Born to Ride

by Kasey Millstead

  David cleared his throat. “As do I. Now, isn’t this reunion grand? But it ends now.”

  “No,” I said. “Please, I just got them back. Oh, God, Mum, Dad. Mattie said you were dead, killed in a car accident.”

  “Yes, well. That’s what the idiot over there told us too. But it was his way of trying to get you to show; he thought you’d turn up at our funeral, and then he’d nab you there.”

  “Enough. Take them and the children out. I’ll deal with them later.”

  Nancy placed Maya's feet back on the floor and tugged Maya behind her body. Dad did the same with Cody.

  “Mummy,” Maya wailed. “I’m not leaving my Mummy,” Maya said, stomping her foot on the floor.

  “Ha! I’m afraid so, daughter of mine.”

  “You’re not my daddy, Talon is,” she stated.

  David’s upper lip raised. “Get them out of here. Now!”

  “I’ll see you soon; it’s going to be fine.” How many times had I said that? I could only hope it was true. The great part was that I knew my parents would do anything to protect Maya and Cody, and they knew that I would understand that.

  “Be smart and safe, sweetheart,” Dad said.

  Oh, God. Just like Mattie.

  Snot a block—Mattie and Julian.

  I nodded, tears threatening again. “Be good kids for your grandparents.” I kissed Maya and Cody on their temple. “I love you both,” I said, and it was then I saw for the first time, tears in Cody’s eyes.

  “Love you too, Mummy.” Maya smiled. Cody gave me a chin lift...just like his father.

  Mum hugged me close and whispered, “Don’t give in.”

  “I never will.” Not when I had Talon.

  She picked up Maya. Dad placed his arm around Cody’s shoulders, and they walked silently from the room with two guards, the one that came in with them, and one of Rocko’s men. Thankfully, the one who eyed Maya stayed behind.

  I slumped back onto the couch.

  “No, no, Zara. Come and sit in this chair.” David gestured with his hand to the chair Pervy Guy placed a foot in front of David’s desk.

  I rolled my eyes, hopped up, walked over, and sank into the wooden chair. Pervy Guy came to stand behind me. Hairs on the back of my neck raised; I looked over my shoulder at him, and he grinned down at me.

  “What’s your name?” I couldn’t keep calling him Pervy Guy, and I needed a name to seek my vengeance on.

  “Call me, Jeff.”

  I doubted that was his real name.

  David stood, walked around the table, and stopped in front of me. My heart rate accelerated as Jeff grabbed both my arms and pulled then roughly behind the chair, holding them in place.

  “Why all the fuss for me, David?”

  He laughed. “I never like to let anything go, Zara, you knew this.”

  Whack. He slapped me across my already sore face.

  “Obviously, I hired the wrong people to find you, for it to take this long. Wasn’t it lucky these men contacted me and said they’d found my wife? You really should have turned up at the funeral, Zara. I might not have been as mad as I am now,” he said, leaning over with his hands on the armrests of the chair, our noses nearly touching. “But then again, you have really pissed me off.” He leaned back.

  Whack. A hit to the other side of my face forced my head around.

  At least he was being kind enough to not hit me in the same spot.

  I licked my lip and tasted blood.

  I don’t know if I’m going to get out of this.

  “Six years, Zara. You left me for six long years, and if you hadn’t, I would have been fine. My plan would have been over by now, and I would be a rich man. But it didn’t, all because of you.”

  Whack. I slumped in the chair and winced, not just from David hitting me, but from being held in place, my shoulders and arms protested against the angle Jeff had them in.

  “Sit her up,” David ordered. He sat back on the desk, eyeing me. It was starting to get a little hard to see; my face was already swelling. I felt the urge to vomit. The taste of blood and the pain churned in my stomach.

  “So, we have a daughter.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. Now, he wanted to talk.

  “Oof,” I breathed, as David punched me in the stomach. I tried to calm my breathing, but ended up in a coughing fit. I spat blood onto the floor.

  “Do not laugh at me.” He opened a drawer in the desk and pulled out a wet wipe, wiping away my blood from his hands. He pulled out a knife, stalked back around, and in one move, he stabbed it into my leg.

  I bit my lip, trying to stop my scream, but it still escaped.

  He pulled it out slowly and ordered, “Rest her up a bit. I need to make some calls, and then we’ll talk again.”

  I was pulled from the chair just before I passed out.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Talon

  “What the fuck is going on here?” Rocko yelled and stood from his desk. I stormed into his office in the nightclub he owned around midmorning. Griz, Deanna, Violet, and three other brothers were following close behind. Blue had called, informing me that he and Warden were at the hospital with Mattie and Julian. They weren’t allowed in Pick’s room, under doctor’s orders. But he reassured me, as soon as no one saw, he’d be in there.

  With a lift of my hand, the three brothers slipped outta the room and closed the door, keeping an eye open for trouble that could come our way.

  “What do you know asshole?” Deanna snapped. She stood next to Vi, both holding their hands on their hips.

  “Sorry, sweetheart; I don’t know what you’re talking about."

  I pulled a gun from under my Hawks vest and pointed it at his head.

  He stood with his hands up in front of him. I followed his movements.

  “Where are my boys?” he asked.

  Violet scoffed. “You need new brothers, Rocko; they’re all a bunch of pussies and incapacitated.”

  “Talon, what’s the meaning of this? You want war? Is that it?”

  “Two of your men have taken my woman and kids to hand her over to her ex who beat and raped her. You tell me; do you want fuckin’ war?”

  “I know nothing about this; they have obviously gone out on their own. Who are they?”

  “The guys that were with you last night,” Deanna said.

  Rocko smiled.

  “What the fuck are you smiling at?” I roared.

  Waving his hands he said, “Sorry, shit. I know it ain’t a smiling matter. But your woman...” He smiled again.

  “What?” Griz growled.

  “She warned me last night that I needed to find new friends. Goddamn, she was right, and after just one glance, she picked it. Fuck. I should’ve never let them in. I was taking a risk on them; other brothers had warned me, but I didn’t listen.We needed new recruits. The Monty’s motorcycle club from Melbourne wants our territory. Crap, I was only with them last night to see how they ran, and I didn’t like what I saw. I was gonna cut them.”

  “How’d they learn about my woman and her ex?”

  “I was the one who told Rocko. Fuck,” Griz swore. “I’d asked him to keep his ear to the ground, see if he heard anything new. Shit, I didn’t think.”

  “Jesus Christ,” I yelled. “Jesus Christ.” I turned and put a hole in the wall the size of my fist.

  “I’m sorry, brother,” Griz said.

  “Fuck, man, but it ain’t your fault. You weren’t to know,” I answered, leaning one hand up against the wall.

  I couldn’t lose her. Cody and Maya...

  It would kill me to lose all three of them together.

  I’d wasted so much time stuffin’ around and waiting, trying not to scare her off. But I didn’t know she’d been watchin’ me the whole time as well. I saw the looks she gave me, the secret smiles that drove me fuckin’ nuts.

  I thought the dicks in the brotherhood were crazy when they’d let their old lady run their life. Blinded by stupid love. I swore
I’d never let myself fall again...

  never.

  Until Zara. Until I fuckin’ walked down that hallway to see a hot piece of ass standing there, glaring at me in a pink kitten nightie and combat fuckin’ boots.

  I was a goner.

  From that day on, I knew I’d let Zara do anything.

  She could talk, bitch, and complain about shit and it wouldn't faze me. She could harp about me swearin’ around the kids, and still it wouldn’t bother me.

  Nothin' would, as long as she was at my side to do all that.

  I had to find her. Them.

  Jesus. The kids. I’d already missed out on enough of Cody’s life. I wasn’t missin’ out on any more. And sweet Maya. There was so much more I wanted to learn about them both, so much I wanted to teach them.

  I needed them all back.

  They are my family.

  And I fuckin’ love them.

  “Do you know where they have taken my family?” I asked Rocko.

  “No. But I’ll look into it. Maybe one of the brothers knows something.” Rocko sat back down at the desk.

  “You know I’ll kill them.”

  “So be it. They are no longer ‘Vicious’.”

  My mobile rang; I answered, “What?”

  “Nothing. I’ve got nothing,” Blue said.

  “Is Pick talkin’?”

  “Yeah, he’s talking, telling me lots of shit; none of it is any use to find them, brother. Cops have been; they want a statement on what went on in the house.”

  “Fuck. Has Mattie or anyone said anything?”

  “Nothing, I told them to wait to hear from you. But you know the cops, brother. They won’t wait long.”

  “Tell them to say it was self-defense. I had Mattie and Julian stayin’ at my house. Pick called in; he found Vic holding them, ready to kill them. Vic was a hater of gays. Didn’t like the way I was running things. No one says shit about my woman and the kids. We deal with this in-house. I’ll be doing the cleanup.”

  “But the cops could help.”

  “No. They’ll only hold me back.”

  “Right. On it. Then what?”

  “Tell Matthew and Julian to head back to the compound—”

  “Already have. They won’t leave.” Blue laughed. “They don’t trust me and Warden around Pick. He saved them, brother; they’re saving him back.”

  “Christ. All right, leave them there, and Warden. You get to the compound and see what they’ve found; talk to Travis and see what’s he’s got. I’m heading to Vi’s work.”

  “Right. Done,” he said, then hung up.

  I turned to Rocko. “Keep me in the know,” I said with a chin lift. In other words, ‘if you don’t, I’ll fuck you over’; he nodded his understanding.

  “I hope you find ‘em, Talon. She’s a rare beauty.”

  “I know. I fuckin’ know. So are the kids. Let’s move.”

  “Wait,” Violet called, before I opened the door.

  “What?” Rocko asked her; she was staring down at him.

  “Do you know what they drive? Licence plate numbers, where they live? Maybe they’re stupid enough to either use their own cars or take them to their place?”

  “Great thinkin', sugar.” He got up from his chair and went to a file cabinet to the right of his desk. “I had to shift my paperwork here while the office at our compound was getting detailed. Fuckin’ lucky I did,” he explained, as he searched through the drawers.

  Hell. How long did it take to find the information?

  Let’s hope these fuckers were just that dumb enough. And thank fuck my sister was here using her brain.

  “Here.” He thrust the files toward Deanna, the closest to him. “All the info I have on Jefferson and Zane. And while you're searching through it, I’ll still keep looking here.”

  “’Preciate it.”

  We got outside; I sent my other brothers out searchin’ the streets while Griz, Hell Mouth, Vi, and I got back into my Camaro to drive to Vi’s station.

  With the information we had, I felt a little lighter. The fist around my heart wasn’t squeezing as tight.

  I just hoped it was going to lead us somewhere where my family was.

  Payback was needing to happen, and I was looking forward to it.

  There was no way I was gonna be some pansy-ass and pray...even if I wanted to.

  Shit.

  Fuck.

  Why the hell not? Anything was worth it for them.

  Yeah, um, God...

  We stormed into Violet’s work; funny enough, it was the first time I’d ever set foot in there. Things had to change. A lot of things. Violet booted up her computers while Deanna and Griz were talkin’ quietly in a hushed tone; but I knew what it would be about. He was trying to reassure her, and I knew she wouldn’t want that from him. Deanna was one hard chick to crack. Griz would have his work cut out for him when he got his act together. I should hurry him the fuck up—‘cause you never know what could happen.

  “Anything?” I asked.

  “Talon, I’m not that frigging fast, give me a minute.” Violet groaned.

  I paced in front of one of her desks while she worked the computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard. I wondered where Zara sat while she worked. She hadn’t been here long, but I knew she’d already brought some of herself into the business. The yellow sunflowers that sat on the windowsill. The scenery picture of the woods with a ray of sunshine shining through that was hung on the wall. The colourful rug that sat in the middle of the floor. She'd always brightened up a place.

  “I’ll send Chuck to their houses, but I doubt they’re there. They would have taken them to David straight way so they could be paid.” She picked up the phone and rang her employee.

  Griz walked over to me. “She’s freaking. I'm worried she’ll lose it soon.”

  I nodded. “She’s not the only one.” I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “The thing I’ve noticed, though, is that Hell Mouth relies on Zara in more ways than one. Deanna not only helped Zara outta her past, but I’m sure it was the other way around as well. Not sure, kitten knows that though, unless she does and carries that burden, as well as Deanna.” I looked over my shoulder to Deanna as she perched her ass on the end of Vi’s desk. She looked in pain. “Anyone can fuckin’ see that woman has been through some shit from that big iced wall she has built around her, and right now, it only seems Zara has a key.”

  I turned to Griz. “Good luck, brother; you’re gonna need it.” My phone rang; I grabbed it outta the pocket of my jeans, and answered with, “Speak.”

  “Just got back to the compound. The brothers have nothing. No one’s called in with shit, Talon. How’s your end?”

  “Violet, how we doing?” I was feeling antsy. I needed to be doing something instead of talking shit with Griz, or standing around doing nothing at all. I felt useless, and it fuckin’ hurt when it was my family out there in trouble.

  “Zip. I’ve got Chuck on the line; there’s no one at their houses. Their cars are in their frigging drive. I’ve got nothing else to go on. I’m sorry.”

  “Jesus Christ,” I whispered.

  “I’m guessing it’s not good,” Blue said on the other end of the phone.

  “No. Fuck, brother. We have to find them—”

  “Talon, wait,” Blue snapped.

  “Blue?” I heard talking in the background, but I didn’t know what was being fuckin’ said. “Brother?”

  “Shit. Shit, boss, we’ve got them. Travis just came in; he’s fucking found where they are.”

  “Text me the address. I’ll meet you there,” I said, and turned to the others. “Travis's got a location. Let’s go.”

  “Thank God.” Deanna sighed.

  “Christ, yes,” Griz growled.

  “Talon, wait,” Violet called.

  “What, woman? I gotta get my family.”

  “You and Griz need my guns. If the bullets are traced, I’m covered for being a PI. You’re not.”

 
I closed my eyes.

  My sister was protecting me.

  “I want one too,” Deanna said.

  “No way, darlin’. You get a taser,” Griz barked, and handed her a black taser from his back pocket.

  “Seriously?” she said with an eye roll.

  I ignored them as Violet approached holding three guns. She handed one to Griz, and then one to me. I looked her in the eye and said, “There could be a lotta people goin' down today, Vi. You ready for this?”

  “Fuck yeah.” She smiled.

  “Let’s move then.” I smiled back.

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Zara

  I woke laying on a double, four-poster bed in a dark room. I could see the sun shining through the gaps in the blinds. That told me it was still daytime, but I didn’t have a clue what hour it was, or how long I’d been asleep.

  I was sore all over; I needed water and something to eat, but I doubted I’d be able to keep it down.

  Where was my family?

  What was going to happen next?

  I sat up slowly, wincing when pain stabbed through my head and leg. I looked down to the wound and found that someone had changed me into slip-on pajama pants.

  Why?

  The door opened, and in walked a young girl around the age of sixteen with long, red, curly hair, and a freckled face. She was short but slim, too skinny, actually. She carried a tray with a glass and a bowl upon it.

  “Oh, you’re awake.” She smiled. “Good, you’ll be wanting some food and water, yes?”

  I nodded. What was such a young girl doing in the house with David? She set the tray on the bed beside me. I took the glass with shaking hands and sipped it. The water helped my parched throat.

  I looked to the door that she’d left open.

  “You won’t make it.” She smiled as she stood beside the bed.

  What? Was she a mind reader?

  “W-who are you?” I asked.

  “I was homeless until David took me in.” She glanced at the door, and then back to me. Bending over so we were inches apart, she whispered, “You need to get out of here; he’s going to kill you.”

  My eyes widened. Why was she warning me? I controlled my eye roll. God, doesn’t she think I already know that?