Bane

by KJ Dahlen

  Sam slapped Pappy on the back. “Looks like you guys got here in the nick of time.”

  Pappy turned to the man he knew as Theo. When he did, he found Theo’s eyes staring back. Both men were searching out the other as possible threats to family. Finally, Pappy asked, “Where is Sadie?”

  “I don’t know anyone by the name of Sadie,” Theo replied. “I do however know a Sarah. She belongs to me though.” He paused then had to ask, “Is your name Stone?”

  Pappy nodded. “I want to see her, now.”

  Theo stared at him for another moment then left the room. When he returned he was with a woman. He pulled her over to Pappy and suggested, “This is my Sarah.” Turning to Sarah he asked, “Sarah, do you know this man?”

  Sarah trembled as she raised her head to look at her brother for the first time in years. She gasped at the fall of white hair on his head. This threw her for a moment but she melted at the all too familiar look in his blue eyes. “Stone?”

  Pappy smiled slightly. “Sadie. Thank god, you’re here.” He wrapped his big arms around his sister and gently hugged her to him. He saw Theo’s glare but he ignored the other man. Finally, Pappy stepped back and gazed at her. He brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and smiled. “I have been looking for you for so long, I didn’t know if I would ever find you.”

  Sarah trembled even more. “You haven’t been the only one. I couldn’t let anyone find me.”

  “The Connors?” Pappy’s mouth tightened. “Do they know what happened that night? What Jack was going to do to you?”

  Sarah shook her head. “They didn’t believe the police report. They claimed it was cold blooded murder. They said they couldn’t prove which one of us did the deed so they were going to make both of us suffer. I got mom out of there and settled in another town under the protection of the police but I couldn’t stay with her.”

  Pappy nodded. “I found your mom a few years ago. She’s just fine but she was worried about you. You were out on the streets far too young and with no word about your being safe it was driving her nuts.” He paused then asked, “Why didn’t you tell me about what that bastard was doing? About what it was like for you and Mom? Don’t you know I would have come home and taken care of that bastard?”

  Sarah hung her head. “You were over in a war zone. We didn’t tell you because you needed to concentrate on your own business. We didn’t want the news to put you or your men in danger. We just couldn’t tell you. Mom felt so bad. She admitted she married Jack to stabilize our lives. She said she never loved him, not like she loved our father but she felt we needed a man in our life.”

  Pappy’s lips tightened. “Maybe we did, but we didn’t need a man like Jack Connors.”

  She nodded. “She knew that very quickly in their relationship but by then Jack wouldn’t let her go. It wasn’t until after you left that he got mean and nasty.”

  “That’s because he knew I’d beat the hell out of him if he touched you or her wrong. He knew I was bigger and stronger than he was even then.” Pappy snorted.

  Sarah looked up at him with haunted eyes. “I killed him. I hit him with a baseball bat. Mom told me to go to my room and not to come out no matter what I heard. I couldn’t stand to hear her screams anymore. I rushed out of my room and just slammed the bat into his head. He’d been standing over her with his hands around her throat. He would have killed her that night if I didn’t stop him.”

  “Then he got what he deserved.” Pappy gritted his teeth.

  “Stone, I’m so sorry I lied to you about this.” Tears rolled down her face. “Can you ever forgive me?”

  Pappy softened his expression. “Oh baby girl, I forgive you. Even though I don’t like lies, I can overlook this one. You should have trusted me with the truth but I understand why you didn’t.”

  Sarah planted her face in his chest and felt his arm wrap her in a sense of safety she hadn’t felt in so long.

  Theo pulled her away from her brother. He frowned as he pulled her into his arms. “She’s my woman.”

  “She’s my sister.” Pappy affirmed her position. “She’s been lost to my family for a very long time and if I want to hug her that’s something you need to deal with. I understand what you’re saying but she was my sister long before she became your woman. You need to understand that.”

  Theo bared his teeth. “I don’t share.”

  Sarah took a place between the two men, placing one hand on each of their chests. “Please don’t start this here. We have a bigger threat to handle. One that none of us may survive. Let’s get through that first, then the two of you can have a come to Jesus meeting. But you both have to know, one of you is my past and the other could be my future but you both mean a lot to me and I don’t want to lose either of you. So find a way to deal with it.” She turned to look at Theo, “I lost everyone who meant anything to me for fourteen very long years. But now I have a chance to get him back into my life and I want that.” Turning to face Stone she told him, “Please don’t make this harder than it has to be. I love you so much but I have a chance to have a happy ever ending with him. Can you give me a little leeway here? I don’t know if he’s the one for me or not but I’d like the chance to find out.” She walked toward the door of the kitchen. “Can we get back to the problem at hand now?”

  Theo turned to Pappy and growled under his breath.

  Pappy did the same but both men turned to join the others in the main room.

  Chapter Eight

  As hour later, one of Pappy’s men dragged a man back to the clubhouse. He tossed the man on the floor and looked over at Pappy. “This is the dirtbag that shot your man. He was alone.”

  Two more of Pappy’s men came in and nodded. “We searched the woods but he was the only one we found.”

  Before anyone could reply, Deke’s phone pinged and he reached for it. His eyes never left the man lying on the floor. “Yeah?” he answered as he listened to the conversation. Then he hung up the call and walked over to the downed man. He searched the bruises and cuts on the man as he shook his head. “You are a lucky man my friend.”

  “Oh, why is that?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “You’re lucky it wasn’t one of my men that found you, you got to live an extra little while.” He turned to face the rest of the men standing there. “That was Amos, his men found and contained the other two men on Buckley’s payroll. We have a little leeway until the man himself gets here.”

  The man on the floor looked around and saw Breaker standing on the fringe of the group. His eyes narrowed as he turned to Deke. “You got more problems that Buckley, you fool. You got a traitor amongst your ranks.”

  Deke turned his head and saw what the other man saw. He turned to him and snarled. “I’d worry more about what we’re going to do to you rather than think you got any points to deal on your side.”

  The man turned slowly to stare at Deke. “It doesn’t matter what you do to me. I just hope I’m still alive to see the life drain out of you when Buckley gets here.” Then he turned to glare at Breaker, “Hey old man, I hear your girl is having a great time in Buckley’s camp. She’s getting her groove on with just about everybody there, even the old man.”

  Breaker started forward but was held back by more than one man.

  The man on the floor snickered and Deke reached out and slammed his fist into his face.

  Fresh blood spurted from his broken nose and blood stained his teeth when he smiled. “We’ll see who gets the last laugh when Buckley gets here won’t we?”

  Deke grabbed the man’s collar and dragged him to his feet. Shoving him at his men he snarled, “Get this piece of shit out of my sight. Lock him up in the basement in chains. I don’t want him to be able to escape. He has a lot to answer for.”

  Deke watched as his men dragged the prisoner away. Then he looked at Breaker. Studying the other man, he turned to Pappy, then over to James. “Can you let Pappy and his men know where this camp is?”

  James nodded. “I know e
xactly where they are. Men good enough can get in and out easily.”

  Pappy nodded. “That’s what my men do and have done for years. We’ll go.”

  “Then do it, if you’re willing.” Deke nodded. “Also, take a head count. I want to know how many men Buckley has with him.”

  James nodded and turned to gather his intel.

  Pappy spoke to several of the men with him.

  They all went over to a corner and spoke, as James showed them the info on his laptop.

  A few minutes later, Pappy and his men disappeared.

  Deke went over to Breaker and clasped his hand on the other man’s shoulder. “We’ll get her back. Then we’ll get her the help she needs to cope with all of this.”

  Breaker broke down. “How the hell do you come back from this sort of thing? I mean really... cope?”

  Cassie joined them and held his gaze. “You can learn to cope with anything. Believe me I know, but if she has you and you don’t blame her for something you couldn’t control, then she can learn to cope. We don’t know what happened to her and I’ll be damned if I’ll take the word of a killer over her own words.” She patted his arm. “She’ll have us as support for both of you.”

  Breaker hauled her into his arms and thanked her.

  Deke stood their watching the exchange and when Breaker hugged his wife his fingers fisted but he didn’t say anything.

  Cassie broke their hug and turned to her husband wrapping her arms around his waist. She felt him relax at her touch but neither of them said a word. She let him go and brushed her lips against his. “We can handle what’s coming. Together, we can do anything.”

  She turned and walked back to the group of women waiting on the sidelines. She watched as the men began making plans for the upcoming confrontation with Oscar Buckley.

  ~*~

  Oscar Buckley was frowning while he waited for word from his men. The others were drinking and carousing behind him but he wasn’t. The rage usually buried deep within him wanted out and he could almost feel it just under his skin. He was an old man now and he didn’t want to be. He’d wasted his younger years behind bars. Thirty years! Thirty fucking years. He couldn’t believe it when the judge had handed down his sentence. Yeah, he’d killed the bitch he called his wife and yeah he found out later what happened hadn’t been her fault but he hadn’t felt anything about it. So she hadn’t screwed him over this time but there would always be another time.

  That didn’t really bother him so much anymore, what did bother him was the fact that he trusted his oldest son with his life’s work. Three million dollars. He smirked at the thought of finally collecting the money Bear was supposed to keep for him. When he got word of Bear’s death seventeen years ago, he’d been outraged.

  It had taken some time to find someone who knew the truth about what happened that night but he finally did. He learned from Jerry what happened and the rage he held a tight leash on exploded. When the smoke cleared, Jerry lived but he wasn’t the man he once was and Oscar had received ten more years behind bars.

  Now, he was out and he’d been busy since his release. Matty joined him and they discussed getting the MC Bear had back into the family. They had done their research and found the Sin’s Bastards were a big thing in Troy.

  Oscar snarled when he thought about the good things the MC had done for the town and how he wanted to tear it apart with his bare hands. His boy Bear never would have taken the MC in that direction. He would have ruled that fucking town with fear. Oscar’s blood boiled when he thought about what Deke had done to the town and the MC.

  He looked over the open fire the guys had going and caught site of Breaker’s girl, Amy. She was scared to death and wore a few bruises due to fighting the men off. When Oscar told the men to leave her alone, she looked almost grateful. His men minded his order but they didn’t like it.

  Oscar ran a critical eye over his men and shook his head. They were the worst he could find. But they also didn’t mind getting their hands dirty and that was what he needed to take control of Troy and get his son’s MC back.

  Last night he was supposed to collect four more men but they never showed up. They were supposed to bring the plans for the tunnel entrance. Without that, they had to depend on Breaker and he knew he couldn’t trust that man any further than he could throw him. Jerry had told him it wasn’t Deke who shot Bear but he did say it was Breaker.

  Oscar’s lips thinned. He had something special planned for Breaker but first he had to find his way inside the compound. That reminded him, he should give the men he had on watch a call and find out what they were doing to prepare for his upcoming visit. He had to know what was going on in Troy. The last thing he wanted was surprises, as he didn’t take surprises well.

  Reaching for his phone, he dialed the first number on his list. When the phone rang and rang and he got no answer, Oscar frowned. Hitting the second number, he got the same result. Growling, he hit the third number. When he got no response, he almost threw the phone on the ground. He began to pace while he thought about why his men weren’t answering his calls.

  He went over to the fire and began kicking dirt on the flames. His men began pitching a fit but Oscar growled back. “It’s time to get some sleep. We need to push up the timeline. We need to get to Troy tomorrow and find out what the fuck in going on. And I don’t need a bunch of drunks on my payroll.”

  “Speaking of payrolls,” Creeper spoke up, “When do we get paid? We’ve been with you for a week now and we haven’t gotten a dime for our effort.”

  Oscar wanted to hit the smartass. “I paid for your bikes, I bought the food you’re eating and I pay for the gas to get this far. Until I can get to the money my son stashed, you’ll just have to wait like the rest of them.”

  “And if that ain’t good enough?” Creeper asked.

  “Then collect your things and walk the fuck out of here. It’s a long way home from here. I hope your boots can handle the walk.” Oscar reamed him.

  Creeper snorted. “Why should I walk when I got a bike?”

  “Cuz that bike is mine. I bought it and if you choose to walk out before the job is done you don’t get to walk away with it.”

  Creeper lazily got to his feet reaching behind him he grabbed the handgun he had stashed there. When he pulled it out in front of him, he never heard a second gun cocking in the background. The first he knew was when the echo of the shot sounded and a ripping pain stopped his heartbeat. Creeper’s face paled and he fell to his knees. His life force was already gone by the time his body thumped to the dirt, releasing a small cloud of dust into the air.

  Oscar didn’t have to look at the shooter. Matty was sitting in the shadows and he would always have his back. Oscar looked around at the remaining men sitting there. “Anyone else have a problem with waiting to get paid?”

  The men grumbled but didn’t look him in the eyes. They might not say it but tonight’s events didn’t sit well with them. Creeper had only asked what everyone was thinking.

  ~*~

  Back at the compound, Theo watched, as the men got ready. He was standing with Sarah.

  Sarah snuggled in under his arm and softly asked, “What are you thinking?”

  Theo sighed, exhaling a bit. “I used to do this same thing as these men and right now I was missing it.”

  Sarah felt her heart eat speed up. She knew he had secrets but this sort of secret scared her. All too often, she saw the light in his eyes harden. His thoughts ran deep and often in the past, he would leave her alone and brood about his past. “Do you want your old life back?”

  “Yes and no. I hated it for so long. Every day I met death and always cheated it, then on the day death came for me I was offered a choice. I took it and I don’t regret it. I mean I’ve worked hard to get where I am but there’s something still missing from the equation. A purpose. I need to believe in something again and while I’ve recovered, I’ve become restless thinking there must be more to life than what I’m living.”

/>   Sarah nodded. “I can understand that. Everyone needs something in their life, something to work for, to have passion for.”

  “Oh, and what was your passion?” Theo asked.

  Sarah rolled her eyes. “My passion was staying alive. Looking over your shoulder twenty-four seven is no way to live. Being afraid every second of every day gets old after a while.” She sighed. “I lived that life for fourteen years and would give it all up for just one place to life, one night of feeling safe, someone to protect me for even just a little while. I know when this threat is over, I still have to face Jack’s brothers, and I’m hoping to find the courage to do that.”

  “If you’re brother doesn’t stand beside you, I will be there for you,” Theo assured her. “But I doubt your brother will turn his back on you, not now that he’s found you again.”

  Sarah shrugged. “I haven’t seen him in a long time. I grew up while he was gone. My life may not have turned out the way he wanted it but I think I’ve been on my own too long to get caught up in being his little sister again. I have to stand on my own two feet now. I just don’t know any other way.”

  “Your brother doesn’t look like the kind of man to let go so easily.”

  Sarah laughed out loud. “That’s an understatement. He can be ruthless when he wants to be.”

  “Oh, of that I have no doubt. In charge of men his whole life. Protective of them and his family. He won’t let go of you all that easy.”

  Priest walked over to them and stared at Theo for a long time. “You can’t go back, you know that don’t you?” he asked quietly.

  Theo nodded. “I know but I can’t go forward either. I watch them get ready for battle and I want to grab my rifle and follow them.”

  Priest nodded. “I know. I had to give up my past too. I’m not the man I once was either.”

  “But you did it for a woman, I didn’t,” Theo argued. He looked down at Sarah and smiled slightly. “I found my woman along the way, I can’t deny that. But this isn’t who I am. I know I need to forget my past but after living that life for so many years, I kind of miss it.”