“Pepper, everything’s going to be okay, it really is,” Lucky said. I looked over at her, her bright green eyes shining back at me reassuringly. “The Gods are very good at what they do. You really are safe here. I know it must feel crazy being away from home and plopped down in the middle of this strange place, but I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t think it was the best thing for now.”
“I trust you,” I said, and I really did. It felt good to trust someone. “I appreciate it. I didn’t really know what to do. I guess I panicked a little, but I’m glad I called you.”
“Me, too,” she said, yawning. “I think I’m going to head to bed, if you’re sure you’re okay alone tonight?”
“I am,” I said. “Going to bed soon myself.”
She gave me a long, lingering hug before walking to the door. I locked it after she left, leaning against it and taking a deep breath.
It was the first moment alone I’d had since she picked me up and I slid to the ground, exhaustion pouring out of me in the form of big, sloppy tears rolling down my cheeks.
I sat there for a good long while, letting it all out, before crawling into bed and falling into a deep, troubled sleep.
Chapter 16
ARTIE PAIGE
Taking a deep drag off my cigar, I looked out over the ocean. Far below, the Pacific raged furiously, its wrath matching the rage pumping through my veins.
They still hadn’t found Tulsa’s body.
Search and rescue were out for days, but it was obvious she’d been taken by the sea. Hell, she’d probably been a delightful dinner for some unsuspecting shark. I couldn’t help but wonder what she thought on the way down.
I hadn’t meant for her to go over the edge.
I did mean to strangle the bitch to death, though.
Perhaps it's better this way. Without her body, there’s no proof of my intentions.
I was still furious with her, though — dead or not.
She’d betrayed me. Played me. Lied to me and if she’d had her way, she would have left me looking like a fool in front of all of God and Hollywood.
I had a reputation to uphold, for fuck’s sake. Tulsa was about to bring that all crashing down.
So, yeah, fuck her. Good riddance. I’m glad she’s dead.
That means I blissfully don’t have to listen to her incessant bitching anymore, also. It’s a win-win all around.
And that other bitch. Who was she? Why was she on my property?
I’m glad she was, because it gave me just the alibi I needed. Once I realized I could blame Tulsa’s death on someone else, it was perfect. I couldn’t have written a better twist myself. Talk about thinking quickly on your feet.
I am such a fucking boss.
I wandered back in the house, leaving the darkness of the coastline behind.
Fuck Tulsa. Let the ocean have her.
Now that things were calming down a bit and the chaos of the last two days were behind me, there were less and less cameras and reporters hanging around outside. I hadn’t felt assured of my privacy for a while and was grateful to get that back. It was my most valued possession. Without my privacy, I couldn’t be the man I truly was.
I hated having security guards around. I was admonished for it left and right by my team, but when I said I needed privacy, I fucking meant it. That didn’t mean someone running up and checking on me every time I threw a fucking wine glass in the fireplace to let off some steam or raised a hand to Tulsa when she got out of line.
Security guards had ears and eyes. And wagging mouths. If I’d had them living here around the clock, like Tulsa and so many others had begged me to do, then that would have just been another pair of eyes I’d have to deal with.
Instead, making the decision to rely on a state-of-the-art surveillance system had been the smartest thing I’d ever done. Now, all I had to do was figure out who the bitch was that made her way past that system and I could eliminate her.
My plan would work out perfectly, because I’d made that decision so long ago. It would be a lot harder to eliminate a team of guards.
Wandering around my empty house, I couldn’t help but wonder if Tulsa’s ghost was watching me. Would she haunt me now? If she could, I wouldn’t put it past her to fuck with me just to keep me as miserable as possible. If she was able to feel anger towards me, I’m sure the rage was hot and vengeful.
I wandered into my study and poured myself a large snifter of whiskey and put on some classical music. A little Vivaldi was just what I needed.
But first, I needed to count my blessings.
I had this house. My career. And all the power a man could want. And now, I could get all the pussy I wanted without having to sneak around to do it.
As soon as all this shit died down, I was going to have this whole house teaming with tail, all of it just for me. I smiled and walked over behind my desk, staring up at the portrait of Tulsa.
“Oh, you were beautiful, weren’t you, dear?” I said, aloud, once again wondering if she could hear me. I pulled the painting down and slowly punched in the numbers to my safe, a smile on my face as a surge of anticipation filled my veins.
I hadn’t had a chance to look at the package since I’d received it the night of the party and I was looking forward to seeing the diamonds sparkle again. There was something special about these diamonds. I’d flipped lots of diamonds in the past, it was a shockingly easy way to turn a pretty profit, but these were different. Worth at least ten times the shit that usually flows through this town, I’d worked my ass off to make sure they ended up in my hands.
My cock swelled when I thought about how much money I was going to get for them. Nothing made my dick hard like the thought of making millions of dollars in one simple transaction.
I already had a buyer lined up. The cash was practically already in my bank.
When the door flew open, displaying its total and complete emptiness, my mouth dropped.
“What the fuck!” I growled, throwing my whiskey glass across the room, the glass shattering on the marble floor. I stormed through the house, throwing open every drawer and cabinet door, scrambling to find my missing diamonds.
Had Tulsa taken them?
I stopped short, realizing with a start that Tulsa’s script was missing also. She’d begged me to show it to my partners, putting a fake screenwriter’s name on there, because she wanted an honest critique. Of course, I’d raved about it, told her it was great, that of course, I’d show it to my colleagues.
All a lie, of course, because the script was total shit.
But I was trying to keep the peace, so I hid it away and lied.
Just another white lie in the sea of our fucked up marriage.
I’d put it in my safe so she wouldn’t know that I’d not passed it on, like I’d told her. But now it was missing, too?
Had she taken the diamonds, as well?
No, none of that made sense. She didn’t know the combination, anyway. Hell, she didn’t even know I’d installed the safe behind the portrait.
My head spun as I tried to figure out who could have gotten in.
I thought back to the last time I had the safe open. It was just after I’d received the diamonds, during the beginning of the party. After taking them upstairs, I’d gone into my study and put them in the safe, before coming back out to —-
“That bitch!” I said, remembering the woman that I’d caught upstairs. I’d given her my card. She was a hot piece of ass, I remembered her well. Long auburn hair and a perfect set of tits. I’d given her my card, told her to call me. I’d been pretty sloshed by then, and my recollection was faint, but I remembered her tits very well.
It’s entirely possible that bitch saw me open the safe. She could have seen the combination, because I’d left the door of the study open, thinking I was alone.
But I wasn’t.
She was there.
“Fuck!” I shouted
I ran back to my study and found the USB stick I’d hidd
en in my desk from the night of the party. I’d had to take it out and tell the cops my system wasn’t working because I didn’t have time to look it over and make sure it didn’t catch me and Tulsa fighting.
I hadn’t had time to look at it yet.
But I did now…
No matter what, I had to get those fucking diamonds back.
Chapter 17
PEPPER
Lucky was right. I slept like a log, even if I cried myself to sleep.
I wanted to be tough, but I was also a big ball of anxiety and emotional stress last night. Once I was alone and was able to let it all out, with the help of the wine — it really came out and didn’t stop for a while.
Waking up this morning with the sunlight filtering through the swaying pines outside the window of my cabin, I felt renewed and refreshed.
I felt strong again.
After taking my time to shower and make myself coffee, I meandered back outside and down the trail that led to the clubhouse.
Gorgeous rays of sunshine broke through the trees, the birds chirping, singing their morning song from the branches above me. Freshly fallen, bright orange leaves crunched under my boots. The faint scent of campfire lingered in the air and I inhaled deeply, letting the fresh air deep into my lungs.
I couldn’t help but smile.
I could definitely get used to a place like this, I thought. The beauty was undeniable and with the deep emerald green of the forest contrasting against the cornflower blue sky overhead, it made me never want to go back inside again.
I’d just stepped up near the back of the clubhouse when the air overhead was disturbed by a quiet whoosh and a flurry of feathers. I stopped in my tracks, my eyes wide as I tried to figure out what was happening. The flap of wings by my head had me ducking and yelping and throwing my hands over my face. I peeked out between my fingers when the whooshing stopped and gasped when I saw an adorable owl staring back up at me with huge orange eyes and sitting on the trail directly in front of me.
“What the…” I whispered, just as the owl took flight again, straight towards me. Before I could move away, he was perched on my shoulder. I froze, looking at him from the side of my eye, afraid to move my head. He leaned his head down, his beak inches from my nose, sniffing me, as I held my breath, my heart racing. When he began rubbing his head against my cheek, I gasped.
Was he cuddling me?
I stayed still, unsure what to do. That beak looked extremely sharp, but his big orange eyes were friendly. I kept expecting him to fly away at any moment, but another whoosh of air made me turn my head and I saw another owl flying through the air towards us. This one landed in front of me and I stared at it in shock. Two?
They squawked at each other, which made me jump. The owl on my shoulder flew off and landed next to the other one. I stared down at them dumbfounded as they began snuggling each other.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” I whispered to myself.
“Oh, I see you’ve met the welcoming committee!” A deep voice boomed behind me. I turned around to see Storm standing there with a big smile on his face.
“That owl just landed on me!” I said.
“Yeah, they do that. That’s Oliver and Olivia. They’re kind of our pets, I guess, even though they’re wild.”
“You’re kidding,” I said. “They just hang out?”
“Yep! They’re so sweet,” he said.
“They look like they could cut you into pieces with those beaks.”
“Oh, they definitely could, but thankfully, they’ve chosen not to. So far, at least,” he laughed.
I reached down and gingerly petted the top of their heads. Their feathers were as soft as…well, feathers, I guess. They looked up at me with their huge blinking eyes, completely unafraid.
“Amazing,” I whispered.
Storm stood watching me. “Heading to breakfast?”
“Yeah, I think so,” I said. “Now, though, I’m tempted to just hang out with these two.”
“Maybe we could all go for a walk together later?”
“With the owls?”
“Yeah, they’re basically dogs,” he laughed. “They like to hop and fly along the trails with us.”
“I’d love to!”
“Awesome, it’s a date then.”
I looked at him hesitatingly. A date?
“I mean, not a date,” he backtracked quickly once he saw the expression on my face. “Just, you know…”
I laughed and nodded. “It’s cool, I got it.”
“Right,” he said.
“Is your cabin close by?”
“Yeah, I share one with Wolfe. Not too far behind yours.”
I nodded and watched with delight as the owls took flight again, their wide wings spreading as they swooped up toward the trees.
“Wow,” I said, totally impressed.
“Yeah, this place can feel like Disneyland sometimes,” Storm laughed, falling into step beside me as I continued down the trail. The pine trees swayed overhead, the breeze lifting their heady fragrance into the air.
“It’s all so beautiful. I love it here,” I remarked, truly beginning to feel a little bit of peace seep into my cracks.
“Glad to hear it,” he said. “Took me a little while to get used to it, but I love it here now, too.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Just a couple of years now. I was with another club before. A different kind of club,” he said, his eyes darkening. I nodded silently, wondering what this man had been through. The storm raging just under the surface broke through for a second, but he quickly blinked it away.
The clubhouse was already crawling with people when we arrived. Some were eating, a few guys were working on their bikes, and Grace sat on the porch with the prettiest little girl I’d ever seen. She had cute little blonde braids and looked just like Grace.
“This is Sadie,” Grace said, as Storm and I walked up. I bent down in front of her.
“Hi, Sadie,” I said. She flashed me a shy smile and then buried her head in her mama’s chest.
“She’s a little shy,” Grace said, caressing her shoulder.
I couldn’t get over this place. I let my eyes trail around, taking in everything that was going on. Slade and Riot were standing over by the side of the cabin talking and laughing. Lacey was inside the clubhouse working in the kitchen. Everywhere I looked, faces had smiles stretched across them and everyone just looked so damned content and peaceful.
It was a far cry from Los Angeles.
“Breakfast is waiting for you in the kitchen, Pepper, if you’re hungry,” Grace said.
“Thank you,” I replied. “I slept very well, too, thanks again.”
“We’re so glad you’re here,” she said, her smile lighting up her entire face. She was beautiful and graceful, just like her name. And yet, she exuded a confidence that made me want to be around her all the time. No wonder she was the leader of this place. From my brief observation of her and Ryder together, it was obvious that while he was a leader himself, he seemed content to sit back and watch as she took the reins.
“Have you seen Lucky?” I asked.
“She and Ziggy will come straggling out of bed soon,” she said. “They don’t get to spend a lot of time together, so when she’s here, he tends to monopolize her time.”
I laughed and nodded in understanding. “And who can blame him?”
“Right?” Grace said. “She’s incredible. I’m so glad she’s a part of the family.”
“Speaking of family, I had a little introduction to Oliver and Olivia on the trail just now.”
“Oh, I hope they didn’t frighten you,” she replied, laughing. “They can be a little too friendly.”
“I loved them!” I gushed.
“Well, that’s good because they insist on being a part of almost everything we do.”
“You’ve got quite a place here, Grace,” I said. “I really respect what you’re doing.”
“Thanks, Pepper,�
�� she smiled warmly. “I’m quite proud of it myself.”
I nodded and took a deep breath, my stomach growling.
“I’m going to go partake of that breakfast, I’m starving!”
“Enjoy,” she said, taking a sip of her coffee. I walked away and heard her mumbling to Sadie after I left. I couldn’t help but think about what a lucky little girl she was to have a mother like that. Someone so strong and capable and confident. I wondered what her life would be like growing up in an environment like this, too. It was so different from what I’d known.
Even though Pop tried his best to give me the stability that other kids had, I always knew we were different, we weren’t normal. Normal kids didn’t know how to pickpocket by the time they were six. Normal kids didn’t pick the locks of their schoolmates and laugh about it. Normal families didn’t help their dad steal jewels and watches to pay the rent.
I walked inside the clubhouse and Lacey greeted me with a smile and a huge plate of bacon and eggs. Smiling seemed to be the thing they did most around here and it was highly contagious. My cheeks were hurting. It was ridiculous.
Was life supposed to be happy like this?
As much as I loved it, deep down it felt uncomfortable.
Give me a party and a bunch of wallets and jewelry to swipe and I was in my element. I had no idea what to do with all this authenticity. I was used to plastic everything — noses, tits, butts, lips — everything.
Looking around, I was pretty sure everyone here was working with all their original parts. Taking my plate outside, I grabbed a seat on the stairs as I ate, listening to the birdsong and letting rays of dappled sunlight dance across my face. Even the sunlight was more forgiving here than back home. Grace had taken Sadie inside to talk to Lacey, so I sat alone for a moment, watching everyone else.
My eyes landed on Slade and Riot again and I watched their interaction. You might think they were brothers, they seemed to be so comfortable with each other. I made a note to ask about their stories later.
THE HUSTLE: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK FOURTEEN) Page 9