by Joy Blood
“He is.” I nod.
“Too bad. I would have liked to end it myself.”
“No more than I wanted to. Prick got off easy. His accomplices didn’t, though.” As if on cue, another vehicle pulls to a park next to the building. Wick hops out, then goes around the back to pull Hank out, who slumps to the ground. “That would be him.” I nod toward where Wick gets Hank to his feet and all but drags the man into the building. “Would you like to stay? He’s going to be ashed alive. The highest honor we give our traitors.”
“Hmmm, it’s been some time since I took part in a killing. And burning someone alive? I believe I went through a phase in my thirties…” he drifts off, as if remembering something, then smiles and nods his head. “Suppose I can stay for a while.”
Fifty-Eight
Three months later
I am full on panicking as I pace the small floor of the bathroom, needing more space to have this small freak out. “Vera? You in there, baby?”
“Shit,” I hiss, quickly turning toward the door, then reaching out not quick enough to grab the box on the vanity before Nate opens the door.
“You good? Sounds like you’re running a marathon in here.” His eyes roam over me from top to bottom like they always do, then land on the thing in my hand.
“What’s that?” Stupidly, my hands go behind my back, as if it will make a difference. It doesn’t. He steps further inside, subduing me just by being close enough to smell. The calming balm of the leather and motor oil allows me to breathe and relax enough for him to bring his own hand behind my back and take the small box.
“Nate.” I seem to have lost my voice, his name only comes out in a pitiful squeak. With the box now in his possession, I chance a glance up to his face, which is trained on the box…more importantly, the stick he pulled from the box.
“What’s this?” Still, I say nothing, not even when he looks up and his eyes meet mine. I catch the moment things click into place and the happiness that washes over him. “We’re having a baby?” It being said out loud has a bigger impact than having to take that damn test. Obviously I knew something was wrong when my period didn’t show, but then my breasts started to ache with every movement, and yesterday, when I got sick after just smelling meat, I knew.
“I can’t do this!” I storm past him, shoving the door out of the way hard enough for it to smack on the wall. He doesn’t let me get very far, though. Grabbing hold of me from behind, he wraps his big muscled arms around me.
“Vera. Dammit, talk to me. Maybe the timing sucks, but this is a good thing, yeah?” I shake in his arms, my eyes letting the tears fall as my head goes back and forth.
“No. I’m sorry, Nate. I can’t do this. Please.”
“Not this time, V. Can’t let you off this time. You might be clean and sober, but you are still holding all of your past in. You need to let it out. Say the words out loud until they can’t hold you back anymore. It hurts like hell, baby, but it will set you free,” he assures me, his beard pressed firmly along the side of my face.
“Nate.”
“I'm right here, baby. Right here. I’ll catch you.” So many things I want to tell this man, say to him so he knows how much of a rock he is to me, but the words are lodged tight in my throat. “I know about the baby, Vera.” My body tenses, then suddenly feels as if it weighs a thousand pounds. I drop, and like he promised, he catches me.
Wrapped in Nate’s strong arms, he brings me to the bed, where he still holds me tight and keeps talking. “I found out who you were the day before we left for the rally. Read the articles about how you went missing…” He pauses, his voice getting softer. “How you lost your baby.”
“I should have known he was a bad man from the beginning,” I say, surprising myself and probably Nate.
“Whatever he did wasn’t on you, V.”
I shake my head. “He would be sweet for months, then something would happen, and he would just turn into a completely different person. Like a switch was flipped and he became violent. Then, just as quickly, it was turned off and he was back to being the loving man I first met. I should have known he would—” Can I say this? Can I really tell Nate what happened?
“I’ve got you, baby.” His hands stoke along my hair, soothing me. Encouraging me.
“This,” I hold up my hand, showing him the burn scar, “you were right about this. He gave it to me. All because I burnt dinner. I was only five months along then. I could have left, but I didn’t. I chose to stay. Then, three months later, he slapped me so hard, I went tumbling down the stairs.” I’m crying so hard, he probably can’t even understand what I am saying, but I keep on going, purging poison from my system. “The son of a bitch sat by my side while I delivered my still-born daughter. He was there holding my hand, patting my head with a damp towel, coaxing me to keep going.” Every time Rodrick hit me was nothing compared to what it felt like going through that with him by my side. “When I was released from the hospital, I was put on antidepressants, which I didn’t take. I refused to take anything and tried more than once to leave. Only…he was having me watched all the time. It wasn’t until I started to get violent that he resorted to using drugs to keep me docile.”
“He got you hooked on H?”
“No. I did that one all by myself,” I shamefully admit. “He had me hooked on Oxy, and started to take for granted that I was too doped up to try to escape. I got clear-headed enough to slip by the one guard he kept outside the house. I ran as far and as fast as I could. I couldn’t go to my parents, they had already told me whatever Rodrick did was because I was misbehaving.” I shake my head, remembering that conversation with my father, how he yelled at me for even thinking I could come to him for something that was none of his business. “So, I lived on the streets, then eventually found myself needing Oxy again. The more dealers I met, the further down the rabbit hole I went. I honestly don’t even remember how I ended up here in Idaho. As terrible as that sounds. I just kept accepting rides from people. They would take me as far as they went, then I was on my own. Until you found me.”
“Until I found you,” he echoes.
“Yes.”
“I love you, Vera.” And the butterflies have returned, flitting around in my ribcage.
“Nate.” Turning my body to face him, I run my hand along his face, taking in all of him. The deep crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes. The silver running through his beard. Glassy green eyes that see me even when I can’t. This hard, weathered man loves me.
“And I fucking love how you say my name.”
“I love you too.” The tips of my fingers run through his beard. “You saved me.”
His head shakes back and forth. “No, baby. You saved yourself. You do it every day. You’re strong, Vera, and this next chapter in your life is going to be a good one. I’m just hoping you’ll share it with me.” I can’t let him keep talking. If he does, I may just melt into a pile of tears. So, instead, I kiss him.
I kiss him until the tears dry up.
Until the fear and pain goes away.
Until I can breathe again.
“Marry me, Vera.” He pauses just long enough for me to suck in a lungful of air. “Be my wife, baby.” His hands frame my face, fingers threading through my hair, rubbing along the scar that feels like a distant memory now. I can only nod. He has stolen my voice, my heart, and my soul. The smile that spreads along his face turns into a laugh. “I need more than a nod, V.”
Then, just to keep that smile on his face, I say, “Okay.”
Laughter booms out even more from deep within his chest. “That fuckin’ word. Come here, baby.” My legs wrap themselves around his waist, right where they belong, and I hold on tight. Never letting go.
Ever.
Epilogue
Being late today is so fucking not an option, yet I am. I’m fucking late, and Vera is going to have my balls. Today, all the shit just came down at once, and I couldn’t get away from it quick enough before it buried me. Now, I’m
blaring through town at the most unsafe speed imaginable, weaving through the few cars out this time of day in this small town. It’s just enough to piss me off when they seem to be taking their sweet time to go to where they are going.
The parking lot of the church is packed, more than usual, and I mentally kick myself again for running late. Pulling out the stand on my bike with my foot, I hang my helmet and goggles on the handlebar, not caring if they stay there, and dash toward the door. I reach out for the handle, then stop myself, pausing long enough to quickly smooth out my beard and make sure I’m put together before stepping inside. I wince at the small creek the door gives when I open it wide and walk through. It’s quiet inside as I head for the stairs, taking them as fast as I can without letting my heavy boots make too much noise.
The double doors are closed, and I push one open to try to let myself in as quietly as possible. The hinges are in my favor this time, but as soon as I step through, I see her. She is already up front. Our eyes connect, and that big, wide smile of hers spreads along her beautiful face. Damn, my wife is gorgeous.
“Hello. My name is Vera Dash,” she starts. The group of people in their seats welcome her, and her smile turns timid. She still doesn’t like to be around large groups, but she is getting better. I so damn proud of her as she stands up there and tells her story. Her first time since she told me the day we found out we were having a baby and the day I proposed. It wasn’t long after that I took her down to the courthouse and made it official. Nothing big, like she wanted, and she sure as hell didn’t have one of those poufy ass dresses. My sexy wife married me in a tight ass pair of jeans and the “Siberian: Property of Premo” cut I got her. Damn, it still makes me hard thinking about that day.
“Today marks two years of being clean and sober. Thank you.” The room erupts with clapping while Berta hands Vera her two-year chip, giving her a lingering hug when she does. The two of them have grown so close these last two years, we even named Berta the godmother of our daughter, Briley. Spitting image of her mother, she stole what was left of my heart the day she was born.
“I almost thought you weren’t going to make it,” Vera says, coming to me, arms wide to pull me close.
“Sorry, baby. Had some things to take care of. Got here in time though, yeah?” She nods and reaches up on her tiptoes to give me a kiss. I help her the rest of the way, my hands going down to pick her up just the few more inches she needs. She lets out a giggle, probably getting side eyes from the rest of the people in the church basement, but I pay them no mind and cart my woman off through the doors and outside to my bike.
“I take it Belle has Briley?” Vera asks when we reach the bike.
“Yeah. Still at the club. Want to head over—” The annoying ringing of my vibrating phone flows through the parking lot, cutting me off. I grab it and read the caller ID. Wick. Nixon’s appeal was today, I can only hope this is good news. “Gotta take this, baby.” I bend down to kiss her one more time, then answer the phone., “Yeah?”
“Shit was in our favor today, Pres,” Wick says, happiness clear in his tone.
“Son of a bitch, that’s good. How the fuck did that happen?”
He’s quiet for a minute, making me a little apprehensive. Dammit, what did he do? “Someone from the DA’s office. She…ah…she got on our side?” he tells me, almost as if it’s a question. “Listen, Pres. I’ve got a lot to tell you. We need to talk tonight. Just us.” Something has been off with my brother for a while now, almost as if he’d been hiding something. Now, I’m starting to understand why.
“Tell me you aren’t blackmailing this woman,” I groan rubbing my face in frustration.
“Fuck no. Shit, she wouldn’t even entertain the thought of blackmail.” He chuckles before getting serious. “Nah, it’s really not what you think. I’ll let you in on it tonight.” With that, he ends the call.
Vera’s arms come around me. I hadn’t realized I walked so far away from her and my bike. “Everything okay?”
“I fucking hope so,” I say, then turn in her arms. “Let’s get out of here, baby.”
Afterword
Hello! I hope you enjoyed Premo and Vera’s story. It of corse isn’t over, they will be making appearances throughout the Siberian series starting with Wick’s book which I hope to release sometime in spring 2019.
Thank you my readers!!
Also by Joy Blood
Riotous Side of Hell
Wraith
Reckoning
Hell’s Riders Series
Jake’s Silence
Gin’s Longing
Rico’s Way
Trio Series
My Anchor
My Libertine
My Mean Boy
Keep in touch
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