Sitting in the dark interior, I debated what my next move should be.
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll figure it out as I go,” I said before I briefly rested my forehead on the steering wheel.
As I started my car, I fought crying again. No one had come after me, but I didn’t expect it. I followed the truck out of the gate with a friendly wave to the guy standing there. The truck went right, I went left.
“There’s no way he had a vasectomy. What a crock of shit! The nerve of him. If he didn’t want to step up and be a father, he should’ve just said so,” I muttered nonstop as I drove toward town. “Fuck him and the horse he rode in on.”
When I got to my house, I quickly packed a suitcase, dragged it out to my car, and heaved it into the trunk. It had been less than thirty minutes since I’d left Luke behind. Despite his behavior, I already missed him.
Since I’d already called into work, I figured I might as well head to my parents. At least until I could come up with a plan. What sucked was that I had to hide from Chet even though I didn’t actually have any proof against him. Yet thanks to my irrational decision to leave Chet’s house with that damn phone, he would be gunning for me. Luke was right about that.
I’d almost made it out of town when flashing lights lit up my rearview, and my heart went into overdrive.
“Shit!” I reluctantly pulled over, thankful that Chet worked days.
As the officer approached my car, I rolled down my window.
“Step out of the car,” the officer said, shining a light in my face. My stomach bottomed out at his voice, and I debated slamming it in drive and taking off.
“Don’t do it,” he said, reading my mind. My hands shook.
Chet pulled my door open and motioned for me to get out with the barrel of his gun.
“It wasn’t a request, Hailey. Get your ass out of the car. Right fucking now or things will get really ugly for a lot of people.”
“Chet, I wasn’t even going that fast,” I said when I stood in front of him, trying to play things off.
“Let’s not play stupid. We both know what the deal is. Shut your car off and let’s go.”
My mind was racing, trying to think of a way I could leave a clue or call for help. Except I was coming up blank. Luke had destroyed my phone to prevent Chet from tracking me and I hadn’t thought I’d need another one so soon. It wasn’t like I had a lot of options.
Stopping by my back tire, he pulled out a knife and shoved it into the tread of my tire.
“Get moving,” he demanded, and I reluctantly shuffled to the cruiser with the flashing lights. He opened the back door and motioned for me to get in. Panic clawed at my throat. Who knew how long it would be before someone found my car or reported me missing. No one would be expecting me at work. Luke thought I was a liar.
Justine was the only one who might miss me, but only if she didn’t call my office and find out I was “home on a family emergency.”
The slamming of the door once I was inside was symbolic of my coffin closing. The thought of my life ending, and that of my little bean that I’d barely had time to wrap my head around—too much.
Unable to stop myself, I started to quietly cry. After silence for several miles, I finally couldn’t stand it. “What are you going to do with me?”
“It wasn’t supposed to go like this. That stupid club was supposed to take the fall for it after we planted Danielle’s clothing in their clubhouse! Then you had to fuck it up,” he muttered. “Why the fuck couldn’t you leave well enough alone?”
“I was supposed to let you continue to exploit the kids in the program?” I asked in absolute disbelief at his thought process and the fact that he had framed Luke’s club.
“None of those kids mattered! I made sure to only take the ones that wouldn’t be missed!” he screamed at me like an utter madman.
Astonished that he could say that or believe it, I was momentarily speechless.
“Chet… they were children. Children who were trying to get their lives back together. What difference does it make if they ‘wouldn’t be missed,’ as you put it? No one deserves to be bought and sold like cattle.”
His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. “This is bigger than you have any clue about. You had to go sticking your nose into shit that didn’t pertain to you. Now you’ve forced my hand. You won’t bring as much but you’ll be out of my hair, and turning you over might keep them off my ass.”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded.
“I can’t have your body turn up around here. So you’re just going to disappear.”
My blood ran cold.
18
Snow
“Hear Me Now”—Bad Wolves (feat. DIAMANTE)
I’d sent several of the guys out to look for Hailey while I headed to her house in the SUV. Despite the shit she’d tried to pull, the thought of something happening to her because she made a reckless decision to leave didn’t sit well.
Except she wasn’t there.
Since I had her garage code, I’d gone in to look for her. It was evident she’d been there, because her room was a mess of clothes tossed on the bed. None of which were there when I’d helped her pack a small bag to go to the clubhouse.
Unsure of where to go next since Hollywood, Reaper, and Blue had all checked in saying she wasn’t any of the places they’d scoped out, I stared at my phone. Needing to talk to someone in a way I couldn’t with my own brothers, I hit Venom’s contact image.
It rang twice before he answered. “Snow?”
“Venom.”
He chuckled. “We doing this again?”
I shook my head and snorted a humorless laugh. Then I filled him in on the shitstorm my life had become. He quietly listened until I’d spilled almost everything.
“She told me she’s pregnant and it’s mine,” I finally admitted as I ducked my head and massaged my temples.
“Ohhh, damn,” Venom replied.
“Yeah. So you know what that means. You know that’s impossible,” I muttered. “So she lied to me and she was fucking someone else.”
Then he shocked me by laughing.
“What the hell is so funny? I don’t think anything about this is funny.” Anger bloomed in my chest.
“Chill, bro. I’m laughing because, come on… you can’t be that dumb. You had that shit done in fucking Mexico, bro. When the army docs refused to do the ol’ snip-snip on you because of your age and the fact that you had no kids, you had me and Smoke take you across the border. We were drunk as hell.” He laughed.
“We weren’t that drunk,” I muttered.
“Bullshit. The fact that we didn’t kill ourselves driving there was a miracle. Holy shit, that was a night. Christ, I thought you were going to lose your goddamn cock and balls from that stunt. That place was sketchy as fuck. That you still have a functioning dick is more shocking than the possibility of you knocking someone up. That hack didn’t know what the fuck he was doing.” Venom was cracking up. Though he was seeing humor in the situation, I was beginning to feel slightly ill.
“Bro, that was a long time ago. You mean to tell me that in almost twenty years she’s the only one I’ve knocked up?” I was trying to rationalize the situation to assuage the guilt that was beginning to come to the surface. I’d been an asshole to Hailey because I was convinced I couldn’t get her pregnant.
“Hey. I don’t claim to know the ways of the universe. I just know that everything happens for a reason. Trust me on that one, bro. If you want, I can have Voodoo talk to you,” he offered.
A chill shot down my spine. Voodoo was a great guy, but something about him always put me on edge. Having the gift he did was slightly unnerving.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” I shrugged, though he couldn’t see me. I finished filling him in on her running off and us not being able to find her yet.
“I’ll call you back,” he said and ended the call before I could reply.
“Fuck!” I shouted into the quiet of the SU
V. Could I have been that wrong? I mean, yeah, the doc in Mexico was sketchy, but I’d never had a single chick accuse me of getting her pregnant in nearly twenty years.
Why would I have any reason to question that it hadn’t been a successful procedure?
My phone rang, and I thought it was Venom calling me back already, so I didn’t look at the display. “That was quick.”
“Huh?” It wasn’t Venom.
“Baker?”
“Yeah. We’ve got trouble. I was on duty tonight because Nelson called in sick. I had a speed trap set up on the edge of the city limit. Saw fucking Edwards pull over that chick you’re banging and put her in his car. I just started following them with my fucking lights out. I’m calling you before I call it in.” His words sent both relief and dread pouring through me.
“Where are you?”
He gave me his location, and I told him to stay on them. Then I called the boys and filled them in.
“Fucking Edwards has gone off the deep end,” Reaper said as I drove toward the location. “Do not go in without us. You hear me?”
“Yeah, sure.” I was lying through my teeth. No way was I waiting for anyone. This ended tonight.
“Snow!” Reaper shouted through the phone as I ended the call and hauled ass in the direction Baker was headed.
When I got close, I called Baker back.
“You call this in?” I asked him, needing to know what my options were.
“No, but I’m going to have to if I keep tailing them. You want me to handle this or do you want to deal with it?” Baker knew he was crossing a line by not calling it in, but our long-standing friendship trumped everything, and for that I was grateful.
“Where are you now? Any changes?” I asked. He filled me in on his current location and direction of travel.
“I’ll be there in less than five minutes,” I said.
“Roger that,” he replied as I rounded the bend in the road that skirted the lake. Ahead, I saw headlights and taillights breaking through the pitch-black night. “Is that you coming up?”
“Yep. Pull off to the side, and I’ll keep going. With any luck he’ll think I’m just a random traveler coming up behind him. And Baker?”
“Yeah?”
“I owe you one,” I admitted. He snorted in disagreement.
“Dude, whatever. Like I said before, you’ve helped me on more occasions than I could count. I’m not worried about it, but try not to leave me a mess to explain or clean up,” he replied with a sigh.
“I got you,” I assured him as I passed his cruiser on the side of the road. We ended our call, and I made note of the turnoff Edwards took as I went past. Once I was sure he’d gone far enough up the drive, I whipped a U-turn and killed my lights as I coasted to the side of the road before the driveway he’d taken.
I check my weapons, sent my location to the boys, and went in on foot.
The driveway was bordered on either side by tall trees and curved back and forth as it seemed to go on forever. In the back of my mind the place seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place it in the dark.
Once I reached the clearing at the end of the drive, I realized why I knew the location. It was the old bible camp. When we were kids, everyone used to go stay there for a couple of weeks every summer.
It had been owned by Edwards’s parents and run in conjunction with their church. I’d forgotten about it after I left for the army. I didn’t know they still owned it before they died. Then again, it had been years.
My phone vibrated, and I stepped back in the deep shadows of the trees.
“You got my location I sent you?” I whispered as I kept my attention on my surroundings.
“Yeah, but what happened to you not going in alone?” Hacker demanded. I snorted softly.
“I don’t have time for a lecture,” I quietly argued.
“Yeah, well, you might like to know that ol’ Chet likely killed his parents off for their money and that property you’re on right now,” Hacker said.
“What? I thought they died in a boating accident?”
“They did, but the details never sat well with the sheriff’s department. No one could prove it wasn’t an accident, despite the fact that the boat was brand-new and they were proficient boaters. It was too convenient, but the proof was lacking,” Hacker explained.
“Look, we can discuss this later, I need to get up to the house before he hurts her. See you soon.” Hailey and her impulsive ass needed me.
As I ended the call, I heard Hacker cursing. I turned my phone to silent and shoved it back in my pocket.
Staying along the tree line, I mapped out the lay of the place. The old lake home had seen better days. The cabins the kids stayed in weren’t in much better shape. There was a single light on in the old cafe where everyone used to gather to eat and have activities when it was raining. I’d have to cross through the open to get there, but at least I was wearing a black T-shirt and the yard lights weren’t working.
The snap of every dry twig I stepped on seemed to be magnified, and my heart jumped into my throat several times. The last one was so loud I froze, sure Edwards would come racing out guns blazing.
The entire building was screened in but otherwise open to the outdoors. So any little noise I made could potentially be heard by whoever was inside.
When no alarm ensued, I made my way up to the windows in a crouch. The area with all the tables was empty. Moving on, I cautiously peeked into the kitchen.
Chet was pacing back and forth with his phone to his ear. Hands cuffed to the handle of the old industrial stove, Hailey sat on the ground. Eyes wide, and tears tracking down her cheeks, she quietly watched Chet.
That’s when it hit me. Not only was she the only woman to capture my goddamn heart, she was likely carrying my child. Because of my stubborn misconceptions, I’d essentially thrown her in the path of Chet the psychopath—putting them both in danger.
My stomach churned at the thought.
I’d fucked up. Bad.
I needed to come up with a plan and quick. Who knew who he was talking to or what he’d set in motion? Sure, I could probably pick him off, but what if I missed?
I’d never been so unsure in my fucking life.
A faint sound in the trees had me turning with my weapon pointed that direction. Reaper, Joker, Apollo, and Hollywood silently emerged from the wooded edge of the property. Relief bled through me.
I motioned that it was only Chet and Hailey in there as I saw Hacker, Vinny, Soap, and Dice working their way around to the other side of the building.
“While it’s only him, I suggest we finish this,” Reaper whispered next to me. I nodded.
“I’m going to lure him out here. When I do, you and Hollywood go in and get Hailey out of there.” I expected them not to like my idea, but I was the president and that was my woman.
“Pres—” Reaper mouthed, wanting to silently argue, but I cut him off with a motion of my hand and a glare. Then I quietly made my way toward the back door. The old metal trashcans were still there from years ago with a small pile of rotting lumber. I thought about tipping them but decided that might be too much. Instead, I grabbed the sturdiest piece of wood from the pile, then scooped up some gravel and tossed it at the door before hiding around the corner of the building.
“What the hell?” I heard him say as the wooden screen door creaked open. Cocky fucker didn’t give a single thought to someone having found him so quickly. I watched as he shined a light around the area.
Satisfied with his brief search, he turned to head back inside.
Heart slamming against my ribcage, I hefted the wood in my hand to get a better grip. When he reached for the door, I launched toward him and swung the wood, hitting him in the back. Before he could recover, I took another swing and hit his arm holding his weapon.
The gun fell from his hand, and he spun to face me.
“You!” he snarled. When he lunged at me, I made a wide swipe with the wood, making contact with his ribs
. The wood snapped in two, and I tossed it to the side.
“Yeah, me. What are you gonna do about it?” I taunted. He tried to make a dive for his weapon, but I landed an uppercut that snapped his head back. He wiped the back of his hand across his face and stared at the blood on it before smiling like a lunatic.
“You think you can get out of this? My friends are on their way to pick up your little whore in there. You can’t win this time, Luke.” He circled with me, looking for a weakness. He struck out, and his fist connected with my cheek, making me stumble back to catch my footing.
Punches flew, followed by grunts from us both. By then we were both winded.
“How does it feel to know you’re gonna lose again? The mighty Luke Matthews. You always thought you were such hot shit. Your entire club is gonna go down for the murder of that little girl.” He swung and missed.
“I should’ve beat your ass years ago,” I growled as I caught him with a blow to the ribs that knocked the air out of him momentarily.
“But you didn’t,” he taunted as he caught me with a left hook.
“Fucker,” I spat with a mouthful of blood.
“You’re a pussy, just like your little freak of a brother was. Couldn’t handle his alcohol and sure as fuck couldn’t handle his blow.”
“Leave my brother out of this!” I raged as I whaled on him, and he stumbled backward. Keeping my momentum, I landed one punch after the other.
The last one sent him to his back on the ground.
As I heaved ragged breaths over him, I clenched my fists, wanting to finish him off. He rolled and moaned in the gravel.
“Why didn’t you ever tell them it was me?” he asked through a groan.
“Because it was your father who showed up on the scene that day. You think he or anyone else would’ve believed the kid from the wrong side of the tracks over a cop’s kid?” I knew I was right. “You were supposed to be his friend. What the fuck happened to you?”
Disgust poured from me as I stared down at the man who I thought had once been my brother’s friend.
“You think I wanted to stay in this shithole town? Become a cop like my ol’ man? Hell no! I wanted out! I wanted bigger and better things! But I was railroaded into following in his footsteps. So I made the most of it, and I’m not gonna let some two-bit piece of trash wannabe gangster and his whore fuck that up for me.” He spat blood on the ground and jumped up at me.
Twisted Steel: An MC Anthology: Second Edition Page 12
