“Man on her. Prospect for now. If she’s staying in the home, then she’ll only go from school to there—if they’re sending her.”
Thumper nods, pulling out his phone and making a call.
TT nudges my arm. “We’ll make this work, brother. Fuckin’ swear it.”
Chapter 19
Home sweet home … in a room – is this how his life really is?
The ride to Granville isn’t too bad and with Whitton driving, it made it better. He and his brother loaded up their bikes. Waylon drove the truck and Whitton, my car. We followed in an entourage all the way to the clubhouse. Whitton decided to tell me, when we were halfway there, that he lived at the clubhouse. Therefore, that’s where we’d live, too.
He also informed me about Marlayna, and I can’t help but worry about the little girl. I know Whitton wants to keep me safe, but every instinct I have in my bones wants me to keep Marlayna safe.
I called work, talking to Marie’s boss telling him I had a family emergency and needed to be gone for a while. He asked how long, and I told him the rest of the school year. He did not take kindly to this. I could have told him a few weeks or a month, but once the decision was made to come here with Whitton, I knew I wouldn’t be going back. As much as I love my kids and my life there, Whitton has always been home to me. No matter the distance, he’s always been it for me. Will always be.
As I stand in his room, looking around, it’s seriously bare.
It breaks my heart that Whitt has lived like this for years. There are no pictures anywhere. There are no memories on shelves. Everything is sparse, as if he didn’t want to get attached to anything because it would be gone in a moment’s notice. This breaks my heart. I never wanted that for Whitton. No matter how much I hated what he’d done, how he’d left me without another thought, I never wanted him to feel this. He does have brothers, and I can tell they care about him.
That’s one good thing in this mess. He found a family he can count on, and I can’t help but wonder where I fit into this mix. He’s told me that I can slide right into his life, but what if that’s not true? What if he’s wrong and I don’t? I could never ask him to leave his family. I never would.
“You’re thinkin’ awfully hard there, Roe,” Whitt says, coming out of the bathroom.
“Just wrapping my head around the last twenty-four hours. It’s a lot to take in.”
His arms wrap around me, and a sense of security drapes over me like a cloth keeping me warm.
“Know that, babe. Gotta know the Rebels and I’ll take care of it.”
“Do you really think the plan for Marlayna will work?” Whitton told me on the drive about their plan. When I asked, don’t they keep records of all that? He responded with, don’t worry about ‘all that’. Not giving me any real answers. At first I thought to argue with him and pull out more information, but then realized that wouldn’t get me anywhere with Whitton. Back when we were kids, maybe, but now, the man he’s become—I can tell he’s not easily swayed. So, I let it go and put my trust in him … and his club.
“Yeah, I do. We’ll get all this shit ironed out in a coupla days.” His confidence makes me believe it. I roll to my tiptoes and place a kiss on his lips. The kiss turns hot immediately and before I can breathe, Whitton has squeezed three orgasms from me and I pass out.
* * *
“Hi, I’m Kenderly!” A very happy woman with long honey colored hair braided down her back comes up to me holding out her hand. I take it smiling back.
“Roe.”
“Kenie, he’s squirmin’.” DJ, one of Whitton’s brothers, comes up with a beautiful baby boy in his arms handing him over to Kenderly.
“You know you’re going to have to get over this,” she huffs, taking the little bundle and looking down at him. “Daddy just thinks he’s gonna drop you or something.” She smiles bright. “He’s superman, though. He’d never drop you.”
“Kenie,” DJ warns.
She waves him off. “Let me chat with, Roe.” He makes his way over to a set of tables where some of the guys are sitting, including Whitton and Waylon. Waylon, who, by the way, hasn’t said much to me, and I need to find out if I pissed him off or something.
“Are you hangin’ in there? Don’t know the whole story, but DJ told me the bits he could. One thing you have to get used to around here is them talkin’ and not tellin’ ya what’s goin’ on. But that just means we can do the same.”
“Heard that!” DJ yells from across the room.
“Good!” she fires back.
“Give me that baby!” A beautiful woman with mahogany hair comes barreling through the door with Shamus right behind her. This must be Drea.
“Yeah, yeah,” Kenderly says, lovingly handing the baby over.
“Drea, this is Roe.”
Only when my name is said does she look up, her eyes warming. “Hey, hun. I’m Drea, nice to meet you.”
“Thank you so much for what you’re doing. Marlayna means a lot to me, and I just want her to be safe,” I ramble, not sure how much she knows, but feeling like I need to say thank you with every breath I can.
“Hun, I’m happy too. Pretty damn excited, actually.” This brings me joy. “Shamus and the boys’ll get it all wrapped up. That little girl will be here before you know it.”
“I hope you’re right,” I grumble as Kenderly places her hand on my shoulder.
“Trust your man. You know the one who hasn’t taken his eyes off you the entire time we’ve been standing here, afraid you’re going to disappear.” My eyes widen. “Yeah, that one. Trust your man to handle it.”
We spend the rest of the day getting to know each other and when Drea wasn’t hogging the baby, I was.
* * *
“We gotta go pick out a place, Roe,” Whitton says from the doorway as I look at his books. I was wrong about him not having any possessions. He has several books, and I bet he’s read every single one of them. He always loved to read when he was a kid. I’m happy he still finds comfort in it.
“You sure you want to live with me, Whitton Thorne?” I tease.
He stalks to me, wrapping his strong arms around me. “Never wanted something so damn bad in my life, Roe. You’re it for me, always have been. Know I fucked up leavin’ you, and I won’t do that shit ever again. Know what it’s like livin’ without you for far too many years. Not doin’ that again. Not doin’ that ever.”
“I love you,” I whisper as his lips crash down on mine. Damn, I love this man, and I show him just how much I do.
* * *
“I’m scared for Marie. Have you heard anything?” I ask Whitton as we lay in bed later that night.
“Nope and I probably won’t. She’s not our problem and since she brought her problem to your doorstep, she’s not yours either.”
“I know, I just can’t help but wonder if she’s okay. If those guys are hurting her or if Vincent, her husband, was able to get her back from them. She’s been my friend for a lot of years, Whitton.”
I rake my fingernails over his chest, his muscles giving little jumps with each touch.
“Some friends are worth givin’ your all to. Others that bring you trouble, you need to scrape off. Sure, Marie was good at one time, but babe, she’s runnin’ a dangerous game and involved with some seriously fucked up people. Gotta get shot of that or else they’ll be knockin’ on your doorstep, and that shit ain’t happen.”
He’s right, and I don’t like it. “I know.”
“But you still worry.” His hand traces circles on my naked back as my ear is against his chest listening to the thump of it.
“Yeah.”
“Love that you care so much, Roe. Love that you give that to me not askin’ for a damn thing in return. Love that your heart is so damn big that, one day, our kids will have nothin’ but love.” My breath catches. “But for your safety, our safety, and the safety of our future, gotta cut her loose.”
My heart expands. “I’ll try.”
“All I can
ask.”
“Yeah.”
“Love you, Whitton.”
“Love you, too. Night. Get some sleep.”
I let it overcome me.
Chapter 20
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble, I just want it all to end.
“Don’t be pissed,” TT starts out the conversation, pissing me off.
“You know whenever you start shit like that it already pisses me off, so spill it.”
My brother pulls over the computer. “Got everything in line for Shamus and Drea to get the kid. Even got the paperwork expedited and just waitin’ on the head man, Mr. Sanders, to sign off on it. He’s gettin’ a call from my guy there to have it done in the next few hours.”
“None of this shit sounds bad, TT.”
“The woman, Marie, hasn’t gone back to work. LaRoche was found dead outside of his pawn shop late last night. Beat to hell, then a bullet to his head.”
“Brother,” I warn. While I get that the man’s death is news we should know, it’s not something that would piss me off. May hurt my woman, but not me. One more dumb fucker off the planet as far as I can tell.
“Got a man close to the Souls.” This is a surprise. “There’s chatter about the little girl being a key to the Rebels. I’m thinkin’ we need to ride and be prepared to get the girl as soon as the asshole signs the papers. Don’t think they’re stupid enough to hit at the home because too many witnesses, but outside of it—pretty sure they’re gonna hit.”
“Fuck. You tell Thumper?”
“Headin’ there now,” he says, and I step in stride beside him. TT and I will tell him together. He’s always had my back, and I will always have his.
Two hours later, we’re on the road back to Blakely. Shamus driving his Tahoe with Drea, Roe and myself. DJ, Thumper, Lurch and TT are on their bikes, and a couple of the prospects are driving the van just in case we need more firepower than we can store on us. Hate that we have to leave the safety of our clubhouse, but we need to get the girl and get home. If we have to take out the Souls in the process, then so be it.
Hated having to bring Roe and Drea with us, but they are vital on getting the girl and allowing her to feel safe. Roe especially. It makes me even more on guard than normal.
It’s been two weeks since we’ve been back to Blakely. We have to drive through it to get to Keensaw where Marlayna is. Roe and I still haven’t decided on a home, so the clubhouse is where we’re living, which doesn’t bother me, but I can tell it’s getting to Roe so it’ll need to be fixed once we get back.
I’m alert once we’re about fifty miles out, or I should say more on alert, watching and anticipating. The Souls are pieces of shit and I have no doubt they’ll play dirty, but not at the risk of causing undo attention. But they will try to get what they want, namely us, after we get the kid. How they figured out when we were going is beyond me. Only thing I can think is, just like Triple Threat, they have an insider.
For this reason, we have a plan. One that the women don’t know because we’re hoping it doesn’t come to it, but chances are it will. We have another Tahoe, exactly the same as Shamus’ meeting us up there from a fellow club, the Ravage MC. We’re on good terms with them and they owed us a marker. We called it in. If we have to do a swap to get the kid and women out, we’ll do it. Not only that, but Ravage are bringing in their men to help make sure the Souls don’t get far. They are a tight club that have run most of Georgia for decades. Third generation type of club rising now. Good men and even better to have support in unfamiliar territories.
Hopefully, everything will go as planned and if some of the Souls lose their life, so fucking be it.
We’re in the SUV when Shamus’ cell rings. He looks at the caller ID. “It’s the home.”
Roe tenses beside me, and I wrap her in my arms as we listen to Shamus talk.
“We got her. She’ll be ready in an hour,” Shamus says, looking over at Drea who smiles excitedly.
I hop on my phone, sending out a text to the guys. One thing about technology is the bikes have screens on them to show the text when it pops up. It comes in seriously handy in times like these.
Nervous energy fills me. I read Marlayna’s file. The little girl has seen far too much and been dealt the worst of the worst in her short life. Her neck and chest are scarred in burns where a boyfriend of her mother’s poured gasoline on her and lit a cigarette, watching her little body, at two-years-old, warp, melt, and fall away before her mother heard her screams and smothered the fire out.
She spent four months in a burn center healing and still has scars.
Closing my eyes, I think to myself. Marlayna, your body may be scarred, but I promise you with everything I know in this world, Roelyn Duprey will keep you from permanently scarring your heart. I give my vow to the little girl I have yet to see. I will give my life and all that I have to make sure you feel no physical pain like you have endured before. This is going to be your new life, your new home, your family—all with the Rebels, me, and Roelyn Duprey.
Legally, she will be fostered to be adopted by Shamus and Drea. I understand the setup. But Roe and I will be the best aunt and uncle that little girl will ever know. Since we haven’t found a place yet, Roe and I will be staying with Shamus and Drea for a few days to help Marlayna adjust. We have a plan.
The only thing we need is to get to Keensaw, Georgia, pick up Marlayna, and get back to Granville with her.
Just outside of Keensaw, Ravage MC pulls up near us. They keep enough distance that they will be able to stay separated if someone is watching, but close enough we can make a switch to confuse someone if necessary.
Pulling up to the home, we are behind a closed gate and I take a moment to breathe.
Roe and I stay in the car waiting for Shamus and Drea to bring Marlayna out. As to not cause any suspicion, we didn’t want Marlayna to see Roe and react.
“Thank you, Whitton,” she whispers, resting her head on my shoulder.
“There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, Roe, and her,” I tell her honestly.
She sighs peacefully. “Maybe when things calm down, we can one day foster and adopt for ourselves.”
“Baby, you want it, you got it.”
She lifts her head and smiles at me. “Whitton, we have a long way to go. You make everything sound so easy.”
I tip her chin, press my lips to her. “I got you. Everything else, you want it, you got it. We’re gonna get a house with a big yard, gonna put a ring on your finger, and give you my name. You wanna adopt, we adopt. You want me to put a baby in your belly, give you that, too.”
“Loved you then, Whitton Thorne,” her voice is soft. “Think I love you more, now.”
Fuck. She makes me rock hard.
Before I can say anything, we see little Marlayna walking out with a pillowcase of her things and a Barbie blanket in her hand. Roe jumps up to move, and I hold her in place in the third row of seats of the SUV. “Can’t be seen, baby,” I remind her, and she stills.
To see the emotion in her, the way she drinks in every move of this little girl, I can’t help but remember the way she used to study my every move, too. It was like she was always so afraid of losing me, she had to memorize it all.
Chapter 21
Be still my heart, she’s here and it’s going to be okay!
Marlayna climbs in the car, her face is locked tight. No emotions, no fear, just a little girl shuffling along like she’s done too many times before. Drea slides in the SUV with her hand in Marlayna’s, while Shamus climbs in the driver seat.
Finally, Marlayna turns her tiny head, and her eyes meet mine.
The world stops.
I smile as I see the comfort hit her features. Her cheeks relax, and a smile forms on her tiny lips. “Ms. Roe!”
Reaching my hand over the seat, I give her shoulder a squeeze. “Marlayna, these are my friends,” I explain. “Drea and her husband are going to take you home.”
She frowns. “Can I come with you, Ms. R
oe?”
How I wish she could. The fact is I don’t have my certification, and there is too much red tape. Having her be with Shamus and Drea is the closest thing to having her with me. I’ve spent time with the Rebels and their women. It’s a real family and more than Marlayna has ever had before.
“Well, I just moved to Alabama with my,” I pause, what do I call him. Looking at Whitton, I watch his lip tip into a small smile.
“Fiancé,” he chimes and I want to roll my eyes, but instead I just smile. Apparently, with these men, they say it and it’s going to happen. That’s what Kenderly said happened with her and DJ, anyway.
“Oh, Ms. Roe, you’re gonna get married and wear a dress!” Marlayna is so excited.
“Whitton,” I point to the man beside me. “He and I will be staying with you at your new home for a bit.”
“Does it hurt?” she asks Whitton, no longer looking at me or concerning herself with being separated again. Instead, her focus is on Whitton. My stomach churns. Not because she asked about his scars, but because of what could come out of her little mouth about her own. I hate that she’s been put through anything that’s caused her pain.
“My scars?” he asks her back, to which she nods. “Not anymore.” He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze.
“Mine do sometimes,” she whispers.
“One day, Marlayna, they’ll be a part of the past, a faint mark and a faint memory of a time you will look back on and say it made you strong,” Whitton explains, and my heart feels like it may explode with emotions.
“Don’t worry, Marlayna, his ugly mug needs the scars to keep him from scaring Ms. Roe away,” Shamus jokes, to which Drea pinches him in the back of the arm.
“Shamus,” she chastises, “Skinny is a good man.”
Marlayna has a look of confusion.
“Shamus is also known as Austin, Marlayna,” Whitton explains. “We’re in a club and we all have nicknames. I’m Skinny.”
Scarred: The Ruthless Rebels MC Series Book 3 Page 11
