by K. J. Dahlen
Sam didn’t realize it at the time, but the boy had come to mean something to him. He hadn’t realized that until the day Deke walked out on him and his lifestyle. It had nearly broke his heart but he hadn’t wanted to admit it to anyone, not even himself.
He sat there gazing at the painting on the wall. He wouldn’t admit it but he wanted so much more for Deke than he ever had and that included the love of a good woman and a family. When he heard about the wedding, he’d come here only to make sure the woman was good enough for his son. ‘Well old man, you certainly fucked that one up royally, didn’t you?’ he thought to himself. He lifted the glass to his lips and was about to swallow when Gator sat down across from him. Sam glared at the other man over the top of his glass.
Gator simply sat there and glared back at him. When he folded his arms across his chest, Sam frowned.
“What the fuck do you want?” Sam growled.
“I could ask you the same question,” Gator countered.
“I don’t answer to you or any other man here,” Sam retorted.
“You’d better check your attitude at the door man. This isn’t your house, it’s Deke’s.”
Sam sneered. “And Deke is my kid.”
“That has nothing to do with why you came and you know it.”
Sam slammed his glass down on the table. “Go to hell. I don’t have to have a reason to see my own son.”
Gator nodded his head in agreement. “Normally, I would agree with that but the last time the two of you were together harsh things were said by both of you. If you press this visit you might not like what he does about it.” Gator leaned forward. “You fucked up bad with him, old man. You should have given him what you claimed you wanted. Respect. He was almost a man when you found him and you wanted him to be a mini you. When that didn’t work, you tried to beat it into him. How did that work out for you?”
Sam broke the glass in his hand when his grip tightened too much. Whiskey dripped from his fingertips onto the table, mixing with the blood dripping from a few cuts the glass made.
Gator didn’t even flinch as he continued, “You’ve got to let it go, Bones. He’s his own man, good or bad. Your opinion doesn’t matter to him. He lives the way he wants to. He found himself a good woman. She’s not perfect in any way, shape or form, her life has been a hard one, but she’s great for him. She completes him like no other woman ever will. You ruined what should have been a great day for him. He’s gonna marry that woman whether you like it or not. Don’t fuck it up or he’ll cut you out of his life for good.” Gator stood up and looked over at Amos standing against the wall, then with one final glare at Sam, he walked away.
Sam glared at the Gator as he grabbed a napkin off the table and cleaned the blood off his hand.
Sabbath, his Sargent at Arms leaned toward him and asked, “So what are you gonna do about this? Do we stay or go?”
Sam thought for a moment. “Find me a place I can talk to this woman alone. Not here but close. Then find a way to get her there. I want to talk to this woman and find out what her story is.”
“You know that isn’t going to go over well with Jr. don’t you?”
Sam turned and glared at Sabbath. “You let me worry about Jr. You just get the woman alone and bring her to me.”
Sabbath got up and motioned for two of the others to follow him. Before he left, Sam cautioned him, “Oh and Sabbath, be careful she don’t kick your ass again. She’s a feisty one.”
Sabbath rubbed along his still swollen nose. “Yeah, I owe her for that.”
Sam turned his head and snarled, “Don’t you even think about hurting her or I’ll have your head!”
Sabbath narrowed his eyes and nodded. “Whatever you say boss.”
“You let the others know that too. I don’t want her hurt. She’s carrying my grandkid.”
Sabbath grinned. “Now that’s a trip, do we call you Grandpa now or what?”
Sam growled at him. “Just do it.”
Sabbath chuckled softly and walked out with Halo and Fury behind him.
Sam turned to stare at the painting again, but as he did he caught sight of a man standing against the wall studying him. The man was older and a bit scruffier than the normal man but the intensity of his gaze gave Sam notice.
He gave the other man glare for glare but the other man never backed down, never looked away. Sam reached for a new glass and poured himself a drink. When he looked up the older man was gone. As Sam lifted the drink, he wondered why Gator had even acknowledged the man earlier, he wasn’t a biker he could tell that right away. Sam felt troubled by not knowing who the man was and what he was doing here.
CHAPTER TWO
Cassie sat alone in the bedroom she shared with Deke. She sat there looking out the window. Demon was at her feet and she was glad he was there. She had to come in here to get away from Peaches and Paige. They kept asking her how she felt.
The problem was she wasn’t sure how she felt about the events that had transpired today. Her wedding had not happened because Deke’s father had shown up. He’d claimed he hadn’t been aware of the wedding. Deke hadn’t told him and Cassie had to wonder why. Her family was there but Deke’s wasn’t.
The door opened and Cassie sighed. Peaches and Paige had driven her crazy and she’d come in here to get some peace. “I asked to be alone for five minutes.”
“I thought I would come and explain why I didn’t invite my father,” Deke replied.
Cassie turned and smiled. “I thought you were one of my sisters.” She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him.
Deke steered her toward the bed where they both sat down. Sighing deeply, he ran his fingers over his eyes. “I know you have questions but please just for a moment listen. Then I’ll answer your questions.”
“Okay.”
“I first met him when I was twelve. Up until then, it has just been my mom and me. At the time we were living in Albany.” He shrugged. “I guess where we lived doesn’t really matter. Our lifestyle wasn’t ideal but back then, I didn’t know any better either. My mom would never win mother of the year but at least, she was there for me. She used to work in a bar and the Hell’s Fury MC was close enough that we saw them every day. She never told me who my father was. I used to ask her about him thinking he was right there seeing her everyday but she never told me his name. Then one day, Bones came into the bar she worked in. Him and three of his men rolled in looking for something to drink and some women to fuck for a few hours. I happened to be there cleaning up and he saw me. I couldn’t believe it but it was like looking into a fucking mirror and I guess we both knew at the same time…we were father and son.”
Cassie so wanted to ask what his mother thought about their meeting but she knew better than to talk just yet.
“Anyway, Bones and my mom went head to head and he ended up taking me with him when he left. He was pissed and she was crying, begging him not to take me away from her. I never saw my mom again after that and I didn’t ask about her either. My father was a hard man and it was almost as if he didn’t know what to do with me after he got me. The only real friend I had with my dad’s MC was Gator. He took me under his wing and helped me when Sam couldn’t or wouldn’t. Sam or Bones as he’s called by everyone, taught me the only way of life he knew, the biker life. He wasn’t above beating it into me either. When I was seventeen, I left Maine and came here. I got as far away from Sam as I could. I met the Satan’s Spawn MC the day we reached Troy.” He paused and said, “I know I’m not an easy man to know or live with. My childhood sucked and I’m not sure I have anything to give a kid but I can learn.”
Cassie leaned in close to him and said, “My childhood wasn’t anything happy either. You know most of it but there are still some things I can’t talk about, not because I don’t trust you with my past, but just because I can’t talk about it yet.”
Deke wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “When you’re ready I’ll be there, no worries.”
&
nbsp; “What are we going to do about your dad?” Cassie asked.
“I don’t know,” Deke admitted. “I hate the fact he showed up at all. Maybe he’ll just go away and we can get married in a few days.”
“Did he say what he wanted?”
“He said he wanted to meet the woman I was going to marry. He claims he wanted to know that you weren’t just taking me for a ride.”
“He doesn’t have much faith in you does he?” Cassie rolled her eyes.
“He doesn’t have much faith in the human world period. He doesn’t trust the women of the world at all. He thinks the only thing a woman is good for is to—”
“I think I know and that’s disgusting.” Cassie sneered.
Deke nodded. “That’s my dad.”
“So now what? Where do we go from here?”
“We wait for him to leave, then we get married.” Deke shrugged. “I don’t want him to be there for the ceremony. I don’t want him to taint what we have but I do want to marry you.”
Cassie sighed. “Okay, we can wait. But he is your family.”
“No he isn’t,” Deke insisted with steel in his eyes. “My family is Gator and the other men in my MC. My family is you and your family. It isn’t Sam Tory. I think sometimes, it would have been better for both of us if we’d never met. I wish he’d never come to Albany that fateful day.”
“That’s rather harsh isn’t it?”
“You don’t know my father.” Deke looked angry. “I’m not sure I want him around our kids. He’d screw them up worse than we ever could.”
Cassie gasped and grabbed her belly.
Deke grew alarmed. “Are you okay?”
Cassie nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t your kids like you talking smack about their grandfather.”
Deke laid his hand over hers. “They don’t know him like I do.”
~* * * *~
A few hours later, Cassie was walking in the backyard, it was up against the forest, and she felt it might calm her being out by the trees. She’d been restless most of the afternoon. Peaches and Paige had wanted to come along with her but Cassie just wanted to be alone for a few minutes. After Deke left her earlier, the girls had come in to check on her. They wouldn’t tell her what was going on at the clubhouse and she’d finally gotten sick of both of them. She even left Demon behind. Deke had wanted her to keep the dog with her but Cassie just needed a minute all by herself.
Wrapping the shawl around her shoulders, she walked along the woods bordering the clubhouse property. The air seemed colder now. Fall was settling in, soon it would be winter and while she was used to the cold she hated it. She couldn’t forget the bone chilling cold of her childhood.
The babies began rolling around inside her and she had to stop and put her hands on her belly. Rubbing her belly seemed to soothe her infants and right now, she needed them calm. Her fears about becoming a mother were always in the back of her head but secretly, she couldn’t wait for them to be born. Without admitting it to anyone else, she knew it was because she would finally have someone of her own to love and if she took care of them, they would love her back. That was the kind of love only her mother had ever shown her and that was the kind of love she would show her own children. She vowed her babies would never be left alone, she would protect them to the death. Nothing bad would ever happen to them like what had happened to her.
So deep were her thoughts that she didn’t see the man sneaking up behind where she stood. In fact, it wasn’t until she felt him put the rag over her mouth that she even knew he was there. A sickly sweet smell was dragged into her lungs when she took a deep breath to scream.
The scent made her lightheaded and she felt dizzy as everything swirled and tilted around her.
~* * * *~
Halo caught her in his arms and quickly dragged her out of sight. He quickly bound her hands with a narrow rope and carried her deeper into the wooded area. Out of sight of the clubhouse but not too far away, was a truck and as Halo got to the truck, Fury got out and helped him put her inside. He quickly wrapped a gag around her mouth and helped Halo lay her carefully in the backseat.
Halo glanced over at Fury. “For the record…I don’t like this. I don’t like it at all. Jr. is gonna kill his old man over this woman and you fucking know it.”
“I know it but he’s our boss and we’re just following orders,” Fury agreed. “Bones is like a dog with a bone about this. He just won’t stop.”
“Did you see their faces?” Halo asked. “He’d better get his answers and take her back before they realize she’s gone or he’s gonna have more than just Jr. looking for him. The President of the Sinners MC was there today. He’s gonna start a war with this shit.”
“Yeah, between the Sinners and Satan’s Spawn this could get ugly.” Fury nodded. “Let’s get her to him, so we can get her back to where she belongs.” Fury started the truck and they took off for the warehouse where Sam was staying. A few minutes later, he carried her into the warehouse and to the small room Sam was waiting for her in. He laid her on the small metal bed and took the gag off her. He left her hands bound for now.
The room was small and the only furniture in it was the small metal bed Cassie was lying on. Sam sat on a folding chair and waited for her to wake up. He had a beer bottle in his hand and he stared at the woman his son was going to marry a few hours ago.
When two of his men joined him, none of them said a word. Sabbath and Raine sat on the floor, backs against the wall, waiting for her to wake up. The only one that wanted to be there was Sam.
When Cassie began moaning and moving around, Sam put his empty beer bottle on the floor and moved closer to her. He knelt down beside the bed and waited for her to open her eyes.
Cassie groaned as she woke up. She tried to lift her hands but she couldn’t. Opening her eyes, she saw the concrete walls around her and she began to panic.
“Hey, settle down,” Sam ordered. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
Cassie scooted back on the bed as far as she could go but it wasn’t far enough. Her belly got in the way and she brought her hands up to protect herself. “What the fuck do you want?”
Sam leaned forward. “I wanted to get to know you better.”
Cassie sneered. “Go to hell, you bastard.”
Sam frowned. “You aren’t exactly in the position to talk trash to me girl.”
Cassie twisted and tried to loosen her hands but the rope got tighter and the bite began to burn her skin. “What did you do to me?” She moaned. “Where am I?” She glanced around the room in panic. Sweat beaded her forehead and she looked terrified. She tried to pull her wrists apart but the ropes wouldn’t give. Sweat rolled down on her forehead and the side of her face.
Sam frowned as he watched her struggle. He turned and grimaced at his men. Turning back to Cassie he said, “I’m not going to hurt you, so stop struggling.”
By this time, Cassie couldn’t hear his soft spoken words. The inability to get herself free along with the concrete walls around her had plunged her deep in her worst nightmares. She began throwing herself back against the wall behind the bed.
Sam got to his feet and motioned for Sabbath. “Cut the goddamn ropes before she hurts herself!”
Sabbath came towards the bed and flipped open his knife.
Cassie saw nothing but the knife coming for her. “No!” she screamed and brought her hands up to protect her belly. She hit the knife and sent it flying, cutting her arm in the process. She didn’t seem to notice the blood running down her arm as she curled herself up in the corner of the bed.
“What the fuck is she doing?’ Sam asked his men.
Sabbath reached for the knife again and tried to get close enough to cut the ropes on her wrists. She screamed again and tried to kick out at him. This time, the knife came down on her side.
She screamed again and Sabbath backed away. He turned to Sam and said, “I’m not going near her again. She’s crazy.”
~* * * *~
“S
he isn’t crazy, she’s scared to death, you fucking dummy!” Raine told the other man. He stepped forward and knelt at the side of the bed. “Honey, please stop. I don’t want you to hurt yourself any more than you already have.” His voice was low and quiet.
“He was gonna hurt my babies,” Cassie whimpered.
“No honey, he wasn’t,” Raine told her. “He was going to cut the ropes on your wrists, so you could get free.”
Cassie looked down at her wrists. The skin around the ropes were raw and bleeding. The rope was so tight her hands were turning blue. “I can’t feel my hands. Why can’t I feel my hands?”
“The ropes are too tight.” Raine explained. He picked up the knife from where it had fallen on the bed. “Can I cut the ropes?” he asked. “I’m not going to hurt you or your baby. I just want to help you get your hands free.”
Cassie stared at the man in front of her. Her sense of panic was still there but his voice was calming it down. She nodded as she held out her hands to him.
Raine cut the rope and laid the knife down carefully on the bed. He didn’t want the girl to panic again. Carefully, he took one of her wrists and pulled the rope loose. Then he did the other wrist and when he was done, he took note of how bad the injury was. He looked over his shoulder and asked Sabbath, “Can you find my first aid kit?”
Sabbath nodded and left the room. When he returned, he tossed the kit to Raine and kept back.
Raine opened the kit and pulled out a gauze pad. He began cleaning the blood from her wrists.
Cassie watched him with distrust in her eyes. She wouldn’t acknowledge the pain as he cleaned the wound and dressed it.
After he was done with her wrists, he began cleaning the cut on her arm. When he was finished with that, he looked at her. “I need to see the cut on your side. It’s still bleeding and we need to see how bad it is.”
Cassie studied him for a moment then lifted her eyes to the other two men in the room. She picked up the knife and held it in her hand. Her panic was still there but not as strong as it had been. She glared at Deke’s father but kept her eyes on the other man as well. The knife in her hand was the only thing she had to protect herself and she wasn’t giving it up. “If my babies are hurt, I will kill you.” She snarled at Sam.