“So what’re we gonna do Pres.?” Asks a voice. The guy doing the chiding I believe.
“We’re going to comfort him as best we can and then we’re going to come up with a plan for revenge and we’re going to take care of his Old Lady. We’re a family. That’s what families do. Now when this business is over I’m going to go myself and break the news to Chrissie. I want you guys to do what you can to make him presentable as possible when I leave because she’ll want to say goodbye.”
“Okay boss.”
I hear the door open and shut and I am so lost in thought that I don’t hear the approaching footsteps until Cade is right in my face.
“How long have you been listening?” He asks. His eyes flash with anger.
“Just a minute or two. I just came to see if I could make you breakfast or something.”
He looks at me suspiciously for a minute then says. “No thanks. There’s something I gotta take care of soon.”
“You’re going to let him die aren’t you?”
“Apparently you’ve been listening for more than a minute or two haven’t you?” He accuses.
“I’ve heard enough. You’re going to wait until he dies before you tell his old lady; why would you do that?”
“I don’t expect you to understand, but it’s for the good of the club. She’ll insist he’s taken to the hospital and once there he’ll talk eventually and then we’ll all be in trouble. He knew what he signed up for. No one goes to the hospital, not Frankie and not even me.”
“That’s cold! Even for you that’s cold. I could just drop him off and leave. No one would have to know.”
“Not gonna happen Morgan. Hospitals are required to report gunshot wounds. The cops would be here in minutes and like I said before, we’d all be in trouble. Stay ou…You know what, there’s something you need to see. Ever been on a bike before?”
“Yeah I used to have this yellow Huffy…I’m kidding! No, I’ve never been on a motorcycle before, why?”
“You stay right here a minute.”
He leaves me standing at the top of the stairs wondering what he could be up to now. His minute turns into fifteen of them before he comes back out of the room. He hands me a motorcycle helmet.
“It’s time to go.”
I have an idea where we’re going but I’m not about to ask any more questions. I have a feeling I’ve used up what little patience he has left. I follow him out to a big fucking motorcycle! It’s a veritable black beast! He gets on and instructs me to hang on and never let go till we park. There’s no fucking way in hell I’m letting go once this thing starts moving and when we park he’ll probably have to use a crowbar to pry my hands from his waist. He gets on and I clamber on behind him. It makes me jump when the engine roars to life. I can feel the power of it between my thighs. No wonder girls like bikes. I reach around and fasten my arms to his waist never to let go. Without preamble he shoots out into the road and we’re off.
To my utter and complete surprise it’s exhilarating! It feels fucking amazing being so close to the road, out in the wind and sun without three thousand pounds of steel and plastic surrounding you. No wonder he never drives a car or truck. After this I’m not sure I will either. It’s a short ride to where we’re going. In about twenty minutes he turns off the main street and down a narrow side street before stopping in front of a somewhat dilapidated green house. I wait until the bike is off before I unhook my talons and slide off. I take off my helmet and he hooks it over the handle bars like he did with his own. We walk up to the front door and knock loudly. I hear a female’s voice shout, ‘coming.’
A minute later the door opens and a surprisingly beautiful young woman invites us in. She gives Cade a hug then offers us beer.
“No thanks Chrissie. We need to talk.”
“Is everything okay?” She asks.
I can see the dread creeping across her face.
“Your-”
He stops as a young boy walks into the room. When he sees Cade he smiles and runs over to him for a hug.
“Hey Michael, why don’t you go out and play for a bit. Your mom and I have some things to talk about.”
The boy is well trained. Before acting he looks at his mom first who nods her approval. Happily the boy goes out the front door to play in the yard.
“Lemme guess, Kurt got himself arrested.”
Cade shakes his head. He glances at me for a second before speaking. I can see the pain; it’s written all over his face and pretty soon this poor woman is going to be mirroring that same expression.
“Kurt’s dead.”
It takes a full two seconds before the news sinks in. She just sits there with a blank expression then a scream begins. It starts out soft and from deep inside her, but by the time it’s torn from her throat it’s a shrill cry of anguish. Suddenly I feel her pain. I feel like a lightning bolt strikes me on the top of my head. I can feel the rush of energy as its shoots through my body. Had I been standing my knees would have buckled and I’d have fallen on the carpet. Her pain is so intense, so palpable I have to fight my initial desire to just up and bolt out of that house; anything to get away from her pain. I look up at her and she is sitting on the couch swaying side to side keening softly now. She looks stricken, like the life has just gone out of her.
Cade gets up and kneels in front of her. He reaches out and touches her arm. It’s as if he has shocked her with an electric prob. She literally jumps a foot off the couch then she starts pounding on Cade’s chest. He does nothing to stop her even when she takes a swing at his face. He just allows her to clock him across the jaw. It’s a pretty significant hit. His head whips around but he just stays there kneeling in front of her taking the abuse. After a few minutes she winds down and pitches forward into his outstretched arms. He rocks her like a child while she weeps. I don’t know how long they stay like that but my ass is beginning to go numb. Finally she pulls away. I can tell from the look on her face that she is ready to know what happened.
I don’t know if what Cade tells her is true. He paints a glowing picture of the man and how much he meant to the club. He is sure that Kurt’s sense of honor, loyalty, morals will be passed on to his son.
“He was a good man,” Cade finishes. “And I can tell by your son that he was an even better father to the boy.”
The boy! It hits me all over again. He has a little boy who is now without his father. Could there be anything worse? My heart aches for the boy. Little boys and young men need their fathers. What is going to happen with little Michael? Cade is talking again.
“Your husband was pulling a salary from the club for his work in the shop and for his position as secretary. We’ll continue that salary as long as you need it. We’ll also set up a college fund for little Mikey. He should want for nothing. This is the least we can do to repay your husband for what he was to the club. If there is anything I or the club can do for you and your son don’t hesitate to ask. We will be there for you both forever.
“Can I go see my husband?”
“Of course.”
“I’d like for Mikey to see him as well. He’ll need closure. Will that be okay?”
“Of course. I instructed my brothers to make your husband presentable. I thought you would want to bring your son.”
“If you want to leave your bike here you can go in the van with us.” She says to Cade.
“Sure, I appreciate it. Do you mind my friend tagging along?”
“Of course not. You obviously trust her so I do too. But before we go I need to tell my son what happened.”
She gets up and opens the door. “Mikey, come inside please.”
“But I’m not done playing,”
“Come inside right now Mikey.”
The next few minutes are fucked up! I don’t know how Cade has the strength to do this because it’s literally tearing me up inside. Mikey takes it as well as can be expected but clearly he is confused as well. I’m not sure that he realizes the finality of what has happened. C
ade does an amazing job talking to the boy and it makes me wonder if he lost a parent as a child. Maybe losing his own child was not the first loss he’s known.
“I know this doesn’t help Mikey, but because of your daddy, there’s a little boy and a little girl who will get to see their daddy again.”
“But why don’t I get to see mine if they get to see theirs?”
A logical question for a six year old.
“It’s because your daddy protected their daddy and he kept them alive. When the bad guy came to hurt the other kid’s daddy yours kept that from happening but he got hurt real bad protecting them. In fact he got hurt so bad he died. I’m so sorry son…”
I’m a little worried that Mikey hasn’t broken down and cried or even gotten angry. He just seems confused. It is a lot to handle, especially for someone his age.
“Mikey,” Chrissie begins. “Were going to go and say goodbye to daddy now.”
“So he’s alive then?” Mikey asks, clearly confused.
“No honey.”
“Then how can we say goodbye?” Mikey asks.
“We…” Chrissie stops taking clearly confused. “Maybe he’s too young to go do this.” She says to Cade.
“No,” I surprise myself when I jump into the conversation. “When my parents died when I was young it was important for me to see them lying there dead. That kept me from making up shit to keep them alive in my own head which ultimately helped me recover faster. This needs to be real to him otherwise when he wakes up tomorrow he’s going to be asking for his father and he’ll have to go through it all over again; makes it really hard to let go and move on. You’re gonna have to shield your son from most of your emotions as well.”
“What? Why do I have to do that?” Chrissie asks.
“Your son is going to be feeling…unsafe or unprotected now that his big strong father is no longer around. He needs to know that someone is strong enough to protect him as well as to deal with his own feelings. If you’re an emotional wreck all the time how’s he going to be okay with his own feelings? He’s going to be afraid of sending you off the deep end so he’ll have to bury his pain and it’ll come back to haunt him later. When my mother died my father completely lost it. He took a leave of absence from work but he was unable to care for us. I used to take money from his wallet and take the bus to the store to buy food that I could just stick in the microwave. I ended up being the strong one. Well, actually I was very weak but on the outside I had to be strong. I was finally starting to feel like we’d recover from my mom’s death when my father was killed in a car accident when I was fourteen. In less than a year I lost both my parents and had to go live with my mother’s sister until I went to college. Be strong for Mikey. Go ahead and grieve today. Be a complete wreck. But just for today. Tomorrow you show Mikey you’re strong and capable of taking care of his emotional needs as well as the physical ones. Any grieving you need to do you do it in private, not in front of Mikey.”
Chrissie turns to Cade. “I am so glad you brought her along.”
“Yeah, me too,” he replies. “No let’s go say goodbye to daddy.”
As instructed by Cade, Mikey’s father is cleaned up, by the time we arrive. They put on fresh clothes and even his cut which he is still wearing is blood free. It’s very touching watching mother and son saying goodbye. At first it’s a little touch and go. Mikey just can’t get that daddy is dead because he just looks like he is asleep.
The second we walk into the room Mikey rushes up to his dad and hugs him fiercely. He stays there for a moment before he backs off in confusion.
“Daddy why won’t you hug me?” He asks. “Daddy, please…wake up. It’s me Mikey! Daddy why won’t you talk to me?”
He is crying now and hugging his father like he’s never gonna let go. After a few minutes his mom joins him and together they say their final goodbyes. When they finally finish their goodbyes and allow their father to be taken away Cade arranges for one of his guys to take them back home. I’m glad Cade didn’t volunteer us to do the deed. I’ve had more than enough heartbreak for one day. I did however get to see a side of Cade I have never seen before. He also showed me a side to the Iron Disciples that I hadn’t know existed either. They are like a family. While they’re a non-traditional, extended family it seems to work for them. It also makes me feel like I would like to belong to the family too.
After arrangements are made for the body Cade takes me back to his bedroom to talk.
“Morgan, there are some bad things coming the club’s way. What happened to Kurt is just the start. I can’t be seen with you out in public. I-”
I stop him mid-sentence. “You afraid to commit or embarrassed to be with me?” I accuse.
“Neither.” He begins. “I am just reluctant to paint a target on your back and that’s what is going to happen the moment my rivals see us together. They’ll go after you as a means of getting to me.”
“I’m not worried about that.” I begin. “I’m sure you’ll protect me.”
“That’s the problem. I can’t have you joined to my hip 24/7. I have to work and I imagine you have to as well. What’s that saying you and Stacy keep saying about money?”
“Money never sleeps. But this is Saturday afternoon so money’s gonna sleep for another day and a half. I’m sure there’s something we can do between now and then right?”
“Sorry hon, but just because it’s the weekend doesn’t mean I can screw off for the next two days.”
“How about screwing for a couple hours then?”
“I’m sorry Morgan, but I have to answer back for what just happened to one of my brothers. This won’t sit. The guys want revenge and as president I have to give it to them. Sorry.”
“Is that all your about Cade, revenge? Violence begetting violence?”
“After what you just saw this afternoon and you’re accusing me of just being about the revenge…and violence begetting violence? Have you had your eyes closed the whole afternoon?”
He’s walking away. I do not want the day to end like this. Better salvage it fast.
“I’m sorry Cade. I know what you’re about; family. I know that now and I’m sorry for accusing you of being no better than a warmonger. I wa…I like what you have. I haven’t had family in…well, since my family was stripped from me fourteen years ago.”
“You still have your brother Morgan and from what I can tell, he’s a pretty great guy. He’s your family. Maybe you should focus on what you have, not what you used to have. Now I really have to go. You can still stay here if you want. I don’t know when I’ll be back though. And if you’re tired of the couch, my bed is always open.”
“Your bed huh? I’ll have to consider my options Romeo.”
A sudden chilling thought strikes me again. I keep forgetting to tell him about his brother and what happened here yesterday. I don’t know why I am so hesitant on telling him. Maybe I think he won’t believe me or something. Maybe he’ll think I’m trying to…never mind. I don’t know what the hell to think. Staying here is probably not the safest place to crash but if I have the chance of connecting with him again I’ll take it.
He closes the distance between us in two long strides, sweeps me into his powerful arms and plants a passionate kiss on my lips. This is a much better way to say goodbye. Then without a word he strides out the front door, gets on his Harley and takes off with a deep throaty roar.
TWELVE
Target
I’ve never really been the focus of anyone’s rage before and I have to say I find it…rather confining. Even if I wasn’t restricted to Cade’s house I don’t know that I would feel comfortable enough to even venture out. Maybe someone has already seen me with Cade. Oh fuck! Of course someone has, his brother. Well, he didn’t see us together, but he knows I am staying there. And we didn’t talk about my arrangement with Cade so he has to think we’re sleeping together; and now we are. Shit! I really shoulda told him and now I can’t because neither of us has bothered to offer a
n exchange of phone numbers. I think that points to either a lack of trust or a real fear of commitment. I think it’s a little or a lot of both. At least for me it is. What’s to say he doesn’t come back here looking for me? Suddenly I feel way too confined. I have to leave. Eddy’s going to show up the second he feels I have been left alone…like now. This time when he strikes it’ll be a fatal blow.
I need a weapon! I go to the kitchen and sort through various cutlery. He doesn’t own a butcher knife, and his steak knives and other similar knives are pretty thin. I don’t know that they won’t easily break on me. If they’re sharp enough I guess I could slash with one. I pick up the most likely candidate. It’s a nicely balance knife that seems to have retained a pretty sharp edge. I locate his cutting board and place the flat of the blade on the wood and proceed to see how strong or flexible the blade is. Seems to be very inflexible which probably means it’s too brittle for combat. I can’t believe I’m even fucking thinking about fighting with a knife.
“This is pretty fucking useless!” I finally admit to myself.
“You’re pretty fucking right about that Gimp!” Says an evil voice behind me.
I whirl around, bringing the knife up between myself and Eddie. The instant I behold him, I know just how useless my own weapon will be against him. If he decides to kill me there’s very little I can do about it.
“Where’s your friend, Gorgeous I believe was her name?”
“She and Cade went to the store. They should be back anytime now.” I reply with far more confidence than I actually feel. Too bad that statement wasn’t true. I might actually have a chance here. He takes a small step towards me. I can tell he’s deliberately taking his time and enjoying the moment. That means he must know where Cade is and is confident his brother won’t show any time soon.
“Nice try Gimp, but my sources tell me my brother is pre occupied at the moment with the trap he is about to walk into.”
“You set a trap for your own brother?” I ask.
The Filthy Few (Iron Disciples MC) Page 10
