by Ryan Michele
She waved her hand dismissively at me. “My boys won’t get rid of me,” she said with confidence, yet she had no fucking clue.
One word from me, and she would be done. The brothers only put up with her shit because she was my mother. If she kept giving them shit, they’d be in line with any decision I made.
The muscles in my arm bunched, and Trixie squeezed me to the point of pain, bringing me back from my fury.
“What do you need?” I barked.
This time, she lost a little color. “I don’t wanna talk about it in front of an audience,” she said snippily.
“Maybe I should …” Trixie started, but I pinned her with a look that shut her up quick. I didn’t know what I looked like, but it did the trick. She didn’t have a smartass comment. No, instead, she zipped her lips, turning her attention back my mother.
“No. Anything you need to say, say it.” My words were short and clipped. I felt the anger radiating off my skin.
“I …” She sighed. “I went to Fox’s table.”
My anger turned into downright rage and contempt. She fucking did not. That was not what I expected her to say, especially after the lecture I had given her. The trust teetered over into nothingness.
“What!” I roared, trying to break away from Trixie and step toward my mother, but she held me to her, not releasing me. Sure, I could have made her, but I didn’t. Instead of wringing my mother’s fucking neck, I talked. “You owe him, you’ll be on your back.”
Trixie watched the exchange with vivid fascination. I remembered she didn’t have a mother, so she probably didn’t get that I was at my end with mine.
My mother reached into her large, black bag and pulled out an envelope. “I got you your money back. It’ll be the last time I go. I’m giving it up,” she said, holding out the envelope and stepping closer.
I took it from her and opened it as Trixie released me, noting quite a bit of cash there.
“You went to the table that I told you to stay the fuck away from to bring me this?” Normal people would probably be grateful to have their money back, but I wasn’t “normal.” I couldn’t fucking believe she went back there after putting my club through shit to clean up her mess.
Trixie didn’t know the whole story, and I was sure the little bit she was getting from this conversation wouldn’t fill her in.
My mother stumbled. “I … I thought you’d be happy I got your money back.”
Time to clue Trixie in.
“No, Mother,” I clipped. “What if you fucking lost? Would you be coming to me to bail you out … again? I told you—no, I fucking ordered you to stay away from the tables, and you fucking did whatever the hell you wanted like always.” I tossed the money back at her. “I’m fucking done with this shit. I’m done cleaning up your mess when you don’t give a flying shit about me or my brothers. You take this money. It’s the fucking last bit you’re getting from me or the club. I tried to get through to you, but you don’t get it, so I’m cutting you off. No more money from the club, no more support. None of us are getting you out of trouble.”
Trixie took a deep breath, and my mother’s face turned almost green. I didn’t like this shit. I didn’t like having to do it. But I’d warned her, and once again, she didn’t listen.
“You can—”
“Six months You prove to me and the club you’re turning shit around, then we’ll talk. Once—just once—you go to Fox during that time, and we will cease to exist to you. Got me?”
My mother nodded, and a tear rolled down her cheek. I wouldn’t let it affect me again. I needed to protect my club, my life, and Trixie’s.
“I’m sorry, Spook,” she said softly, and for the first time, I actually believed her.
She turned and walked out the door.
Trixie’s gaze penetrated mine as I breathed deep, bringing myself down from the anger. I didn’t like doing that to my mother, but it had to be done.
“Why did you do that?” Trixie asked quietly.
I moved around to my desk chair and sat with a thud. I rubbed my hands over my face and head. “Couldn’t do it anymore. She’s always bringing shit to me, and it was enough. She’s dragging not only me, but my brothers into it. It had to stop, and the only way to do that was to pull the rug out from underneath her.”
“But you didn’t really. You let her keep whatever was in that envelope.”
I smiled at my girl. She was so damn observant.
“Yeah, couldn’t send her out empty.”
She came around to my chair and wedged herself between my legs. I brought my hands instantly to her hips.
“You’re a good man, Cade Baker.” She smiled. “I mean, Spook.” She bent down and kissed me. For the first time, I let her lead, and it was spectacular.
“HELLO,” I ANSWERED the phone, already knowing Jett was on the other end.
I was sitting in Cade’s house after finishing cleaning the pit. I told myself I wasn’t going to do it, but after being in his space for days, it was driving me crazy. I couldn’t take the mess another moment, so I gave in and cleaned.
“We have a problem.”
It was early afternoon, and I’d told Jett I wouldn’t be in until later. Truth be told, I really liked spending time with Cade and his brothers. They were funny, made me laugh, and made me feel like I belonged, something I had never thought I would feel.
“What?” I sat up, ready for whatever she was going to hit me with. It could be about anything.
“We’re down bouncers and bartenders. Five of them. I even called the backups to the backups, and none of them could come in. Some shit about a big game on TV. I told them to get their asses to work, and they just laughed. Don’t know how we’re gonna open like this.”
Fuck!
Cade strode in the door, and my breath caught at the sight of him. These past few days, I’d really gotten to see him, the man, and I had to admit I liked what I saw. No, scratch that. I loved what I saw.
“Alright. I’ll get it taken care of. I’ll be there in ten,” I told her then clicked off.
“What?” Cade asked as I got up from the couch and searched for my shoes.
“I’m down five guys at the club. Some game’s on, and they all bailed on me. I gotta figure this shit out.”
“Babe, it’s called the Super Bowl, and no wonder they called in.”
I rolled my eyes. “Men and their shit.” I laced both shoes and went looking for my bag.
“What are you gonna do?”
The rock hit my gut. “I don’t have a clue. Second string was called, and they bailed, too, so maybe I can find some temps.” Where there was a will, there was a way, right?
Cade pulled out his phone. “Round up the boys. Trixie needs us.”
My head swung in his direction, my mouth agape. “What are you …?” I started, but was cut off by a pointer finger in the air.
“Sirens.” He listened for a beat. “Yeah, I know.” He chuckled and clicked the phone off.
“What did you just do, and what do you know?”
He walked up to me and pressed his hot body to mine. “I got you your third string, and Boner says you owe them. There is a big game on, after all.”
My heart filled with something I wasn’t familiar with, and I felt my throat begin to seize up. I’d never really been able to count on anyone in my life, and Vipers Creed was giving that to me. I felt it. I was scared of it, but it was there. It had always been there, under layers of bullshit that I didn’t ever think I could come out of. But Cade pulled me out of it. I loved it. Loved this feeling.
FOR A WEEK, I’d been in Cade’s world, and it was undeniably sucking me in. Hell, Cade had sucked me in, and I was enjoying the ride.
We still hadn’t heard anything from my father, and I really hoped he wouldn’t do anything to me, but Cade wasn’t taking any chances. He kept a guy on me all the time, rotating watches. After pissing me off for the first few days, I was able to let it go and just be. They were all fine except for
Stiff. He talked and talked and talked. I didn’t get shit done with him there. It would have been better had I just stayed home.
He also had this flirtation thing going on with Jett that I squashed, or at least, I liked to tell myself I had. He’d say something Stiff-ish, and she’d blush. Those were the only moments I got anything done.
Today, I had Lee. When I asked why he had a normal name, Cade had told me that the guys didn’t get their road name until they were members. Lee was a prospect trying to get into the club, therefore, no name. When I looked at Lee compared to the other guys in the club, I didn’t see it. He was a kid. Cade told me Lee was twenty-two, but he looked so much younger than that. It had to be his face. I wanted to tell him some of my zit secrets, but I felt like an ass even bringing it up. I didn’t know how he felt about it, and it wasn’t my place.
Lee was quiet, either sitting in my office or hanging out just outside the door. He’d switch things up and check his phone every so often while I worked.
My phone beeped with a message.
See you at home, Cade wrote.
Home. Sure, I had my house, but it never really felt like a home. Not until I moved to Cade’s had I felt that. Like I belonged. Like I was part of something bigger than me and Sirens. A family, a life.
Leaving in a bit, I replied.
Jett popped in the door, eyeing Lee sitting on the couch. “Everything’s cleaned up. I’m heading out.”
“Night, Jett.”
“Don’t stay too late.”
I shook my head. “I’m just finishing these numbers. Then I’m ready to go.”
“Night,” she said, shutting the door.
Thirty minutes later, I rose from my chair, stretching. “Let’s go,” I told Lee, who jumped up, looking more than happy to get out of here.
We walked out of the building toward my car, Lee right at my back, when a loud bang echoed throughout the night’s sky, and Lee’s body collapsed to the ground in a heap. I had my gun out and ready, but before I could shoot, a rag was placed over my face and the gun knocked out of my hands.
I struggled hard, flailing my arms and scratching at any part of skin I could reach, but the person behind me was stronger. I didn’t know what was on the rag, but it smelled funny, and within moments, I was out cold.
MY HEAD FILLED with a cloudy, dense fog that I couldn’t shake. Even with my eyes open, a filmy haze covered them, making everything blurry. Voices were muffled, as if I were under water, sinking. I thought I recognized one, but couldn’t tell for sure.
Too hard to think.
I attempted to pull my arms up, but they were immediately halted by something. The hard, cold, heavy attachments clinked like metal. Even straining to move them, my muscles were so weak, so lethargic I couldn’t. I tried my legs, and the same thing happened.
A hard surface pressed against my back as the cool air of the room cascaded over my skin, my nipples, my stomach… Oh God, was I naked?
I opened my mouth, wanting to scream as deep panic set in. Unfortunately, nothing came out except air. Even that took more effort than I had in me.
Placing the pieces of the puzzle together, I couldn’t make heads or tails out of anything.
Heat at my side had me turning in that direction, only to see a fuzzy, black figure. I squinted then blinked, trying to get the focus to come back, but nothing. Not a damn thing.
“Hello, darlin’. Welcome to hell.”
I blacked out.
I AWOKE TO a male voice saying, “Maybe I gave her too much.”
Everything came back to me in a rush. I feared what whoever this was had given me. I was so damn cold my fingers felt like they would fall off at any time.
I opened my eyes and wished I hadn’t. I was in a large, white room with bright florescent lights reminding me of a hospital, but the room was bare.
I pulled on my arms but nothing happened.
“See, she’s awake.”
I looked towards the end of whatever hard surface I was lying on and blinked rapidly. I was sure my eyes were playing tricks on me.
“Worm?” No, he wouldn’t betray Cade or the club, would he?
“Ah, you remember my name.” He gave me a wicked smile. It was more words than I had ever heard him say at once.
“So, you’re the one.” I followed the deep voice, and my heart completely stopped. Cobalt blue eyes stared back at me with the same dark hair as Cade’s, but this wasn’t him. “My son has good taste.” He licked his gross, flaky lips.
Fear like no other pelted me.
“You’re dead,” I said stupidly.
He laughed, but it wasn’t humorous. “Nah. It’s amazing what money can buy.”
I shook my head. This wasn’t right. I had to be dreaming or something.
“No, Cade said he shot you dead.”
His face turned hard. “The little fucker thought he did. Had Moose over there”—he nodded somewhere behind me that I couldn’t see—“get me the fuck out of there. Money bought me my life back.”
“I don’t get it.”
“You’re a fucking woman; you’re not supposed to get it.” He gripped my hair hard and pulled my head taut, ripping strands of it from my scalp. “You, little bitch, are a means to an end. Spook comes, I take what’s mine. I’ve got a great buyer for you. Loves whips and knives.”
He was going to sell me? Oh, God. Whips and knives? Holy shit. I tried again to move my arms and legs. The panic was more than I could take.
“Worm’s gonna give you a little taste of what’s in store for you while we wait for my boy to figure out where you are. I give him about thirty minutes after I place the call. So you get a half-hour of fun with Worm here.” He released my hair, and my head thudded on the hardness beneath me.
My eyes moved back to Worm. “But I played cards with you. You were nice to me.”
He shrugged. “You’re just pussy. That’s what all women are.”
I couldn’t wrap my brain around all of this, but I didn’t have time to.
A sharp pain came to my shin. I screamed, lifting my head to see what was happening.
Worm stood with a blade in his hand and blood dripping down my leg.
Oh, God.
“NEITHER TRIXIE OR Lee are answering their goddamned phones.” I charged through the clubhouse with Boner on my heels. “Fuck!”
“Calm down, brother. You don’t know if something happened,” Boner tried reassuring me. I felt like something had, though. The hair on the back of my neck was standing to attention, and a wave of unease settled in my gut. Something was wrong, way wrong.
“Stiff!” I yelled over at the bar.
He came to full attention. “What’s goin’ on?”
“Trixie and Lee are off radar. Get ahold of Dawg and get eyes. Find out what the fuck is going on.”
“On it.” He pulled out his phone as he followed us through the clubhouse, out to the lot, and on our bikes.
Pulling up to Sirens, we saw a body lying in the fucking parking lot. I pulled up closer, and fucking shit, it was Lee.
I parked the bike quickly, hopping off and going straight to him. I checked his breathing, nothing. Blood was splattered on the ground near his chest. Fucking hell.
“He’s gone. Fuck. Call Dawg!” The death of this man rested on my fucking shoulders.
A chill ran down my back. I grabbed my phone, found the number, and hit the green button.
“What?” was answered on the other end.
“Where did you fucking take her?” I growled into the phone.
He said nothing in response.
Stiff came up to me. “Video. Covered her mouth with a rag and threw her in a dark SUV. No plates.”
“You fucking son of a bitch, where in the fuck is Trixie!” I clenched the phone so hard the plastic cracked.
“I don’t have her,” her father claimed, yet I didn’t fucking buy it for one second.
“Bullshit! You’re the only motherfucker who’s threatened her! I know you have h
er! Give her to me!” Every word was yelled with anger so fierce I couldn’t contain it.
He was not taking Trixie from me. No fucking way.
“I’m telling you I don’t have her. I never intended on taking her, you dick.”
“I don’t fucking believe you.” I moved to my bike, not knowing where the hell I was going or who I was going to.
“Fine, don’t believe me. Where the fuck are you?”
“Sirens, asshole!”
“Me and my guys will be there in ten.” The line disconnected.
I’d fucking kill the motherfucker with my bare hands.
“Fucking shit!” I yelled into the dark night.
In any other situation, I’d be calm as could be, but not with Trixie. No fucking way with her.
“Brother, get your shit together.” Boner came up, putting his hand on my back.
I brushed him off. I was too high strung and losing my shit.
“Spook, you’re not doing her any good like this. Calm. The fuck. Down.”
He was right, but fuck.
“Dawg?” I asked Stiff.
“He says they went right, but he lost them. No fucking clue, man.”
I ripped my fingers through my hair.
“Got guys coming to get Lee,” Stiff added.
Fucking hell. I looked down at the ground and took some serious deep breaths. I needed to think. I needed to clear my fucking head, or all of this was going to shit fast.
My phone rang. Unknown caller. I answered it, thinking it was dickhead Colonel.
“What!” I barked.
“Now, son, is that any way to greet your father?”
I stilled. What the fuck …? But the voice … Fucking hell, this couldn’t be happening. Fifteen years raced through my thoughts, along with the memory of when the bullet had gone through his chest.
It took me a moment, but I had to get my shit together quickly.
“Speaking from the grave, Pusher?” I questioned, saying his road name specifically so the two men next to me would hear.
Their eyes grew wide.
