by L. Wilder
Ignoring Katelyn, he quickly lifted Sunny into his arms, cradling her close to his chest as he took her over to the Jeep. He opened her door, and once they were both settled inside, she muttered, “What did I do? What did I do?”
“Just breathe, Sunny.” Her face was wet with tears, and his heart broke to see her so distraught. As much as he’d hoped it never would, the past had found its way back into the present. He wanted to make it all go away, to find a way to erase everything that had happened, but there was nothing he could do.
“He was going to rape me,” she sobbed, her chest heaving up and down as she tried to take in a breath. “I hit him. There was blood… so much blood. Oh god. What did I do?”
“Sunny, it’s going to be okay… I need you to try to calm down.”
“It happened so fast. I didn’t know what else to do. I was so scared. He was going to kill me… I just wanted to make him stop.”
“You did what you had to do,” he told her as he started the engine. “I’m taking you back to the clubhouse.”
She looked over to him, and with her voice trembling, she said, “I need to know what happened. I need to know everything.”
“You’ll get the answers you need, but for now, I need to you try to hold it together.”
And she did try, but that didn’t stop the tears from flowing down her face. Sunny was too upset to put all the pieces of the puzzle together, but Gavin knew she eventually would. He knew it would be hard for her to accept, but in time, she’d understand. He looked over at her, and a feeling of helplessness came over him. He wanted to explain everything to her, to tell her exactly how it all played out, but he couldn’t. He’d given his word, and until Bishop gave the okay, he would have to remain silent. Sunny continued to cry as he drove out onto the highway, and by the time he’d gotten back to the clubhouse, she was a wreck. Once he’d parked the Jeep, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a message to Bishop.
Gavin:
She remembered.
He quickly shoved it back in his pocket and turned to Sunny. He reached for her hand, pulling her over to him, and said, “From the very first day I saw you, I knew there was something special about you. I’m not the only one who can see it. Everyone can. There’s a fire burning inside of you, and its light shines from within. It’s who you are—who you are meant to be. Remember that. Hold onto it. Fight for it. You’re the only one who can.”
His words calmed her racing heart, but it didn’t stop the ache that was lodged deep inside her. The memory of what she’d gone through and what she’d done tore at her, ripping at her very soul. In her mind, she knew she had killed Drew in self-defense. He hadn’t left her any choice, but the fact still remained, she killed him. There were so many unanswered questions, so many secrets left to be revealed, leaving her feeling lost and confused. She wanted to know, needed to know, but she was too far gone to even ask. Those questions would have to wait. For now, she opened the door to the Jeep and said, “I can’t. I just can’t.”
Sunny got out and started walking towards her car. He rushed after her and asked, “Where are you going?”
“I need some time alone, Gavin. I need time to think.”
“That’s the last thing you need right now.”
“What happened after I passed out? Did I kill him? Is Drew dead?” Sunny pushed.
The tightness in her chest grew stronger, making it difficult for her to breathe as the panic started to rise within her. “Where is he?” He didn’t answer, but she could tell by the expression on his face that he knew. He knew everything, and he’d known it all along. “Dammit, Gavin. How could you keep that from me? You know what I’ve gone through over the last year.”
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice, Gavin.” She’d had all she could take, and the need to escape overcame her. “I’m done with this right now. I can’t take it anymore.”
She stormed over to her car and as she opened her door, Gavin shouted, “Lucky, don’t.”
She looked over at him and snapped, “Don’t call me that! Nothing about any of this is Lucky!”
“You’re wrong. You’ve been lucky from the start. You just can’t see that right now.”
“Please, just stop! I can’t stay here. I need to be alone.”
Before Gavin had a chance to stop her, she started the car and drove out of the parking lot. She glanced back in her rearview mirror and tears trickled down her cheek as she saw Gavin standing there watching her leave. A feeling of regret washed over her as she drove out onto the highway. None of this was his fault, and she had no right to blame him. He’d been so good to her, loved her even when she was at her worst, and she lashed out at him instead of giving him a chance to explain. In her heart, she knew he didn’t deserve for her to leave like she did, but she couldn’t stay.
She had no destination in mind when she continued down the highway, but after just a few miles, the car seemed to know exactly where it was going. It was a place Sunny hadn’t been in quite some time. During her darkest times, it had been a place where she’d once found solace, and if fate had its way, she’d be able to find it again.
“She’s fine,” Bull assured Gavin. “She just showed up at her mother’s place.”
As soon as Sunny pulled through the gate, Gavin called Bobby and told him to use the tracker on her phone to find out where she was headed. After Bobby found her at the dock, Gavin sent Bull over to keep an eye on her.
“Is she there alone?”
“No. Glenda and Tyler are there with her.”
“Good. I was hoping she’d end up there.”
“You headed over to the meet?” Bull asked.
“We’re headed over there now.” He continued to follow Bishop down the highway toward the Paris Landing Lodge. Melissa would be expecting Sunny to be there, but she’d have to deal with them instead. “It’s all falling apart.”
“Nothing’s falling apart, brother. It’s just the opposite. Everything is finally coming together. Getting through this shit is the only way this thing is ever gonna be over. It’s finally time for Sunny to face the past so she can move on. This is the only way that’s ever gonna happen.”
“Maybe you’re right, but damn. It’s a lot to take in.”
“She’s gonna be fine, Gavin. The girl is tough. Give her time and she’ll sort through all of this.”
“And I’ll be here waiting when she does.” He put his Jeep in park and killed the engine. Before he got out, he told him, “Let me know if she moves. We’re headed inside.”
“You got it. Good luck.”
Gavin walked over to Bishop and watched as he reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a manila folder. Goliath came over to them and asked, “You ready?”
Bishop nodded and started towards the front door. Gavin followed them both into the main sitting area of the lodge. There weren’t many people around this time of year, just a few fishermen and a couple of tourists, so it wouldn’t be difficult for them to find Melissa. They walked past the large Christmas tree and over to the balcony. After a few seconds of searching, they found Melissa sitting in the corner by the fireplace. Gavin thought she looked much older than the girl that Bobby had shown him the night before, and he was surprised to see that she was holding her five-month-old daughter in her lap. Under the circumstances, he figured she would’ve left the baby at home. Her eyes widened with fear when she saw the three large men walking in her direction. She knew exactly who they were. She’d seen them many times before. Every time she’d tried to make contact with Sunny, one of them was always there. They were her guardians, and they’d already proven that there was nothing they wouldn’t do to protect her.
The urge to run rushed through Melissa, but there was no escape; she’d brought this on, and now she’d have to deal with the fallout.
When they approached, she pulled her daughter close to her chest and said, “I don’t want any trouble.”
“You should’ve thought abou
t that before you left that note on Sunny’s doorstep,” Bishop growled.
“It’s not what you think.” She looked down at her daughter and then back over to them. “I was desperate. I am desperate.”
Bishop sat down next to her and calmly told her, “You’re gonna have to give me more than that.”
“It’s hard to explain.”
“Try,” Bishop pushed.
“I had my reasons for leaving that note. I know I shouldn’t have done it, but I didn’t know what else to do.”
“What reasons?” Goliath asked.
“I don’t even know where to start,” she mumbled. “When I started seeing Drew, I knew he was with Sunny, and I never thought things with us would ever go anywhere. We were just having a good time, but things changed after she broke it off with him. He started coming around more and wanted to make things work with us.” She took a deep breath and then continued, “That’s when everything went downhill. He became possessive and demanding. He’d lose his temper at the drop of a hat. One minute he would be the sweetest guy ever, and I loved being with him. Then some switch would flip inside of him, and he’d change into this vicious monster.”
“What does any of this have to do with Sunny?” Gavin asked.
“I tried to break things off with him, but he just kept coming back. I couldn’t get away from him. I was tired of him beating the hell out of me. I was tired of being afraid, and once I found out I was pregnant, I was scared that I’d never get away from him. I knew how crazy he was about her. I could hear it in his voice whenever he talked about her. I was hoping that he’d just go back to her, and I thought if he just saw her…” Tears started to fill her eyes when she said, “I never dreamed he’d hurt her.”
“What did you do?” Gavin growled.
Her eyes dropped to the ground as she explained, “I told him about the bonfire. Told him that I’d heard Sunny and some of her friends were going after she got off work. Ten minutes after I told him, he was in his truck headed to find her. When I followed him, I was hoping to see them work things out. I didn’t know it would play out like it did. I didn’t know how bad it was until he started to pull her over to his truck.”
“Why didn’t you try to stop him?” Goliath asked her. “Or at least call for some fucking help?”
“I know I should’ve done something, but I panicked. I knew the whole thing was my fault. He would’ve never gone there if I’d kept my mouth shut, so I just waited and prayed that it would be okay. When I saw your truck coming down the road, I left. I didn’t want to take the chance on you seeing me there.”
Bishop motioned over to her daughter and asked, “Is that his kid?”
“Yes. She’s the reason why I tried to contact Sunny. I know Sunny’s been through hell, and I know it’s all my fault. But my daughter,” she cried, “she’s so sick, and I didn’t know what to do. No one even knows this is Drew’s child. I couldn’t tell his parents. I knew they’d never believe it was his, and I was doing okay until the doctors told me she had cancer. I lost my job because I’ve had to miss so much work. The treatments are working, but they’re really expensive. I tried to think of some other way, but I was out of options.”
“So you thought you could blackmail Sunny?”
Her voice trembled as she said, “It was stupid of me and I’m truly sorry, but you have to understand. I was desperate. Maddie’s all I’ve got. But no matter what happened with me and Sunny, I would’ve never gone to the police. I knew she saved my life when she killed Drew. I could see how things were going. It was only a matter of time before he went too far.”
Bishop handed her the folder and waited for her to look inside before he said, “You’ve got yourself a colorful past there. Petty theft. Drugs. Prostitution. The list goes on.”
“That was a long time ago. I lost my way when my folks died, but I don’t do that stuff anymore.”
“Wouldn’t take much to have DHS sniffing around your place, and with a past like this, they wouldn’t think twice about taking your daughter away.”
A look of terror crossed her face at the thought of losing her daughter. “No! Please… I won’t say anything about that night. I’ll leave here and you’ll never hear from me again.”
Bishop reached into the side pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out a thick envelope. “You fucked up, Melissa. You should’ve come to me from the start.” He handed her the envelope. “Your daughter shouldn’t have to pay for your mistake or her father’s. This should cover her medical expenses for now.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t say anything. Not one fucking word. We’ll do what we can to help with the kid, but you keep your mouth shut and stay the hell away from Sunny. And know that we will be watching. The minute you even think about running your fucking mouth, you’ll have hell waiting for you at your back door. I’ll have child services on your ass, and that will be just the start. I’ll do whatever it takes to ruin you. You have my word on that.”
“I’ll never say a word. I promise.” She held the envelope against her chest and started to sob. With tears streaming down her face, she kissed her daughter on the top of her head and said, “I can’t thank you enough for this.”
As he stood to leave, he told her, “My number is inside. If you need anything, let me know.”
With that, they all turned and walked out of the lodge, leaving a relieved Melissa sitting in utter shock as she stared at the envelope full of cash. On the way out to the parking lot, Bishop asked Gavin, “Any word from Sunny?”
“She’s with her mom.”
“‘Bout time for the two of us to have a talk.” Bishop got on his bike and looked over at Gavin. “I know you’re worried. We both know your girl’s got a lot to sort through, but give her some time. It’ll all play out like it’s supposed to.”
Gavin wanted to believe that he was right, but he was having his doubts. Sunny was shutting him out, and he feared that when everything was laid out and all the secrets were revealed, he might lose her for good. He couldn’t stand the thought. He’d found his place with her. She was his home, his refuge, and the mere thought of having that ripped away terrified him. He prayed that in time she’d understand why things had to play out the way they did, and she’d find a way to move past it. He watched as Bishop drove out of the parking lot knowing that if anyone could get through to her, it would be him.
When Bishop pulled up to Glenda’s house, Tyler was out front playing basketball. He got off his bike and walked over to him. “Your sister around?”
“I think she’s out back,” Tyler answered. “Something’s wrong. She’s been talking to Momma all morning, but they won’t tell me what’s going on.”
“Mind if I go have a word with her?”
“You can try. I sure didn’t have much luck.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Bishop told him. When he got to the backyard, he found Sunny sitting on the old tire swing bundled up in her jacket and winter gloves. He walked over to her and asked, “Got a minute?”
She looked up at him, her eyes puffy from crying, and said, “I don’t think I’m ready for this conversation, Bishop.”
He could see the doubt in her eyes as he took a step towards her. “It’s been a long time coming.”
“Will you be honest with me? No sugarcoating it?” she asked. There had been so many things kept from her, so many secrets, and she couldn’t take it any longer. She needed to know it all, and she knew Bishop was the only one who could give her that.
“If that’s the way you want it.”
“Yes. That’s the way I want it.” She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye as she stood up from the swing and started walking towards Bishop’s pond. When they stepped up onto the dock, Sunny turned to him and asked, “Did I kill Drew?”
“Yes. He was dead when I got there.”
His words hit her like a punch to the gut. Deep in her heart, she already knew the answer, but there was still a part of her that he
ld on to the hope that she was wrong.
She took a deep breath, trying to fight back her tears, and then forced herself to push forward. “What happened to him? Where’s his body? And why didn’t you tell the police? Why did you cover it all up? With his father and the police, how is this ever going to end? They’re going to find out. They’re going to eventually put it all together and come after me.”
“Slow down, darlin’. Once I explain everything, then you’ll understand why it played out like it did.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the wooden rails as he looked over to her. He kept ahold of all of his emotions as he spoke, keeping his voice calm and soft. “Your mother called me that night. She got worried when you didn’t answer her calls. I told her we’d go over to the bar and check on you. Gavin and Goliath were there when she called, so they came along.”
“Gavin was there?”
“He was, and he was just as shocked as I was when we pulled into the parking lot and found you laid out in the back of that truck. You were in bad shape, Sunny. I thought we were going to lose you.” He reached into his pocket for a cigarette and lit it before he continued. “We were going to call the sheriff. We all knew it was self-defense. That boy damn near killed you, but Sunny, it wasn’t that simple… You reeked of beer, and with the number you did on him, we thought the cops might question your motive. I wasn’t sure if you’d been drinking, but I couldn’t take that chance. Not after what he’d done.”
“What did you do?”
“We took care of it.”
“You’re not going to tell me what you did?” she pushed. There was no way he would ever tell her exactly what they’d done, but she’d hoped he’d give her something more, something that would help the storm of panic that was holding its grasp on her heart.
“He’s gone. That’s all you need to know.”
“What about his truck? What about the cops?”
“Broken down for parts.” Bishop took a step towards her. His eyes, intense and confident, locked on hers. “It’s all been handled, and once Bobby puts his plan into place, it will all be over.”
