Savage Kings MC Box Set 1

by Lane Hart

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  War

  “You sure you’re okay?” I ask Nova for the hundredth time as we sit on a bench outside of the courtroom.

  “Uh-huh,” she mutters while staring straight ahead at the wall. She’s been incredibly quiet for days now, ever since the flood. Sort of like she was the afternoon she kept the fact she knew Barbara and the boys were gone but didn’t tell me until we got to the empty house.

  “You had a near-death experience. Do you think you need to see someone?” I offer.

  “No. I’m fine,” she says in a rush. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to use the ladies’ room.” She gets up and walks off down the empty hallway.

  It’s been a hectic, stressful few days for everyone. Hopefully that’s all that’s going on with Nova.

  Last night was the first time I was finally able to meet up with Audrey and Maddox back home when the island reopened. Me, Nova, and Ren took cover through the hurricane in Greensboro, where even the hotel lost power for a few hours because of the gusts of wind, while Maddox and Audrey said they had to hunker down in Raleigh. That was apparently as far as they could get in the MC’s van because of the gas shortage on the coast caused by the mass exodus. Maddox assured me, as soon as I could reach them, that he had stocked up on plenty of food and water for them to safely wait out the storm. I’ll be forever grateful to him for keeping my sister safe when I couldn’t.

  The island was lucky. Other than some flooding that’s mostly receded, the damage to structures was minimal. Hundreds of roofs will need to be patched and dozens of fallen trees and other debris will need to be hauled away from yards, but everyone stayed safe. Most of us have even had our power restored.

  Unfortunately, the boys’ home also had power, so Nova talked me into returning Ren to Barbara’s last night. It wasn’t easy to have to explain to Ren why he had to go back, or to leave him there again. But Nova assured me it would be the best move before court this morning to show that while I was concerned for his safety during the hurricane, I’m also willing to follow the judge’s orders. I’ll do anything it takes to make sure he comes home with me at the end of the day. I just wish my attorney would hurry up and get here, so we can get this hearing over with.

  Nova seemed optimistic that I’ll get Ren back, despite her unusually quiet demeanor over the last few days, and me and my attorney thought so too…until half an hour later, when we’re in the middle of the hearing, and my lying piece of shit ex-wife is brought in to testify.

  “Warren was physically and verbally abusive during our relationship and he’s continued to threaten me on a regular basis after our divorce,” Marcie tells the judge from the witness stand. She’s wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, and I have to admit it suits her better than anything else she’s ever worn.

  While I would love nothing more than to shout, Lying cunt! I keep my mouth shut to see what other bullshit she’ll spew.

  “Your Honor,” Nova speaks up from her table on her left. “May I ask the witness a few follow-up questions on this subject? She failed to disclose this information to me during my interview.”

  “I’ll allow it,” the grumpy judge agrees.

  “Mrs. O’Neil, on how many occasions was Mr. O’Neil abusive during your marriage?” Nova asks.

  Marcie purses her lips in thought and then finally says, “Well, it wasn’t very often. Probably once a year, he would lose his temper...”

  “Once a year?” Nova repeats.

  “Yes,” Marcie agrees with a nod.

  “So, it was just one single time during the one year you were married?”

  Marcie stammers and scoffs a little at that summarization. “Well, it may have been more often…”

  “Can you describe the incident?” Nova cuts her off to ask, using the singular term. And damn, my woman is even better at this than the attorney I’m paying for.

  “Yes, I can,” Marcie begins. “Warren took off his belt, and then…then he hit my bottom with it over and over again.”

  “Is that true?” my slack ass attorney turns to ask me in a hushed whisper.

  “Oh yeah,” I answer, not the least bit hesitant because I’m pretty sure I know exactly where Nova is about to go with all this.

  “Why didn’t you warn me?” Greg hisses before Nova brings it all home.

  “Did this alleged abuse take place in the Savage Kings MC meeting room?” my girl asks my lying ex-wife.

  Marcie’s jaw drops so low it may have come completely unhinged. Finally, she sputters a response, “Ah, yeah. Yes, it-it did. While the other men watched!”

  There aren’t many spectators in the audience, but I do hear a few people waiting their turn gasps in surprise at that sordid detail.

  “Did the alleged abuse take place after you slapped Mr. O’Neil in the face in public, in front of several witnesses because he told you he had filed for divorce?” Nova inquires.

  “Maybe,” Marcie answers with a shrug, knowing she can’t lie since she’s under oath, but not wanting to admit the truth either.

  “Did Torin Fury, the president of the Savage Kings MC, ask you if you wanted to go through with the…spanking before Mr. O’Neil took off his belt?” Nova asks, then follows it up without giving Marcie time to answer. “And afterward, did you offer to have sex with all of the Savage Kings because, as you stated, Mr. O’Neil had asked for a divorce so, ‘you were free to sleep with whomever you wanted?’”

  God, I love that woman. The one asking the question, not answering. I’ve never thought for even a second that I loved Marcie in all the years I’ve known her. But Nova? Hell, I think I started falling in love with her from the first day we met…

  “H-how do you know all of that?” Marcie asks her in shock.

  “No further questions, Your Honor,” Nova says, after she’s finished making a fool of my ex and clearing up any doubt Marcie may have put in the judge’s head about me.

  “Any further questions from you, Counselor?” the judge asks my attorney.

  “No, Your Honor.” Of course not, because Nova did all the work for him.

  “In that case, Mrs. O’Neil, you may now return to the custody of the Carteret County Sheriff to await your sentencing hearing.”

  “What? You believe me, don’t you?” Marcie asks as two sheriff deputies go over to pull her up from the witness stand. “You need to send Warren to jail, not me! He threatened to kill me! He’ll do it too!”

  The judge bangs his gavel down and says, “Order! Not another word, or I’ll hold you in contempt, Mrs. O’Neil!”

  Knowing better than to speak again and make things worse for herself, Marcie instead starts boo-hooing. Her tears and sniffles are so fucking fake, I can’t help but roll my eyes.

  “Is there anything further in this matter before I make my decision?” the judge asks once Marcie is out of the courtroom.

  “Your Honor,” Nova says when she gets to her feet. “I just want to highlight the portion of my report that references Mr. O’Neil’s heroic act during the hurricane. He is responsible for saving the lives of three adults and four children, including his son. And I feel confident in my opinion that he should be granted full custodial rights again. It’s clear to me that Mr. O’Neil would do anything to keep his son safe, even risk his own life.

  “He only allowed his ex-wife to spend a weekend with their son because he and his sister tragically lost both of their parents several years ago. The only thing Mr. O’Neil is guilty of is wanting his child to have both a mother and a father in his life. It’s a shame that he was held responsible for Mrs. O’Neil’s failure to fulfill her role to the high standard he expected from her.”

  “Thank you, Miss McQueen,” the judge replies. “And your report was very moving. Since you spent time with the boy and his father over the last week, I believe you’ve thoroughly examined all of the facets of the home situation. Therefore, I hereby order that Warren James O’Neil, Junior be immediately returned to his father’s custody, with monthly hom
e visits to be conducted by Social Services for the next six months.”

  “Thank god,” I mutter as soon as his gavel falls again.

  I’m getting my son back.

  It feels like I can breathe for the first time in a month.

  And I have Nova to thank for that.

  …

  Nova

  “You did it,” War says as soon as we step outside the courthouse, wrapping me in a bear hug. He even swings me and my briefcase around in a circle. “Thank you.”

  “I-I didn’t do anything,” I tell him after he places my feet back on the ground. “Just my job.”

  “I never should have doubted you,” he tells me with a huge grin on his face.

  His words and happiness only make me feel even more guilty.

  “Come on.” War grabs my hand and starts dragging me toward his truck. “You’re coming with me to get Ren, right?”

  “War, wait just a second,” I say, pulling him to a stop behind his truck.

  I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to rain on his happiness, but I can’t keep this secret any longer. Now is the best time to break the news to him, while he’s still riding the elation of getting his son back.

  “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” I start. “And I only waited this long because I wasn’t sure if there was anything to it and I thought you had enough on your plate,” I ramble. “But this morning, when I stopped by the office, there was a voicemail waiting for me, one from the U.S. Attorney…”

  “The U.S. Attorney?” War repeats, his brow beginning to furrow in concern. “Are you in trouble?”

  “No, I’m not. And I swear that it started off as just a big misunderstanding,” I explain. “I was talking to an ADA one day and the Savage Kings came up. The next thing I know, she’s on the phone with her uncle, who is in the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District…”

  “Wait,” War says as he grasps both of my shoulders. “That was a lot of information packed in one breath. Slow down, darlin’, and start from the beginning because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “The Savage Kings are under a federal criminal investigation,” I blurt out. “You are being investigated! And if they find evidence of…of criminal activity, you could be going to prison for a very long time! That’s why I asked if you would leave the MC!”

  Golden eyes narrowing at me, War says, “The feds are coming after the Kings? You’re certain?”

  “Yes,” I whisper.

  “When? I mean, how long have you known about this? Since this morning?”

  Swallowing deeply, because I know he’s going to be angry, I finally tell him, “This morning was the first time I knew for certain, but I’ve known it was a possibility since the last hearing, so a few weeks—”

  “Weeks!” War roars. “You’ve known this shit for weeks, and you’re just now telling me that I could be going to prison? That everyone I care about could be going to prison?”

  “I didn’t know if there was an actual threat or not. At first, I thought they were all talk…”

  “You should’ve told me anyway, so that I could warn my brothers!” War yells.

  “They’re not really your brothers,” I point out.

  “The Kings are my family,” he hisses. Then, pointing his thick finger into the center of my chest, he growls, “And you better stay the fuck away from me and my family.”

  When he jerks away from me, I exclaim, “War, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” My emotions clog my throat after hearing his harsh words and seeing my apology doesn’t have any effect on him. He storms over to the driver’s side of his truck unmoved by my words.

  Maybe he just needs some time to calm down. He told me he cared about me, didn’t he? He can’t just stop!

  “What…what about everything you said to me about wanting us to try—” I try to ask.

  “That was before I knew you were a goddamn liar!” he replies over his shoulder as he climbs up into his truck. “I was right to never trust you,” he grumbles before slamming the door.

  Then I watch as the best thing that’s ever happened to me drives away without a second glance.

  Chapter Thirty

  War

  “Dad!” Ren says when Barbara opens the door and lets me into the boys’ home. He comes running over for a massive hug. “Am I coming home?” he asks against my chest.

  “You’re coming home,” I tell him, trying to blink back the tears. The anger that’s still boiling over, thanks to Nova, helps to push them down.

  “Yay!” he exclaims. “Can I go say goodbye to Matthew, Ryan, and Owen?”

  “Sure thing,” I tell him, even though I want to throw him over my shoulder and rush out of here right this fucking second before the judge changes his mind.

  “How about I wait for you at the truck?” I suggest when he starts up the stairs. I need to make a call to Torin.

  “Okay!” he easily agrees before he disappears.

  “I can’t thank you enough for what you did,” Barbara says before she throws her arms around my neck. “And I’m so happy for you and Ren.”

  “I appreciate you taking care of him for me,” I tell her. “I need to make a call, so I’ll wait outside.”

  “Sure,” she agrees. “Congratulations again!”

  I give her a polite smile before I head out, pulling my phone from my pocket as I go. On the hour drive here, I was trying to figure out the best way to do this. The Savage Kings will need to meet to discuss the news Nova just steamrolled me with, but I thought Torin should get a heads-up first. He didn’t answer when I tried to call his burner cell, so I’m not even sure if he and his family have made it back to the island yet.

  I decide to try him again and thankfully, he picks up.

  “War? Sorry I missed you earlier. We’re at the hospital,” Torin tells me.

  “The hospital?” I ask before it hits me. “Lexi’s in labor?”

  “Not anymore. We just got here two hours ago, and our baby girl is already here! She’s a healthy eight pounds and two ounces!”

  “Oh, that’s awesome to hear, brother. Congratulations! How’s Lexi doing?”

  “She’s good now. She was in so much pain and I was a nervous wreck, but the doctor said everything went perfectly,” he gushes. “Oh, wait! You had court today, didn’t you? How did it go?”

  “I’m picking up my boy right now,” I tell him with a smile.

  “Really? That’s great, man. I know you’re relieved this mess is all over with,” Torin replies.

  I nearly bite my tongue and withhold the bad news because I don’t want to shit on his new baby’s birthday. I know I can’t do that to my friend, our president, or I’m no better than Nova.

  “Listen, brother, there’s something we need to talk about,” I tell him. “Serious MC shit.”

  “Yeah?” Torin asks. “Can’t it wait until tomorrow? I want to spend the day with my wife and kids, and I imagine you want to do the same with Ren.”

  What’s one more day when Nova’s been keeping it from us for a month? At least I offered to tell Torin and he’s the one who put it off. She never once fucking tried to tell me!

  “Okay. But it has to be tomorrow,” I say, leaving no room for another delay. “How about I tell Sax to get everyone in at eleven?”

  “Lexi should get released tomorrow. I can see if Sasha and Mercy will come over to the house and stay with her and Liam, but let’s make it a four o’clock meeting instead, yeah?”

  “Four,” I agree. “But you and I need to talk this over before the whole club hears it. Meet me a half an hour before?”

  “Everything okay?” Torin asks, starting to realize we’re dealing with bad shit.

  “Nothing that can’t wait another day,” I reply, then I hang up so he can enjoy one last peaceful day before I drop a bomb on him.

  …

  “Welcome home, buddy,” I tell Ren when we walk into the house an hour later.

  He st
ops in the foyer and inhales a deep breath, like he’s taking it all in. “I’m glad I get to come back.”

  “Me too, kid,” I say when I loop my arm around his shoulders and lead him into the living room. We both sink down on the sofa beside each other, Ren still pressed to my side.

  Looking up at my face, he says, “If you’re glad, then why do you look so sad?” His question catches me off guard.

  “I’m not sad,” I respond instantly.

  “There’s a wrinkle right here when you’re sad,” Ren tells me, reaching up to press the pad of his finger to the crease between my brows. “Do you miss Nova?” he asks, stunning me into speechlessness.

  When I’m finally able to respond, I use the classic parent deflection technique of answering your kid’s question with a question instead of lying to him. “Why would you think that?”

  “She came with you every day you visited me and was with us all last week,” my son explains.

  “She was just doing her job,” I assure him.

  “Did she have to do her job here?” he asks.

  “Here? No,” I answer in confusion.

  “Then why does our house smell like her?”

  “Ah,” I mutter as I look around the room for the answer.

  “And I saw you kiss her,” Ren adds.

  “You did?” I say in shock. “When?”

  “In the hotel room. You kissed her on the lips!” he says, his face scrunching up with equal parts surprise and disgust.

  “That was…well…um, I thought you were asleep,” I stammer, trying to figure out the words to explain what Nova and I were doing together.

  “I miss her too,” he says with a heavy sigh before I can form an intelligent response.

  “You do?” I ask.

  “Yeah. She was nice. And pretty. She smelled good too, like flowers.”

  “I’m sorry you miss her,” I tell him honestly. “I didn’t know you were so attached to her.”