by A. Lynn
That sobers me enough to say, “That is not a slight to you, darlin’. The connection between the two of you is very apparent to everyone in this room but the two of you. And what’s more, this idiot thinks that he can accomplish this by talking over you and bossing you around.”
“Dude! Cuts before sluts,” Bane yells.
“I am not a fucking slut, Bane. If anyone in this room is, it’s you!”
“You sure were begging for more of my cock like a slut,” he shrugs.
Before anyone knew what was happening, Kimberly draws her fist back and let’s it snap forward into Bane’s nose. “You crass, egotistical, lying asshole. We had sex once, ONCE, after you had been hassling me for months. I begged you? Okay, Mr. Whiskey Dick,” she mocks.
“Damn.” I’m cringing over here. I didn’t think my comment would spur this kind of hostility between two people that seem legitimately into each other.
“Don’t say another fucking word to me, Bane. I fucking mean it,” she states before directing her attention to Gunner and Axle. “Asshole over here had just finished a back piece and his client paid in cash, so I was doing a drop. I don’t like to keep much in the register, like a hundred and fifty, but I digress. He had like an hour and a half before his next client and was hungry, said he was really in the mood for some Peaches.” She rolls her eyes.
“You left her alone in the shop to get your dick wet?” Horse booms.
“It wasn’t exactly like that.”
“Then how exactly was it? You were supposed to be there all night, Bane,” Axle adds.
“It’s not important, guys. You have all left me alone in the shop at one time or another.”
“But not for two fucking hours,” Axle grits at Bane. “And definitely not with the shit that is going on right now.”
“I know I fucked up,” Bane says, reaching for her hand. “I’ll never forgive myself for what happened.”
“Don’t fucking touch me,” she sneers. “Whatever has happened between us before, is done now. I don’t even want to be your friend.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Trust me, no truer words have been spoken.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“No, we won’t. Axle, I will not be returning to the shop. I spoke with my folks while I was in the hospital, and I’m needed at home.”
“Damn, Kimberly, I wasn’t expecting that,” Axle replies.
“They have been trying to get me home since my mother had a stroke a year ago. But I was waiting for—I don’t know what for,” she says sadly.
“We sure will miss you.”
“But back to what I was telling you, I am ready to get home. So, I had just dropped the money and he had only been gone for twenty minutes tops when the phone started ringing.”
“Who called?” I question.
“I don’t know. When I finished with the spiel that I say to whoever is calling, all I could hear was hysterical laughter, so I hung up. When it started ringing again, I answered, but I didn’t say anything. The laughter started again, but I didn’t hang up this time. When the laughing stopped, a masculine voice said ‘bye-bye, Kimberly’, before it was ended. Creeped out, I quickly slammed the phone back down and reached for my cell to call Bane. I had just got his number pulled up and about to call him when there was movement in my peripheral. My head shot up and to the side and there was Dec with a smile on his face. He also did this finger wave thing and crossed the street to a vehicle. That’s when the shooting started.”
“What was Dec doing when you saw him?” Gunner asks.
“He was leaning against the front window of the shop.”
“Did you see what kind of vehicle it was?” I ask.
“It was large and black. Like a Suburban or something.”
“See, Gunner, it couldn’t have been Dec, he doesn’t own an SUV,” Pop defends.
“I can assure you, sir, I know what Dec looks like. He has been in the shop many times to get work done.”
“That’s not what I’m saying, girl.”
“Then what are you saying? I’m not feeble brained nor have a drug habit that would leave me talking out of my ass.”
“Look,” Pop starts.
“No, you look. I have known all of your children for many years. I didn’t start my day thinking, ‘I feel like getting shot today, I wonder which of Colt’s kids I can pin it on’. I’m not stupid and I would appreciate you not treating me as if I were,” she snaps. “And I don’t own a motorcycle, but clearly have access to more than one, should the need present itself. I also didn’t say that I saw him pointing a gun or even holding one, I just said that I saw him prior to the shooting.”
“I’m not the one to talk crazy to, bitch,” Pop grits.
“Call her a bitch again, Colt, and I’m going to fuck you up.”
“Why’s that, Axle, you fucking the bitch, too?”
“No, asshole, she is my friend. Not everything is about fucking someone! Shut the fuck up, Colt, I’m warning you.”
“Awe, you’re warning me? That’s cute,” Pop mocks. “Do we need to pause Church so you can find somewhere to put your purse down?”
“POP! Shut the fuck up!”
Axle is on his feet the next second and rounding the table. He has a hold of Pop at the scruff of his shirt, simultaneously yanking him out of his chair and driving his fist into his face. “What the fuck did I just say, Colt? Did you think I was fucking joking?” He gives him a gut-shot this time, dropping Pop to the floor.
When he reaches down to pull Pop from the floor to hit him again, I step in. I grip Axle’s bicep, saying, “Alright, that’s enough. I know he is being an asshole right now, but he is still my Pop.”
“Go home, Colt, come back when you’re in a better mood,” Gunner demands. “I’m beat, guys. We need to finish this session tomorrow. Meeting adjourned.”
“Uh, do I need to be here for that tomorrow?” Kimberly inquires. “I wanted to leave tomorrow.”
“Don’t go,” Bane pleads.
“I have to, there is nothing here for me anymore.”
“But there is.”
“I thought there was, but I was wrong. Goodbye, Bane,” She says just as there is a commotion in the hallway.
“You can’t go in there, ma’am. It’s for members only.”
“Boy, do you know who I am? I suggest you get out of my way.”
“I do know who you are, but I still can’t let you in there.”
“Don’t touch me!”
“Why are you touching her? Remove your hands or I will shoot you.”
“There is no need for that. I can get a message to them.”
“Get the fuck out our way!”
Something hard hitting the door has Axle rushing over. “Mom? Sheriff? What the fuck is going on out here?”
“It’s urgent, Axle. I wouldn’t come here like this. I got here after your mother, and this boy had his hands on her.”
“You put your hands on my mother, Lucky?” Axle demands.
“I just put a hand on her forearm.”
His fist shoots out to Lucky’s eye, knocking him to the floor. “Don’t ever touch my fucking mother. Ever, your ass just earned the gruntiest of grunt work for the next three months.” He threatens before giving his attention to the Sheriff. “What’s going on, Roen?”
“Can we talk in private? In there?” he points at the chapel.
He looks over at Gunner, who nods. “Sure, come in. Mom, can this wait for a few? Just until we talk to Roen?”
“This involves her, too.”
“What does it have to with her?”
“Come on, I’ll tell you.”
“Motherfucker?!”
“Boss?” he answers coming to Axle’s side.
“I want you and Killy to follow Kimberly home. Stay there to make sure she is safe, you get me?”
“I got you. Kimberly? Are you ready to go now?”
“That’s up to them.”
“Sh
e’s good to go.”
“Then yes, I am ready.”
“They are going to stay and make sure your safe, okay?”
“That’s not needed, Axle,” Kimberly refutes.
“Maybe, maybe not. I’m not taking any chances.”
“Thanks,” she says, hugging him and pulling a low growl from Bane.
“Will I get to see you before you go?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I’ll miss you. You will always have a place in my shop.”
“Thanks, Ax,” she says as she wipes a tear away.
“You know I’ll miss you the most, right?” Horse asks as he hugs her from behind.
“Of course I do! Who else could miss me more?”
“I will,” Bane says.
“Somehow I doubt that. All you need to do to forget all about me is to remember just how much you love Peaches.”
“Be safe, okay? If I don’t get to see you before you leave, let me know when you get there,” Axle demands.
“You got it,” she confirms, walking out the door.
After shutting the door and returning to their seats, Gunner demands, “So what is this about?”
Emma speaks first, “Have any of you heard from Harley today? Axle? Gauge? Gunner? I have been calling her all day and haven’t been able to get her on the phone. The last time I talked to her was two days ago—when she was on her way to work. She said that she was going shopping the next day with Ellery.”
“I haven’t spoken to her in a few days. It was probably over the weekend, at the barbecue,” Axle answers.
“Same goes for me,” Gauge—Axle’s dad—states.
“Gunner, you work together, surely you seen or talked to her,” Emma pleads.
“She worked two days ago, but she got someone to cover her shift yesterday. I didn’t speak with her then, but she manages the Fallen, as long as she covers her shift, I’m good with it.”
“What’s going on, Em? Just tell me, baby.”
“You remember I was having dinner with Sherry tonight, some new Mexican-Italian fusion place downtown I had been wanting to try? Well, when I got home, this was taped to the door.” She lays a manila envelope on the table in front of Gunner.
He opens the envelope and gasps, “No!”
“What is it?” Axle demands, but Gunner just shakes his head. He grabs the envelope from the table where Gunner dropped it, but when he gets a look at what’s inside, he goes completely white.
I am on my feet now, determined to get my hands on that envelope. When it’s in hand, I notice the writing on the front, it reads:
Hope y’all have a good day!
I raise the flap on the envelope and pull out a couple of pictures. “Oh, my God, is that Harley?”
“Yes, in one of the pictures,” Roen affirms.
“And the other?” I take a closer look at the pictures, the girls' faces are smashed in. Reagan’s face was bad, but I wasn’t prepared for the destruction I see on these girls.
“That’s Ellery,” Roen chokes.
“Gauge?!” I hear yelled behind me at the same time I hear Gauge whisper, “Not my baby,” before clutching his chest and falling into the table.
“Doc!” Roen yells. “I think he may be having a heart attack.”
“Someone call nine-one-one!” Doc yells, starting to do chest compressions. “Em, get down here and give him a breath when I say.”
I go back to the envelope to make sure we didn’t miss anything. It’s then when I see a half sheet of paper at the bottom of the envelope. I take the scrap of paper out and my blood runs cold. If I didn’t think that the Rippers had them before, I do now. The note reads:
I had hoped that you would take the hint after
what we did to one of the other whores
that hang around with you. How is Reagan, by the way?
I hear she’s pregnant, That could be fun.
Don’t make me come back for her.
The chapel has erupted in chaos around me, but I can’t look away from the contents of the envelope. I feel like I’m missing something. Something that is just out of reach, but close enough that I can feel it. Taste it. But none of us has made contact with the Rippers since what happened to Reagan, so why are the hits still coming? Why take Harley and hit Stamped, too?
Apart from Ma, Pop, Skylar, and Sasha, no one knows Reagan is pregnant. The brothers know, too, but not until a couple of hours ago. So, how does Ace know? None of the people that know would run off and tell them.
What in the actual fuck is going on here?
******
“Family of Patrick Keys?”
“That’s us,” Emma says as every member gets to their feet to approach the young doctor.
“All of you?”
“Every last one of us. I’m his wife, that is our son, and the rest of the men present are his brothers. So doctor, how’s my husband doing?”
“I’m Dr. Andrew’s, the attending physician on your husband's case. I’m sorry, Mrs. Keys, we did everything we could do but Mr. Keys' heart was critically damaged from the severity of the heart attack and was compounded with clogged arteries. In short, it simply wouldn’t accept a charge. Again, I am sorry for your loss. If you have any questions, have the nurse come and find me, okay?”
Emma just nods as tears start to rain down her cheeks. It isn’t until Axle wraps his arm around her does she make a sound, and what a sound it is. It’s what I imagine a broken and tattered heart would sound. It’s devastating to witness, to endure. I wouldn’t survive if I were in her shoes.
I wouldn’t wish that shit on my worst enemy.
“Can we see him?” Axle asks over the wails that are being ripped from Emma’s lungs.
“For a few minutes. The hospital requires us to clear the room as soon as possible, but I will let you stay as long as I can.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“Get your families, brothers. We just went to lockdown,” Gunner announces.
Chapter 6
Reagan
“Do you like that, baby? Do you like when I suck on your nipples or do you like it when I bite them?” Crow asks, biting down hard enough for me to yelp.
“Easy, love. My nipples are so tender.”
“Awe, I’m sorry. I can’t control myself with you sometimes.” He swirls his tongue around one nipple while pinching the other, just hard enough to send a shock to my clit.
“Polly Pocket wants some of your attention, too.”
“Who?”
“Polly Pocket,” I manage to say twice without laughing.
“Who’s Polly Pocket, baby?” He gives me a knowing smile.
“My pussy.”
“You named her, did you?”
“Of course I did. She’s a classy bitch.”
“Yeah, she is,” he agrees, moving down to wrap his lip around my clit as he sinks two fingers inside me. “And she is so sweet.”
“Eat up.” I drop my head back to the pillow and close my eyes. “Fuck, Kane, that feels so good.”
He removes his fingers from my pussy and drives his tongue in. “Do you like it when I fuck you with my tongue, baby?” He asks just before I feel those same two fingers rim my asshole. Lubricating me with my own juices.
My eyes fly open to stare at the ceiling when I feel one of his wet fingers breach the tight ring. “Kane, I’m not ready for that yet.”
“It’s okay, baby, I got you.” When I feel his second finger slip in, I look at him to see him staring at me, with a sinister smile on his face.
“I said ‘no’, Crow. I am not ready for that,” I say.
“Such a weak bitch,” is sneered beside me. I turn my head and see a man standing there in a ski mask.
“No…” I look back to where Crow was before, but he isn’t there. Standing there is Terry, but he isn’t wearing a ski mask. No, he wants me to know for sure who it is this time.
“Were you expecting someone else, baby?” Terry taunts. “New Guy, grab her knees
and hold them up high. I’m going to ride this whore from the front this time.”
“Beg a little more whore, Crow will love that,” the second guy says, getting on the bed behind me and bringing my knees to my shoulders.
“Keep her legs just like that.”
“Please don’t do this…” I beg as he drives deep inside…
“NOOOOO!” I scream myself awake, and my fear only intensifies when I realize that I am sitting awake in the middle of the night, alone. I am trying to calm myself down when my bedroom door swings open, violently striking the wall and paralyzing me with a new wave of terror.
“Reagan?!” Crow calls out as he quickly crosses the room to me. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
Shuddering through deep breaths, I shake my head. “Just a bad dream.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks as he wipes the tears from my face.
“Not really. Did you get everything sorted in Church?”
“Not yet. That’s why I’m here.” He pauses and rubs the back of his neck.
“What’s wrong, Kane?”
“The club is going on lockdown, baby. I need you to get up and pack a couple of bags for you and Jordan.”
“Lockdown?”
“All members of the club and their families are going to stay at the clubhouse until we know that it’s safe.”
“I can’t, Kane. I have work being done on the house, I have to work, and Jordan has school.”
“It’s not up for discussion, Reagan. I need for you to be safe.”
“Kane—”
“Just do it!”
“Why? What’s happened?” He sits and looks at me while having an internal battle with himself. “Tell me. What’s wrong?”
“The Rippers have Harley. She was supposed to be out with Ellery—the Sheriff’s sister—yesterday and no one has heard from them since.”
“How do you know that the Rippers have them?”
“They left an envelope on her mom’s door with pictures. They were beaten so bad.”
“Oh, no!”
“There was a note in the envelope, too. They said that they would have thought that we would have learned our lesson about getting in their business after what happened to you, and then…”
