by Erin Osborne
“Let’s go inside,” Hawk says, placing his hand on my lower back and leading the way inside. “We’ll take a booth in the back and you girls can sit somewhere else. Just make sure we can see you.”
I nod my head and wait for them to choose what side they’ll be sitting on before Darcy and I choose our own table. We end up sitting in one of the booths against the front of the diner. Far enough away from the guys we’ll be able to talk about things and not be overheard. Hawk doesn’t need to hear what I’m about to talk to my cousin about.
“So, what’s going on?” Darcy asks once we’re settled and the waitress has taken our drink order.
“Well, I don’t know what to do about my current situation. Hawk and another guy from the club, Chains, have moved me in with them. Craig’s been sending me notes and flowers, telling me he’s coming to get me. They’re protecting me. But, I’m growing more attracted to both of them every day when we're together. I don’t know what to do,” I tell her, glancing at Hawk to make sure he’s still sitting in his booth.
“Do you know if they share women?” she asks.
“Not from asking them, but Callie and Hadliegh have told me they do.”
“Okay. So, what’s holding you back from letting them know you’re interested in them?” she asks.
“Well, I’m still dealing with the Craig shit and I don’t want them to get dragged into my mess,” I say, beginning to cry as I think of everything that’s happened. “Darcy, it’s such a mess. Mom and dad don’t even talk to me anymore because of him.”
Before Darcy can say anything, Hawk is by my side. He wants to know what’s wrong and I’m not ready for him to know all those gritty details just yet. Once I’ve reassured him I’m okay, just overcome with emotion, he heads back to his table. I know he’ll be watching me closely now. They hate when I’m upset.
“They’re going to take care of Craig whether you want them to or not. It’s who they are and what they do. Are you okay with that?” she asks.
“Yes. I don’t want to see him ever again. I’m still looking over my shoulder every second of the day and I just want him to go away. I don’t want them, or anyone else from the club to get in trouble though.”
“They know what they’re doing. Let them take care of it. Now, I don’t think you have a thing to worry about when it comes to knowing these men want you. They wouldn’t have moved you into their home if they just wanted a hookup. The women in the club can give them that. You’re going to have to take a chance and let them in. All the way in,” Darcy tells me. “I let Crash and Trojan in and I couldn’t be happier. I love them with everything in me, love our life, and our children.
“These men will love you fiercely, protect you even harder, and you’ll never want for anything. You just have to open your heart to them and possibilities. Are you willing to do that? Make sure you give them both just as much as they give you?”
“I can do that. My concern is opening up and letting them know everything about Craig and how much he truly took from me. You know how close I was to mom and dad. Now, I don’t know anything going on with them. They won’t give me a chance to explain my side of things, Darcy. It breaks my heart to know they think so little of me,” I tell her, feeling tears fill my eyes again.
“What happened between you?”
“Craig told them I was on drugs, not going to school, and that I was a sex addict. He swore to them he was going to get me help and try to get me off drugs. He completely destroyed our relationship. I never did drugs, I quit school because he said we didn’t have the money for both of us to attend at the same time. That was before telling mom and dad those lies. He knew what he was doing because they were paying for my education.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Darcy asks, practically shouting for the entire diner to hear.
Before I can say a word, the waitress brings our drinks over and takes our lunch order. I’m having a bacon cheeseburger with fries while Darcy orders a cheeseburger with everything on it and fries. We order a cup of gravy for the table to dip our fries in. Once the waitress leaves, I decide how I want to proceed.
“I wish I were. Craig must have been very convincing because they cut me right out and haven’t spoken a single word to me since then. I only know it happened because I overheard the conversation he had with them. The one time I saw mom afterward, she pretended she didn’t know me before crossing the street and walking away from me.”
“I’m so sorry honey. You leave them to me. I’ll go see them in the next few weeks. I’ll make them understand what happened and let them know where you are now. They’ll come around, just give them a little bit of time,” she tells me, promising to do what she can to help me out.
“So, tell me about your men. Crash there seems kind of scary to me,” I tell her honestly.
Darcy talks about her family and new friends as we eat our food. I may not know much about the club other than the stories she’s told me regarding the man named Wood. We spend our time together laughing and talking like we did when we were younger. I’ve missed this— missed my family more than I realized with everything going on.
We make plans to get together again soon. I want to meet Trojan and her children. Our plan is to have dinner either at her house or have them come here to Shadowville. It all depends on what’s going on with the clubs. So, we decide to talk to the men when we get home and find out what’s going to work best for them.
It’s too soon to be saying goodbye and going our separate ways. But, she has to get back home for the kids and check in at her salon. Apparently she hired a new girl and wants to see how her first day of work is going. If she’s really going to be a good fit for the small team she’s put together.
Walking outside, we hug before heading to our separate vehicles. Hawk opens my door for me and leans down in to make sure I’m really okay. I offer him a small smile as my thoughts and feelings swirl around my head. I’m so torn about what to do. I’ll need to do some more thinking where Hawk and Chains are concerned. Because no matter how much I like them, I’m not sure if I’m ready to trust anyone like that again.
Chapter Five
Hawk
IT’S BEEN A few days since Craig sent our girl flowers and a note to Anarchy Ink. She’s still looking over her shoulder to see if he’s hiding somewhere in the shadows before she climbs off our bikes or exits any building. It kills us that he’s reduced her to this person, but we understand where she’s coming from.
Craig better hope Chains and I don’t ever see him alone. At this point, I don’t even care if he’s alone. I’m gonna beat the fucker to the ground and he’ll be lucky if he gets to see the sunrise again the next day. Nothing short of being put to ground will satisfy Chains and I. We want to give Cass that peace of mind, knowing she doesn’t have to keep looking over her shoulder for him.
Today, I’m taking a break from looking into Diablo and his slimy fucks. I’m not looking into Craig today either. The guys scheduled to be out scouring the town are doing their jobs. I need some time on the road with nothing but my bike. I want to get my head clear and focus on the jobs I have. Cassidy is working at the tattoo shop today and won’t get out until after midnight because Hadliegh worked the morning shift. Chains will have lunch with her today. He’s been wanting to and hasn’t had the time. Today, he’s making the time for her.
Grave is one of the few men in the clubhouse when I get ready to head out of the club. I’m not sure if he senses the mood I’m in, or if he’s just bored, but he follows me out and heads out with me. We head out of town and get on the highway so we can open our bikes up and let the wind and freedom take over.
My mood has been off since taking Cass to lunch with her cousin. When she started crying in the middle of the diner, my heart broke. Cass is such an amazing person and doesn’t deserve the shit past she’s had. No one deserves to be used as a punching bag. I know there’s more to the story than we already know, she’s just not ready to open up.
Add in t
hat Chains and I are so busy with club business we’re barely around to spend any time with Cass. It’s making us both a little crazy and in horrible moods. Yes, we get to spend time together at home, and they’re still working on her self-defense training. It’s just not the same as being able to head out on the bikes; destination unknown.
We stop off at a bar in a small town not far from Shadowville. Walking in, the place is almost deserted. It’s after nine and this place should have more than ten patrons in the place. Tonight, it’s working in my favor though. Sitting in a back booth I spot Craig. The image of the fucker is burned into my memory and I immediately begin walking over to him.
Grave follows me without a word. He can tell I’m on a mission. One that’s about to be really clear to him. Sliding into the booth next to Craig, I wait for Grave to sit down across from us. Motioning for the waitress, I order beer for Grave and myself before looking at Craig.
He’s squirming in his seat and trying to figure out how to get away from me. Not going to happen, but it’s nice of him to be trying. As soon as the waitress brings our beers over, I turn my attention to the man squeezed in against the wall.
“So, you like to hit women, degrade them, make them feel weak and like a shell of their former selves? Is there anythin’ else you do to them before they’ve had enough of your shit? Or am I leavin’ a few key points off the list?” I ask Craig.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. That bitch Cassidy is nothing but a liar,” he whines, realizing I’m one of the men that came to the house with her.
“That’s your first mistake, assuming I’m only talkin’ about Cass. See, you might think you’ve broken her, and that you keep her tied to you with your deliveries to work and threats, but she’s stronger than you’ll ever be. Grave you want to know what else this cocksucker likes to do to women?”
“Yeah, I’d love to,” he answers, staring Craig down.
“He likes to rape them. He’s gotten out of charge after charge because of mommy and daddy. Well, until they cut him off years ago. They got sick of his shit too. So, why don’t we take a walk so we can have a private chat?”
Craig tries to escape once I help him out of the booth. Unfortunately for him, he runs right into Grave. My friend grabs him around the neck and we head out the back door of the bar. No one inside spares a glance in our direction.
“You can’t do anything to me,” Craig says, pleading like he’s got a leg to stand on.
“I can do anythin’ I want. You see, I don’t see any cameras out here. And I’ll be walkin’ back inside before leavin’. No one will back any story you come up with. That’s how you like it, right?”
It takes a matter of a few seconds to scan the area behind the bar for cameras. There’s nothing out here for me to worry about though. Small town bars usually aren’t known for having a lot of security in place. Not unless something has happened there. This town is too sleepy for much to happen.
Not wanting to waste any more time on the asshat in front of me, I swing on him. Craig’s dumbass doesn’t even try to duck or dodge the blow I land to his face. The rage I feel for this man takes over and I see nothing but red. I land blow after blow to his head, chest, and ribs. The only reason I stop is that I hear the sound of one of his ribs cracking under my fist.
Looking down at the piece of shit before me, I take a good look at all the damage I dished out to him. His face, from what I can see, is a mess. Covered in blood, you can barely see his skin through the blood and bruising already started. His shirt is torn open and I can see different shades of purple and black covering his skin. Craig’s fingers are bent and twisted from me fucking them up. I may have stepped on them and twisted my feet once or twice.
“I’m goin’ to say this one more time. You leave Cass the fuck alone. She doesn’t want you, you’re not goin’ to scare her into comin’ back to you. The next time you have a good woman like her in your life, maybe you won’t be a fuckin’ dumbass. Don’t ever hit, rape, or abuse another woman. Or turn to cumcatchers when you have a woman willin’ to support your ass and make sure you go to college before her,” I say, turning to face Grave.
He took up residence against the wall when we came outside. Grave looks down at Craig, lying in a pool of his blood and piss. The pussy’s always pissing themselves. A laugh escapes the man I call brother when Craig turns to face us and his face is a mangled mess. Huh. I didn’t use brass knuckles or anything.
“Let’s get the fuck outta here,” Grave says, spitting on the bitch before us.
“Yeah. We got better things to do,” I respond.
Grave and I walk back to the bar. We don’t bother with the beers sitting on the table from before. I hand a wad of money to the man behind the bar before we head out. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the man is the owner and his bar is struggling. I’ll have to do some digging into it when I get back and see what’s going on. Maybe this is a place we could come once a week and build it back up for him.
“Let’s look around for Snake’s Revenge while we’re here. Who knows where the fuck we’ll find information on them? Or where they’ve been hangin’ out,” Grave suggests.
Nodding my head, I let him know he’ll be in the lead on this one. I follow him from the parking lot. We ride around the small town for almost an hour before I get an alert on my phone. I motion for Grave to pull over so I can check my phone in case it’s Renegade or Cassidy.
Renegade has sent out a mass text telling everyone to get to the clubhouse. I’m not sure if he’s heard more information or if something else happened. I quickly tell Grave what the message says and we turn around to head home. We break all sorts of rules on the way back and I’m glad there’s not a cop in sight.
Pulling into the clubhouse, Bishop opens the gates up for us. He closes them immediately behind us which sends a chill through me. We barely keep our gates shut when things are okay. Grave and I are the last members to walk into the clubhouse. Everyone is sitting around and not a single Prospect or House bunny in sight.
“Now that Hawk and Grave are here, I want to let you all know about our little problem,” Renegade says, letting us know it’s about Snake’s Revenge. “I’ve gotten word they’re on this side of the border. I want teams out searchin’ around the clock still. No one knows where he is or what his next move will be. Hawk, I want you to pull up maps and go over everywhere we haven’t searched already. Surroundin’ towns and everywhere in between. I don’t expect it tonight because I know you gotta get Cass.”
I nod my head at Renegade and start toward the hall leading to our rooms. I need to take a shower and get changed before getting Cass from work. As I pass by Renegade, he sees the blood covering my shirt and raises an eyebrow in my direction.
“Gonna be blowback?” he asks.
“I don’t think so. Ran into Craig and gave him a message. Hopefully it’s the last one he needs and he leaves Cass alone from now on,” I answer.
“Gotcha. Let Chains know the details so he doesn’t get butt hurt you had fun without him,” he tells me on a laugh.
I jump in the shower and get changed real quick before getting ready to leave the clubhouse. Cassidy should be finishing everything up by the time we get there. She’ll be tired, but I’m not sure if she’s going to want to have a late dinner or not. Sometimes she does and other nights she just goes to bed.
Chains and I pick Cass up from work and head home. She wants to make a late dinner so Chains will help her while I’m going over maps and trying to figure out where we haven’t already looked for Diablo and his merry band of fuckwads. We need to finish this shit before Diablo thinks he has the upper hand.
After highlighting the areas we’ve already been canvassing, I make a list of the areas we still have to search. There’s several small towns between here and the only way into Shadowville. We’ve been focusing our attention closer to home, so I make sure to include the small towns in the next list of places to search.
By the time I’m d
one, I hear a small knock on the door to my office. Looking up, Cassidy is standing in the doorway. She’s changed into a small tank top with a pair of booty shorts. Fuck!
“Dinner’s ready. It’s nothing major, but I thought you might be hungry,” she says.
“I’ll be right out,” I tell her.
The rest of the night, we spend with Cass at home. She starts to open up about her past with Craig a little bit. Chains and I are shocked as shit she’s telling us about how Craig told her parents lies and got them to disown her. She ends up in tears as she tells us how much she misses her parents. Darcy is going to try to help her get back in her parent’s lives, but she doesn’t know if it’s going to work.
After dropping off Cass at the tattoo shop the next morning, Chains and I head to the clubhouse. We need to go over where everyone is gonna search today and find out what else Renegade wants us to do. I go in search of him as soon as we walk in the doors so I can go over what I did last night before he lets everyone else in on the information.
We have a quick church before Renegade splits us all up into teams. I’m with Grave again while Chains will ride out with Psycho. We’re on opposite sides of town from one another. Chains will be closer to the tattoo shop with Psycho.
Grave and I will be heading out of town today to go through one of the smaller towns. I don’t want to leave town with Craig still hanging over Cass’s head, but I don’t think he’s going to be up to causing trouble today. He’ll be hiding out somewhere licking his wounds.
“Everyone ride out!” Renegade calls once we’ve made it outside and straddled our bikes.
Every single member of Satan’s Anarchy head out to their assigned area. I probably won’t be back until the very early morning. The town Grave and I are going to is small enough we can canvas it all today. But, we’re gonna have to go into some of the businesses in town to see if anyone has seen anyone new or suspicious lately.
