by London Casey
When Owen shut the door, I looked around the apartment.
The whole idea of playing house was gone now.
I was back to being alone.
I touched my belly.
Well, almost alone.
That’s when a sobering thought hit me and brought me back to tears.
I’m going to have to raise this baby alone.
(SLADE)
I was in Daystron in a cell for about two hours. I saw Owen as he talked to two other officers. I had no idea what they were talking about. I quickly found out when the two officers came to get me and tossed me in the back of van. I was cuffed to a seat and was all alone.
Alone to think.
What the fuck had happened with the Savage Viper’s MC? Something went wrong. All I could put it on was Ava, Rocky’s damn daughter. Maybe she ran to the police and ratted me out for being there. I had nothing to say for myself or a reason to defend myself. It was the path I had chosen and there was nothing I could do about it.
The rest of the day was a blur as I was back in Savage Viper’s MC territory and taken to the police station. I was put into a small room, cuffed to a chair, and then had four different cops and detectives talk to me.
The evidence was clear - there as a big ass wrench with my fingerprints on it. The garage was burned. The remains of Rocky found and matched up to prove it was him.
“Who said anything about me?” I asked.
“That doesn’t matter,” the one detective - Detective Anoley - said. “What fucking matters is that you’re going to get whacked for murder. Yet I don’t believe you did it.”
“No?” I asked. “Then why am I here?”
“Circumstance,” he said. “I know you did work for Rocky. So maybe that’s why your prints were on that wrench. Hell, maybe if I dug around enough I could find more tools that survived the explosion with your prints on them.”
“Maybe so,” I said. “Maybe you should go do that.”
“Maybe I should peg you as the murderer, get out of here early, go get a beer, and then go home and fuck my wife.”
“That’s a plan too,” I said. “I like that plan. I’d like to have a beer and fuck your wife.”
Detective Anoley chuckled. “You know this could all end pretty fast.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. All you need to do is tell me that the motorcycle club was involved. Give me the names. I know Lael is the President and calls the shots. I know Raven the VP. And your buddy, Ace, he’s the one who got you involved in all of this.”
I stared at the Detective and kept my face straight. I had no idea how this detective knew what he did, but the last thing I was going to do was rat out the MC.
“Does that make sense?” he asked me.
“Not at all. I don’t know anything about that.”
Detective Anoley stood up. “That’s a shame about your family.”
“My family?”
“Your girlfriend is pregnant. And you’re choosing this life over the life of being a loving and caring father to your child.”
“How the hell did you know that?”
“I know everything,” he said. “I know you didn’t do this. I know that I need someone to blame. I know that there’s enough evidence to put you there. Oh, yeah, something else.” Detective Anoley smiled. “We were following Rocky for a while. He had his own problems. It doesn’t shock me that someone finally took him out. Just hate to see it was you.”
“I didn’t kill Rocky,” I said.
“Now we’re getting somewhere. If you didn’t, who did?”
“You said you know everything. Figure it out.”
“Nah,” he said. “This is much easier. You’re going to be formally charged for murder, Slade. And tonight, I get to go home early and fuck my wife.”
“Don’t forget your beer,” I said as Detective Anoley opened the door and left.
Nobody else came into the room until an officer took me to a cell. I was tossed inside and left there to rot. I stepped back and sat down, staring at the bars, realizing I was trapped. Everything I had promised to Liv was a lie. There was no excuse for anything. It was my time to take the fall for the MC. That came with the leather cut. The Savage Viper’s MC did have a good lawyer on retainer. Chances were I’d have to make a deal to wiggle around all of this. In the meantime, I’d be in jail. Unless the club put up cash for me. Even if they did, I’d be back at the clubhouse, not with Liv. The life I wanted... that small sampling of being in an apartment with Liv... that was all a fucking tease.
It hurt me but I knew it hurt Liv worse.
I hung my head.
I thought about Rocky.
The job was always flawless. So something went wrong.
Someone set me up.
I got some shut eye and could only dream of Liv. Her standing with a baby in her arms, rocking it back and forth. A smile on her face, that motherly bond instant. It was a great dream up until someone stepped up behind Liv. Some guy put his hands to her hips and started to kiss her neck.
It was Detective Anoley.
I woke up fast and jumped up, looking around the jail cell. I had no idea what time it was. Or if days had gone by. I hadn’t heard a thing from a cop or detective or lawyer. Shit, for all I knew, everyone was going to leave me hanging. Maybe the MC had walked away from it all. I wasn’t patched in, right? I didn’t have a leather cut.
I climbed to my feet and walked to the bars and grabbed them.
I had been in jail before. Many times. But never with this kind of charge hanging over my head. I figured there was a lot of paperwork being processed right then. Trying to get lawyers and judges together or something so I could be formally charged with murder. The second that happened... I’d need my phone call to get in touch with Liv and apologize with everything I had.
So I stood there and waited.
I heard voices come and go over and over, that sense of freedom waiting on the other side of the bars.
Then a police officer came walking down the hall toward me. He stood and looked at me. “Mr. Knight.”
“Slade,” I said.
“How are you doing in there?”
“Wonderful. Any chance you have a burger and a TV for me?”
“I don’t even get that.”
“You need a better job then.”
The officer then unlocked the jail cell door. He pointed to my hands and I put them out. The officer slapped cuffs on me and pointed down the hallway.
“Field trip?” I asked.
“Something like that.”
We walked to another interrogation room. The officer stopped at the door and looked around. He then unlocked the cuffs from my wrists and opened the door. He pushed at me.
“Go the fuck inside, asshole,” he said.
He then slammed the door as I stumbled forward.
I caught myself and stopped, looking straight ahead.
I couldn’t believe this shit now...
Lael and Raven stood there.
(OLIVIA)
“Nothing,” Owen said to me.
“What do you mean nothing?”
“They have him in a different jurisdiction, Olivia. I have nothing to do with this now. I’ll get credit for the bust and that’s it. I’m sorry.”
I walked to the kitchen and wanted to throw up. Mom was in the basement doing laundry. She didn’t know what was happening and I wasn’t going to tell her. I begged Owen to keep his mouth shut and so far he listened to me.
“What do I do?” I asked.
“Wait,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll hear something.”
“Owen, he couldn’t have done that...”
“You don’t know that,” Owen said. “That motorcycle club is rough. When you’re a member, there’s rules. If you don’t follow the rules you end up hurt or dead. He might have felt like he had no choice.”
“And who’s fault is that?”
Owen turned his head. “Let me go make another call or two then.”
>
He stood up and started to leave the kitchen. Mom appeared with a basket of laundry, tears running down her cheeks.
“Mom,” Owen said. “What’s wrong?”
“Look at you two,” she said. “I know what you’re doing.”
“Oh?” I asked.
“You’re trying to track that bad man down,” Mom said. “The man who shot your father.”
I felt all the air sucked from me.
Owen touched Mom’s shoulder. “He was... ah, Mom.”
“Your father will be okay,” she said. “Once I’m done folding the laundry I’m going to go to the hospital and check on him. He insisted I come home and take care of you two. He loves you two a lot.”
Owen looked back at me, his eyes glossy.
I jumped into action and grabbed the basket from Mom. “Let me help you, Mom. Owen has to make a phone call. Everything is going to be okay. Right?”
“Right,” Mom said. She wiped her cheeks.
“Right,” Owen said.
It was devastating to see and experience.
Owen left and I helped Mom fold some laundry.
I was halfway folding a towel when she dropped a shirt and touched my stomach.
I laughed and looked at her.
Her eyes were clear as day.
She was here.
“Olivia. You’re going to be a great mother. I think I’m sick though. I think I need help.”
“You’re getting help, Mom. Doctors are helping. You just get confused sometimes and that’s okay.”
“I believe in you, Olivia. And I believe in Slade. I don’t care what anyone says. I don’t judge people like that. Maybe I should. I was too nice and calm with your father. He would tell me everything. Maybe if I insisted he stay away from the street stuff, he’d be here.”
I swallowed hard. “But you know Daddy. He always wanted to help. He died doing something great for the world. I know that doesn’t make up for all the pain, Mom, but at least you have that in your heart. You know he was doing the right thing.”
“I know. I just...” Mom laughed.
“What?”
“I just would love to see his reaction. To you being pregnant.” Mom leaned in a little. “And his reaction to you being pregnant by Slade Knight.”
We both started to giggle.
It felt good to do.
We stopped laughing and both started to cry at the same time. We quickly forgot the laundry and went for each other for a hug. We hugged tight. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be the last real hug with my mother or what. I hated that such blessing and tragedy awaited our future. It just proved to me that we had to take care of the present and nothing more.
“Olivia, where is Slade?” Mom asked.
That ended the moment. I stared at her and I felt myself choking up. My chin quivering. I was unable to hide my emotions from my mother. Ever.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Something happened,” I said.
The front door opened and Owen came rushing inside. “Olivia!”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“What’s going on here?” Mom asked.
Owen waved his cell phone. “We have to talk, Olivia.”
“Why?”
“Something happened with Slade...”
(SLADE)
Raven pointed the camera in the corner. “It’s not turned on.”
“We own the place,” Lael said. “This is private, brother. Just us.”
There were few things I knew about in life, but I knew this - when the President and VP wanted a private meeting, you were either getting killed or promoted. Considering I was in jail for a murder that could implicate the MC, what would you think?
“Sit down,” Raven said.
“I’m good right here,” I said.
“How’s your girl?” Lael asked. “The baby?”
“Everything is fine. Hasn’t been easy.”
“Slade, we know about her brother.”
Ah, fuck.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“He’s PD.”
“Not here,” I said.
“But he’s PD,” Lael said.
“I get that. Look, she was an old flame from years ago. I split town and have spent a lot of time with the club, helping out. When my old man died, I went back to town and met up with her. She got pregnant.”
“She came to the club and could have brought him with her,” Lael said.
“You know what that implies,” Raven said.
“She didn’t. She would never let her brother get involved. What’s happening right now has nothing to do with that.”
“You didn’t tell us,” Lael said.
“Because you would have hurt her.”
They both looked at each other and then nodded.
“He arrested you,” Raven said.
“Yeah,” I said. “He hates me. So there’s no love lost. That’s why I needed to give up the cut for a little bit. I didn’t want him to come after the club.”
“This thing with Rocky is a mess,” Lael said.
“What happened?”
“You tell us,” Raven said. “We know you talked to Detective Anoley.”
“He talked to me. I didn’t say shit.”
“You could have,” Raven said. “Bury us. Get out of this. Go to your girl.”
I shook my head. “That’s not what brotherhood is about. I’m hurting that Liv is confused. That’s she pregnant and alone. But if you think for a second I’d sell you guys out, never. I was there, too. I swung the wrench. I took part in what the club had to do. I wore my cut and represent the patch.”
“That’s honorable,” Lael said. “How are you going to uphold that in front of a judge?”
“The same way I am now. The truth. I know the truth. They can make up what they want.”
“And if you go inside?” Raven asked.
“I would like to think you guys have that worked out.”
“Let’s talk about the truth then,” Lael said. “We have a prospect with a big mouth. Rocky’s daughter caught up with him and must have sucked his cock dry because the prospect started spilling secrets. That’s how this happened.”
“Fuck,” I said. “So it is my fault. I let her go.”
“You could look at it that way,” Raven said.
“Fuck,” I said again. “I had her, too. Right up against a wall.”
“She and the prospect went to the police. That’s how the ball got rolling. You were the obvious suspect and they wanted you. They went looking for you.”
“Okay,” I said. “So that’s where I’m at then. I deserve all this. I should have taken her out when I had the chance to do it. I let pussy cloud my mind.”
“Who hasn’t?” Raven asked with a grin.
Behind me, the door opened.
“Jesus Christ,” a voice said. “We’re doing this right now?”
I turned and saw Detective Anoley.
He shut the door and put his hands at his waist.
He was showing me his gun.
“What are we doing here?” I asked.
“Fixing problems,” Lael said.
“Come on,” Detective Anoley said. “Wrap this up. I gotta get a jump on things.”
“You had a chance to rat us out,” Lael said to me. He walked to the table. “You could have explained the truth and went along with the defense that your fingerprints were on tools there because you used to work there. That would have been easy and logical.”
“You thought beyond that,” Raven said. “You thought about the club. Brotherhood. You put yourself behind it all.”
“That takes balls,” Detective Anoley said.
“What the fuck is going on here?” I asked.
“That beer I drink?” Detective Anoley asked. “The wife I fuck? You think I have a good life because of this job? Fuck that. I help out when needed.”
Lael reached into his leather cut and took out rolled up papers. He put them on the table. Then he t
ook out an envelope of cash.
“The prospect and Ava are both missing,” Lael said. “They’re the ones who did this. Ava trying to get back at her father for all the wrongdoings. The prospect being sucked in by sweet tasting pussy helped her out. Backstabbing on the MC, taking some of our tools and equipment to create a homemade type bomb to kill Ava’s father. Sadly, Ava was heartbroken by it all.”
“So she arranged to kill the prospect,” Detective Anoley said.
“Then the guilt got to her,” Raven said. “Murder-suicide.”
My head was spinning. “Wow.”
“So all ends are tied up,” Lael said.
“And me?” I asked.
Raven stepped to me and put a hand to my shoulder. “You’re free to go, brother. Because the strangest thing happened. The wrench with your fingerprints on it? It went missing two hours ago.”
I looked at Lael. We just stared at each other.
“Okay,” Detective Anoley said. “Now that we have all of that worked out, I’m leaving. I have to go arrange for all of this shit to work. Any hiccup and we’re all fucked.”
Right after the detective left, Lael asked Raven to do the same.
Then it was just me and Lael. The President of the Savage Viper’s MC.
He walked around the table toward me. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“You were going to give yourself up for the club. Why?”
“Lael... I ride the open road as freedom. I’ve done it since I was old enough to run from hell. The only things that grounded me were Liv and the work you guys gave me. I never wanted to hurt Liv, but I would never say a word about the MC. I know what it means to you and to this town. I know what it means to me.”
“That’s why you’re patched in,” Lael said. “That’s why you’re a true member and brother to all of us.”
“I’m sorry about Liv’s brother. I should have said something. I didn’t expect her to show up at the clubhouse. And I sure as fuck didn’t expect her to announce a pregnancy. Right then all I could think about getting her the hell out of there before things got bad.”