She reached up and cupped his face. “I don’t want you to get into trouble over me.”
He covered her hands with his and kissed them as he linked their fingers together. “I would die for you, Abbott. You and my club mean everything to me.”
“I know,” she said softly. “And I can’t tell you how to live your life, or how to run your club. I won’t ever interfere with that or the decisions you make. But that aspect of your world … I just want you to know that I can’t condone it. I hope you can understand.”
“If it gets to be too much, if it starts to push you away—”
She placed a finger on his lips, shutting off his words.
“It won’t,” she insisted. “Because there’s nothing on this earth that will ever destroy my love or my need for you. Just don’t ever ask me to be a part of it.”
“I won’t,” he said.
He squeezed her hand and as they continued their walk, she wondered if he truly understood what she was saying. She couldn’t live around that part of the club, which meant she couldn’t live with him. Which meant she’d be vulnerable outside the compound. The thought of Billy finding her again filled her with dread, and come hell or high water, the decision she made to stay was a bed she was going to have to lie in.
****
Billy watched them from the grove of trees, hate burning through him. He couldn’t seem to look away from how happy they looked. How happy she looked, the fucking bitch. Although he hadn’t expected much to happen with the email he’d sent to the sheriff, he had still expected her to run. It had become quite an amusing game between them, at least for him it had. She honestly thought there was a place she could go that he wouldn’t be able to track her. Little did she know that as long as there were security cameras everywhere, he could hack into them. She was so predictable.
But the fact that she stayed put, even knowing he was near, disturbed him. She’d broken their dance and it pissed him off. Perhaps it was time to end it. Break up with her in a permanent way by making sure she ended up six feet under.
A slithering sound brought his gaze to the ground and he saw a water moccasin slide by his feet. An idea formed in his head, and he was just high enough to think it might be worth capturing the poisonous creature. Abbott would certainly not see it coming.
****
“Ready to head back?” Wick asked as they approached his bike.
Abbott’s bladder twinged uncomfortably.
“I have to pee,” she said, and let go of Wick’s hand to go to the park facilities. She pushed the door open and was surprised to see how clean it looked. The roof was raised upward on posts to allow a nice breeze to flow through, giving the area plenty of ventilation. She entered the first stall and proceeded to do her business.
As she zipped up her jeans, a loud plop sounded just outside the stall door. Abbott flushed the toilet and then opened the door.
A snake hissed at her, obviously pissed off, and struck out toward her. She jumped back out of fear and screamed before climbing up on the toilet seat.
“Abbott!” Wick called out. “You okay?”
The snake hissed again, and slithered closer.
“No!” she screamed fearfully. “There’s a snake!”
A booted foot thudded against the door and the next thing she knew, the sound of a gun exploded through the small room. With her eardrums ringing, she watched the front part of the snake explode as the back end wiggled in a death throe.
Then Wick filled the bathroom stall and kicked the dead serpent away. He held out his arms and she practically jumped into them, holding him tight.
“Are you okay?” he demanded, running his hands over her body. “It didn’t bite you, did it? That was a cottonmouth.”
“N-no.”
“Where did it come from?”
“I don’t know,” she said a little shakily. “It wasn’t here when I came in. I heard a thud—”
She looked up and he did the same. She stared at the open slots at the roof line.
“I suppose he could’ve fallen,” she said, although she didn’t believe that.
Wick shook his head. “Cottonmouth’s wouldn’t climb a tree, especially when it’s not over water. It’s highly doubtful that he just happened to fall from one over the restroom.”
She lowered her gaze and looked at him. “Then … what you’re suggesting … is it was thrown in. Wasn’t it? It was Billy.”
His mouth compressed. “Let’s not jump to conclusions.”
“You know I’m right,” she whispered.
They stared at one another until someone banged on the bathroom door.
“Everyone okay in there? A gun shot was reported.”
“We’re fine,” Wick called out. “There was a snake in here.”
The door opened and a ranger walked in. She looked around and grimaced when she saw the dead reptile. “Good God,” she muttered. “Come on out guys.”
The ranger made a come-here gesture with her hand and Wick walked to the door, still holding Abbott. Not that it bothered her because she was still shaken up. Once outside, a small crowd had gathered, murmuring amongst each other. Wick didn’t set her down until he had reached his bike.
“I think we’ll take a little trip to see my sister,” he said.
She frowned. “At the White Death clubhouse?”
“Well, she has her own house with Kix, but yeah. I think it’s best if we get away from Stevens for a bit.”
She bit her lip. “Because of me. Because Billy’s here.”
He didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to. She’d known this day would come, she only wished it hadn’t come so soon. The next step was for her to run, to get away from Wick before Billy hurt him. Still feeling a little shaky, she climbed on the back of his motorcycle and held him tight, wondering if this would be the last time she was able to do so.
Chapter Seven
Wick had seen the fear and defeat in her face and knew she would disappear if he turned his back. Even though she said she was done running, the inclination was already programmed into her psyche. So with that in mind, he headed toward Rider Pass, Missouri, which was about two hours northwest of Stevens. She didn’t say anything, just held onto him as he sped away from their hometown, keeping one eye on his rearview mirror. He wanted to know if anyone was following him.
Southeast Missouri was a whole lot of nothing. Flat land filled with crops as far as the eye could see. Still, it was in his blood and he never considered living anywhere else. His whole stint in the army had been stateside, so he hadn’t even made it overseas, but traveling had never been important to him. Obviously. He’d grown up here but once his parents had divorced his father had moved closer to St. Louis. There’d been a couple of time he’d gone to visit, but the tension had simply grown amongst the angst he’d been going through. Back then everything was a fucking crisis to a teenager and Wick was ashamed at how he’d dealt with handling his father’s second marriage. He’d walked away, never imaging the horror and heartbreak that had been only a few years away.
Piper had run to him when she needed him. Now, he ran to her.
Rider Pass was smaller than Stevens. What some would call a true hick town. They didn’t even have a stop light. The grocery store doubled as the gas station as well as the post office. If there ever was a definition of a one horse town, Rider Pass was it.
But that was why the White Death liked it so much, because they were basically the law. People came to them for protection or to settle disputes, and no one interfered with their lucrative business in the opiate trade. Remembering Abbott’s past, Wick made a mental note to keep her away from any drug parties if possible.
The White Death clubhouse was actually a large farmhouse set in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by cornfields and a tall stone wall. The compact dirt road had kicked up his dust, alerting all someone was coming. Two members stood at the gate, watching him as he approached on his bike, and he recognized Kix’s VP, Slade.
He came to a stop, dropped his feet to the ground, and turned off the motor.
“Hey, Slade,” he greeted.
“Wick,” Slade said with a nod.
“You always stand guard?”
Slade shook his head. “But there are cameras all through Rider’s Pass. Saw you coming.”
That slightly unnerved Wick. He hadn’t seen a thing. “Is Kix here?”
“He’s at the grandstand but Piper is at their house.”
“I need to talk to him.”
“Figured as much.” He stepped to the side and nodded to the other man who pushed a button to open the automatic gate.
He saw Slade glance at the affiliation patch sewn on his vest, so he didn’t bother taking off his cut. Usually, he wouldn’t hesitate to take off his colors as a sign of respect, but the White Death patch was like a passport into their territory.
“I think you know where to go,” Slade called out.
Wick nodded, started his bike, and took off down the dirt road. The members called the huge three story house the grandstand, which might seem ostentatious but one look at the place and no other words could describe the rambling home. Around it were several garages, where bikes were parked and men worked on them, grease covering their hands and clothes.
Another road turned off just before the grandstand and Wick followed it, going past smaller houses until he came to the one that belonged to Kix and his sister. It was a rancher, and Wick saw that Piper had added a flower bed in the front yard.
“This is nice,” Abbott said once he turned off the engine.
“My sister’s place,” he said.
She got off and had to grab his arm as she chuckled. “Wow, I’m not used to riding a motorcycle for so long. My knees are shaky.”
Wick wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his body. He ran a hand along her backside and cupped an ass cheek. “You just hold onto me, baby. I’ll never let you fall.”
She clutched his shoulders. “Promise?”
Suddenly the atmosphere changed between them. Electricity still sparked between them, and his heart raced just from touching her, but he saw the worry darkening her eyes and the stress creasing the area between her brows.
“Hey, I’ve gotta tell you something,” he murmured, pushing a strand of hair off her forehead.
“What?”
He smiled. “I stink up the bathroom.
“Uh … excuse me?”
“And I don’t like crossword puzzles because I can’t ever figure out the words.”
She cocked her head obviously confused, but she was listening to him, and that was what he wanted her to do.
“Our instant message sex was so incredible that I couldn’t even look at another woman. But our real sex? Good lord, my dick no longer gets hard when I look at porn. Only when I look at you.”
A smile lifted the corners of her mouth.
“I fucking hate white vegetables, like potatoes and cauliflower. But I love broccoli.”
“Why are you telling me this stuff?”
“Because I’m not perfect and I’m sure you’re not either. But one thing I’m looking forward to is learning all your little quirks.”
She cupped his face. “As I learn yours.”
“Well, now you already know a few things about me.”
Happiness replaced the emptiness in her gaze and he was glad to see the stress lines disappear. “I suppose we’ll have to invest in multiple candles.”
“Or that spray stuff that eliminates odor,” he quipped. “That would be a wise investment indeed.”
Abbott laughed just as the front door opened and his sister, Piper, stepped outside.
“Wick? Kix never told me you were coming for a visit.”
“He doesn’t know,” he replied. He walked up the porch steps and bent to kiss her cheek. Once he never would have done that, but they’d been through too much together to not become as close as real siblings. “It was kind of an emergency.”
She looked over his shoulder to where Abbott stood next to his bike. His heart just about broke in two when he noticed she hugged herself in a protective gesture while glancing over her shoulder.
“What’s going on?” she asked in a low voice.
“I needed to go someplace to protect her,” he said in an equally soft tone. “She’s in trouble. Like you were in trouble.”
Piper’s concerned face turned fierce. “Then she’s more than welcome to stay here with us.”
“Only until I can figure out how to find the asshole who’s hurt her.”
Piper nodded, as if she understood, and he figured out of anyone, she really did know what Abbott had gone through. What she was still going through.
“Have you talked to Kix yet?”
“No,” he replied. “I came straight here, to you.”
“She can visit inside with me while you go talk to him.”
He nodded and turned to Abbott once more. “Hey, Abbott, come up here and meet my sister.”
The wind blew Abbott’s long hair back, and it fanned out behind her as she walked toward him. She was so lovely it took his breath away, and he wondered how he became such a lucky son-of-a-bitch that she was his.
He held out his hand and when she reached for it, he linked their fingers. “This is Piper, my sister. Piper, this is Abbott Carney. My woman.”
His words caused Abbott to tighten her hold and when he looked at her, a dreamy smile softened her features.
Piper gave her a hug. “Welcome, Abbott. Why don’t you come inside and have some iced tea? Wick has to go talk with Kix.”
“Okay. Thank you, that’s really kind of you.”
Piper pulled her away from him and led her into the house. Knowing Abbott was safe eased the tension from his shoulders, and he turned to head back to his bike. The ride to the grandstand only took a few minutes, and members of the White Death glanced his way with curiosity in their gazes. The only other time he’d been there had been when he had been negotiating with Kix about the club affiliation, so most probably didn’t know who he was.
Slade greeted him at the door and motioned for him to follow. The grandstand was a lot more homey than his own clubhouse, and had more of a woman’s touch with the bright color painted on the walls and the lack of posters featuring naked chicks. There were the usual big-screen televisions, dart boards, pool table, and bar, but Wick quite liked the way the men seemed a little more refined. Maybe it was an illusion due to the clubhouse, but still, different was nice.
Slade led him upstairs to a large room that clearly functioned as the office. Two large bookcases, filled with old tomes, bracketed a large mahogany desk where Kix Rockwood sat behind, like a corporate executive about to give him a performance review.
Kix rose when he entered the room and held out his hand.
“Wick,” he greeted. “Slade told me you had arrived. I see you’re wearing our logo.”
Wick shook his hand before tapping the patch on the front of his cut. “Of course.”
“How’s the club? Isn’t Heart about to go on the first run with our products? In return he’ll get the hundred percent grade-A pseudoephedrine from our inside source to bring back to you. Best there is to make your meth.”
“Yeah,” Wick said. “Only Striker is road captain this trip. Heart’s uncle passed and he’s with his aunt, helping her.”
“Striker good?”
“I wouldn’t trust just anyone with this run,” Wick assured him. “He’ll get the job done.”
“Good,” Kix said. “Give Heart my condolences when you see him again.”
“I will.”
Kix sat down and gestured for Wick to do the same.
“Well,” he said. “If it’s not about the upcoming ride, then what brings you to my territory, Wick?”
Wick took a deep breath and rubbed the lower part of his face.
“I need a favor,” Wick said in a low voice.
Kix threaded his fingers together and laid them on the desktop. “What ty
pe of favor? Club favor?”
Wick shook his head. “Personal.”
Kix arched an eyebrow, stretching the black diamond on his temple. “Gotta hear it first before I say okay.”
“I need to talk to your brother,” Wick admitted. “Jeff.”
“You got some fucking nerve asking for my brother’s service, especially since you threatened to out me to my club,” Kix said coldly.
“I know,” Wick said humbly. “But he’s the only one I can think of to get me the info I need.”
“And what kind of info is that?”
“Abbott’s in trouble and I gotta know how she’s being stalked.”
Kix folded his arms across his chest. “Who the fuck is Abbott?”
“His woman,” Piper said from the doorway.
Wick scowled at her. “Where’s Abbott?”
Piper waved the concern off. “Don’t worry, she’s shucking corn at my place. If you haven’t noticed where we live, there is an overabundance of corn every night for dinner. I thought I’d come over and see what the problem is.”
“Forget it, Piper, you don’t need to get involved.”
“Shut up, Wick. I recognized the signs as soon as I saw her. Once upon a time, I had the same hunted expression. So, she’s being stalked?”
“Yeah,” he said grimly. “The man is crazy but he’s clever. Since she hasn’t used her social security number or credit cards, or hell, a fucking bank for years, he’s gotta have something else. For the past eleven years she’s moved from place to place, state to state, and each time he manages to find her. Different names, different addresses. She’s just got into town and already he’s tried to hurt her. I need to find out about him. Where he is. How he operates.”
“And what’ll you do with the information?” Kix asked.
“Does it matter?”
“It’ll matter to Jeff.”
“I’m going to kill the motherfucker,” Wick answered unwaveringly. “Once I torture the fuck out of him. I want to kick him where it’s going to hurt the most.”
“I understand the pain that a stalker can give,” Piper said. “The helplessness. The fear. It’s a ghost that haunts you day and night.”
Wicked Man (Forgotten Rebels MC Book 2) Page 6
