for it and just laughed.
“We’re one big family you know… love is love and all that shit.”
His knuckles turned white as he gripped the doorframe. I couldn’t tell if he wanted to throw a punch at me, or if he was preparing to run.
I wasn’t here to pick a fight, though. I was here to lay down the fucking law in hopes that if he saw how strong we were, that he’d run crying back to momma. I was probably dreaming. Men like him didn’t just back down, and if I had to use force I fucking would, but at least he couldn’t say we didn’t warn him. I was going to enjoy seeing him shit his pants, payback for making my woman afraid of her own mind every day for as long as he had his claws in her.
“What do you want?” he finally asked, standing his ground and pushing his shoulders back. “You better make it quick before I call the police.”
“You know what, you should do that. I wonder how they’d feel about things like kidnapping,” I said, lowering my voice and leaning in. “Here’s your warning… I would fucking listen. Fucking leave her alone.”
His jaw ticked. “She’s my wife. I’ll do what I think is best for her.”
“You obviously didn’t get the hint when the day you got married she took off for six fucking years,” Blizzard said sarcastically from behind me. “Pregnant with another man’s child, might I add.”
I grinned. “You hurt her once, but I won’t fucking let you do i
t again.”
“She needed my help,” he protested. “I helped her!”
“You fucking destroyed her,” I roared. “You turned her into a person she never wanted to be. All because you wanted a live-in experiment at your fingertips. Someone to test your fucking drugs on.”
Peter’s eyes flicked around, as though he was scared people would hear me. I didn’t give a shit, let them hear, let them know. His secrets wouldn’t stay hidden for long.
“I’m telling you again,” I said, lowering my voice and grabbing his attention. “Stay the goddamn fuck away from her. And quit trying to run your fucking drugs through town and using them to fuck with the club.”
He frowned like he didn’t understand what I was saying.
“The club ain’t going nowhere, and neither am I. So you wanna come at us? You want to chase her? You’re gonna have to go through me first.”
I saw his temper flare, and he grabbed the door in his hand, throwing it forward and slamming it shut in my face.
“Nice meeting you, fuckhead,” I called before turning and walking back down the path.
Blizzard laughed quietly and shook his head. “You feel better now, princess?”
Not really.
But for now, it was all I had. Warn him away, and hope he’s smart enough to hear my words.
From the look on his face though, that was debatable.
“Shit,” Wrench cursed as he jumped in the SUV.
Harlyn murmured quietly in the backseat but soon fell back asleep. She’d been that way for the past fifteen minutes. We’d gone to have dinner with Wrench’s sister and her boyfriend and had just stopped on the way back to the club because I was craving ice cream.
The last few days had been quiet. I’d gone to work at the shop with a prospect sitting outside, watching my every move, and now things were out in the open, my chest was feeling a lot lighter. Like the pressure of my lies had been stopping me from inhaling deep enough and now my lungs were full.
