Talon

by Savannah Rylan

  “Whatever. The point is, that party got busted up,” I said. “The guy I was with-”

  “With how?” he asked.

  “You gonna slug me if I tell you?” I asked.

  His gaze hardened on me and I shook my head in disbelief.

  “Get over yourself,” I said.

  “What the fuck’s gotten into you?” he asked.

  “You, Jace. You walk around and puff your chest out and defend me and think you’re doing me a favor, but all you’re doing is being annoying. You wanna know why?” I asked.

  “I’m just trying to protect you, Gemma. You’re a beautiful girl-”

  “Woman,” I said.

  “Whatever. And men wanna take advantage of that.”

  “I know. Plenty of them did in college. I’ve had my experiences just like you’ve had yours, but I don’t need you to take care of me. The only person who did is dead and gone. Dad isn’t here anymore.”

  I watched Jace’s face fall before he turned his gaze back out to the road.

  “What happened to you at the party?” he asked flatly.

  “The guy I was with grabbed my hand, and we ran. All the way back to campus, stumbling and drunk and afraid. We were running across the road just as someone came outta nowhere, and I got hit. He dropped my hand and leaped from the road and left me in the street to get hit.”

  “He fucking what?” Jace growled.

  “It was his gut reaction. To let go and leap. I didn’t have enough time to get out of the way, and the car shot me into the air.”

  “Why the fuck didn’t you call me!?” Jace roared. Anger bubbled up in my chest. Then all of the pent up anger I had from that night came rushing out.

  “I did! Twice! Once when the paramedics got me into the ambulance and once before I went into surgery! You ignored both my fucking phone calls!”

  I was shrieking at him while my body shook in the light of the moon.

  “I needed you! Your comfort and your sanity! I needed my brother like I’d never needed you before, and you ignored my calls! Shot me to voicemail like I was just one of your useless bitches.”

  Jace’s eyes were wide as people began to poke their heads out of the bar.

  “I’ve got screws that protrude underneath the skin of my scalp and a plate adhered to my skull where my brain was practically falling out of my head. They shaved all my hair off, and I wore bandages around my head while scarfing down pain pills like I was some junkie. I had to take winter and summer classes that year just to fucking catch up, but you couldn’t pick up the damn phone because you were pissed I was drunk!”

  Jace moved to take me in his arms, but I stumbled backward away from his grasp.

  “Gemma, I’m so sorry,” he said.

  “Your sorries are useless now, just like your protection. You wanna beat and kill any man who even looks my way, but what you don’t realize is that it's fruitless. If I wanna be with someone, I will be. Even if that means isolating you. Because when I needed you, you ignored me because I wouldn’t listen to you. Because you couldn’t control me like you wanted to be able to control Dad. You exert your control over others because our family fell apart, Dad drank himself to death then Mom drank herself to death over Dad’s death. You’re pissed because your life didn’t turn out any better… that you had no control over my going to college and our parent’s pathetic excuses for a living. I don’t need your protection, Jace. I need your love. Your support. Your presence during the scariest of times.”

  “Gemma, please just-”

  “I was alone in that hospital for days,” I said as tears poured down my face. “And I was too scared to call you because I wasn’t ready for you to shoot me to voicemail again. I was scared to call my own fucking brother-- the only living family who gives a shit about me-- because he couldn’t get over a little fight.”

  I stood there in the light of the bar as people blatantly stared at us, and the only thing I could think about was showing him.

  Showing him the scars from that awful, horrid night.

  I grabbed Jace’s hand and threaded his fingers through my hair. I grazed his hand along the back of my scalp until he felt it, and I saw his eyes widen. I dropped my hand from his wrist while he cupped the back of my head, his massive hand encompassing all the screws at once before he pulled me into his body.

  He wrapped his free arm around me and held me close while I sobbed into his chest. As mad as I was at him before, it all seemed to melt away now.

  “I was alone, Jace,” I said through my sobs. “I was alone.”

  “I’m so sorry, Gemma,” he said into my hair. “But I promise you, you’ll never be alone again. Never, ever again.”

  Chapter 9

  Talon

  I decided to meet up with Calista at a neutral place. There was a diner in town on our turf, and I told her I’d pay for her services. She kept telling me that wasn’t necessary, that she could simply come over and we could sit and talk, but that wouldn’t work. I was hungry, I was angry, and I was ready for some answers.

  I told her to meet me at the diner, and we’d go from there.

  I took a ride on my bike beforehand to clear my head. Mac knew I was meeting with her tonight, and I told him I’d contact him once I’d placed all the pieces together. I rode around town with my Road Rebels cut tucked away at home, making sure to take all the necessary precautions in case Calista was followed.

  I kept my eyes peeled for anything that looked suspicious. I drove our routes and took back roads to stay off the highway, trying to see if anything seemed out of place. I searched for unmarked cars or vehicles with tinted windows. I searched for cameras that could’ve been planted in our warehouses or phone pole cameras that were new and shining on the light poles of the highways our trucks used. I didn’t see anything with my eyes that could signal someone was tracking our routes, but I knew Mac would send out another road crew just to make sure.

  After driving our routes for almost three hours, I made my way to the diner. The sun was beginning to set, and the wind was kicking up, and I was suddenly regretting not bringing another coat. I tried to keep my own chill at bay while I cruised on into the diner, then I searched for any sign that I was being watched before I got off my bike. I could see Calista already sitting at a booth, a glass of water sitting in front of her while she stared into her water.

  I could see the heavy makeup on her face just before I clocked the light swell of her eye.

  Someone had beat her, and it flared up a wave of anger inside of me I hadn’t felt in a very long time.

  Even though I originally didn’t have any intention of buying her dinner, I caved the moment I sat down in front of her. I slid into the booth seat across from her while she lightly dabbed at her eyes, then she raised a fake smile up at me while I studied her posture. I clocked the light swell of her eye and the heavy makeup she was trying not to cry off. I clocked the rings around her neck she didn’t quite cover up well enough, and I could tell by the way she was breathing that her ribs hurt.

  I needed to know what happened to her, and I needed to know now.

  “Hello there, handsome,” she said, grinning. “I was beginning’ to think you wouldn’t show.”

  “Calista, what happened to you?” I asked.

  But all she did was grin and wink at me.

  “Oh, don’t you worry yourself about that,” she said as she placed her hand over mine. “Whaddaya say we chat about the weather before we get outta here.”

  “Or we could talk about who beat you,” I said.

  She pulled her hand away from me and sighed. She eased back into her seat as the waitress came over, and I ordered what I usually got. A double cheeseburger with bacon, pickles, and onions with fries and coffee. I looked over at Calista, trying to prompt her to order, but all she was doing was staring out the window.

  “She’ll have the same,” I said.

  “I’m not hungry,” she said.

  “You’ll eat, and you’ll enjoy it,” I sai
d.

  She seemed to respond to the harshness of my words, and it sickened my stomach. No woman should be used to obeying a voice like that. No woman should be beaten into submission the way this woman had been. No one… not even Calista and the information I knew she harbored… should have to endure what this woman had to at the hands of The Devil Saints.

  But then, I felt her foot sliding next to mine underneath the table, and I quickly pulled my leg away from hers.

  “I got lube if ya want a quickie in the bathroom,” she said.

  “Not really my thing, thanks.”

  I knew I was being harsh, but she needed to understand that this was going nowhere. Now that I’d had the taste of Gemma on my tongue, I never wanted to taste another woman. Now that I’d felt the most perfect woman undulate underneath the grip of my fingertips, I didn’t want to mar the memory of her with any woman who was subpar. I’m sure to someone in this world, Calista would’ve been everything to him.

  But that man wasn’t me, and I wasn’t sleeping with her any longer.

  Not after I’d drank my fill from the foundation of perfection.

  “Who’s here with you?” I asked.

  “No one,” she said.

  “Calista… look at me.”

  She turned her gaze towards me, and I could see how empty her eyes were. It was the first time I’d ever seen her with her eyes not sparkling. That was the only thing that made her palatable. Even though she had been seemingly forced into prostitution, her eyes told a very good lie at the fact that she enjoyed it. Whether she was thinking about another man or simply knew I’d treat her with a bit of respect, there was always this sparkle I could latch onto.

  A sparkle that reminded me of Gemma.

  But now, as she looked at me from across the table, it wasn’t there anymore. That sparkle was gone, and in its place was the dead haze I knew all The Devil Saints to have.

  It was the dead haze just before the maniacal stare made itself permanent.

  “Were you followed?” I asked.

  “No. I’m actually the only one they’re not following’ right now, thank fuck,” she said.

  “Good,” I said as my coffee was set down. “Now, tell me what you know.”

  “I don’t know anything other than what I’ve already told you,” she said.

  “See, now that time you were lying,” I said. “Why?”

  “I’m serious. I don’t know nothing’,” she said.

  “Calista, I’m only going to ask you this one last time. You need to go back with a wad of cash tonight, right?” I asked.

  “I’ll get into trouble otherwise,” she said.

  That’s when I realized why she had been beaten.

  The last time we were together, I hadn’t paid her anything to do it.

  “Shit,” I said, whispering.

  “You gonna send me back empty-handed to get beat again if I don’t tell you anything?” she asked.

  “Calista, why didn’t you fucking tell me they were doing that?” I asked.

  “Because they weren’t. At least not to me, with my husband who he is. But this last time… he allowed it.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  And even though she shrugged, I knew why. It was because they’d beaten the shit out of everyone else and hadn’t found the mole yet. It was because doubt was starting to be planted into that man’s head, so he was now turning his disgusting sights onto his own wife. They were plodding through the crew faster than I thought, and the one question that came to mind I was actually scared to ask.

  “Calista… are they killing people?” I asked.

  The tears that welled in her eyes were all the confirmation I needed.

  I reached over and took her hand, and for a split second, I thought she was going to pull away and smack me. After being cold to her like I had been when I first walked in, I expected her to pull away and storm out. But all she did was grip my hands tightly while a lonely tear streamed down her face.

  “Two double cheeseburgers with onion, pickles, and bacon with a side of fries,” the waitress said.

  “You got ketchup and mustard?” Calista asked.

  “Comin’ right up. Be right back,” the waitress said.

  “Thanks for the food,” she said.

  “Calista,” I said, “the more information you can give me, the quicker I can get you out of this.”

  “You ain’t doing’ this for me, so cut the shit. You’re doing’ this to protect your own fucking club,” she said.

  “And what did I promise you in return?” I asked.

  “Not to be beaten to a bloody pulp, that’s for sure.”

  “Calista… what do you know?”

  She pulled her hands from me, and I sighed. I watched her lean back while the waitress placed her condiments in front of her, but she didn’t move to touch them. I could tell she was in her own thoughts, trying to weigh the pros and cons of the situation. I could tell she was nervous, shaking from the pain she was in. She kept looking out the window, almost like she was expecting someone-- or something-- to come riding up any second.

  And that’s when I realized what she was doing.

  She was looking over the Saints’ trade routes, just like I’d done earlier that afternoon.

  “You know,” I said.

  “About what?”

  “The DEA and what they’re doing.”

  She froze, and I locked my eyes with her hard.

  “I’ve got an entire family I’m looking out for here, and up until now, I’ve trusted you wholly. Don’t give me a reason to start not trusting you.”

  I didn’t wanna frighten her like I just had, but it seemed the only way I could get her to talk to me tonight.

  “I know we got busted, but our lawyer got us out. Cost us a pretty penny to do it, too. They had to run several last-minute shipments just to recoup the money. And because of those last-minute shipments, it drew the DEA here. I don’t think they suspect anyone around here, and I don’t think they’re aware of the routes they’re traveling, but they’re close. Too close for my husband’s comfort.”

  “What else, Calista?” I asked.

  “I know the core group’s questioning everyone as to where the truck with the drugs came from. They’re killing people, making examples out of them to try and… and…”

  Her lip was quivering, and I slid out of my seat. I slid beside her and wrapped my arm around her, pulling her into me while she trembled. I could feel how weak her body was while her tears stained my white shirt, and at that moment all I could think to do was place a kiss on the top of her head.

  “I know you’re scared of someone following you, so I’ll make it look like I’m getting my money’s worth while we’re here, okay?” I asked.

  “Okay,” she said, whispering.

  “We’re gonna talk like this, and every once in a while I’m gonna caress or kiss you. Then, after I pay, I’m gonna slip into the bathroom. You join me, we’ll hang out for a while, then you leave with a wad of cash. Got it?”

  “Got it,” she said breathlessly.

  “Okay,” I said before I kissed the top of her head again. “They’re making examples outta people, right?”

  “Yeah,” she said, sniffling. “And at first, my husband said ‘hands off’ to me. But they’ve gone through everyone. Killed five or six people, at least. The last person is me, and they let my husband beat the shit out of me.”

  “They let him?” I asked.

  “Trust me. What you see is mild compared to what they’ve done to some of the women,” she said. “He went easy on me, then sat me down and looked me in my eye. I had to lie to him. I had to keep all of my facades from crumbling at that very moment. I think he bought it… but I’m honestly not sure. It’s why I keep looking out the window, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry for something like that,” I said as my fingertips ran up underneath her shirt. “Never be sorry for protecting yourself.”

  “They haven’t figured out where the
truck came from because no one saw anything. Just an empty truck with drugs in it sitting there in front of the main house.”

  “But…?” I asked.

  “They started to suspect it’s you guys,” she said, whispering.

  And there it was. The fear that Mac had was warranted.

  “Have they started any plans to come after us?” I asked.

  “No. Right now, it’s just a theory spinning around in my husband’s head. The only reason I know about it is because he was mumbling to himself while I was laying on the floor after he beat me. I think he thought I was unconscious.”

  My grip on her tightened, and she yelped into my chest.

  “Sorry,” I said.

  “Look, I don’t know if it’s good for us to be hooking up like this anymore,” she said.

  “I know you’re scared, and if that’s how you feel, then that’s fine,” I said.

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure,” I said.

  “Did you have anything to do with the setup of the truck?”

  I looked down at her just as she looked up at me. Even with her swollen eye, they were as big as saucers. I caressed my fingertips up her back before I slid my hand down to her ass, rounding it with my hand and scooting her closer to me. She threaded her arm around my waist while our food continued to sit there, and I shook my head while I looked directly into her eyes and lied.

  “No,” I said. “I’m just the messenger boy.”

  But I could see that creeping stare… that small little glint in her eye that was holding out hope that I’d treat her just right tonight.

  I slid my body away from hers and pulled out my wallet. I threw a twenty onto the table before I got up, nodding at her as I headed towards the bathrooms. I slid into the men’s bathroom and kept the door unlocked, waiting for her to make her leave and come in. Raking my hands through my hair, I digested the information she’s just given me. It confirmed everything in the DEA file I’d found last night, which meant I really needed to sit down and talk with Mac. We needed to figure out what our next move was so we could keep everyone safe.

  I wasn’t ready to have a repeat of what happened six years ago.