Reaper releases my hands from his grip and walks out of the kitchen with the grace and quietness of a killer. Before I can respond, Reaper is gone. My father is back where he thrives. In the darkness. I hear his bike fire up and take off, the deep rumble echoing around me. A smile graces my lips knowing no matter what Reaper will be here for me. Blayde’s been quiet during our conversation and I look up at him. His strong jaw is tense.
“Blayde, what’s wrong?” I ask.
He shakes his head, “Sorry. I don’t think I’ve ever come that close to someone I’ve heard tales about my entire life. I always thought he was a myth, a legend to keep asshole bikers in their place. But seeing him in the flesh is more terrifying. I’m thanking the Biker Gods he’s on my side.”
I snuggle into Blayde’s side, “He’s just a dad trying to do right by the kid he abandoned years ago. He bleeds like the rest of us.”
“I know. Stryker is going to flip his shit when he finds out Reaper was here. I don’t know what it is about him that always has Stryker on high alert.”
“I noticed that when I mentioned Reaper was my father. I don’t have a good feeling about that.”
Poison hurries into the kitchen looking around before she spots Blayde and me. “Siren, the guys are back and Butch is checking on your mom right now. She’s going to need a good rehab facility. Kayne says he can put her in the one my mom’s in.”
“Is she that bad?” A tremble of fear hitches my voice. Blayde’s strong arm wrap around me tighter.
“Yes. She’s out of it right now. You can see her if you want but be prepared. Cat has been through a lot these last few months and she isn’t the woman you remember.” The pain in Poison’s voice brings emotions to my throat. I swallow them down, straighten my spine and nod my head.
“I want to see her.”
“Be careful, please.”
I follow Poison out of the kitchen into a spare room next to Holly’s. Poison steps out of the way and the sight before me almost takes me to my knees. If Blayde didn’t have a hold on me, I would’ve crumbled. Cat is lying on the small bed, asleep. Her once vibrant blonde hair is dull and dirty. She’s skin and bone. Track marks trail up and down her bruised arms.
Butch is leaning over her, checking her pupils and heartbeat. He spots me standing in the doorway. “I had to give her something to relax her. She was out of it. Confused, crying, fighting. Signs of withdrawal. There’s not much we can do now except let her get some sleep and take her to rehab as soon as possible.”
With his dark hair and a permanent scowl on his unshaved face, you’d think Butch doesn’t give a shit about anyone. But he does, he just won’t admit it. Poison has been asking him for months how he got his medical training and he finally opened up one night when he was wasted. He received his medical training when he did a stint in the Marines. He went AWOL after he found out his woman was in bed with another man while he was overseas, fighting for his country. When Butch came back, he beat the guy within an inch of his life. Spent some time in the Brig and when he got out, he left all that behind and ended up a patched in member of Savage Saints. Since I’ve been here, I’ve only ever seen him fucking patch whores. I hope someday a woman can shatter his I-don’t-give-a-fuck facade and bring him to his knees.
“Thanks. Can I have a moment with her alone?” I ask everyone in the room. Butch rises from the bed and walks out, followed by Kayne.
Poison approaches and sets a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Take the time you need. This chapter in your life needs to be closed. You’ve done the hard part by facing Drex. Don’t hide now.” She walks out of the room and closes the door behind her.
Blayde is the only one left in the room with me. He wraps his strong arms around my shoulders giving me the strength I need to get through this. “Do you want me to go or stay?”
“You can go. I need time alone with her.”
“I’ll be right here when you’re done.” Blayde kisses the top of my head. “I’m not going anywhere.” His words bring comfort to my heart and heal my soul.
“Thank you, Blayde.” I close my eyes reveling his lips lingering on my skin.
“I mean it, Butterfly. You are mine. I’m staking my claim in front of everyone. You belong to me and I belong to you.” Blayde releases his grip around my shoulders and walks out of the room, leaving me alone with Cat.
I slowly approach the bed she’s laying on. Her body shudders and goosebumps break out on her skin. I cover her gently with a thick blanket. Tucking it under her chin, like a mother would do to a child, I smooth her ratty hair off her forehead. She exhales a deep breath and snuggles into the warmth of the blanket.
“I’m so sorry, Cat.” Tears pool in my eyes and I wipe them away. “I’m so sorry you had to go through what you did. I will make it up to you. No matter what, I will make this right.” I know she can’t hear me because of the shit Butch gave her, but my promise sets my soul free. My mother is safe, Drex is dead, my father is keeping me safe and I can move on with my life. I can finally let go of the past and move forward toward the future.
With a renewed energy thrumming through my stained soul, I will be strong enough to help Blayde get through the shit with his ex, Monica. I need to be there for him and help him get the answers he deserves. Stay strong for him the way he’s been strong for me.
I raise up from the bed and cross the room, taking one last look at Cat and close the door. Close the door to the past and open a new one to the future with Blayde.
Chapter 16
Blayde
“I found something.” Rooster shouts. I run into the communications room Rooster’s been holed up in for the last hour. I filled him in on what I needed when he got back with Stryker, Ace, Talon, Maddox and Duke. Told him it had to stay quiet until I knew for sure if the other brothers needed to be filled in. I’m shocked by how quickly he found Monica. I hesitate to ask what he found and Rooster must have known because he turns from the computer and begins talking.
“It wasn’t that hard, actually. She’s been living in Cali for the past three years. Venice Beach to be exact. Didn’t use a fake name. That’s how I found her. I hacked into the NCIC and ran her name and social security number.” Rooster holds up his hands. “Don’t ask how I got it. But someone has to take one for the team.” He grins and struts his cocky self to his seat. That’s how Rooster got his name. According to him, he’s the biggest cock in the hen house. Patch whores flock to him in groups and he loves the attention they give him.
“And?” I ask.
“And she’s been living the high life. Has a sugar daddy paying all her bills. She hasn’t worked a day since she’s been there but she’s running with a rich crowd. Parties every night. Her social media is full of them.” Rooster is getting more excited the more he talks.
“Can you find out who her sugar daddy is.” I shake my head. “Dude did you really just say that?” I’m trying not to laugh.
“Yeah bro I did. A man who pays for everything for a woman and gets sex in return is a sugar daddy. Get with it, bro.” Rooster turns back to the computer. His fingers are flying over the keys and I can’t figure out what or who he’s looking for. “Anywho, her sugar daddy is a Porn Star King by the name of John James. He pays her through an offshore business in the Caymans. It’ll take a little while to search through everything and find out who it is.”
“Ok, Thanks, brother. I’ll leave you to it.” I slap Rooster on the back and walk out of the room leaving him to do what he does best, besides fucking.
Kayne is waiting for an update when I walk into the kitchen. I nod my head in the direction of Church and we head in there together. Memories of Siren and I in here last night assault my mind and I try not to look in the spot where I fucked her into submission. My eyes keep drifting back to the spot I had her pinned underneath me, wrapping her warm pussy around my dick. Fuck, I need to get a grip before Kayne realizes what we did in here.
“Well?” Kayne asks, raising a blonde eyebrow.
&
nbsp; “Rooster found her in Cali. She’s been living the high life. Parties and has,” I throw my fingers up and air quote, “a sugar daddy.” I drop my hands on the table. “He’s going to need a little more time because the man paying her is using an offshore account.”
“Cali? Really? This whole time she’s been in the open and we didn’t find her?” Kayne is finding this hard to believe. “Fuck, if Monica is in L.A. I need to get ahold of Krimson and let her know we’ll be in the area.”
“Venice Beach to be exact and her sugar daddy is a porn star king named John James. I didn’t search outside of Michigan. So what do you think we need to do next?” I cringe at what he will say because it’s the last thing I want to do.
“We need to fill the rest of the Club in and take a trip. You need closure and the best way is with all of us behind you.” Kayne responds.
I suck in a deep breath and nod my head in defeat. “I’m not seeing any other choice. Let’s do it so we can get on the road.”
Kayne leaves Church to grab everyone. This is it. They’re going to see what a failure I am and will never trust me again. I plop down in my seat to the left of Kayne and wait with my head bowed in shame. I don’t look up when the room begins to fill. Voices and jokes can be heard in the small room.
“All right. Listen up fuckers. We have a situation.” Kayne slams his gavel on the table quieting the room down. “It’s been brought to my attention someone’s ghosts won’t stay away and we need to take a road trip. Blayde needs our help. Get some rest. We leave tomorrow morning to Cali. Poison, Siren, Stryker, Duke, Butch, Talon, Blayde and I will be going. The rest of you will stay here, hold the fort down and proceed with business like usual. We can’t just kill Kingston like I want to. We’re going to hit him where it hurts the most and that’s through his bank. We’re going to bleed the motherfucking asshole dry and then when he’s on his knees, I’m going to slit the fucker’s throat. Any questions?”
“What happened with Blayde?” Ace asks.
All eyes shift to me. I hesitate to answer and leave it all out in the open. I look up and see everyone watching me, waiting for an answer. Kayne rests his hand on my shoulder and nods his head.
“Back before Kayne and I came here, I was dating a girl named Monica. We were dating on and off for a year. She wanted me to leave the Club and I refused. Causing fight after fight. One night after a date we had a fight. I left her apartment and went back to the Clubhouse. We had business to handle the next day so I didn’t make it over to her apartment until late. When we finally got there, she was gone. Her apartment was tossed, blood everywhere and she disappeared. I’ve searched for her for the last three years and haven’t been able to find her.” The room is silent as I fill the guys in on what happened. No one says a word and I don’t know what to do with my hands. My anxiety is creeping up the back of my neck so I run my fingers through my hair and hold them at the base of my neck. “I filled Rooster in a couple hours ago and he found Monica. She’s living the high life out in Cali. Been there the whole time. That’s why we need to go there. I need answers.”
Stryker is the first to speak. “Why didn’t you tell us this?” He’s not accusing me of anything but I can’t help but cringe at his tone.
I exhale a deep breath and look at Stryker. “What’d you want me to say? Hey, I’m Blayde. I torture people within an inch of their lives but I’m a failure. I couldn’t protect someone and she’s been missing for the last three years. Don’t trust me because she did and look where it left her.” Sarcasm is dripping from my tone. “Kayne, this was a mistake. I’ll handle it on my own from here. May I leave, please?” I stand up from my seat, waiting for his permission.
“Go and collect yourself. I’m going to have a little chat with our brothers.” Kayne agrees and I’m out of the room as quick as my feet can take me. Anger, hurt, and betrayal is thrumming through my veins. I need an outlet bad. Siren is sitting at the kitchen table, waiting. Our eyes collide and she offers me a small smile. She knows what it’s like to feel the way I do right now. She knows.
“Blayde, what happened?” Siren asks and stands up.
I reach her in a few quick strides, gathering her into my arms. I just need to hold onto something good right now. Someone who isn’t judging me on my mistakes. Siren wraps her slender arms around my waist and nestles her head onto my chest. I breathe in her Vanilla-Jasmine scent and it calms me down a little. “It didn’t go the way I thought it would. I have to get out of here.” My voice is hoarse.
Siren leans up and kisses my cheek, “Then let’s go.” She leads me out of the kitchen in silence through the living room and out the front door. The sun is rising to the east, casting red and purple hues over the cloudy morning. We reach my bike. This is what I need. How she knows, I have no idea. But I need to feel the powerful beast under me vibrating to life. I straddle my Harley and fire her up. Siren tosses on her helmet and climbs on behind me. I wish things weren’t so complicated right now.
“Take us anywhere you want. I’m with you one hundred percent.” Siren says in my ear. She wraps her arms around my waist and holds on tight. I lift the kickstand, drop the gear into first and we take off down the driveway. My bike vibrates underneath me as I pick up speed. I let all my worries float away as the two of us eat up the pavement into the rising sun. Nothing has ever felt so right having Siren on the back of my bike willingly. It’s a sensation I don’t think I could live without.
After a couple of hours and several miles later, I pull off into a little diner. Siren’s been silent the whole ride. If it wasn’t for her hands roaming up and down my chest, dangerously close to my dick, I would’ve forgotten she was with me.
I turn off my bike, drop my kickstand and tap her leg to get off. Siren climbs off the back of my bike and I immediately miss her warmth plastered to my back, creating a shiver to roll up my spine. I reach into my pocket and grab my cigarettes, lighting one up and offering it to her. She accepts with a smile that takes my breath away. I light up my own and we sit in comfortable silence while we finish.
“Are you hungry?” I ask a few minutes later.
“Getting there. Come on, let’s go inside, get warm, eat and you can tell me what happened.” Siren offers. Always knowing what I need and when I need it. I swing my leg over my bike and stand to my full height. Siren tucks herself into my side and we enter the diner together. The little bell rings when I open the door and all eyes land on us. I lead Siren to a corner booth in the back of the restaurant and we sit side by side, facing the entrance. People go back to eating and chatting once we take a seat, Siren sliding into the booth next to the window. My arm is still around her when the waitress brings us menus and coffee. I flip our cups over for her to fill.
She’s an older lady with silver hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her green eyes are tired but she still gives us a warm smile as she pours our coffee. “Here’s our menu. Don’t have any specials because anything you get is special anyway. Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll place your order, hun.” Her voice was a sweet motherly tone that reminds me of my mom. Making me miss her.
“Thank you,” Siren responds, taking a menu and looking it over. After a few moments, the waitress comes back and takes our order. Once we’re alone, Siren asks the question I’ve been avoiding. “What happened at Church to make you hightail it?”
Swallowing hard, I answer. “I told them about Monica and they had questions I didn’t want to answer. Kayne let me leave and was going to have a chat with them.”
“Blayde,” my name rolling off Siren’s lips makes my heart ache for putting her through the problems I have. She doesn’t deserve my issues. Siren gently places her fingers on my jaw, pulling my head in her direction. “That doesn’t sound like the man you are. What are you afraid of really?”
I open my mouth to respond but no words come out. I try a few times and think about what to say. Looking into Siren’s green eyes, full of trust and concern, I go for it. “I’m not an innocent man by any m
eans. I’ve done shady shit to get the job done. I think… No, I have a feeling in the deep part of my stomach Monica’s disappearance is because of me. She’s living in Venice Beach with a porn star king. I don’t know why or how, but it’s got to have something to do with me. We’re heading there tomorrow and I want you to come with me.”
A smile graces Siren’s lips. “There’s the man I know. Blayde, you’ve never run and hidden from anyone. Don’t let a mistake in your past define you now. That’s not you. You’re a strong, smart, handsome man who’s shown me what it’s like to be courageous. You’ve helped me when I needed it. Focus on what you’ve accomplished, not what mistakes were made in your past. I’m here for you the way you’ve been here for me. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. You claimed me and now it’s my turn to claim you.” Siren leans in and presses her lips against mine. Our kiss is slow and gentle at first, but then she runs her tongue along the seam of my lips and it turns me on. I open my mouth and deepen our kiss, our tongues battling back and forth. Breathless, I break our kiss and rest my forehead against Sirens. We’re so close our breaths are mingling together.
Blaydes Betrayal (Savage Saints MC Book 2) Page 11