by KJ Dahlen
Reva stepped to the bed. “They have to be with the club, Sara.”
“M-my brother doesn’t.”
“Oh, yeah?” Hound looked over at her. “He’s a Moore whether he accepts it or not. He also is here to protect you.”
Derick stared at him. Then without a word, he turned to the door.
“Derick!” Sara called.
He turned back to her.
“D-don’t leave, please?” she pleaded.
He shook his head. “I wasn’t planning on it, Sassy.” He walked out.
“Duggan?” she called out again.
Hound walked over and took her hand. “I’ll be back, Sassy.” He kissed her forehead. “I promise and I will watch out for your brother. Besides, this place is a fortress.” He smiled and left the room.
Reva pulled up a chair and sat down next to Sara.
Sara didn’t know what to say to this woman. How did someone survive that? What she went through what Bulldog had done to her. Her respect tripled for her in just the last hour. He left scars on her Sara imagined but on the inside.... There were probably many. Yes, she saw her reaction to the news that he was here. The terror and fear was there, fresh in her. Sara just couldn’t imagine how she was sitting here trying to comfort her. “Can I ask...”
Reva reached for her hand and patted it. “Hey, I already told the worst of it. So, don’t be worried. What did you need to know?”
Sara shrugged. “I-I don’t really need to bother you with it.”
Reva nodded and grabbed a bottle of water. “You probably need these aspirins.” She handed Sara the water and grabbed the aspirin bottle shaking out two into her hand. “Here ya go.”
Sara swallowed them and drank the water.
Reva took the bottle and set it down on the nightstand. “Is there anything you need? I can get you a cold compress.” She got up and went to the closet.
Sara watched her.
She got out a box and set it on the chair. Then she pulled the compress out and went to the fridge to fill it with ice.”
Sara shook her head. “After what a shock you just got, you are taking care of me?”
Reva smiled as she placed the cap onto the compress and came back over to the bed. “I’ve lived with this a long time. I-I did freak out when...” She shook her head. “But I have my man and this club and all my kids.”
Sara cocked her head at her.
“Yeah, I couldn’t have any of my own, but I have three adopted children. Then all the kids I help at Redemption House.”
“Wow. You just give and give.”
“No, they give to me, sweet Sara.”
“So I wanted to ask...”
“Go ahead, it is on your mind, so ask.”
“How come Bulldog is still alive? I mean I never heard what happened when he...” She sighed. “When he came here after you.”
Reva got a faraway look in her eyes. “A man name Georgio.”
“What?”
“Oh, he wasn’t a good man probably, but ... he took him away. It was the only thing really that we could do. His family didn’t want him dead. I-I’m not sure I even wanted that. But see, it was those diamonds. I kept them all those years. Bulldog forced me to and at the time I was so beaten down, I did as he said. Then when I woke up in the hospital and learned what Bulldog had done to me and that he was going to jail, I knew I couldn’t leave any of the stones behind. Not for him. He didn’t deserve anything. I dug up the stones and I brought them with me when we left Maine. Gator and Deke never knew what I carried away with me. In fact, no one knew until Georgio came here. No one knew the stones ever existed. I felt it would be better for them not to know. So, I again hid them.”
“Where were they?” Sara asked.
“I had them buried in a special place that maybe one day I can take you to. It is a small area behind the compound. With a waterfall and the loveliest plants. Gator built it for me as a place to just... sit and enjoy.”
“How sweet is that? Gator must be some kind of man.”
“He is. He has put up with all my nightmares and my eccentric ways. I got better though and every day I try to make his day better.”
“Wow, I wonder if I will ever have—?”
Reva patted her hand. “Oh, I think you will.”
Sara thought she should avoid any talk of a future when everything was so confusing in her life. “So what happened with this Georgio?” She wanted to distract herself, as she couldn’t stand not knowing what was happening out there with Hound and her brother.
“Well, I took him to the place and we had to walk there. Believe me, e walking with a well, a deadly criminal. A leader in the cartel. It was surreal. But he was the most impeccably dressed a man I ever met. With the best manners, he seemed so well educated. No, that isn’t correct .The Vincinti men dress better and they are so kind and well spoken.” She laughed.
Sara opened her mouth to ask.
“No, don’t worry. You’ll meet them sometime soon. So we had to walk a bit to get to them. Georgio got to his feet and reached out his hand to assist me. But Gator was there and I could see he had no intention of letting me go off with this Cartel man for a walk or anything else. I mean I couldn’t let Gator get on this man’s bad side. You know at times, you gotta go around your men and make sure they stay safe too. Even if they don’t know about it. So, I asked Georgio if Gator could come with us. He said yes. Then he told us when we were walking that he’d also kept track of Bulldog in prison. Bulldog was alive only because he still owed them a large amount of money. When he’d gotten the call from the president of the MC, he’d been surprised. Deke had called him here after the Moores all agreed. They all hoped that well, it would take care of Bulldog once and for all. But we also plead for his life in the end. As Molly... well, we didn’t want her to lose her son, not like that.
“Wow, so you all arranged this?”
“Yeah...See Deke is so smart. He figured it out. Him and Gator. That’s why you gotta trust that man. I mean he has gotten us all out of so many bad scrapes. You will see the longer you are around. We all are really his family. We trust him with our lives and he has never let us down. He earned that loyalty you see from the men here.”
Sara nodded. She had seen that they all did what Deke said and she had wondered why they did.
“Well, anyway, Georgio knew Bulldog had gotten out of prison earlier that day. He had someone following him and even then, while we were walking to get those stones, he must have known Bulldog was on his way here to the Sin’s to find me and the diamonds. And when he found out I was willing to return the stones, Georgio had been surprised. He also asked me about the attack on me. What was Bulldog’s reasoning? If he had one. I told him I’d just found out I was expecting a child and I knew Bulldog would use the child against me. To control me even more, so I would never be able to leave him. I didn’t want to live like that anymore and I wasn’t going to let him hurt my child. I was leaving him that day but he’d found out about my plans. He was higher than a kite and he dragged me back to the clubhouse so everyone could watch as he punished me for trying to leave him. I hadn’t told him about the baby yet and I swore I never would. I wanted nothing from him except my freedom but he would never give me that.”
Sara shook her head. “So what happened to um, Bulldog?”
Reva sighed. “In the end, Georgio made Bulldog sign my divorce papers. I wanted so badly after 17 years; to be married to the man I really loved. And I told Georgio about him refusing to sign. “
“So how did he get him to?” Sara was so intrigued by this story.
“Well, Georgio led Bulldog to believe he would be relenting if Bulldog righted that wrong. So Bulldog looked really sacred by this point and he kept glaring at me. I glared right back. It felt good to show him he couldn’t scare me anymore. Inside, I felt justice would finally be served. Then after he signed, Georgio took him away to the cartel he had to pay for deceiving them, stealing all that money and their diamonds. Then trying to b
lame me and anyone else he could pull in front of him as cover. That’s been almost four years now. I secretly hoped, I mean that he would never come back. Ok...I hoped he would just...”
“Be dead?” Sara asked as she grabbed Reva’s hand. “I get it. It doesn’t make you a bad person.” She sighed. “I guess... it hasn’t hit me yet, but for what he did to my parents...” A lone tear slid down her cheek. “I might eventually feel the same way you do. Thank god, I never met him.” She shivered.
Reva held her hands. “You’ve got a lot of spunk, Sara Bassette Moore and I think you that you are a perfect match for Hound.”
Sara blinked. “Is that a compliment?”
Reva laughed. “Yes! Yes. He’s a good guy, just a little lost but lately, here...”
“What?” Sara wanted to know.
“He really cares about you and it seems to have straightened him out a lot.”
“Oh...” Sara fell silent. “I don’t know yet, what will happen, but I do want to stay with him.”
“Yeah, the Moore charm.”
“What?” Sara swung her gaze up.
“Black Jack swears by the Moore men having a lot of charisma.”
Sara flushed. “Well, let me tell you that he lacked charm the day we woke up in that Motel Six!”
Reva grinned. “Oh wow. Umm, are you gonna share?” She giggled.
Sara knew right that minute while staring at this woman that she would be her hero forever. To see how she bounced back like this and was so unselfish that she cared about her, a woman she barely knew. “Well...See I called him an asshole and told him no wonder his name was Hound.”
Reva’s mouth popped open then she laughed uproariously. “Oh, wow. That might be the best laugh I’ve had all week! I wish I could have seen his face!”
Sara laughed a little too. Then she wondered why whatever it was the men had to see was taking so dammed long.
Reva patted her hand and set the compress on her cheek. “It might sting a bit, but it will reduce the swelling.”
Sara sat there in awe as Reva took care of her.
Hound caught up with Razor.
The man strode silently next to him.
Hound really did not know what to say to him. He was only a few years older than Derick, yet he was his uncle? Never, in his wildest imagination did he guess that Sara’s brother would turn out to be a Moore. So not only was he his uncle they were brother n laws? Then all of Bulldog’s mess? He barely remembered him. Well, that wasn’t true. The man had played with him when he was little, but he never remembered much of that. Then later, the family all spoke very little about it. He knew why later when he got older, yet he never heard that story before. Not the way Reva told it just now.
He motioned his head to Derick and headed to the operations room. He figured this was where the men would be.
They went in to see them all standing at the screens.
Hound moved closer and his eyes widened. “No fucking way!”
“I’m afraid so.” Deke shook his head. “He is insane. We all knew it but...”
Hound watched the screen at the front gate.
A huge Hummer that looked to be metal plated was sitting across the street. It was Bulldog he supposed.
“I got the men on the roof ready. Chance, and Bowie and a few others are at the entryway. When I saw this...” He pointed at the screen. “I had Judge and Raine take all the women to the below ground saferoom. Gambler is going to get Reva and Sara down there. I wanted no Moores to face Bulldog.”
Hound turned to see what Derick thought about all this.
He wasn’t there.
“Shit. Well, a Moore apparently will be involved.” Hound shook his head.
Deke and Sam looked up.
“He’s gone. I told Sara I would watch out for him. Dammit.” Hound paused then went over to the small armory cabinet and grabbed a shotgun.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Deke asked.
“I’m going to find Sara’s brother. Don’t worry.”
“Well, I fucking do. Dad, you stay here. You call the cops if it gets too ugly out there, but...”
“Yeah, I know, only if it will help. We need to get Bulldog at a fucking tribunal not prison,” Bones muttered,
“I agree.” Deke grabbed two guns. “There’s only one way this will ever end and we all know it.”
Gator got up.
Deke turned to him. “I’m sorry Gator.”
“But Deke—“
“It’s too personal for you and honestly... if something ever happened to you...I couldn’t stand to even see how Reva would feel. So please?”
Gator slowly nodded though you could see the disappointment on his face. “Take him alive, Deke.”
Deke met his intense gaze. “I will try hard, buddy.” He turned and followed Hound out the door.
Hound didn’t know what they would find. But as they made their way to the entry, he looked around and gave a sigh of relief.
Derick stood next to Chance and Bowie.
“So, what’s he doing?” Deke asked.
“He has been sitting there for about ten minutes, so we don’t know,” Chance answered.
“We pulled the gate personnel like you said Prez,” Bowie added.
“Good, I don’t want my men killed because of this whacko.”
“Oh fuck,” Chance mumbled as he stepped closer to the glass.
They all looked through the bullet proof window.
“He really is going to...” Hound couldn’t fathom it.
“Yeah, he is crazy enough to do it,” Derick spoke for the first time since they’d arrived.
The Hummer came out like a shot from across the street and sped up towards the gates. It was enhanced with a battering ram of sorts that must be at least 12 inches of metal on the front bumper.
“Okay, scatter!” Deke shouted. “He intends to come all the fucking way!”
Chance, Bowie and the other men all took off to the back to probably come out at the side doors and around to the front that way.
Hound moved to follow, then he looked back to see Derick stepping outside through the entry doors. “Well, fuck.” He headed out feeling more than angry at this man who did not do what he was fucking supposed to do.
“Dammit, Hound!” Deke yelled from behind him.
No disrespect to his prez but he had to keep Derick in one piece, even though he wanted to kick his ass himself.
Chapter Seventeen
The Hummer crashed through the fence and kept going. Metal flew everywhere.
Derick wasn’t stupid at least, Hound thought as he saw the kid had moved to the side of the entryway.
Hound stepped to the side as well. “What the fuck, Derick?”
“I’m going to stop him, like I should have done in prison.”
Hound let out a breath as the huge vehicle barreled toward the entry way and it had about three hundred feet to go yet. “Well, fuck it. It will take a Moore to beat a fucking Moore.” He raised the shotgun and took aim.
“It’s covered in metal, Hound,” Derick told him.
The engine was loud now, as the large vehicle covered in metal came right at them. “Well, his...” Hound took an even lower aim and pulled the trigger.
The blast was loud and the kick of the shotgun knocked him back.
The exploding tire popped and the Hummer swerved.
“...Tires aren’t metal.” Hound finished his sentence as he could see Bulldog now close up as he panicked while gripping the steering wheel and tried to right the Hummer. “Move it kid!” he yelled as he and Derick rushed to the side of the building.
The huge vehicle flipped and skidded as metal sparked and groaned along the asphalt, the last part of the way and hit the building with an exploding boom.
Hound and Derick moved even further back as metal and glass flew everywhere.
Rubber burned and smoke bloomed as even a hubcap from the Hummer rolled on by them.
Derick moved toward th
e wreckage.
“Fuck no!” Hound grabbed his arm.
Derick turned it around on him and twisted his arm up his back.
Fuck no, he did not. Hound thought as he rounded himself back out of it. Moores knew how to box, kick, and kill with almost any weapon. Blackjack wasn’t named after a card game he always said and he passed all his skills onto his sons.
“Fucking let me go!” Derick shouted.
Hound pulled him back. “I will when we see what comes out of that Hummer.”
Derick yanked his arm away and they both stood out of bullet range.
Finally, a loud feral growl sounded as metal screeched and the topside door opened up. “You mother fucker!” Bulldog yelled as he clamored out and landed on the smoking pavement like some ghoul in a horror film. Blood all over his face and neck. “Who the fuck shot my tire out?”
Hound shook his head as he muttered, “The posterman for what your brain on drugs looks like.”
Derick chuckled. “Oh, fuck. That was funny.”
They both smiled for only the briefest of seconds even as they watched a madman get his footing and right himself to look around.
“Hey!” he shouted again. “I asked who did that?”
“It was me!” Hound called out but did not show himself, as he couldn’t see Bulldog well enough yet, to know if he was packing.
“And who are you?”
“Your little brother, Hound!”
Bulldog halted. “H-hound?” He looked a bit disorientated for a full minute. ‘Well, shit boy! Dad taught you how to shoot well!”
Hound and Derick looked at each other with raised brows.
The man was insane and the way he acted proved it.
“So, why don’t ya come out and say hello to your big brother?” Bulldog asked.
Hound shook his head.
Derick looked at him like he wondered at him not answering.
Hound placed his fingers to his lips and pointed to the other side of the wrecked vehicle.
There coming around it was Chance, Bowie, Deke and five other brothers.
Bulldog turned and saw them. He raised his arms. “Hey, I’m not armed!”
Deke raised his hand up as he stared at him. “The fuck you aren’t.”