THORN (A Brikken Motorcycle Club Saga Book 4)

by Debra Kayn

  He inhaled deeply, knowing he'd need all his strength to get through the coming days.

  In the distance, a police siren whined over the noise from the neighbors next door in the apartment complex. Acceptance settled over him. He cupped Jessy's head and lightly stroked her uninjured cheek with his thumb. There wasn't much time left for him.

  "Sweetheart," he whispered. "Can you wake up for me?"

  "Mm." She curled tighter, her knees bumping his thighs.

  The police grew closer. The noise louder.

  "Jessy?" He leaned closer and kissed her cheek, lingering his lips on her skin. "You need to wake up and take care of Nikki."

  She inhaled quickly and opened her eyes. "Nik?"

  "She's sleeping." He sat up in bed. "You need to get up, sweetheart. The police are coming."

  She jerked upright, groaned, and held her head, curling her body to protect her ribs. "The police?"

  The pain pills had done too good of a job at numbing her. He rubbed her thighs.

  "You need to listen to me and do exactly as I say." He had no time for her to come fully awake. "When the police ask where you've been today, you tell them the diner. Tell them Ed Talbot came in and beat you up. Tell them he threatened to kill you. Tell them you were scared. Got that, sweetheart?"

  She wrapped her arm around her middle, frowning. "He did something to Bee and Charlie. We need to find them."

  He flinched. For the first time, he doubted if his plan would work. There were too many questionable behaviors in the apartment. Jessy was half looped. Nikki, if woken, could throw a fit, forcing Jessy to forget what he'd asked her to do.

  He walked to the window and peeked out. Flashing lights colored the end of the block. Letting the curtain drop back in place, he returned to Jessy. He hoped this would work. Jessy still wasn't thinking straight. Whether she blocked out parts of the attack or the head injury mixed with medicine confused her, she could blow everything out of the water with one slip of her story.

  Pulling out his phone, he called Chief. His dad answered on the first ring.

  "Son?"

  "I need you to come look after Jessy and Nikki. The cops are outside. Guide her on what to say." He paused. Jessy wasn't even listening to his conversation from three feet away. "Talbot attacked her. She believed her life was in danger. That's it."

  "Jett and Olin are here. We'll ride out as soon as you hang up."

  He nodded, though his dad couldn't see him. "I want—"

  "I know, son. We'll take care of things," said Chief, understanding his unspoken requests.

  "Chief?" His breath caught in his chest. There were a million things he needed to say. None of them important right now. "I'll see you soon."

  He disconnected the call at the same time a knock pounded on the door.

  "Tacoma Police. Open the door." The shout from outside grabbed Jessy's attention.

  He stepped over to her and kissed her gently, whispering, "Remember what I told you."

  Another loud knock came. He walked across the small room and opened the apartment to the police before the noise woke Nikki.

  "We're looking for Jessica Reed. Is she here?" A law enforcement officer craned his neck, looking around Thorn.

  "She's laying down with a concussion and her daughter is asleep in her bedroom. If you can keep your voices down, I'd appreciate it." He stepped back, letting them take a long, hard look at his Brikken vest.

  Let them profile him. Let them assume whatever they wanted. He wanted the focus on him.

  Jessy hugged the blanket around her. He stepped over and put his hand at the back of her neck, letting her know he wouldn't allow anyone, not even the police, to upset her. The officers questioned her about her injuries and where she'd received them. She answered honestly.

  The head policeman scribbled on his notepad. Thorn leaned down and kissed the side of Jessy's head and whispered, "I love you."

  Taken by surprise, she gazed up and gave him all her attention. While she remained speechless over his declaration of love, the policeman cleared his throat.

  "Did you hit Mr. Talbot with a cast iron skillet?" asked the officer.

  Thorn caressed Jessy's neck, keeping her quiet, and looked the policeman in the eyes. "I did. I was afraid he was going to kill Jessy. The threats he was making and all the blood she had coming from her head, I thought she was..." He swallowed. "I thought I was too late to save her."

  The questions suddenly veered off Jessy and toward him. He kept a hand on Jessy until he was asked to step away from the bed. The police had yet to tell him that Talbot was murdered. Far as they'd know, he had no idea Talbot was dead. When he'd left, he never checked Talbot after he clobbered him with a skillet.

  A fucking skillet.

  Chief, Jett, and Olin stormed into the apartment and stopped. Every officer reacted as he suspected they would. His dad and brothers were taken outside and guarded. He was escorted to the squad car without saying goodbye to Jessy.

  As he was given his Miranda rights and put in handcuffs, he looked at the opened door of the apartment and found Jessy holding on to the frame, covering her mouth. He lifted his chin. Everything would be okay if she allowed him to control the situation.

  She had a daughter to raise and take care of. She needed to be home.

  And, he had a family to protect.

  Eventually, the questioning policeman opened the back door of the patrol car. Thorn folded his body and backed into the seat. As he swung his boots inside, he spotted Nikki stepping forward to her mom's side.

  She spotted him. Her mouth opened and she screamed, "No."

  He lifted his gaze to Jessy, jolted at the articulate sound of a simple word. His heartbeat thrummed in his chest as Jessy caught Nikki and held her back from running to the curb. To the police car. To Thorn.

  Chief stepped over and picked up Nikki, keeping her beside her mom. Thorn leaned back in the seat, knowing Brikken would bring his family under their care.

  Part 2

  Chapter Twenty Two

  DR. LOGENBERG EXCUSED Nikki from the appointment to go play with the toys at the table in the corner of his office. Jessy scooted forward to talk privately with him.

  "Do you think this means the rest of her vocabulary will come back," she said quietly. "I mean, she's using yes and no, with not only me but with those at daycare."

  "Instead of focusing on advancing her, let's concentrate on accepting her use of the words she's freely giving as normal. Too much encouragement could make her retreat to being nonverbal again. It would be best if your reaction, and everyone else in her life, acts like she's been speaking the whole time." Dr. Logenberg folded his hands on the desk. "As her doctor, I will tell you that her breaking out of a silent world and speaking, no matter how limited, is a good sign that she won't stop at only yes and no."

  She exhaled loudly in relief. With Thorn going to court next week after a four-week stay in county jail and Nikki unable to see him, she feared the changes in her daughter's life would have a negative impact.

  Dr. Logenberg touched his forehead. "Can I ask if you were in an accident?"

  The fresh pink scar attracted a lot of attention, especially when customers wanted to hear if the rumors about a murder at the diner were real. To her horror, business boomed after she returned to work.

  Bee and Charlie, who remained clueless to the real story of what happened believed Thorn had saved her from Ed. A story that Brikken Motorcycle Club pressured her to stick with if she wanted Thorn to have a fighting chance to stay out of prison.

  "An accident. I'm fine now," she said, dropping the subject because she never allowed Nikki to know about the crime or why Thorn was gone. "I'll pass on your advice to everyone else in Nikki's life."

  "Feel free to have the school daycare contact me if they have any questions on how we're moving forward with Nikki's care." Dr. Logenberg stood.

  "I will, and thank you." She walked over and gathered Nikki, holding her hand as she exited the office, and th
en the building.

  They were the last appointment of the day and traffic had already picked up as people rushed home. She opened the back door of the car. Nikki climbed in and sat on her booster seat.

  She strained to latch the seatbelt. "You're getting so big. Soon, you won't have to have a booster. You'll get to sit in the car like me."

  Nikki nodded. "Yes."

  Filled with hope, she kissed Nikki's cheek. "I love you."

  She shut the door and climbed into the driver's seat. A few minutes later, she'd worked her way onto the main street through Tacoma.

  "We're going to run over to the clubhouse. Chee's there..." She glanced in her rearview mirror and caught Nikki nodding. "You can play with him while I talk to the adults, okay?"

  "Yes," said Nikki.

  Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. The excitement each time she heard her daughter's sweet voice got her through each day since Thorn's arrest. She had to keep going because Nikki depended on her.

  Only at night when she laid in the bed they'd shared would she allow herself to miss him. The pain ripped her apart. Most nights, she stayed awake until her eyes burned and she could no longer keep them open, afraid that Thorn would be punished for a crime that he never committed, and she'd lose him.

  She couldn't understand why he confessed to killing Ed. It was her.

  She'd thought about killing him every day since finding out the truth about how he cared for Nikki. The jury would find her guilty of premeditated murder if they put her in front of the judge and she couldn't argue her innocence.

  She was guilty.

  Spotting the Brikken gate ahead, her stomach fluttered. She had a feeling Jett called her to the clubhouse because the prosecuting attorney for the state of Washington in Thorn's case would be calling her as a witness. She wasn't protected from going up on the stand against Thorn, because they weren't married.

  Nervous and fearful she'd say or do something wrong to make matters worse for Thorn, the stress had started making her sick. The only positive part of the upcoming court date was being able to see Thorn for the first time since he'd been arrested. Chief had promised her that soon afterward, she'd be able to see him, either free of all charges or in prison.

  Needing to believe she'd hold him in her arms, she wouldn't allow herself to dwell on if things go the opposite way. She had to believe that good things get a good reward, and Thorn was the best man she'd ever known.

  She pulled to a stop in the field outside the clubhouse. Looking in the rearview mirror, she checked on Nikki. The last time they'd come here hadn't gone too well. Nikki had thrown a fit, running around and whining.

  Later at home when Nikki had calmed down and picked at her dinner, she asked her daughter if she missed Thorn and was looking for him. Plain and clear, she'd given her a solid yes.

  "Okay, let's go in and find your buddy, Chee." She left the car, grabbed Nikki, and together they walked into the clubhouse and straight to the daycare room.

  Being inside with Brikken members loitering around set her into a mini panic attack. She left Nikki to play and escaped the room unable to remember what she said to Kylie at the door. In the hallway, she pressed her hand to her chest. Her heart raced painfully.

  What if she screwed up on Tuesday? She bent at the waist, lowering her head. She owed Thorn everything.

  She'd killed Ed. It was her fault. If she could take it all back, she wasn't positive she could. He'd wanted Nikki. She'd panicked when he hurt her, and yes, she was scared.

  The Brikken members would turn on her if Thorn ended up in prison. They loved and respected him. They'd blame her if something went wrong.

  Walking away from the consequences went against everything she believed in. She'd been righting her wrongs since she ended up pregnant at fifteen years old.

  She gasped for breath, lightheadedness coming over her. Worst of all, a deep part of her was thankful to Thorn for protecting her. She'd never survive away from Nikki, and her daughter would go into foster care if she weren't around to raise her.

  She had no one, but Thorn.

  Caught between grateful and guilty, she only wanted to feel his arms around her, reassuring her that everything happened for a reason and they'd survive. The thought of losing him killed her.

  Her daughter wasn't the only one who needed Thorn. She needed him, too.

  "Hey." A hand landed on her back. "Are you okay?"

  She straightened as her stomach spasmed and found Olin beside her. "Yeah." She swallowed, pursing her lips and exhaling. "I’m just...am I late?"

  "No." Olin motioned his hand. "I just got here myself. I'll walk you to the meeting room."

  She glanced over and found Ashley at the end of the hallway. The pity in the other woman's eyes only compounded her problem. Thorn's family should blame her for what he was going through.

  Inside the back room at the clubhouse, Chief pulled a chair away from the table for her. She sat as the door behind her shut and looked around the table. Jett sat across from her. Chief went to the window and leaned against the wall, his attention on her. Olin sat on the edge of the table and crossed his arms.

  There were no women present, no children, and no other Brikken members. The men who meant the most to Thorn could roast her over a fire for what she'd done, and she had it coming. She only hoped that Nikki wouldn't be hurt.

  Jett's gaze softened. "Thanks for coming by."

  She'd noticed none of the Stanton men ever smiled to appease anyone, but she'd learned to look closely at Thorn. His emotions were often shown in his eyes and mouth.

  "We wanted to let you know that on Tuesday, you'll be in the courtroom by yourself." Jett's gloved hand rested on the table. "If you have any questions, we'll try to answer them now because you won't have the chance to ask once you walk into the courthouse."

  "You're not going to go in support of Thorn?" She sat straighter. "You're his family."

  "No, you and Nikki are his family." Jett paused. "We're Brikken. We've had more members walk through the judicial system than have remained a casual visitor to the prison, including myself...twice."

  "I-I don't understand," she said. Thorn needed his family around him.

  "Over half the Brikken members have served time." Chief tilted his head, reminding her of Thorn. "Most of them because they were guilty."

  She bit her lip. Thorn wasn't the one who should be punished, but she kept that to herself. She had no idea how much his family knew about Ed at the diner or her part in his murder.

  "If no one is there to take the stand in support of him, who does he have?" she asked.

  "A tough lawyer who will fight to get him either out of prison or a lesser sentence." Olin rubbed his hand along his thigh. "Thorn knows the jury could go either way and he's okay with that."

  She gaped at him, unable to keep the truth from them. "But, he didn't—"

  "My son will do whatever needs to be done to protect his family." Chief stepped toward the table. "You have a child. A child who needs her mother. And, you have a man who wants to make sure that mother is loved and lives the life she deserves."

  Her mouth went dry. Her pulse thundered in her head. They knew Thorn had lied about killing Ed.

  Losing all the strength in her spine, her head drooped, and her chin hit her chest. She stared at her lap. How could she face them all?

  What Thorn was doing for her was unheard of. No one risked their freedom, their life, their reputation for another person. Even one you loved.

  She squeezed her eyes shut. He loved her.

  He'd spoken the words while the police were at the apartment. That whole day remained a fog of confusion for her, but Thorn's declaration of love was crystal clear. She had felt his commitment to her over the next several days after he was taken away and she was alone.

  "I'm sorry," she whispered, raising her gaze and looking at them all. "If I could take everything back and do it over, maybe I would've done things differently. I never meant any of this to happen. I o
nly wanted to protect my daughter, and he started hitting—"

  "We've all done things that we're going to have to live with. It doesn't make our decisions wrong. It makes us human," said Jett softly.

  "What we need to do now is go over what you'll face on the witness stand." Olin sat beside her.

  The Stanton men drilled her for answers. Corrected her misuse of words that could implicate Thorn. Guided her on details she should omit.

  Her head spun with all the information floating around the room. In the back of her mind, she thought of Nikki playing down the hallway, happy and testing her new independence of saying yes and no.

  Thorn gave her that.

  She wouldn't let him down.

  Chapter Twenty Three

  The verdict came at twelve thirty.

  Thorn Stanton would spend the next sixteen months at Seattle Penitentiary for involuntary manslaughter.

  Jessy closed her eyes as the judge read Thorn's sentence for a crime he claimed to have committed. Thorn tuned out the courtroom noises and stood when the guard came forward without taking his gaze off Jessy. The prosecuting attorney putting her on the stand to try and make her admit that she caused jealousy between him and Talbot was bullshit.

  His hope that the Brikken lawyer could get him off under the ruling of Washington's 'Stand Your Ground' law and he'd feared for his life was shot down almost instantly inside the room.

  The attorney for the state thought making a statement that he was a gang member with close ties to relatives that were felons needed to be shared. Though the judge overruled the statements, he could see the judgment in the eyes of the juries.

  Jessy never stood a chance on helping his case, which he'd expected. Her love for her daughter was thrown in her face and made it appear as if she had a current relationship with Talbot. Thorn had refused to let his attorney bring up Talbot's treatment of his daughter her whole life for Nikki's sake.

  The sooner Talbot's name went away, the better it would be for Nikki. She didn't need to grow up and read about her father's abuse of her on the internet.