I can’t deny that I’m worried about Fallon. How did we not know she’d gone missing? She can’t have been gone long because Red would have said something. He thinks a lot of Fallon, and if he’d known she was missing, he would have done anything to find her. That and we’d all know about it already.
What kind of man am I? I should have fought harder to make Fallon listen to me.
Did she willingly go to that bastard, or did he snatch her off the street?
My cell rings in my pocket. Fallon’s number!
I answer it after yelling for everyone to be quiet, and the Prez demands I don’t mention Ava at this point if Brick doesn’t first. Just in case.
“Fallon?”
“You wish!” Comes the voice of a man I fucking despise!
“What do you want, Brick?” All eyes are on me. Roman, I can tell, is struggling to keep his mouth shut.
“I have something that belongs to you.” Prick is taunting me. I might be angry with Fallon for the secrets she kept from me, for the fact she tried to push me away, but I can’t deny that I love her and that has never happened to me before. Not like this.
Prez mouths for me to put the call on speaker. I do.
“If you want it back, then there’s something I want from you in return.”
“And what’s that?”
“A key. A tiny safe deposit box key. A key Thor took from me years ago. Right before I shot the traitorous motherfucker!” Oh, shit!
Bastard is sniggering on the other end of the line while all eyes are now on a very pale, very angry Red, hands fisted beside him. He’s going kill the motherfucker on the end of this line. No one could blame him, and no one will stop him.
Red finally found his son after years of searching, only to have him snatched away just like that by a man who should have been Scott’s brother. A man he trusted.
“What are you talking about, Brick? What key? We’ve never seen any such thing.”
“The last thing Thor ever said to me was that I’d never find that key, that he’d given it to someone who would know what to do with it when the time came.
“This bitch swears she knows nothing. The only other person Thor gave that much of a shit about was his father. I know Red has that key.”
Red narrows his eyes. He has no clue what the hell Brick is talking about.
“You have one hour, cocksucker. If I don’t have that key, I’ll let the bitch die! Simple.”
“What the hell have you done to her?!”
“Calm down, Casanova, I ain’t touched her.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Talk, bitch!” He snaps so venomously I have to grind my teeth, so I don’t say anything to set him off.
“Trace?”
“Fallon. Baby, are you okay? Has he hurt you?”
“Trace,” Her voice is weak, something’s wrong, I just know it! “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been...” Her breathing is labored. “A bitch to you, but I did- didn’t mean it... Did my dad...”
“Yes,” I cut her off. I know what she’s saying without her even trying. She wants to know if Ava arrived safely and if Roman will take care of her. Brick is still oblivious that much is obvious. As pissed off as I am with Fallon for keeping such a big secret from me, I love her, and I want her home with me where she belongs. I won’t risk saying anything that could get her killed.
“I want you to know that I love you, Trace.”
“Shut up, bitch!” A resounding crack echoes across the line, so loud every man felt it. Cunt hit her! And he wants us to believe he hasn’t already hurt her?
“Keep your filthy hands off of her!”
“I want that key, Trace! If I don’t get it within the next hour, the fact she has a bullet in her thigh will be the least of your worries!” My head shoots around, finding Roman, he’s pale, all the color drained from his face. He stumbles into the chair beside him. Poor bastard is in shock.
“Oh, and Trace?”
“What, you fucker?!” I yell. I just want to pound his fucking face in until there’s nothing left of the cunt!
“Sorry about the kid you knocked her up with, don’t think it survived the gunshot trauma.” Cunt! Motherfucking cunt! “One hour. Meet me at Wilson Valley. Let me know when you have what I want. If you’re lucky, she’ll still be alive. If not...” I sense him shrugging. “One hour or I’m coming for all of you!” With that, he ends the call.
Time to get this cunt!
Chapter Twenty-One
Fallon
Two hours earlier
Planning on keeping me here long?”
“As long as it takes.” I roll my eyes at Brick. He doesn’t scare me anymore. If he were going to kill me, he would have by now.
For the past two weeks, I’ve been getting my head together. I gave up my trailer because it was time. I moved in with Red for a little while. He was right, running away wouldn’t have been good. I don’t know anyone other than the people in this town. Where the hell would I go? Being alone didn’t sound too appealing, either.
I don’t know who told Red that I was packing up to leave, but he was at my door, telling me to stay with him, that I didn’t have to tell anyone if I didn’t want to, and he wouldn’t either. I told Red that I didn’t want Trace to know where I was. I didn’t because I needed some time away from him to figure out what I really want.
Red agreed and then helped me pack up Scott’s things and put them into storage. I couldn’t bear to throw anything away just yet. Red helped me pack up the few belongings I wanted to take with me, everything else I left behind. I didn’t need it any longer. The next tenants will be able to move into a furnished home. Not that it’s much good, but still.
I left the keys with the old guy across the way, and he told me he’d get them to the landlord. I figured staying with Red would help sort me out. Some time with Scott’s little brothers would do me a world of good. Cole and I get on so well, and he always refers to me as his sister. That means the world to me because I know Cole means it from the heart. He reminds me so much of Scott it’s scary sometimes. He’s always making sure I eat, that I’m okay, and if I want to talk about Scott, he’s willing to listen. It’s nice because it feels like I have a new little brother.
For a sixteen-year-old, Cole is very knowledgable about life, and I find myself talking to him about all sorts of things. We laugh together, and we’ve cried together about Scott. Cole wanted to know everything about our big brother, and I enjoyed telling Cole stories.
I notice Red and Tammy watching Cole and I talking the other night. They both had smiles on their faces as Red said, ‘Your big brother loved you both so much. Hold him in your heart, and he’ll always be with you.’ Then he looked at me and said, ‘Always remember that we are you’re family, Fallon. No matter what happens in life from here on in, you’re one of us and always will be.’ I cried happily and nodded my head.
I was finally starting to feel better about things, and life didn’t seem like it was crushing me.
I’ve started college and my little teaching job. I’ve also come to realize that things weren’t as bad as they seemed. Red spoke to me about Roman, and why he didn’t come forward before now. Roman was worried about coming forward in case Red killed him for sleeping with my mother. He thought Red would blame him for her taking Scott away from him, and he didn’t want to hurt Red. Roman wasn’t worried about himself. Red is a brother to Roman, and all these years, knowing my mother took off with Scott had Roman filled with guilt.
Roman was young when he slept with my mom, just eighteen years old. A silly kid who’d just joined an MC and thought he was God’s gift to women. What eighteen-year-old wouldn’t have thought with his dick when an older woman came on to him? Trust me; my mother was a real whore. She was much older than Roman, but that would not have bothered her. It would have been nothing but a game to her.
Red told me how he didn’t blame Roman for my mother leaving. Red believed she was planning to do that anyway. They hugge
d it out, and now they’re ready to move on. However, Red said that Roman had suffered all these years knowing I was out there somewhere and he wasn’t able to see me, hold me, even know my name.
Roman had hoped that Red would find Scott, and then he could come clean about being my father. He hoped that he’d be able to be my Dad, and I would have always known how much he loved me. However, that didn’t happen because Red could find Scott anywhere.
Red then told me how upset Roman is that he never got the chance to speak to me about all of this. Whatever Roman’s reasons for not telling me sooner who he was to me, don’t change the fact that he allowed me to wonder about my father while the whole time he knew the truth. He said nothing, and I don’t think I will ever truly understand why. He was a coward, and no matter how many times Tammy tells me that Roman was afraid I would reject him will make any difference now.
Though I lay in bed last night, crying silently, as I thought about how Roman must be feeling. I couldn’t deny it to myself any longer that I love him. People tell me all the time how much Roman loves me, how he wants to hold me and tell me the truth. I wanted to hate him for not coming forward sooner, I wanted to tell him that he’ll never be my Dad, but as I held my pillow to my chest, I knew that wasn’t true. Not any longer, at least.
I don’t want to go through the rest of my life not knowing Roman’s side of things. He’s my Daddy, and that counts for something, right?
I decided I’d see him after school today. I didn’t tell anyone about it, but I did tell Red that I’d be home around six. I didn’t make it to Roman’s because Brick decided to kidnap me like some pathetic stalker. He’s kept me locked in his silly clubhouse office for the past two hours. He won’t even tell me what this is all about. All he told me is that he’d kill me if I didn’t keep my mouth shut.
I won’t keep my mouth shut, and I won’t let him scare me either. I’m not going to sit here and let him treat me like some dumb slut he owns. He doesn’t own me and never will.
“What exactly are you trying to achieve, Brick?” The smack that comes to my cheek shocks me. It was strong, powerful, commanding, and... it’s drawn blood from my split lip.
“I told you to shut your fuckin’ mouth until I tell you to speak!” I don’t say anything. What would be the point, he’ll only hit me again.
I’m tired, and all I want to do is go back to Red and Tammy’s, take a nice long shower and sleep. No, I want to go to Roman’s and tell him that I love him. I want to hear him say those words to me as he holds me. It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen any time soon.
“They’re gonna regret ever crossin’ me.” Brick mumbles to himself. Classic Brick. “That piece of shit you chose over me is dead,” My blood runs cold, my breathing starts coming in fast bursts. He’s just trying to get in my head, I know this, but it’s not easy trying to stop him when I’ve been here hours. “All you have is me. The sooner you realize it, the better.”
“You’ll have to kill me because there is no way I’ll ever be anything to you. Cops are just dying for you to slip up, not to mention the Snakes Henchmen. Them or the cops, I don’t care, but I’ll make sure...” Is all I get out of my mouth before the searing pain I feel in my upper thigh forces a blood-curdling scream from my throat.
I can’t move for the pain; all I can do is hold my leg and try to breathe through it. There’s blood everywhere! The stupid cunt shot me!
Jesus, I’m going to bleed to death before anyone finds me. Not that anyone knows I’m even here. I didn’t tell anyone this asshole was threatening me. I should have.
“I told you to shut the fuck up. You should’ve listened!” Yeah, I should have. “Looks like I need to rush my plan forward before you bleed to death on my damn floor!” He’s crouching down in front of me, my face in his hand, forcing me to look at him. I’m sweating because of the pain. The hate in his eyes, my God, he’s lost his damn mind!
“Look what you made me do, Fallon. I could’ve given you the damn world,” Doubtful. “But you had to be an ungrateful cunt just like your brother.”
“Fuck you!” I hiss and then scream when he presses his damn thumb into the bullet wound he put in my leg. Fuck, this is the worst pain I have ever felt!
The vile, mocking smirk on his face tells me everything I need to know. He’s lost his mind, and he wants me to die slowly, right here, right now.
“Brick, please...”
“Won’t do you any good to beg, little girl. You should’ve thought about that before.” Before what? God, my head is spinning with the pain! I feel like I’m going to both vomit and pass out. “That poor little girl out there, waiting to see her mommy.” Son-of-a-bitch! He brought her here to use her to make me do what he wants. “Now, she has to see you like this. What kind of impression is this going to leave?”
“Why are you doing this? You don’t need to bring her in here... for this.”
“I think I do.” He smirks. He doesn’t care about me; he never has. It was all lies.
“Boss? What’s goin’ on in here?” I can’t see who just walked through the door; my eyes are losing focus. My hearing is starting to fail me. I’m losing too much blood from my leg.
I hear arguing, but it’s the kind of sounds you’d hear underwater, all muffled and not making sense. Then I feel someone lifting me off the ground, or am I dying, and my soul is raising? No, that can’t be, I can feel the heaviness of my body.
All I can think about is why.
Why is Brick doing this?
Why didn’t I speak to my father before now?
Why didn’t I cuddle my baby brother and sister and tell them that I love them both?
Why didn’t I hold onto my baby, keep her close to me and never let her go?
Why did I tell Trace that I’d choose Brick over him? That would never happen. I love Trace, and now I’m never going to see him again. I’m going to die here because of this crazy motherfucker, and I had so much I wanted to do with my life. So much, I will never get to do.
I have to fight to stay alive. I just have to.
* * *
Mommy?” I force my heavy eyes open to look at the little girl now tapping my arm.
Flick, one of Brick’s guy’s, lay me down and dug out the bullet from my thigh. He then poured vodka over the wound, which hurt like crazy, packed the wound, stitched me up, covered the injury, and then pumped me full of painkillers on Mortar’s orders. Mortar is VP here, my friend, or so I thought.
I reach for my baby and sit her on my stomach. I’m sitting up slightly, which helps. “Baby girl,” I haven’t seen her in a while. Brick wouldn’t allow it. He never lets me see her often, and when he does, he’s never with her. It’s always May and Mortar that are with her.
May is Mortar’s wife. Mortar is an okay guy, I guess. He was good to Scott and me back when Scott was part of the club. May was always friendly with me when Scott was alive. They’ve both been kind to my little girl, and I can’t say they haven’t.
The day Brick offered to take Ava for a while so I could concentrate on Scott, I never dreamed he’d keep her from me. He gave her to May to raise, but on the understanding that May always told her about me. That was the promise he gave me. I was so low and filled with grief, and Brick twisted my mind and made me believe that I couldn’t take care of Ava. The sad thing is that I knew I couldn’t back then.
Brick promised me so much where Ava was concerned. If I refused him, he would threaten to hurt my little girl, but Mortar swore to me that no matter what, he would never allow Brick to hurt Ava. I believed Mortar, and that why I would never agree to be Brick’s.
I should have told Trace about Ava, and we could have worked out a way to bring her home to me. The Snakes Henchmen would have helped. I was stupid keeping it to myself, but I honestly didn’t have everything she needed. Ava needed a safe place to live, and I needed to a decent job.
There’s no point thinking about it now, I did the wrong thing, and I’ve landed myself in shit with a lun
atic.
Looking at my little girl, I realize that I should have tried so much harder to be her mother. Ava is just three years old, and she doesn’t understand any of this. Ava lays her head on my shoulder as I hold her tightly. She’s such a tiny little three-year-old and looks more like a two-year-old, but she speaks and acts like a ten-year-old at times.
I stroke the back of her head and try not to cry. I feel so damn guilty. All I’ve ever done is think about myself when I should have been thinking about my daughter. I hate myself for it, and I can’t stand the pain inside of me. I love Ava more than anything in this world, and I realize now that in thinking I was doing what’s best for her, I turned myself into a selfish bitch. No matter how badly I was grieving, I should have been there for my daughter.
I wasn’t there for Ava when I should have been, but I can put that right now.
May pulls up a chair beside the couch I’m lying on and strokes the back of my head. “I had no idea he’d do this to you, Fallon.”
“How could you know?”
“I don’t know, but I should have. Mortar is going crazy out there.”
I don’t care about any of that. All I care about is getting this little girl away from here. Moreover, I don’t care what I have to do to make it happen. Ava needs to be safe. She was never safe here, and I will forever regret that. The only comfort I have is knowing Mortar and May never hurt Ava, and they never let anyone else hurt her either.
“May, you have to help me get Ava someplace safe. She can’t be here anymore.”
May looks at me with narrow eyes. This is a long shot, a really long shot, but there’s no one else I can trust. May loves Ava; she’s proven that a hundred times over, and I know she’ll do what’s best for my daughter. The little girl who lost her father because my brother beat him to death for so much as thinking about touching me. The little girl Scott fell in love with as soon as she came into the world. The little girl, I gave to a monster because I was too lost in grief and the thought that I wasn’t enough for her, deserves more than the life she’s been handed so far.
Two Of A Kind: Snakes Henchmen MC Page 16