by K. T Fisher
“What happened?” I want to scream and ask where the fuck Elizabeth is, but I have to stay calm here.
Razor looks lost. “We’ve got no fucking idea. After your old lady rang, Scalp tried to get hold of her and the prospect he left here. When neither of them answered he decided to head home and see what was going on. If she’d gone off somewhere with the kids she’d have left him a note on the fridge in case he came home.”
He stops to run his hand through his already messy hair. “We found Larry on the road. Looks like some fucker ran him off his bike. Poor kid’s neck was broken.” I try to get a mental picture of Larry, but nothing comes up. Razor sees my questioning look. “You wouldn’t know him, he’s the prospect that Scalp had watching out for Maggie and the kids.”
“Who the fuck would do this?” I ask, before asking the question I really want the answer to. “And where the fuck’s my daughter?” There’s a cold rage in my tone that doesn’t go unnoticed by Razor.
“I’m sorry Angel, we can’t find the kids. Both of them are gone.” He hangs his head. “I love that little fucker, he’s like a son to me. I promise you, we’ll find whoever did this and we’ll deal with them.” He looks around the yard. Other than Maggie’s broken body in Scalp’s arms there’s nothing disturbed. No clue to what happened here.
Right now I’m glad Eve’s sedated. How do I tell her that our daughter is missing? Who the fuck is doing this?
If it was Ted, Holly’s ex, then why pick on Maggie or the kids? Something’s not right here. I need to figure out what the fuck is going on, and I need to find my daughter.
That little girl means the fucking world to me. When I find the person responsible for this, they’d better be prepared for me to end their fucking life!
Rachel
I don’t know what to do.
None of this is working out how I planned it. I can’t go home, it’s too dangerous right now. I don’t think they’ve realized that it’s me who killed the girl and took the kids. As confused as I am I’m still focused enough to know I need to hide, to get away from Severed.
I’ve driven around for the last few hours, waiting for the voice to come back and tell me what to do next, but it’s staying silent. Both kids have cried themselves to sleep, thank fuck. I couldn’t stand much more of that noise.
I’m not sure I should leave the kids in the car, but I need to call into the chemist. I need some sleeping pills. I’ve got to keep these kids quiet whilst I work out what to do next. While they’re crying and screaming I can’t think straight.
The chemist doesn’t seem overly conscientious, he’s given me the pills I asked for without asking a bucket load of questions and I’m in and out of there in just a few minutes. I call into the shop next door and buy some milk. Children drink milk don’t they? I need something to mix the tablets in with, that won’t make them suspicious.
I also grab a couple of bags of potato chips and some chocolate bars. All kids love potato chips and chocolate.
I haven’t got enough money to buy anything else. That’s my next problem, money. I can’t go home anymore, and I need money to get away from here and start a new life with Jamie. I look at the sleeping girl next to him. What the fuck am I supposed to do with her? I’m not taking a Severed brat with me, that’s for sure. I still can’t bring myself to harm her. She’s just a child at the end of the day. It’s going to be okay, Satan’s going to talk to me soon, and he’ll know what to do.
I need to figure out where to go. A safe place for tonight. And then, at just the right moment the voice comes back. I smile broadly, he’s still with me. Thank fuck. Satan reminds me about the shack in the woods that he used to use sometimes, when he wanted to be alone. To my knowledge no one but me knows about it, and I only know because I followed him there once.
The headlights of the car behind me are making my head hurt more. How long has it been there? Is it following me? Shit, that’s all I need, to become paranoid. I’m making my headache worse thinking stupid shit like that. Nobody is following me. Nobody saw what I did. I just need to relax. Brushing the feelings aside I concentrate on the road in front of me. There’s a turn off somewhere down here, almost hidden. I need to slow down a little so I don’t miss it.
The turn off appears out of the darkness and I have to slam the brakes on to avoid driving past. The car behind blares his horn at me before overtaking and driving off into the distance. See, I was just being paranoid.
The sudden stopping of the car has woken Jamie. He raises his still sleep filled eyes at me.
“Where are we? Did we get help for Mom?” He looks around him, puzzlement all over his features.
“No, go back to sleep. We’re nearly there.” I promise.
The road to the shack is bumpier than I remember, meaning Jamie doesn’t settle and the brat wakes up as well. That’s all I fucking need.
I find the key hidden under the rock where I remember watching Satan put it. The door creaks open and I usher the kids in. The brat tries to protest and stand her ground; frustrated I shove her in and she falls to the floor, grazing her knees. She wails, and I wince at the noise. I might have been a little too rough, but she’s frustrating the hell out of me. Jamie rushes to her side, helping her. He’s a protective kid that’s for sure.
“Where’s my Mom and Dad?” Jamie asks. He’s a stubborn little guy for a five year old. Meanwhile the brat is crying, huddled up against his side.
“It’s going to be alright.” I try to soothe him. “Let me warm up some milk for you guys.” I move to the small paraffin heater on the other side of the room. “Help is on the way Jamie, they’ll be here soon.” He looks like he doesn’t believe me. Tough shit, kid.
Dissolving the sleeping tablets into the milk only takes a moment or two. Persuading the kids to drink the milk takes a lot longer. Jamie realizes I’m not backing down over this and talks the brat into drinking hers too. I’m grateful as fuck when they both fall asleep. I need to come up with a new plan.
Chapter Twenty Four
Eve
I open my drowsy eyes, placing a hand to my head. God, it feels so heavy. I look around and see that I’m in Gabe’s old room in the clubhouse. What am I doing here?
I slowly sit up and see its dark outside. Looking around the room, I panic when I don’t see him. The memories of what happened earlier begin to surface, and I groan into my hands. I can’t believe they put me to sleep.
The sound of water running in the bathroom reassures me. That is until the door opens and it’s Teresa who steps out.
“How are you honey?” She asks, her voice full of sympathy. She looks at me nervously, and I turn away. I can’t look at her right now. It hurts too much knowing what she’s done.
“Go away Teresa. I… I can’t talk to you right now.” A tear starts to fall as I look at my friend. She’s no longer the person I thought she was.
She sighs, and I hear her footsteps come closer. “Eve, I didn’t do it. You were right. I just couldn’t do it.” She starts to cry and moves to sit on the edge of the bed. She’s wringing her hands and can’t bring herself to look me in the face. “I’m sorry, Eve.”
Her words unsettle me. Why is she sorry?
For almost destroying our friendship with her lies and secrets, or for something else. Panic hits me hard in the chest.
“Where’s Angel? Why isn’t he here?” I sit upright. The sick feeling in my stomach is worse than ever. “Tess, where’s Elizabeth?”
Teresa looks me in the eye, and what I see in her face scares the crap out of me.
“She.. “ She’s struggling to get the words out. “She’s missing, Eve.”
I let out a pained scream. I knew it; I fucking knew something was wrong.
Sue rushes into the room at hearing my scream, running to me and pulling me into her arms. “It’s going to be okay, sweetie. They’ll find her. They’ll find our girl and bring her home safe.” She croons.
“What happened?” I don’t know if I have the streng
th to hear this.
Sue and Teresa take turns explaining what happened, as best they know it anyway. They tell me that Maggie’s still unconscious, but that the doctors are hopeful. They tell me that Jamie and Elizabeth are both missing, but there’s no evidence to suggest they were harmed. And they tell me that it’s all going to be okay, because there are two MC’s out there searching for them. It’s all going to be okay?
Who the fuck are they kidding. Nothing has been okay since I set foot in this goddamned country. I was stupid to believe I could have a life here, and now, I’ve put my daughter at risk. Bringing her here was supposed to keep her safe!
“I’m going to go get you a warm drink, sweetie.” Sue stands, before she leaves the room she turns to Teresa. “Keep an eye on her.”
I look at Teresa out of the corner of my eye. “I don’t want you here right now, Teresa. You should go.”
I still can’t bring myself to talk to her.
“Eve, please.” She puts her hand on my arm and I flinch at the touch. “I told you, you were right, I couldn’t do it.” She takes my hand and places it on her stomach. “I’m here for you, Eve. I always have been. I know you’re angry with me, but I need you right now. Aside from being worried sick about Elizabeth, I’m scared shitless. I’m not strong like you. I need you.”
I look into her eyes, seeking the truth I need to see there. Can I really believe her after everything that’s been said between us these past few days?
***
“Teresa. You’re really going to have to stop eating spicy food. You know it doesn’t agree with you.” I laugh. “At this rate people are going to start thinking you’re pregnant.”
I’m standing outside the bathroom door, as my friend throws up her breakfast, for the fourth day in a row.
The look on Teresa’s face as she exits the bathroom gives me pause.
No, I was only joking. Teresa’s made it very clear that she doesn’t want kids, and I know she’s OCD about taking her birth control. However the look she’s giving me right now, tells me otherwise.
“You’re not?” I ask, a huge grin splitting my face.
“I am.” She replies, her voice flat. She doesn’t mirror my smile. From the look on her face you’d think someone had died, not just found out they were having a miracle. “I can’t be pregnant. I can’t do this.” She throws herself onto the bed and starts sobbing.
“It’ll be fine. You and Prez will make great parents.” I comfort her, rubbing her back. “You’re great with Elizabeth.”
“You can’t tell him.” She sits up suddenly, her eyes wide with panic. “You can’t tell anyone.” She looks scared.
“Of course I won’t say anything until you’ve had chance to tell him yourself.” I promise. “When did you find out?”
“Last week. He can’t know, Eve. I can’t do this. It’ll all be over in a few days anyway. There’s no need to worry.” She mumbles.
“What do you mean?” I ask, not understanding what she’s trying to tell me.
“I mean, that I’m booked in for an abortion. I’m going to get rid of it.”
I look at my friend, no longer recognizing her. I know she always said she didn’t want kids, but isn’t that what most people say until the day they find out they’re pregnant? Surely she wouldn’t. She couldn’t. Looking at the determined expression on her face, I see that she could. And she is. She’s got a great relationship with Prez, they seem happy, and I think they’ll be great parents. I’ve seen how Prez looks at Elizabeth when she’s playing with Teresa. I know he wants kids. If he knew what his wife was planning behind his back, he’d be pissed.
“You can’t do this.” I try to reason with her. Tears blur my vision, I know what she’s giving up. Nothing will dissuade her though. I try begging and pleading, but nothing shifts her. She’s determined to do this, even when I refuse to go with her to the appointment. Even when I tell her that if she goes through with it, our friendship is over. It’s harsh, but at the end of the day I really believe what she’s doing is wrong. Fair enough if she had gone to Prez and told him, and together they’d reached this decision, but that isn’t what happened. She’s going behind her husband’s back.
***
This is why Teresa has been missing all day. She persuaded Diane to go with her in the end. As much as Diane didn’t believe in what she was doing, she was a better friend than me, she wouldn’t let her go through it alone. It’s also why I persuaded Elle to go out with me today, I couldn’t face sitting at home knowing where Teresa was, and what she was doing. It’s why I allowed Maggie to have Elizabeth for the day. My twisted logic tells me that it’s Teresa’s fault my daughter is missing now.
“You need Me?” I scream at her. “This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t been such a determined, selfish bitch. I wouldn’t have left my daughter if I didn’t need to get away from here at the thought of what you were doing today. But no. You fucked off, left the rest of us to suffer through the day from hell, and tell me you need me? Fuck no. My daughter’s missing because of you.” I throw a punch that connects with her jaw. It must have hurt because my hand is throbbing like hell, but she just sits there and takes it.
“They’ll find her, Eve.” She pulls me into her arms. “They’ve got to find her.”
That’s how Sue finds us when she returns. Holding tightly to each other, and sobbing our hearts out for Elizabeth.
I need my baby back.
Chapter Twenty Five
Emma
I can’t believe what we’ve woken up to. Eve’s little girl is missing. Justice threw a fit that no one woke him so he could help search for her last night.
I can’t just sit around here doing nothing. They don’t want the women out on the search; they say we’ll get in the way. Bloody macho bullshit if you ask me. The rest of the girls are sitting around like good little wives, doing as they’re told. Eve’s not come out of her room yet. Sue lets us know that she’s fine. Teresa is taking care of her. I can’t imagine what Eve’s going through right now. This has to be one of the worst things a mother can face.
“Fuck this.” I stand and shove my chair aside. Justice watches me cautiously, a forkful of breakfast halted between his plate and his mouth. He’s waiting for Prez to ring back and tell him where to head out to, to help in the search. “Can you give me a ride to the shop?” I ask him.
“You want to go to the shop?” He sounds surprised.
“Yeah. I’m guessing Ink hasn’t had chance to go in and cancel today’s appointments. I can bring the diary back with me when I’m done in case we need to cancel tomorrow as well.” Someone needs to be practical in the midst of all this shit. It beats sitting here twiddling my thumbs.
“Give me five.” He gestures at me with his fork. Looks like the big guy wants to finish his breakfast first. It’s been uncomfortable between us this morning. Don’t get me wrong, he’s been civil to me, but there’s a distance between us that wasn’t there before. I guess we both feel guilty about last night. I’m tired of all this guilt that’s beginning to weigh me down. That’s one of the reasons I need to get back to the shop. I don’t belong here. I’m not part of this tight knit family, and I hate feeling like an interloper.
***
I’m fine until the bike stops outside the shop. As I get off I can’t help looking over the street to the scene of yesterday’s disaster.
Disaster? What a stupid word. Danni fucking died over there. I’m not sure there’s a word that covers how awful that is. Justice follows my gaze. He’s been silent all the way here, and his face looks even grimmer now than it did when we set off.
As I open up the shop he can’t stop looking at the screen on his phone. He’s willing it to ring. I know he wants to be out there with the rest of the guys searching for Elizabeth. Waiting for Prez to ring him back and tell him where to go is killing him.
I’m not sure I want to be here now that we’ve actually arrived. It’s too close to where it all happened. I’ll just grab the
diary and go. I can ring the customers once I’m out of here. I’m about to let Justice know about the change of plan, when the bell on the door sounds.
“We’re closed.” I shout, my back still to the door.
Can’t they read the fucking sign?
When I turn around I’m startled to see Joe’s customer from the other day standing there. She looks like she’s had a rough night, and is looking around nervously. Odd, she normally swaggers in here arrogantly, showing off her bitchy attitude.
Justice looks up from the chair where he’s stationed himself with his phone, and seeing it’s no one important goes back to ignoring everything but his phone screen.