by K. J. Dahlen
Gator stood there with his hand raised as if to knock.
“Did you make the call?”
Gator nodded. “I don’t think you’re gonna like what Rusty had to say about those three.”
Deke stepped out of his room and walked a few feet down the hall. Turning to Gator, he prompted, “Tell me.”
“When I gave him the names he hadn’t heard of Holden or Winger but he knew the name Jeb Carlyle.”
“How did he know that name?”
Gator rubbed his fingers along his jaw. “Carlyle is one tough sonofabitch. Rusty says he likes to play and he plays rough. Word around Boston is he’s connected to a string of street women who have turned up almost beaten to death.”
“Fuck.” Deke swore.
“He said he would find out what he could about the other two and forward their photos to your phone.”
Deke nodded handing the notebook to Gator. “Take this to Zipper and have him look at it. Don’t leave him alone with it. Stand over top of him and don’t let that book out of your sight. I want to know what it means.” Deke turned, but turned back, “Oh, and Gator, before you find Zipper, go give your woman a kiss. She deserves it.”
Gator grinned and took off toward the kitchen.
Deke returned to the bedroom and found Cassie sitting on the bed going through the evidence. She looked up at him with panic in her eyes. “Where is it? It’s not here! How can it not be here?”
“What are you looking for?” Deke frowned.
“The little notebook. It was here earlier.”
Deke sat down next to her. Very carefully, he took her hands in his. “I gave the notebook to Gator. I have a man who might be able to decode it.”
Cassie stared at his hand. Pulling hers loose from his hold, she scooted away from him. “You had no right to take it.”
“Do you know what was in that book?”
Cassie nodded.
“Lance Sullivan came to see us today. He said the bitch is putting pressure on the police to find you. She wants you charged with Robbie’s murder. I think you should talk to him. Tell him what really happened that night and what’s been happening ever since.”
“Why?” Cassie tilted her head and stared at him.
“He could stop it from happening again. You could save some other kid from living your nightmare.”
“How do you know Lance Sullivan’s name isn’t in that book?” she asked quietly.
Deke felt his heart stop. He hadn’t thought about that. “Do you know if it is?”
Cassie shook her head.
“We’ll wait and see if Zipper can make heads or tails of the list of payouts I found.”
“Maybe you should just let us go,” Cassie suggested. “We’re more trouble than we’re worth.”
Deke brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “You and Peaches aren’t going anywhere. We’ll take care of you.”
“But you don’t even know us.”
“You’re right, I don’t know you, but I do know you belong here with me and my boys,” Deke whispered. “Besides, I can’t let you go now. You’re mine and I won’t let you go.”
Cassie stared at him with steady eyes.
Deke met her gaze straight on. “This club protects its own. I also think you should know the bitch sent three men after you and Peaches. For some reason, she wants you brought back to Boston. I don’t think she plans to turn you over to the cops.”
Cassie shivered. “She doesn’t. She sold me to a man a long time ago and he’s too powerful to let me go. She has to make good on the sale or face his wrath.” Shrugging she said, “I’ve managed to avoid it for eleven years.”
“He still wants you?” Deke frowned.
“Probably not…But she does. She told me that if I didn’t cooperate with the sale, she would make my life a living hell. She knows she can hurt me more by hurting Peaches. She would make me watch while she hurts my friends.”
“Fucking bitch,” Deke seethed.
Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the sound of gunshots echoing in the distance.
Deke ran for the door. He turned and ordered, “You stay here. Do not leave this room.” Then he was gone.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Cassie heard footsteps running from every direction, then she heard nothing. A few minutes later, the door flew open as Reva and Peaches joined her.
Reva was holding a gun in her hands and she shooed them into the corner behind the bed. She closed and locked the door then joined the girls in the corner.
Then after what seemed like forever, they finally heard slow even footsteps coming down the hall toward the door. Reva held her gun a little tighter and aimed it square at the door. Moving her thumb, they heard a click as she took the safety off.
“Reva,” Deke called out. “It’s me, don’t shoot.”
Reva closed her eyes and lowered her weapon. Flipping the safety back on, she called out, “Come on in.”
The door opened. Deke, Gator and Wiley came in.
Deke looked over at them. “Are you girls okay?”
Reva nodded. “We’re good. Did anyone get hurt?”
“Cutter took a through and through in his arm,” Gator answered. “He’ll be okay. Doc is checking him out now.”
Reva got to her feet and went to the main room with her husband, leaving Deke and Wiley with the other two women.
Cassie helped Peaches up from the floor and they too made their way to where the others were standing, the crowd parted and Cassie could see the man that got hurt. Blood ran down his arm.
The man everyone called Doc was cleaning his wound. He looked up and announced, “It’s a clean wound. All he needs is a band-aid and a drink. It could have been worse.”
“What happened out there?” Deke demanded.
Cutter glanced up. “I saw some movement in the woods outside the fence. Before I could take stock, I felt the burn of a bullet. I returned fire and some of the other boys joined me. Whoever was out there ran off. I don’t know if he was hit or not.”
Deke ran his fingers through his hair. “We need to stay alert boys. Cutter saw one man but there could be as many as three trying to get in here. Get those lights on. Make it impossible for them to get in. Stay in the shadows and out of the line of fire.” Deke met the gazes of his men. “We’ll go on four and four. Half of you guys rest, the other half on guard duty. Change places every four hours.”
Everyone went to their places. Some of the guys went outside while the rest headed to the rooms down the hall beyond Deke’s bedroom.
Deke walked over to one of his guys sitting in the corner. He was at a small table, scribbling on a piece of paper. “Zipper, have you had any luck?”
Zipper looked up and nodded. “You were right, it’s a log of payments coming in and going out. There are no names listed, only initials but anyone who knows anybody in Boston, might be able to tell you who these people are.” He leaned back in his chair. “This book covers an eight year time span. It has twelve sales listed.”
Deke nodded. “That book is at least eleven years old. Since then, she’s probably sold dozens more.”
“What exactly is she selling?” Zipper asked.
“Do you really want to know?”
Zipper nodded and waited,
“She’s selling kids, very young kids.”
Zipper stared at the other man, then shook his head. “I know we don’t work with the badges but we need to do everything we can to stop this bitch, cuz that’s just wrong. Any way you fucking slice it, selling kids is wrong.”
Deke motioned his head to the notebook. “Is the name Lance Sullivan listed in there under out going payments?”
Zipper shook his head. “Not that I found.”
“Then let’s hope he’s an honest badge. Maybe we can give this information to him and he can bust her ass.”
~* * * *~
A short time later, Cassie looked around the room for Peaches
and found her on the sofa sleeping. Some of the men were sitting at the other tables talking quietly. She could see Deke and Gator at one of the other tables. She got to her feet and joined Reva in the kitchen.
She didn’t say anything. She just went to the corner and slid down the wall. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she rested her chin on them. For a long time, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Cassie asked the question, “Why is Deke doing this for me? I’m nobody. Why is he risking his life and everyone else’s for a woman he doesn’t even know? I don’t understand.”
Reva cut through the sandwich she was making, then laid the knife down. Without turning her head, she replied, “Some people look at these guys like they’re shit they just stepped in. Not many people understand who or what these guys are. All they can see is that they’re bikers. Big bad asses that belong to a club.” Picking up her knife again, she continued, “And they are all of that, but so much more. Belonging to a MC club doesn’t mean these guys don’t care. We’re a family. Hell, most of these guys joined the club just to belong somewhere. Some of them are misfits, some of them just like to be bad, but like everybody else, they’re human.”
Cassie listened and thought about the warmth she saw in Deke’s eyes and what she thought about him the first time she saw him. He wasn’t like what she thought at first.
“Being in a club isn’t easy for everyone and not everyone can live this life, but it’s a damn good life for those who can. We all work for a common goal and we all stand together to protect this way of life. We love together and the guys protect what they have. They can be a rowdy bunch but you’ll never find a better group of men.” She hesitated briefly then added, “I don’t know what these guys do for a living, other than the dance club but that’s not my business. That’s club business and we know enough not to ask. That’s one of the rules we all live by.”
Her explanation blew Cassie away. She thought clubs like this one lived dangerously, looking to break the law rather than uphold it. “Is that true for all clubs?”
Reva shook her head. “No baby girl, I’ve seen other clubs and not all of them are like this one. This is one of the better ones.”
Cassie laid her head down on her knees. “I’ve never really belonged to anything good before. Me and Peaches had to make our own way for a long time. We were all each other had.” She sighed. “It must be nice to belong to someone and something like this.”
Reva smiled. “It is…it’s very nice.”
“Is Deke one of the good guys?” Cassie whispered.
“Yes, he is, Oh, don’t get me wrong, he can be a bad ass when he wants to be. He’s a hard man, but he’s fair. I think he’d be good for you.”
Cassie closed her eyes. “I’m so tired of running, always looking over my shoulder, never knowing when trouble is going to find us. There have been a few times when I just wanted to give up. Go somewhere and just curl up and quit. I would have too, if not for Peaches. She needed me. I had to stay strong for her.”
~* * * *~
When she didn’t hear anything for a few minutes, Reva looked over and found Cassie was asleep again. There were shadows under her eyes and her skin almost appeared bruised. Her eyebrows looked tight as if her dreams upset her.
Shaking her head, Reva had to wonder what demons held this child in their grasp. She figured it was bad. Gator came in to refill his coffee cup. She met his eyes and jerked her head to where Cassie was sleeping.
Gator followed her eyes and when he saw her, his fingers curled tighter around his cup.
Reva came closer to her husband and whispered in his ear, “She’s been all the way to hell and back hasn’t she?”
Gator wrapped his big arms around his woman. “Yup, she has.”
Reva met his eyes. “Bad?”
“Worse than you can imagine.”
“Can you guys save her?” Reva asked.
“We have to…Deke won’t let her go and heaven help anyone who tries to take her away from him.” He glanced over at the girl. “Do you think we should move her?”
Reva shook her head. “Let her sleep. At least for now, the demons are leaving her alone.”
Gator kissed his woman, then poured his coffee and went back to the main room.
Reva poured herself a cup and joined him. Things were slow right now and she prayed they would stay that way.
~* * * *~
Cassie slept undisturbed for the next few hours. When she came awake again, her mind was clear and she felt a calm she hadn’t felt in some time. She stretched her arms over her head and slowly got to her feet. Her body felt recharged and she was filled with an energy she knew she would have to explore.
Peeking out into the main room, she could see everyone was quiet, most everyone seemed to be resting. Deke was in a chair leaning against the wall, his eyes closed in slumber. Gator was lying on a mattress someone had hauled into the room and he was holding Reva in his arms. They too, had their eyes closed.
Peaches was curled up on the couch. Behind her was Wiley and his arms held her. Cassie could see other mattresses along the wall. Men were laying on them and she could hear snoring echoing in the quiet.
She suddenly, had the overwhelming urge to paint. So much so, that she could picture exactly what she wanted to draw. She went to the back room and began looking at the cans of paint she’d discovered the other day.
Gathering what she would need, she carried it out to the main room. The only spot that was open was next to her painting of Rufus. It was a huge area next to the back door. Opening the black paint, she dipped her brush and began to paint. Her lines were bold and everything just came together quickly. So lost in her art, she barely heard the door open nor care as the men changed places.
Some laid down to sleep but there were one or two that laid there and watched her work.
Deke opened his eyes and in the silence, he watched her painting come to life.
The scent of paint brought Gator and Reva back to the land of the living. They too, didn’t move but watched as Cassie worked.
As the sun came up, Peaches opened her eyes and gasped softly. Wiley began to move behind her and she reached behind her to cover his mouth with her hand.
Wiley’s eyes widened as he caught sight of what everyone else could see.
A single beam of light shone on the painting and when Cassie put her brush down—that beam of light seemed to bring her painting to life. As she stood there oblivious to the room around her, she felt arms surrounding her from behind. Her heart began pounding in her chest and she felt a moment of fear. For the span of a heartbeat, she felt her fight or flight response kick in, then she recognized a familiar scent and relaxed. She knew he would never hurt her.
“He’s beautiful,” Deke whispered in her ear. He stared at her painting. The huge cat’s face almost appeared real. He could see the gleam in the lion’s eyes, as if he had just caught sight of his next meal. The cat’s mouth was set in a snarl and Deke could see a dribble of saliva gleaming off the teeth.
“I call him Diablo,” Cassie spoke quietly. She was tired now. Bringing her painting to life had drained her earlier burst of energy.
“He’s beautiful Cass,” Peaches told her friend.
Cassie turned her head and smiled. “I always did like the big cats.”
Peaches smiled gently. “Yeah, you always did.” She stared at the painting again. “I feel as if he’s seconds away from ripping into my body with those teeth.”
The doors opened and several men came in to break the silence of the room. When they saw the new painting, they stopped and stared.
Reva got up from her place on the floor and as she passed Cassie and Deke, she reached out and patted Cassie on the arm.
Cassie bent over and began cleaning up her paint cans. Carrying them to the kitchen, she ran water through the brushes. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee hit her. When she shook out the water from the brushes, she felt Peaches come up behin
d her. Cassie turned to look at her.
Peaches was smiling at her. “He is so beautiful.”
“Thanks.” Cassie nodded.
“You’re in a good place, aren’t you?” her friend whispered.
“It doesn’t make sense does it?” Cassie pondered.
“For whatever its worth, I think Deke is good for you.”
Cassie paused then said, “His touch excites the hell out of me.”
Peaches cocked her head and asked, “And that bothers you? That would be a good thing, don’t you think?”
“It could be if I didn’t feel he was holding back,” Cassie admitted.
“Holding back?” Peaches frowned.
“Every time we get together, he’s wonderful but I feel like he’s holding the best part from me. He makes me feel things I never thought I would and my body responds to his touch but there is a hint of something bigger and better in his eyes. I don’t know what it is and he has me curious.”
“That could be a good thing too.” Peaches grinned.
“Can I say something?” Reva broke in.
Cassie and Peaches turned to gaze at her.
“You’ve made it very clear to everyone here you can’t stand to be touched. Deke respects that. He knows some of what you’ve been through and he doesn’t want to hurt you. But honey, there’s a good touch and a bad touch. Sharing your body with someone you care about is a good thing. I know some women who only want a gentle touch and they look for men to give it to them. These men aren’t gentle lovers. They prefer their loving hot and heavy. Now, I’ve had gentle loving and I’ve had it hot and heavy and if you ask me, I like it so much more when it’s hot and heavy. I love the feeling Gator gives me when he shares my body but when he gets down and dirty, it’s so much better for both of us.”
“Does Deke like it down and dirty, do you think?” Cassie asked.
Reva snorted. “Deke and Gator are the same kind of men. They both like to live on the edge. They like to work hard and play hard. Big and bad and they like to bend the rules to suit themselves. I think they like loving the same way.”
