by Amy Cecil
She eyes me warily as she sits up to get a better look at us. “How do I know what you are telling me is true?”
“You don’t. You have two choices. You either trust me or you remain here and suffer Romeo’s wrath when he returns.”
She looks around the room as if she is saying good-bye to her surroundings.
She slowly gets up from the bed and says, “Get me and Katie the fuck out of here.” She may or may not trust us, but if there is any glimmer of hope for her to get away, she’s obviously at the point where she wants to take it.
“Where can we find Katie?” I reach for her hand to steady her when she stumbles a little.
She looks up at me with gratitude in her eyes. “She’s in the next room. I’ll take you there.”
“Before we get Katie, we need one more thing from you, Marina.”
“Anything,” she replies.
“Can you get us into Romeo’s safe? We’re cleaning him out.”
She smiles. “With pleasure. Follow me.”
She leads us to a huge closet. We step inside, and the fucking thing is as big as my living room. Nobody needs this many clothes and things. Nobody. In the back corner is a separate closet. She opens the door, and standing before us is a huge floor-to-ceiling safe.
“Do you know the combination?” I ask.
“Yes, it’s my wedding anniversary. Nine, nineteen, twelve.”
Perfect. “Ice, you got this. I’m gonna take Marina and go get Katie. Meet you at the top of the stairs.”
“Got it.”
Marina and I leave the room and head toward Katie’s room. “Let me go in first,” Marina says. “Can you wait out here?”
I look at her warily but agree. I quickly see by the look in her eyes that she’s on our side. She’s tired of being Romeo’s punching bag, and right now, I’m her salvation.
A few minutes later, Marina comes out with Katie. I’m horrified when I see the young girl. Her bruises mirror Marina’s. It makes my stomach turn to see how this fucking pig treats the women in his life. It’s bad enough he beats on his wife, but Katie is a child.
Fucking cocksucker. All I have to say is he’s lucky he’s not here ’cause fuck what Michael said. He would die tonight. I have no patience for men who beat on women and children.
We walk out into the hallway as Ice is leaving Romeo’s bedroom. He’s got both oversized duffels full, and the zippers are pulling at the seams.
“Holy shit, Ice, that bag is stuffed.”
“Shit yeah… There’s an easy two mil in there, all in hundreds.”
“Did you get it all?”
“Yes, barely.”
“Good, let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“Thank fuck you’re safe,” Michael says into the phone. I can’t help but laugh.
“Did you doubt me?” I ask sarcastically.
“No, but I’ve been worried sick.” He sounds pissed, making me think he was really worried. It surprises me. Michael is always so cool-headed. He’s always so sure of himself. It’s not like him to worry. But I feel it is important he knows everyone is okay.
“Okay, first, we’re all fine. We got the ladies and the money.” I exhale. He has to know about Ice and the boys. “But before I give you all the details, I need to tell you Zach and Jake didn’t take point on this mission like you wanted.”
“What the fuck, Sainte? You went in alone?”
“No, I didn’t fucking go in alone. Damn, Mikey, have a little faith. Ice and his boys went with me.”
“That’s not what we agreed on, Sainte.”
“I know, and I told them you would have my ass if you found out, but all went well. Romeo is still alive, and we got what we wanted. No harm, no foul.”
“Nobody got hurt?”
“Nobody with us—well, except for the ladies,” he says.
“What happened?”
“Apparently Romeo uses them both as punching bags when he wants to blow off steam. They didn’t resist at all and went with us gladly. I guess even the unknown is better than what they have been living in. You should see them. They are badly beaten, Mikey. I swear, if Romeo had been around, I would have killed him myself.”
“Oh, fuck. Where are you taking them?”
“We just landed in Erie. We’re gonna take them to the clubhouse and have the club doc look them over. If he thinks they need more care, we’ll get them fixed up. Once they are on the mend, I’ll send them wherever you want. Until then, they’ll remain under the protection of the MC, if that works for you.”
“Can the MC protect them?”
“Honestly, I think the MC is the best place for them. If Romeo starts looking for them, the first place he’ll go is to you. He has no idea of your association with the Knights, and I doubt he’d be able to even find the connection.”
“Yeah, you got a point. Ask Ice if they can stay with him for a while.”
I look over at Ice. “You all okay with the girls staying with you all for a while?”
“Of course,” he replies. “That goes without question.”
I get back on the line. “Yeah, no problem. We got them.”
“How much money did you get?”
“We haven’t counted it, but Ice is guessing close to two mil.”
“Holy shit. You and the MC split one million and give the rest to the ladies so they can get on their feet. I’ll cover the cost of passports and new IDs. Just make the arrangements. We’re giving them a whole new life.”
“You got it.”
“Another job well done, Sainte,” Michael says into the phone. “I’m sure as hell gonna miss you around here.”
I can’t help feel a twinge. “I know, Mikey, but you know you can always count on me and the MC if you need us for anything. We’re just a short ride away.”
Michael then surprises me and asks, “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“Yeah, it is. I gotta do this, Mikey. I’ve got to get to know Emma. The last time I saw her, she was an infant, then all that shit went down with my parents, and fuck, I just walked away. It’s time she knows I’m here.”
“When I talked to Ice last, he said you all were gonna tell her after the funeral. Hawk is buried now, so does she know?”
“Not yet. We left right after the funeral, and Ice didn’t want to tell her and leave. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her, especially since she’s pregnant.”
“Yeah, I get that. Well, good luck. You’re gonna do well with the MC. They are lucky to have you on their team.”
“We’re all on the same team, man. You know that.”
“Yeah, I know. Thanks again. I’ll be in touch when it’s time to make our move on Romeo.”
I disconnect the line as the plane begins its descent into Erie.
After the plane gets to the private gate, we gather our shit and make our way off. Dbag had arranged to have a couple cars at the airport to pick us up, and as promised, they are sitting there waiting for us. Ice and I help Marina and Katie to the car. We are gonna take them to the clubhouse like I told Michael. Ice alerted Emma they were coming, so she and Honey should have rooms ready for them. Doc is on alert as well and will meet us at the clubhouse.
Rebel, Ryder, and Spike go in one car, and Ice and I go with Marina and Katie. They both speak English very well, and it makes communicating with them so much easier. At least I don’t have to call Ice in to translate. Who the fuck knew he could speak Spanish?
We finally arrive at the clubhouse, and I have to say I am disappointed that Honey is not awake to greet us home. Just Emma, Doc, and Tiny. Well, I guess it is close to four in the morning. We get the girls settled. Emma is the perfect MC queen. She is warm and inviting and puts them both at ease. I can’t help but laugh. I wonder if she’s told her mom and dad that she’s a biker’s old lady. Her dad would laugh, but her mom would freak.
Doc looks in on the girls, and when he’s done, he turns toward Ice. “I don’t see anything really serious with the girls. They just
have a lot of cuts and bruises that will take time healing. I suggest rest for now.”
Ice nods. He pulls Emma in his arms. “I don’t know about you all, but I’m beat.” Ryder, Rebel, and Spike already crashed on us, and I’m getting tired myself.
“Night, you two,” I say with a grin.
I head up to my room. I’m tired and I’m not. I’m wired and have so much on my mind. I’m worried about the girls. Hopefully Michael will be able to set them up in a good life. They deserve it after all they have been through with Romeo.
I try to sleep, but nothing seems to be working. I fucking hate insomnia. I look at my watch: seven. Damn. I’m just gonna go get some coffee and be done with this. I’ll crash this afternoon when it all catches up with me.
I make my way to the kitchen and am surprised to see the coffee is already brewing. A few seconds later, Emma comes in. She looks so cute with her little baby bump. “Why are you up so early?”
“Oh, I have a doctor’s appointment at eight. Caden is going with me. He should be down shortly.”
“Coffee?” I ask as I pour myself a cup.
“Yes, please. You may want to brew yourself another pot. That’s decaf.” She lays her hand on her belly and smiles.
I shake my head. Decaf ain’t gonna work for me. I hand her the cup I poured for myself. “There’s another coffee pot for the leaded stuff. I know how much everyone relies on their caffeine so I got another brewer so we could have both.”
About ten minutes later, Ice comes down. He walks into the kitchen, kisses Emma on the cheek, and almost trips over Hobbes, who I didn’t notice was lying at Emma’s feet. Ice grunts and goes to get himself coffee. He is really having a hard time sharing Emma with that dog.
“We need to be going soon, Emma.”
“I know, babe. I’m ready. Remember, I’ve been down here waiting on you.” She really knows how to handle him. I swear, never in a million years did I ever think these two would end up married and with a kid. Well, they’re not officially married yet, but I’m sure when Emma gets her figure back, there will be a wedding.
Ice looks around the room. “Where’s Honey?” He takes a sip of his coffee. “She’s usually the first one up.”
Emma shakes her head. “I really don’t know what’s wrong with her. Since you all left, she’s been sleeping later and later every day.”
Ice shrugs. “Maybe she’s just not feeling good.” He downs his coffee. “We gotta go. We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
I nod. Emma walks out, and Ice turns back toward me.
“I get to hear the kid’s heartbeat today!” He’s smiling and so happy.
I laugh at how the big bad biker has turned to mush over a little baby. But hey, I would be the same way if it were me and we were talking about my kid.
About an hour later, I’m still in the kitchen. After Emma’s comment about Honey, I decided to wait for her to get up and see for myself what’s going on with her. My phone rings. I look down at the phone and see it is Michael.
Another hour goes by, and Honey still hasn’t gotten up yet. I decide to give it up. I’ve got shit to do. I’ll check on her later. The late sleeping has me concerned, and I’m more convinced than ever that she’s using again.
One month later…
“Hey,” I say into the phone. It’s Michael.
“You and Ice make it home all right?” he asks. We were on a protection run last night. He called while we were on the road, and I told him I couldn’t talk and I would call him back this morning. He beat me to it.
“Yeah, we got in around three this morning. Haven’t been to sleep yet, still wired. You know how I get.”
“Yeah, I do. Ice with you?”
“Naw, he went out just a little bit ago. Should be back in about an hour or so.”
“Oh, shit… I’ve got some news.”
“Yeah?”
“Maybe it will be better to call you both back.” He hesitates. “Or do you want me to tell you and you can relay everything to him?”
“Not sure what you got, but I’m sure he’ll be fine if you tell me.”
“Well, Romeo changed his plan on us at the last minute.”
“What?” I ask.
“Got a call earlier tonight from Gio. Romeo was never in Mexico. He was in New York and on his way to kill me. I got everyone on high alert and got the family out of the house. I didn’t want any blowback on them.”
“Holy shit, Michael.”
“Yeah, we waited two hours for him and then he finally showed up. The fucker has balls. He pulled up to the gate like he was welcome. Thank God for Gio giving us the heads-up. We were prepared.”
“That was smart getting Gio to pretend he was on his side.”
“Yeah, something told me it was the thing to do. He walked into my office so smug and basically told me the games were over. You all had already gotten Marina and Katie, and he was pissed. But frankly, I think he was more mad about the money than his wife and niece.”
“The way those girls are broken and bruised, that doesn’t surprise me at all.”
“He had the audacity to tell me that Zaira was treated like a queen. That fucker. Then he threw in the backing of the CIA and FBI. Did he really think I cared about that shit?”
“Fuck!”
“To make a long story short, I agreed to his terms. I gave him a bogus address where he could find his belongings. He promised to go away as long as I returned his family and money. Mind you, the whole time he was in my office, Benny was planting a bomb on his car. Ricco got the confirmation right before Romeo left. Benny texted me a few hours ago to confirm Romeo is dead and his boys are taking care of the cleanup.”
“Fuck, Mikey, that’s fast thinking.”
“Yeah, man, that’s why I get paid the big bucks,” I reply.
“Don’t fucking remind me,” Sainte says dryly.
“So let Ice know the deed is done, and hopefully the next time I see him, it will be for much happier occasions.”
“I sure will.”
“And, Sainte, you enjoy your time with the MC, and don’t forget to talk to Emma. The longer you lie to her or keep what you know hidden, it will make the strain on your relationship that much worse. Trust me on this. I’m living proof of it.”
“Yeah, but you got your woman back.”
“I did, but it wasn’t without a lot of heartache.”
“Yeah, I know. Okay, gotta go. Talk to you guys soon.”
“You got it.” I disconnect the line.
Chapter 4
Honey
I really hate that I’m using again, but fuck, it gets me through the rough times. And, if I play my cards right, nobody will ever find out. I just have to be careful not to let it get it out of hand. This ain’t my first rodeo, and I know better now how to handle it all. Once a day. That’s all I’ll need.
I’ve seen Slash several times since Hawk’s funeral. Slash is my dealer from years ago, and I have to say, when I made contact with my old friends, I was surprised to see he was still on the streets. He didn’t change much either. He always scared the hell out of me, but he had what I needed to get through the day. Slash was always erratic and would often yell at me for no reason. He was always looking over his shoulder, and I remember thinking he needed to find another line of work. If you could call what he did an actual job… He lived in constant fear of being busted, and I was always too dumb to care.
It’s been years since those days, and I am much smarter now. I’m sitting at McDonald’s over on Plum Street, waiting for Slash to arrive. I grabbed some cash from the register at the clubhouse. I’ve been here twenty minutes already and no Slash. Where the fuck is he? I look at my watch. Damn, it’s almost one. Emma will be wondering where I am. She wasn’t feeling well this morning when the pharmacy called, so she asked if I would mind picking it up for her. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to get out without making up a story, but the drug store is only ten minutes from the clubhouse and they had already
called her and told her the script was ready. I haven’t even been to the drug store as I planned to meet Slash first. Fuck, how do I explain this?
Thirty minutes now. I have to go. Just as I start the car, Slash jumps in the passenger’s seat. “Sorry, baby, got held up.”
“It’s fine. Whatcha got for me?”
“Now, Mandy, you know how this goes down. You tell me what you got for me, and I give you what you want.”
“I got fifty bucks.”
He shakes his head and then looks around to see if anyone is watching. It’s three in the afternoon so not one of the busiest times at McDonald’s. The parking lot is pretty bare except for a car or two.
“That’s not gonna be enough. I have prime coke, worth at least two hundred bucks.”
“But I only have fifty.” I reach into my pocket and pull out the fifty.
He takes his hand and rubs it over my lips. “You know, Mandy, we’ve always been able to work something out.” He leans in, kisses my cheek, and whispers in my ear, “I sure do miss your luscious lips around my cock.”
I had a feeling this was going to happen, but when he said the words, I couldn’t help but cringe. My thoughts go back to the days when I would do anything for a hit, including just about any type of sexual favor. Back then, I was a slave to the drugs, and it was only a matter of time before they would kill me. But not this time. It’s different. I’m different. I know better, and I know how to control it. Of course you do.
I really need that coke.
He holds up a bag of precious white powder. At that moment, I don’t care what I need to do to get it. I need that white powder more than I need air to breathe. I hand over the fifty, and he smiles while he undoes his zipper.
When I finish with the blow job and Slash is satisfied, he hands over the blow and leaves my car. I wait for him to disappear. Once he is no longer in sight, my tears fall and I sob. I’ve done what I swore I would never do again. I can’t control this, and I was a fool to think I could. I know better. But when it comes to getting the drugs or not, my mind goes immediately into the mode of doing what needs to be done to get it.