by K. J. Dahlen
“The evidence leads us to believe Cassie murdered these kids,” Lance informed them.
“She wouldn’t do something as horrible as that!” Peaches cried out.
“Not only that, but there’s a little fact of some missing gold as well. Cassie’s fingerprints are all over what was left of almost a million dollars of raw bullion.”
“That bitch!” Peaches cried out. “That horrible crazy bitch.”
Gator turned toward her and snarled. “You’d better not be talking about Cassie.”
“No!” Peaches yelled. “I’m talking about Janelle.” She came closer to Lance and asked, “Tell me something, was part of the evidence you found a little gold locket with a tuft of brown hair in it?”
Lance narrowed his eyes and stared at her. “Yes, that’s part of it, why? Who does the locket belong too?”
“You know damn well its Cassie’s locket. You also know the hair in it was her mother’s.” Peaches was seething. “Janelle took that locket away from Cassie when she was seven. I was there the day she found it. Cassie had kept it hidden for four years. She used to bring it out at night and talk to her mother. One night, she fell asleep and forgot to put the locket away. Janelle found it and took it away from her. Cassie cried for days. It was the last thing she had of her mother. It just about killed her to lose it.”
“What about the gold Janelle had?” Lance asked.
Peaches shook her head. “I never saw any gold and I’ll bet Cassie never did either. She wouldn’t take something that didn’t belong to her. She just wouldn’t.”
“But she did,” Lance insisted. He glanced around at the crowd of people standing there. “Look, either I get to talk to her or the FBI is going to. They are on their way right now, and they have a warrant for her arrest.”
“What else did Janelle tell you Cassie did?” Peaches asked brushing away her tears.
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that,” Lance admitted. “The case is still pending.”
~* * * *~
No one noticed Wiley as he slipped down the hall. He carefully closed the double doors behind him and made his way to Cassie’s room. He was relieved to see Deke sitting beside her. “We got trouble boss.”
“What’s going on?” Deke asked.
“Boston badge is here looking for her.” He pointed at Cassie.
“What does he want with Cassie?”
“Something about finding two extra bodies buried in the woods and missing gold?” Wiley shrugged. “Said the Feds had some questions as well as a warrant for her too.”
Deke looked back over at Cassie and could see something was wrong. Cupping her chin, he raised her face to his. “What is all this about?”
“I have no idea,” Cassie answered. “I told Sullivan the truth.”
“He claims there is evidence you knew about the two extra bodies and that they’d only been there for five years,” Wiley informed her.
“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Cassie said. “I haven’t been to Boston in a very long time.”
“We need to get her out of here,” Deke said. “We need to get her safe before we talk to the Boston badge again.”
“Where do you want us to take her?” Wiley asked. “The clubhouse is the first place they’ll look.”
“Yeah and Redemption House is the second,” Deke commented.
“Come with me,” Amos called out from the doorway. “I know a place they won’t find her.”
Deke didn’t even stop to wonder why one of her guys was so close, he knew she had loyal people all around her as she’d earned it. He busied himself by carefully ridding Cassie of the IV in her arm while Wiley grabbed extra blankets to wrap around her. Deke lifted her into his arms and followed Amos out the back way.
“Deke we shouldn’t just leave like this,” Cassie tried to protest. “I haven’t done anything wrong!”
Deke glared at her. “Do you have any idea how many innocent people go to jail or worse every year? Janelle set you up and until we can find out how and why, we need to protect you.”
“But isn’t running a sign to the police that I’m guilty?”
“Not in this case, it isn’t.” Deke grimaced. “In this case, we’re doing what we need to do. We need to know what the Feds got against you, so you can explain it.”
When they reached the back door, Cassie was in a lot of pain. She’d been jostled enough to start bleeding again and her belly felt on fire. Luckily, Amos had his car parked in the back. Deke carefully laid her in the back seat. Kissing her briefly, he told her, “I love you. Please…you have to make it through this. I have to go back and figure things out with the badges.” He turned to Amos. “I’m trusting you with the only thing in the world I care about. No harm better come to her or I will hunt you down and take pleasure in killing you. Am I understood?”
Amos sneered. “Oh, I understand you, boss.” Then he jabbed his finger in Deke’s chest. “You got to understand something here too. I would never let anything happen to Miss Cassie. Me and my guys love that little girl and we would die for her. Now, get the hell out of my way. Got places to go and people to see.” Amos got behind the wheel and took off. His car backfired a couple of times before he rounded the corner and then he was gone.
“I hope you just didn’t make the biggest mistake of your life,” Wiley told him.
“Me too,” Deke admitted. “Let’s go see what the badge from Boston wants.”
They made their way back inside just as Lance Sullivan opened the double doors and walked to Cassie’s room.
Peaches, Iceman Gator and Deacon followed him.
When they reached the room, Lance looked inside to find no one there. He whirled around and glared at everyone behind him. “Where is she?”
Peaches frowned. “Isn’t she there?” She brushed past him and stared at the empty bed. “Where did she go?” Her face was filled with panic.
Deacon pushed past Lance and came to a stop inside the room as well. “She couldn’t have gotten far,” he said. He looked from face to face. “Where the fuck is she?”
Lance looked from face to face as well. Everyone he looked at seemed as surprised as he was that Cassie was missing but he knew someone here knew where she was. “This isn’t helping her case any at all. Unless she answers some questions, she will be considered a fugitive. People could get hurt here, don’t you all realize that?”
“You got Cassie all wrong,” Peaches defended. “She wouldn’t run away from this. She’s never run away from anything before, why would she start now?”
“I think maybe we should go somewhere and talk about this,” Deke suggested.
“Let’s go to your clubhouse,” Lance insisted.
Deke shrugged. “Fine let’s go and you can tell us what’s going on. I think we’d all like to know.”
As they turned to leave the hospital, Marnie came up to Deke. “We might have a problem.”
“What is wrong now?”
“That woman Reva,” Marnie told him. “She took three runaways home with her. I don’t know where she lives but if the Feds search the clubhouse are they going to find the kids there?”
“No, but they’re close.” Deke sat on his bike for a minute then told her. “I’ll let Gator know. He can warn her if they show up.”
“Okay, I’ll follow you guys to your place.” Marnie nodded.
~* * * *~
Twenty minutes later, everyone made their way inside the clubhouse. Deke, Gator, Deacon, Peaches and Iceman gathered around one of the tables, the rest of the brothers spread out and found seats where they could. Not only were the members of the club there but everyone from Redemption House was present as well. Everyone but Amos that is and no one told anyone he was missing either.
Wiley, at Deke’s nod, began passing bottles of Jack Daniels around to the different tables, while some of the others in the MC passed around glasses.
Finally, Deke glared at Lance Sullivan and asked w
hat everyone wanted to know, “Just what the hell is this all about? Why did you come looking for Cassie?”
Lance exhaled. “During our investigation into Janelle Walden we found a number of things Cassie failed to mention.”
“Such as?”
“Such as we found six bodies instead of the four she told us about. Two of the bodies haven’t been there five years yet and we found a piece of jewelry that belonged to Cassie on one of the bodies.”
“I told you about the locket already!” Peaches cried out.
Lance nodded. “Yes you did, but I needed to hear that from Cassie.”
“What else?” Deke demanded.
“We found a stash of gold hidden in the basement wall. According to Janelle Walden, a good size portion was missing and we found Cassie’s fingerprint nearby.”
“Cassie was often locked down in the basement, so her fingerprints would also be there,” Deke pointed out. “Is that all you got?”
Lance stared at him for a moment then shook his head. “No it isn’t, but until the FBI gets here I can’t talk about it.”
“Look…right now you have our cooperation.” Deke gave him an icy stare. “If for some reason you’re dicking with us, you will lose our cooperation and this will become a battle neither side will win. Either tell us what you know, or get the hell out.”
Lance sighed as he shook his head in obvious disgust. “Janelle Walden was desperate when she turned herself in. When she explained to us who she was and who she needed protection from it was understandable. The Vincinti family is ruthless and they pretty much run Boston.”
“Maybe you should know something here.” Deke grinned. “Peaches is part of the Vinicnti family.”
Lance swung his head to where Peaches sat with Iceman. Staring at her for a few minutes, he finally said, “You’re the missing daughter of Calderone Vincinti?”
Peaches nodded. “And before you say anything, I want you to know Janelle arranged my kidnapping when I was five years old. She was also responsible for my mother’s death. Flynn Rearden rammed his car into my mom’s and carried me back to Janelle. My mother died in that accident and if Cassie hadn’t done what she did, Janelle would have sold me off or killed me. That is something, Janelle never let either of us doubt for a moment.”
“Just how did you escape the safe house we had you in anyway?” Lance asked.
“Cassie can get out of anywhere when she really wants too.’ Peaches grinned. “She had a feeling you wouldn’t keep your promise to find my family, so she found them for me.”
Deke and Iceman knew she was lying to protect them, so neither of them said anything.
“Yes, well, that wasn’t my call either,” Lance murmured.
“What else are the FBI bringing up against her?” Deacon spoke now.
“There is still a warrant outstanding for the attempted murder of Robbie Pierce.”
“Robbie killed himself!” Peaches cried out. “The most that charge is worth is assault and you fucking know it.”
“You’re wasting our time badge man,” Frankie called out. “Why is that?”
Deke suddenly got to his feet. “Close the front gate and lock it down,” he called out to his men. “Lock it down now!”
The crew of the MC scrambled to do his bidding. Within moments, the gates were locked and everyone was standing watch. It didn’t take long before they saw them. Three cars came down the driveway.
Iceman grabbed Lance by the shirt and pushed him up against the wall. “Do you have a death wish? Is that what this is?”
“No, I do not,” Lance replied. “All I wanted was the chance to talk to Cassie again.”
“Well now, none of us may get out of here alive.” He pushed Lance away from him.
Deke came over to where Lance was standing. “We don’t want any trouble here. We got women here. We don’t want to see anyone get hurt. Am I making myself clear to you?”
Lance nodded.
Deke looked over at Peaches. “Call your family and let them know what’s going on. Do it now, before the Feds get trigger happy. We got nothing to hide but they aren’t getting in here.”
Peaches grabbed her cell phone and called her grandfather.
When Lance’s phone rang, Deke nodded he should answer. “Put it on speaker.”
Lance held the phone out. “Sullivan are you all right in there?” One of the FBI agents asked.
“I’m fine as long as you guys don’t start something stupid.”
“We came with a warrant for Cassie Ryan.”
“They know why you’re here Jerry,” Lance told the other man. “She isn’t here though. She disappeared from a hospital bed after being shot earlier today.”
“Do you believe that for a moment?” Jerry asked.
“Oh, she was shot today and she wasn’t in her room,” Lance assured him. “I don’t know where she is but I don’t think she’s here.”
“Who is in charge inside there?”
“I am,” Deke spoke up. “My name is Deke Tory and I have about forty people in here. One belongs to the Vincinti family, so don’t start shooting. We are unarmed for the most part.”
“Where is Ms. Ryan?”
“She isn’t here,” Deke assured them.
“Let me ask you something Mr. Tory,” Jerry Tate said. “Would you protect someone who committed an act of murder?”
“If you’re talking about Robbie Pierce, that wasn’t murder, that was self-defense and you fucking know it.” Deke growled.
“Perhaps, but I wasn’t speaking of Robbie Pierce. Does the name Jeremy Talbot mean anything to anyone in there?”
Peaches gasped and the color drained from her face. It was apparent she knew the name. She sat down on her chair hard.
“Can we call you back?” Lance asked before he ended the call.
“Maybe they should hear this?” Deke suggested. He waited for Lance to call them back, then he came over to where she was sitting and squatted down in front of her. “What do you know about this Peaches? Did you or Cassie know this kid?”
She nodded. “Yeah, we both knew him. We were twelve and still living in Boston when we met him and he was trouble from the moment he laid eyes on us.”
“What happened?” Iceman wanted to know.
“It was just before we left Boston,” Peaches began. “We lived in the homeless section of town. There was a gang of thugs that ruled our neighborhood and Jeremy was their leader. He was a bully and tried to pull crap on Cassie all the time. He and his gang caught her one time and beat the hell out of her. She barely made it home before she collapsed. She took a terrible beating. The one thing that kept us safe was that no one knew where we were staying. Cassie was always very careful about that. Two days later, Jeremy came looking for her again. He didn’t find her and that pissed him off considerably. He began roughing up the other people in our neighborhood hoping someone would tell him something. No one ever did…” She paused and looked up at Lance.
He nodded his head for her to continue.
“Four days later, Cassie knew we had to leave town. Jeremy was cracking down and cracking heads to find her. She didn’t want anyone hurt because of her. We packed up and moved out. We left Boston without running into Jeremy or any of his friends. We heard a disturbance behind us at one point but we didn’t look back.”
“How badly beaten was Cassie at that point?” Deke wanted to know. “Could she have hurt this Jeremy?”
Peaches shook her head. “She had several broken ribs and a sprained ankle, not to mention both eyes were black and swollen. One of Jeremy’s guys had punched her in the throat and she could barely swallow water. We couldn’t go very far without stopping. She could barely catch her breath. That’s when we found the cave on the top of the ridge overlooking the city. We ended up staying there for two weeks before Cassie felt good enough to move.”
“Can I ask a question?” Lance spoke up. “How tall was Cassie?”
&
nbsp; “Back then?” Peaches shrugged, “Maybe four foot ten. She isn’t much taller now.”
“I’ve seen the video from the bank cameras. The person who beat Jeremy Talbot was at least five foot seven.” He looked at Peaches again. “Did Cassie ever own a dark green jacket?”
Peaches thought for a moment then shook her head. “She didn’t. She shopped Goodwill all the time and the only jacket she got from them was a blue one. But when we left Boston, neither of us had jackets. We didn’t need then it was summer time.”
“Did you hear that Tate?” Lance requested.
“I heard but I would rather have heard it from Cassie,” he grumbled from the other end of the call.
“Me too, but she isn’t here. Miss Vincinti was with Cassie the whole time.”
“Miss Vincinti?”
“My name is Killiegh Vincinti,” Peaches spoke up again. “I’ve been called Peaches most of my life.”
“And your father is?”
“Calderone. My grandfather is Leon.”
“I see,” Jerry Tate commented.
“Did Janelle Walden tell you she had me kidnapped when I was five, and that she was going to sell me?” Peaches wanted to know. “Just wanted you to know the type of person she was. She lied for a living, she was cruel to those under her care, and the only person she ever cared for was the son she had. She allowed that monster to do horrible things to the other kids.” Peaches scoffed in disgust. “I hope you didn’t give her too good of a deal, or the people will be outraged.
“What people would that be?” Jerry asked.
“The people who pay your salaries,” Peaches ground out. “I’m sure I can get at least one major paper to run this story. It seems the kiddy ring you busted made all the newspapers on the East Coast. An eyewitness account of the whole thing would really turn the tides against you wouldn’t it? If you screw me or Cassie over, the whole world will hear the story, I can promise you that. And I should probably tell you my grandfather knows you’re here hassling us. I don’t think he’s very happy right now.”
