by Anne Malcom
“My husband?” I continued, hating the fact I was tied to him through marriage. “Does he know? Does he know she’s okay?” I asked with desperation.
The doctor jolted slightly and gave me a searching look. “No, we were on our way to inform him of you and your daughter’s condition now.” Her voice had turned hard, and I knew she knew he did this.
“Don’t,” I pleaded. “Don’t tell him she’s alive.”
Her face turned carefully blank and she moved closer to me. “Miss Gregory, I’m obligated by law to let your husband know of his child’s condition.”
I battled to keep my eyes clear, steady. “That is not his child,” I declared passionately. “She isn’t his. No father would beat the mother of his child for months while a helpless baby tried to grow. No human being would do that. Only a monster,” I spoke quickly, quietly. “Please, you have to help me,” I wasn’t above begging. Not for my daughter’s life. I knew we couldn’t go back to Sid. He’d kill us. Kill me. I would not bring a defenseless child into that Hell. My child. He thought I didn’t know what he was. What he did. I knew. He underestimated me because he thought he’d broken me completely. But a part of me was still whole, for our daughter. So I knew that he hurt people, killed people. That he was part of something to do with drugs. I had to get out. If he knew she was alive, he’d never stop hunting us. This was my only chance.
The woman seemed to be battling with something while she looked at me. I knew I must have looked bad. I felt it.
“Okay,” she whispered quietly.
I sagged in relief, even though the battle was far from won. “Thank you,” I breathed, looking down at her nametag. “Alexis.”
So somehow she had made Sid think that the baby he had named Hillary was dead. He’d come into my room, sat at my bedside sobbing, begging for my forgiveness. I had sat stoically, doing my best to ignore him, to breathe through the way his hand clutched mine. I somehow made it. Made it through the stifling poison of his presence before he disappeared, promising to come back as soon as he could. Someone was looking out for me, because I caught a break. He didn’t come back, not for three days. Long enough for me to recover just enough to walk. To get out. Alexis, the doctor who saved our lives, organized for us to stay at a sort of rehab facility owned by a friend, just until I was well enough to travel. I hadn’t wanted to stick around, I had wanted to get as far away as quickly as possible, but Alexis convinced me to stay, to get stronger.
So I did, the whole time expecting Sid to burst in the doors and find me. Find us. He never did. Alexis gave me enough money and baby stuff for me to get far away. She also got both of us new identities. She had connections, experience dealing with women on the run, so she knew how to make us disappear. The odds were against us. A scared teenage mom and a newborn baby on the run. I had sixteen years of never catching a break, living life with no one looking out for me, but in the first weeks of Lexie’s life I was sure I had a guardian angel looking out for me. One that sent me Alexis. One that led me to a small hotel, and two wonderful people grieving the loss of their daughter.
I awoke with a jolt. The memories had come rushing back with the appearance of Sid’s face, his sickening presence. My eyes searched the room and I sat up, scuttling to the other edge of the bed when I saw Sid sitting on an armchair across the room, his leg crossed over his thigh, watching me.
“You were a pretty teenager, Button,” he said musingly. “But you’ve grown into a beautiful woman.” His eyes flitted over my face. “Even with the temporary imperfections,” he delicately described my injuries.
I managed to push myself off the bed, standing as far away as humanly possible. Sid pretended not to notice this. “I’ll admit,” he continued. “That I was,” he seemed to search for a word, “displeased when you ran from me. Even more so when you eluded me for sixteen years,” he said tightly, getting up, buttoning his jacket. “Then—” He stalked toward me and I pressed myself against a wall, nowhere else to go. “I finally caught a break. See, I’ve never stopped searching.” He paused. “My break was when I learned our daughter didn’t die that day,” he spoke softly as he approached me. “I learn that my little Button only let me think my child was dead.” His soft tone turned hard now, and his hand circled my neck. It was the same way Zane had so many times. But there wasn’t passion, tenderness, love beneath this touch. Only brutality. His hand tightened to pain and I gripped it, struggling to breathe.
“So, of course I doubled my efforts to get my family back together,” he told me as if he wasn’t strangling the life from me. “I caught another break. Found the people who took you in. Hid you from me.” He tilted his head, regarding me. “They didn’t sell you out, no matter how much pain I put them through. In the end, I had to dispose of them. Thankfully, I managed to get enough information from them once they were gone,” he said blandly, as if he wasn’t talking about murdering the only people who had given me love.
He seemed to realize that he was choking the life out of me and let go of my neck. I struggled to stay on my feet and doubled over, coughing, spluttering for air.
“You bastard,” I croaked when I was able to get enough air in my lungs. I straightened. “You bastard!” I repeated, louder this time and charged at him, lashing out with my nails, my fists, anything to cause him pain. My attack was laughable and he subdued me in a manner of seconds, his hands securing mine.
“They wouldn’t have had to die if you hadn’t forced my hand,” he informed me calmly as I struggled in his grip.
“You’re a monster,” I spat at him.
He shook his head. “Seems you’ve forgotten yourself after all these years, Abigail,” he said releasing my hands.
I didn’t try and fight this time, knowing there was no use. “I grew a spine,” I hissed at him. “I grew up. I realized you’re nothing but a sick coward who gets off on hurting those weaker than him.”
Sid’s face turned stormy. I held my head up high, willing myself not to give in to the fear coursing through my veins. “I don’t want to hurt you, Button,” he said, his emotional state as volatile as an active volcano. “You force me. You know that. All I want is my family back together.”
“We are not your family,” I answered with venom.
Sid smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong, Abby. You’re my wife. Hillary is my daughter. You’re mine.” His words held such a promise I had to remind myself he didn’t have her. She was safe.
“Her name is Lexie,” I corrected him, hating the name he had chosen days before he nearly killed her in my belly. “And she will never lay her eyes on the slime that sired her,” I promised him.
Sid stepped forward. “You might become more obedient once our daughter is under this roof,” he murmured. “Or she might find herself without a mother altogether,” he threatened softly, squeezing my chin between his thumb and forefinger. He looked at me a second longer, doing a quick sweep of my body. I flinched at the hunger that lay beneath his eyes.
“Get yourself cleaned up,” he ordered, stepping back. “I expect you ready in half an hour. Someone will be up to fetch you.” He spun on his heel and made for the door. He stopped with his hand on the knob. “It’s good to have you home, Abby,” he said over his shoulder. “I’ll make sure this time you don’t ever leave me again.”
With that firm promise he was gone.
“What’ve we got?” Bull barked at Wire, whose eyes were glued to multiple computer screens.
Bull didn’t know what half the shit on them even said, but he knew he was searching for evidence on Mia and Lexie. On who they really were.
Wire didn’t move his eyes from the screen. “Would have a hell of a lot more if I didn’t have the Incredible Hulk threatening to green up and wreck all my shit every five seconds,” he replied blandly.
Bull clenched his fists, restraining the urge to thump the wiry little fucker.
He felt someone clap him on the shoulder.
“Come on, brother, let him work,” Cade mutter
ed firmly.
Bull gave the screens one more look before turning to leave the room.
“We know anything more?” he grunted at his friend after they left the dark room, emerging in the hallway that led off to the rooms and the living area.
Cade shook his head. “Went over to Mia’s—place is trashed.” He gave Bull an uneasy look before continuing. “Signs of a struggle, ‘specially in her bedroom,” he went on carefully.
Bull couldn’t do it. Couldn’t restrain his monster anymore, so he turned and plowed his fist through the wall. When he had calmed slightly, he turned back to Cade.
“We got the pigs in on this?” he asked as if he hadn’t just decorated the clubhouse’s walls with the blood from knuckles.
They walked toward the bar, moving into Church. “Yep, Bill and his deputies are over there now,” he answered, moving to a bottle of whisky and two glasses.
“They know it all?” Bull asked, pacing the room.
“As much as we do, which is fuck all,” Cade handed him the glass.
Bull took it. He had no other choice. He needed something to stop him from crawling out of his own skin.
“Know armed guys broke into Mia’s, shot Kill, tried to take Lexie. Got Mia,” Cade sat at the head of the table. Bull remained standing as he continued.
“They’re working through their databases, trying to find out who they really are, but Wire’s got more of a chance of getting there first. Got her pic up on missing persons, all that shit.” Cade paused. “You sure you want them in on this, brother?
“Fuckin’ sure,” Bull clipped.
“But...”
Bull narrowed his eyes at his friend. “When Gwen was taken, did you not want as many fuckin’ eyes as possible looking for her?” He didn’t wait for a response. “Went down the road of shutting out the law—you know how that went down, brother,” he finished, trying his best not to let his demons in, but it was no use. They were there. Taunting him, presenting him with images of a broken lifeless body. The same one he saw in his dreams. But this time the face changed. It was Mia’s beautiful face that was lifeless and battered. A soft knock at the door barely penetrated the cloud of rage threatening to overwhelm him.
“Baby, not now,” Cade called softly.
Bull directed his gaze to Gwen, who was standing in the doorway, a grim look on her face.
“I’ve got something that might help.” Her eyes were on Bull.
Bull stepped forward, and before he even knew it he was clutching Gwen’s shoulders.
She looked up at him softly. “We’ll get her back,” she promised, sensing his desperation.
He felt Cade’s heat at his back. “Know your hurting, brother—know exactly how you feel. But gonna have to ask you to get your hands off my wife,” he requested in a hard tone.
Bull looked down at his hands, which he was sure were biting into Gwen’s shoulders. He quickly let go, stepping aside so Cade could pull her into his side, his hand resting on the swell of her bump.
“What you got, baby?” he asked quietly.
She looked to Cade a moment, then focused on Bull. “It isn’t much. Hardly anything, actually. More of an inkling,” she explained. “I don’t think the club has anything to do with Mia being taken,” she began, telling them something they already knew. Bull stiffened anyway, knowing Cade wouldn’t have told her this, which meant she knew something.
“Babe?” Cade questioned urgently.
“It was more something Mia said in passing, something I knew we couldn’t probe her too hard about. About Lexie’s dad,” she explained softly.
Bull’s fists clenched. He fuckin’ knew there was more to the story than Mia was letting on. He had meant to get down to the details later, when her grief wasn’t so fresh, when they had time. When he had time to hunt down the motherfucker. Now his time had run out.
“What about him?” Bull clipped. His tone was vicious, laced with fury. He knew he should have locked it down, ‘specially with Gwen. But he couldn’t. She knew him, knew he didn’t rein it in.
“Not much—she just alluded to the fact she had to get away from him. And the way she had to do it. By running,” she said quietly.
There was silence as Bull chewed on what this meant. Chewed on the fact she hadn’t told him this shit.
“Maybe you should talk to Lexie, see what she knows,” Gwen suggested. “She’s pretty shaken up and will only really talk to Killian and you.” She looked at Bull.
Bull didn’t say anything; shit was swirling in his head at an alarming rate. Cade turned Gwen in his arms. “Thanks, baby. Go get Lexie,” he ordered, kissing her lightly.
Gwen reached out and squeezed Bull’s hand after her husband released her. “We’ll find her,” she promised again, before leaving the room.
Cade turned to him. “Gotta rein it in around Lexie, brother. She can’t see you like this,” he told him.
Bull glared at him. “Fuckin’ know that,” he clipped.
Cade didn’t say anything, just nodded. The room was silent until Lexie came bursting through the door. The moment her eyes landed on Bull she ran over to him, colliding with his body and throwing her arms around him.
“Zane!” she cried.
He kissed her head, reveling in the peace that came with her presence. He put his arms around her.
She pulled back, leaving her arms around his waist. “You found Mom yet?” she asked hopefully.
Bull clasped her neck. “Not yet, darlin,’ but we’ll get her home soon,” he promised.
Her face fell but she nodded. “I know you will.” The utter faith in her tone socked him in the gut.
“Gotta ask you a coupla questions Lex,” he said softly, directing her to sit.
She reluctantly let him go to sit beside him at the table. Her gaze darted to Cade who gave her a small grin. She grinned shyly back.
“You holding up okay?” Bull asked for a start, his desperation for information taking a temporary back seat.
She nodded slowly. “Gwen’s got me sorted. And Kill’s going to be okay,” she said by answer.
The strength in her tone gave Bull pause. “You’re as strong as your mom is,” he observed with pride. “Need to ask you about your dad,” he continued.
Lexie’s face paled slightly. “My dad? What does he have to do with this?” she asked.
Bull had to tread carefully. “Not sure yet, maybe nothing. Just need to get hold of him in case he knows something that will help,” he explained.
Lexie chewed her lip. The gesture pierced through Bull, it was so much like her mother. He prayed to fuckin’ God he would see Mia chewing her lip like that again soon. Yes, to God. He wasn’t above getting on his knees and worshiping any fuckin’ deity that would get Mia back where she belonged. With him. With Lexie.
“I don’t know my dad,” she said quietly. “Mom never told me much about him, apart from he wasn’t someone we needed in our lives,” she told him, eyes glistening. “We had a fight not that long ago. About him. I wanted to know more, to know why he didn’t want to know me.” Her voice was low and full of vulnerability. Bull reached out and squeezed her hand, not letting go.
“We never fight, Zane, but we fought about him.” She paused, her eyes watering slightly. Bull put pressure on her hand. She took a deep breath, “She finally told me that we left for our own safety. That he isn’t a good guy. That’s all she said.” Her eyes sparkled with despair and fuck if it pierced through Bull’s heart. “Do you think it was him?” she whispered, barely audible. “Do you think my father would actually do something like this, shoot Killian, try and kidnap me?”
Bull cupped her face, unable to see his girl in so much pain. She’d lost her mother, possibly at the hands of her father whom she had never met. It was enough to fuck up anyone. “Don’t know, doll,” he told her honestly. “But we’ll find your mom. I’ll find her, I promise.”
Lexie’s eyes hardened slightly. Blinking away the tears, she regarded him with a maturity beyond her
years. She nodded. Her faith, her utter trust in him, went to the depths of him.
Bull kissed her head. “How’ bout you go and check on Kill,” he suggested when he saw Wire in the doorway, looking antsy. His brothers had filtered in without him even noticing.
She nodded, standing. She turned to leave and he couldn’t help it.
“Lex,” he called softly. She turned.
“Love you,” he murmured, not giving a fuck that his brothers were there, that Cade jolted slightly. He just needed this kid to know she wasn’t alone, that he was there. He’d always be there.
She smiled a sad smile. “Love you to the moon,” she said quietly, like he heard her say to her mom.
When she was gone Wire anxiously approached the table, an iPad in his hands. They found something. Finally.
“Speak,” Bull barked at the apprehensive expression on the fucker’s face. All gentleness was gone. That was for Lex, for Mia. Only them.
“Well, digging into the people in Mia’s life had me looking at the Thorndons. Hacked into DCPD, got the coroner’s report,” he started, eyes on the device.
Bull gritted his teeth. Ava and Steve. This didn’t seem like it was going any place good. He had tried to speak with the cops after they interviewed Mia, but the fuckers weren’t exactly hot on providing someone like him with info. Merely said it was a robbery gone wrong.
“They were tortured,” Wire stated blankly. “In a way that someone was trying to get information out of them. It wasn’t pretty, man,” he addressed Bull.
The rage that filtered through him at that moment caused him to still. He didn’t know these people, but they were Mia and Lexie’s family.
Wire took his silence as a cue to go on. “Their place was also ransacked. Someone was looking for something.” He was scrolling through shit on the screen.
Cade sat at the head of the table, face grim. Bull knew he was feeling fury at an old couple getting tortured and murdered. Not only that, they were connected to the club, however loosely. “They find it?” his prez bit out.