by K. J. Dahlen
Gator wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
Iceman, Raine, Mountain, Deke and Sam came over to stand beside them.
Georgio sat at the table and couldn’t help but admire the loyalty this woman inspired.
A shot rang out and the men surrounded Reva to protect her. Georgio’s men spread out and one came to stand beside him. All the men in the room except Georgio drew their weapons.
“Reva!” Bulldog screamed out her name. “I know you’re in there, bitch. It’s time to face me.”
Reva began to shake.
Gator’s arms tightened around her. He whispered in her ear.
“Reva, come on bitch. You betrayed me and now, I’m here to collect,” he shouted just before a window near the door shattered. Three more bullets were shot into the room. “Reva,” Bulldog shouted her name again.
Mountain stomped over to the window. “She isn’t coming out, you bastard!” He yelled out the window. “Why don’t you come in and get her?”
“Is that you Gator?” Bulldog yelled back. “You ain’t nothing but a wife stealin horn dog.”
“Yeah, I stole your wife, you fucking coward,” Gator called out. “But she never once tried to run away from me. She always ran to me.”
Three more shots rang out, then they heard another shot and a shout of pain. A few minutes later, the door opened and Bulldog was thrown into the room. A bigger man followed with a gun pointed at Bulldog.
Another one of Georgio’s guards grabbed the wounded man and shoved him into a chair.
Bulldog raised his head and glared at the men standing around Reva, then he turned his head and noticed Georgio sitting there. Bulldog then paled and sank back in his chair. “Mr. Canton what are you d-doing h-here?” he asked brokenly.
“I came here at your wife’s request to collect a debt long past due,” Georgio told him.
“What debt?’ he asked. “You collected everything seventeen years ago.”
“Not everything,” Georgio replied softly with narrowed eyes. “There was a considerable amount still outstanding.”
Bulldog turned his head slowly to where Reva stood and he glared at her. Then he turned back to Georgio. “I was told you got everything seventeen years ago.”
Georgio nodded. “That’s what we were told as well, but it seems that was just another lie.”
“What did she tell you?” Bulldog asked.
“She gave us the diamonds you told her to hide.”
Bulldog paled. “I never told her to hide any diamonds. She’s lying to you to make a fool out of me.”
“I don’t think so,” Georgio rebutted as he reached inside his pocket and pulled out the two Crown Royal bags. They slid on the table as the diamonds inside spilled out.
Bulldog paled. He knew those bags as well as Georgio. In fact, Georgio himself had given him those bags after they shared the Crown Royal. He looked up at Georgio and knew he knew the truth.
“The truth always come out in the end, my friend.” Georgio explained smoothly. “And this truth is seventeen years in coming. It wasn’t your wife who betrayed us…it was you. You who betrayed everything and everyone. You set up the woman you should have protected to take the fall in case your plan failed. You set up your MC. Do you know or care that they didn’t know what was going on when we came to collect your debt? We nearly went to war with them and they had no clue why we were there. You betrayed your family who I understand has a very high moral code. I’ve spoken to your father and he is an honorable man. He tells me he tried to teach his sons that honor but you never learned it.”
With each word Georgio spoke, Bulldog lost more color. “If my wife is so good and innocent why did she keep the diamonds until now?” He tried yet again to place the blame on Reva.
Turning his head toward her, she saw his eyes full of hate. Her old fear flared and she shrank against Gator.
Gator pushed her behind him in a protective manner.
“My wife was never really loyal to me,” he claimed. “She betrayed me soon after I went to jail. Hell, for all I know she was sleeping with this guy before I went to jail. I know she’s been sleeping with him since then. Speaks a lot to her honor, doesn’t it?”
“Don’t you dare impugn her honor, your bastard!” Gator growled. “We weren’t together until after you went to the joint. She wouldn’t sleep with me until after she asked you for a divorce. When you refused to give her one, she thought to hell with you. It was only then we became lovers. She never betrayed you before that time because you would have beaten the hell out of her. You never loved her, you only ordered her around like a fuckin slave.”
“Why did you never give her the divorce?” Georgio wanted to know.
“Because it was what she wanted,” Bulldog admitted. “She sent me to prison, why should I give her anything?”
“But I never did anything to you,” Reva protested.
“You pressed charges against me, bitch!” Bulldog screamed at her.
“No she didn’t.” Gator glared at him.
“What the fuck would you know?” Bulldog sneered.
“Because it was your family and your MC that pressed the charges against you,” Sam spoke up now.
Bulldog snapped his head around to stare at the other man. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Sam nodded. “Your parents and the MC both pressed the charges, but you know that already, don’t you? Reva had nothing to do with it at all.”
“My parents never would have done that, not to me.” Bulldog insisted. “Dad wouldn’t have wanted the Moore name dragged through the mud. He told me that when I got out, but it can’t be true!”
“But they did.” Raine insisted. “It is true brother. They didn’t want to, but they felt it was the only way to get through to you.” He paused then added, “You were out of control back then. Nothing anyone did made you stop and look at what you were doing, to yourself and to others. You’re still denying even yet today.”
“The MC pressed charges because of what you did to Reva. You told us she stole money from the club but when we didn’t find any money missing, we knew you lied to us. Then the cartel came around for their money and we knew you lied to us all along.” Sam sneered. “If you could lie about that we had to wonder what else you lied about. When everything came to light, we had no choice but to protect ourselves.”
“So it wasn’t Reva but everyone else.” Bulldog sat back in his chair. “Well, that makes everything all better then, doesn’t it?” he sneered. “Well, I’ve paid my debt to society and I’ve lost my family and my MC. Is everyone happy now? Can I get on with what’s left of my life now that I have nothing left?”
“You can give your wife the divorce she wants,” Georgio advised.
“Why would I do that?” he asked.
“Because if you don’t, then I’ll have no choice but to make her a widow.” Georgio shrugged. “I think the woman has suffered enough at your hands. She deserves a better life than the one she got with you.”
“You’re going to kill me anyway,” Bulldog countered. “I think I’ll just make her wait for her freedom.”
“If that’s really what you want…” Georgio nodded to the man behind Bulldog. “She won’t have to wait that long.
The man behind Bulldog pressed his gun against Bulldog’s head and cocked the trigger. The echo of the sound seemed very loud in the silence that followed.
“Wait a minute!” Bulldog swallowed hard. “The papers are in my bag. It’s on the back of my bike. I’ll sign them.”
Georgio nodded to the man holding the gun.
The bodyguard reluctantly lowered the weapon. He then left the room and when he came back, he was carrying a small duffle bag.
Bulldog grabbed the bag and pulled it to him. Reaching inside, he fumbled through the items and pulled out the envelope with the divorce papers. He removed them from the envelope and looked around for a pen.
Georgio himself h
anded him one from his own breast pocket, his smile cold as ice.
Bulldog grabbed it quickly and signed the papers where it was indicated. When he finished, he pushed them aside and glared at Reva. “There, you got your damn freedom. I hope you fucking choke on it!” He growled.
Gator grabbed the papers off the table and handed them to Reva.
Georgio got to his feet. He turned to Reva and took her hand. Raising it to his lips, he kissed her fingertips. “Thank you dear lady for having the courage to right a wrong.” At her nod, he turned with a graceful flair, gathered up the diamonds and swept them back into the bag. Then he put the bag back into his pocket. He motioned for Bulldog to get to his feet. “Come along, you and I are going on a little trip.”
“But I signed the papers.” Bulldog protested.
“Yes, you did one right thing in seventeen years. Bully for you.” Georgio sneered. “But you still have to answer for skimming money and hiding it all this time.”
“You got the diamonds back, what more do you want?” he protested.
“Interest. You had the diamonds for seventeen years.” Georgio informed him in a flat tone. “You owe us seventeen years’ worth of interest.”
Then the man standing behind Bulldog grabbed him by his shirt collar and hauled him to his feet. Twisting one arm behind him, he hauled the protesting man to the door.
Georgio smirked as he followed them outside.
A moment later, they all heard a car start and drive away.
Reva sat down hard in a chair and began to shake uncontrollably.
Gator knelt beside her and held her tight in his arms. “It’s over baby, you’re finally free.” His lips crushed hers. “Do you know what that means?” he asked as he kissed her jaw.
Reva felt a shiver of need make its way down her body and pool at her center. “No what does it mean?”
“It means you can finally be my wife,” he whispered in her ear. “I can finally lay claim to your body and soul.”
“Is that what you want?” she asked him softly.
“I’ve wanted that for longer than I can remember.” Gator growled.
“Me too, big guy. Me too,” she whispered. “I love you.”
“I love you more,” he whispered.
Raine shook his head and smiled. Then glanced over at Bones.
Sam nodded at him. “I told ya, locked jaws and hangs on for however long it takes.” He motioned his head to Gator.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The next morning, the whole clubhouse was filled with people. Not only were the members all present the Moore family were there as well. Black Jack and Molly and all four of their sons, Raine, Hound, Gambler and Judge. Molly had cried a little when Raine told them about what happened with Bulldog but Black Jack held her for a moment and assured her their son was still alive and she stopped.
“I prayed every day for him to feel remorse for his actions but now I know he never will.” Molly told her sons. “Whatever the cartel has in mind for him, I hope he will finally ask the Lord for mercy for his soul.”
Raine closed his eyes. “Mom, you raised us all right, but Harry was never one to do what he was told. You know that.”
“Yes, I know,” Molly admitted. “We did what we could for all of you.” She hesitated then had to ask, “Did he seem repentant at all?”
“He signed the divorce papers for Reva,” Raine told them. He didn’t want to tell his family how that had transpired. He wanted to give them a good feeling about his brother, even if only for a moment.
His father grunted. “That was the only good thing he ever did for her.”
“Is she going to marry that Gator person now?” Molly asked.
“I hope so,” Raine told them. “She deserves to be happy and he makes her happy.”
“Are you sure about that?” Molly asked with concern.
“Yeah Mom, I’m sure. He really loves her and she loves him back.” Raine insisted. “I’ve been watching them for almost a year now and they have something I wish I could find. Plus, they have a chance to adopt three kids. They’re going to be a family now and you should be happy for them.”
“Oh, I am.” Molly smiled. “I just wish Harry would have given her, her freedom a long time ago. She deserves to finally be happy.”
“Yeah Mom, she does and now, I think she’ll have everything she ever wanted, everything Harry should have given her but didn’t. She’ll have what you and Dad have.”
Black Jack hugged his wife close and nodded at his sons.
~* * * *~
Across the room, Melora looked at Sam and asked, “What’s wrong with you today? You’ve had something on your mind since last night.”
Sam nodded. “Yeah, I have. I just don’t know how to tell her.”
“Her?”
“Adriana.”
“What do you have to tell Adriana?” Melora looked down at her son who was sleeping in her arms. At his long silence she glanced up at him.
“Georgio Canton told me something last night,” Sam finally replied. “It was about Adriana’s mother and it wasn’t good news.”
“Oh no…” Melora gazed around the room and found Adriana talking to her sister Quinn. She turned back to Sam. “What happened?”
“Radar murdered Stacy because she called me and had me pick up Adriana. He wanted to trade Adriana for some piece of a cartel deal with the Cajuns. When that didn’t work out, Radar pulled a gun and Georgio had to put him down. He also killed the shithead that was willing to take a fourteen year old girl in trade for a deal. Adriana is finally safe, but she no longer has her Mom.”
“She’ll stay with us now,” Melora insisted. “She isn’t going to like it but she doesn’t have a choice anymore.”
Sam just stared at her. She was certainly full of surprises. “So when are you going to marry me?”
Melora smiled. “Maybe when I can take advantage of you. Like in six weeks?”
“Nope, I ain’t gonna wait that long to claim you,” Sam insisted. “Hell and no. How does next week sound?”
“Sam,” she groaned with frustration. “I want a wedding night like anyone else. I want to go from the reception to the bedroom. I want to strip off your clothes and ravish your body and allow you to ravish mine. I can’t do that next week. I just had a baby remember?”
Sam leaned closer to her. “I don’t care. I want to claim both you and that baby. Let’s get married next week. Then in six weeks, we can have another ceremony here with the club. We can get dressed up and say our vows all over again, and then we can have that wedding night you want. I promise. But for now, I want you to legally be my wife. Can you do that?”
Melora sighed. “Yeah, I can do that.”
“This will give you girls enough time to plan a proper MC wedding.”
“And what would you consider a proper MC wedding?” Melora asked.
“You’ll figure that out.” Sam grinned.
Melora sobered and sighed. “What are you going to tell Adriana?”
“I don’t know. How do I tell her that she’ll never see her Mom again? That some lowlife murdered her for making sure she was safe. How do I tell her that I’ve loved her since the day she was born and I tried to stay away but never really could? That I’ve watched her grow up from a distance but didn’t dare come close enough for her to see me, to know me?”
“Honey, I think you just did,” Melora admitted as she nodded to a spot in back of him.
Sam turned and found Adriana standing behind him. Tears rolled down her face and she had her arms wrapped around her waist. “Mom is dead?” she whispered.
Sam went to her and put his arms around her thin shoulders. “Oh baby, I’m so sorry.”
Adriana sobbed in his arms. “What happened? Do you know?”
Sam laid his chin on the top of her head. “Georgio had just come from Saratoga Springs. He was there to settle a dispute between the two MC clubs. I asked about your mother and h
e told me what happened. Radar murdered her when he found out you were gone. Georgio’s man had to shoot him when he pulled a gun. His man also killed the man Radar was going to sell you to. He told me he doesn’t condone selling young girls into what would be considered sexual slavery.”
Adriana shuddered. “So, where does that leave me?” she whispered.
“You’re my daughter and you’ll always have a home with me,” Sam told her.
“But you’re going to have a new wife and a new baby.” Adriana protested. “I won’t fit in with that.”
“I know it’s not ideal for you but me and T-Bone would be more than happy if you’d live with me and Sam,” Melora added. “I can’t wait to get to know you.”
“You’ll never be my mother.” Adriana told her. “Even if you and Sam ever do get married.”
“Adriana,” Sam growled.
He was going to say something else but Melora held up her hand to stop him. “I know that,” Melora defended. “I hope you know I would never try to replace your mom either.”
“Damn right you can’t,” Adriana told her.
“I lost my own mom when I was younger than you and I resented anyone trying to replace her, so there is no way I would do that to you. Instead, I hope we can become friends. You, Quinn and Deke are T-Bones’ sisters and brother. I want him to know what it’s like to grow up with family. None of you had that either, so maybe we’ll all find something here.” She paused, “Can you do that?”
Adriana glanced down at the small infant in her arms and nodded. “I can try.”
“That’s all a person can do is try.” Melora nodded. “Maybe tomorrow, you and your dad, your brother and sister can take you home to get your things. I know it hurts sweetheart and it’s going to hurt for a while, but it does help to talk about her. When my mom died, I didn’t have anyone to talk to for six years, then I had Izzy.” Melora smiled. “I about drove her nuts but she heard all about my mom. She was probably sick of hearing about her at the time but it helped me to talk about her. Someday, when you’re ready, I’d like to hear about your mother.”