by L. Wilder
“Okay. Will do.”
I watched as she pulled out of the driveway, and once she was no longer in sight, I went back inside. My nerves were shot and I felt like I couldn’t breathe, so I went straight into the kitchen and took out a bottle of bourbon from the cabinet. I quickly poured some into my glass, then drank it. Without even giving it a chance to take the edge off, I poured myself another one, then carried it into the living room and sat down. I took in several long, cleansing breaths, trying my best not to completely unravel, but I couldn’t help myself. I’d just sent August to meet her father for the first time. They were flesh and blood, and yet, they were both complete strangers. Finding out that I’d kept the truth from them for all these years would be hard on them both. They would be angry with me, probably hate me, but it was a chance I had to take. Gus was our only hope of finding Harper, and honestly, I was relieved that the truth would soon be out.
I sat there watching the clock, and as each hour passed, I became more and more anxious. I remembered the first time I’d gone to the Satan’s Fury clubhouse. It was a day I would never forget, and I had a feeling my daughter would feel the same way. Like me, she’d never really been around bikers. Their way of life was quite different from ours. They were rougher, tougher, and it might take her some time to see that behind their hard exteriors they were good men, especially Gus. I’ve never known a man who was so caring, so compassionate, and loyal to his family. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his brothers, and I hoped the same would hold true for August.
Other than a quick call to check directions, I hadn’t heard anything from August in hours. I just sat there in that living room, lost in my own head, waiting to hear something. I was considering making myself another drink when my phone rang. As I’d hoped, it was August letting me know that she’d found her way to the clubhouse.
“Did you talk to Gus? Is he going to help you find Harper?”
“He’s going to try.”
“Oh, thank god.” I couldn’t have been more relieved. I knew in my heart that if anyone could find her, it would be him. “Did you tell him about the daycare and—”
“I told him everything, Mom.”
“Good. Then, he’ll find her.”
“You really think so? Cause I’m not going to be able to survive if something happens to Harper.”
“We’re going to find her, sweetheart, and I really do think Gus will help us get some answers,” I assured her. “That’s more than anyone has been able to do.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am. You’ll see.”
She paused for a moment, and then asked a question I’d hoped she wouldn’t ask. “What’s the deal with you and this Gus guy?”
“I’ve already told you. He’s an old friend of mine.”
“I know that’s what you told me, Mom, but I’ve got a feeling there’s a lot you aren’t telling me about him … and his club.” Her tone was borderline sarcastic as she said, “I wouldn’t think that these are the kind of people you would’ve run around with, at least not with Gran around.”
“I met Gus when I was still living in Memphis. He helped me when some guy tried to steal my purse.” Just thinking back to that night brought a smile to my face. He was so damn handsome and charming—something I wouldn’t have expected from a tough as nails biker, but he was, just the same. Falling for him was easy, but it made leaving him even that much harder. I didn’t want to get into all that, so I simply told her, “We spent some time together, but that ended when I accepted a job in Nashville. I started seeing your father shortly after, so I lost ties with Gus. Simple as that.”
“So, you guys dated?”
“Yes.” I felt like I was opening a door that didn’t need to be opened, so I tried to keep things as simple as I could. “It’s hard to explain, sweetheart. Just remember … you can’t always judge a book by its cover.”
“Maybe not, but some things are hard to overlook.”
“It’s not as hard as you might think.” I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “By the way, how is he?”
“Gus?” She paused for a moment, then answered, “Umm, fine. I guess. He kind of freaked out when I told him I was your daughter.”
I could only imagine how he felt when he found out that she was my daughter. Knowing Gus, I felt fairly certain that he’d been able to put two and two together and realized that August was his daughter. “Did he seem angry?”
“It’s hard to say what he was feeling. He stormed out of the clubhouse for a few minutes, but when he came back, he seemed okay. That’s when I told him all about Harper. After I finished telling him everything, he asked about you.”
“He did?”
“Yeah. He wanted to know how you were doing and if you were happy.”
“Oh.” Considering how I’d left things, I wouldn’t have thought he’d even care how I was, much less if I was happy. “That kind of surprises me.”
“Why wouldn’t he, especially if you two dated?”
“It’s complicated.” It was time for me to change the subject, so I asked her, “Have you heard anything from David or the police?”
“I got a call from Detective Haralson earlier, but I wasn’t able to take it. I should call him back.”
“Okay. Keep me posted.”
“You know I will.”
I spent the next couple of days waiting on pins and needles to hear whether or not Gus had been able to get Harper back. Thankfully, things worked out exactly as they’d all hoped, and August called to tell me that Harper was back from the men who took her and she was safe and sound. I couldn’t have been more relieved. I knew fate was working her hand, and it wouldn’t be long until I had to answer for all the secrets I’d kept.
Gus
The days after Harper’s return were pretty much a blur. We’d just completed another big run, and I had a shit ton of work to catch up on. I was grateful for the distraction, but every time I got a second to catch my breath, my mind would drift back to August and Samantha. I just couldn’t figure out how things had gotten so fucked up. Samantha and I had a good thing once, a real good thing, and it was hard to believe that she would just walk away without some kind of reason. There was always the chance that I could’ve been wrong about everything. Maybe she didn’t feel like the club life was for her or maybe she simply didn’t love me the way I thought she did. That thought got to me the most. I figured in time I’d get the answers I was looking for—one way or another. I knew that. I just had no idea that they’d be coming sooner than later.
I was in the garage going over inventory with Blaze when my burner started to ring. When I saw that it was Gunner, I figured he was just gonna tell me that he was on his way back. I was wrong. There was no hiding the concern in his voice as he told me, “Pres, we’ve got trouble.”
Having no idea what he was talking about, I asked, “What kind of trouble?”
“Three black BMWs just pulled up at August’s place, and Gus, these guys didn’t look like they were fucking around. They were packing, and there were too fucking many of them for me to take out on my own.”
While I knew there was a chance Polito would be back, I’d hoped we’d seen the end of him. Just thinking of August and Harper being in danger made my blood boil. “Fuck! Where are you now?”
“We swiped a van, and we’re heading into downtown.”
“Are Harper and August with you?”
“Yes, and Samantha, too.”
A cold chill ran down my spine at the sound of Samantha’s name. I tried to hide my reaction. “Good. You did the right thing getting the hell out of there. Get them over to the Sinners’ clubhouse. I’ll text you the address.” I was doing my best to keep a level head. “The boys and I’ll be there as soon as we can.”
“Will do.”
After I hung up the phone, I gathered up several of the guys and explained the situation with August. It was no surprise that they all agreed to help me deal with Polito. Ev
en though he wanted to join us, I asked Moose, my VP, to stay behind and keep an on things at the club. As soon as we were packed, the guys and I were on our way to Nashville. It was just a three-hour drive, even less with my driving a hundred miles an hour, but I couldn’t get there fast enough. Hell, I needed to get a fucking grip, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what might’ve happened if Gunner hadn’t been there with August and Harper. It was irrational thinking, but the fear of losing them was crippling. To make matters worse, I was trying to wrap my head around the fact that I was about to see Samantha for the first time in twenty-five years. I thought I’d have more time to prepare myself to see the woman I’d loved for an eternity—the woman who’d left and taken my child along with her. I’d like to say that the drive had given me time to collect myself, but it didn’t. I was just as fucked up as ever when we finally got to the Sinners’ clubhouse in Nashville.
I was done fucking around. I wanted Polito dead. Hell, I wanted David dead, too, but he was the fucking mayor of Nashville. We couldn’t exactly end him without backlash, so we’d come up with another plan for him. Our immediate threat was Polito, and we set our focus on him. With Riggs’s help, we were able to locate all the properties Polito owned in the area. Riggs and Hammer, the Sinners’ computer hacker, would do what they could to break into their security systems. We needed to be able to see exactly how many men he had on his payroll, all the entry and exit points, and what kind of artillery they were carrying. It had barely been two days since we’d arrived, but a plan was starting to unfolded—one that would end Polito for good.
After a long day of hashing out plans, we all gathered at the bar for a drink. I was sitting at the bar with T-Bone and the others when I spotted August talking to Hawk. I didn’t think much about it until I noticed the look on Gunner’s face. It was an expression I’d seen many times, but I wasn’t expecting to see it from him—at least not directed towards my daughter. “Fuck me. I’ve seen that look before.”
“Huh?” The blood drained from his face when he realized his secret was out. “Prez, I’ve been meaning to talk you about her, but—”
I was his president, and he knew there was a good chance that August was my daughter. Getting involved with her would mean putting everything on the line and he knew it. “Knowing what you know, you gotta have balls to go there.”
“Not like that … You gotta know, I didn’t mean for it to happen,” he tried to explain. “Hell, I tried to fight it the best I could, but she got to me. Got under my skin like no woman ever has. The kid, too.”
“I trusted you.”
“I know you did, and I wouldn’t do anything to fuck that up.” I could hear the sincerity in his voice, but that didn’t matter. I was his president. I’d been good to him. The brothers had been good to him, and he was willing to turn his back on all that in order to claim my daughter as his ol’ lady. “I care about her, Gus. More than I even realized.”
“Fuck, Gunner. I got too fucking much to deal with right now. I don’t need this shit, too.”
“I get that. I wish I could tell you that I would walk away if that’s what you wanted, but I just can’t do that.”
He glanced back over at August, and by the way he was looking at her, there was no doubt he truly cared for her. While I wasn’t thrilled about the idea, Gunner was a good man. From the day he started prospecting, his loyalty to me and the brothers never wavered. Hell, he’d taken more than a couple of bullets for us, and I’m sure he’d take a few more. Remembering how her mother got to me, I turned to him and said, “She’ll end up breaking your heart. The good ones always do.”
“I’m willing to take that chance, besides … the damage is already done. I want her, brother. Nothing I won’t do to have her.”
“Suit yourself, but you fuck this up—you hurt her or Harper, and you’ll have to deal with me.”
He knew exactly what I meant. If he caused any harm to come to either of them, I’d make him regret it in ways he’d never dreamed fathomable. Gunner nodded as he answered, “Understood.”
“I’ve always thought a lot of you. You’re like a son to me, Gunner. Don’t fuck that up.”
“I won’t. You have my word.”
“Good.” I motioned my hand over towards August and Hawk, then said, “Now, it looks like you have some business to tend to. Wouldn’t want Hawk thinking she was free for the taking.”
“Yeah, I have every intention of setting him straight.”
Just about that time, I noticed Samantha was heading towards the exit. Before she walked out of the room, she glanced back in my direction, and my chest tightened the second our eyes met. Damn. Even after all these years, she could still get to me with a single look. As soon as she walked out of the room, I stood up and turned to the others as I said, “I’ve got some business to tend to.”
I left the bar and headed straight to the room where Samantha had been staying. When I reached her door, my anger was at a boiling point, and yet my longing to just be in the same room with her again was overwhelming. The two emotions were fighting each other, and as I knocked on her door, I had no idea which one would win. I inhaled a deep breath, trying to collect myself as I waited for her to answer. When the door finally opened, I quickly realized I was in more trouble than I thought. She was wearing nothing but a short, white t-shirt, and she looked fucking incredible. My eyes dropped to her long, lean legs, and I could remember how good they felt wrapped around me. Pulling me from that memory, she whispered, “Did you need something?”
“Yeah.” Without waiting to be invited, I stepped inside her room. “We need to talk.”
“Okay.” She closed the door, then turned to me with an anxious expression. “What exactly do you want to talk about?”
“There are so many things, I don’t even know where to start,” I grumbled under my breath. Once I made my way across the room, I leaned against the edge of the desk with my arms crossed and silently studied her for a moment. When Samantha was younger, she was a beautiful woman with gorgeous, long blonde hair, and eyes that seemed to see right through to your soul. She had a smile that could melt the coldest of hearts, even mine, and even after all these years, she was still just as beautiful as she was all those years ago—if not more. As she stood there staring back at me, I remembered how soft her skin used to feel beneath my fingertips, and it was impossible not to wonder if she still felt the same. Then, it hit me. I’d know the answer if she hadn’t walked out on me. Sounding angrier than I’d intended, I growled, “Why didn’t you just tell me that I wasn’t who you wanted?”
“I did want you, Gus. I wanted you more than anything in this world.” My gut twisted into a knot when Samantha looked at me with longing in her eyes. I tried to fight it, but I suddenly felt that familiar pull I’d always had towards her. I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’d wanted her back in my life for so damn long, and she was right there, standing in front of me looking just as gorgeous as she always had. It was fucking with my head. Her eyes filled with tears as she stepped towards me. “You just don’t understand. You’ll never know how hard it was for me to walk away.”
“Then why don’t you explain it to me, because that note you left next to my pillow twenty-five years ago didn’t tell me a damn thing!” I could still remember how she looked at me, the hunger that burned in her eyes every time we were close; the way she said my name, there was no denying the sound of love in her voice, and the way she kissed me, damn, it was like she couldn’t get enough of me. I felt the same damn way about her. I just couldn’t understand how she could just walk away from that. “I went to bed thinking we had a good thing. Woke up to you gone, and I never even knew why. You got any idea what that does to a man, Samantha? When you rip his heart out and don’t even tell him why?”
It was torture listening to the anguish in her voice as she responded, “I didn’t have a choice, Gus. I knew if I stayed and told you what was going on, you would’ve tried to convince me not to leave. You would’ve tried to work it
out, but there was no way that could’ve happened. My mother would’ve ruined you, and you would’ve ended up hating me. I couldn’t let that happen.”
“Your mother?” I thought back to the night when I’d met her mother for the first time—so prim and proper. She greeted me with a smile, but I could see the repulsion in her eyes when she looked at me. It was clear she wasn’t happy that I was seeing her daughter, but I figured in time, she’d learn to get over it. “What the hell does she have to do with you leaving?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Under the circumstances, I think I deserve to hear it, don’t you?”
“Fine. I’ll tell you, but you aren’t going to like what I have to say.” She paused for a moment, then started, “You might remember that my father was campaigning for governor when we were seeing each other. He’d made a lot of sacrifices to get to that point in his career. We all had.” She turned with her back facing me as she lowered her head and thought for a moment. “The media was watching his every move, and not just his. They were watching us all, so when my mother found out that we were together, she was furious with me. She thought it would hurt my father’s reputation if his daughter was seeing a biker.” She turned around, and as her eyes met mine, I knew she was telling me the truth when she said, “I tried to explain to her that you were a good man and I loved you, but she wouldn’t listen. I know it sounds ridiculous, but she was adamant that I end things and was furious when I refused.”
“You never told me that she felt that way.”
“I didn’t think it mattered. I loved you and wanted to be with you. I didn’t care what she thought or what the media thought.” She wrapped her arms around herself as she inhaled a deep breath. “I thought, in time, she would learn to accept our relationship, but that didn’t happen. Instead, she found a way to make sure we could never be together.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“She had someone watching you.” Before I’d had a chance to truly register what she’d said, she continued, “It was a long time ago. I’m not sure if you remember, but you were having some troubles with the club. You wouldn’t tell me what those problems were, but I knew they were bad. I just didn’t know how bad.”