See, Reese didn’t know anyone from Arizona, but I did. I knew a woman with dark, curly hair who lived in Arizona. I wanted to believe it was a coincidence. There was no way she could have found me and definitely no way she could have linked Reese to me. It was just a coincidence. It had to be.
I walked into the common room, my boy against my chest, and found Carbon sprawled out on one of the couches. “Couldn’t sleep either?”
“Nope. The whole thing kept playing over and over in my head. Finally, I said ‘fuck it’ and gave up on sleep. I would rather be tired than relive my sister’s near-death experience over and over again, each time with a different ending.”
“Same here, brother,” I said and dropped down beside him and shifted James to my lap.
“How’s Reese?” Carbon asked, anxiety evident in his voice.
“She slept through the night and is still sleeping. If she doesn’t wake up on her own soon, I’m going to wake her up and give her some more pain meds like Patch said. Don’t want her to start hurting so bad we can’t get it under control again.”
“Good,” he shifted, almost as if he was uncomfortable. “Did, um, did you guys talk?”
“Not much. I told her I didn’t want to talk about it until later, that I was just glad she was okay.”
“Thank you for that. I don’t know why she did it, and any other time I would be beyond pissed at her, but right now, I feel the same as you, just glad she’s okay,” he said honestly.
“She’s got a lot to tell us…” I said, trailing off at the end of my sentence.
“Yes, she does. I’m thinking we should start with the threatening letters. It’s obvious someone is after her and I want to know who the fuck they are and why they thought they could try and kill my little sister,” he said, starting to get himself wound up. “I say we get that squared away and then we can find out why she kept your boy a secret. That okay with you?”
I really wanted to know why she kept James from me, but I understood where he was coming from. We needed to make sure Reese was safe first. If she was in danger, so was my son. He could have easily been in the car with her when she was hit. “Yeah, that works. I want to know why probably more than you do, but I get it, safety first.”
“She tell you she’s moving back to Croftridge?”
I tried to keep the shock, and if I was honest, also the hurt, off my face. “No, she didn’t. When did she make that decision?”
He smirked. “She didn’t. I did. Surprisingly, she agreed without any argument. Figured we could get what she needs from her house and hire someone to pack the rest of her shit. If Patch okays it, I’d like to head home today. I don’t want to be in this town any longer than I have to.”
“Works for me. Think we can get Reese out of here without drawing a lot of attention?” I asked. I didn’t want whoever was after her to know she was still alive and that she left with us. I had a feeling they’d been keeping close tabs on her.
“Already on that. Batta and Tiny are going to go back to her house to get the things she needs right now. Make it look like they’re checking stuff out like they did last night. We’ll pull a cage up to the back door and load her and James, then pull out the front gates. Nobody will be able to see them in the back.”
“Are they going to stay with you?” I asked. I wanted them with me. They were mine, damn it, even if she didn’t know it yet.
He eyed me suspiciously before answering. “I thought it might be a good idea to put them in a room in one of the buildings on Ember’s farm. They would be safe there. Most of the brothers are around there as much as they’re at the clubhouse. Plus, Ember’s there most days, too.”
I nodded and kept my thoughts to myself. Mainly, when Ember gave them a room, she would be giving me one right beside them.
***
Hours later, we were on our way back to Croftridge. Reese and James were riding in Patch’s SUV with me and Carbon. We loaded our bikes in a trailer we borrowed from Copper along with the items Batta and Tiny had packed from Reese’s house. Coal, Edge, and Patch were following us in the other cage, Phoenix and the rest following on their bikes.
It wasn’t a long drive to get back home, but I was worried about Reese. She slept through the night, but woke up in a lot of pain. Patch came to the clubhouse when his shift was over at the hospital and gave her a shot to get her pain under control. He reminded her to take her pain medicine as scheduled, not as needed, for the next few days.
James was asleep as soon as we hit the highway. I shot a sideways glance to Carbon. He subtly nodded and began speaking, “Reese, we need to talk.”
“I know,” she softly replied.
Turning in his seat to face her, he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me about the letters?” She gasped, her shock evident. “Oh, you didn’t know I knew about those?”
“No, I didn’t. When did you find out?”
“Batta and Tiny found them when they went to your house last night to look for you or clues as to where you might be. How long have you been getting them?”
She cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter, “I got the first one the week after I got home from the hospital with James. After that, I would get two or three a month.”
“How were the letters delivered to you?” I asked.
“A few were in my mailbox. They weren’t actually mailed to me, someone just stuck it in there. Sometimes they were on the windshield of my car when I left work. The last two were stuck to the front door.”
Carbon growled low in his throat, “Damn it, Reese. This psycho knows where you work and has been to your house. Why didn’t you fucking say something?!”
“Because I didn’t want you to know!” she screamed.
“And why the hell not?” he yelled back.
“Hey,” I interrupted, firmly, but not too loud, “if we can’t discuss this without disturbing my son, we will wait until we get back.”
Reese turned her gaze to the window and Carbon muttered, “Sorry, brother.”
“Sugar, can you tell us why you didn’t want Carbon to know?” I asked, keeping my voice soft.
She continued to stare out the window, but she did answer me. “Because I know who they’re from and I didn’t want to upset him.”
Carbon stiffened in his seat and opened his mouth to speak. I shot him a warning look. I would not hesitate to pull over and put his ass in the other cage if he didn’t get his temper under control. My son would not be exposed to a screaming match between his mother and uncle. Not happening.
“Sugar,” I said gently, “you know you’re going to have to tell us who they’re from. Wouldn’t it be easier to tell us now, while your brother is contained?”
She snorted at that, then huffed, “Fine. They’re from my ex-boyfriend.”
My fingers gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. Her ex-boyfriend? When the fuck was this prick her boyfriend?
Rage.
All I could feel was rage. I didn’t know if I was more pissed at her or him. She would tell me his name and then I was going to kill him, slowly. It wasn’t her brother she needed to be concerned with, it was fucking me.
“Duke,” Carbon barked, breaking my train of thought, “You all right, brother?”
My harsh breathing and flared nostrils were clear indicators that I most definitely was not okay. It came out harsher than I intended, but that couldn’t be helped. “Who the fuck is this prick?”
Reese flinched at my harsh tone, then grimaced, cradling her broken arm against her chest. Immediately, I felt like shit. Yes, I was pissed at her, but it wasn’t my intention to cause her pain. Carbon’s big fist tagged me on the shoulder, “Tone it down, asshole.”
Fuck that hurt. Big bastard. “Right. Sorry, Reese. You okay, sugar?”
“Fine.” Oh hell no, she was not retreating into her one-word answers. I knew she did that shit to hide her emotions and protect herself, but she wasn’t doing it this time.
“Reesie Piecie,�
� Carbon murmured, “I need you to tell me who he is.”
I heard her swallow and take in a deep breath. She slowly exhaled. “His name is Allen,” she paused, seeming to brace herself, “but you know him as Omen.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, everything seemed to happen at once. Carbon exploded. Reese jolted and cried out in pain. James woke up, screaming bloody murder. I hit the hazard lights and pulled over. I took my time bringing the cage to a full stop so I didn’t jostle Reese around any more and give the others time to stop, particularly Phoenix. I was by no means a small man, but I needed Phoenix, and maybe Patch, to help get Carbon under control.
I jumped out of the cage and bellowed, “Phoenix!”
He was already walking toward the cage, but started running when he heard my shout. When he got closer, I yelled, “Carbon!” and pointed toward the door. We made it to the side of the cage just as the passenger door flew open.
Carbon burst out of the car in a fit of rage, all muscles tensed and flexed. He roared like a wild beast. Phoenix didn’t waste one second. He tackled Carbon from the side and took him down to the ground. Phoenix quickly had him on his stomach, but Carbon was fighting like hell. “Get his arms,” Phoenix gritted out, using all of his strength to keep Carbon in place.
I grabbed an arm, Dash grabbed the other. Phoenix kept his knee on Carbon’s back and used his hands to brace himself on Carbon’s thighs. I looked up to see that Coal and Edge had wordlessly joined the fray, each holding a massive calf in their hands.
Patch strolled up like he was taking a leisurely walk on a sunny day. He wiggled the syringe between his fingers and squatted down in front of Carbon’s face. “Yes or no?”
Carbon started vigorously shaking his head no. Phoenix barked, “I ain’t doing this shit again today. You sure about that, Carbon?”
He didn’t speak. He just shook his head yes. Suddenly, Carbon’s big body relaxed. It almost looked like he deflated. I assumed Patch gave him the injection anyway, but then I heard her. Reese. Sobbing his name. “Carbon. No, please don’t. Don’t hurt him. Carbon!”
I dropped his arm and yanked her door open. She almost fell out of the car. She had been plastered against the door, staring down at her brother through the window. I managed to catch her gently and scoot her back into her seat. Grabbing her face with both of my hands, I wiped her tears away with my thumbs. “Shhh. It’s okay, sugar. He’s okay. Phoenix would never hurt him. None of us would. You know that.”
Her lips trembled, her big green eyes were red from crying. “That’s why I didn’t want to tell him,” she whispered.
Well damn, just who in the hell was this Omen fucker?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Reese
Phoenix wanted Carbon to ride in the cage with Coal, Edge, and Patch, but I insisted that he get back in with us. When our emotions ran high, we turned to each other. We only had each other after our family was killed. As a result, the bond we formed was unbreakable and, to be perfectly honest, extremely codependent. So, even though he was furious with me, he still needed to be near me just as much as I needed to be near him. For him, it was to make sure I was safe, especially after the bombshell I just dropped on him. For me, I needed to be near him because, unbeknownst to his brothers, I was the only one who could calm him down when his anger took over. Yes, they could restrain him and lock him down until he calmed, but I could stop it in the midst of it happening. I didn’t want them drugging him or restraining him when a few words from me could pull him out of the red haze. Had I been able to speak instead of screaming in pain when he first started to rage, Duke wouldn’t have even needed to pull over, but all I could focus on was my pain and my baby crying and the situation quickly got out of hand.
The ride back to Croftridge from that point on was uneventful. We didn’t talk about anything related to the letters or the accident. Instead, we discussed what to do with my house in Devil Springs and our grandmother’s house in Reedy Fork. That had me wondering where I would live in Croftridge. I hadn’t even thought to ask about living arrangements. I assumed I would move in with Carbon like I had before. I was concerned about how I was going to take care of James with one working arm and one working leg, both on the same side, which made balancing a right bitch.
“Has Ember kept you up to speed on what she’s been doing with the farm Phoenix inherited?” Duke asked, interrupting my thoughts.
“A little. She said they kept the dairy farm operating as it was, but changed the fake farm into a horse barn and something about growing organic vegetables.”
He laughed lightly. “She converted the fake barn into a stable for horses. Blackwings Stables boards horses and gives riding lessons and has recently expanded into breeding and training horses. As far as the organics go, she took a portion of the land and reserved it for growing organic plants and vegetables. She also has a small set-up for hydroponic farming.”
“Hydro-what?”
“Hydroponic. It basically means growing plants in nutrient rich water instead of soil. It’s pretty cool. I’m sure she’ll be happy to show you, or I can.”
“Ember did all that?” I asked, surprised.
“She did. She’s grown a lot since you left town. Wait, let me rephrase that. She’s grown a lot since she came to Blackwings. She’s really come out of her shell and she’s done a lot to help the people who suffered at the hands of Octavius, particularly the children. I think that has been her driving force.”
Shit. During this whole mess, I hadn’t even once thought about having to face Ember. What was I going to say to her? She had no idea that I slept with Duke, got pregnant, and ran off to another town to have his baby, never bothering to tell him, or anyone else. On top of that, I’d been a shitty friend to her since I’d been gone. It had to be that way. If I talked to her and leaned on her, like she did with me, I would’ve either caved and told her about James or I would have packed my belongings and moved back to Croftridge. Same thing with Carbon. I had to distance myself. At least until I figured out how to deal with my feelings for Duke.
My feelings for Duke were complicated, to say the least. I wanted Duke. I wanted to be with him and have him be a family with me and James, but I wanted that with the Duke he was before he was stabbed, not the Duke he was after the attack. That Duke was a mean, inconsiderate asshole who didn’t want me or our baby and basically told me to move back to Devil Springs. Thinking back on those last few days with him really got my blood boiling. Why in the hell was he here acting like he didn’t do a damn thing wrong back then?
Clearly, I couldn’t have that discussion with him while my unstable brother was in the car. It would have to wait. I wasn’t interested in engaging in a superficial conversation with Duke now that I recalled what an asshat he had been. I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep, hoping he would leave me be.
Blessedly, the remainder of the ride was silent. I opened my eyes when Duke turned off the engine. Looking around, I didn’t recognize a single thing. “Where exactly are we?”
“The farm,” he replied and shut the door. Carbon must have already gotten out, he was nowhere in sight.
The farm? I don’t think so! Damn that bitch for hitting me with her car. I wanted to storm out of the car and follow him, all the while telling him exactly why he needed to take me and James to Carbon’s condo immediately. But I couldn’t. Because I had a broken arm and a broken ankle. And a baby I couldn’t carry because I couldn’t hold him and walk. Damn. Her.
I sat in my seat seething, waiting for what, I don’t know, but I refused to move to get out of the car. Fifteen minutes later, Duke opened the back door on the right side while Carbon opened the door on the left. “I’m going to get James out and Carbon will help you,” Duke told me.
“Why are we getting out here?” I asked my brother. Screw Duke. I wasn’t talking to him until further notice.
“Duke didn’t tell you?”
I rolled my eyes, “Yes, he did. I just wanted to see if your stories matc
hed.” I huffed when Carbon remained silent, “No! He didn’t tell me.”
“You and James are staying here. It’s…”
“No!” I yelled. “I want to stay with you!”
“You can’t, little sister. I won’t be there all the time to help you with James. It’s safe here and there are plenty of people around who can help you while you heal.”
“I don’t want strangers touching me or my baby!” I shrieked. I was bordering on hysteria.
“Not strangers, Reese. People like Ember, Duke, Dash, Phoenix, people you know,” he explained. He must have sensed my confusion because he continued with his explanation, “Duke works at the stables and has a room out here. Ember and Dash live here and Phoenix comes by almost every day to visit with Ember or check on the property.” He cleared his throat, “They’re still finding things hidden around the property.”
“I don’t want to stay here,” I said softly. “It’s not my home.”
He shook his head. “My home isn’t your home either and you know that. I know what this is about, little sister. No matter where you stay, you’re going to have to face Duke, Ember, and even me sooner rather than later. I can’t speak for Duke, but Ember will be there for you. She’ll be hurt, but she’ll still love you as much as she always has. She’s missed you. You know I’ll always love you, so if it’s just Duke you’re worried about, I’ll go beat his ass right now,” he grinned sardonically at me.
“No, don’t do that. This just took me by surprise. I was expecting to go to your place or the clubhouse. You know how I don’t like things sprung on me at the last minute.”
“I’m sorry for that. I thought Duke told you before we left.”
“Nope. He definitely did not.”
“Well, come on, let’s get you inside.” With that, he scooped me up and carried me to my new room. The room was larger and significantly nicer than I expected. Ember once described the place as very bland and basic. This room looked like it belonged in a five-star hotel, very warm and inviting.
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