Beginning of the Reckoning

by Vera Quinn

  “You will become my wife first. From that you cannot run. Chief’s club would recognize my right to keep you with me and would not interfere. They are the only reason I am bargaining and not just taking what I want. I don’t ask for permission for anything. I’m not some little school boy. I am a man and men take what they want.” I take her hand in mine. Chief starts to get up from his chair but she puts her hand on his arm and he relaxes some and sits back down. “I give you my word I will take care of you and you will not be harmed. I don’t abuse women. I will give to you what you need. Give you what you want, if I can, and protect you with my life, with our club backing me on that, so you will be safe. But I have to know you are all in.” I give it all to her and hold nothing back. She has to know what she is getting into. “I live a hard life just like your dad, but you know what to expect, you’ve lived it most your life.” There it all was. Everything she needed to know to make a decision. She looks deep in thought.

  “Darling, you can think about it. You don’t have to give an answer right now. We need to head back home, and you can talk it over with Chief. Just know if the answer is yes, it is binding. Our clubs will go to war if you back out. That’s a lot on your shoulders, so think it through and be sure.” My dad tells her. I knew he had a soft spot for Callie but he is giving her room to wiggle out of this and she can’t do that. I know I am talking like I am giving her a choice, but I know I will get what I want one way or another. I have to have her and I will have her! I am just trying to avoid a bloody war between our clubs. Callie gets up and stretches and then walks around the table. When she gets back to her chair she pulls it out and sits back down and looks at her dad, “Do you trust what they say? Can we really rely on them giving us both the other shooter and who ordered it? Honest time, don’t sugar coat for me.” She looks at her dad with total trust. She thinks he would never hide anything from her for her own good. I know differently, but right now I need her to have that trust in him. I know what Chief and his entire club want. They want Tommy’s killers in a bad way and they have exhausted their only leads to find them. They know this is their last chance.

  “Yes Callie, if Steel says it’s true, I believe it. We have known each other long enough he knows I would march through hell itself and fight the Devil himself for you. So he knows there is no room for lies here or there will be a blood war that will leave neither of our clubs left standing. I don’t know about Devil but Steel will tell the truth. Only thing is, I hate to put this on you. I loved Tommy like a brother, but you are my daughter. That’s why I had to bring it to you or I would have told them fuck no. I have to consider how you would feel about his killers. I don’t want you to hate me for making the decision for you. The club has voted to do what you decide, since you will have to live with the decision. That is big coming from the table. Never have we ever given anyone else that power and it was a unanimous vote. We all love you and know you will do the right thing.” Chief finishes, but you can tell this is hard on him to have to let his young daughter make such a major decision. He wants to protect her but sometimes our life is hard and you can’t protect the ones we care about.

  “Where do you live? I don’t know anything about your club or you.” Then she stops and looks at Trent who has been unusually quiet. She closes her eyes and I was beginning to think she is way too tired for this. We’ve pushed too hard. Then she opens her eyes and looks me at me as if she can see all the emptiness inside me. “Can you give me until Sunday afternoon, let’s say six o’clock, back here? Just stay in town and I will have your answer. Can we do that?” She looks determined and is waiting for my answer. She has completely shocked me.

  “Are you sure that is enough time? You can take more time if you need it. This is serious sweetheart.” My dad tells her. “Callie you need to give it more time. There’s no way you c an decide something so serious in such a short time.” Trent finally speaks up. He is grasping at straws to try anything to delay this.

  “Are you sure baby girl? You can take more time. You need sleep.” Chief puts in his two cents but Callie is already shaking her head but she’s not saying anything and still waiting for my answer.

  “If you’re sure you can give us an answer by then. But think it over carefully, because once you agree it is a done deal.” I tell her. She has an almost haunted eerie look on her face and I am sorry I am the cause of it but I can’t change it.

  “Tomorrow six p.m., and Devil, don’t be late.” She looks at her dad, “Can I go to my room and sleep now and when I wake up we’ll talk?” “Sure baby, go ahead and we’ll talk then.” She gives her d ad a hug and he kisses her on the top of her head and then she turns and does the same to Trent. Without another word she goes to the door and gives Zman the same and he whispers something in her ear we can’t hear. I growl and I don’t know where that came from, but he needs to move away from my woman. Then she moves out of the room and for some reason I feel a loss. I know Callie should be with me. She should be going with me. I can wait. Thirty more hours and I will have my answers. I am brought out of my thoughts by the door opening back up.

  “Dad, do you think you could get Cross to come talk with me this afternoon I have some questions for him? You all say for me to consider this and not to do it until I’m sure, well I need a lawyer.” She finishes and waits for her dad’s answer.

  “Sure babe, but you know he is the club’s lawyer not yours.” Callie has walked back over by the table and stopped next to me. “Well the way I see it, he is an attorney, I need one, so I should be able to hire him. He helped me getting Tommy’s insurance papers done for when I’m eighteen. So he should be able to council me on this issue. I know if he has my retainer he has to keep it confidential so there’s no issue there and you trust him, right?” She waits for her answer but she is up to something. I see the mischievous gleam in her eyes.

  “Sure. I will make sure he gets the retainer. That way he will answer your questions and I will make sure he is here by three. That should give you a few hours of sleep.” Chief tells her.

  “Will you make it two? I am setting my alarm for one and then I can meet him here or the house. I have some other things to do today. But you won’t be paying the retainer. Devil will. I need the attorney because of his proposition, so he can pay.” She then puts her hand on my shoulder bends down and kisses my cheek, “right honey?” Damn women, “Sure, whatever.” And then she turns and walks out. Every man in the room knows I have just been taken and have shit eating grins on their faces to prove it, including my dad.

  “Gonna have your hands full with that one, if you get her.” He’s not lying and I already know it. “Ok, now she’s gone, do you have anything else to say about tonight?” His patience is wearing thin but so is mine. “Anything at all, especially since you’ve had a man on her and her friends for a while now. Where did your man pick them up at? And how long has he been on them?” he could ask questions for hours and to tell the truth I am too tired for this shit.

  “Can we pick this up tomorrow when we come or late r today? It is after six and we need sleep. Our guy has only been watching and nothing else. I just had to know about Callie. Easiest way to find out without causing a lot of questions. Nothing more. We have our intel people on tonight. Maybe between our man and your man we can come up with something.” I let Chief know we need to ride. We are getting nowhere.

  “Chief, let’s just put it to bed tonight and look at it with fresh eyes in the morning, before you and Devil kill each other.” Dad says trying to get Chief listen to reason. “He wants my baby girl in damn club business. How am I supposed to understand or except that? Back in the day I would have just shot him and let you pick his body up, but we are a clean club now and try our best to stay on the right side of the law. But mark my words, if Callie ends up getting hurt over this, I may just forget the law. Are we clear on that Steel? No one hurts my baby and rides away free and clear. I still have to deal with the other jackass that broke her heart and he’s not where I can get a hold
of him yet.” Chief lets out a breath I know he has been holding for a while. I can see he is a man on the edge. Maybe he’ll save that for another day. But I can’t help the next words out of my mouth.

  “Does that same warning g o for you Chief? What are you going to do when she finds out you know who her DNA father is and you’ve never shared that with her?” I watch as he gets up from his chair and slams his fist on the table and before I know it that tank of a man has come across the table and has me by my throat up against the wall and I am trying to breath.

  “Is that a fucking threat you piece of garbage?” I try to say something but I am getting no air so kick out at him. By this time Trent has Chief, and Zman is between my dad and me with a gun on us. Finally, when I get air back in my lungs.

  “It wasn’t a threat, just a damn question.” I am barely getting out louder than a whisper. “Ok, Ok, let me go Trent, I have it!, Look, you two get out of my club. I don’t want to see you again before six on Sunday. Stay the fuck away from Callie and her friends. Call your guy off or he will be dealt with. I know what you have over my head. but I will not try to talk Callie into doing anything, it is her choice. I will stand by her choice. Are we clear?!” Chief finishes it with the authority his position gives him. He knows his men will back him even if he leads them into a war. Dad and I make our way to the door and dad turns back to Chief and gives him a salute and pushes me through the door and grumbles in a hushed tone only I hear “go ahead, keep poking that bear and see if he don’t bite your hand off, boy.” I give him a half laugh as we make our way out to our bikes and we see Tito still sits in his car outside the clubhouse’s gates. We stop beside his car and he puts his window down and dad tells him to meet us about three at our motel and then we speed off down the road to find a hot shower and a soft bed.

  Chapter 19

  Callie It seems like I had finally fallen to sleep just minutes ago when my alarm started blasting. I reach over to hit the snooze but I know I have to get up and start a day I really don’t want to face. How do I get myself into situations like these? Well, I guess I’ve never really been in a situation like this before. I bet not many people have. I wonder for a second, maybe this is a new category of messed up. Argh, I need more sleep, I am talking crap in my head that makes no sense.

  “Sorry sister, not in your head, you said that messed up stuff out loud.” Felix laughs at me and I nearly jump out of my skin. Crap, I forgot Felix and Sarah were here. “Happy birthday” they both shout.

  “Sorry, not enough sleep. Too much weirdness going on. I think I have either stepped into the Twilight Zone, or took a trip and went straight to the Bermuda Triangle or wherever that place is where weird crap happens for no reason.” I laugh, almost but not quite. “Thanks for the happy birthday. I can’t believe I’m eighteen and my whole life has turned upside down in the last twentyfour hours.” I shake my head hoping it will clear.

  “You mean that scary show you used to watch in black and white? Where is the Bermuda Triangle?" Sarah asks thinking I’m serious. Guess she needs more sleep, too.

  “Never mind Sarah. I need to get a shower to help me w ake up and then we can go and grab some breakfast. I have an appointment and some other things to do today. Do you have something you can do for a little while to stay busy?” I ask them. I hate to leave them hanging by themselves, but I have to get this settled. This is the last weekend Sarah will be here before she leaves for California and who knows where I’ll be.

  “I need to go shopping for last minute things for the trip my mom is taking me on, and Felix is coming so we can hurry my mom and she won’t take all day.” I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect plan.

  “Ok, I’m not sure where I will be, so text when you’re ready to meet up for tonight.” I get my clothes together and head for the shower. “Out in a few.” I rushed to the shower so my friends couldn’t pump me for information. I know I have to tell them. I can’t get yesterday out of my head. I’m still reeling at how my life has changed in twenty-four hours. Yesterday morning, I woke up to the excitement of my impending graduation. I was ignorantly happy, with a perfect boyfriend and all was right in my world. The only problem I had was how to sneak away from my babysitters so I could race my car. I did graduate and I won my race, but the rest of my world has turned upside down. I know what I have to do. I know exactly where I’m going today, it’s where I always go when I have to think something out. A wife? How can I be a wife? I always thought I would marry Mason, someday. Not now. Maybe a year or two. He can get out of the marines in a few months and we were supposed to go to the same school. I thought he might propose and then we would live together for a while before we married. That’s what I get for getting ahead of myself and counting on a man. Mason is the man I gave my heart to and now it’s just shattered. I feel the tears sliding down my cheeks and then the dam breaks and my body is consumed with an earth shattering cry that has been building inside of me for the last few hours. Since I heard the words that turned my world upside down. I had put so much trust in what Mason and I had. He made me trust him. He made me believe in dreams again, and then he took them all away. He says she meant nothing and that it meant nothing. That’s all I was worth to him. A coldness runs through me. It’s like ice just took over the spot where my heart belongs. I will never let my guard down again.

  I have not hurt this bad since the day I realized Tommy was gone for good and I’d never see him again. I have decisions to make, so I need to get to it. I start to scrub my body with my loofa harder and harder. I don’t feel it. I’m numb. I finally give up when my skin is red. I scrub my hair and rinse, bend and turn the water off and grab for my towel. I towel off and try to towel dry my hair. Then I go about my daily routine of brushing my teeth and drying my hair. I put on my clothes, the usual jean shorts and tank top for summer. Then I apply some moisturizer. That’s as good as it gets for a hot day in Texas. I do all this without really thinking. When I walk out into the bedroom Felix and Sarah are ready to go, but I can see the curiosity on their faces. They had to have heard my breakdown in the shower. The walls here are paper thin. They have never really seen me break down much, but they have seen me do it twice in the last twentyfour hours. They’re probably waiting for it to happen again, but it won’t. Not ever again. Tears are a weakness, one I can’t afford. Best thing to do is act if it didn’t happen.

  “I’ll be ready as soon as I find my flip flops.” I walk over to th e closet and look on the floor, I don’t see them, so I go to the bed and look under it. Yep, there they are, so I pull them out and slide them on. “Ready to go eat?” as I smile real big like nothing is wrong.

  “I understand what you’re doing and for now I’ll let it go, but remember I am here for you when you need me.” Felix tells me and tries to hug me but I pull away. “Fe don’t worry. I let it out and now I am over it. I have things to do and I am starving so let’s get a move on.” I don’t mean to hurt my friend I just want to let him know I’m ok.

  “We get it, tough Callie is in the house and she is fixing to kick butt and take names. Let’s go eat, maybe it will calm your bear.” Sarah says, while joking and trying to ease the tension.

  “Damn straight, let’s eat.” I laugh along with Sarah and we look at Fe and he looks apprehensive but he starts toward the door. “And they say men don’t talk about their feelings.” Fe knows I will talk when I’m ready and it will do no good to push. Just as I open the door, Ty is standing there with his hand in the air to knock. I smile and grab him and give him a hug and he embraces me but then pushes me back to look at my face, “You ok Sis?” he studies my face but I have my mask in place. “Dad is waiting in the front for you. He said if you don’t get a move on you’re going to be late.” I look at my watch and he’s right. “Ty, if it’s alright with dad, can you take them to grab something to eat and then to meet Sarah’s mom? You won’t have to wait for them. I’ll pick them up later. Oh crap, I need my car, too. I should have gotten up earlier.” I hate being late for a
nything and I am running out of time.

  “Your car is already here. Just wait and see what Dad says. He is not in the best of moods today. Happy birthday lil’ sis. I didn’t forget this year.” Sometimes Ty can be sweet.

  Great. That’s all I need. A moody dad is not good for me. “Thanks Ty for not forgetting. I love you.” He just keeps walking but I know he heard. We walk up the hall at a brisk speed, knowing I need to get this over with. I see dad sitting at a table when I walk in the room and I smell all the good food in front of him.

  “You four sit down and eat with me.” Dad tells Ty, my friends and me. The food smells delicious but I just don’t think my stomach will keep anything down right now. “Dad I don’t have time. I have something I need to do before Cross gets here and I don’t want to keep him waiting.” I try to get out of sitting down to eat. “No worries, he can’t be here until three instead of two, so you have an extra hour. You need to eat, all of you.” My dad says including my friends and Ty and leaving no room for argument. “Happy birthday baby girl.” I pour myself some juice and take a piece of toast. That should make him happy. I know he is watching me. “Thank you, dad. Do you think Ty can take Fe and Sarah by her house so they can meet up with her mom? I have someplace I need to go before I meet Cross.” I look at him and his expression softens. He knows exactly where I have to go. The same place I go every time I have an important decision to make.

  “Woody will take my ride and take them. Ty and Zman are on you until this is settled. You won’t be sneaking past them. Don’t think I have forgotten the shit you pulled last night, just because we have another issue. I am very disappointed in all three of you and you can include Hanna in that too. Two prospects lost their chance in this club because of the stunt you pulled last night. Can you take that responsibility on your shoulders? What if something had gone terribly wrong outside that club last night? That would have been on you. I told you no more racing. I should sell your car.” Dad is raising his voice by the time he is done. He is furious with us.