I take a seat on the stool and swivel it toward him. Blayde approaches us followed by Ace, Duke and Butch. “She’s gone, Prez.”
“What the fuck do you mean she’s gone?” Kayne pushes off the bar and stands at full height. His nostrils are flaring as he stares at me.
“I don’t know.” I shake my head. “I woke up in the spare room, she told me to let her go and all this is her fault. She promises she’ll make it right and left before I could stop her.”
The music is suddenly turned down and my ears are ringing. Something isn’t right. Kayne yanks his phone out of his pocket and dials a number. “It’s time. All eyes on her. She’s moving hot and heavy.” He punches the end call button before the person can respond and puts his phone back in his pocket.
“What the fuck is happening?” Being the Club’s Enforcer, I need to have control and knowledge of everything going on. I’m out of my depth being left in the dark. Anger is consuming me and I reel it back in before I say something stupid and out of line to my President.
“I told Holly Sledge was here. It was the only way I could get her to calm down. After we brought you both here, she realized he wasn’t here. I had a feeling once you were out of danger of dying on us that Holly would try to track Sledge down. I was right. Rooster has a tracker on her now and he’s pinging her location. Don’t worry, we know exactly where she is.”
“Don’t worry? With all due respect, Prez, my girl is out there putting herself in danger to save us. I can’t just sit here and let her do that. I need to know where she is, now.” My voice is rising with every word and I clench my fists at my sides.
“No, right now you need to neutralize this threat.” He points to the three men strung up. “They’re your threat to the Club. The one on the right is Karl’s second in command. The one on the left is his side kick and the one in the middle?” Kayne leans in close to me, a smirk on his face. “The one in the middle is his son. They’re the reason Sledge stabbed you. They’re the reason you’re shot.”
“Wait.” I hold up my hands. “When we left Doc’s, you said Karl’s men were after us and we had to leave. If you had them here the entire time, why did you do that?”
“It was the only way I could get Holly to do her part. She didn’t want to leave you until she knew for sure you weren’t going to die.” Kayne pins me with a glare so cold, I shiver. “Now, your job is to find out what they want. What they think your father owes Karl.”
Mentioning the words my father, Reaper appears out of thin air. He enters the Repair Shop and my limbs tremble with rage. The door slams shut behind him, making the men strung up tremble with fear. Reaper approaches me slowly. His hands are out in front of him as a sign of peace. I don’t fucking want peace. I want answers.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I growl once Reaper reaches us. His long black hair is pulled back in a slick ponytail. His green eyes are wrinkled around the edges as he stares at me. I don’t know how the fuck this guy is my father, but I see some of my features in his face. From the slope of his nose to the thin line of his lips. To the same build as me only older. He’s wreaked havoc on so many people, just the mentioning of his name leaves a bitter taste on my tongue.
“Son,” Reaper responds.
“Don’t fucking call me son. You have no right to come in here and do that.” My chest is heaving with rage. I stand up and stare at him, eye to eye, not backing down or cowering with fear. “Don’t ever address me as son. All you are to me is the asshole who seeded my whore of a mother and left me with her abuse. Did you even know all the shit her and Karl did to me?”
Reaper breaks eye contact and shakes his head. “There’s so much you don’t know. If you let me explain.”
I cackle in his face. “Explain? Explain how you left me at the hands of a woman who hated me? Explain how you let her verbally abuse me every day? Explain how you never came back and let Karl beat me with an inch of my life until I was old enough to defend myself? Explain to me how you left me to suffer at their hands?”
“Yes.” His raspy voice is full of pain. Reaper picks his head up and his eyes are red. He’s trying to hold back his emotions.
Tired of holding onto the rage and pain my mother and Karl inflicted on me for years, I sit on the stool again, keeping eye contact. “Then explain.”
Reaper stares at me. His green eyes just like Sirens bore right through me and into my soul. “Your mother was fucked up before we met. She was involved with another MC that dabbled in human trafficking.” Reaper turns his head slightly to meet Kayne’s eyes. “Do you remember finding those documents at Drex’s strip club?”
“Yes. But he was working with The Black Destroyers, not another MC.” Kayne answered.
Reaper nodded his head. “Yes, but who do you think The Black Destroyers got their girls from? No one around here was turning up missing.”
“Which MC? Come on old man. Quit fucking toying us around.” Kayne snarls. He’s getting fed up with Reaper’s games. “We’ve let you into our Club, into Siren’s life along with Stryker if he wants. Tell us what you know.”
Reaper turns his attention back to me. “When I met your mother, she was involved with The Serpents MC in Ohio. We were secretly seeing each other for a couple of months before the president caught wind of our affair. He tried to stop us from seeing each other, but I wasn’t allowing it. I went in when everyone was partying, high and drunk, fucking anything that had a hole. It was disgusting and vile. I killed most of them. Found your mother doped up, beaten and raped. I got her out of there and let the law handle anyone who might’ve survived. Their president wasn’t in the Clubhouse that night and with the state your mother was in, I couldn’t leave her to find him. She confessed to being pregnant with my child and wanted to get clean. She wanted to be a good mother to you. She was a great mom for a little while. I stuck around and helped her the best I could, but when another MC called for help, I had to go. That’s when Karl found her.
“He started doping her up, reminding her of all the vile things that MC used to do to her. That’s when she relapsed. When I came back from an assignment, your mother was gone. She took you away from me and I couldn’t find you. That’s when I realized I was meant to be alone. I spent years looking for you. I never gave up on finding you. That’s when I met Siren’s mom and she had her. But something was missing. My first born son. I knew if I stuck around, bad shit would happen to Siren too. So, I watched her from afar, to make sure she was safe.
“When Poison and Kayne started working together, and I saw you, I knew it was fate bringing us together again. My son strolled into my life, into my world with a chip on his shoulders and rage in his heart. I couldn’t leave you again. I set up a meet with Karl to get him off your ass. He knew who I was the whole time. I made a deal with him to leave you alone and in return, I’d help him with the human trafficking ring he was running. But instead of helping him, I crippled his business. That’s when he came after you and you took care of him.”
Reaper’s confession left me speechless. My mouth is hanging open in shock. None of my brothers knew what to say either. Finally, I snap my jaw shut and stared out into the repair shop bay. The man in the middle is glaring at us with fire in his eyes.
“Then why are they after us?” I motion to the men strung up.
“That’s what we need to figure out. I thought after Karl came up missing, they’d turn tail and run like the little bitches they are.” Reaper answered.
I stand up from the stool and crack my neck from side to side. “Then let’s find out.”
I walk toward the three men with menacing steps. My boots are heavy on the concrete floor. I grab the middle one, who’s Karl’s son, by the jaw. Gripping it tightly in my fingers, I can feel the bones rub together. “Why are you here?”
“Fuck you, pussy,” he spits out. I grip his jaw tighter until his eyes close and a grunt passes his lips.
“No, fuck you. Answer me and I’ll make your death quick. Don’t answer and I�
��ll enjoy draining the life from your body, slowly.” He doesn’t answer and I look toward Reaper.
“Leave him for last. Let’s get started on these two first. See if they know anything.” There’s a familiar maniacal glint in Reaper’s eyes. One I recognize in my own when the thought of torturing someone comes to mind. Jesus fucking Christ. I am just like my old man.
Reaper pulls his machete out from under his long leather duster and the metal glints under the harsh fluorescent lights. He brings up the flat part of the blade and taps it on the face of Karl’s second in command. He stirs a little but doesn’t open his eyes. Reaper does it again. This time the man’s eyes open and panic sets in. He yanks on his chains, making the metal cut into his wrists. Blood trickling down his arms. Reaper grabs him by the back of the head and brings his blade up to his neck. Karl’s second-in-command stops struggling. Reaper nods his head at me and I step closer.
“Why are you here? What are you after?” I ask.
“That’s not your business.” He struggles under Reapers blade.
“That’s where your wrong, asshole. You come into my world and expect me to roll the fuck over and let you do what you want. I don’t think so.” Rage is pounding through my veins. I bring a fist back and strike him in the ribs. He wheezes hard when my fist smashes against them. I rain blow upon blow to his stomach and chest. He’s coughing up blood with every exhale.
“Enjoy these last few minutes before you choke to death on your own blood,” I whisper in his ear and step away from him. My eyes zone in on the man on the opposite end. “Do you want the same fate? To die drowning in your own blood?” Karl’s second-in-command coughs and wheezes more, he’s struggling for a breath I won’t give him. I’ll let him suffer a little longer. The other man on the end shakes his head no. “Then tell me what I want to know.”
Reaper lets go of Karl’s second in command and slowly makes his way over to the third guy. He walks around him, dragging his blade across the man’s stomach. Not enough to injure him, but the guy flinches and then pisses himself. What a fucking coward.
I step up to him and crinkle my nose in disgust. “Tell me what you’re after.”
The guy goes to open his mouth when Karl Jr speaks up. “Don’t you fucking tell them, Mark. Once they figure it out, it’ll be too late anyway.”
“Jr, I don’t want to die like Drew.” Mark is terrified and shaking like crazy.
“Man the fuck up you pussy. You knew what you were getting into when you joined us.” Jr barks.
“Not like this, I didn’t.” Mark’s eyes swing to mine, ignoring Karl Jr. “I don’t know exactly what they had planned but it has something to do with your girl and Sledge. There’s so much more than a little trafficking ring.”
“Mark shut the fuck up.” Karl Jr growls. “I’m going to kill you for this.”
“I’m dead anyway. Might as well confess my sins.” Mark responds.
Reaper steps up behind Karl Jr and places a gag over his mouth to keep him from talking. He’s going to be our best one yet. Karl Jr struggles against his chains and tries to fight Reaper off but Reaper is stronger than he looks for his age. He gets the gag on and steps away.
I turn my attention back to Mark. “What were you saying before Jr interrupted us?”
“Sledge’s MC set the whole thing up. They kidnapped Holly when she was a little girl to enter her into the human trafficking ring. But Sledge wanted her as his own. He’s a sick, twisted motherfucker.” Karl Jr struggles against his bindings, trying to mumble something under the gag in his mouth. The man known as Drew has stopped struggling against his bindings. His breathing is rapid and shallow. He’s losing the battle with his punctured lungs.
I turn and deliver a deadly blow to Jr’s stomach. He wheezes harshly under his gag, his body swinging back and forth on the chains holding him up. “Now, as you were saying before he rudely interrupted us.” I crack my neck from side to side. The pain in my side is a distant memory right now from all the adrenaline running through my system.
“Crawl was supposed to send Holly into the trafficking ring. Then Sledge laid claim to her and that pissed Karl off. She was supposed to bring in a lot of money for their MC and Karl’s business, being who she is and all.”
“You’re talking in riddles, asshole. Spit out what you have to say.” Kayne’s standing behind me, ready to pounce.
“Ok, ok. Just when you kill me, do it quickly.” Mark drops his eyes down onto the concrete. “Holly is the daughter of a well-known socialite in this city. It was no accident she got on the bus headed here. She wasn’t supposed to be picked up by you guys and be under your protection. She was supposed to end up with Karl, but by the time he got wind of her escaping, it was too late. Kayne found her. That’s all I know.” Mark pins Jr with a glare. “He knows it all.”
My eyes move to Karl Jr hanging by his wrists. I must have murder written all over my face because he trembles. I nod my head to Reaper and he brings his blade across Mark’s throat, ending his life quickly. Drew on the other side has finally given in and stopped breathing. His death wasn’t as quick as I wanted but now there was one.
“So, Jr. tell me everything else.” I reach up and yank the gag from his mouth.
“Fuck off. I’m not telling you shit.” Blood trickles from the corner and his spits it out onto the concrete floor.
With a nod of Kayne’s head, Poison steps up next to us and looks at Karl Jr dead in the eyes. “Untie him. He’s mine.” The cold smile that graces her lips frightens me. I hate to be this guy on the receiving end of her vengeance. Someone releases Karl Jr from his chains and he falls to the ground with a heavy thud. I turn around and walk away, letting Poison do her work.
“Go. Call Rooster and see where he tracked her. Take Ace, Duke and Butch with you.” Kayne orders.
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I’m out the door faster than ever and straddling my bike when Rooster answers.
“She’s at an old farm house north of here. It sits back in the woods. I’ll text you the address.” Rooster hangs up and seconds later my phone vibrates. I pull up the address on my GPS and head out. I’m going after my girl and no one will stop me.
Chapter 20
Holly
I left Stryker with dread in each step. I didn’t want to go, but I knew I had to. While he was in surgery, Kayne filled me in on information I was missing about my childhood. I know I have to go inside this house and face it head-on. But the man inside, who’s supposed to be my father scares the shit out of me. He’s what started this whole thing in the first place.
Night has taken hold all around me. Moonlight filters through the clouds, casting a glow down, lighting up my path. All the lights are on inside, like a beacon calling me home. My shoes crunch on the gravel driveway, each step bringing me closer to a part of my past I don’t remember. My stomach is full of nerves. Will the people inside know it’s me after all these years? Will they kill me as soon as I enter the door or will they let me in, make me think they want me here then slit my throat? Are they even here anymore?
There’s only one way to find out. My eyes ghost over the edge of the woods, looking for something. A shadow moves with me, giving me a boost of confidence and I hurry my steps up the long driveway.
Reaching the front porch steps, I pause. My fingers gripping the wooden railing. Images of a little girl running up and down these steps, laughing and giggling filter through my head. I push them away and lock the memories assaulting me up tight. I take a step forward, the steps creak under my weight. I continue up the massive stairs one at a time until I’m standing on the huge paint chipped porch. A swing to my left moves with the light breeze, making creaking noises with every sway. A memory assaults me of a little girl sitting on that swing, moving her feet back and forth, singing her favorite song that day.
I shake my head, clearing it again. I approach the front door and knock. My knuckles echo against the door, no one answers. I listen anxiously and the only thing I hear is my hars
h breathing and the rapid beating of my own heart. No movement from the other side. I walk to the left of the porch and peer inside a window. I’m looking at a dining room. A white tarp covers the table sitting in the middle of the room under a chandelier, keeping it from getting dusty. The chairs surrounding it are pushed under the tarp too. The area rug underneath the table is dingy with dust.
Another memory assaults me. One of a little girl hiding under that table. She has her dolls with her and she’s crouched down watching for feet to appear out of the door separating the dining room and the kitchen. It’s one of the old fashion swinging doors that make no noise opening and closing. I remember her being scared, hiding under the table. Trembling with fear, afraid the wrong person will catch her.
Riding the memories, I move past the door and look inside the other window. This one leads to the living room. There’s a fireplace against one wall. An outline of a family portrait that used to sit proudly above the fireplace is there, but the portrait is long gone. A white tarp covers the sofa and chairs, keeping them safe from dust and dirt. The oak floors are dull from years of neglect. An entertainment center is sitting to the left of the couches, covered with a tarp.
I make my way back to the front door and try the handle. It gives way under my grip and the door swings open. I listen for any movement but there is none. Only the beating of my own heart pounding against my chest. I take a slow step inside, looking all around. The dust and dirt are thick and I stifle a cough. No one has been here for a long time. This house appears to be abandoned, just like the memories of my childhood.
I take a few more steps until I’m inside, leaving the front door wide open. A gentle breeze wraps around my body and I wish Stryker was here with me. Knowing who I have outside with me helps me get over my fears and push my feet forward. Walking up the staircase, my hand glides across the dull banister that was once polished to a shine.
“Mommy! Come look at what I can do!” A little girl with brown curly hair squeals with excitement at the top of the stairs. She parks her little butt on the edge of the banister the maids just polished and slides part way down. She just got the courage to try it and her little four-year-old body is finally tall enough to reach.
Stryker's Salvation (A Savage Saints MC Book 3) Page 17
