“Carli, the deal is off if you don’t turn up here tomorrow night,” I said, stopping her in her tracks. She didn’t turn to look at me, but I knew she’d registered my words.
“Whatever your problem with me is, I’m still going to look for your niece. I won’t go back on my word. If they have Hazel, I will save her. But not if you don’t honor our little agreement,” I continued.
I thought she was about to say something, but she walked up to the door, opened it and then disappeared instead. I shook my head when the door slammed shut.
10
Carli
I quietly walked up the stairs to our apartment, hoping that Amanda was asleep. As I reached our door, I froze for a second when I heard her walking around. Shit. I was hoping to sneak back in and not have to see her. She must have stayed up for me or couldn’t sleep. I quickly grabbed the front of my dress with the missing hooks as I pushed open the front door.
“Where have you been?” she asked from the couch, her face pinched with worry.
“Just at work,” I replied and hurried past her to my room. Amanda followed me and stood at the door while I changed into my pajamas.
“You’ve been at work? Then what happened to your dress?” she asked. I shook my head, feeling more guilty now than when I’d lied to her before. Especially since I knew that Rogue was just helping me because of the sex.
When I didn’t reply, Amanda stepped up to me and put a hand on my shoulder.
“Carli? What’s going on? We shouldn’t be keeping secrets from each other. I’ve learned it the hard way,” she said.
I looked at her, feeling miserable. I hated lying to my sister, but I knew exactly what she would say when I told her. She would say that I was stupid for striking a deal with him. Especially one like this.
Deep down I knew I should be angry with Rogue, and a part of me was. An innocent child was wrapped up in his brother’s mess and he didn’t really seem to care. But another part of me was completely drawn to him. I had never felt like I had when I was with him, and I didn’t want it to stop.
“I went to meet Rogue Daniels,” I replied.
Amanda looked over me, horrified. She reached for my face, running her fingers through my hair.
“Oh my God, Carli! What did he do to you? What happened? Why did you go?”
I left the room and she followed me out. I could still feel him inside me with each step I took. I shouldn’t have liked how good it felt. And I shouldn’t have been looking forward to tomorrow night.
“I went to meet him because we’ve come to an agreement. He’s going to find Hazel and bring her back to us, but he wants something in return,” I said, collapsing on the couch.
Amanda sat down beside me. “What does he want? Why was your dress torn? Carli, did he hurt you?”
I looked into my sister’s concerned eyes. How was I supposed to explain to her that I wasn’t being as selfless as she imagined me to be? How was I going to explain that I wanted Rogue’s hands all over me like they were earlier?
“He wants me to meet him for four nights…” I said.
Amanda jumped up off the couch with her hands clasped to her mouth.
“He’s asked you for sex in exchange for finding Hazel?” Amanda asked.
“It’s not what it sounds like. I’m not a victim here, Amanda. Trust me. I can’t explain it but, I want him and I...”
“I get it,” Amanda said as she sat back down on the couch shocking me with her reaction. “If Rogue is anything like Grimm, I completely get it.”
“I know it looks bad,” I continued. “My dress was torn because things got really heated up at his place. He isn’t violent with me…in fact, he’s the opposite…” my voice trailed as I fantasized about him again.
I expected him to be a very different kind of lover. Instead, Rogue was gentle with me, treating me like a precious object and making me feel amazing. I had no idea how to explain that to my sister.
“I know what you mean. That was exactly how Grimm was like,” she said, reminding me that she was well acquainted with the Daniels men.
“Amanda…I’m sorry…” I said and before I knew it, my eyes watered up. My sister pulled me close.
“What do you have to be sorry about? You said yourself that he was focused on finding Grimm. And Grimm has to be where Hazel is. I should have known that there would be some price to pay to find her. I should be the one that is sorry.”
I shook my head.
“It’s not just for Hazel. I mean, it started off being about her…but…” I couldn’t get the words out. I hated that I was being so selfish while Hazel was missing. Amanda stared at me, but she didn’t look horrified anymore. It was like she understood me.
“But now you want him, too. I get it, honey,” she said and stroked my hair.
“I feel horribly guilty, Amanda. I should only be thinking of Hazel.”
“You are. You’re doing the best you can in this situation. If there’s anybody to blame, it’s me. I kept this a secret from you for eight years. I even kept those threats a secret from you. Maybe if I’d been a better mother, I could have stopped this. Maybe Hazel could have been safe here with us,” she said as we both cried.
I knew at some point I would have reign in my feelings. To Rogue, his priorities were finding Grimm. I was just an exciting bonus. Once he found Grimm, and hopefully Hazel, our relationship would end and that would be it. I would have to lock my heart away from this, if I was ever going to be ok once it was all over.
I had to remember that finding Hazel was my priority.
“I’m sorry for criticizing you constantly, Amanda. You’re not a bad mother. You’ve tried your best. You made mistakes, but so have I.”
She nodded her head and held me tighter.
“It doesn’t matter, Carli. I know how much you love us. I know you’ll do anything for us. I just want my baby back. If I have her back, I promise I’ll get my shit together,” she said.
I hugged her tightly. She was the only one who could understand the conflicting feelings I had toward Rogue. She’d been through it with Grimm.
“Honey, can I give you a piece of advice?” she asked, wiping her tears. I nodded my head. “Try and stay emotionally distant from Rogue. I know you want him, but don’t want him any more than just sexually. Daniels men can think of nothing more than themselves. That’s just how they’re wired,” she said as she pulled slightly away from me, forcing me to look at her. “You have to remember that the club will always come first, and the stuff they are involved in is dangerous. It’s why I didn’t want to raise Hazel around that in the first place.”
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat while I stared at her.
How was I supposed to do that when I could already feel myself craving him…and not just his cock. I wanted to be in his arms. I wanted him to kiss me and tell me that he believed me.
“Okay, I won’t fall for him,” I told Amanda, but even I didn’t believe those words. I could see the look of sympathy in my sister’s eyes, knowing I was only kidding myself.
11
Rogue
I drank some more after she left, unable to get her out of my head. I knew I’d done the right thing by setting the record straight with her. Carli needed to know what this arrangement was about. She had to be clear about the expectations.
I wanted to fuck her and believed that sleeping with her four times would be enough. After that, I could move on to the next beautiful face I found at a bar.
She also needed to know that I didn’t fully trust her story about Hazel. If that kid was really Grimm’s, I wouldn’t buy it till he admitted it himself. I didn’t know Carli, so how was I supposed to take her word for it?
Despite all these facts, I still sat in my apartment thinking about her. I didn’t believe that Hazel was really my niece, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want to help Carli. This was an eight-year-old kid who had been kidnapped by those motherfuckers. I considered it my duty to rescue her, whether she was
related to me or not.
The one thing I was sure of now was that Carli wasn’t working with the Sons of Satan. Unless she was one hell of an actress, there was no way she would have reacted the way she did about Hazel. So, she really did believe that the Sons of Satan took her niece because she was Grimm’s daughter. And that was the problem.
I couldn’t really explain why, but I wanted to protect her. I could easily tell that she had never been involved with people like my brother and me. The second that she mentioned talking to the police, I knew that she completely innocent. If she was in the motorcycle club world, she would have known right away that the police would old end up making things worse. As much as I hated to admit it to myself, I knew I wanted to help her.
My only hope was that I’d be able to let her go after our four nights were up and I found Hazel.
After I’d been drinking for close to an hour, I decided to leave the apartment. I needed to stop obsessing over Carli.
I need to do something to move forward with finding Grimm. I hated just sitting and waiting for more intel to come in. I pulled out my cell phone and scrolled through my contacts, trying to find anyone that might know someone about what the Sons of Satan were up to. I came across Kane’s number, who belonged to Knights street gang, and called his number.
“Shit Rogue,” Kane said answering on the first ring. “I didn’t think I would hear from you again.”
“Yeah,” I said with a slight laugh. “I didn’t think I’d ever need to call you again.” Kane almost joined up with the Black Cobra MC when I was still a part of the club. He was about to join as a prospect, but his older brother pulled him into the Knights. I was the one that smoothed things over with Grimm and my Uncle about him joining the Knights instead of the Black Cobras.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Do you have time to meet up? I need your help.”
“Shit must be bad if you are calling me. Our usual spot?”
“Yup, I’ll meet you there.”
I hung up my cell and headed out to the garage. Instead of driving my car, I opted for hoping on my old motorcycle that was parked next to it, collecting dust. Hell, if I was working with the Black Cobras again, I may as well looked like it.
When I arrived, Kane was already sitting at our spot at the bar.
“Long time, man,” he greeted me. I flagged down the bartender and ordered a repeat of his drinks.
“Yeah, been busy with the business. But I’m sure you know why I’m here,” I told him, sitting down.
Kane nodded. “I was shocked to hear about Grimm. Do you have any leads?”
“I know it’s the Son’s. But what I can’t figure out is how easily he went. It’s almost as if he turned himself in to them.”
“Fuck man,” Kane sighed. “I mean, Grimm is literally invincible. Even the Son’s knew not to fuck with him. So, they had to have something.” Kane hissed, looking over his shoulders to make sure no one overheard us.
“Was there something going on with the Son’s and Grimm that I didn’t know about? Like what the hell could they have had on him?” As soon as the words left my mouth, my mind went back to Carli. Could Hazel really be the reason why he left?
“Nobody seems to know anything. It’s insane,” he replied.
I sipped the whiskey in my hand as Kane stared me. I knew he wanted to help. He had been a reliable source to me for several years.
“Have you heard anything about this kid named Hazel?” I asked, taking my chances. Kane raised an eyebrow.
“Is that what her name is?” he asked. I glared at him, as I felt the anger bubble up in my chest.
“You’ve heard about her?” I asked.
Kane sighed. “I’ve only heard rumors. But the word on the street, was that Crow gave orders to pick up an eight-year-old girl,” he replied.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“That asshole gave orders to kidnap an eight-year-old kid and nobody did anything about it?” I growled.
Kane looked down, shame coloring his face. My hands clasped around my whiskey glass so I wouldn’t clasp them around Kane’s throat.
“What were we going to do about it? I mean, the Knights don’t have the means to stop Crow and his club,” Kane replied, but I could sense his guilt.
“What happened to this underlying rule of never hurting kids?” I asked. Back when I was part of the Black Cobras, there was somewhat of an unspoken rule to not fuck with kids.
“Not everyone follows your club’s rules,” Kane said.
“It’s not my club,” I said with a clenched jaw.
“Word is with Grimm gone; you took over the Black Cobras.”
“Just to help find him. Then I’m out.” Kane looked over at me and I gripped my glass again. I got out of the club to avoid all of this fucking drama, only to be pulled right back into it.
“Do you know the kid?” Kane asked pulling me from my thoughts.
“Something like that. I need to find her and also find out why Crow wanted her,” I growled through gritted teeth.
“Okay, I’ll do some digging around. But no promises,” he said.
My phone rang in my pocket and I slipped it out.
“Rogue,” Cash’s voice said on the other end.
“What do you have for me?” I asked, standing up from the chair.
“Crow has agreed to a meeting to discuss terms,” Cash said.
“Terms for what?” I spat.
“Terms for Grimm, and terms for the kid.”
I stood up from my bar stool and walked to the end of the bar, away from Kane. How did they know that I was looking for the kid as well?
“When and where?” I asked.
“Day after tomorrow. Midnight. At a location they will text to us before the meeting. I can go. I’ll take a few guys with me,” Cash told me.
“No fucking way. I’m going to do this myself. I need this fucker to talk,” I growled into the phone.
“Rogue, if they get both the Daniels brothers; there is no coming out of this,” Cash said, but I shook my head.
“I need to fucking do this. It has to be me,” I hissed as I punched the wall next to me, splitting open my hand.
12
Carli
I arrived at Rogue’s apartment the next night, just like he had told me to. The previous night, I had left in a storm and even though I was embarrassed to go back there, I had no other choice. Rogue had made it very clear to me that the only way he would keep looking for Hazel was if I kept up my end of the bargain.
He opened the door as soon as I knocked, and I was mad at myself for being glad to see him.
Tonight, he had a bandage around his palm. Just as I was about to ask him if he’d cut himself, I stopped myself in time. It wasn’t my place to be concerned about him personally. It wasn’t that kind of a relationship.
Instead, I walked into his apartment silently and took off my jacket.
“So, you’re back,” he said. He already had a glass of whiskey in his hand. I forced myself to meet his eyes.
“It’s not like I have any other option,” I replied.
“Of course, you do. You’re free to walk out of here anytime you want,” he said, a faint grin on his face.
My nostrils flared with suppressed pride.
“At the cost of my niece’s safety!” I snapped. Rogue took a long sip of his drink, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, and lit it. It was obvious that he wasn’t going to respond to my previous statement. We both knew what the terms were.
“I got confirmation that the Sons of Satan have Hazel,” he said.
I gasped and controlled my emotions. This was exactly what I needed to hear. I was desperate to know that we were doing the right thing. That all this was not going in vain. It would have killed me to find out later that I was just wasting time.
“Where is she?” I asked, rushing toward him.
Rogue breathed in a mouthful of smoke and then walked over to a window in the room and
opened it.
“I don’t know. If I did, I would be there right now,” he said.
I had so many questions to ask him. I was relieved. At least now we knew who took her. Which meant that there was still hope.
“What is your plan? How are you going to rescue her?” I asked.
Rogue remained standing at the window smoking his cigarette.
“If I did have one, I wouldn’t be sharing it with you. Remember, no small talk,” he said.
“So, do you believe me now?” I asked, crossing my arms over my breasts.
“That they have your niece? Yes, I do,” he replied.
“About Grimm being her father,” I said. Rogue puffed his cigarette again.
“We have been through this, Carli. I won’t believe anything till I hear it from Grimm himself,” he said.
Those familiar tears rose up again.
“Why else would they take Hazel?”
“There could be a lot of reasons why they would take her,” he replied.
“Like Grimm is her fucking father?” My voice shook with anger.
“Why can’t you accept that I want to talk to Grimm about this first?”
I wrapped my arms tighter around my chest. He had a point. I had no way to prove that Hazel was actually Grimm’s daughter, only Amanda’s assurance that she was. I wouldn’t be able to change Rogue’s mind until he talked to Grimm about Amanda.
“Fine,” I said as I dug deep within myself to stir up some confidence. “Then what are you going to do next? How are you going to save Hazel?” Rogue glared at me, “And your brother,” I quickly added.
“We are working on it,” he said as he finished up his cigarette and closed the window. He then turned to look at me.
“You still don’t trust me, do you?” I asked already knowing the answer.
“I don’t trust anybody,” he replied.
“Not even yourself?” I asked.
Rogue: The Black Cobras MC #1 Page 6