And I slept better that night than I had any other night since the last time I slept beside Tunnel.
Chapter 20
I’m a train wreck full of pizza, fireworks and glitter.
-Text from Ghost to his wife.
Ghost
“Shit, shit, shit, shit,” I grumbled to myself as I hauled myself out of Mina’s bedroom window.
The moment that I was out, I turned around and gestured to her.
She followed me to where I was standing and placed her hands on the window sill.
“Make sure you lock this after I’m gone,” I ordered her.
Her mouth twitched.
“Yes, sir.”
I pulled her down by the collar of her shirt and tugged her mouth to mine.
“Be good,” I ordered. “And make sure you don’t give any of my tamales away to the boys. They’ll eat them all.”
She grinned mischievously. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Then she backed away, and I moved my hands, settling them on my hips as I watched her close the window and then lock it.
I tested it and nodded in approval.
When I turned my back to go change my clothes, she knocked on the window, drawing my attention once again.
Once she had it, she leaned forward and exhaled on the window, causing it to fog up.
Then she wrote ‘I LOVE YOU’ in the condensation. The images of the characters <3 forming a heart.
I grinned.
“Love you, too, baby.”
Then I winked, causing a flush of pleasure to raise up her neck and settle in her cheeks.
Moments later, I was dressed in a different pair of jeans, a black t-shirt and the same boots. My cut was in my hand, and I was walking out to my bike at the same time that Mina was walking out the door with Sienna in tow.
We’d cut it too close this morning.
I’d wanted to stay longer, enjoying the feeling of peace for the first time in so long, and had nearly allowed Sienna to walk in on us.
The only thing that’d saved us was the fact that Sienna had yelled from the end of the hallway that it was almost time to go.
Winking at my woman in her scrubs, looking adorable with her hot pink stethoscope around her neck, I waved at them.
Sienna waved back enthusiastically, and I grinned.
Getting on my bike, I waited for the two of them to get into the SUV before I started my bike up.
Sienna watched me the entire time, even turning around in her seat to look at me as they drove in front of me down the road to the intersection.
I waved at her when she turned left, and I turned right, and headed to the office where I had a video conference with Lynn, Silas and two other members of our team.
My happy mood evaporated the moment that I got on the line with Lynn and Silas.
“They’re moving?” I questioned what I’d just heard.
Lynn nodded, as well as the two men who had been insinuating themselves into my parents’ investigation.
“Van and Candace both made a ‘mutual’ decision to move out of state,” he said. “They haven’t moved yet, but they’re in the process of moving…and there’s something else.”
I knew I wasn’t going to like this. Not even a little bit.
“Yeah?” I pushed.
“They are saying that your sister is going with them.”
It felt like I’d just taken a sucker punch to the solar plexus.
“She’s what?” I bellowed, standing up. “I had her moved away from them. How did they even find her? Why the fuck would she do that?”
The first agent, Donald, shook his head. “I’ve only heard rumors, so I can’t speculate as to why.”
“I’ve heard rumors, too,” Vance, the other agent, said. “But only that, rumors.”
“Enlighten me on these rumors then,” I ordered.
Lynn’s mouth twitched, and I could tell he found it humorous that I was acting like their boss right now instead of him.
But I didn’t much give a shit at the moment.
Not when it came to my sister’s safety.
“There’s two,” Vance said. “The first is that she’s being forced so she can keep her inheritance.”
I shook my head before he’d even finished that one. “She’s a registered nurse. She has no reason to need her inheritance, nor would she want it. No, it would have to be something big to get my sister to go with them.”
“The other rumor is that she’s pregnant.”
My breath left me.
That would be more likely to be true, but I don’t know how that would’ve happened, and why she would think going with my parents would make that better. They were the worst people on the planet, when it came to family, and they didn’t much care what anybody thought, even their kids.
They’d been horrid to grow up with, and if it hadn’t been for Audrey and me having each other, our childhoods would’ve been a whole lot more different.
Not to mention Audrey was wary of everyone—man, woman and child.
Six years ago, Audrey had been raped on her way to her car after work. Ever since then, I’d not seen, or heard about, her finding anyone to be with. Sure, she was a beautiful girl and could get anyone she wanted, but she shut down anyone who got too close. The second they crossed over some invisible line known only to her, she retreated, and when she retreated, she burned the bridge so that they couldn’t follow her back.
I’d watched this, time after time, over the last six years. So, excuse me, for being doubtful that she was pregnant.
There had to be another reason as to why she was ‘moving’ with my parents.
That was a crock of shit.
“I think it’s more likely that she’s being forced in some way to go,” I murmured. “I’ll have my wife call her and find out why.”
There was silence from all ends of the phone lines, and it took me a few long seconds to realize what I’d just said.
“Knew you’d cave,” Silas finally said. “Knew that her being there in your territory, you’d break.”
I sighed.
Then Lynn started to laugh.
I looked into his olive green eyes, the same color as mine, and idly wondered about Mina’s question from the other day.
Is he your brother?
No, we weren’t brothers. But now that I was studying the man, it was more than apparent that our features were similar. Not exactly, but similar enough that I wasn’t sure how I didn’t notice them before now. A cousin, possibly.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I muttered darkly. “I didn’t cave, anyway. She figured it out.”
Silas’ eyes were dancing.
“Girl ain’t stupid, boy,” Silas muttered, then passed to look at something behind him. Moments later, his daughter, who was growing way too fast, came into the frame. She whispered something into his ear, and I watched as the man’s smile lit up his face before he shook his head. She disappeared moments later, and Silas’ eyes returned to the screen.
“I’ve missed so much,” I murmured.
I’d not only missed my own kid growing up, but I’d also missed everyone else’s. It felt like life had passed me by, and I didn’t like the feeling.
I sighed.
“You’ve missed it, but there’s enough time to catch up,” Silas offered. “We’re taking care of this now. We’re fixing this. Because it’s time. We’ve tried to do this the right way. It’s now time to do it in whatever way that gets the job done.”
“Agreed,” Lynn said. “Donald and Vance? As of right now, you can return to regular duty. Meet me at my office for a briefing the day after tomorrow. Then take a week off.”
We knew what that ‘take a week off’ meant. Lynn didn’t want them anywhere in the area when this shit hit the fan. Because it was very apparent that the only way we were going to take this operation, was by force. There were no legal protocols left to follow. This was
guerrilla warfare time, and I agreed one hundred percent.
“Lynn,” I said. “My sister needs to be out of this mess first.”
Lynn nodded.
“Send someone to get her,” he said. “Get her out of the city, take her as far away from here as you can, and sit on her.”
I gnawed on my lip thoughtfully for a few moments while I thought about who could do that, and then a smile came to my lips.
“I’ll send Fender,” I grinned. “He comes off as all sweet and shit, but the boy is fuckin’ crazy when he’s threatened.”
Silas started to laugh.
Fender was a Dixie Warden. He was the epitome of a laid-back country boy. He had an easy way about him and a deep Southern drawl. He moved slow and reacted even slower. Until he was threatened, and then he struck like a snake on speed.
“Poor Audrey won’t know what hit her,” Silas shook his head. “Maybe Fender can tape the encounter.”
I almost felt sorry for my sister.
He’d draw her in with his easy nature and get her to talk. He’d act like he wasn’t a big deal, then, when she least expected it, he’d talk her out of her panties.
Or he would try if I didn’t say something to him first.
Because there was no way in hell I was allowing that manwhore to add my sister to his notch post.
“Will do,” I said. “We meeting with the rest of the brothers the day after tomorrow?” I asked for confirmation.
Lynn nodded. “That should give your Fender time to get Audrey out and clear.”
He was right.
“All right then” I said, saluting the two men with two fingers before hanging up.
I immediately dialed Fender’s number.
“Hello?” came Fender’s relaxed drawl.
“I have a favor I need to ask of you,” I said to the man without preamble. “Can you get off of work long enough for a week and some change?”
Fender grunted. “Likely.”
“Good,” I said. Then laid out my plan.
Fender sighed when I was done. “You had me until you said I couldn’t have her.”
I grinned. “She’s delicate,” I hesitated, wondering if I should say this second part or not. Then decided, fuck it. He may need to know that information if she started to freak out. “She’s…she’s like Amy.”
Fender was quiet for a long time. So long that I had to check my phone to see if we were still connected.
“Fender?”
“I’ll help her. And I won’t touch her,” came Fender’s promise.
My head dropped. “Thanks man.”
Amy had been why Fender had gotten my vote to become a fully patched member of the Dixie Wardens MC.
Big Papa, our pseudo president who refused to take the mantle, had asked Fender what his biggest sin was.
He hadn’t hesitated in stating it.
My best friend, since I was four, raped my sister over and over again for nearly two years, whenever he came over to my house. I didn’t know what was going on, and Amy, my sister, hadn’t told anybody what was going on, because my ex-best friend had threatened her with killing me in my sleep. It was one night, when I woke up to find my room empty, and Jay nowhere in sight.
I’d gotten up to search for him when I heard weird noises coming from my fifteen-year-old sister’s room.
I pushed the door open, thinking she was having a nightmare, when I found Jay on her bed raping her. He’d had her face covered with a pillow, and she was being forced down with the comforter off of her bed holding her upper body immobile.
I snapped. Killed him in a fit of rage.
I couldn’t say that I wouldn’t have done the same thing if that had been me.
I’d have killed to have the closure that Fender did.
When I hung up, I dropped my hand to my face and rubbed it vigorously.
Now I needed to call my wife and ask her to call my sister and tell her not to freak out when some strange man showed up at her door.
A smile lit my face.
I hadn’t gotten to call her in a really, really long time. And I couldn’t fucking wait to hear her voice.
***
Mina
I picked up the phone and answered it while also charting what I’d just administered to a patient in room three
“Mooresville ER, this is Mina.”
“Hey,” came the growly reply.
My eyes closed, and a knot formed in my throat, as a shiver stole over my body.
I hadn’t heard that voice over a phone line in such a long time that it was nearly debilitating to finally have that again.
“Hey,” I said, my voice coming out husky and choked with emotion.
“Baby,” came his whispered, gruff reply. “Are you okay?”
The computer screen in front of my face swam.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” I said softly, dashing away a tear with the back of my hand when it spilled out of my eye. “Are you okay?”
“Yes and no,” he answered hesitantly. “I need you to call Audrey and tell her that one of the boys over here is going to come get her.”
My brows rose.
“Is she in trouble?” I asked worriedly.
Audrey and I had turned into each other’s go-to person.
After Tunnel had died, we’d had no one left but each other, and we’d used that to our advantage and strengthened the bond we already had.
Sure, I’d had the club, but none of them felt the supreme feeling of loss that Audrey and I felt, making us closer than anyone else could ever be.
And I suddenly felt like shit, because I now had Tunnel back, and she didn’t.
“No, she’s not in trouble,” Ghost said. “Not yet, anyway. Not if we can get her back with us in time.”
I frowned.
“What’s going on?” I pushed.
“From what I hear, my parents have somehow cajoled her into moving with them.”
My heart started to pound.
Audrey had nothing to do with her parents. She hated them almost as much as Tunnel did.
There was no love lost between them, and Audrey would never, ever voluntarily put herself into the same breathing space as them, let alone move with them. Speaking of moving…
“Why are they moving?” I asked in alarm.
“Exactly,” Tunnel agreed. “Why the fuck are they moving?”
I bit my lip.
“What do I say to her to get her to go with some strange man that she doesn’t know?” I asked. “You know her just as well as I do. She won’t do it willingly.”
He cleared his throat. “Fender already has the permission to share that I’m alive. You, well you just tell her the truth about Josh. I know you’ve given her the runaround about it, but if she knows the full story, then she’ll willingly come up here. Just tell her it is for her protection and that it’s so she’s not followed to you.”
All of that was true. I wouldn’t be lying to her.
“Okay,” I finally agreed. “I’ll call her now. Is there anything else you want me to tell her?”
“No,” he said. “I’ll talk to her myself once she gets here.”
A smile took over my face. “That makes me happy, Tun.”
I hated the thought of having this knowledge about Tunnel being here, and her not aware.
We’d both made many drunken promises, over the last six years, and I hated the thought of keeping something of this magnitude from her.
“All right, baby,” Tunnel said. “I gotta go. I have to figure out what in the hell is going on to make my parents bolt right when we have the best lead yet.”
“What lead?” I whispered, staring blankly at the screen in front of me.
“Josh,” Tunnel said, confirming my fears. “He thought he could play ball with the big boys, but he’s about to find out how wrong he was.”
And for some reason, that made my heart pound.
“Alrighty
then,” I said breathlessly. “Will I see you when I get off of work?”
He grunted in reply. “Spent enough nights without you, Minnie. I don’t want to spend any more time alone.”
With that he hung up, and I said ‘I love you’ to dead air.
But I knew that he felt it, just as he knew I felt the same way.
Sighing and tossing a look beside me at Dr. Tommy Tom, who hadn’t even acted like he wasn’t listening to the entire encounter, I stuck my tongue out at him.
Today I’d given him a reaming for withholding information about my dead husband not being so dead, and he’d only smiled.
Now, here he was, unabashedly listening to my conversations with my now very much alive husband, and he was listening in like he had something to do with my husband’s miraculous reincarnation, so to speak.
Glaring at the man who continued to just smile at me, I searched through my latest calls and hit go beside Audrey’s name. I’d called her a few days ago to let her know where we were, and she’d called me the next night to make sure I was settling in all right.
“Hello?” Audrey answered.
I immediately frowned.
“Audrey, what’s wrong?” I asked instantly, sitting up in my seat.
“Nothing,” Audrey lied.
We both knew when the other lied. We’d been doing it so often to each other over the course of our friendship that it was almost second nature to know.
Our ‘yes, I’m all right’ had always meant ‘no, I’m not all right. I’m hurting and it’s hard to breathe.’ But we always said we were all right, because admitting that we weren’t felt like we entirely way too close to the breaking point.
Audrey sighed. “I’m in trouble.”
I relaxed a small amount.
She wouldn’t admit that if she was in danger.
“What’s going on?” I asked, leaning back in my chair.
I noticed that Tommy had relaxed once again, too, going back to leaning casually in his seat as he listened to me instead of being on alert.
“I made a mistake.” She didn’t sugar coat it. “I got this package. It was delivered to my place by mistake, but it was addressed to my parents. Instead of opening it, or throwing it away like I should have, I delivered it to their place while I was visiting some friends in Benton. I was going to just drop it off on their doorstep, but when I got there, a guy was outside. He’d fallen and had hurt himself pretty badly. His arm was dripping blood from a gaping wound on his forearm and training just kicked in. I helped him stop the bleeding, and in return for staying as long as I did, my mother and father arrived home.”
Beard Up Page 14
