by K. J. Dahlen
Deke was suddenly struck at how domesticated the big man looked. He glanced back at the bedroom door where Cassie slept and was thinking about how in a few months’ time, he would be holding his own child.
Reva and Alaina brought them fresh coffee and Alaina had a plate of sweet rolls. She sat down and the three kids began to eat. Reva chuckled softly at the enthusiasm they displayed. She glanced at Deke.
Today, she had a twinkle in her eye he hadn’t seen before. “I’m outta here.” Deke got to his feet. Slapping Gator on the shoulder, he leaned close to Reva and gave her a peck on the cheek. “You two keep the home fires burning.”
“Get outta here, old man,” Gator grumbled.
Deke laughed all the way to the door. He got on his bike and revved the engine. Glancing over at the gate, he glared at who was on the other side. It was barely eight in the morning and these fuckers show up? He got off his bike and walked over as he frowned at who was standing there. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he growled.
Lance Sullivan and Victor Shroder stood in his path. Neither one of them moved but Gator showed up out of nowhere and stepped in behind Deke.
Lance held up his hand. “I’m not here to cause any trouble but I do need to speak to Cassie and Peaches. This has nothing to do with a case against her, but they might be able to help us with something else.”
“What makes you think she’ll even speak to you?” Deke asked in a skeptical tone.
“It might be in her best interest to do so,” Lance informed them.
“That sounds like a threat boss,” Gator replied as he crossed his arms over his wide chest. “What do you think?”
“If it helps Cassie, let the man speak his peace,” Peaches said from behind them.
Deke turned his head.
Peaches and Iceman had joined them all at the gate.
Deke let out a disgusted sigh as he backed up a step and allowed Lance and Victor inside.
They all headed to the clubhouse.
Deacon came in the back door and a few of the brothers joined them.
Marnie came in behind them and motioned her head a Reva.
Reva hustled the children into the kitchen.
Deke, Gator Lance and Victor sat down at the table Deacon, Peaches and Iceman joined them. Everyone else sat nearby.
Deke stared at Lance Sullivan. “What’s this all about?”
“Is Cassie here?” Lance asked. “She really should hear this too.”
Deke glanced at Deacon and nodded. Deacon got up and left, returning a few minutes later carrying Cassie. He placed her on the chair next to Deke.
She glanced at Lance and the other man. “Why are you here?”
Lance introduced his partner to the group. “Everyone, this is my partner, Victor Shroder. When I got back to Boston yesterday, he told me there was another young woman murdered in the city. When I saw the photos there was something disturbingly familiar about her injuries.”
Lance opened his briefcase and pulled out a file. He took a photo out and slid it over to Cassie.
Cassie studied the man for a moment then looked down at the photo. She gasped and the color drained from her face.
Deke sat up and pulled her to him. He glared over at Lance and growled. “What the fuck are you doing man?”
Lance tapped the table. “She had to see this. I know it’s horrible but I needed to see her reaction.” He leaned forward and his finger tapped the photo. “This is the eighth young woman we’ve found in the last nine years. Whoever killed her is a very sick individual.” He turned his gaze to Peaches. “Does the number twenty three mean anything to you or Cassie? Cuz that’s how many times he stabs his victims and that’s after he carves the word whore into their backs. He lets them bleed to death before he’s done with them. He shows them no mercy and the evidence proves he watches them until they all die in pain. Then he poses them in his own sick way.”
Cassie pulled away from Deke and reached out to pick up the photo. She studied it for a moment then passed it on to Peaches. With trembling hands, she pushed the hair away from her forehead. “The last few weeks we lived with Janelle, she upped her punishments with regards to me. I wouldn’t cry when she beat me with the belt and she needed to show me she still had the power over my life. One night after every else was sleeping, she came to get me and dragged me to a special room she had set up. That house had too many secrets. She tied my hands together and then she sat there and let Robbie cut me. They weren’t deep cuts but lord did they bleed. Over time, he cut me twenty three times. He did all this a couple of days before the last beating she gave me. That was when he carved the word whore in my back. A few days later, we left.”
Everyone was silent for a moment as Peaches got up and leaning over her, gave her a hug. She was weeping but she wasn’t alone.
Cassie was dry eyed though. She’d cried her tears a long time ago in private. She had learned to mask the pain she felt, she vowed never to let anyone see her cry.
Iceman got up and led Peaches back to her chair. Wrapping his arm around her, he held her tight while she cried.
“Where was this secret room?’ Victor asked. “We didn’t find it when we searched the house.”
Cassie grunted. “You wouldn’t have found it unless you knew where the door was. The door is in the kitchen. There is a cabinet door next to the fridge with a small lock. She always wore the key around her neck. The door opened into a narrow hall. The hall opened up into a special room in the back of the house. The room was sound proof and had padded walls. The windows were small and set high in the walls. Some of the openings are covered by pictures that allowed you see out, but nobody could see or hear you. She told me I could scream all I wanted, but nobody would ever hear it. The air in that room was always stale. The windows didn’t open and there was no heat or air conditioning in there…” Her words trailed off toward the end.
Again, no one said anything for a couple of minutes.
“How many of the kids knew that room existed?” Lance finally asked.
“Only those who went there ever knew it was there,” Cassie explained. “I knew it, Robbie knew it,” She shrugged. “Who else knew about it…is anybody’s guess.”
“Cassie would disappear, sometimes for hours,” Peaches spoke up. “When she would come back, she wouldn’t speak for days. She watched everyone but she couldn’t bear to speak to anyone. I would watch her but she wouldn’t let anyone including me touch her.”
“How did she control the younger kids when Social Services made their visits?” Víctor asked.
“She made everyone sit on their beds and not speak when someone came over to the house.” Peaches replied. “If we spoke any time we weren’t supposed to, we got a time out and missed the next few meals.” She shrugged. “No one broke the rules very often, except Cassie.”
Lance reached for another file in his case. “I want to show you girls something. It isn’t very pleasant but I still want, no…I need you to see it.” He opened the file and laid a photo on the table.
Cassie swallowed hard and picked up the gruesome photo. It was of a body lying on a steel table. The body was of a child and the most damage was to his face. His body was covered in bruises and she could see deep cuts near his waist. In the same general area she’d cut Robbie that night. He had his gentiles covered by a towel. Cassie glanced at Lance. “Who is this supposed to be?”
“That is a photo of Robbie Pierce’s autopsy.”
Cassie shook her head. “No it isn’t.”
“Let me see that,” Peaches said holding out her hand for the photo. She looked it over carefully and agreed with Cassie. “I don’t know who this is but it isn’t Robbie.”
“How do you know?” Victor asked.
“Robbie was a small kid, this guy is too big to be Robbie,” Peaches said.
“Let me see that again,” Cassie said. She sat up and studied the photo. Then she gasped as her eyes settled on the young man’s wrist. She looked over at Peaches and wh
ispered a name, “Will.”
Peaches’ eyes grew big and she covered her mouth with her hand. Turning her head into Iceman’s shoulder, she trembled.
“Who is Will?” Deke asked.
“His name was Will Denison. He came there during the last year Peaches and I were there. He was a bigger kid for his age. He was a little on the slow side but he had a gentle soul.”
“He never did learn the rules fast enough for Janelle,” Peaches took over telling them about the boy. “She enjoyed making him cry. One day, Will broke a glass by accident. Janelle slammed his wrist down on the counter hard and she broke it. We all heard the bones snap and we all heard Will’s screaming but no one could move. Cassie broke the rules by going to Will. She wrapped her arms around him and led him back to his chair. She held him until he stopped crying. That was the one and only time Janelle didn’t beat her for breaking the rules.”
“I wrapped his wrist the best I could but it wasn’t good enough,” Cassie added. “He could barely use it for the longest time and when it healed it was never right again.”
“So if this isn’t Robbie, he could be very much alive,” Lance commented.
“Do you have any idea where he might be?” Victor asked.
“I would check that special room,” Cassie suggested. “He wouldn’t be too far from his mother and she would want him to stay close to her. That way she would be able to protect him.”
“But she hasn’t been in that house for months now,” Lance concluded. “Do you think he’d still be there?”
Cassie nodded. “She kept that room a secret for a reason. To keep him safe.”
Lance stared at her for a moment then said, “I want to thank you for your help with this matter. We might actually have a chance to stop him now.”
“Robbie is a very sick individual. Janelle allowed him to do whatever he wanted and when she did try to restrain him, she found she couldn’t. By that time, all she could do was hide him from the rest of the world.” Cassie paused then added, “Janelle’s biggest thing was having complete control. She tried to control me. It didn’t work but she never could control the one person she should have, Robbie. She turned him into what he’s become.”
“And now he’s alone out there with no one to tell him when to stop.” Peaches visibly shivered. “If he has any idea where Cassie is, he’ll come after her to finish what he started.”
“He won’t get anywhere near her,” Deke vowed the steel in his eyes easy for anyone to see. “I’ll take his ass out before I’ll let him touch her again.”
Cassie shook her head. “You can’t protect me twenty four seven. It just isn’t possible.”
Deke turned his head and glared at her. “I can and I will.”
“No boss, we all will,” Wiley called out. “We won’t let anyone near her.”
Deke nodded. “There you go.”
“Now, that we know who we’re up against, maybe we can stop him before he has a chance to come after her,” Victor said.
“Good luck with that.” Iceman scoffed. “He’s been hiding right under your noses for the last eleven years.”
“Maybe, but now we know he’s out there and we won’t stop until we find him,” Lance assured them.
“I’m sorry but you two have to leave,” Deke told Lance and Victor. “We’re going on lockdown and unless you want to stay, get out.” Turning to Gator he said, “I want everything locked up, roving patrols and spotlights on the woods. I want at least three people on the roof. I want there to be no way that bastard gets inside the compound without being seen.” He glared at them a moment before he said, “If the bastard comes here after Cassie, my men will be under orders to shoot to kill him. He won’t live to stand trial. I’m telling you this, so we don’t have a misunderstanding about it.”
Lance and Victor both nodded.
Finally, Lance told him, “We have to get back to Boston and check out the house. Now that we know where to look, we’ll hunt this piece of shit down and take him out.”
“See that you do,” Deke warned. “If I find him sitting in jail cell…he won’t be there long.”
Lance stared at the other man for a moment. His intense eyes told of murder and he nodded. Message received. He and his partner turned to leave.
Deke watched them all the way out the door. Then he turned to Gator. “Let’s lock this place down tight.”
Gator nodded and began looking around at the handful of men in the room. “Wiley, gather the others, we have a job to do.”
Deke grabbed Gator’s arm. “I want you to nail the window shut in my room. I don’t want another bastard getting close to her like that.”
Gator nodded. Catching Reva’s eye, he motioned with his head. “Do you think the other women and children should go somewhere else?”
Deke hesitated. “That’s between you and her. Robbie isn’t after her or the kids.”
“No but I don’t want them caught up in the crossfire either,” Gator admitted.
Reva stepped closer to him and Deke. “I’m not going anywhere away from you, old man,” she insisted with her hands firmly set on her hips.
“It might be safer if you did.” Gator wrapped his big arms around her.
“The safest place I know is right here, in your arms.”
“I won’t have you or them kids in any danger if this nutcase does get through our lines,” Gator grumbled.
“You and the boys have always protected us before,” Reva told them both. “I have no doubt you will continue to do so.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not leaving.”
Gator growled. “Woman, you are the most stubborn thing.” His arms tightened around her.
“Yeah, big guy…” Reva patted his chest. “I love you too.”
Deke smiled at their antics and turned his head to watch Cassie. She looked worn out. He was concerned about her being out of bed for so long. He walked over to where she was sitting. Kneeling down beside her, he took her hand in his. “Are you okay, baby?”
Cassie nodded. “This nightmare has to end. I can’t keep looking over my shoulder anymore.”
“You should be in bed resting.” He brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. “You’ve been sitting up long enough.”
“No!” She gasped. “I don’t want to be alone right now.” She grabbed his shirt and twisted it along with her hands into fists. “Please don’t make me be alone.”
Deke pulled her into his arms. “Shhh baby, I won’t do that to you.” Kissing her temple he assured her, “You won’t be alone. I’m not going anywhere. You got me, Deacon and Peaches. Gator and Reva are here too. Nobody will leave you alone for a second. Wiley and all the boys are here too. You and the baby will be fine, I promise.”
“Oh, God Deke—don’t let Robbie hurt our baby!” Cassie wailed softly. She grabbed his shirt.
“He won’t hurt you or the baby, I promise,” Deke whispered. “Come on let’s move you over to the sofa so you’re more comfortable.” He gathered her into his arms and carried over to the sofa. Carefully laying her down, he covered her up and kissed her forehead. “Rest now. We’ll take care of everything else.”
~* * * *~
Marnie watched as Cassie closed her eyes and Deke walked away. From where she stood, she could see everyone scrambling around the room. She was sitting at a far table and for a moment, she felt isolated.
Then Deacon joined her and she felt his warmth surround her.
“Are you doing okay?’ he asked.
Marnie nodded and glanced over at Cassie and Peaches. “They certainly went through some kind of hell didn’t they?”
“Yes they did,” he said quietly. “I almost wish the bastard would come here.”
“Why?’ Marnie asked surprised.
“Because I want to look him in the eye when he knows his life is over.” Deacon growled low. “I want to see the fear in his soul when he’s finally on his way to hell.”
“I think Deke and Jesse would like to witness that as wel
l.” She nodded. “And he would deserve every second of it for what he put those girls through. I know Jesse hasn’t left Peaches alone too much since they met. Now, I know why.”
Deacon leaned closer to her and touched his lips to hers. When the heat hit them both, Marnie gasped and Deacon backed away. He smiled. “I had to know if yesterday was just a fluke or if it really happened.”
Marnie licked her lips. She still felt the energy all the way to her toes. “And now?”
“Now…if we weren’t getting ready for war, I would take you home with me and we’d be getting ready to see where this was going,” he whispered in her ear. “I want you so much right now, I can’t think with the brain in my head. My cock wants to take over.”
Marnie grinned. “That sounds lovely.”
Deacon grinned as well. “Lovely?” He laughed. “Well, I do want to give you some lovely all right. Maybe not this minute but soon, very soon.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Neither can I.” He sighed and glanced over at Cassie. “Stick close to her today. I think she needs someone beside her.”
“But I don’t even know her all that well.”
“That doesn’t matter, not today.” Deacon shook his head. “She just needs the comfort of someone real. The memories stuck in her head are going to come after her and sometimes, the company of another human being is the only thing that keeps them at bay.”
Marnie gave him a huge smile. “Hey, you sound like the counselor now. You be careful out there, okay?”
Deacon glanced at her. “Why do you say it like that? I’m not the one Robbie is after.”
“I know, but I want to see where this goes with us. I want the time to know you better and if you do something foolish, we might not ever get to ride it out.”
Deacon smiled. “Oh you aren’t going to get off that easy. I’ll find the time to get you alone and we will ride the lightening together. That much I know.” He pressed a kiss to her mouth then walked away.
Marnie smiled to herself and joined Reva in the kitchen. She noticed the children were busy at one of the prep counters, so she got close to Reva and asked, “How are the kids holding up?”
