“What’s your name, kid?”
“Toby.” He gritted out with defiance. He pressed his mouth tightly closed, but there was a tell- tale quiver of his bottom lip.
“You want to die, Toby?”
He snorted, and shook his head. “No. You wanna die?”
A snicker escaped me. “Looks to me like you’re in a better position for that than I am. Maybe you should think about telling us what we want to know.”
“I’m not fucking stupid,” he rasped in a tired tone. “I know we ain’t leaving here alive.”
“You’re probably right. So why don’t you make it easy on yourself by just talking to us. I can make sure you don’t suffer anymore. Make sure you go quick.”
“Fuck you!” he croaked. He made an attempt to spit. In the next instant Big John hit him in the kneecap with the pliers. The kid screamed out, and his body twisted in pain. When Big John pulled back his arm to swing at his other kneecap, he cried out, “No! Please! Not again!” He was clearly at the end of the rope of what he could endure.
Big John held off at my sharp look. I walked to him and spoke low so that only he could hear me. “Do you think you can get more out of him?”
He gave me a chin lift and grunt. “Fuck, yeah. I’ll have him squealing. He doesn’t have the guts to last much longer.”
Yeah, he was young, and it was time to end this shit. “Get rid of the others then and work on him. When you think you’ve gotten all you can out of him, you know what to do.”
I left the cellar without a backward glance, my thoughts shifting to Allie. These days I didn’t like leaving her, but I couldn’t ignore club shit. She hadn’t been out of the hospital for very long, and she didn’t like being left alone. It gutted me that she didn’t have faith in my brothers to protect her, but I knew that we would have to earn her trust again. I had to earn her trust that I could keep her and Sam safe.
I’d told her about Marnie, wanting her to understand that Marnie had been a club girl who’d thought that she had a claim on me. The only reason she’d been allowed into the house was because Cooper had known and trusted her. He hadn’t thought to check inside the box she’d said she had to deliver, which we’d found empty. Knowing that Marnie couldn’t hurt her again had reassured Allie, but it didn’t take away all of her fears.
I thanked fuck that one of the old ladies was keeping her company while Sam was in school and I was taking care of club shit. I was the VP, and a leave from my responsibilities was out of the question until we got to the bottom of this shit with the Blue Knights. At least we knew who we weren’t looking for now.
As I stepped into the club bar, my gaze lit on Joanne. She looked away quickly, and I knew the reason why. She and Marnie had been tight. I knew she was grieving the loss of her friend. She’d approached me after Bullet’s funeral to say that she was sorry for what Marnie had done, but I’d brushed her off. It hadn’t been her fault. She had nothing to feel sorry for unless she’d known what Marnie’s intentions were going to be that day. Her reaction had convinced me that she hadn’t known.
I started to walk to her, but then changed my mind when Hawk stepped into the clubhouse. A sharp jerk of his chin told me to follow him back outside. We walked a distance away from where the bikes were parked along the building before he turned and faced me.
“Had a call from Stone, he thinks he knows who Blue Knights’ president is.” I raised my brows at the unexpected news. “He thinks it’s a biker who goes by the name of Boomer, a leftover from the Red Devils.”
What the fuck? I thought back to the time that we’d helped Wild Marauders and Dark Menace get rid of Wildman and the Red Devils. The MC had been a thorn in all our sides for years, the other two MC’s more so than Phantom Riders. The attack on Lynch’s woman, and then Stone’s, who had also been Wildman’s step-daughter, had sealed their fate. We’d wiped the fucking club out. At least I thought we had.
“I didn’t know there were any Red Devils left.”
“The club is gone, but there were a few members who weren’t present for the final war. Word is they scattered and became nomads. Kept quiet about who they were and played by the rules for a while. Now it looks like they’ve been quietly gathering members for their new MC, and slowly becoming a nuisance.”
I wasn’t convinced. “What makes Stone think this guy is from the Red Devils?”
“Stone had a mole inside the Red Devils for a while, think his name was Rebel. As he was looking over surveillance tapes from one of their strip clubs he recognized someone on it as a Red Devil. He was surprised that he was still alive. So I asked for a description.”
He took a significant pause. I got the impression that he wanted me to figure it out on my own. It didn’t take long for the obvious to hit me. “Let me guess. He has brown eyes, blonde hair, and a scar running through his eyebrow.” Hawk nodded with a satisfied look on his face. “Fuck.” Finally!
“The same clean-cut fucker who’s shown up on our tapes at the clubs,” he confirmed gruffly.
He’d had Fox looking over security tapes as soon as we’d learned that the bastard and his friends were showing up at the clubs we protected, including our own. They’d been asking questions and checking things out. Covacks was getting pissed, too, because some of his product had been in the trucks the Blue Knights had hit. We’d taken a big hit in the coffers by compensating him, but it didn’t replace the hard to come by merchandise he’d been shipping.
I stated the obvious. “Blue Knights have targeted a lot of runs from other MC’s, but they seem to have a special grudge against us.”
“I’m not going to fucking worry about the why,” Hawk snarled. “They killed Bullet. They’re fucking with us, getting close to our women. Either they stop and go away, or we bury the rest of them.” I silently agreed. “Where you going, brother?” he asked when I began walking back toward the door.
“To help Big John get some answers,” I growled over my shoulder. I fucking wanted to know where we could find this Boomer fucker. “And then I’m going to hunt down Boomer and end him.” For the first time in a long while I felt hopeful that an end was in sight.
“Church in the morning!” Hawk called out. I acknowledged him with a hand gesture and continued into the clubhouse.
Chapter 33
Allie
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Michelle asked, pausing at the front door.
She was reluctant to leave me alone after my attack. I’d healed completely, physically anyway. Mentally I was fragile, and though I tried not to show it, I knew that I couldn’t hide anything from Rock. He insisted that someone stay with me when he couldn’t be home, which, lately, had been often. He’d told me that he loved me, so I shouldn’t have worried that his frequent absences had anything to do with his feelings for me. But his change in attitude toward us filled me with uneasiness.
“I’m fine, I promise you,” I smiled, ignoring the slight panic that was already beginning to churn inside my belly. Michelle had gotten a call from the nursing home where her mother was staying. Apparently, they were having trouble with her wanting to smoke in bed. They were threatening to evict her if she didn’t stop. She was putting other residents at risk and the center was, for obvious reasons, a no smoking facility.
“Rock is gonna be so pissed−”
I cut her off. “I can handle Rock.” At least I thought I could.
He was gone more than he was home these days, and when he was home he treated me like a porcelain doll. He hadn’t touched me since before the incident, except for the occasional kiss that never made it past first base, let alone second. At first I thought that he might be afraid of hurting me, but the unwelcome notion had entered my head that he might be getting his needs met somewhere else. I knew that some men craved variety.
God, I didn’t want to think about him being with another woman. One who was perfect and didn’t have a scarred body, one that didn’t have a body that was changing everyday with pregnancy. He hadn’t seen me
naked since the attack, but I was sure he had wondered how I would look. Did that turn him off? I realized that my insecurities were eating away at me, and that Rock was probably just giving me time to heal.
Knowing it didn’t keep me from wondering.
Maybe if I did something to piss him off it would be good for us, force him to react with something more than calm acceptance. He would definitely be pissed to come home and see that I was alone. I needed the old Rock back. The bad boy who made me feel wanted and desired with his actions, and even with just a meaningful look. I wanted him to lose the control he wielded like a shield these days, to push me up against the wall and fuck me blind. Anything that would alleviate my growing fears that he had someone else.
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking it’s time to show Rock that I’m a big girl and okay to stay by myself.” Sure, I’d been attacked and almost killed, but I had to put it behind me, behind us. Knowing the attacker was gone gave me some relief.
“He’s been worried about you,” Michelle nodded with understanding. “Our men can be over protective at times. And we almost lost you.”
She didn’t have to remind me. I’d stayed in the hospital for almost two weeks, and then Rock had insisted on more rest when I’d returned home. I was sore, but when he wasn’t around I moved as much as I could, per the doctor’s orders, as long as I didn’t overdo it. It had been hell at first because of all the restrictions, but my last checkup had revealed that everything was fine, including the baby.
I was almost four months along now.
My hand automatically went to my tiny baby bump when I closed the door behind Michelle. Thinking about her confronting the people at the nursing home kept a smile on my face. She was a tough little cookie, even as small as she was. Her spiky hair and tattooed arms were intimidating to anyone who stereotyped people who looked like her. In reality she was more like an angel, and as far from being a bad-ass biker bitch as you could get.
I made sure the door was locked. There were two prospects in front of the house, but they didn’t make me feel any safer. I didn’t blame Cooper for what happened. How could he have known that the woman he’d let into the house would try to kill me? But their presence only reminded me of that afternoon, and I knew it would take time before I could trust again.
I could blame Rock, too, but I didn’t. I knew there’d been other women in the seven years we’d been apart. That’s what club women were there for. The fact that he’d obviously favored Marnie left a hole in my heart. It felt like he’d found someone to replace me. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t meant anything to him, because Marnie had obviously thought he’d felt much more. And in my mind there had to have been something about her that made him single her out.
He should have known better. But he was a man and they often thought with their dicks.
He’d called to say he’d be home today. After being gone for two days, I hoped he would get home early. Sam had been invited to spend the night at Robin’s and wouldn’t be home until the next afternoon. The twins were having a sleep-over, and they’d each been allowed to invite five of their friends. I let him go reluctantly, and with a little pressure from Rock. Deep down I knew he’d be safe, and I didn’t want my fears relayed to him.
As I headed toward the kitchen for a second cup of decaf the phone rang. The caller ID revealed that it was Tom. The smile fell from my face, and I contemplated not answering it. I hadn’t heard from him in a long while, and he’d been angry when we’d last said goodbye. The last time I’d spoken with Jenny she’d said that she’d noticed him around town with another woman. At the third ring I decided it wasn’t fair to ignore him, he’d been good to me and Sam.
“Hi, Tom.” I forced a light heartedness into my tone to get across that I was glad to hear from him.
“Hi, doll,” he responded cheerfully, and I could hear the smile in his voice. “How are you and Sam making out there in Solon? Still enjoying small-town living?”
I laughed softly at that, silently happy that he seemed like his old self. “Cedar Key wasn’t all that big,” I reminded him. “And yes, we love it here. Sam’s made a lot of new friends, and so have I.”
There was no hesitation in his response, which told me that he was being genuine. “I’m glad to hear that. Wasn’t too happy with you leaving Cedar Key, you know.”
“I know that, Tom,” I said softly, praying that he wasn’t leading up to something. “I never meant to hurt you.”
“Bah! I know that, Allie. At the time I was hurt, angry, and I acted like a child, but it always works out. My mom used to say things happen for a reason.”
Relief swept through me. “So my leaving worked out, huh? Does she have a name?” I teased.
“I guess Jenny mentioned seeing me with someone else?” he laughed.
“She might have,” I admitted. “She called to tell me they’d caught the kids who’d burned down the cottage Sam and I were living in−”
“Yeah, those little hoodlums caused a lot of damage before someone turned them in.” I was nodding, even though he couldn’t see me. “They burned down an old church, a restaurant, and a garage. Thank goodness they were all abandoned buildings and no one was hurt.”
“Yes, thank God.” Jenny had told me the three kids involved were twelve and thirteen year olds. Their explanation to the authorities? That they’d been bored. I wondered how bored they were going to be in juvy. “So, what is her name?” I insisted lightly.
His laughter made me feel good inside, for both of us. “Victoria. I met her on a deep sea fishing trip last month. She’s a nurse from Georgia. Pretty, smart, a little younger than me.”
“A true southern peach, huh?” I joked, smiling.
“Yep! Her southern accent--,” he hesitated before releasing a satisfied sigh, “does something to me every time she speaks.”
Now I was the one laughing. “I bet.” I was so happy for him. “You said she’s from Georgia, is it serious?”
“Yeah. It hit us both fast and hard, right from the start. She’s already put in for a transfer here.”
Their relationship must be serious if she was already moving to Cedar Key. I decided to voice my earlier thought. “I’m so happy for you, Tom. Really.”
“Thanks, doll.” There was the hesitation that I dreaded. “Things might have been different if you’d stayed−”
“Don’t say it,” I quickly interrupted, not giving him a chance to go down that road. “Things happen for a reason.” I repeated his earlier comment.
There was a long pause before he replied, “Yeah, I know. So, are things working out there for you?”
I knew what he was asking. “Yes,” I said without faltering. No reason to go into the ‘incident.’ I hadn’t even told Jenny. “It’s always been Rock, Tom. I never stopped loving him. In time I might have moved on to someone else, but it wouldn’t have lasted, and it wouldn’t have been fair.” I needed him to at least know and understand that.
“I suppose, doll. If friendship is all I can have with you, I’ll take it. Listen, I just wanted to touch base with you. We’re still friends, right?”
“Of course,” I agreed. “And we need to keep in touch, Tom. I want an invite to the wedding!” I teased.
“Well, no-now,” he began to stutter. “That’s a long way off but I’ll add your name to the list when the time comes.” He laughed nervously. “Gotta go for now, have a client coming in. Tell Sam I said hi.”
“I will. Bye, Tom.”
“Bye, doll.”
It was the first time I’d hung up with Tom feeling good about our conversation. He’d moved on, and he seemed his happy-go-lucky-self again. From the sound of his voice, he already felt something for Victoria. I hoped things worked out for them.
I poured myself a cup of coffee, nuked it, and then decided to go upstairs. Halfway up it occurred to me that I was alone for the first time since my attack. It felt strange, but kind of invigorating. It was time to take back m
y life, and I was ready. I’d always prided myself on being strong, but it was hard being strong when everyone around you was watching out for you and handling you with kid gloves.
Today it ended. Sam was away and I needed Rock to reinforce that he loved me. My body had healed. The doctors had said I could resume normal activities, and that included sex. It was time to take matters into my own hands and show that stubborn biker that he could touch me if he wanted to, because I needed it as much as he did. At the top of the stairs I turned and entered the bedroom Rock and I shared, continuing to the bathroom. I took a sip of coffee and set the cup down on the sink counter.
I stripped in front of the mirror, my gaze drawn to every scar that I exposed. Some, the minor ones, looked like faint cat scratches. The doctor said that they would fade away in time. The scar at my upper left side where my spleen had been punctured, and the one on my stomach, were bigger and pink in color, and the seams were more noticeable where I’d been stitched up. In time they too would fade, but they would remain obvious reminders of my attack. I turned until I could see the scar on my back.
As I inspected the long track on my back I felt tears fill my eyes. I was alive, I should have been happy--happy that the baby I was carrying would be born, happy that I would still have a life with Rock, and our children. I ran my hand over my baby bump, as if comforting the child inside me. “I already love you,” I said softly. “I promise to keep you safe.” The scars didn’t look so bad when I was staring at them through tear-filled eyes.
I spent the next hour preparing for my attack on Rock. I shaved, plucked, and scrubbed my body, then shampooed my hair before rubbing myself all over with lavender-scented lotion. Since I didn’t want to be obvious about what I had on my mind, I slipped on a short linen skirt and a georgette blouse that buttoned down the front. I didn’t wear a bra, knowing that Rock would be able to see my breasts through my top if he looked hard enough, and I knew that he would.
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