Her heart sank in what should have been one of the happiest moments of her life. In a flash, she saw this little boy’s future, and she was scared. For herself, her husband, her older daughter, and this innocent little boy who had no idea that his future had just been sealed.
William and his friends had started a motorcycle club that was quickly turning into something very illegal. When she had become pregnant, she had prayed every night that it would once again be a little girl. This boy would be heir apparent to those illegal activities and that motorcycle club. There was nothing about this that she liked.
“Thanks for giving me a son, Lauren. The next generation is well on its way.”
His eyes shone brightly with pride as he held the tiny bundle of joy in his arms. Any love that he felt for the child she had just birthed was replaced with greed for more power and the guarantee of the line of succession for Heaven Hill. She realized at that moment that she would have to leave. Her throat tightened as she fought to hold back the fear that she already felt. She would take whatever time she had with this son of hers, and it would have to last her the rest of her life. She knew that as surely as she knew the sun would rise in the east and set in the west.
Shaking her head, Lauren got out of the bed and went to the bathroom. Reaching into the shower, she turned it on and waited for it to warm – as much as it ever did. While she waited, her mind worked overtime.
“He will not be a member of this gang.” Lauren screamed, pressing her finger into his chest. Fear tightened her throat and tears streamed down her face.
William had the audacity to smile. “We’re motorcycle enthusiasts.”
“You are criminals – getting worse by the day,” she accused. “I don’t want to be a part of this anymore.” It had gradually been getting more and more illegal, the stakes getting higher and the risk becoming more deadly. She wanted to take her kids and run as far and as fast as she could, but she knew it would never be far enough that he couldn’t find her.
He grabbed her around the wrist and hauled her so close their noses touched. His grip tightened until she groaned aloud and more tears spilled from her eyes. “You leave this club, and you leave alone. The kids stay with me, and that’s final. You’re not taking them.”
She sobbed. “You can’t keep me from my kids.” The worst feeling was that she knew he could and would take them from her. There was absolutely nothing he wouldn’t do to prove his authority over her. The secret she kept so closely hidden wouldn’t even help her.
“And you can’t keep me from mine. You need to make a decision here, wife of mine.”
Lauren had never been so conflicted in her life. She couldn’t stand by and watch this man ruin her son, the one that was so kind hearted and climbed into her lap every night asking for a bed time story. He was the most precocious five-year-old she had ever seen.
At the same time, she felt like she couldn’t leave, and if she tried she would be dead.
Lauren remembered those days so clearly. At five years old she had known that he would be such a good man. The glimpses she’d seen of him throughout the years had shown her that despite all the heartache, he had grown into an amazing man. No thanks to her.
“Mommy, look at what I did today.”
Lauren looked up from where she stood cooking hamburgers for their dinner to see William and the kids returning from the store. “What did you do?” she grinned at the little boy who had stolen her heart.
“Got a candy bar.”
“How did you do that? I didn’t send any money with you.” Immediately her stomach dropped. She knew what this was, and it was the beginning that would never have an end.
His eyes sparkled, much like his father. “I stole it, and nobody caught me. Dad said I earned my keep.”
“You did what?” she asked, her voice calm. She was trying to keep it together – to not scream at a little boy who just wanted to make his dad proud.
“I stoled it.”
He was so proud and William had such a hold over him, she knew in that moment she had to leave. She couldn’t stand by and watch this little boy turn into the man that his father had become. Her heart couldn’t take it.
The water finally warm, she adjusted it to a temperature that she could stand. Stepping in, she let it flow over her, allowing it to wash the sadness away from her body. The pain of missing her family had recently manifested itself as a physical ache, and she hoped to one day wash that pain away. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled and focused on the small tasks at hand. That was the way she had lived the last twenty-seven years, putting one foot in front of the other and focusing on small tasks. At least then she felt like she had accomplished something with her life instead of failing as a mother.
She hoped and prayed that one day she would be able to make Liam understand the reasons for what she had done. That all the pain and suffering they both had gone through had been the only solution she had seen at the time to an unforgiving problem. To a man she had been deathly afraid of. She had been witness to things that she hoped one day to forget. If she was ever lucky enough to get that second chance, she would make sure it counted and that William Walker would never have a hold over her again.
Chapter Twelve
“The club needs your help.”
Denise winced as she heard Liam’s deep voice speak those words. The last time someone had said them to her, she had ended up having to move out of her home and having an argument with her only friend. She put aside the book she was reading and looked up at him. “With what?”
Liam gifted her with a heart-stopping smile that caused her breath to catch. She was sure in the past that smile had gotten him into the panties of many women. “Oh you’re good,” she laughed. “Really, what do you want?” She turned so that she gave him her full attention.
“The Vojnik are occupying a warehouse in Glasgow. It’s owned by an LLC. We need to figure out who spearheads this LLC. It could be the Vojnik, or it could be someone on our side. We need you to go to the courthouse and do a little investigating. Dress like you should be there, we can even make you a badge that says you work there. I need any information you can get me,” he explained, his intense gaze boring into hers. She got the feeling this was important.
Motioning to the sweatpants and t-shirt she wore, she curled up her nose. “Am I doin’ this today? Because if I am, I have no clothes that make me look like I work in a courthouse. In fact, I have none that make me look like I work anywhere.”
He held up a finger, and she watched as he made his way back into the house.
“So much for spending a day relaxing on the screened-in porch, reading a romance novel,” she mumbled, following him inside.
He came out of a vacant bedroom and held a wad of cash out to her. “Go get what you need.”
Her mouth gaped as he put the money in her hand. Just how much money was lying around this house? “How much is here?” Who had money hidden in their house like this? It was a reminder of the kind of people she was spending time with.
“Enough to get you what you need. Don’t hesitate to get anything else you want.” He was careful to break that sentence up into needs and wants. He was pretty sure she hadn’t purchased a want in a very long time – most everything had probably been necessities.
This didn’t sit well with her. She had never been taken care of in her life and she sure didn’t want to start now. “This is a loan,” she told him, those words making her feel at least a little bit better about the situation.
“No, it’s not. I’m asking you to do a job for me, and I am providing you with the tools that you need in order to complete that job. I’m doing nothing that a normal manager wouldn’t do for their employee.”
She rolled her eyes. “Give me a fucking break. You know that this isn’t a normal situation. Just let me go get what I need to.”
Liam laughed when he saw heat color her cheeks. He liked that little bit of backbone she showed to him. He loved when she got sassy. Grabbing her
purse, she started to leave.
“Hang on,” he placed his hand on her shoulder, exerting slight pressure.
“What now?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips and tapping her foot.
“Take my truck,” he handed her a set of keys.
“Where is it?”
“Main garage, it’s the gunmetal gray, Harley Davidson Edition.”
“Of course.”
Placing the keys in her hand, he continued to hold on to them until her eyes met his. “Keep safe, and whatever you do, don’t scratch it. If you do that I’ll expect you to fix it.” A shit-eating grin tilted the corners of his mouth and he raised his eyebrows in suggestion. “But you could pay me back using carnal means.”
Her breathing picked up slightly. No man, ever, had blatantly flirted with her before. It was as much arousing as it was exciting. She wracked her brain for an appropriate comeback.
“You wish,” she threw back at him before leaving the house quickly. That was a good comeback right? She tried to convince herself that it was as she made her way to his truck.
“How do women do this?” Denise mumbled as she stared blankly at racks and racks of clothes. There were a multitude of styles and colors, but nothing that she thought would look good on her. She didn’t even know where to start. The measly amount of clothing she’d bought in her lifetime had never prepared her for this. Not even her ‘shopping spree’ from the other day.
She needed help. Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed Roni’s number and waited impatiently for her to pick up. “Roni? Hey, I need clothing help.”
In minutes she’d explained the situation and was waiting for her friend to show up and guide her. Roni had guaranteed that she had a friend who would know exactly what to get.
“Denise.” She spun around, watching as Roni and her friend made their way into the store. The woman at her side was tall, curvy, and built in the fashion that men called stacked. Looking at this other woman made Denise want to run home in despair.
“Hey,” Roni greeted. “I called Liam to see what he had you doing. That way Sparkles would know what to get for you.”
“Sparkles?” Denise laughed. “What is she a stripper?”
“Sure am, honey. I work down at Wet Wanda’s.”
Feeling embarrassed, Denise started to apologize. “I’m so sorry, I was just kidding. I didn’t mean to offend you. Sometimes my mouth gets the better of me.”
“Oh, you didn’t. I’ve been a stripper for a long time. I make a good livin’ stripping at the club. They give good tips, you should come on down sometime. I guarantee you, once I’m done you could set the place on fire.”
Denise blushed. No one had ever spoken to her like this. There was no way this woman could convince anyone that she had a stripper’s body. She and Roni looked at one another, not sure what to say.
Breaking the silence, Sparkles smiled. “Okay ladies, let’s get Denise into some sexy office wear. I promise you, by the time I’m done, Liam Walker will be drooling at your feet and he’ll never ask you to work for the club again.” She clapped her hands together and called over a sales girl.
Two hours later, Denise looked like she belonged in a courthouse, and her head was spinning. She could even admit that she did look a little bit like she was ready to star in a porno. The skirt was just short enough, the button down shirt just tight enough. Sparkles was a force to be reckoned with. Without realizing it, she had new clothes, new makeup, and a new hairdo.
“I don’t really think this was what Liam meant when he told me to look like I work in a courthouse. I don’t think he meant new hair and new makeup.”
Sparkles grinned. “I’m sure he’ll like what we’ve done with you.”
The way Sparkles talked about Liam, it made her wonder if they had been an item before. Denise wanted to ask, but she knew without a doubt that she would be jealous and she couldn’t deal with that right now.
The three of them left the mall and headed to their vehicles. As Denise went to get into the truck, Roni whistled and Sparkles eyes bugged.
“He let you drive his truck?”
“No he didn’t let me. He told me to drive it. I was kind of against the whole thing.”
“You are in way over your head with my brother, Denise Cunningham.”
“I had that feeling myself,” Denise sighed. “I don’t want to be this far over my head.”
“With him,” Roni said placing a hand on her friend’s back, “you don’t realize you’re that deep until you’re neck deep with no place to go. Enjoy it while it lasts.”
And that was the bitch of the situation. Denise knew that it wouldn’t last. The only thing she could do was take control of it with both hands and dare him to make her let go.
Denise pulled up outside of the Barren County Courthouse and put the truck in park before shutting it off. Roni had provided her with a badge that claimed she was an assistant to the County Property Assessor. It would give her access to the property records that she needed. Before walking in, she took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. She had to look like she belonged, she had to own this.
Her heels clicked on the floor as she made her way through the building. It was a bit disconcerting to hear just how loud they were. So much for being inconspicuous. She slowed down as she reached a row of offices and scoped out which one she needed. As she entered, a harried older woman ran up to her.
“Thank God you’re here! The temp agency sent you right?” she asked, eyeing the badge Denise wore. “You’re my new assistant.”
“Yes ma’am. I’m Cindy Thompson,” she introduced herself with the fake name they’d given her. “Just point me in the direction of what you need me to do, and I’ll just go ahead and get to work.”
Within minutes, Denise sat at a computer that had everything she needed at her fingertips. Quickly, she pulled the piece of paper with the address of the building out of her purse and logged into the county records. It was at that moment she realized how thankful she was that they hadn’t used her real name. This was an illegal activity – something she found herself doing a lot for Liam recently.
Locating the property record that she needed, she clicked into it and scrolled down to the property transfers section. Her eyebrows furrowed as she saw that the property had been quit claimed three months before from a Richard Joyce to a PlayMakers LLC. Thinking like she imagined a criminal would think, she did a search for other records under both of those names. There were numerous properties that had been quit claimed exactly the same way. Pulling a USB drive out of her purse, she copied all the information that she figured they would need and placed it in her purse before standing up.
“Excuse me, can you point me in the direction of the ladies room?”
The woman who’d met her when she’d first come in looked at her suspiciously, noting the purse at her side.
“Time of the month,” she whispered loudly, giggling a little to cover up her nervousness.
“Sure thing, it’s down the hall to the left.”
As quick as she could, Denise made it down the hall and out the door. Her heart beat wildly as she all but ran for the truck. Not bothering to look back, she started it up and drove away. Hopefully she had what the club needed.
Chapter Thirteen
“Liam, you got a call.”
Rolling out from underneath the car he was working on, Liam sat up quickly. His first thought was Denise needed help. Grabbing his cell phone, he saw he hadn’t missed any calls from her, but that didn’t mean that everything was okay. It surprised him that his hands shook as he picked up the shop phone.
“Yeah,” he answered gruffly, fear making him sound more harsh than he had intended to.
“Liam?” the small voice that asked for him sounded thick with tears and heavy with fear.
He wracked his brain trying to figure out who it was. The person knew him well enough to call him at work. “Mandy? Is that you?”
She sniffed, and he could almost see the
nod he was sure she gave. “Yeah.”
Being in a motorcycle gang, he’d not had much experience with kids at all, much less teenage girls. He waited a beat for her to tell him what she wanted. But when he realized it wasn’t coming, he tried to soften his voice as he asked, “Honey, what do you need?”
Tears started in earnest, and she blabbed a mouthful of words – none of which he could make out except for the name Drew. He heard shuffling on the other end and then another female voice.
“Sir? My name is Stacey Young, and I’m the secretary at Warren County Middle School. Sorry to bother you.”
“That’s alright,” he answered, confused as to why they had called him.
“We tried to reach Denise, but her phone went straight to voice mail. When they had a change of address here at the school, you were added to their emergency contact information.”
He hadn’t been informed of that, but he could understand why she had added him. He also figured she had turned off her cell phone while she was doing the job for the club. “Okay, and what can I help you with?”
“There’s been an issue with Andrew today. He and another boy got into a fight, and we need someone to come get him. He’s been sent home for the rest of the day and will possibly be expelled,” she explained matter-of-factly.
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask what Mandy had to do with this, but he figured he would save time and just ask questions when he got there. “I work a few miles from there. I’ll be there soon.”
Cursing, he slammed the phone down and looked at Tyler, who gazed at him, eyebrows raised. “I gotta go, Drew got into a fight at school.”
Tyler laughed. “Good luck on this one, Daddy.”
Liam felt his breath hitch. That’s exactly what this felt like, he was going to pick his son up at school after getting into a fight. He wondered if he should punish the boy, but he felt so inept that he didn’t know how he was supposed to handle this situation.
“Yeah, thanks. I think I’m just gonna have to wing it. If Denise calls, can you tell her where I am? They called her, but she didn’t answer.”
Meant To Be (Heaven Hill Series) Page 7
