He looks over at his man and says, “Which one of you hit my niece?” The men look at each other and neither speak up quickly. Finally mean man one points to mean man two, and my uncle yells, “Rocco, you dare lay your hands upon my family!”
“Sir, she was being uncooperative, and I feared she was going to harm herself,” Rocco tries to defend himself to my uncle.
“There are no excuses that will be acceptable for harming her! I told you explicitly that she was to be uninjured.” Deciding to add fuel to the fire I tell my uncle how they also manhandled my best friend. He sends Rocco out of the room to go and check on my friend and her well-being.
“Thank you,” I tell him.
“My apologies Charlee, no harm will ever come to you again at the hands of our family.” My uncle goes on and tells me more about my folks, Ma’s background and her origins. I always knew my ma had some Native American in her, I just never understood where my blonde hair with strawberry highlights came from. “Ah, that’s an easy one, you see my mother is of Irish decent, a beautiful queen in her own rights…you look much like her. Your shade of hair is the same as hers, she will be most pleased to meet your acquaintance.” I’m excited to meet my new family and find out if amends can be made so Ma and Pops can come home.
We park a mile from where Charlee and Cameron are being held and park our bikes in the woods. We don’t want them spotted so we hide them well within the darkness. We trek through the woods until we come upon a small farmhouse sitting dead center in the middle of nowhere. I can see activity in the living room, I take out my binoculars and see my sister with an older gentleman, a younger more distinguished version of my father. I’m floored, who is this guy?
Out of nowhere men drop from trees and we are surrounded and outnumbered. We do as commanded and drop our weapons, I’m unable to remove my eyes from the house, knowing my girls are in there waiting for us to save them from the circumstances they find themselves in. Knowing I’ve let them down disappoints me and I can’t help but to think back and wonder how we didn’t know there would be so many men here. That wasn’t in my father’s report he sent to us, he just gave coordinates and told us to get here as soon as possible. We are all escorted to the house with our hands held high in the air, I will still figure out a way to get us out of this, I don’t know how, but if I have to sacrifice myself…I will.
“Gunner,” a man calls out my name.
“That’s me,” I tell him as I step in front of my men, much to their dismay.
“Country,” they call out and he follows my lead and comes up and stands next to me. “Boss would like for you two to join himself and Charlee in the living room.” We both nod our heads in agreement, both of us for different reasons needing to see her with our own eyes. As we walk through the front door, Charlee leaps up from her chair and runs to us, she grabs both of us in a hug and holds on tight. We reciprocate her hug and the three of us don’t let each other go until we are interrupted.
“Gunner, you look much like your father, please gentlemen have a seat, we are in need of a conversation.” Not having any other choice in the matter, we take up the couch and put Charlee in between us, it helps us feel like we’re protecting her in some way.
“Gunner, wait until you hear,” Twerp tells me. “We have to find Ma and Pops,” she says as tears well up in her eyes. So I sit back and listen to what this stranger has to tell me, what he says floors me and for the first time in my life I’m completely speechless. After a couple of hours of speaking with whom I now know is my uncle and learning so much about my folks, and making a game plan to keep everyone safe there is a commotion at the front door.
“Let me in motherfucker, my children are in there!” and I realize, it’s Pops voice I’m hearing.
“Pops!” Charlee and I scream out at the same time as my father bangs open the door. He has a shocked expression upon his face when he sees his brother for the first time in many years. He runs to Charlee and myself and grabs us up in a bear hug, just like he did when I was little. Pops was always affectionate, and we always knew how loved we were by him.
“Where’s Ma?” I ask him, needing to know she’s alright.
“Safe,” is the only word he mutters as he takes us and his brother in.
“Luca,” he says as lets us go and grabs his brother up in a hug similar to the one he just bestowed upon us. “It’s been a long time brother,” he says.
“Too long,” Luca replies giving his brother back an affectionate embrace. This refined man, my uncle is fixing to lose it at the sight of my father—his brother. “I’ve missed you so much Julius.”
“Me too brother, care to tell me why the hell you’ve taken my children?” My uncle lays the story out for him, he tells him about their father and the war that’s raging over Pops not stepping up to take his place within the family. Pops sits there and listens intently, he’s quiet not saying a word so it’s hard for me to know where his head is at.
“Father’s dying?” is the only question he ends up asking out of all he’s been told.
“He has a very short time to live Julius, I’m worried about this war, other families want to take us out and take over our family’s businesses. They mean to end us all Julius, and unfortunately your children’s lives are at risk. We have to do something, I need your help brother.”
“I need to get Ma,” he tells me.
“The brothers are here Pops, I can send them to retrieve her.”
“Country!” Pops screams out only just not recognizing he’s here. He gets up and pulls him into a hug, “Boy I’ve missed you, I’m so happy you have been protecting my girl.”
“I didn’t do a very good job of it apparently,” he mutters.
“This, what happened here isn’t your fault Country,” Pops tells him, “I know my family well, she could’ve had twenty guards on her and they still would’ve gotten her.” Country doesn’t look convinced, but he nods his head in acknowledgment anyways.
We end up sending Stinger, Kong, Master, Sandman, Tyson and Bear after Ma…I know with these men she’s in good hands. Pops made a phone call and I could hear her excitement at the prospect of getting to see ‘her babies again,’ she was quite loud enough that we could all hear her from the other end of the line. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I miss that woman, she’s the first woman I’ve ever loved unconditionally, before Cameron ever made herself known in my life. Cameron!
“Cameron! Where the fuck is she?” Charlee’s eyes widen and we both turn to look at my uncle.
“Boris, please go get our other guest and Rocco and have them join us.”
“Gunner,” Charlee whispers my name, “she was hurt before she was brought here, something happened with Jamie, and I know it wasn’t good, but she won’t tell me anything.”
“Don’t worry Twerp, I’ll take care of it.” And I mean every single word, if he hurt my girl I will fucking kill him myself. I watch the hallway intently, as I see her for the first time in weeks my gut plummets to the ground. God she’s so beautiful. As I take her in, anger sets in and I can’t believe what my eyes are seeing. She has a hand print along the side of her face and I can see bruises—deep bruises on her arms.
“Who the fuck put their hands on you?” I scream out wanting answers now.
“I’ll tell you later,” she says to me, and I know by the tone of her voice I won’t be getting any answers until she’s good and ready.
Ma, Pops, Gunner, Country, Cameron and myself end up going back home with my Uncle Luca. I guess Pops knows that the only way to ensure our safety is to give into his father’s demands and return for a long overdue conversation. I’m not sure how this is going to play out, my father has a bit of a temper and he doesn’t take orders from others well, which is why when he founded the DreamCatchers he became the President. His best friend Master became his VP and still has that role to this day, not sure if when all is said and done if Pops or Gunner will be the President, everything is up in the air right now.
We board a private jet and set off for places unknown, but an adventure I’m very much looking forward to. I want to meet my grandparents and know that part of my pops, growing up thinking they’re dead has put a new spin on life for me, nothing is as it seems anymore. Gunner hasn’t let Cameron out of his sight since he got her back. I don’t know what’s going on with those two, but their heads have been together since we boarded, and they’ve acted as if no one else is here with them. I’ve seen a range of emotions play out on my brother’s face, but the one of anger is the one that leaves me the most concerned. What did she tell him of her time with Jamie? Is it as bad as my thinking is? It seems neither are at a place to be messed with, they’re in their own little world and for now I’ll leave it that way.
Country hasn’t stopped touching me one way or another since we reconnected. He’s either holding my hand, placing his hand on my back as we walk or laying his hand on my knee as we sit. Sometimes it’s both, hand on my knee as our fingers are entwined with the opposite hand. I’m not complaining in any way, I’ve missed his touch and his arms around me. Ma and Pops keep looking at us with smiles on their faces, so I know they’re not bothered by our displays of affection. Country hasn’t paid them any mind, never once looking at either one of them for permission to touch me. Gunner told me one night when we were at home that Ma and Pops had hoped Country and I found a connection. I’m happy that before we were even an item, they approved of us being together. Their opinion means the world to me, I’m happy to know that our relationship—for the most part, will be drama-free of the parental units. Not sure about Country’s mom, he’s refused to introduce me to her.
From what he’s told me about her and his childhood, I have to say that may very well be a good thing. I want to scratch that woman’s eyes out and feed them to her. What kind of mother can give birth to a child and dismiss him as if he is nothing to her but a government paycheck? I hope she catches an incurable disease and leaves my man alone for the rest of his life. If not, she doesn’t know it yet, but she’ll have me to deal with, and she won’t like the way I go about it either. Country has a family now, one who cares about what happens to him, we want the best for him and we will go after anyone who intends him harm, whether it be emotional distress or physical abuse in any way. We protect what is ours, and he is mine, he is theirs and he is loved and cherished for what he brings into our lives.
Exhaustion ended up taking hold of me during the flight and I passed out. I wake up to us descending and Country holding on to me tightly.
“Sorry Charlee girl, these flights make me nervous, we’re supposed to travel on the ground not up in the air.” I had no idea he was afraid of flying, it was my first time and I loved the thrill of looking down and everything looking miniature-sized and floating in the clouds.
“Planes are one of the safest forms of travel, Country,” I tell him from a statistic stand point.
“Don’t care, if we were intended to be in the air we would’ve been born with wings attached to our bodies like birds do.” He looks at me like I’m crazy for not thinking the same way as he does. I smirk at him and hold back the giggle that’s trying to break free.
“Just think we get to do it all over again when we’re ready to head home.”
“Don’t remind me, that was the longest six hours of my life!” This time I don’t hold back and burst out laughing.
“Nothing funny about it, Charlee girl, I nearly ripped the seat out from holding on so tightly.”
“Ahhh Country, there’s nothing to fear, I have the best plane and pilot the world has to offer,” Uncle Luca informs him.
“I highly doubt that,” Country mutters under his breath.
“Regardless of what you think, we made it safe and sound, I have a driver and limo waiting for us, let’s get off and settle your nerves,” Uncle Luca advises him.
“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day,” Country mutters as he removes first his then my seat belts. He won’t let me lift a finger to do anything for myself. We all exit the jet, and follow my uncle to a limo. I’ve never been in one before, something else I can scratch off my bucket list of things to experience in my lifetime. Once we’re all settled in, the car takes off for a destination unknown to me and I have butterflies in my tummy. I’m going to meet my grandparents, ones I had no idea even existed. I hope they like me and me them in return. I really hate the unknown, it’s sad that my grandfather waited until his dying days to try and make up for his mistakes with Pops. I hope they work everything out and he doesn’t die not making up with his oldest son.
Thirty minutes later we pull up to a gated mansion and I’m in awe that my pops grew up this way, in the lap of luxury. We’ve always had money, but nothing of this nature. To think of everything he had to give up to start over, just so he could live his life with the woman he loved, it’s mind-boggling. It must’ve been hard to lose it all, but I know he wouldn’t change a thing. Pops loves us all, especially my Ma. I can see the reservations in his eyes when the door is opened for us by a man that had been waiting at the front door.
“That’s Paco, he’s our house butler,” Luca tells us. “He’s a good man and has been with our family for a little over ten years now, you’ll love him,” he says as he exits the car. Gunner is next to follow, then Pops and the rest of us scramble out behind them. Ma is the last one to exit the vehicle, and the anxiety on her face makes me upset and I feel protective of her right now. Pops leans over and whispers something in her ear which causes her to grin, I don’t know what I was thinking, he’ll always take care of her and make sure she’s happy, no matter what the circumstances are.
We’re all shown to our rooms and I’m surprised when Country and I are given a room to share. Gunner and Cameron are sharing a room also—together, maybe they’ll be able to work out what is going on between the two of them. It’s a weird feeling thinking of my older brother and my best friend possibly having something romantic, but I love them and want them happy. And to me, there is no one better for them than each other.
I’m having a hard time holding in my overprotective feelings I’m having where Charlee is concerned. I don’t want anyone looking at her, touching her or talking to her, I want to put her in a protective bubble and have myself be the only person around her. I know it’s madness, but I can’t help the way I’m feeling after not having her with me or knowing what she was going through the last few days. I know it’s wrong of me to be feeling like this, with Ma and Pops just now being back after they were missing this past year. Maybe spending some one on one time with her will ease this tension radiating throughout my body.
First thing we do after we get into our room and are left alone is devour each other, we are hanging onto each other like we are the other’s lifeline…which in a way we are. While she was missing I realized just how deep my love runs for her, if she didn’t know it before, she will now. She will not spend one single day of the rest of her life without me by her side. Wanting to help her relax as much as I can I take her to the bathroom and start a warm bath for her, she’s been through hell and back and my need to take care of her is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.
Once the bath is the right temperature and filled a little more than halfway, I help her remove her clothes, when I pull her top over her head she winces. I turn her around and lift up her hair and I’m pissed at the huge knot I see on the back of her head. Helping her into the tub gently my mind is racing with what happened to her.
“What the fuck happened, Charlee girl?” She breaks down the events of that day and what happened after they had her in the truck. I’m livid, and if I get my hands on this Rocco character, he may not ever walk again, you do not lay your hands on a lady…especially not my woman. Heads are going to roll when Gunner and Pops find out about this. And after I get my pound of flesh, I will be there in their corner backing them up while they take theirs.
“Uncle Luca already took care of him Country, he’s apparently getting some so
rt of punishment now that they’re home. They also roughed Cameron up some which he was really pissed off about. He told his guys they weren’t to touch us in any way, they could only ‘tempt’ us to come with them.”
“Tempt you! Charlee girl, they held a fuckin’ gun to your head, I think that’s a little more than tempting you or persuading you to kindly come with them!” I yell out in aggravation, not at her but the situation itself.
“Okay, maybe tempt was the wrong word to use…sheesh Country, please stop yelling at me.”
“I’m not yelling at you babe, I’m frustrated by this entire situation, none of this was handled the way it should’ve been.” I spend the next ten minutes bathing her, once I’m satisfied I help her out then continue our conversation. “Your uncle should’ve come to us, to Gunner, not take our women.” I blow out a breath trying to ease the tension in my shoulders. She comes and grabs my hand and leads me over to a chair next to the bed, she pushes me down into it and straddles my lap. Then she lays her head on my shoulder and wraps her arms around my waist, this right here is what I’ve been needing.
Charlee's Choices: DreamCatchers MC Page 14
