by L. Wilder
“Okay.” Sunny got up off the sofa and slipped on her boots before heading towards the door. “Then let’s go.”
Once they got into his Jeep and started towards the clubhouse, Sunny became even more worried. Neither of them spoke as Gavin drove. She saw how tightly he gripped the steering wheel and knew without a doubt something was wrong. When they made it through the gate, Gavin turned to her and said, “I won’t be long. Just wait for me in my room until I get done.”
She opened the door to the Jeep and nodded. She wanted to ask him again if something was wrong, but knew he wouldn’t tell her. She’d been around long enough to know that this is how it was with brothers of the club; they kept things on a need-to-know basis, and if Gavin thought she should know what was going on, he’d tell her. She’d just have to trust him, so she went to his room and tried her best to ignore the anxious feeling that kept churning inside her. Just as she was curling up in his bed, Gavin was about to walk into Bishop’s office.
When he opened the door, he heard Bobby say, “Things are finally coming together in Mexico. Think we’ve finally got our guy. I should have everything set by the end of the night.”
“That’s good news. We’ll finally be able to put this thing to rest. Let me know how it plays out.”
He was too concerned about Sunny to ask what they were talking about. Instead, he continued inside the office and sat down beside Bobby while Bishop sat in front of him, sifting through several papers. “Any idea who left the note?”
Bishop passed the papers over to Gavin and said, “Melissa Reynolds. Bobby got her license plate number when she pulled out of the apartment complex.”
“And who the hell is Melissa Reynolds?”
“Drew’s neighbor,” Bobby answered. “He was screwing around with her when he was dating Sunny.”
“She found out he was fucking around and dumped his sorry ass,” Bishop added.
“So, what the hell does she want?”
“Not sure, but we’ll take care of it,” Bishop assured him.
“Do you really think she saw something? Do you think…” Gavin started.
“Doesn’t matter what she did or didn’t see. We’ll take care of it. You look after Sunny. Do what you can to keep things as normal as possible, and I’ll handle the rest.”
“She’s made plans for us to go out tomorrow night.”
“Then take her,” Bishop ordered. “Just make sure Bull and Otis are there to keep an eye on things.”
As he stood to leave, Gavin turned to Bobby and said, “It’s been a fucking year. Any idea why she’d try to contact Sunny now?”
“That’s what we plan to find out. I’ll keep digging. If there’s anything to know, I’ll find it.”
“You’ll know as soon as we do,” Bishop assured him.
Gavin nodded, and before he walked out the door, he turned to Bishop. “I love her, brother.”
“We all do. You gotta know we’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”
“Good.” Gavin looked him in the eye. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”
Sunny looked at herself in the mirror, checking her hair and makeup one last time before joining the others. Since it was getting colder, she’d opted to wear her black V-neck sweater with skinny jeans and boots. Her hair was done with long, loose curls that cascaded down her shoulders, and she’d done her best to do her makeup the way Katelyn had done it a few weeks earlier. Once she’d put on a hint of perfume, she headed to the living room. When she walked in, Gavin was on the sofa with the kitten curled up in his lap. He was fiddling with his phone while Katelyn was at the table putting on her favorite pair of slutty high heel boots.
Sunny smiled as she said, “So, it’s going to be one of those nights?”
Katelyn stood and adjusted her short skirt. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Mm-hmm,” she scoffed. Sunny walked over to Gavin and asked, “Are you ready to head out?”
Without looking up from his phone, he answered, “Whenever you are.”
She’d hoped that his talk with Bishop would’ve made him better, but it hadn’t. In fact, it’d only made him worse. He was quiet and withdrawn. He hadn’t talked to her, much less looked at her, and she was desperate to pull him out of his fog. Thinking she could goad him out of it, she sassed, “You know… you can just stay here if you don’t want to go. I’m sure I can round up some hot guys that would be happy to entertain me for the night.”
She immediately regretted her comment when Gavin looked up at her with his eyebrow raised and a mischievous spark in his eye. He moved the kitten over to the sofa and slowly started to stand. He took a step towards her as he asked, “Oh, yeah?”
She stumbled back and laughed. “Gavin… I was just playing around. You know I didn’t mean it.”
He reached for her and pulled her over to him. His mouth dropped to her ear and the heat of his breath sent chills down her spine as he whispered, “Mine.”
She giggled as her arms wound around his neck. “You’re such a caveman.”
“Do I need to bring my club to Matt’s?”
“I think you’re good without it,” she told him as she lifted up on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss.
He looked down at her, admiring her outfit as he said, “Liking the getup. Looks good on you, but it’s gonna look even better on the floor later tonight.”
“I’m looking forward to that.”
“Not as much as I am,” he told her just before he kissed her once again. “You really do look beautiful.”
“Thank you. Not looking so bad yourself.” While others might find his look intimidating, she’d always loved how he looked in his leather jacket and jeans. His tattoos were hidden beneath his clothes, but she knew they were there. She’d seen them every time they’d made love, and just knowing they were there made her look forward to watching him undress later that night. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Gavin noticed. There was no hiding the lust in her eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to skip going to the club and spend the entire night locked away in her room buried deep inside her.
He was just about to kiss her again when Katelyn cleared her throat in an obvious attempt to distract them. “Can we go before you two make me gag?” Katelyn shook her head as she grabbed her purse.
Sunny laughed as she patted Gavin on the chest. “Let’s go, Caveman.”
“If we must,” he told her as he reached for Sunny’s hand. With Katelyn following behind, Gavin led her out to his Jeep. Before he pulled out of the parking lot, he sent Bull a text message letting him know they were on their way. As soon as he started the engine, the girls started talking and didn’t stop until he pulled up to the bar. He had no idea what they were talking about. It didn’t matter. All he cared about was seeing that smile on Sunny’s face. He’d do anything to keep it there, including spending a night at Matt’s pub with Katelyn’s crazy friend Sara. He parked the Jeep, and before Sunny opened her door, he reached for her. “Wait. I’ll come around.”
As soon as he stepped out of the Jeep, the bar’s loud music echoed around him. Ignoring the loud, thumping bass, he scanned the parking lot and quickly noticed Otis’s bike parked close to the front door next to Bull’s. Feeling relieved to know they were there, he continued over to her side of the Jeep. When he opened her door, Sunny stepped out and waited for Katelyn to do the same. She ran her fingers through her short blonde hair and gave it a quick fluff. With an exaggerated sway to her hips, she headed towards the door. “Come on, guys. Let’s do this.”
Sunny and Gavin followed her into the crowded bar and over to one of the empty tables in the back. Once the girls were settled, Gavin went to the bar to get them a drink. He’d just made it back to the table when Sara stumbled over to them. Her dark hair was pulled up in a messy bun with loose curls falling around her face. She was wearing a short black skirt, too short for her own good, and a pair of red six-inch heels. It was obvious that she’d already been drinking when she tr
ied to keep her balance by placing the palm of her hand on the table. She leaned towards them and slurred her words as she shouted, “Hey, bitches. Where the hell have you been?”
Katelyn rolled her eyes as she said, “It’s not even ten, Sara. How can you already be wasted?”
She tried to stand upright, but wobbled as she scoffed, “I’m not wasted. I’m just getting started. This is my favorite song! Come on, let’s get out there and dance.”
Katelyn took a long sip of her drink before she stood and asked, “Where’s Dylan and Macy?”
“Girl, I left Dylan at home. He’s been in a bad mood all week, and I’m tired of his sorry ass bringing me down. And Macy should be here any minute.”
Before she left, Katelyn looked over to Sunny and asked, “You coming?”
“Y’all go ahead. I’ll be out there in a minute.”
Sunny watched as her friends headed out onto the dance floor. In a matter of seconds, they were surrounded by a group of horny guys, but neither of them seemed to care. They were too busy laughing and dancing to even notice how they were gawking at them. When she looked around the room, she spotted Bull and Otis sitting across the room and waved to them, trying to get their attention. She turned to Gavin and asked, “Did you know Bull and Otis were here?”
“Saw their bikes out front.”
“You should get them to come over and have a drink with us.”
“Maybe later,” he told her just as the DJ put on a slow song. He stood up and reached for her hand. “Right now, I want to dance with my girl.”
Hoping a dance might distract her from his brothers in the corner, he led her through the crowd and over to Katelyn where she was dancing with some random guy. Gavin wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close as they started to sway to the rhythm of the music. Sunny loved being in his arms, smelling the scent of his cologne and the warmth of his body next to hers, and it didn’t take her long to get lost in the moment. She rested her head on his shoulder as she listened to the words of the song. They’d been dancing for several minutes when Sunny’s attention was drawn over to Bull’s table. Levi and Conner were now sitting with them, and both had their eyes set on Katelyn. They watched her every move as she sashayed across the dance floor, laughing and singing.
The song ended and Katelyn left her dancing partner and headed over to Gavin and Sunny. “I need a drink.”
They all started back over to the table, but stopped when someone called out, “Katie!”
They all turned and anger flashed over Katelyn’s face when she saw Justin walking in their direction. “What are you doing here, Justin?”
“Sara mentioned that you were coming tonight. She told me to come. She knew I wanted a chance to talk to you.”
“I’ve got nothing to say to you. Seriously, it’s over.”
Sunny looked over to Justin and said, “Hey, Justin.”
“Hey there, Sunshine.”
An odd sensation swept over Sunny when she heard her ex-boyfriend’s pet name for her. She hadn’t heard it since the night of the attack, and it was one of the pieces of the puzzle she’d been missing. Trying to ignore the anxious feeling she felt stirring in the pit of her stomach, she said, “Sara shouldn’t have told you to come. Maybe you should just go.”
“No ‘maybe’ about it. You should go. No one wants you here,” Katelyn snapped.
“Why do you have to be like that? I told you I was sorry.”
“And I told you I didn’t care that you were sorry.”
Katelyn turned to leave, but Justin reached for her arm and tugged her back over to him. Before he had a chance to speak, Gavin stepped between them, breaking Katelyn free from his grip. “It’s time for you to go.”
“Who the fuck are you?” he snarled. “You fucking her now?”
Gavin took a step towards him and growled, “You’ve got two choices, asshole. You can either turn around and walk the fuck out of here while you still can, or they can carry your sorry ass out on a stretcher.”
“Justin,” Sunny pleaded.
He released his grip on Katelyn’s arm as he spat, “Forget it. She’s nothing but a two-bit whore. You can have her.”
He’d barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Conner and Levi came crashing through the crowd. With one punch, Conner laid him out on the floor. Justin brought his hand up to the side of his face as he groaned, “What the fuck?”
Katelyn’s eyes widened with shock as she looked over to Conner and Levi and asked, “What are you guys doing here?”
Levi grabbed the back of Justin’s collar and started pulling him towards the front door. Justin tried to wiggle free from his grasp, but it was useless. “Let me fucking go!”
“Levi!” Katelyn shouted. “Let him go. He’s not worth it.”
She knew Justin was just upset and didn’t mean what he’d said. He’d never do anything to hurt her, at least not intentionally. But no one seemed to listen. Conner and Gavin walked past her as they followed Levi out into the parking lot. She stood there dazed for a moment, then like she’d been stung by a bee, she quickly scurried. Against her better judgement, Sunny followed Katelyn out into the parking lot. They both watched as the guys hauled Justin over to his truck. The sound of his feet raking over the gravel triggered something deep inside of Sunny, causing her to stop dead in her tracks. She watched in a daze as Conner pulled Justin to his feet and placed his hand around his throat, squeezing tightly as he threatened him. She’d never know exactly what caused it, but in that moment, everything around her stood still.
Sunshine.
His callous voice echoing in the back of her mind.
Sunshine.
Nausea washed over her as the memories started rushing back to her, one by one. The words that haunted her dreams bombarded her all at once.
“Hey there, Sunshine. Where ya headed in such a rush?”
“A bunch of drunks pawing over what’s mine.”
“I fucking loved you!”
Her knees grew weak as she stood there watching Conner with Justin. Hearing the anger in his voice. The chill of the night nipping at her skin. It was coming back to her. Each memory more vivid than the last.
His hand twisting deep in her hair.
The smell of beer on his breath before he slammed the bottle against her head, and the feel of the cold liquid splashing across her chest as the bottle broke.
The pain she felt when he kicked her over and over again.
These memories were not new to her. She’d seen them in her dreams, but now there was more. She could see the night unfolding before her. Her chest tightened as she remembered him dragging her lifeless body across the empty parking lot. The feel of the rocks grinding into her back. The angry curses he mumbled as he yanked her forward. Her body was broken and bruised. Several of her ribs cracked from all the vicious kicks from his boots. She could hardly take a breath as her head pounded aimlessly against the gravel. Her eyes were almost swollen shut, but she could see his truck was just a few feet away. Her end was drawing near. She could feel it in her bones. When he finally reached the truck, he released her hands and opened the tailgate.
Adrenaline surged through her as her hands fumbled across the loose gravel. She knew she had to find something, some way to defend herself, before he killed her. A feeling of hope rushed over her when the tips of her fingers brushed across one large, pointy rock. She tried with all her might to reach for it, but it was just out of her grasp. Her heart sank when she was lifted from the ground and her back slammed against the bed of the truck. Everything fell silent. She tried to listen, to concentrate, but heard nothing. She had no idea what he was doing until she felt him tug at the waistband of her jeans.
“No!” she shouted, but the word never made it out of her mouth. Not that it mattered. No one was there to hear her as he jerked the jeans down her hips. She could shout from the rooftop, but there would be no one to come to her rescue. She was completely alone, and it was up to her to either save herself or die. He
started working on his own pants, and with his attention diverted, she sprawled out her hands and searched for something that might help. She was about to give up hope when she felt an old rusted tire iron. Taking it firmly in her hand, she waited for him to come close enough for her to strike him. She didn’t have to wait long. He placed his grubby hands on her hips as he tugged her bare body towards him, and he never saw it coming. She lifted the tire iron and slammed it against the side of his head. His limp body immediately dropped to her side. Still rattled with fear, Sunny managed to raise herself up, lifting the tire iron in her hand, and hit him again.
And again.
And again.
She couldn’t remember how many times she’d struck him, but she remembered the blood and how the sticky wetness clung to her fingers. A loud clatter echoed around her when she dropped the tire iron onto the bed of the truck, and then everything fell silent. When she tried to move, her body refused. Every muscle in her body screamed at her to stop, and when she couldn’t stand the pain a moment longer, she eased back, resting her head on the cold metal of the truck. Everything around her blurred, and then it was over.
She remembered.
With tears streaming down her face, she stumbled back and fell down onto the gravel. She drew her knees up to her chest and started to sob. “Oh my god.”
Katelyn knelt in front of her. “Sunny? What’s wrong?” She put her hand on Sunny’s shoulder trying to get through to her, but Sunny just continued to cry uncontrollably. Her breaths became short and strained, like she was about to hyperventilate. Katelyn turned towards the guys and yelled, “Gavin! Something’s wrong with Sunny!”
When he turned and saw them huddled together on the ground, he rushed over to Sunny and placed his hands on the side of her face. Gently lifting her head, he forced her to look at him as he asked, “Sunny? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“Gavin.” Pain and fear filled her eyes as she cried, “Did I kill him?”
Looking completely confused, Katelyn turned to Gavin and asked, “What the hell is she talking about? Kill who?”