by K. J. Dahlen
Connie turned and glared at the clubhouse, thanks to the bitch she was as good as dead to the club anyway. She wasted no time in putting the picture on the web. She even asked the question if anyone out there knew the artist. She couldn’t wait to get a response. Carelessly, she tossed the phone into the brush. The phone was under Wiley’s name and she knew he would turn it off in a day or so anyway. She couldn’t count on him to forget about it.
She wasn’t going very far. Connie had one more little trick up her sleeve. She was going to sneak back in when no one else was around and give Cassie one last taste of her revenge. She narrowed her eyes as she remembered Cassie’s soft spoken words about being locked up in the dark.
~* * * *~
Deke held Cassie until she’d fallen asleep. Carefully laying her down, he covered her up and leaning over her, he kissed her forehead. He closed the door quietly and glanced at his vice president in surprise. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“We had a problem earlier,” Gator growled. “That bitch Connie was listening at the door. I don’t know what she heard and it ain’t my business to ask but she got an ear full.”
Deke’s rage at the bitch grew. “Where the hell is she?”
“Wiley stripped her of his cut and tossed her dumb ass out the front door.”
Deke thought for a moment then slapped Gator on the shoulder. “You’d better come with me, there’s something we need to talk about.” He led the way to his office. While Deke got out a bottle and poured them a drink, Gator shut the door behind them.
Sitting down on the other side of the desk, Deke lifted his glass and toasted, “Hair of the dog.” They both slammed the whiskey down and Deke poured another. He sat there thinking for a moment. Finally, he said, “Gator, she told me something about her childhood today. It just about gutted me.”
Gator tightened the grip he had on his drink. “You know not every kid has a great time growing up. The world out there can be a harsh place for anybody.”
Deke nodded. “But it shouldn’t have to be for a little kid. No one should have to be beaten every day from three years old on. Her Mom died just before she turned three and her bastard of a father sold her to an evil bitch. He sold his three year old baby girl.”
Gator looked incensed. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Deke shook his head. “She hasn’t told me everything yet, but she will. At least I have a place to start looking.” He leaned back and sipped his whiskey. “Peaches told me she met Cassie when they were both five years old and that they both ran away when they were ten. She didn’t say why but Cassie told me the story.”
“And that was?” Gator asked.
Deke’s fingers tightened on his glass. “The bitch’s barely teenage son was hurting Peaches. He was cutting her and then he was going to rape her. The bastard was going to rape a ten year old kid.”
“How did she get them both the hell away?”
“She heard Peaches screaming and was able to break the ropes they tired her wrists with. Poor kid could barely hold anything in her hands until she saw what the puke was doing to Peaches. She was able to stab the bastard. She said she did it over and over again. She grabbed Peaches and they took off. She said it took three days of hiding to get Peaches in condition to travel and they both have been hiding since then.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to call Rusty and see what he can find out about the attack. She claims she murdered this kid but with everything that went on in that house, any good lawyer would call it self-defense. That little bastard deserved what he got and more.”
“Is that why she can’t stand to be touched?”
Deke shook his head. “She told me they would tie her hands together with rope then throw her down in a dark damp basement with no food or water for days. Then they would torment her by grabbing her in all the wrong places. This went on for years and no one would help her.”
“Sweet Jesus,” Gator whispered. “No wonder being touched freaks her out.” He finished his drink. “Where did she learn to defend herself?”
Deke sighed. “She said she learned to take care of herself and Peaches on the street. She said it was tough going for a while but she learned. She would watch from the shadows and learned how to kick box. She said by the time she was twelve, she could take on anyone who messed with them.”
“Fuck me,” Gator whispered in awe. “Yep, spitfire.”
Deke nodded his head it was a fitting name…he knew that now. He leaned back and rested his head against the back of his chair. “You know what surprised me the most Gator?”
“What’s that?”
“The other morning I woke up to find her leaning over me. She was looking at me funny and I asked her what she wanted. She told me she’d never kissed anyone before and she asked if she could kiss me.”
“And what did you tell her?” Gator smirked.
Deke smiled. ”I let her kiss me.”
“Of course you did man.” Gator laughed.
“Then I let her do a whole lot more.” Deke frowned. “I thought maybe she’d been kidding about never kissing anyone before but I was wrong. The girl was a true innocent.”
“A virgin?” Gator asked astounded.
“Yup, she was and she gave her innocence to me.” Deke shook his head. “You know me Gator, I’ve never had that before. I’ve always made sure the bitches I fucked knew the score. I’ve never had anything that sweet before. Never wanted the baggage that goes with a starry eyed girl…but I want this one.”
Gator grabbed the bottle and poured them another drink. “Sounds like love man.”
“I know, ain’t it a bitch?” Deke slammed his shot down.
“No man, love ain’t a bitch,” Gator told him quietly. “Love is the best fucking feeling in the world. There ain’t nothing finer in the world than the love of a good woman. What Reva and me got, man, I wouldn’t trade that for all the gold in the world.”
Deke stared at his vice president for a moment then said, “I think I finally found it. With a girl almost half my age.”
Gator leaned forward. “I’m gonna let you in on a little known fact. If what you feel for Cassie is real, brother you hang on to that. You fight with every fiber in your body for her, cuz man if she’s the one, you’ll never have better.”
Deke smiled as he remembered the first time they made love. He couldn’t begin to describe the feelings he’d had when he took possession of her body. He remembered in vivid details the touch of his lips on hers. He got hard just thinking about her. Adjusting himself, he reached for the phone. “I’d better get Rusty going on this. I want everything I can get.”
Gator nodded.
“Maybe we should get Peaches to a safe house,” Deke suggested. “With Big Jimmy’s death and all this shit, I don’t want her out there alone. Cassie would never forgive herself if anything happened to her. They have come too far together for her to lose her friend now.”
Gator got up and left the room to take care of business.
Deke dialed Rusty’s number and asked him to find out what he could. When he hung up the phone, he sat there thinking about what he’d learned today. He’d had a bad childhood but it was nothing compared to hers. When he found the club, his life fell into meaning. He had someone strong to stand behind and beside him while Cassie only had Peaches. Together, they had each other and that’s all either of them had ever known. Until now.
Now, they had the club and neither of the girls would ever have to fear the dark again. That he vowed. He would protect them both.
Deke got up and walked out to the main room. He stopped in front of the tiger again, and just stared at the beast. He felt someone come up behind him but he didn’t care. Finally, he turned and saw it was Wiley standing there.
“Boss, I’m so sorry for what Connie did this morning. I mean, I can’t believe she did it. Well, I can’t say that because I know she did it. She’s had it in f
or Cassie ever since you brought her here.”
“We both know why she did. Connie was gonna kick the ass of anyone who hurt you,” Deke told him.
Wiley nodded. “But I told her not to do that. Cassie did warn me not to touch her but I thought being bigger, I could take her. Well…” Red color stained Wiley’s cheeks. “…I got shown the error of my ways. I mean seriously, that girl’s got moves.”
Deke felt a bit of pride filling his chest. “On that, I have to agree with you. She can take care of herself.”
Wiley turned and gazed at the tiger. “She’s got talent too. The patch is great but this tiger? I’ve never seen anything so real. It almost feels like the damn thing is coming out of the wall, right at you.”
“Yeah, it does, doesn’t it?” Deke stared at Wiley for a moment then asked, “Are we square on the whole Connie thing?”
“Yeah, boss, we’re square.” Wiley held out his hand. When Deke shook it Wiley said, “She was getting to be more trouble than pleasure. It would have happened at some not too distant date anyway.”
Deke nodded the turned to walk away.
Wiley called out, “Is Cassie going be okay? We heard her screaming when we came in.”
Deke turned to Wiley. ”I hope so…I hope so.” He continued on his way to the kitchen where Reva was drying a pan. When she looked up at him, he could see concern on her face.
“How is she doing?” Reva asked.
“Better I think.” He hesitated then blurted out, “Can you keep an eye on her for me? I know I’m asking a lot but could you just check on her today once or twice, while I’m gone? I need to know she’s okay.”
Reva smiled and put the pan on the counter. She went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Sure thing hon, I’ll watch out for her. If anything happens I’ll give you a call.”
Deke hugged her tight. “Thanks Reva. You are a good woman. I don’t know how you put up with Gator but you deserve better.”
Reva laughed. “Honey, what me and Gator have is the best thing that ever happened to me. I don’t know what I would do without that man.”
“Funny.” Deke grinned. “He just told me the same thing about you.”
Reva just backed away and smiled. Her cheeks blushed a bright red and she shooed him out the door. “Go to work boss man, go on get out of here.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Deke grinned as he turned and left the clubhouse. His spitfire would be in good hands. Swinging his leg over his bike, he stared the engine. Revving it, he tore out of the parking lot and headed for the dance club.
~* * * *~
Deke missed seeing the woman standing behind a tree just outside the main gate. He missed seeing the expression of hate on her face and seeing Connie slip inside the compound, keeping herself in the shadows.
Once she got inside the club, she scurried off to a little used closet to wait for the right time to make her strike. She knew that at some point, everyone would be gone. They all had their own things to do. However, she also knew they would be back, so if she was going to get even with Cassie she wouldn’t have long to get the deed done and get out of here in one piece. She realized if anyone caught her back here, she would get beaten or worse, killed for what she was about to do.
When Connie didn’t hear any sounds coming from beyond the door of the closet she was hiding in, she opened the door slowly. Peeking around, she found she was alone. She quickly moved toward Deke’s bedroom and quietly opened the door. Seeing Cassie asleep, she slipped into the room. Standing next to the bed, she sneered at the other woman. She turned and walked over to one of the shelves in the room and picked up a heavy wrench laying there. She went back to the bed and brought the wrench down on Cassie head. The sound the impact made was loud and Connie feared someone heard it. She went to the door and peeked out. She was surprised that no one was running toward the bedroom. Then she smiled. No one but her had heard the thud of metal hitting her skull.
She turned back to the girl on the bed. Blood ran from the impact point and was making a stain on the bed sheets but Connie didn’t have time to worry about that at the moment. She had to finish her mission and get the hell out of Dodge before anyone caught sight of her.
She grabbed an extension cord and wound it around Cassie’s wrists. She made it extra tight, so it would hold her. Then she hoisted the woman over her shoulder and began walking toward the door. Making sure the coast was still clear, she hurried toward the kitchen and beyond.
Opening the basement door, she turned on the lights. Each step she took brought her deeper into the dark dankness below ground. By the time she got to the bottom of the stairs, Connie could see the puddles of water left standing by the recent rains. The dark black mold on the walls stunk to high heaven. Wrinkling her nose at the scent of mold and decay, she carried Cassie’s body over to the far corner of the room. The light had shown her there was an anchor imbedded in the wall to hold shelving at some point in the past. She looped the end of the cord she’d tied Cassie’s hands with and made sure the bindings would hold her.
When she was done, Connie glared at Cassie hanging there in the oblivion of unconsciousness. “You cost me everything I worked for all my life bitch,” Connie sneered at her. Kicking her in the ribs a few times, she said, “The least I can do is repay the favor.”
She turned quickly and hurried for the stairway. At the top, she hit the lights and plunged the basement into complete darkness. The last sound in the room was the snap of the door being locked.
Connie then hurried back to the woods before anyone could see her. From there, she began the long walk into town. She would have to find a job and a place to stay. Without any money, it wouldn’t be easy. She would have to find a way to get by. She was a survivor.
~* * * *~
Reva smiled as she made her way down the hall to Deke’s bedroom. It had been four hours since she checked on Cassie. She knew the other woman needed her sleep but it was time to join the world of the living. She knocked softly on the door and waited for Cassie to call out. When she didn’t, Reva knocked a bit harder.
When she didn’t hear a sound behind the door Reva opened it and went inside. When she did, she came to a standstill and felt a horror wash over her. A bloody wrench laid on the floor beside the bed and a small pool of blood stained the sheets. With her body shaking, she wanted to scream but couldn’t get any sound to come through her mouth. She turned and ran out to the main room of the clubhouse. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she tried to breathe.
Sobs vibrated from her chest as she stumbled to the kitchen and reached for the phone. Dialing a number she knew by heart, she waited for Gator to pick up the phone.
~* * * *~
Gator was laughing at something Deke had said when his phone rang. The two of them were in the dance hall office. When he answered the call, he could hear someone sobbing. Frowning, he sat up in his chair and held the phone to his ear. “Who is this?”
“Gator, she’s gone,” his wife cried.
“Who’s gone baby?” Gator asked as fear crawled up his back.
“Cassie. Cassie’s gone.” Reva sobbed. “I went in to check on her like Deke asked me to do this morning and I found a bloody wrench on the floor and Cassie is missing. Oh Gator!” she cried out. “There’s blood on the sheets.”
“We’ll be right there baby. Don’t worry, we’ll find her.” Gator ended the call and got to his feet.
Deke stood beside him and asked, “What the fuck is going on man?”
Gator looked at his brother, his best friend. He didn’t know how to tell him, so he just blurted out what he knew, “Your spitfire is missing and there’s blood on the sheets.”
Deke ran for the door. Gator was right behind him. As they ran through the club, several of the brothers started running as well. They might not know what was going on but when the President and Vice President of the MC start running, they knew enough to rush as well.
Speeding through town, they
got to the clubhouse in record time.
Deke didn’t even take the time to put his kickstand down. Instead, he handed his bike over to Gator and ran for the door. Throwing it open, he found Reva standing there sobbing.
She was wringing her hands together trying to hold it together.
He grabbed her by her upper arms and looked into her eyes. “What happened?”
“Oh Deke, I’m so sorry!” Reva wailed. “I went to check on her and she was gone.”
Deke’s fingers tightened on her arms as a crushing fear almost knocked him over.
“Let go of my woman.” Growled Gator as he took in the sight of Deke’s hands clenching Reva’s arms.
Deke snapped his head around to stare at Gator. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You’re hurting my woman, man.” Gator could see the rage on Deke’s face and he didn’t want Reva on the other end of it.
Deke turned to stare at Reva. He could see the terror and pain on her face. He let go of her arms and pulled her to him. “I never meant to hurt you.”
“It’s okay Deke. I understand but you have to find Cassie. She’s hurt and she needs you.” Reva told him.
When Deke let her go, Gator grabbed her. “Are you okay baby?”
Reva shook her head at his concern. Pushing him away she said, “You go with him. He can’t do this alone, honey. He needs you and the boys right now.”
Gator kissed her quick and tore down the hall. When he entered Deke’s bedroom he found his boss down on his knees. Laying his hand on Deke’s shoulders, he gazed at the pool of blood on the bed. Deke was holding a pillow and it had bloodstains on it as well.
Then he looked at the floor. There was a stained wrench sitting there. Gator bent over to pick it up. He could see a fingerprint on the handle. A bloody fingerprint.
