“This woman, who is she?” Wolf demanded. “Who exactly was Gil usin’ for all this info?”
“Her name is Willa Moore,” Sam said. “She says she’s Zoe’s best friend from back in Fargo.”
“Willa,” Wolf said, stunned. He let Dawson go now, didn’t even notice when the other man fell to his knees, gasping and gagging. “She went back to Fargo weeks and weeks ago, man. She’s been sendin’ Zee texts from a vacation with her boyfriend, and from their new place back in North Dakota. They just moved in together.”
“Gil was using her phone,” Sam said quietly. “Because it definitely wasn’t her sending Zoe those messages. I promise you that. Willa told the cops that Gil grabbed her at the airport, and then used her phone to send Zoe messages about a trip with her boyfriend Jimmy, other texts to Jimmy who thought his girlfriend had broken up with him and decided to stay in Denver permanently, and to Willa’s mother, telling her the same thing. Gil was telling stories to keep everyone from noticing that Willa was missing.”
“Holy fuck,” Wolf said, staring at Sam. “He… Gil? Keira’s Dad? For real?”
“That’s what Willa told me.”
“Wait,” Kansas said suddenly. “Sam, you said that he tortured and mutilated Willa. What do you mean?”
Sam sighed. “She’s missing a finger. She says that Gil cut it off after a couple of weeks when she refused to talk.”
There was a long, long silence. Then Wolf said:
“Her middle finger?”
“Yes.” Sam looked startled. “How did you –”
“Goddammit.” Wolf suddenly understood everything, saw everything, but he did so way too late. “Just… goddammit.”
“Wolf?”
For the third time in less than thirty minutes, Wolf heard a voice and turned to look at the lounge door, but this time, it wasn’t with dread, shock, or anger. No, this time it was with hope, joy, happiness. Maybe a bit of surprise after all, considering how things had ended between the two of them just two hours ago. It then occurred to him that maybe she wasn’t there with good news.
“Zoe,” he said, already moving towards her. “Baby girl… is Keira OK?”
“What? Oh. Oh, yes. I mean… you know. Still intubated and sedated, but she’s breathing better. Clearer.”
Every man in the room sighed in relief.
“But I – I heard about Willa. From Doctor Innis.” Zoe looked over at Sam, who gave her a warm smile. “And I just talked to Willa, down in the E.R. And the thing is, I…I just… I have to…”
“What, baby girl? You what?”
Suddenly, Zoe was sobbing, and every one of Wolf’s protective instincts savagely surged forward. He grabbed her into a bear hug, and held her close, not caring at all that they had an audience, just wanting to make it better, whatever it was.
“Zee? What’s upsettin’ you?” Wolf stroked her tumbled hair. “Talk to me.”
She gave a tiny, watery giggle that ended in a squeak. “Well, between Keira, Scars, not having a place of employment anymore, and now Willa, what’s not upsetting me, is probably the better question.”
“Yeah, I’ll give you that one.” Wolf held her away from him, examined her beautiful face. “This is a lot, huh?”
“You know it.” She paused. “Could we – could we talk alone for a minute?”
“Yeah. Course.” The words weren’t even out of his mouth before at the guys headed for the door as one. “Hey, Kansas?”
The bald man turned to his President, already knowing what he was going to say. “I’ll call ‘em off, Wolf. All of ‘em. Ice, Cain, Silver… everyone. Don’t worry. Consider it done.”
Wolf nodded, glad yet again that Kansas was a smart-as-a-whip guy, one who could fill in the blanks just fine on his own. Saved Wolf time and energy, and that was good, because right now, this woman got all of both of those things.
“Ummm,” Zoe said, watching the men file out, and deciding to just not ask what the guys were being called off from. “I kinda thought that we’d leave the room, go talk in the hallway. I mean – it’s way easier to move two people than thirty.”
“Nah. That ain’t how this works, Zee, and you know it. Whatever you need or want, we give it to you, and none of us finds it a problem, not ever. Don’t give it a second thought.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I know.” Tears were in her eyes again. “And that’s why I’m so sorry, Wolf.”
“Ohhh-kaaaay.” He scratched the stubble on his chin, wondering what the hell he was missing here. “Sorry for what?”
“For what I said to you, in Keira’s room. The way that I shouted and shoved you.” Zoe shook her blonde head. “I – I was such a bitch, and I said some incredibly awful things. I had zero right, and I’m so, so sorry.”
“Hey, you were under the worst kind of stress. You’re a mom, Zee, and your kid was in a goddamn fire. She was rescued by your man, who damn near died gettin’ her out. If you think I hold you bein’ upset against you, you’re way wrong.”
“But I blamed you for what happened to Keira and Scars.” Zoe spoke quietly. “I said that you’d lied to me, and broken your promise about me and Keira being safe here. But you hadn’t.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t know that. It was the logical thing to think, though, that it was one of my old grudges that caused this whole damn mess. I mean… until ten minutes ago, I thought that Dawson did this. I was sure of it. We all thought it, Zee. Don’t beat yourself up about thinkin’ the most obvious thing.”
“That’s not the point, Wolf.”
“Then you better tell me what the point is, baby girl, ‘cause I ain’t followin’.”
“The point is that it’s one of my old grudges that caused this whole damn mess.”
Wolf stared at her, horrified, as understanding at last began to dawn. “Oh, hey… hold up, Zee…just wait a sec…”
“It’s all my fault,” she said quickly, cutting him off. “I said that you brought all this pain and trouble into my life, and Keira’s life… but I was wrong. I had it backwards. I brought it into your life and world. I brought it with me, and now, Scars is hurt badly, Willa was taken and lost her finger, a key club business has burned to the ground, some of the guys are hurt, and my daughter…” She stopped and collected herself. “My daughter can’t breathe on her own. And it was all me.”
“No.”
“Yes. I’m the one who stood next to Keira’s crib and accused you of making my life here unsafe. Well, I made everyone’s life here unsafe. I said that you put me and Keira smack in the line of fire, but I did that. I put every one of you in that sick prick’s sights, and now everyone is paying the price.”
“OK, enough,” Wolf growled. “Enough, Zee. Look, I’ve been around bad people for a long, long time, baby girl. I know how they work and think, and I also know that once a sick asshole has made up his mind to hurt people for whatever reason, he does it. No interest in who’s standin’ in his way, or how many innocents get hurt as he goes after his goal. None. All that a guy like that sees is what he wants – and to hell with the cost to all others. Gil Purdie wanted Keira. Maybe to hurt you, maybe as a final ‘fuck you’ to Hailey. Maybe because he really loved her and wanted to know his own kid. Who knows? And really, who the hell cares? Because the second he decided to burn everyone’s life to the ground, he showed himself to be a murderous prick, and he deserved to die. The end. In my world, justice has been served. I won’t be losin’ sleep over that man chokin’ to death on smoke, I promise you.”
“But –”
“Stop the goddamn ‘buts’, Zee. He was a monster, plain and simple. He wasn’t goin’ to stop, no way and no how. He made his choices, and they were bad choices, and the way things ended were the way they were always goin’ to end. Eventually. He was a violent and angry man, and he saw nothin’ but hurt as an answer. If he hadn’t come after Keira, he’d have been off hurtin�
�� someone else, baby girl. Don’t forget: he killed your sister. He had zero conscience or problems with killin’. Good riddance.”
Zoe bit her lip, stared up at Wolf. Then she said:
“What’s Kansas calling off?”
“Aw, shit, Zoe.” Wolf looked away. “You don’t need to know.”
She studied him closely. “You guys were going to go after Dawson? His crew?”
“I ain’t sayin’ one word.”
Zoe smiled. “Yeah, OK. I get it.” She shook her head, but it was an affectionate gesture. “Thank you, Wolf.”
“For what?” He looked back at her. “I didn’t do much.”
“You had my back, even when I didn’t have yours.”
“Bullshit, Zee. You always have my back. Just sometimes you kinda forget.”
“But promise me, Wolf… don’t undo all the good work you and the guys have been doing. Not over me, not ever.”
“But –”
“Nuh-uh. My turn to talk, and no ‘buts’.”
They exchanged grins, then Zoe turned serious again.
“I get that you guys did things a certain way for a long time, that you were well-paid to do things that way, and that it’s easy for you to slip back into the old ways when things are really – fraught.” She sighed. “I understand the temptation to revert to violence as an answer is huge. I’m guessing your Enforcers have retired mostly in name only, because let’s face it, they’re a certain breed of animal. They’re born, not made, and the fact that Ice and Cain and the twins have stayed peaceful and law-abiding for a year is amazing.”
“I had my doubts,” Wolf admitted. “I thought they’d join Dawson, you know. Just for the thrill and the cash. I figured they’d give it a shot with me out of loyalty, and then cave in time, go back to the way it was, because they’d find it too hard to turn their backs on their old lives. Too extreme of a change for them, in a way that it it wasn’t for the rest of us. Enforcers are different, like you said.”
“Most men would have gone back to what they knew best,” Zoe agreed. “It’s easy and quick – but under your leadership, they’ve really, really tried. They’re still trying. So, I get why you guys wanted to go on a mad spree today and take down The Blood Crew. I do. I even thank you for it, in a messed-up way. But I’m hoping that you can regroup after this, and decide on a plan for when things get really out of control with Jensen’s people, or an ex-MC ally, or even Dawson.”
“You think I need to?”
“I do. I think that even if you and the guys do everything right, there will always be things that come up, people that try to drag you back, old scores that maybe aren’t totally settled. You’re President of The Road Devils, Wolf, so you need to be the one to keep your damn head and keep your boys under control and in line. Personal feelings aside.”
Wolf was silent for a minute, and Zoe watched him think. She knew what he was going to say before he said it, and though it wasn’t what she’d hoped, it was 100%, pure Wolf. It was the only thing that he’d say, and she loved him for it, even as she worried.
“I can’t promise you that, baby girl.” He looked regretful, but he never lied to her. “I’m sorry. I am. I won’t let loose on the fly, I swear, but I can’t promise calm when people are dyin’ or hurt or dead. I won’t. If a one-percenter group or former rivals or ex-partners or whoever are pissy about somethin’ from years ago and plottin’ shit, I’ll talk them down as best I can. I promise, I will. But if people decide they’re my club’s enemies and they attack us, if they draw our blood… no mercy, no negotiatin’, no time-wastin’. We hit ‘em back. Harder. I know that the boys are the same as they always were, under all the rule-followin’, and I’ll call those dark sides out, and I won’t feel bad about that. But I swear – I’ll only do it when there is no other choice. That’s the best I can do, Zee.”
“I have a daughter, Wolf. I can’t have her in a war zone.”
“Listen, Zee… listen and think. I took the club out of all that shady shit a year ago, right? In that time, we’ve had zero problems. Not one. A bit of b.s. from Dawson recently, tryin’ to pressure us about somethin’, but me and Scars said no. He was a bit pissed at us, but he dropped it, and the last I heard, he’s found another way to get what he wanted. See, baby girl? We’ve been left alone. I’d even say that we’ve been shunned. The other MC’s have either accepted the change, or think that we’re pussies and they don’t want to bother with us pack of losers. Jensen’s people have already forgotten us, and are workin’ with others. If you think about it, the only bad thing that’s happened has been fuckin’ Gil Purdie, and he had nothin’ to do with the club’s past.”
“Ummmm.” Zoe blinked. “Well… that’s true.”
“Damn right it is, Zee. We’re doin’ good. Gil Purdie hurt us, hurt us bad, but not because of anythin’ from our past activities. And before you start feelin’ guilty again, let me make this clear to you: if it was a choice between you bein’ here and havin’ to rebuild a new tattoo parlor from scratch, or havin’ my parlor intact and you back in Fargo strugglin’ day-to-day, it’s no contest, baby girl. I choose you and Keira here with me, every single damn time. No regrets.”
“None?” she asked, her eyes tearing up again at his gruff gentleness. “Not even when you think about all the time and money lost in building a new Blue Dragon?”
“You kiddin’ me?” Wolf scoffed. “I see this as the perfect chance to expand that place. Add another few hundred feet to the outfit. Two offices. More work stations. Bigger storage space.” He paused, risked a tiny joke. “With no goddamn back door leadin’ outside.”
Zoe giggled, then shook her head. “But – Scars. He’s… he’s not good. They don’t know when he’ll wake up…”
“Hell, Zee, I know. Scars.” Wolf struggled to stay calm and positive for her. “The man is strong, and he has lots to come back for. He’s got you and Keira, he’s got Sam and his niece, he’s got us guys. The man is loved, and he knows that. No matter where he’s floatin’ around right now, he still knows that. I’m totally sure that he does. A man doesn’t forget bein’ loved like that, not ever, no matter where or how far he goes.”
“The burns, though.” Zoe’s throat tightened as she remembered what she’d seen when the nurse had cleaned Scars’ head and back and legs an hour before. “They’re so bad…”
“I know that when he comes back to us, he won’t be the same, OK?” Wolf said. “He’s gonna need a whole bunch of skin grafts and physical therapy and counseling. I get it. I do. And he won’t have to ask for anythin’, not even once. He’s a hero, and he’s family. He gets whatever he needs, even before he knows he needs it.”
“You promise?”
“I swear it on my life,” Wolf said. “When Scars wakes up, he’s my priority. He’s everyone’s priority.”
Chapter Nineteen
Two days later, Zoe gazed at a sleeping Willa, still unable to believe that she was here – in Denver, in this hospital, in this bed. She was supposed to be safe and sound and happy, wandering the sun-kissed, golden deserts of New Mexico with Jimmy, on her dream trip. Or painting the bedroom wall in their new place. But instead she was here, and she was beaten up, starved, dehydrated, and…
Zoe’s eyes drifted to Willa’s right hand. To what wasn’t there anymore. She winced, and flexed her own fingers, then took Willa’s left hand gingerly, not wanting to wake her up. God, what Willa had been through…
She had always known that Gil was a monster, of course. But this was beyond what she’d ever thought him capable of. It was light-years beyond what she’d thought anyone capable of.
Fucking animal, taking an innocent woman’s finger to send me a repulsive message… one that I didn’t even get in the end because Arrow picked up the box, not me.
And then he’d blown up her place of work, and it seemed that his aim was to hurt as many people as possible, maybe ki
ll a number. All to – what? Get Keira back? Was his plan to sneak into Zoe’s office through the storage room, knock her out, take Keira, then set off what the cops now knew was a homemade explosive? Hopefully kill Zoe, her staff, her customers, and bonus points for totally destroying the place that had given Zoe a job, and a second chance at life?
If that was the plan, then what had gone wrong in the end? Why had he detonated the bomb with Zoe outside the building? And the bigger mystery: how had Gil ended up on the floor of the storage room, unconscious and maybe even dead before the fire got to him? Keira had been left alone to perish in that back room, which surely had not been Gil’s intention. According to Willa, this whole thing had been about getting Keira, and the two of them disappearing to start a new life somewhere far, far away from Colorado.
So, had the bomb been on a timer, and did it maybe go off early? Did Gil set it off by accident? Or did he look at Keira and change his mind at the last minute, suddenly become afraid that he’d spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder for the police, and he’d decided to do a whole murder-suicide thing, and just cross his fingers that people would be hurt, or worse?
Zoe had been perplexed by the fact that the front windows had been blown out, but somehow Gil and Keira had both survived the bomb blast. The one cop had told Wolf that it looked like the bomb had been placed in Zoe’s office with the door to the main work area left open – and Gil and Keira had been around the corner in the storage room. It was one of the scenarios being floated around – but it wasn’t yet definitive.
So many questions; so few answers. And none would be coming from Gil. The coroner had just confirmed that the body on the floor in the storage room was indeed his. Zoe had guessed that, naturally, but still. Now it was official.
He was dead and gone, and his secrets had gone with him. But he was never coming back to hurt Keira, not ever again.
The cops were investigating, of course, but Zoe didn’t think they’d find out much more than they already knew. Oh, they’d find the warehouse where Willa had been held, no doubt, and they’d get some sense of Gil’s movements by tracking his cell phone records and credit cards. But Zoe knew that he’d been watching her, and Keira, and Maria, and Scars, and Wolf, and the parlor. That was all she needed to know – she wasn’t even remotely interested in exact dates and times. What she knew was enough to freeze her blood.
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