by E. C. Land
“I didn’t take care of them because I wanted Tracker to prove he loved me and didn’t want either of those whores,” I murmur.
“What’s that mean?” Brake asks.
“Means my little sister does have humanity in her,” Chains states as he stands up and rounds the table. “Go rest. We’ll discuss the rest in the morning over breakfast at Poe’s.”
“Thank you,” I say as I stand and step into my brother’s arms.
“You don’t have to go silent just yet, baby girl,” he whispers.
Closing my eyes, I wish that were true because I know without a doubt each one of those kills takes a piece of my soul with it.
21
Victoria
Staring up at the ceiling, I let my mind wander to the day I first met Tracker. I’d just started working at Dolly’s Playhouse and just walked out on the stage for the first time nervous as hell about dancing. I’d seen him sitting there with some of the other guys from the club and I’d been entranced.
I know he doesn’t know it but when I danced it was for him, no one else existed in my eyes. He’s part of the reason I never exposed my breasts on stage. Only gave them the illusion that I would.
When he’d asked me for a lap dance, I’d denied him knowing what would happen if I did and I didn’t want my first time to happen that way.
From then he’d been a jerk calling me Ice Princess constantly.
I’d do anything to hear his voice right now.
Giving up on being able to rest, I sit up and scoot back until I’m leaning against the headboard.
“Please let him be okay,” I whisper into the quiet room.
A knock on the door draws me from my thoughts of Tracker. “Come in,” I call out, knowing who it is without looking. Only Chains would knock on my door this time of the morning. Everyone else knows when I’m in this room, they’re to stay away. I don’t allow anyone into my space here. This room is my sanctuary from the world.
“You okay, baby girl,” Chains asks as he comes into my room and closes the door behind him.
“I’m okay,” I murmur, not meeting his gaze.
“Don’t lie to me. Victoria, you know you don’t have to shut down your emotions around me. I’m your big brother. I’m supposed to protect you and I’ve never been able to do so,” Chains mutters as he climbs up to sit next to me on the bed.
Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, I finally cave and break down in a fit of tears as I tell him everything. I explain to him how I met Tracker and the rest of the club.
The entire time, Chains just strokes my hair and lets me cry without judgment.
“Shh, baby girl. No one will ever hurt you again. I know you have to do this and the club will have your back if you need it. But I wish you’d leave it to us to handle. I mean, think about your baby. You don’t want to lose him, do you?” Chains asks.
“I’m not going to lose him, Darren. I need to do this. It’s my fault. If not for me, my baby’s father wouldn’t be laying in the ICU. And I wouldn’t be scared to death he won’t wake up. No this is my mess to straighten up. Once and for all,” I say with determination as I glance up to face him.
Chains stares at me for long moments before smiling. “You know Momma and Dad would have been proud of the woman you’ve become. You're sweet and caring like Mom and you have Dad’s stubbornness.”
Giving my brother a sad smile, I lay my head back on his shoulder. “Tell me about them. I can’t remember them,” I say.
“I know you don’t, baby girl. You were barely two when they died. I remember the day you were born. Dad brought me into the room, Momma was holding you in her arms as she scooted over, and I climbed up to sit next to her. The moment I saw your face, I knew right then you were special. Did I ever tell you why you’re named Victoria?” he asks
“No,” I whisper. I’ve always loved hearing about my real mom and dad. They’d died in a freak accident. Darren being eleven at the time, he remembers what happened to them. We were separated almost right after and I’d been adopted before my uncle could stop my aunts from signing the papers. Darren went to live with Uncle Vernon a.k.a. Ryder. He’d been the president of the Inferno’s Clutch MC before Chains took over.
Ryder made sure to keep a close eye on me when he could and was able to have visitations to see me. But that eventually ended, and the only time I saw my brother was when he’d show up at my school to have lunch with me.
“Mom loved anything to do with history, whether it was mythology or the history of kings and queens through the ages. She said you fought when the doctors told her you wouldn’t make it to term due to issues, and she wanted you to have a name that proved you won the battle. Momma went on to talk about a goddess named Nike who was known in Rome as Victoria,” Chains chuckles.
“Mom wanted to name you Victoria River but thankfully Dad put a stop to that wanting you to have a piece of his side of the family in your name. That’s how you ended up with Ann as your middle name.”
“River? I like it,” I murmur, thinking what a great name it would be for a little boy.
“Please, for the love of God, don’t name that kid River. Think of the jokes he’d have to endure,” he says, causing me to giggle. “Seriously, imagine someone coming up to him and singing the lyrics to ‘Cry Me A River’ or ‘Run Softly, Blue River’. Don’t get me wrong, Johnny Cash, yeah, but Justin Timberlake? Nope, that’s a no-go.”
I can’t help but burst into a fit of giggles as my brother shudders.
“Okay, I won’t name him River,” I promise as I sit up to face him.
Sitting with my legs crossed, I gather my hair in my hands and put it up into a ponytail. “Will the club be pissed when I take Parker out?” I ask.
“Naw, baby girl. We want his ass out. We only do what we have to for him to get him shut down. You taking him out means less work for us. Though I’ll miss the money I willingly took from him,” he says.
“I won’t get into that. I still hate the fact you did it, but it’s not my business.” Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, I notice the time— four-thirty-three. “I need to get going if I want to make it to my parents’ before the sun comes up,” I say as I begin to re-seal the cracked box. There’s no place for emotions with what I’m about to do.
“Baby girl, they’re not home. Neither is Parker. Your best bet is to hang out here or go home to your ol’ man until they get back,” Chains states.
I contemplate this little information. With them all gone for now, it means I can check on their security.
“I’ll stay here,” I mutter. As much as I want to go home, I won’t go until I know the threat is gone.
“Fine with me. I’d enjoy spending time with my little sister, and I know Breaker, Tyres, and Brake want to spend time with you as well. We can put up with Shadow for now. He seems like a solid dude,” Chains grins.
“Shadow can be a scary dude, Chains. He’s not one you want to go against,” I say, giving him a knowing look. He’d try to fuck with Shadow just to see if he could piss the guy off.
“We’re not gonna fuck with him really. I got to talk with him last night after you left us to lay in here. He told me about your life back in Virginia when you ran away. Something you forgot to mention to me. I would have helped you disappear if that’s what you wanted,” he chuckles.
“Tracker would have found me regardless. Hence his name,” I mutter.
“Why don’t you try and get some sleep? Being prego, I know you can’t take one of those sleeping pills you always snag from Pipe,” Chains states as he gets up. “Try visualizing what calms you most.” With that, he leaves me to my thoughts.
More or less to put together plans to take them all out.
22
Tracker
“James, please stay with me. You can’t leave me.” Her voice screams in my head over and over again. I’ve been trying to not leave my woman. I remember everything that happened. Even through the fog filling my head. I could never forget my Swe
etness. She’s the only thing I need right now.
And yet I can sense she’s not near me.
“Brother, come on, you gotta wake up,” Blaze’s voice filters through the haze around me. “It’s been almost two weeks man. You’ve been off all that shit they’ve been giving you for days. Now open your fuckin’ eyes or I swear I’m gonna strangle your woman myself.”
What the fuck?
“Shut up, Blaze, he'll wake up when he’s ready and Vi isn’t crazy,” a woman's voice says. I want to think it’s Raven. But why would she be in my room?
“My ass, she’s not. The woman took off acting like she’s Rambo or some shit and you pull that gun out one more time Raven, I swear to fuck I’ll spank your ass right here,” Blaze snarls.
I must still be fucked up on morphine or some shit.
Victoria is too sweet to take off like she’s Rambo. Hold up Raven pulled a gun on my brother?
“You two both knock it the fuck off,” Stoney’s voice fills the room.
“Sorry, Stoney,” Raven says.
“Yeah, Prez, I’m just stressed the fuck out. Why won’t he wake up?” Blaze rasps.
I’m fuckin’ trying here, dickhead.
“Blaze, I get it, we're all stressed. It’s not helping that our focus is divided right now and before you say it Raven, I know you and Chains say she knows what she’s doing. I've spoken with Chains after Shadow called me. Doesn’t mean she’s gonna be in a world of hurt when Tracker finds out,'' Stoney states.
Chains?
Find out what?
What the fuck is going?
“I know and I’m sure she knows as well. But she’s your best asset. Her emotions are shut down right now. There’s only two people that will ever be able to help her regain them. That’s Tracker and Chains. Until Tracker is out of this room and with her, Chains is who she needs to be near. You have no clue how lethal she can be. You all see the sweet and shy side of her. There’s so much more to her. Her brother and cousins will protect her until lazy butt here opens his eyes. He is awake and listening as it is,” Raven says.
How the hell does she know I’m awake?
I don’t even know if I am.
Not really.
“He’s not awake,” Blaze snaps.
“Yes, he is. His breathing has changed and his heart is beating faster.” Damn, the woman is smart.
Using as much strength as I can muster, I force my eyes to open.
“Water,” I croak, my mouth feeling drier than its ever been before.
“Fuck, here,” Blaze says as he comes to my side. Grabbing my cup, he brings it to my mouth. I would have stopped him but I’m just waking up and I bet I’d have dumped the cup over. Besides it’s funny seeing him do bitch work.
“I’ll go tell the nurse he’s awake,” Raven murmurs as she gives me one of her grins.
“Don’t you leave this hospital,” Blaze snarls. Glancing between them, I try to figure out what I’ve missed.
“Don’t worry your little feathers, Conan. I’m just going to the nurse’s station,” she snaps in return before walking out of the room.
“Someone want to tell me what that was and where my ol’ lady’s at? Oh, and who the fuck is Chains?” I ask.
“Damn, you were awake,” Blaze mutters as he looks from me to Stoney. “You tell him, Prez.”
“Pussy,” Stoney snaps. Grabbing the chair behind him, Stoney takes a seat. “That, what you just saw, was foreplay between Blaze and Raven. Vi is as well as she can be, I suppose. I haven’t seen her since before I left with Rachel for the day before you were shot. As for Chains, he’s the President of the Inferno’s Clutch MC in Louisiana.”
“What the fuck?” I snarl, pissed at what I’m hearing. “Where the hell is Victoria?”
“She’s with Shadow and . . .”
“That’s not tellin’ me shit,” I yell, interrupting Stoney.
“Vicky is with Chains right now and I’ve texted her with an update on you,” Raven says as she walks back in the room.
“Why the fuck is my woman with a peddling fucker like him?” I snap as I start to rip shit off my body. I need to get out of here. Victoria and my kid need me.
“Easy there, He-Man. For one thing you don’t know shit about ICMC or Chains. Besides, Victoria is safe with him considering he’s her brother,” Raven states it like this is old news.
“What did you just say?”
“Which part? I know you just woke up from being out of it for over a week but damn I didn’t think a gunshot would fuck with your hearing,” Raven snaps as she pulls her phone out of her pocket.
“Vicky says she’s calling your cell phone in one hour. Fuckin’ hell, strike that she’ll call you when she’s back at the clubhouse. She’s kinda sitting on a rooftop right now and can’t talk,” Raven says as she puts the phone away.
“Rooftop?” Stoney, Blaze, and I ask at the same time.
“What? It’s out now so why should I not say what his ol’ lady is doing. I mean until he gets down there or her mission is over, she won’t be the Victoria you all know. You two have already spoken to her, as well as heard how she took out that whore at Chains’ club. That’s not even close to what she’s capable of,” Raven mutters.
“Hold the fuck up. Someone had best begin fillin’ me in on what the hell is going on. Also, someone get me some clothes. I want out of this fuckin’ place,” I demand.
“Already have your clothes in the cabinet. You two can explain this to Tracker or you can make him wait. Either way, Tracker and whoever else wants to go will be on a plane within the next hour.”
“Where the hell am I going?” I ask as I yank the IV out of my arm.
“Geez, couldn’t you wait until the nurse came to do that? Damn. Why do you think Vi donated so much money here? So, she and the club can do as you want. It’s against hospital policy for you to leave, but that’s okay because Doctor Alverez will be meeting us at the landing strip and flying down with us,” Raven rambles.
“What in the world have I woken up to?” I mutter.
“So you’re tellin’ me that my woman, who’s the sweetest person I know, is really an assassin?” I ask in astonishment at what Blaze and Nerd have told me as we’re sitting here waiting for the plane to take off. Raven had gone up front to speak with the pilot and Doctor Alverez has taken his own seat next to his husband Raul.
Blaze and Nerd had decided to be the ones to come with me. They all wanted to come, however Stoney said only two could go. It would be a bad idea for everyone to go not knowing anything more about this club than what I’ve found. However, Shadow is vouching for them.
“Brother, I’m not shittin’ you. She’s known as Silent Night,” Nerd says.
“Why didn’t we find any of this when we looked into her? Better yet, how did we not realize she had a brother,” I demand.
“He wouldn’t have found anything on Silent Night’s identity. As for her brother, before her uncle could stop it, her two vindictive aunts signed the papers that all but sold her to the Carons. The paper trail is hidden so deep, you'd be lucky to find it. Besides, Chains and Vicky didn’t want a lot of people to know they were related. Safety reasons for both of them,” Raven says as she plops down in the seat across from us.
“This is your pilot. Please make sure to fasten your seatbelts. We are preparing for departure,” a voice says over the intercom.
“Buckle up, boys. Next stop, ICMC clubhouse,” Raven smiles.
“Call me a boy one more time and see if I don’t show you different,” Blaze growls.
“You are a mighty fine big boy, but I think I’ll pass. You're too Conan the Barbarian for me,” Raven says, waving her hand dismissively as she grabs a case from underneath her seat. Opening it, I notice it’s a knife set.
“Fuckin’ hell, put that shit away for now,” Blaze snaps.
“Shut up. I’m just double checking I grabbed the right one. Vicky would be pissed if I didn’t bring the ones she needs. I mean I know she has the
other set with her but she’s going to want her spare. As a precaution,” Raven shrugs.
“Those are my ol’ lady’s?” I ask in astound.
“Yep,” she nods, placing the case back under her seat. “Rest. We’ll be there soon.”
Nodding, I lean back in my seat and close my eyes, letting all the information sink in. Not only has Vi been keeping things this massive from me but she’s checked out. I’m going to have a lot to deal with when I finally get to her.
I just hope she’s still my woman when I see her.
23
Victoria
Torture. That’s what I’m doing to myself in staying here when all I really want to do is be near and holding him while demanding he wakes up. To have him hold me and let me be me again.
But that can’t happen until they're all gone and the threat is eliminated.
Get it together, woman. You have a target in sight.
Since being here, I’ve been keeping an eye on my parents’ house lying in wait for when they return. I’ll know when Parker returns thanks to my brother but these two, he doesn’t worry about too much.
Adjusting the sight of my rifle, I focus on the darkened figures as I sit on the flat rooftop of the three-car garage off to the side of the house. Setting my eyes on the woman who I called my mother does nothing for me.
No fear. No sorrow. Nothing.
As I stare at her I notice she still looks the same as she always did in her white suit and hair done up into a tight bun at the base of her head. She reminds me of the woman in a Beethoven movie I watched with Raven.
Moving my scope sight from my mother, I focus on the other figure and am surprised at who is walking into the house with my mother.
Parker.
And behind them is a scared girl around my age. Sad part about it all is that she looks similar to me. Her wrists are bound together and a leash is connected to a collar around her throat. Fuckin’ hell. I watch as Parker gives my mother the leash and steps back from both of them. Making sure to caress the girl’s face before heading back to the car they’d both gotten out of.