His Lady: The Wounded Souls

by Leah Sharelle

  “Stop saying that,” I screamed. “Darth loves you. You can’t just give up. Please, don’t.” Tear after tear streamed down my cheeks as Vegas dropped out of her chair and joined me on the floor, her arms crushing around me.

  “Rainn, my sister is a doctor, and she got me the best oncologist there is. There is nothing left to be done. I’m going away to spend the time I have left alone with my family.” As she squeezed me gently, her arms felt fragile. “Darth would do anything for me, and I know that. The man has been a part of my life for ten years, and the only thing he wouldn’t do was claim me. Not in front of the club or his brothers.”

  In my arms, I felt Vegas fall apart. The pain of her cancer and dying was nothing compared to the pain of not being special enough for one man to say, ‘Hey, this beautiful creature is mine, so hands off.’ Mannix had taken a while, and to be honest, so had I, but we were happy the way we were for a few years. Now though? I couldn’t imagine having to watch Mannix go off with another woman.

  “This is so unfair. I feel like my insides are being ripped out,” I sobbed, not letting Vegas go—I never wanted to let her go.

  “Rainn, these babies wedged between us means life goes on. The babies Charlotte, Stella, and Mia are carrying do, too. Yes, it is unfair. I will miss Shiloh, my precious little girl, more than anything. I will miss her first date, her first heartbreak, and her wedding day. That makes me sadder than I can say. I was here the day she came home from the hospital just like you were. I always pretended in my mind that she was mine, and in a way, she is. I will miss my flock, the best women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, but most of all, I will miss my big, gentle, bearded giant, the man I love fiercely and always will. The man who worships the ground Shiloh walks on. He adores her, and whether he knows it or not, one day, he does want to be a father. He deserves that.” Her voice broke more than once as she laid out her heart to me, her body sagging against mine, and I worried that I had pushed her too far.

  I took in a few deep gulps of air and tried to calm myself.

  “I’m sure all this nonsense isn’t good for the babies,” Vegas said with a shaky laugh.

  I was about to answer her when a loud crashing sound came from the direction of Booth and Stella’s suite. I pulled back and stared wide-eyed at Julie.

  “Shiloh,” we both said at the same time before laughing, tears and all.

  “Shit, we better go see what she is up to. If Booth knows Stella’s sleep was interrupted, there will be hell to play,” I mumbled. I struggled to get to my feet, but my belly simply wouldn’t let me.

  “Help.”

  Vegas giggled as she got herself up first before hefting me to my feet.

  “Good grief, woman, are you sure you only have two in there?” she grumbled as she if she was hauling a one-tonne car all by herself.

  “Watch it, chicky. I’m hungry, I’m sore, and I can’t see my feet. Now is not the time to poke the bear,” I warned only half joking. I was hungry, again, picking up all Shiloh’s crap had made me sore, and I was pissed that I couldn’t see my feet or my vagina.

  Chapter 29

  MANNIX

  “Darth, where is that fucking idiot client?” Deck shouted.

  For the last hour, we had been sitting at the worksite twiddling our fucking thumbs waiting on Deck’s fucking idiot client.

  “I will give him another call, but so far, he ain’t answering his phone.” Darth took his phone out of his pocket and hit a button.

  We watched as Darth left another voicemail. Fucking great. At this rate, we were going to be here all day. I wanted to get back to Rainn. I called her earlier and got worried when I heard her tired voice. She was on Shiloh duty today, and from what I could gather, the little hellion was giving Rainn hell.

  “If he doesn’t turn up in the next half an hour, we are going ahead without him. If we blow up the wrong boulders, then fuck him,” Booth ordered from his perch on the front-end loader. He had just finished clearing out a perimeter around the blow site, removing all the small rocks and potential projectiles, making it as safe as we could make it.

  This wasn’t our first time with this kind of thing, and it wasn’t what was pissing us off. We did this sort of shit all the time back in the desert—clearing hidden land mines, or helping a local village with a much-needed water well. The tension was coming from the fact our women were back at the compound alone. Teach and Mia were with Steel and the prospects picking up supplies for the club. With the extra threat against the women, Booth had halted too many trips out, but food was needed, so they all went off for a buy-up. Booth and I were concerned our women were alone at the compound with no detail at all. When I spoke to Rainn, she mentioned Lucky hadn’t arrived at the club yet.

  The idea of her alone, and Callie being out there somewhere with Rogue waiting on one of the women to give them an opportunity to act, sent fear shooting right through me. Callie obviously knew how to get into the compound, although Deck, Booth, and Creed had spent the early hours of this morning securely blocking the entrances, except for the front door, while Steel and I fixed the back fence so none one could sneak onto the property anymore.

  “Want me to go up to the site office and find his other numbers, Pres?” Deck asked with a chin lift in the direction of the portable office he used. It was located three hundred metres up the hill, a safe distance from any blowback caused by blowing up a one-tonne rock.

  Booth pondered for no more than a few seconds. “No, fuck him. We stick with the plan. Thirty minutes and we blow this shit up. If he gets here in time, then great, if not, who gives a shit? My wife is in bed throwing her guts up, and I want to get back to her,” he declared.

  Thank fucking Christ for that. I wanted cuddle time with my lady and girls. Jesus, fuck me. Where the fuck had my balls gone? Cuddle time? I smiled at my sudden turnabout in attitude. Yeah, fucking oath I wanted cuddle time. A whole lifetime of it.

  Chapter 30

  RAINN

  Shiloh, if you have woken up Stella… I said to myself as Vegas and I made our way down the corridor leading to Stella’s rooms. My emotions were all over the place still, but Vegas seemed relieved with the distraction Shiloh gave her to stop the talk of her monumental and devastating news. I couldn’t blame her really, nor would I fight her on it. We were definitely going to discuss it more at a later date, but for now, I was giving her a pass. Plus, I needed a few minutes myself. It wasn’t every day your best friend told you not only was she dying but she was also leaving without telling anyone so she could die alone.

  “Rainn, stop it, for heaven’s sake. I can almost hear what is going on in that pretty head of yours. Let’s find Squirt, and then feed your stomach. I promise you can grill me again later.”

  I turned my head and poked my tongue out. The smile that met me healed a tiny piece of my shattered heart. I filed that sight away for the day when I would need it the most. For the day when I had to say goodbye.

  “Pretty girl, doos youse need to up chuck more? Cos it’s really ’gusting,” I heard Shiloh say just before we entered Stella’s bedroom.

  Vegas chuckled from behind me, her soft comment just hitting my ears. “Oh, sweet lord, I am going to miss her.”

  Without looking at her, I reached behind, grabbed Julie’s hand, and gave it a squeeze. If I looked at her then, a waterfall of tears would start up again.

  “No, Shiloh, I think I’m done for now. And yes, it is disgusting, Squirt. Maybe if you come up here with me it might help me feel better,” Stella answered as I stepped into the room.

  “I’s don’t know, blondie. You smell yucky,” Shiloh told her with the most serious of faces.

  I couldn’t help it. I blurted out a laugh as Stella held one hand over her mouth.

  “Shiloh, that wasn’t very nice,” Vegas admonished the little girl, her eyes dancing with laughter.

  “Aunty Ve-Ve,” Shiloh shouted happily, the yucky smell forgotten instantly when Shiloh saw the woman who had spent more time with her t
han anyone other than her parents or Darth. She ran around the bed and flew into Vegas’s waiting arms.

  “Hey, Shy-Shy. Hmm, I missed you,” Vegas whispered into Shiloh’s raven curls.

  I could see her whole body shake with the effort of Shiloh’s energetic hug, and I moved quickly to help but stopped when Vegas shook her head and mouthed, “Leave her to me.”

  I nodded my head in understanding and stayed back. Vegas needed Shiloh in her arms as much as she could get.

  “Missed you, too. Youse is too skinny. Ain’t ya eating ya veggies, woman?”

  Oh, my God, I couldn’t do this, seeing Shiloh oblivious to the tragedy that was about to fall on the club, and hearing her tell off Vegas without knowing the real reason but caring that her aunt was too skinny. It was too much. I walked past them and tried not to hear Vegas’s sad laugh at the innocent comment. I went further into the room. Stella, watching the scene with wide eyes, had to see how bad our friend looked. How gaunt she had become in such a short period of time. I discreetly shook my head, my eyes—I hoped—telling her that later she would know everything.

  I busied myself with snooping at all the photos dotted around the room. I had never been in this particular room before. Booth was such a private man, and in all the years I had been at the club, he had never invited me or any of the other women who frequented the club’s parties, in. Even Ingrid, who hadn’t been sleeping with him at all, never came in here. Instead, she’d used the spare room he set up for her to study in. Stella was the only woman and the squirt, of course.

  Pictures of Stella and Booth on their honeymoon sat on the dresser in whitewashed, wooden frames, photos of the men in their commando greens, Mannix was in one taken before he lost his eye. I smiled at his mischievous grin in one of them. He had two fingers held up behind Steel’s head, photobombing it. I laughed at one of Deck holding Darth in a headlock while Creed and a younger man stood next to them laughing. I gasped at the grainy image of Creed. I couldn’t help it. He was phenomenally beautiful, and he was smiling big. He looked so happy. Tears filled my eyes.

  Oh my God, what a waste if the world never sees him do that again.

  “It’s quite a sight, isn’t it?” Stella whispered, knowing which photo I was now holding.

  “It sure is.” I smiled. I looked back at the photo, allowing my gaze to travel over the photo one last time before I put it back, but something stopped me. A tingle of dread washed over me as I looked at the other soldier next to Creed. My hands started to shake as warning bells went off in my head and fear filled me.

  “Stella, who is this? Who is this person?” I demanded and pointed the picture at her.

  “That’s Carson, Booth’s brother. Creed recreated that photo on the tank of Booth’s bike. Surely, you have seen it before,” Stella told me as she looked at me like I was crazy.

  Of course, I had seen it, now that I thought of it. I remembered the day Creed unveiled his tribute to Booth’s fallen brother. I remembered that I’d oohed and ahhed over it, but that wasn’t the only memory that came back to me. Mannix! Mannix and the guys were in horrible danger.

  “Stella, call Booth. Tell him to get everyone back here right now,” I said in a panic.

  Stella reached for her mobile phone. She looked green, and I feared this was going to set her off again.

  Everything was falling into place. That night at the Bar and Grill, the guy in the dark SUV had looked so familiar when I got a glimpse of his face as he lit his cigarette, but I hadn’t been able to figure out why.

  Mannix had mentioned to me that Deck was pissed off at himself because he couldn’t place the voice of his pain in the arse client they were doing the job for today. He knew the voice but couldn’t think why. When I asked why, Mannix told me Deck got a weird feeling like he was talking to Rogue, just without the digital voice changer. He said he felt like the guy was taunting him like Rogue did with the threatening phone calls he made to the patched members.

  I had to be wrong, didn’t I? I stared at the photo again. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be.

  I dropped to my knees as my legs were no longer able to hold me up. Oh, please, it can’t be, I prayed, over and over.

  “He isn’t answering,” Stella cried as she held the phone to her ear.

  I could hear the ringing of the outgoing call. Shit!

  “Rainn, what is it? You’re scaring me,” Stella said, fear clogging her voice.

  “We have to get to the worksite. We need to warn the guys.” I motioned for Vegas to come and help me to my feet then remembered her weak state. So, instead, I hefted myself up, using the end of the bed. “Stella, you keep trying to get hold of someone. Try Steel. Maybe Booth had to turn his phone off for the blast or is busy and can’t hear it ring. Julie, we have to get out to the site now. Let’s go, Squirt, you aren’t leaving my sight,” I said seriously.

  My take-charge demeanour from dealing with divas at the strip club was front and centre. Pregnant or not, detail or not, I was going to warn my man and the men my friends loved that I knew who Rogue was.

  ———

  I looked in the rear-view mirror for the hundredth time to make sure Shiloh was still buckled into her car seat. Or space seat as the case was. I was definitely going to get two of those seats for my daughters.

  “Rainn, honey, your phone is ringing.” Vegas nudged me in the arm.

  My mind was travelling where it didn’t need to be, but I needed to concentrate on driving. It was hard enough in the big monstrosity Mannix insisted I drive.

  “Answer it on the Bluetooth,” I instructed, not prepared to take my hands off the wheel for any amount of time, not with Shiloh in the back seat.

  Vegas nodded her approval, then pressed accept on the screen.

  “Hello.”

  “Rainn, where the hell do you think you are going?” Steel boomed down the line. “Get your dancin’ arse back to the compound right this minute.”

  I couldn’t help the smile that formed on my lips. The Steel brothers were a breed amongst themselves. God help James when he grew up or rather the woman he set his heart on.

  “Steel, there is no time. The guys are in danger. I have to get to them.” I hurriedly tried to explain.

  “Hey there, Coops, we’s are going on a venture,” Shiloh sang out when she heard her uncle’s voice. The child never ceased to amaze me with her sunny disposition, no matter what we asked of her.

  “You have Shiloh with you! Rainn, turn the fucking car around right the fuck now.”

  “Steel, listen to me. Stella is in no shape to look after her. Neither is Julie. I had no choice, and I was not going to let her out of my sight. Did Stella get hold of Booth?” I didn’t explain what I meant about Julie, and thankfully, he didn’t ask. One tragedy at a time.

  I heard him huff out a breath. He knew I was right. Shiloh was the number one priority—always.

  “Okay, I agree, but I’m back now. Get back here, and I will go out to the worksite myself. The prospects will look after Shiloh so you girls can concentrate on Stella. They must have their phones off because the signal interferes with the detonators,” he reasoned.

  I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me.

  “No, I’m almost there,” I argued. I was so angry at what I had finally realised. Angry at the whole world for the shit that had fallen at the club’s door. All of it.

  “Steel, I know who Rogue is. I have to get there before he shows up and kills someone.”

  “What—what do you mean?” Steel’s question was menacingly soft.

  “The arsehole client, the one Deck was having trouble placing. It’s Rogue, Steel.”

  I quickly looked in the mirror again at Shiloh. Her DVD player was on now as were her headphones. Thank God, for Tour of Duty.

  I took a deep breath in and then said the words I never thought I would ever say.

  “Rogue is Booth’s father.”

  ———

  The rest of the drive to the worksite was quie
t apart from the distant sounds of Shiloh’s TV show coming from her earphones, the car’s engine, and the hum of the car’s heater. But all those noises couldn’t drown out the sounds in my head—the sounds of Julie’s sobs and my cries of disbelief and anger, and worst of all, words like cancer and dying.

  “Julie—” I didn’t get to say anymore when Julie held up her hand.

  “No more, please, Rainn. I know what you want to say, and my answer is no. I went through years of treatment, pain, and sickness once before. I got lucky. This time is different. Scans have shown that the cancer has spread to other organs and my lymph nodes. I’m not going to spend what time I have left being pumped with drugs that aren’t going to help,” Julie said quietly, and the firm way she said it told me there was no changing her mind. She knew more about it than I did, but that logic didn’t do anything to dull the aching pain that I was going to lose my best friend.

  I cleared my throat of the huge lump and did what she wanted and changed the subject. The gates to the property the guys were working at loomed ahead. There were all kinds of barriers and roped-off areas, and the only way in was a bumpy looking dirt road.

  “Maybe we should try to call the guys again?” Julie suggested as she picked up her phone and hit redial.

  After we hung up with Steel, but not before promising him that we would go straight to the site office and wait for Mannix or Darth to come to us, Julie tried numerous times to get through to one of them, but no one picked up.

  “Still no luck,” she said with a huff and dropped her phone into the cup holder.

  “Damn it.” I hit the steering wheel in frustration.

  I looked in the mirror to see if Steel had made it there yet. Once he got Mia and Charlotte settled, he was going to meet us there. He had not taken the news about Rogue’s identity well. There had been lots of swearing, and I thought I heard something breaking.