Kraken (Hades Abyss MC 4): (Mississippi Chapter)

by Harley Wylde

  “I feel sorry for Ember,” I said. “I can see it now. Her date will show up at the gates and be met with a line of armed bikers.”

  Titan nodded. “Exactly right. And if they hurt our girl, we’ll bury them six feet under.”

  “Well, this conversation got dark fast.”

  “Come on.” Titan came closer, then hooked his arm around my shoulders, dragging me along with him. “We’ll finish the movie, then you can pick the next one. But if it’s one of those sappy things, you better not breathe a word to the club about me watching it. Have to maintain my image as a badass.”

  “You’re still a badass,” I assured him. “You just have a mushy center you don’t let too many people see.”

  “Don’t tell anyone.”

  I pretended to zip my lips. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  “You’re such a dork.”

  “Takes one to know one.”

  He froze and looked down at me. “You didn’t just say that. Are you twelve?”

  “For Kraken’s sake, you better hope not.”

  He groaned and reclaimed his seat on the couch. I wished Aurelia could see him like this. I didn’t know what the two of them were like when they were alone, but if she saw this sweet, funny side of Titan, I knew she’d fall for him. Any lady would be lucky to have him.

  “What are we watching anyway?” I asked as I sat down again. “And what made you think I wanted to see anything that seems to involve car racing?”

  “You’re no fun.” He tossed me the remote. “Go ahead. Put on that romantic shit women like. Just don’t start yelling at me if my snoring bothers you.”

  I smacked his shoulder before flipping through the movies. Just because he’d taunted me, I did indeed put on a romantic comedy. Titan gave me the side-eye, but didn’t so much as grumble. Even more surprising, he didn’t fall asleep either. Although, I decided not to torture him with a second one when the first movie went off. Instead, I compromised on an old favorite -- Top Gun.

  “Thought you liked the romantic movies,” he said.

  “It has romance,” I pointed out. “Not to mention shirtless military men. What’s not to like?”

  He pretended to gag, but grinned at me. “Don’t let Kraken catch you gawking at halfway naked men on TV or in person. I bet he’d spank your ass.”

  He was most likely right. But Kraken wasn’t here right now, and I needed a distraction. I leaned against Titan and put my head on his shoulder. He tensed for the briefest of moments before putting his arm around me.

  “Thanks for coming. If I’d been here alone, I probably would have worried myself to death. I know he’ll be gone like this again, but it’s the first time and…” I shrugged, not really knowing how to explain everything I felt.

  “Kraken can handle himself, but I called in reinforcements. They’ll let him run the show and only step in if needed,” Titan said. “And your sister is going to live with the Devil’s Fury. Their President tends to take in stray girls. He’s got two living with him right now.”

  “Stray girls?” I asked, not sure I liked the sound of that.

  “Grizzly lost his wife a while back. They never had kids, so he tends to take in teen girls who have nowhere else to go. He gives them a stable home, a chance to improve their lives, and spoils the hell out of them. Two of his adopted daughters married men in his club. One is off running wild right now, and the latest two are still in high school so they’re still at home.”

  “He sounds nice,” I said.

  Titan shook with silent laughter. “Don’t say that to his face, but yeah. When it comes to women and kids, he’s a big softie. Wouldn’t know it to look at him.”

  “I don’t know. You and Kraken look pretty badass and intimidating, but you’re both really sweet to me. My father is a preacher, an upstanding member of the community, and someone people look up to. He looks like a kind man, never has a harsh word for anyone, and look what he did to me. The way someone looks doesn’t mean anything. I will never again judge someone based off their appearance.”

  “You’re pretty smart for someone so young,” Titan said.

  “I learned the hard way.”

  He nodded. “That you did. You also discovered you’re tough as hell and a survivor, which means the next time Kraken leaves and says he has to be gone for a day or a night, you’re not going to freak out. I know this time it’s different. He’s going after your family.”

  “No. Not my family. Not anymore.”

  “The point I’m trying to make is this time it’s personal for you. When I send him out on a run that has nothing to do with you or your children, it won’t bother you as much. Yes, he could still get hurt, but nothing has taken that man out yet and I don’t see it happening anytime soon. He was in the military and they trained him well. Kraken knows what he can and can’t handle on his own.”

  “It’s not that I don’t trust him, or you. I know you and this club would protect me with your lives. Some of you already have. I’m sure part of it is just me being overly emotional right now. The other part… my relationship with Kraken is still new. I guess we’re in the honeymoon phase, as they call it, and I really don’t like being separated from him for very long. It makes me anxious.”

  Titan gave me a slight squeeze. “You’ll be fine, Phoebe. You’ll settle in more over the upcoming months, get to know everyone here better. You already know how a club works, somewhat. I know the Sadistic Saints were rotten to the core, but the politics are basically the same. Far as Kraken is concerned, you’re the perfect old lady for him, and I have to agree. You need to find your groove, your place here at the compound.”

  I knew he was right.

  He pointed to the screen as Tom Cruise took off in a jet from the deck of a ship. “That right there is what your man used to do. He was a Naval aviator.”

  Looked like I’d married my very own superhero. I’d watched this movie once at a friend’s house my freshman year of high school. My parents never would have let me see anything like this, and I’d only been allowed over that day because my parents wanted to go to some retreat a few towns over. My sister had spent the day with one of her friends too. It was the only taste of freedom I’d had while living at home.

  “I don’t think I can picture him in the military,” I said. “Kraken without a beard?”

  Titan laughed. “Yeah, guess that is hard for you to picture. If you ever ask him to shave it, make sure you film that shit. His reaction will be priceless.”

  I tipped my head to look at him. “Are you on drugs? Why the hell would I want him to shave it?”

  He shook his head and we went back to watching the movie. Having Titan here eased my worry a little, and he helped keep my mind off things. I had to wonder if this was what friendship actually felt like. If it was, then I’d never truly experienced it before. And that was even sadder than my father selling me to Deuce.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kraken

  I’d ridden straight through to Phoebe’s hometown, only stopping once for gas. When I’d checked my phone, the Pres had sent a selfie of him and my woman sitting on my damn couch. I’d shaken my head, but I’d been damn grateful he’d gone to my house. At least I knew my woman was taken care of while I handled this shit.

  I eyed the house where she’d grown up. Looked like a nice enough neighborhood. All the yards were neatly mowed. Homes were freshly painted. Not so much as a broken window or patched roof in sight. I’d always thought kids in these types of places had it easy. Maybe Phoebe hadn’t faced many hardships growing up, but what her family had done to her was beyond horrific. Who the fuck sold their own damn kid?

  I parked my bike in the shadows and pulled out the items I needed from my saddlebags. Grizzly stood beside me, ready to extract Phoebe’s sister and get her to safety. He’d also brought along his son-in-law, Dragon, as backup. I didn’t think a preacher and his wife would give me too many problems, but I wouldn’t argue over having another set of hands. Titan had also put
in a request with our Missouri chapter and their newly patched Prospect, Iron, had come as well.

  I knew the kid had been with the Hades Abyss a long time. He’d more than proven himself, and I was grateful to have him here, even if I only asked for help with the clean-up or made him a lookout. I wanted these people to suffer, but I didn’t want to be away from Phoebe longer than necessary. I could have easily asked someone else to handle this, but she was my wife and my responsibility. Which meant getting vengeance for all she’d suffered was also mine.

  “You ready?” I asked the men standing with me.

  They all nodded and we fanned out. Grizzly went with me through the front while Dragon and Iron took the back. It was early morning but not quite light outside. Getting through the front door was almost too easy, and it didn’t make a sound as it swung open. With my gun in one hand and my knife in the other, I entered the house and scanned each room. Silence. Utter and complete silence.

  Grizzly jerked his head toward the stairs, then motioned something to Dragon. I went up to the second floor and nudged open the first door. The room was empty, but I could tell immediately it had been Phoebe’s. Even after all this time, her scent still faintly lingered in the air. A picture set on the dresser of her and what I assumed to be her family.

  The second room belonged to the sister. Wizard hadn’t said much about her. Grizzly entered the room and I stood guard, waiting to see if the parents made an appearance. He covered the girl’s mouth to stifle any screams as he woke her. Poor kid. Her eyes were wide, and I could practically hear her heart racing she was so damn scared.

  “I’m married to your sister,” I whispered. “We’re going to take you somewhere safe.”

  She seemed to calm a little and tugged at Grizzly’s hand. He released her, but I could tell he was braced to grab her and run if she screamed.

  “Phoebe’s okay?” she asked.

  “She’s fine. We have a daughter and another baby on the way.” I smiled. “Go with Grizzly. I’ll make sure you see your sister soon.”

  The girl got out of bed. “I’m Meredith. Are you really married to Phoebe?”

  I nodded. I’d show her the pictures on my phone, but I wasn’t about to relinquish my weapons. Not until her parents were at least restrained.

  Her lip quivered. “They did something bad, didn’t they? I knew she’d never leave like that. She told me she was sneaking out for a party, but she never came back.”

  “Your family isn’t all that nice,” I said. “We’ll talk later. Right now, you need to go.”

  “Pack a few things,” Grizzly told her, “but be quick about it.”

  She hurried to her closet, opened the door, and took out a small suitcase. While she threw things inside, I listened intently for any sounds in the house. I heard the soft tread of steps coming from behind and clocked Dragon coming up the stairs. He must have left Iron downstairs as a lookout. When Meredith finished packing, Grizzly took her suitcase and he ushered her downstairs.

  “I’m with you until you say otherwise,” Dragon said. “Brought my bike so I have my own way home. Griz will take the girl in the club truck.”

  We checked the next room, finding an office, then the jackpot with the fourth door. The preacher and his wife lay sleeping, each in their own twin-size bed. Made me wonder how they’d managed to have two daughters if they didn’t even sleep together. I jerked my chin toward the wife and Dragon crept to her side. I tossed him a length of rope and while he secured her, I pressed my gun to the preacher’s head. His eyes snapped open.

  “We need to have a talk,” I said. “About Phoebe.”

  He audibly swallowed but didn’t so much as blink. I yanked the covers to the foot of the bed and made him stand, then forced him to his knees.

  “Whatever she’s done --” Before he could finish the sentence, I slammed my fist into his jaw.

  “What she’s done? That girl is an angel, and you threw her away. Sold her to the Sadistic Saints. They raped her. Repeatedly. Made her their little whore. Was the money worth it?” I asked.

  “You don’t understand,” the preacher said. “She was a willful child. The blood of monsters ran through her veins.”

  “Well, at least you admit what you are,” I said.

  He shook his head. “She wasn’t ours. Not really. Her daddy was some biker filth who blew through town, got a local girl pregnant. We took her in, decided to raise her as our own. But I could see the evil in her.”

  “Evil? Evil!” I rammed my fist into his face twice. “My wife is not fucking evil. You are! Do you honestly think a seventeen-year-old girl deserved to be raped by an entire club of bikers? You’re supposed to be a man of God. What happened to forgiveness and all that other bullshit you spout on Sunday mornings? Isn’t that kind of the mantra of a man like you? Turn the other cheek and all that shit? But you didn’t protect an innocent girl. Tossed her to the wolves and didn’t even look back.”

  Dragon shifted his eyes on the preacher. “What club?”

  My gaze jerked to him, then back to the man at my feet. He was right. We needed to know where Phoebe’s real father had come from. The bastard probably didn’t even know he had a kid, much less what had happened to her.

  I pointed to my cut. “I’m with Hades Abyss. The men you sold Phoebe to were the Sadistic Saints. What club was Phoebe’s father from?”

  The man pissed himself and started shaking.

  “What. Fucking. Club?” I yelled, shoving my gun against his temple.

  “Yours,” he said in a near whisper. “Her dad was from your club. The woman told us the man’s name, but it wasn’t a real name.”

  “His road name,” Dragon muttered. “What was it?”

  “Titan,” the preacher said.

  The world tipped under my feet and the breath in my lungs stalled. Holy shit. Titan? My Pres was going to flip the fuck out, and so was Phoebe. He wasn’t much older than me. Only two years for that matter. If he’d knocked up some girl around these parts, it must have been right after he patched in. With Phoebe being nineteen -- and I didn’t want to think about the fact I’d forgotten her birthday -- it meant the Pres had only been her age when she’d been conceived. Our chapter was relatively new, but most of us had come from other Hades Abyss chapters, and Titan had been one of them.

  “I need to make a call,” I said. “What was her mother’s name?”

  The preacher held my gaze. “Mary Chambers. She was only eighteen and scared. I’m sure that filth took advantage of her. She came to the church for help.”

  I snorted. Yeah, right. The Pres only had to crook a finger for a woman to drop her panties. I had no doubt even back then he’d had the girls falling at his feet.

  “I’ll watch them,” Dragon said. “He needs to know.”

  I agreed. I stepped into the hall and pulled the door shut, then dialed Titan. I could hear Phoebe laughing in the background when he answered.

  “You done yet?” he asked.

  “No. I hit a… snag.”

  “What the fuck kind of snag?” he asked.

  “Do you remember ever being in these parts before? Maybe shortly after you’d patched into the club?”

  “Vaguely. The Sadistic Saints weren’t there back then. Another club was, but they disbanded about a decade ago. Why?”

  “Preacher says Phoebe isn’t his kid, that he took her in when a girl named Mary Chambers dropped off her infant daughter. A daughter conceived by her and a biker.”

  I waited a moment, then Titan started cursing a blue streak. I heard him moving through the house and a door slammed.

  “Are you fucking with me right now? Are you telling me Phoebe might be my daughter?” he asked.

  “Not fucking with you. He’s claiming you’re Phoebe’s dad. Is it possible? The name Mary Chambers doesn’t seem even a little familiar?”

  “I… I don’t…” He sighed. “I hooked up with some girl in that town back then. I honestly don’t remember her name. Met her at a party.”

/>   “Look at my wife. Really look at her. Anything familiar at all?” I asked.

  I heard him go back inside, then heard Phoebe saying something.

  “Titan, put me on speaker. She needs to hear this.”

  I heard a click. “All right. She can hear you.”

  “Baby girl, I need you to listen. The preacher says he’s not your real dad. Looking at him and his wife, I honestly don’t see any resemblance to you. He claims your mom was a teen mother who didn’t want her baby.”

  “Tell her the rest,” Titan said.

  “And the preacher claims the father of that baby, of you, was a man called Titan wearing colors like mine.”

  I heard a crash, then more cussing.

  “What the hell is going on?” I demanded.

  “She fainted. I’ll handle it. Go deal with that sick fuck, and, Kraken, you better make him suffer. If she’s my daughter and I’ve lost all this time with her, I want his blood. Every last fucking drop.”

  “On it.”

  I hung up and went back into the bedroom. The wife was crying and pleading with Dragon, claiming she’d had no part in what happened to Phoebe, but I could tell the bitch was lying. She’d known. Might not have planned it, but the preacher here hadn’t kept her in the dark.

  “Titan wants this one to pay,” I said, pointing at the preacher. “Can you handle the bitch?”

  “You got it. Any requests?” Dragon asked.

  “Don’t care as long as she’s not breathing.”

  Dragon grabbed the now hysterical woman, gripped her head in both hands, and snapped her neck. She slumped to the floor, her lifeless eyes staring at the wall. The preacher pissed himself again and bawled like a fucking baby. Not even over his wife. No, the bastard only thought about himself.

  “I’ll give you anything you want. Don’t kill me. You can have all the money in our accounts. My daughter! You can have Meredith.”

  “Didn’t learn the first time, I see. Don’t worry. Meredith is safe and will soon be far from you.” I used a length of rope to tie his hands behind his back, knocked him flat and tied his ankles too. “How’s your tolerance for pain, preacher? Because you’re in for a world of it. Better start talking. Why did you try to get Phoebe back?”