by Zara Teleg
“Who are you?” I asked as I slid the enormous shirt over my head. It was so long, it practically hit my knees.
“In another life, my name was Victor. But now I’m Vicious, president of the Cajun Kings MC, and Venom’s oldest brother.”
“What the hell is going on?” The door opened, and Havoc stormed in. “I told you not to leave my room. What the hell happened?” He didn’t even notice Vicious, who was leaning against the wall in the corner of the room.
“Who fucking did this?” His thumb slid over the tender spot on my face, making me recoil.
“Ahem.”
Havoc froze, then turned to see Vicious.
“Uh, Vicious. What are you…?”
“Relax. I don’t want her, but you can’t have her either.” He folded his arms, sending a menacing stare our way.
Havoc rubbed his hand over his forehead. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’ll let Tori tell you. I fucking hate drama,” Vicious groaned, leaving the room.
“Tori, what is he talking about?” He sounded pissed.
“Havoc.” I bit down on my lip and placed a hand over his. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t come here with you to be with you.”
“What?”
I sucked in what felt like the only air left in the room as a suffocating doom felt near.
“I came because I wanted to find someone. My father is a Cajun King.” I reached under the neck of the T-shirt, sliding the long metal chain on my finger and the medallion into my palm.
Havoc lifted it with his fingertips. “This is a joke, right? Who put you up to this? It’s not funny.” He backed away like I had a disease.
“I wish it were.” I squeezed the only connection I had to my birth father.
“How is that even possible? Venom has no kids. I mean, of the whole MC he is the meanest, loneliest motherfucker of all.”
“I don’t think he knows.” I pulled my legs to my chest.
“Look, I don’t know what you are looking for, but I have to warn you. You should have never come. The man is a cruel, jaded bastard who only cares about himself. If you came for a daddy, you are going to be sorely disappointed.”
Havoc’s eyes shifted to the door as we heard yelling and boots stomping down the hall.
“This better be fucking important,” a deep gruff voice said. “I swear, you little pussies better had not woken me up for some little bitch.”
“Brother.” I could hear Vicious speaking to him as the door started to open. “There is something you need to know before you go in there.”
Ignoring Vicious’s warning, he flung the door so hard, it slapped the wall. I jumped behind Havoc.
“Havoc, why are you here?”
“I— I—”
Gripping Havoc’s bicep, I peeked my head out from behind him. The boy from the picture was now a forty-something man. He was rough and worn, with the road aging his still-handsome face. His violet eyes grew wide as they landed on my face.
He took a step back and shook his head. His eyes closed and then opened again.
Vicious pushed his way in front of Venom. He moved Havoc aside and gently tugged my arm, forcing me to face Venom.
“Brother, this is Tor—”
“Paige. Paige Victoria,” I cut him off.
His face twitched at the sound of my name. We both stared into the eyes of each other. His cold gaze moved to Havoc.
“You fuck her?” he asked.
“No. No, I didn’t.” Havoc’s words trembled from his lips.
“How could you ask that?” I was horrified.
“Get the fuck out, both of you,” Venom ordered Havoc and Vicious. He pointed his finger, ringed by a cobra with ruby eyes, to the door. My eyes locked on the centerpiece of his tattoo sleeve, a fully detailed Archangel Michael emerging from petals with his sword piercing a snake. Goose bumps covered my body as I remembered the Archangel Michael around Magnolia’s neck.
I swallowed hard. On shaky legs, I stepped toward him and reached out a trembling hand to his shoulder. Before my fingertips touched him, his hand went up, stopping me.
“I know that tattoo.”
“You don’t know anything. Look, little girl, I don’t know who put you up to this, but whatever you’re here for, or whomever you’re working for, it’s not going to work.”
“What are you talking about?” Hot tears welled up in my eyes. “I’m here to meet you. I hoped you would want to meet me.” I stepped back, placing my hands over my face, wiping the tears that threatened to fall.
“I thought...”
“You thought wrong,” he snapped. “I don’t have money, and the only family I have is my brothers in the Kings. You should go back to where you came from and forget you met me.”
“You don’t mean that.” My breaths were shallow as his words ripped through me like a knife. First, the pain of losing Kai; now, my father rejected me. Tapping into the inner rage that I normally tried to control, the part of me I could now see came from him, I unleashed my own venom.
“Fuck you, old man.” My fists opened and closed at my side. “My mother was right for not telling you.” The words came out shaky. My throat felt like it was full of nails. “You don’t deserve to know me. This was a mistake.”
I took pity on the man before me. He was big, strong, obviously feared and respected, but at this moment, anguish was written on his face.
I pushed past him. I yanked at the knob and Vicious nearly fell into the room. I looked up at him, my eyes no longer able to hold back the tears.
Pity was on Vicious’s face as he whispered “bastard” under his breath.
“Can you please take me home?” I pleaded with Havoc.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kai
“Amber, this is Kai. Paige is in trouble. I need you to call me now.” I left a message after calling three times.
I typed out 911 and hit send.
“I’m sure Paige is fine. She’s a smart girl.” Hack tried to reassure me.
I flicked my cigarette as my phone finally fucking lit up.
“Amber, where the hell is Paige?” I growled into the phone.
“Kai, calm down. And why do you care? You fucked Daisy, and we saw you with those girls at Voodoo,” Amber accused.
“I did nothing with Daisy,” I seethed. “Where is she?”
“How would I know? Paige left with Havoc after she saw you with that whore.”
“Havoc?”
“Hold on,” she began speaking to someone in the background. “Do you know where Havoc would have taken my friend?” After a quick silence, Amber spoke again, “Vandal doesn’t know.”
“Put Vandal on the phone now, Amber.”
“Who the fuck is this?” His deep voice grumbled.
“This is Kai, Paige’s boyfriend, and sergeant-at-arms of the Stained Souls MC. Who the fuck are you?”
Incessant laughter came from the man. “Cajun Kings MC, asshole.”
My heart stopped in my chest. Paige was with the Kings? Fuck!
“Listen to me, Vandal. Your boy has property of the Stained Souls, and Vice does not want this shit to become a club problem, so you better tell me where I can find my girl.”
He huffed, breathing heavily into the phone. “He probably went to the clubhouse. Let me call him before you go and get yourself killed.”
“You do that.”
Amber’s voice returned to the line. “Kai, you are a fucking asshole. You don’t deserve her. You fucking crushed her, and she doesn’t want to see you.”
I could hear Vandal’s voice in the background. “Tell him Havoc did not answer. I texted someone at the club, said he was taking her home.”
“Amber, you better hope he is not lying,” I warned.
There was nothing I could do but pray he was telling the truth. I texted the boys that they could go back to the hotel. I was riding straight back to Sugar Maple.
Paige
“Take me home, please,” I pleaded wi
th Havoc.
“No.” Venom’s icy voice came from behind me. “I’m calling you a cab.”
I turned to look at the face that I had pinned false hope to, the one I thought could provide the pieces that have always been missing inside me. My jaw tightened, and I lifted my head high.
“I don’t want anything from you. I will find my own way home.”
I gathered my purse and shoes from Havoc’s room and followed him to the main hall, leaving Venom and Vicious there.
“I didn’t mean for you to get in the middle of this.” I reached for the outside door.
“You aren’t leaving. You are waiting for the cab. Just sit here a minute. I will be right back.” Havoc pointed to the chair.
I crossed my arms and sat at the edge of the sofa. I looked around the room; two men were asleep—one on a couch and the other on a recliner, snoring.
Voices were raised, coming from the hall. I recognized Venom’s voice, speaking with probably Vicious. I crept closer.
“Well, she definitely has Maggie’s fearlessness.”
“Is she fearless or stupid? You know what could have happened to her coming here?” Venom spewed.
“Yeah, and she thought meeting you was worth the risk. You know, she hasn’t left yet. You still could talk to her,” the other man replied.
“And say what?”
“I know that look, Venom. Don’t you even think about it.”
“What the fuck do you know?”
“You stay away from Viper. He finds out about her, you will put her life in danger. You want that?” the other man warned.
“Paige,” Havoc called, making me jump. “What are you doing?”
“I was looking for the bathroom.”
“Down there.” He pointed to the hall in the opposite direction.
The roar of a motorcycle was followed by two beeps outside, indicating the cab was here.
Havoc opened the door for me and walked me outside, pulling at my hand. “Paige, you know, you sprung this on him. He is not an easy man to begin with, but I know when he looked at you, he felt something. I saw it. Give it time. Maybe he will come around.”
“I appreciate it, but I realize I made a mistake. I came to find the man my mother wrote about, the man she loved more than life. I should have listened to her warning. I never should have come. Now I know why she protected me from him.” I opened my purse and pulled out the picture I had hoped to give my father. I looked at it one last time and then crumbled it, throwing it into the garbage.
“Havoc, thanks for walking me out.”
The man who was on the motorcycle took off his skull mask and helmet. Lighting a cigarette, he walked to the porch and caught my eye, pointing his smoke at me.
“You.” He smiled. “I know you.” He stroked the scruff on his chin. “Yeah, I remember. The limes. We met in Black Rock at the grocery store. You’re Kai’s girl.”
“Not anymore.” The words cut through me as I spoke them.
Vice’s eyebrows went up.
“I guess you wouldn’t be here if you were.” He continued up to the porch. “Not my business.” He held up his hands and gave me a nod.
Havoc walked me to the cab and opened the door.
“I hope this is the last time I see you,” he said. “If I had touched you, Venom would have had my balls. You need to go back to where you came from. This is no place for you. I’m telling you this for your own good. Just forget you found him.”
His words were cold. He was just like the rest of them. Havoc stood outside the cab, fake smiling.
“Get her home safe.” He winked at the driver before shutting the door and tapping on the top for the man to go.
Daylight had risen over the old lodge. I looked through the rear window and watched as Venom moved a curtain closed. The guard opened the gate, and so did I—my tears flowed until halfway to Sugar Maple. I leaned my head against the window. I couldn’t go home.
What did I expect, for him to open his arms and hug the daughter he never knew? Did I hope that he would instantly care just because I had? I read that letter a thousand times, building him up in my mind. From what Meme said and my mother’s own words, I knew he had to have a heart somewhere under all that leather and attitude.
My stomach growled and heart ached. My whole life, my sister had been there whenever I fell. Now I needed her most, and I’d pushed her away all to find a man who may have shared my DNA but was no father.
“Sir, can you please drop me a few blocks up on the left.” The cab stopped in front of The Pit. On wobbly legs, I stepped out of the cab and attempted to hand the man money. He waved his hand.
“It’s been taken care of,” he said.
I took a deep breath and walked to the door. I knew Juliet trained here before they opened. I could see the lights on. I knocked on the glass, hoping she could hear me over the music.
Nope. Of course, she couldn’t.
I sat cross-legged on the sidewalk and must have nodded off.
“Hey, Paige?” A hand touched my shoulder.
My eyes opened. I looked around, wondering how long I had been sitting there.
“Leo. Hey, sorry, I’m looking for Juliet. I don’t have my phone.”
He helped me to my feet and nodded his head to the door. “Come on, she’s in there. She plays the music so loud, she wouldn’t hear a banshee.” He looked at my face but didn’t say a word.
We followed the music to where Juliet was pounding at paddles that Rage was holding. Leo flashed the lights on and off to get their attention.
“Paige?” Juliet stopped dead and sprinted to me. Rage followed.
“What did Kai do?” Rage growled.
“Rage, I need to talk to Juliet. Please.”
“What are you wearing? Are you hurt?” Juliet asked. The tears that I thought had run dry in the cab sprung again.
“I’m so sorry. Can we talk?” The boulder in my throat made the words a high-pitched squeal.
“Of course. Leo, you mind if we use the office?”
Juliet, the motherly person she was, cracked me open a water bottle and pulled a giant soft gray hoodie off the new inventory rack and made me put it on.
She sat on the office sofa and tapped the spot next to her. I curled into a ball and placed my head on her lap the way I did whenever I had a problem. My big sister would stroke my hair and always give me good advice, whether I wanted to hear it or not.
“I don’t know where to start.” I sniffed. She caressed her hand across my face, pulling back my hair.
“How about at the beginning?”
I took a long breath and bared my soul. Everything I had bottled inside for six months bubbled over, and I couldn’t stop once I got started. Juliet did not say anything; she just listened. Then I got to the part about visiting Meme. Her eyeballs nearly fell out when I told her about the letter and Gavin helping me.
When I got to the part about Kai and Daisy, her whole body stiffened. I could feel her protectiveness emerging.
“I’m going to kill him,” she said.
“It’s not the worst part.” I sat up, holding my knees to my chest.
“Honestly, Paige, what else could possibly have happened?”
I bit my lip and hunched my shoulders.
“Oh dear God. I know that face. Just tell me.” She rubbed her fingers across her head.
“When I saw Kai and Daisy,” I pushed down nausea that was creeping up, “I kind of broke into Kai’s place. I took two VIP tickets to the opening of Voodoo, a club in Torrentsville that the son of the president of the Cajun Kings opened.”
“You went looking for him. Even after the warning in the letter. What the hell were you thinking?” She shook my shoulders. “Rage has told me how dangerous they are.” Juliet took a breath. “I’m sorry. Please continue.”
“Amber and I went to the club last night. We hooked up with a couple of their members, and I got one to take me back to his club.”
“Are you insane, Paige?” She
began breathing in and out like I do before I get a panic attack.
“I shouldn’t have told you.” I hid my face behind my hands.
“I want to know. I want to know everything.” Juliet gently took each of my wrists in her hands and pulled them down, looking into my eyes.
My eyes began to sting as the words came out. “It was horrible.” I sniffed, my nose hurting as I held everything in.
“I met him. He wasn’t the man my mother loved. He was mean and cruel and didn’t even care that he had a daughter. He dismissed me like I just inconvenienced his sleep.”
Juliet put her arms around me and squeezed me tight. “Hunny, I’m so sorry. He is an asshole and doesn’t know how lucky he would be to know you.”
“You don’t understand. No matter how good our parents are, my whole life, I felt like there was something different about me. I felt there was something I had inside me that I couldn’t understand, a hole that no one could fill.” I closed my eyes. “When I saw him, I saw my eyes. I saw a piece of me. For a moment, I felt like he could fill that space. And then he acted like a big fat jerk.” I stood and stomped my foot. “He’s such an—”
Juliet and I both turned our heads when we heard the yelling coming from the other room.
“Where is she?”
Kai. Just what I needed.
Still fueled by anger and rejection, I opened the door to the office and ran toward the hollering. I came to a halt when I saw Rage and Kai pushing each other.
“Stop!” I screamed.
Kai
My phone buzzed several times in my jacket. When I pulled off to the shoulder of the highway, I was surprised to find it had been Leo messaging me.
Leo: Paige is at The Pit. Come NOW.
Me: On my way. Keep her there.
My bike bulleted back onto the road. The car I cut off honked at me long and loud. I was just a blur in the mirrors of the vehicles as I weaved in and out. It was the fastest I had ever made it to Sugar Maple, yet it felt like it took forever. My heart ached and mind spun.
What the hell was she thinking?
I knew she was mad, but this was just stupid and dangerous.