Silent Sons MC Box Set

by Ambere Sabo

  Heading down the hall, I know damn well where he’ll be. “Twenty-seven years old and still playing video games on your mama’s couch,” I tease him as I walk into the family room.

  He looks up from the game before telling someone on a headset that he needs to go. Never will I understand why grown-ass men need to play video games with each other from all around the country. Hell, can’t you run people over and beat hookers by yourself?

  Whatever happened to Mario? Saving Princess Peach is a goal I can get behind. Robbing each other and stealing cars is something I get enough of on a daily basis, that I don’t need to play at it on a screen.

  Switching off the game, he walks over to where I lean in the doorway. Yanking me in for a hug, he ruffles my hair like he knows I hate.

  “Let’s go get our grub on!” he exclaims while rubbing his nonexistent belly.

  Laughing I shake my head at him, “Speak for yourself, asshole! I’m going to have to do double time in the gym for the extra key lime pie she made.”

  “She made you your own pie, what the hell?” he questions as we near the table.

  “I made you an apple pie too, Eric, so you leave Reine’s key lime alone,” Vic scolds. With a laugh, we all take our seats around the table.

  She knows he’ll try to steal mine the first chance he gets. That boy can eat like a horse and not gain a damn pound, asshole. We all join hands as Vic says grace. As soon as she utters “Amen,” we dig in.

  The conversation is light as we fill each other in on our lives. Lil catches us up on how college life is going. She’s in her first semester of clinicals for the nursing program. Her face lights up when she talks about nursing school.

  Vic tells us that she’s going to start baking for the diner in town, which means a lot of people will be fatter by Christmas.

  Havoc and I explain what’s going on with Pops’ wreck and all the bullshit that’s come since. “I just wish I knew what was going on in that warehouse. He has to have bought it for a reason, but from the looks of it, it’s still empty,” I explain to Vic while watching Havoc out of the corner of my eye.

  I will bring this up until I’m blue in the face. Eventually, Havoc will come around, and we can talk to Wraith. Until then, I will nag like I’m his Ol’ Lady. He should already know this. “Wait, the old warehouse off Highway 77?” Vic questions in confusion.

  “Yeah,” Havoc replies. “You know it, Mama?”

  “Of course. But I’m surprised neither one of you do honestly. Though I guess you both were young and a lot was going on at the time,” Vic rambles. We look at her like she’s crazy when she just stops talking.

  “Vic, why would either one of us remember that particular warehouse?” I inquire, not understanding its importance.

  “Oh, yeah sorry, honey. That’s the warehouse where they found all those poor girls after you came back to town. It apparently was where that bastard was keeping the girls they were smuggling,” she answers with disdain.

  What the fuck? How the fuck did we not know about this? I thought Snoopy went back to everything that happened at that time, how the fuck did we miss something so crucial?

  “Mama, what do you mean that’s the warehouse the girls were at. I’ve seen it; there’s no way someone would hide girls there. You can see right inside the damn place,” Havoc huffs out.

  Damn, he’s right. She must be thinking of a different place there’s no way someone could’ve hidden girls there and not have them be seen.

  “Boy, I know everything that came about with that son of a bitch after he died. Don’t act like I don’t know what I am talking about! Besides you think a warehouse that big doesn’t have a lot of space to hide things?” she asks giving Havoc a pointed look.

  “Anyway, the cops searched it when it came up in their investigation because it was in his name. The girls were being brought in through a tunnel system below the warehouse and being held in some sort of basement prison. I’m sure I have the articles about it somewhere if you want me to get them?” she offers.

  “Yes,” we both exclaim.

  She’s taken back a bit by our urgency, but says, “Alright, gimme a sec,” as she gets up from her seat.

  Looking to Havoc, he can already see where my mind is going. This is it. This is the break we have been looking for. I can feel it.

  “Now wait ‘til we have all the information, Cessy. We can’t just go barging into a warehouse that could be crawling with cartel and Lord knows how many Reapers. After we see the article, we’ll go talk to Rodeo and have Snoopy see what he can find,” he says, trying to make me see reason. Why the fuck does he have to be so level-headed all the damn time?

  Fuck, I wish Venom was here with me. I’m sure he’d be more than happy to go to the warehouse with me. Well, maybe not, he's just as damned level-headed as Havoc sometimes. Fucking men.

  “Why didn’t Snoopy find anything out about the warehouse before now?” I exclaim. I mean what the fuck? This is something he should’ve known when he looked into Russel’s death.

  “I don’t know, Cess, but we’ll find out, I promise,” he pacifies. I know he’s just trying to keep my temper under control, but all it does is manage to piss me off more. We should’ve already had this information.

  Vic returns with a scrapbook, which she places between Havoc and me. I see a picture of her and my mama when they were young on the front before she flips towards the back. The article is stuffed between some pages along with a few others.

  Pulling it from the book, she opens the folded page of an article with a picture of the warehouse on the front page. Small images document the extent of the underground basement—with cells and tunnels.

  Over thirty girls were held in that basement when the cops raided it. Most of them were skeletally thin, had been beaten and Lord only knew what else. They ranged in age from thirteen to twenty-two years old.

  When Havoc’s eyes reach that part of the article, I can tell because he screams “Fuck!” and he slams his hands on the table before scrambling out of his chair. “We need to have church. Come on, Cess.” He’s out the door in a few strides.

  This isn’t what I expected to find, and I feel sick to my stomach trying to process all of it. Standing from my chair, I don’t know what to do, so I look to Vic, “Go, baby. We’ll get things cleaned up here,” she says.

  I look to Lil who nods her head in agreement. She doesn’t know exactly what’s going on, but I’m sure Vic will tell her. I walk around the table and give them both a hug before following Havoc out the door. I’m not even a foot out of the door when he barks, “Let’s go.”

  I’m on autopilot right now as I walk over and climb on my bike. I know he’s pissed, so I let his attitude towards me slide. Usually, I’d put him in his place for talking to me like he is, but damn if my mind isn’t all over the place right now.

  The trip to the clubhouse should take us twenty minutes, but we’re there in just under ten as Havoc hauls ass the whole way and I keep pace with him. As we walk into the clubhouse, he doesn’t talk to anyone as he heads straight to the chapel.

  I walk over to sit at the bar while I wait for church to be over. My mind can’t even process everything we just found out. Some of those girls were only a few years older than me. Is that where I would’ve ended up if I had stayed in that damn house with Russel?

  I’m so lost in thought that I don’t even feel Venom come up beside me before he speaks, “Come on, babe. Rodeo wants you in church with us.” He grabs my hand pulling me from the stool and walks me into the first church I’ve ever been allowed to be a part of.

  Chapter 15

  Venom

  It killed me walking up to her at the bar. I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but the pain and fear in her eyes isn’t something I’m used to seeing reflected in those icy blues. Rodeo lost his shit when he got off the phone with Havoc and called church for all the brothers.

  We didn’t have to wait long for them to show, but right now I want my girl back—the
pain in the ass who always keeps me on my toes and doesn’t take any of my shit. I will kill whoever is making her feel like this, but right now, I know I just need to be there for her.

  I walk her to my chair at the table and pull her into my lap. It’s the first time my brothers have ever seen us together, but I don’t give a fuck. I’ll deal with whatever the fuck they have to say after this is done. Right now, I just want to comfort her the best way I can. Lynch catches my eye and smiles over her head, which she rests on my shoulder after curling up into a ball on my lap.

  Rodeo slams the gavel to start the meeting. Rage fills his eyes as he looks over at my girl. “There have been some new developments with this Loki fucker and his warehouse, that change the game. We need to talk about the new information and decide what our next move is. Havoc tell them what you found,” Prez grits out through clenched teeth, barely keeping his temper in check.

  “The warehouse Loki has, isn’t what it seems,” Havoc starts.

  “What do you mean? I know that fucking place like the back of my hand,” Dash interrupts, earning a glare from Havoc before he raises his hands backing off.

  “It isn’t what it seems because of what lays below it. From the outside, it looks like a rundown warehouse, but under it, is another story,” he pulls an article from his cut and passes it to Lynch. I’m assuming he already let Prez know what’s in it, and that’s why Rodeo is so pissed.

  “Below the warehouse, there are floors of tunnels and cells. Cells that were once used to hold girls smuggled here by the cartel. That article details what was found after Russel Davis died. We don’t know if he was truly the one who was mixed up with the cartel, or if it was Martinez and Russel was used as a scapegoat.”

  Lynch slams his hands on the table before passing the article to me. Havoc keeps talking, but I have no clue what he says because my entire focus is on reading the article that details what the warehouse was used for. The rage rolls off me in waves by the time I’m finished. No wonder Reine is curled up in my lap. That could’ve fucking been her.

  “How the fuck did we not know about this?” I holler, interrupting Havoc as I hand the article to Snoop.

  No one says anything about my interruption. Hell, Prez, Lynch, and Havoc all give Snoopy the same pissed off look that I level him with while we wait for him to read the article. I can tell when he gets to the part about the girls and their ages because he visibly tenses. That’s right motherfucker. And Lord knows if there are more girls down there right now.

  “Well?” I exclaim.

  “I… I...” Snoopy starts, clearly shaken by the article. “I didn’t look into Davis,” he admits quietly. “It seemed pointless with him dead and all. I focused on Martinez and his possible connections with Loki. I’m assuming because the warehouse was in Davis’s name it didn’t come up in my search. I’m so fucking sorry, Cess,” he finishes looking at my girl.

  She doesn’t speak. Only the small nod of her head even shows that she heard him. The article has made its way around the table at this point, and nothing short of pure rage is reflected back in my brother’s eyes.

  “What the fuck do we do now?” I ask looking at Prez.

  “We act.” Two words I have never agreed with more, in my life.

  We spend the next few hours sorting out what needs to happen, and everyone is given tasks to handle. Snoopy is going to find whatever blueprints he can on the additions to the original structure. Lynch is going to reach out to our sister chapters within a few days’ ride to see if we can count on their help.

  We’re going to need numbers to go up against a cartel. The Silent Sons may try to stay on the right side of the law, but none of us will stand for this level of evil. They want me to handle artillery. It’s a normal task for me. But when Prez announces that he and Cess would be going to talk to Wraith, I lose my shit.

  She will not be going into that clubhouse without me. Fuck knows who all is involved from that club, and I won’t let her be put at risk for this. In the end, we decide, she’s going in with me, Havoc and Prez because none of us was willing to let her proceed without us. Right now, I just want to get her into my bed and out of her own head.

  After the gavel bangs, everyone gets up to do what they’ve been assigned. We aren’t going to The Reapers clubhouse until tomorrow, so I’m in no hurry to leave this seat. As I stroke Reine’s hair, I ask, “You okay, baby?”

  She doesn’t answer me only shrugs her shoulders in response. Prez clears his throat. She is so much of my focus that I didn’t even realize he was still here.

  He watches us for a moment. “How ‘bout you and me have that drink, Reine?” he offers.

  She turns a little to look at him and replies, “I think I’d like that.” I know he’s trying to help take her mind off everything, and for that I am grateful. I lift her up enough to get out of my chair and put her back in it. I kiss her forehead as I go get the tequila.

  Chapter 16

  Cessy

  Thanksgiving is usually one of my favorite days, but this one will go down as the worst one in history. My fingers trace random patterns on the table as I think over what all the guys are doing to help me. I really appreciate the Sons keeping me in the loop about what happens next, but I suspect this is also Rodeo’s way of making sure I don’t do anything stupid.

  Right now, I can’t get past how young some of those girls were. All kidnapped or bought and taken from their families to live in hell. What kind of scum does that to girls?

  I have to wonder if this is what Pops found when he sent me that text message, and it’s what got him killed. I just can’t figure out what he found at Loki’s cabin to lead him to the girls because I didn’t find a damn thing when I went out there, but it has to be connected. “How are you holding up, Reine?” Rodeo asks pulling me out of my thoughts.

  “I’m not sure yet, honestly. I’m glad to have a lead finally, but I pray we’re wrong about the girls. I couldn’t imagine anyone going through that. I’m just trying to work it all out in my head,” I respond.

  “Well, why don’t you let me know what you’re having trouble with, and I’ll see if I can help,” he offers.

  “The cabin,” I respond. It’s not much, but I see the understanding cross Rodeo’s face.

  “You’re trying to figure out how the cabin is connected to the warehouse because that’s where Hawk said things were worse, right?’ he asks. I just nod my head.

  “That’s the last place your pops was alive, Cessy. If there’s a connection, we’ll find it but for now, let’s talk about your Mama,” he says with a smile as Venom returns with the tequila.

  For the next few hours, he does exactly that. He grew up with my mama more than Pops. They got into a whole lot of trouble when they were kids, and some of it was pretty damn funny. I think they were a lot like Havoc and me as kids. They were always together and getting into shit they shouldn’t.

  Even after everything he told me and knowing how close he and my parents were, I’m still surprised when he pulls a picture from his wallet of me in a frilly white dress. I look at him in confusion when he explains, “This picture was taken when you were barely three years old. It was the day you were baptized. Your mama insisted you be baptized in the church, and I can tell you none of us wanted to be there, but we did it for her. I was honored when she asked me to be your godfather, not that I gave the title much honor when you were growing up,” he pauses looking up at me.

  I try to wrap my head around everything he’s saying. Vic’s my godmother, I know that. But I always assumed I didn’t have a godfather. Though now that I think about it, I don’t think I ever asked.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to see you grow into the woman you are today, like your mama wanted. I just couldn’t watch her settle for less than she deserved when it came to your pops. When she got sick it was like a piece of me was dying right along with her, and I couldn’t see her like that. Always thinking she was healthy enough to fight it. She was as stubborn as you are.” Ro
deo pauses in his recollection to refill the shot glasses and throw back his own drink.

  I remember that about her. Even close to the end, she still insisted it was just a bump in the road, something to overcome. I slam my own shot back as I recall watching my mama fight for her life.

  “I will regret not being there with her at the end for the rest of my life. She deserved better from me. Hell, you both did. I don’t expect you to understand why I stayed away. Hell, I'd understand if you were pretty damn pissed at me, but I wanted you to know that, that day,” he says gesturing to the picture, “was one of the happiest in my life. I am so proud of the woman you have become. Your mama would be too.”

  I swallow hard. I’m not so certain she would be proud of all the things I’ve done since she has been gone. But I hope she’d be proud of some of what I’ve done.

  Rodeo’s voice cracks as he continues, “I don’t know how proud she would be of me. With everything you’ve been through, and I wasn’t there to protect you. That thought guts me.”

  I’m not sure what to say. Rodeo is crying openly, and my heart breaks for him. I don’t know how I feel about the whole godfather thing because that’s new and surprising information. He hasn’t been around until now, but I am thankful that when I came to him with all of this, he helped me.

  I get up from Venom’s chair and walk over to him. He looks up at me with regret in his eyes. Cupping his cheek, “I came to you having no idea if you would help me find out if Pops was murdered. You helped me. Your club has helped me. They’ve helped keep my girls safe, and now y’all are willing to go to war. Because. Of. Me.” The enormity of what these guys, who were pretty much strangers, are willing to do for me weights very heavily on my heart. I place my hand on his shoulder, willing some comfort to pass to him.

  “I can’t say that I wouldn’t have liked to have you around when I was younger or when she died, but I’ve seen how Havoc looks up to you. You took him into your club knowing you could be facing Wrecker’s revenge for it, but you did it anyway. You gave Venom a place to belong when he had nowhere else in this world. You’re a good man and a good President to your club. I know she would be proud of you for that.” I keep eye contact with him the entire time I speak even when my eyes start to tear up.