Bronze (Blackwings MC - Devil Springs Book 5)

by Teagan Brooks

  “I don’t know why in the hell you’re staring at my chest like that, but if you think you’re going to pierce my nipples while I’m asleep or some shit, you better think again, Little Brother.”

  I shook my head with a small smile on my face. “Nah, nothing like that.”

  He pivoted on his heel and returned to his seat behind his desk. “Is there anything else?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact there is. Blue would like to know when her white unicorn will be delivered. She said Uncle Copper promised to get her one she could keep at Grammy Leigh’s house,” I said, moving out the door as I spoke. Once I hit the hallway, I picked up my pace.

  “If you’ve had a fucking horse delivered to Leigh’s barn and said it was from me, you’re going to come home to find a front yard full of fucking sheep!” Copper yelled, following after me.

  “How are you going to get them to fuck?” I laughed and picked up my pace.

  “What did you do, fucker?” he demanded as he continued to chase me.

  “Nothing to worry about. It’s not a horse; it’s a pony!” I shouted just as my bike roared to life. “Peace!” I called out and held up two fingers while I rode away, smiling when I glanced in my mirror and saw him standing in the forecourt fuming. I had to leave him pissed off at me about something so that I didn’t leave him worried about me. Because I knew he was going to worry. Knowing how moody Copper could be when something was bothering him, I decided to call Layla and give her a heads up.

  She giggled into the phone. “I know how your brother is too, and I can assure you that I know how to help Copper work through his moods.”

  “Stop! Stop! Stop!” I shouted into the phone.

  “What? Are you afraid I’m going to tell you your brother fucks me like he hates me when he’s upset?” she asked with faux innocence.

  “Fuck this shit. I’m coming to get my baby. I think you might be a bad influence on her,” I playfully scolded.

  “Pssh. You forget who you’re talking to. I’ve heard plenty of stories and seen enough with my own eyes to know that I’m most certainly not even one of the top ten worst influences around her,” Layla said confidently. “You’re welcome to come pick her up, but she just went down for her afternoon nap. You want me to call you when she wakes up?”

  “That’d be great. Thanks, Layla.” With that, we ended the call, and I headed in the direction of the baby supply store. If I busted my ass, I might be able to buy everything I needed before Blue woke up from her nap.

  Layla called just as I arrived at the gym to unload my purchases. When I told her I’d be there as soon as I finished unloading at the gym, she offered to bring Blue to me since she had plans to meet Josie at the bookstore next door.

  “What in the world are you doing?” Layla asked when she found me in the basement putting together various pieces of baby equipment.

  “Setting up duplicates of the essentials we have at home so Blue can comfortably spend more time here with me,” I explained.

  “You know I don’t mind watching her,” Layla said for the umpteenth time.

  “I know, and that means the world to me, but I don’t like being away from her more than I have to.”

  “How am I going to keep spoiling her if you’re cutting my hours?” Layla asked playfully, though I could tell a part of her was truly disappointed at the thought of losing time with Blue.

  “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. I’m going to need a babysitter for a Friday or Saturday night here and there over the next few months. Would you be interested in letting Blue spend the night with you on those nights?” I asked, laying the groundwork perfectly.

  “Of course I would!” she answered excitedly before pinning me with a look and arching an eyebrow. “Wait a minute. Are you asking me to babysit so you can let her potential siblings go for a swim in the rubber pool?”

  I looked up from the portable crib I was assembling and blinked at Layla. “What in the actual fuck did you just say?”

  Layla’s cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink. “You know,” she mumbled and cleared her throat. “Have safe sex.”

  I laughed so hard I choked on my own spit. “You just referred to a condom as a rubber pool. No wait. It was ‘the’ rubber pool.”

  My raucous laughter caused Blue to stir, a little whimper filling the air. Layla gently placed the baby carrier on the floor beside me. “She either has a bad case of gas, or she pooped on the drive over. Either way, have fun with that,” she said and strolled away.

  I looked down at my daughter who was stretching and yawning. I could already tell by the way she wrinkled her face and squirmed that she was sitting in squashed shit.

  Glancing around, I was happy to find the diaper bag within arm’s reach. I pulled it to me and set about changing Blue before she could get going with her little fit. After I fed and burped her, I placed her in the swing I’d already assembled and continued working while she alternated between playing and napping. It took longer than I thought, but when I was finished, I had several safe places for Blue to play and sleep, all of which could easily be moved to different locations. If the gym was anything like my house, I’d be moving the swing from room to room. It was her favorite; therefore, it was my favorite.

  For the next two months, Blue spent almost every day at the gym with me. I, however, did spend every single day at the gym training. Because I had a fight to prepare for. And it wasn’t just any fight. It was the fight that would get me on the card. From there, the matches would build in difficulty until I bested one of the top-level fighters. Then, I would be given the chance to leave with my winnings or join the best of the best and continue to earn the same exorbitant amount for each fight I won. But the first one could be some punk off the street who didn’t know what the fuck he was doing, or it could be an experienced fighter trying to join the league, like me.

  14

  It’d been three months since I drove away from Devil Springs like my ass was on fire, and I was finally about to have my hands on the answers to so many of my questions about my sister. Bouncing on the balls of my feet, it was all I could do to stay put and not get in my car to meet him halfway. Because that would have made me look like a crazy lady. Okay, a crazier lady.

  My heart rate accelerated when I heard him turn the corner. Ready to burst with glee, I ran to the gate the moment his wheels stopped in front of my house. “Judging from the size of that smile, I must have something you want,” he drawled.

  “You do, and you know it,” I teased and then clapped my hands together. “Please don’t make me wait any longer.”

  He laughed, extending his hand in a grand gesture. “I hope it’s everything you wished for,” he joked.

  “I know it will be,” I replied, taking my prize from his hand. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” I cheered and, in a moment of overexcitement, I pulled him in for a hug. “This is it! Thank you!”

  He patted my shoulder. “You’re welcome, Ms. O’Shea. You have a good day now, you hear?”

  “You too! See you tomorrow!” I called out and waved goodbye to my mailman. Then, I turned and sprinted back inside, not caring one bit how ridiculous I may have looked.

  Skidding to a halt in the kitchen, I leaned on the counter and tore into the envelope. After weeks of back and forth with the various county offices involved, I finally had my hands on everything related to my sister’s case.

  First, to get any of the reports, I had to prove I was the next of kin of the deceased. In order to do that, I needed to know which girl was my biological sister. So, I stopped there and turned my attention to the tooth.

  Frankie had a friend who worked in a lab and agreed to help us out in exchange for a set of signed books. I sent the tooth, some of my father’s things she said would have testable DNA on them, and my own cheek swab. She promised to run the samples, print official results, and delete the records from their system. But, because there was a different process for extracting DNA from a tooth, it was going to take much longer
than usual to get the results. I didn’t care how long it took, as long as I got them.

  I was just as excited to see my mailman on the day I received those results too. It took weeks, but I finally had undeniable proof that Paige Coleman was my half sister.

  Next, I began the process of requesting any and all public records I could get my hands on—particularly any documents related to her death, as well as Heidi’s. Unfortunately, I learned that I would only be receiving Paige’s records—anything related to any other parties involved would be blacked out or hidden with a notation.

  Taking a deep breath to steady my shaking hands, I started going over the first of many reports. After reading through each report twice, several of my questions were answered, but I had a number of new ones as well. First, what happened to Heidi? Second, how was their story kept out of the news?

  And what about Phyllis Banner? Paige killed herself in her mother’s basement. The mother that Bronze told me was dead. I felt my blood start to heat, just like it did every time I thought about him.

  Frankie was right. I should’ve known better than to fuck around with bikers. I didn’t really think he had anything to do with their deaths, particularly Paige’s. But I did think he was giving me the runaround so he could get in my pants. Then, in the biggest douchebag move ever, he sent his brother to scare me away. Well, the joke was on them, because I got what I came for anyway.

  My thoughts were interrupted when my phone started ringing. I groaned when I saw the name on the screen, suddenly remembering the plans I’d made. “Hey! I was just about to call you,” I lied. “I’m running a little late. You guys go ahead with dinner, and I’ll meet you for drinks.”

  “You better,” Maura playfully chided. “Or we’re coming over there and dragging you out of that house, iron gates or not.”

  “I know,” I laughed. “I’m coming. I promise.”

  “Good. See you soon,” she chirped and disconnected.

  Sighing, I slid the papers back into the envelope and pushed them to the side. Even if I did manage to find a new clue or avenue to investigate, there wasn’t anything I could do until Monday morning. In the meantime, I was long overdue for a girls’ night out.

  Pulling on a sleeveless shirt that sparkled, I paired it with a short and stretchy black skirt and a pair of heels so spiked they should’ve come with a permit. After going heavy on the eyeshadow and light on the lips, I grabbed the essentials and headed out to meet my cousins. Unfortunately, with both of them being in grad school, I didn’t get to spend as much time with them as I once did.

  When my mom moved back to Cherryfield, where she grew up and where her family still lived, the three of us were always together. Well, we were until we got caught sneaking back in after being out at a party. That was also when my mother dubbed Jessica “a bad influence” because she gave me the alcohol that got me drunk for the first time.

  Jessica saw me first and squealed, coming toward me with her arms wide open. “Sloane! Girl, you’re looking sexy as hell in that outfit. Bet you won’t be going home alone tonight.”

  “Oh hush,” I laughed, returning her embrace. “It’s so good to see you! Where’s Maura?” I asked when I glanced around and didn’t see her anywhere.

  “Right here, you blind bitch,” Maura said from my side, scaring the shit out of me.

  “You changed your hair!” I gasped. “I didn’t even recognize you, but damn, I love it!” Maura had gone from a gorgeous red to a platinum blonde, and it looked stunning on her.

  “Thank you! I’m still not used to it. I keep forgetting that it’s blonde and scare myself every time I pass a mirror.”

  We made our way to a bar that wasn’t terribly crowded and managed to find a high-top table available. “Hurry! Go grab that one before someone else does! I’ll go get our drinks,” Jessica blurted and shoved me in the direction of the empty table.

  When Jessica returned carrying a tray—yes, a tray—of drinks, Maura turned to me excitedly. “Are you really going to make us ask?”

  I cocked my head to the side in confusion. “Ask what?”

  “Did it come today?” they asked in unison.

  “Did what come today?” I asked and felt panic start to rise within me. I hadn’t said a word to them about the results or reports. There was no way they could know about Paige.

  “Your books,” they said in unison.

  “Oh!” I almost shouted. I’d completely forgotten they’d each requested a copy of my newest release. “No, they didn’t. The shipment got delayed, so I’ll have to mail them to you when I get them.”

  “Damn, I was looking forward to reading it on my return flight,” Jessica said.

  “Me too,” Maura commiserated.

  “You can read it through the app on almost any electronic device.”

  “It’s not the same,” they said in unison.

  “So, bring me up to speed. What’s been going on? What did I miss?” I asked, hoping to take the focus off of me.

  They talked and talked. I tried to pay attention, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what I read—and didn’t read—in the reports. I don’t know why, but suicide never crossed my mind as a possibility. I didn’t think it was a dual suicide since Paige left a brief note saying she couldn’t go on living without the love of her life.

  I had a feeling finding out what happened to Heidi would put all the pieces together. I understood the need to protect the privacy of others, but damn it, I needed to know what happened, if for no other reason than my own personal sanity. I also wanted to know how two young women in their mid-twenties were found dead—one of which was reported missing—and the story was never mentioned on any news outlet after the initial article about the discovery. Furthermore, the only information about their death other than it being suspected as a murder-suicide was the basic information found in public records—name, date of birth, date of death, and town of residence.

  I briefly considered asking my father for the truth, but I wasn’t sure I’d believe anything he said. On the other hand, he couldn’t deny threatening the pregnant woman at our door all those years ago, because I saw her with my own eyes and heard him threaten her with my own ears.

  I inhaled slowly as a horrible thought suddenly occurred to me, and then I immediately dismissed it. I was well aware of who my father was and the powerful reach he had. But even Lorcan O’Shea wouldn’t have had his own offspring killed. Would he?

  “You okay?” Maura asked.

  “Uh, yeah,” I stammered and reached for my drink.

  “We’re pretty beat from traveling all day. If you want to call it a night, that’s fine with us,” Jessica added.

  “I hate to go home early because I hardly ever get to see you. But it’s been a long day, and I could use some rest.”

  With that, I closed out our tab while Maura called a cab for them, and Jessica called one for me. I’d have to take one back to the garage to get my car the next morning, but I’d rather do that than attempt to drive home after having a few drinks.

  Outside of the bar, we exchanged hugs. I waved goodbye while I stood on the sidewalk waiting for my cab and watched theirs pull away. As their driver turned at the intersection, a car passing by caught my eye. It wasn’t the thumping bass or the exorbitant flashy sports car that made me do a double take. No, it was because that car belonged to my brother, Tiernan, who most certainly had not let me know he was in town like he always did. As his little sister, I had an obligation to follow him and see if I could find a way to annoy the piss out of him for his payback.

  Forgetting about my cab, I quickly walked down the street and turned the corner, headed in the direction of the parking garage I assumed was Tiernan’s destination. My assumption was correct. Tiernan parked his car, somehow scoring a space on the first level right beside the exit. My jaw dropped when the passenger door opened, and Declan got out carrying a large duffel bag.

  Standing in the shadows, I waited for them to pass before I stepped out and followe
d them, easily blending in with the Saturday night crowd. They weaved their way through the city streets, obviously with a specific destination in mind. I started to get nervous when the crowd between us began to thin, but then they turned down an alley and stopped in front of the second door on the right.

  Plastering myself against the wall, I strained to listen. “You on the list?” a man asked.

  “O’Shea,” Declan clipped. He always got annoyed when he wasn’t immediately recognized. Secretly, it tickled me to no end because it was preposterous to expect every person you came in contact with to know who you were. For fuck’s sake, we were the spawn of an organized crime boss, not descendants from the royal family.

  “Any guests?”

  “Do you see any?” I rolled my eyes. He could be such an asshole sometimes.

  The man at the door deserved credit. He didn’t flinch or seem to give much of a shit that two of those O’Sheas were standing in front of him. With a nonchalant nod, he took a step back. “Go on down.”

  I risked a glance around the corner to see Declan and Tiernan entering the building. After waiting for the longest ten minutes in history to pass, I walked down the alley and knocked on the same door. In the seconds it took for the man to answer, I contemplated turning and running for the hills but figured I didn’t have much to lose. If he wouldn’t let me in, I’d just call Tiernan and get in anyway. But where was the fun in that?

  “You on the list?”

  “I’m a guest of Declan O’Shea,” I said confidently and stuck my boobs out for good measure.

  “He expecting you?”

  I grinned seductively. “No, I’m here to surprise him.” I didn’t like the thought of him thinking I was my brother’s whore for the night, but I was willing to deal with it if it got me inside the club.

  “You know where you’re going?”

  “Sure do,” I giggled.

  His eyes raked over me from head to toe. “Go on down,” he said, repeating the same words to me and stepping to the side. “Lucky bastard,” I heard him mutter when I was halfway down the stairs causing me to shiver in revulsion.