by K. J. Dahlen
Deke nodded and kept his expression blank. “If I run into them, I’ll let them know to call you.” He picked up his drink and sipped it.
Lance stood but didn’t walk away. Instead, he said, “I know there’s more to the story than I’ve been told. Mrs. Pierce isn’t going to give up and every year she comes to see me. She demands to know what progress is being made on finding the woman who murdered her son. I’ve tried to tell her that her son took his own life but she doesn’t listen. She said if Josette hadn’t done what she did, her Robbie would still be alive. She comes to see me every year on the anniversary of the day he died. I’ve been watching her and waiting for the opportunity to find something on this woman that I can use against her. I have a feeling this woman is bad news. The kids in her care won’t talk to us or Social Services. They’re too terrified, even after they left her care.” He tapped the edge of the file on the table and took a step away then stopped and stared at Deke. “Can I ask why this compound is on lockdown?”
“What makes you think it is?” Deke asked.
“I know what a lockdown looks like. You have men walking inside the fence, armed to the teeth, you’re setting up spotlights at key points, and you’re stopping vehicles outside the main gate. All of that means something to me.” Cocking his head he asked, “Are you expecting trouble?”
Deke picked up his glass and drank what was left. “Just everyday stuff I’m afraid. We just don’t want anyone knowing our business.”
Lance nodded. Reaching into his pocket, he drew out a card and laid it on the table. “Before I left Boston I heard a rumor. The way I understand it, Mrs. Pierce employed three different individuals to hunt down the girls and bring them back to Boston.”
“Do these three individuals have names?” Deke asked.
“Joey Holden, Michael Winger and Jeb Carlyle. These men are lowlifes. They don’t stop until they get whatever they’re after and they don’t care about hurting someone standing between them and what they want.”
Deke glanced over to Gator who shrugged his shoulders. Turning back to Lance, he waited.
“I think I’ll stick around town. I need some rest and I might as well get a good night sleep before I leave for Boston.” He headed toward the door. “My phone number is on the card, if you need it.”
Deke watched him walk out of the clubhouse. Neither he nor Gator said a word for the longest time. Then Deke suggested, “Let’s see what we can find out about the three men.”
“I can give Rusty a call.”
“Make sure you get pictures. I want to know what these bastards look like. If they come here looking for the girls, I want to look into their faces when they die.”
Gator nodded. “What are you going to do with the girls?”
“Hell if I know.” Deke scoffed. “Cassie isn’t telling me anything more than I need to know and Peaches is so scared, all she can do is cry. What the hell am I supposed to do with that?”
“You think there’s more to their story?” Gator asked.
“Oh, I know there is.” Deke nodded. “But neither girl is willing to tell me what that is.”
“Maybe you should let Sullivan take them back to Boston,” Gator suggested.
Deke shook his head. “Something else happened the night they left and I want to know what it is. I think Peaches might tell us but I want Cassie to do the telling. I need her to trust me enough to tell me the truth.”
“Do you think Sullivan will charge Cassie with murder?”
“I think when all the facts come out, he’ll arrest this Pierce bitch for more than just murder.”
Gator got to his feet. “I’ll get Rusty doing his thing.”
Deke got up and walked to the kitchen. He knew he needed to clear his head and the only thing that would do that was strong black coffee. He entered and Reva spun around with a knife in her hand. Deke frowned. “What the hell?”
Reva laid the knife down on the counter and took a deep breath. “Sorry Deke, you startled me. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Do you know where the girls are?” he asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
Reva turned and looked at the far corner.
Deke followed her gaze and frowned.
Both Cassie and Peaches were sleeping, covered with a blanket.
“That girl is close to her breaking point. She can’t take much more,” Reva spoke quietly.
“Honey, I don’t want her broken. I just want the truth to come out. She’s had a hard life and no one has ever stood up for her. I want her to know I’ll be there for her. That she can lean on me when she has to.”
“Then stop bullying her. Let her come to you,” Reva told him.
“There isn’t time for that,” Deke growled. “The cops just left and now, we have three very dangerous men coming our way.”
“I heard.”
Wiley came in just then and Deke suggested, “Let’s move the girls to somewhere more comfortable.” He nodded at Wiley.
Wiley looked troubled.
“What?” Deke asked.
“I-I can’t touch her.”
Deke cracked a smile. “I can put Cassie in my room while you put Peaches in another room.”
Deke went over and gathered Cassie in his arms. He carried her to his bedroom and watched as Wiley carried Peaches down the hall to another room. Neither of them woke up. As Deke took the papers from her hand and pulled the blanket up over her shoulder, a single tear rolled down her cheek. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. Then he went over to the chair in the corner and sat down.
Having nothing better to do, he began looking over the evidence again. He hadn’t really had a chance to look closely at the items Cassie kept hidden for more than half her life but he had time to search through it now.
One of the items was a small notebook. He opened the cover and began to read what was written there. At first, it didn’t make sense to him and he flipped through the pages quickly. Then he went back to the beginning and started reading it again. On the third page, something clicked. Everything in the book was coded. All he had to do was figure out the code. Frustrated, he turned the next couple of pages and found something he could figure out. It was a list of initials along with monies paid.
Deke rubbed his jaw as he stared at the list of payments. He didn’t know what it meant but he would bet Cassie knew. The list was several pages long and some of the payments had a plus sign in front of them. Deke figured that plus sign meant money coming in. Things were beginning to make sense now but he needed confirmation. If what he thought was going on, was really happening, it was a fucked up mess.
With a heavy sigh, he closed the book and laid his head back against the chair. Closing his eyes, he tried to clear his mind but he found he couldn’t. Opening his eyes a fraction, he stared at Cassie. Had she figured out what the Pierce woman was doing? Was that her dirty little secret?
Deke rubbed his fingers across his forehead trying to relieve the pain of his headache. He paused when he heard footsteps stopping at his door. He got up and opened the door.
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 an
d 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. W
e’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.
