Killer's Obsession (Phantom Bastards MC Book 5)

by Erin Osborne

  “I’m good. Just need to get cleaned up,” I assure her. “We’re havin’ church in a few minutes so I gotta hurry up.”

  “Okay. Would it be okay for Rich to take me to the house? I want to grab more clothes if we’re going to be staying here much longer,” she asks me, playing with the blankets still covering her small body.

  “I don’t like it, but I’m not goin’ to say no. Why do you need clothes now?” I question, pulling out clean clothes from my dresser.

  “Things are starting to get tight and not fit me. I need things to wear that fit. I can’t button most of my jeans up, Killer,” she informs me.

  “I’m sorry, Sparrow. Take Rich and another Prospect with you. After we get out of church, we’ll hang out in here and watch movies or somethin’. I’ll have Rich make sure we have snacks and things. Anythin’ you want for dinner, let him know and he’ll get it for us,” I state, walking over to give her a quick kiss on her forehead before heading to the bathroom.

  Once I’m undressed and my clothes are in a garbage bag to be disposed of, I realize I’m going to have to get rid of my boots too. There’s too much blood on them this time. Jumping in the shower, I begin to wash up. Most of the asshole’s blood is on my clothes and boots, not my body. You can never be too careful though.

  Getting out of the shower, I dry off and get dressed quickly. Walking back in the room, I grab my cut where I left it when I climbed in bed with Gwen. She’s out of bed and ready to head to our home to grab a few things. Pulling her into my body, I ravage her mouth. When I pull back, she’s breathing hard and her cheeks are flushed. I wish I had the time to fix the problem I’ve created, but she’s not even cleared to have sex yet. I can’t wait until we can so I can worship her body.

  “Be safe. If you need me, call. I’ll take my phone into church with me,” I order, knowing she won’t do anything to put our babies in jeopardy but still needing to say it.

  “I will, babe. I love you,” she says, leaning up on her toes to place a gentle kiss against the corner of my mouth.

  Walking downstairs together, we go our separate ways in the common room. I head to church with the rest of the guys while Rich and Gwen head out to her car. Instead of placing my phone in the box with the rest of the guys, I keep mine in hand. Slim and the others will understand.

  “Church in session,” Slim grounds out, slamming the gavel on the table in front of him. “Fox, work your magic and give us everythin’ you can dig up on that cockbite Neil gettin’ out of prison.”

  “Already been on it. The asshole was right. Neil paid off a guard, a cop, and got his lawyer to file an appeal on mishandling of evidence. He’s out and went underground. No one knows where he’s at. I’ve checked the assholes we’ve managed to get and checked their phones. All burner phones. Only calls are from the same number. It’s a burner phone and I’m guessin’ Neil already got rid of that one. He’ll have a new number and we can’t track him that way. I’ve been lookin’ into properties in his name, Gwen’s father’s name, and any known associates. I can’t find shit,” Fox informs us all. “There’s one way we can go to get the information we need. It needs to be brought up for a vote though.”

  “What are you thinkin’?” Playboy asks, sitting back in his chair after lighting a cigarette.

  “I’m thinkin’ we call in Tommy. He’s the one who got Gwen out and helped the clubs when we were there before. He’s also close to Kim and Gwen. He’ll do anythin’ to help us keep them safe and will know more than we do at this point in time,” Fox says, looking at each of us. “Tommy worked for her dad, but I guarantee he knows more about Neil than even I can find.”

  For several minutes, we all think about Fox’s suggestion. I agree with him. I’ll do anything I can to make sure my woman and the rest of the women in the club are safe and protected. Slim looks around the table at all of us. His gaze lingers on me the longest since this mainly concerns my ol’ lady.

  “All in favor, say aye,” Slim says, motioning to Playboy.

  We all go around the table and say aye. There isn’t a single man who’s against this suggestion because Fox is right. No one knows the ins and outs of Gwen’s father and Neil like Tommy does. Slim slams the gavel on the table passing the vote. From there we move on to other business because until Tommy gets here there’s not much we can do about it.

  Just before we get ready to leave church, my phone goes off. Looking at the screen, I see the alarm is going off for fire, EMTs, and the police to head to the residence. My heart stops dead in my chest while I think of Gwen being there and all the different scenarios that could be going on right now. Standing up, the chair I was sitting in slams to the floor as I race from our meeting room.

  “Killer, what’s goin’ on?” Slim asks, racing up to my side as I don’t stop running for my bike.

  “Gwen and Rich went to the house. I’m gettin’ and alert for all first responders to show up on my phone. I have no clue what’s goin’ on but I’m about to find the fuck out,” I tell him, my body trembling and my heart beating uncontrollably in my chest.

  I can’t suck in a full breath as I straddle my bike, start the engine, and race from the clubhouse. There’s no way I’m taking the time to tie my bandana around my face or put my helmet on. If I knew Gwen was okay, it would be a different case; I don’t therefore I’m not wasting anymore time getting to her.

  As I race to my house, every member of the club is hot on my heels. They’re racing behind me as I get closer to my house. I can already see thick, black smoke billowing up to the sky. Lights flash up ahead as I slow down because the cops are already putting up a blockade. I’m not trying to die, I only want to lay eyes on my woman.

  Stopping my bike, I pull my phone out and click on Gwen’s name. It rings until going to voicemail. Hanging up, I immediately call her again. The same thing happens. Looking at the men surrounding me, I see them all pulling out their phones.

  “I can’t reach her,” I state, my level of panic increasing as I continue to try while making my way to the officer blocking traffic.

  “Sir, you can’t go past here,” he tries to tell me as I look for any friendly face.

  “What’s goin’ on?” I ask him, still looking for anyone we know and work with.

  “There’s been an explosion at one of the homes here,” he states, not giving me anything to go on.

  Finally, I spot Jim. He’s been on the force for a while and is semi-retired. He sees me and makes his way hastily over to us.

  “Killer, I got Gwen. She’s at the clubhouse with Rich and Kim. She didn’t hear her phone goin’ off because it was on silent for some reason,” Fox lets me know.

  Taking a deep breath, I calm my racing heart and let the smoke-filled air fill my lungs.

  “Jim, what’s goin’ on? I got an alert for all first responders to go to my house,” I question him as the punk ass cop looks on.

  “I hate to tell you this, Killer. Your house exploded. We have no clue of the cause yet obviously. For now, we’re still trying to put the fire out. I’ll let you know as soon as we find anything out,” Jim responds.

  Anger fills me. This is Neil. That fucker is going to die a slow, painful death when I get my hands on him. He just took this entire situation to an entirely new level. If Gwen had been close to the house, there’s no telling what would have happened to her. I need to leave here and get eyes on Gwen.

  Turning on my heel, I leave the scene. There’s nothing I can do here for now. I’ll have to wait on a call from Jim and the fire chief before we can take the next step. Slim and the guys make their way behind me as we head to the clubhouse. Again, I don’t waste time in my haste to get back to Gwen.

  Pulling in the clubhouse parking lot, I see her car parked near the door. I quickly park in my normal spot and race inside. Gwen is sitting on the couch with Kim. They’re talking softly among themselves as Rich sits at the bar and the house bunnies lounge around the room. Glares are being directed in my woman’s direction and that’s n
ot something I’ll have. Especially today.

  “Is there a fuckin’ problem here?” I shout out, causing all heads to turn my direction. “You bitches got no right to be glarin’ at my woman and Kim. You have a problem here, you know where the fuckin’ door is. Otherwise, find somethin’ to fuckin’ clean. This place is disgustin’.”

  Each of the house bunnies looks behind me. I know they’re looking to Slim instead of listening to me. That does nothing but raise my anger even more.

  “I’m an officer of this fuckin’ club and if I tell you to do somethin’ you better fuckin’ do it. I can easily kick each and every one of you out of here. It won’t bother me at all,” I state, walking closer to Gwen.

  The house bunnies jump up and scatter throughout the clubhouse. They know better than to disobey one of us. Today is not a good day for them to be trying my patience. Picking Gwen up in my arms, I sit down on the couch and place her in my lap. I don’t want her out of my sight or touching distance. I’m not sure I ever will again.

  “Killer, are you okay?” she asks me, placing her hands on each side of my face.

  “I am now, Sparrow. Got somethin’ to tell you,” I begin. “The house exploded. It must have happened shortly after you and Rich left. I doubt there will be anythin’ left of the place. I’m so sorry.”

  Gwen looks at me and rakes her eyes down the front of my body. She’s looking for any sign of injury. Wrapping my arms around her, I breathe in her soft, clean scent. It works miracles to finish calming me down.

  “Killer, I don’t care about the house. As long as we’re okay, the babies are safe, and everyone we love and care about is okay I’m good. We can figure out something with the housing situation at a later date. The only thing we need to do right now is find Neil and take him the hell down once and for all,” she tells me, keeping her voice low and soft.

  This is why I love Gwen. She’s not into material possessions and cares more about the people in her inner circle than anything else. She will be an amazing mother and I can’t wait until our babies make an appearance in the world. I want to watch her nurture them, love them, and teach our children how to be honest, loving people as they grow up in this dangerous, nasty world we live in.

  “Let’s go to our room,” I tell her, lifting her in my arms as I stand from the couch.

  “Killer, I’m gonna make the call. I’ll let you know what happens when I get a response,” Fox says.

  Nodding my head, I ignore everyone else around us as I make my way to our room. Once we’re safely locked inside, I lay Gwen gently on the bed and remove her clothes. After removing my own clothes, I climb in next to her and pull her into my arms. Neither one of us says a word as we lay there and just hang onto each other. This is all I need right now. Later, we’ll eat and watch some movies.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Gwen

  IT’S BEEN ALMOST a week since Killer’s house blew up. We all know Neil is behind the explosion, but there’s no way we can prove it. I’m no longer allowed to leave the clubhouse. In fact, all the ol’ ladies and kids are here now. The only ones are allowed to leave are those who have houses on the compound. During the day we’re all at the clubhouse though as the men do their thing and try to locate Neil. No one is having any luck.

  Killer barely lets me out of his sight. The only time he does is when he’s gone out searching for Neil and anyone else working for him. If he’s at the clubhouse, I’m on his lap if we’re in the common room or in his arms if we’re in our room. We don’t spend a lot of time in the common room once we’ve all eaten dinner though. We’ve been spending a lot of time talking about the babies, trying to think of names, and simply enjoying one another.

  Yesterday I had a doctor’s appointment. Killer went with me and I got the all clear to resume normal activities as long as I don’t overdo anything. I have to call immediately if I experience any cramping or start bleeding, but I should be okay now. My stomach is growing more each day and at this rate, I’ll be bigger than a house by the time I hit six months. I’m not looking forward to that part of the pregnancy. We did get to see the babies through an ultrasound and hear their heartbeats. It was the best sound I’ve heard in my entire life.

  Fox got ahold of Tommy and he’s on his way here. They want his help in finding out where Neil is and who else could be helping him get to me. There really can’t be too many men left. Even though I’m not supposed to know, they’ve taken out at least three or four of the guys who have been behind me getting packages and the other things that have been after me. Neil doesn’t let many people in. Yes, he has men who work for him and typically those are the only ones who he allows to do the job.

  Neil is much like my father in that regard. He doesn’t trust anyone and spends a lot of time and money to make sure he’s got the right men for the job. Unfortunately for him, these men don’t come close to comparing to the men of the Phantom Bastards. Anyway, Neil won’t be in a rush to go out and pick random people to work for him. He tries to find loyalty though no one is loyal to him. From what I always overheard when I was at my father’s house, no one likes Neil. They only work for him because of the money he pays them. They want a payday and that’s all. Doesn’t inspire a ton of loyalty if you ask me.

  One of the good things to come out of this is Tommy is coming here. He was the only one of my father’s employees who didn’t beat on me or torture me. If Tommy could manage to stop it from happening, he would. Honestly, it’s because of Tommy that I’m out of that house and living my life. Well, somewhat living it considering everything going on right now. Kim and I can’t wait to see him. Even though she wasn’t raised in that house, she still knows the man who saved each of us in more than one way.

  Fox let us know a little while ago that Tommy will be here in a few hours. He stopped to take care of a few things on his way here. As he’s been doing since getting Fox’s call and making his way here. I’m not sure what he’s taking care of, but I do know there’s only one reason these men would call him in; to help them take care of Neil. Tommy will have more information than they do, and they want his help. As long as we get to see him, I don’t care what’s bringing him back to us.

  “Gwen, the rest of the women are coming and we’re gonna make a ton of food to celebrate Tommy’s arrival,” Kim informs me as she comes over to where I’m sitting in the common room.

  “Sounds good. I can’t wait to see him!” I gush, letting my excitement flow free for the first time in weeks.

  “Me either. It’s been a long time,” she responds, sitting down next to me as we wait for the rest of the women to show up.

  Kim and I sit on the couch and talk while the Prospects and house bunnies continue to clean up around the clubhouse. I’m not sure when they got so lazy and started feeling as if they didn’t have to do their jobs around here, but they did. Not so much the Prospects though. Plus, they all have a million other things going on with helping look for Neil and whoever’s working for him. My sister and I talk about nonsense and babies as we have music playing softly in the background. I couldn’t even tell you what song’s playing as we don’t really pay attention to it.

  We’ve been in the kitchen for a few hours now. Everyone is making sure I’m sitting down and resting more than actually helping. However, there are still things I can do while sitting on a stool at the counter. Each of us have been in charge of making certain things. I’ve done a lot of cutting things up and getting stuff ready to put in salads, cook, bake, or mix.

  While we’ve worked, there has been talk, laughter, and singing extremely off key while we try to get things ready to feed our men. No hang arounds or anyone from outside is allowed in tonight like would normally happen. There’s just too much unknown with Neil and all the shit he’s trying to pull. I don’t want a bunch of outsiders in here because he could easily plant someone. I feel he’s already done it with Torres. No one can tell me any different either.

  I know Tommy’s here. He came in quickly to see Kim and me b
efore disappearing with the rest of the guys. Who knows what they’re doing. All I know is they aren’t in the common room or out back. The only ones in the common room are the house bunnies who are now sitting on their asses. We’d rather be the ones to cook for our men because you never know what people are going to do in order to get what they want.

  “Gwen, how did your appointment go yesterday?” Sam asks me, taking a short break.

  “It went good. I’m finally cleared completely. They don’t think there’s anything to worry about since I haven’t had any signs of miscarriage in the last almost month. Nothing else has been done to my food so I can now resume normal activities,” I tell my friends. “You know Killer though. He’s not going to let me do too much. Which is why I’m sitting here instead of moving around like normal. He’d have my ass if he came in and I wasn’t resting while working.”

  “You bet your ass I would,” Killer says, walking in the kitchen with wet hair and clean clothes on. “I love you Sparrow and I’m not takin’ any chances with you or our babies.”

  “I love you, too,” I reply, leaning up to meet him halfway for a kiss.

  Our kiss goes on and on. Neither one of us cares about the audience we have in the room. Other than the women, I’m not even sure if there’s anyone else in here. My focus was completely on my man. I’d rather be in bed with him, making up for the last month or so, but we have guests and that’s not going to happen until later. Much later.

  “My eyes,” I hear Tommy mutter from somewhere in the distance as Killer begins to pull away from me.

  I laugh out loud and see the kitchen is now full of members standing with their women. Tommy is the lone man out as he stands just off to my side.

  “Tommy, there is nothing wrong with your eyes. I’m not the same scared little girl you’re used to seeing,” I state, letting my sassy side show.

  “I know you’re not. I’m so very proud of you, Gwen. You’re thriving more than I ever thought possible. It’s taken the love of your family and a good man to let the true you shine through,” he tells me, making tears spill over my lashes. “I’m starving. What are we eating?”