Immense Tension

by Arden, Dana

  She nods. “I’ve never seen her like this. I mean we’ve seen her mentally consumed, but not to this extent. I’m afraid we won’t be able to get her back and the only person who can isn’t here.”

  “I know, babe. If I have too, I’ll get Rudy and Trigger’s asses here pronto.”

  “Queenie’s on her way here. She feels responsible for putting Greer in a tailspin.”

  “Queenie and Greer have a lot in common, more than I think Greer will ever know. With any luck, Queenie can bring her out of the dark.”

  I hug my ol’ lady and make my way to the main room. I survey the room and see most of my men are withdrawn and lost themselves with the events that just happen.

  Feeling my stare a few of them raise their eyes to mine. “I need guards on Greer 24/7. She’s not allowed to be in her room by herself until we’re sure she won’t do anything stupid. I want one in her room and one outside of it. Mitz is in there now, but when she isn’t one of you will be.” They nod in agreement.

  I turn and head for my office. Time to fill Rudy in on the situation with his girl.

  Chapter 17

  Rudy

  It’s been a week and a half of living in a hospital room with Spook. He’s unresponsive and has been in a coma since he arrived.

  After five hours of surgery repairing his lung that was punctured and removing debris out of his back, he’s been stable but still hasn’t opened his eyes.

  The doctors tell us that due to the swelling of his brain with the blast and the trauma to his body, his body has shut down in order for him to heal. They keep reiterating that when he’s ready he’ll make it known.

  What they don’t understand is that not only is his life up in the air, but so is Greer’s. She’s just as nonresponsive as him except her eyes are wide open. She hasn’t spoken since she got off the phone with Queenie the day of the bombing. She’s being force fed. Mitz and Queenie literally have to get in the shower with her to make sure she’s clean.

  Poor Ryland, even though she doesn’t realize it at her young age, is missing out on time with her momma too. The Devils have joined together and taken responsibility of her along with Mitz, Queenie and Trigger who hasn’t left his sister’s side.

  Greer will hold Ryland for a bit and every time we pray that Ryland will awaken Greer from her trance. Everytime a little bit of emotion shows, Greer blocks it and hands Ryland over to the waiting hands.

  I need this knucklehead beside me to wake the fuck up, so he can wake my daughter up to before she takes her depression too far.

  Last week, Poison caught Greer sitting on the tub with a razor blade in her hand. If it hadn’t been for his quick thinking, Greer quite possibly wouldn’t be here with us now.

  We’ve told Greer over and over that Spook was alive. She just stares at us and shakes her head. She so caught up in her psyche that she doesn’t understand anything anyone is telling her.

  I know the only way to prove it is for her to see Spook for herself, but with the possibility of Dimitri getting his hands on her, I won’t allow her at the hospital.

  Bringing myself back to the present, I lean in my chair that is parked beside Spook’s bedside and grip his hand. I squeeze waiting for a response. “Spook, I need you to get your big ass up. Greer needs you, man and I’m sure you need her too. She’s losing it and the only one who can bring her back is you. Fuck, we all thought Poison and Banshee being near would knock her out of this funk. But, no such luck.” I creep up. “I need that girl that used to joke and laugh at anything and everything you say. She needs her man back, so she feels your strength and knows she’s safe.” I squeeze his hand a little harder. “Just think about all that your missing, fucker.”

  ***

  Spook

  I’m drifting. That’s all I know. I feel as though I’m weightless and soaring around in the clouds. It’s an invigorating feeling floating about and not having a fear in the world.

  As I start to glide to the biggest cloud, I hear the faintest noise and look down to see me; a frail, unmoving body with wires and tubes entering and exiting my body. Beside me is a man I’ve grown to respect over the years and he looks forlorn.

  I want to tell him not to be dejected over me. I’m free. I feel no pain, no sorrow. I’m light as a feather and exploring the skies.

  I hear him grumbling to me, but I’m unable to hear his words until he speaks her name, Greer. The high I was on minutes ago disappears and in its place is a sense of urgency.

  I float closer to him and he continues to speak. “She’s losing it and the only one who can bring her back is you. Fuck, we all thought Poison and Banshee being near would knock her out of this funk. But, no such luck.” The mention of their names brings about jealousy and anger. She doesn’t need them and they don’t need to be near her. “I need that girl that used to joke and laugh at anything and everything you say. She needs her man back, so she feels your strength and knows she’s safe. Just think about all that your missing, fucker.”

  He falls back into the chair exhaustedly. How the fuck long have I been here? I look at my body and the monitors steadily beeping. How the fuck do I take back my life? Contemplating how, a bright light shines from my body and I feel as though I’m funneling through the air and back into my lifeless body.

  Once I’m settled, I start trying to move my arms and legs without incident. I try to peal my eyelids open, but they feel as though they are glued shut.

  I open my mouth and try to speak, but the only word I can hear is Greer’s name, but it’s enough to have Rudy jump to his feet as I can feel his presence over me.

  “Goddamnit, boy, it’s about fucking time. Let’s get your doctor and figure out what the fuck we need to do to get your ass out of here faster.” Rudy says hastily and I nod.

  I need to get to Greer and Ryland. I need to get better for them. I need her as much as she needs me if not more. She’s the quiet to my storm and the light to my dark.

  Chapter 18

  Greer

  It’s been six weeks since Spook lost his life. Everyone hovers. They never leave. Their mouths are constantly moving. But I don’t hear or feel anything. I’m dead inside.

  I search for any weakness in their fortress that is keeping me in and hindering me from escaping. I’ve planned my escape to a T, but everytime I see an opening it’s closed by another body that won’t leave me be.

  One of these days they’ll fuck up and I’ll be able to slip past them undetected. They have no clue the demented ideas that have surfaced in my thoughts when it comes to plotting Dimitri’s demise. He and my mother started this and I’ll make sure I’m the one to finish it.

  Today’s the first day that Trigger has left my side for more than ten minutes. It’s a nice reprieve. He relentlessly talks unless he’s asleep and even then, he’s next to me in my bed. There’s only one man I want next to me and he is no more.

  I allowed myself to feel deeply for someone other than my daughter and he was taken from me. I will never make the same mistake twice. I will never let another in that deep-rooted until I take care of the driver behind the wheel who continues to inflict his plague on me from afar.

  Realizing I’m in my room alone, I get the sense that my time to flee has come. I get out of bed and make my way to the window. Looking out in the parking lot, I see it’s full. Great, while the rest are living it up I can use this as the diversion I need.

  Going to my closet, I pull out a small bag and pack some clothing and the cash I have stashed in a shoebox. I move to my nightstand and pull out the handgun Brute taught me how to use when I first got here and stuff it in the bag. I leave a note for Mitz on the nightstand and pull my boots on.

  Lifting the window, sticking my head out to check my surroundings, I slowly slide out and into a crouching position.

  I walk over to a hole in the fence and squeeze through running towards the woods for cover. I know I only have a matter of minutes before someone comes to check on me.

  Coming out of the cl
earing to a side street, I pull out my burner phone and call a cab. It arrives within five minutes and I’m on my way to my destination.

  ***

  Spook

  It feels so good to be out of the hospital and away from the smell of disinfectant and the worrying of nurses and doctors.

  Pulling up to the Devils clubhouse and taking in all the bikes and vehicles to welcome me home is overwhelming. I can’t wait to get inside to Greer and Ryland.

  Inching out of the truck, since my back is still sore, my feet finally reach the gravel. I breathe in the fresh air and sigh. It feels liberating being back here.

  Queenie’s the first to embrace me out of the crowd of people conjugating. I take in the crowd, but don’t see Greer. I pull back.

  “Where’s Greer?”

  “She’s still in her room.” Queenie says softly. “She hasn’t been the same since we got news of the explosion.”

  Mitz walks towards me with Ryland in her arms and I can’t help but smile widely. I’ve missed this little girl so much. I take her from Mitz’s arms and bring her tight to my chest.

  “Little princess, I’ve missed you so much. Let’s go see your momma.”

  I head inside with ‘welcome home’ and ‘glad to have you back’ shouted at me. Going down the hall, I come to Greer’s room and exhale loudly.

  I open the door to stillness. Her bed is rumpled but empty. Her closet door is open. I look around the door into the bathroom that too is empty.

  I look behind me to Trigger, Queenie and Rudy. “Where is she?” I growl.

  They come further into the room and it’s then I notice the window is open.

  “She’s gone.” I roar. “She’s gone.” Ryland startles in my arms and I wrap her tighter to me. “I’m sorry baby. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  Trigger and Rudy are on their phones while Queenie stands in the middle of the room sobbing uncontrollably.

  My day started with the excitement of getting back to my woman and child to the devastation that she’s gone and I’ve got no clue where she’d go.

  Brute barges through the door in shock that Greer was able to get from under his nose without him knowing. Mitz heads towards Queenie to console her as they both fall in a heap on the bed.

  I look out in the hallway to see Dani leaning against Ryker burying her face into his chest. I walk towards them.

  “Ryker can you take Ryland for a second. I’m going to head outside and see if I can track where she went from the window.” He nods and I reluctantly hand Ryland over. I turn to Trigger who’s pacing the width of the room. “How long was she in here by herself?”

  He stops and makes eye contact with me. “She was in here maybe twenty minutes. I didn’t leave her until I knew you and dad were close. Shit, I should’ve just stayed in here with her.” His realization results in him crumpling to the ground. “How many times do I have to let her down before I learn? She’s fucking been so out of it. I should’ve known better.”

  I leave them all in her room to soak in that she got away on their watch. They all knew she wasn’t right and that she sure as hell shouldn’t have been left alone, but the time to bitch them out isn’t now.

  I round the clubhouse and find Poison and Banshee taking in the window and the ground below it.

  “See any tracks?” I ask.

  “Yeah.” Poison replies. “She went from the window to the fence. There’s an opening big enough for her to get out that leads to the woods.”

  “Let’s check out the woods and see if we can get anything.”

  The three of us head towards the gate and walk around to where the opening is. The woods are dense but there’s enough coverage for Greer to hide if she wanted to.

  Banshee breaks my consideration of what I’d do if I was Greer. “If she went straight through, she would have ended on the side street. From there, she could’ve gone anywhere.”

  I agree. If she was so desperate to get away, she could have ended up taking a bus to anywhere.

  Chapter 19

  Spook

  Greer’s been gone for two weeks now and even with all the feelers we have out for her, there’s been no sighting. She left a note for Mitz that broke my heart.

  Mitz,

  Thank you for taking such good care of Ryland and me. The day you came into my life was the day I started living again. Please take care of Ryland. I’m not in the right state to care for her the way she deserves and I don’t want her to feel the way I did with the way my mother treated me. I love her, please don’t ever think that I don’t, but I know deep down with Spook gone, it was the last straw.

  I have matters to take care of before I can feel sure enough that I won’t bring so much havoc down on anyone that I let get close to me. Please allow me the time to right the wrongs that have caused so much chaos.

  With all the love I have left,

  Greer

  In Greer’s mind, she’s a burden and has brought all this on us. She never realized all of us would have gone to even greater lengths for her.

  Rudy and Trigger took her absence hard and have spent endless amounts of time searching every possible sighting with no luck. Queenie and Mitz are taking turns caring for Ryland when I’m off doing my own investigations as to where she could’ve gone.

  We even called in the Pretty Pinks since they were the ones to get more information on Dimitri than we could. They’ve kept us up-to-date, but they’re at a dead end too.

  It’s like she vanished.

  ***

  It’s been ninety-six days since Greer left. Ryland is getting so big and attentive. She’s rolling around and crawling everywhere. Ryland has become the joy to our sadness. Just a giggle from her can make the dread that etches its way into me disappear.

  None of the clubs have been successful in finding any tidbit on Greer. We’ve gone as far as calling hospital morgues and looking for Jane Doe’s. She’s nowhere to be found.

  My days consist of waking to Ryland letting me know it’s time for her to be fed and my nights rocking her to sleep. In between, I work helping the Devils with side jobs. I haven’t been back to Cumming and I don’t plan to until I have Greer back where she belongs. Rudy hasn’t pushed the issue, which I’m thankful for. I can’t picture leaving Ryland here.

  I’m out in the backyard sitting on a picnic table with Ryland on my knee as we take in the fresh air and sunny sky. The honking of a horn has me turning slightly to see a post office van sitting at the gate.

  I watch as Peabody rounds the van and the worker hands him a package. He walks back through the gate and locks it making his way to the door to the clubhouse. Once he disappears inside, I turn my attention back to the little lady in my arms.

  She giggles and squirms; babbling incoherent words that hopefully one day I’ll be able to understand. I don’t know how many more milestones she will pass without Greer here to witness them. With every new thing she can do, I record it for the day Greer returns.

  “Spook!” I hear Brute yell.

  “What?”

  “Got a package I think you might want to see.”

  I get up from the table and place Ryland on my hip. Walking towards the door, the expression on Brute’s face is unreadable.

  I walk inside and follow Brute to the kitchen where the package is sitting in the middle of the table. I hand Ryland to Brute and make my way to the package. Not even bothering to sit down, I slide it to the edge.

  Pulling out my pocketknife, I slice it open down the center. I place my knife on the table and open the flaps. Shredded newspaper burst from the box. Digging around, I feel something firm and grip it pulling it out of the box.

  It’s a manilla folder. Attached to it is a handwritten note from Greer.

  Brute,

  I’ve done some digging into the explosion at Dyson’s mansion. Not sure if you followed up on it, but the man that was found in the rubbish wasn’t Dyson, but Gerard Dixson. He was the righthand man of Dimitri. It seems that word got back to Dimitri
that you had those names and he’s taking care of loose ends. I suggest you look into all the men that you talked to that were on that list.

  Senator Allen died two weeks ago of an apparent suicide. Senator Bishop was in a car accident the week before that. You get the hint. Dimitri is getting desperate. Make sure you lock it down and keep your guard up and please let my dad and brother know the same.

  And please stop looking for me. You’re bringing more attention than I need. I’m so close to putting an end to Dimitri and his operation and I need ya’ll to back off.

  If you don’t believe that I’m okay, call Mauve. I’ve given her the okay to fill you all in.

  Love and miss ya’ll,

  Greer

  How in the fuck is Greer taking care of this all by herself? Plus, we’ve been in contact with Mauve and her club at least once or twice a week since Greer left.

  “Brute, you need to get Mauve here. She knows more than she led us to believe.” I hand him the letter with the newspaper clippings of all the politicians and men we had discussions with. I head to the parking lot to call Rudy.

  “Yeah.” Rudy answers gruffly.

  “I need you here at the Devils. New information has come to light and I need you and Trigger here ASAP.”

  “On the way, just tell me though, is Greer okay.”

  “She’s apparently fine, but there’s a lot more to the situation than any of us could have imagined Greer getting involved in.”

  “Be there as fast as my bike can get me there.” Then, he hangs up.

  Chapter 20

  Mauve