“Shame on you Slick, that’s what they call you right, Slick?” Brass asked walking closer to the man Jinx had just pushed back into the middle of the room. “Tuck told you the rules. You agreed, now it’s time to ante up.” Brass sauntered up to him and then spun, landing a roundhouse kick to the guys face, knocking him back to the ground.
Crank watched with satisfaction as Slick spit out a bloody mouthful, including at least one tooth. Brass grabbed the guy up by his shirt, putting him on his feet and got right into his face.
“I’m giving my second question to Crank. Better be faster on the draw, Eddie boy. It was his old lady that you beat and raped with your lowlife Club.” Crank didn’t move. He stayed in the chair, watching.
“Who gave the order to come into my house?” Crank didn’t raise his voice. The other man looked at him, white as a sheet, but this time he answered fast.
“The order came from the Mother Chapter direct, from Stag.”
Whiskey stepped forward out of the circle. Crank knew the man wanted to kill this fucker as much as he did. The Vultures had touched his Old Lady.
“What’s your favorite color?”
Slick answered quick, “Black.” Whiskey laughed, one which would make an ordinary man shake in his boots, but this pussy wasn’t ordinary. He was weak and a coward. Whiskey shook his head, looking at the guys.
“I don’t believe him, I think his favorite color is yellow. What do you think Tuck?”
“Yeah, Whisk, I think you might be right. Sorry, Slick. You heard the rules and agreed to them.” Tuck rubbed his hands together and asked Whisk, “What do you have planned?”
“Well, Prez, I think I would like to hear this pussy scream.” Whiskey took a cigar out of the inner pocket of his cut and made a big deal about smelling it, trimming the end, and placing it in his mouth. Talking to Slick, he said, “My Old Lady got this for me, I’ve been saving it for a special occasion.” Link handed him a lighter, and Whiskey took several deep draws before blowing out the smoke in Slick's face. The man was so focused on Whiskey, he hadn’t noticed Crash and Jinx coming up behind him. Whiskey nodded his head, and the Brothers gripped Slick's arms, keeping him from moving away. Whiskey continued puffing on the cigar for a while, getting the cherry nice and hot.
“See, my Old Lady spent a little time with you and your buddy, Ogre, a while back. Remember that day, Slick or should I call you Blank? That’s what your boy called you that day, wasn’t it? Ah, I see you’re thinking about her,” Whiskey sucked his teeth making a hissing sound. “Shouldn’t have done that, cuz you see, ever since that day, that pretty face of hers has this tiny little scar right on her cheek, bugs the shit out of me every time I see it. You know why it bugs me, Slick?”
Slick didn’t say anything, but he kept moving his head back until Jinx grabbed his hair and held it in place.
“It bothers me because one of you fuckers put it there.”
“It wasn’t me,” Slick started pleading, “I didn’t touch her. I was only there to make sure she went to the Clubhouse. I didn’t touch her.”
“That’s true,” Whiskey laughed, “but you did think about it, even threatened, and since your boy Ogre isn’t here, you’re going to pay the price.” Whiskey kept his promise, Slick was screaming, and the scent of burnt flesh filled the room. But Whiskey wasn’t done.
“Damn it, you ruined my cigar, asshole. Now, I can’t smoke it,” he said laughing again as he punched Slick in the side. Getting in his face, he said, “My next question goes to Crank. You better speak up fucker, my marks will be a cakewalk compared to his.”
They went through ten more Brothers before Crank held up his hand, each one making their mark, leaving the final question to Crank. They found out the Mother Chapter of the Satan’s Vultures was still gunning for the RBMC. That Worthington, through James Haslet, had paid them to be the distraction, so they could get their shipment. The shipment was what they all expected. Girls had been diverted; the asshole even gave the addresses to several of the flophouses where the women were being kept.
With each answer, Crank watched Tuck step away from the group. He knew he was making calls. Calls to get the girls out and calls to put out more feelers. Talon wasn’t here, so Crank knew the other man was back at the Clubhouse receiving some of those calls and working his magic, tracking anything he could on the computers he played like a wet woman.
Looking at Slick, Crank knew it wouldn’t be long; some of the brothers had gotten creative with their marks. The man was no longer clothed, standing, or coherent. Crash had decided to use a baseball bat on his kneecaps, and Jinx had used that bat for something else. Even Crank had to look away when that happened. The fucker deserved it, but it was still too much to watch.
Getting up, he stopped the next man in line from asking a question. It was time to end this once in for all. Crank’s bloodlust had waned. Crouching down, he looked at the piece of flesh who no longer resembled a man.
“You never had a chance, mother fucker, just like my old lady.” Gripping his hair, Crank took his knife from his belt, already having unbuttoned the sheath, and said, “This wasn’t long enough, not even being close to painful enough, but at least I’ll know, she’ll know you’re no longer breathing.” With a slashing motion, Crank’s knife slid over the flesh of his neck like butter, cutting him deep. Once the cut was complete, ear to ear, he let go of the man’s hair, wiping the blade on his jeans.
“Burn in hell, mother fucker.” Crank spat on the dead man, turned, walked out of the room, and up the stairs. He knew his Brothers would dispose of the body; no one would ever find Edward “Slick” Blank. Leaning up against the wall, he pulled out a cigarette. Shit, he hadn’t smoked in years, but he had kept the pack Shade had given him the other day. Lighting it up, he let what happened in the basement sink into his mind. He wasn’t sorry, he would never be sorry that fucker was taken from this earth, but he wasn’t happy, either. They still had answers they needed, and from what Slick had said, it looked like they were headed to war with the Vultures.
Tuck came up and leaned up against the wall next to him and said, “You know what this means?”
“Yeah, man, we’re going to war.”
“You bet your ass we are,” Tuck said and walked away, getting on his bike and driving away. Crank followed soon after.
Chapter 15
It had been three months, and the time had finally come for him and Cathy to see each other. Crank had never been so nervous in his entire life. They had lived together, fuck, been through more shit than any couple should, but he was freaking out.
Crank pulled up and looked at Cathy sitting on the porch, waiting for him. She was still his everything, just as gorgeous as the first time he saw her, maybe even more so now. He parked his bike and got off. Cathy stood and waited for him.
“Looking good, Cathy,” Crank said, keeping his distance.
“Yeah, you’re not so bad yourself, big guy,” Cathy said giving him a warm hug whispering in his ear. “I got your letters, thank you for that.”
He held her a little tighter. “Yeah, babe, got yours too.” Crank didn’t go into any details, just held her. He knew he missed her, but having her in his arms again felt like heaven and hell at the same time. He didn’t want to let go, but things weren’t anywhere close to being settled between them.
“Why don’t you have a seat? We need to talk about a few things.”
“Yeah, babe,” Crank said, sitting down on the porch step, “you know no one likes to hear those words.”
“Yeah, I know, but there isn’t any other way to put it,” she said with a shy smile.
“How have you been? You look good, better than before, I mean. Not that you didn’t look good before, just a better different.”
“I know what you mean and thank you,” Cathy laughed and took his hand, entwining their fingers together. “I’m feeling better.”
“So, therapy is working for you, the doctors are treating you right and all?”
“Yeah, they are
, and yes, it is. I’m still working on some stuff, will be for the rest of my life, but I’m getting to know myself again, and it feels good.”
“Glad, to hear it, babe. I only want what’s best for you, and if this is working, staying away from Defiance, then I’m all for it.” What he didn’t say, but meant was staying away from him. He was the one who started this, so he wasn’t going to let his hurt feelings stand in her way.
“It wasn’t about staying away from Defiance or you, Crank. It was about healing. I knew I couldn’t do that with you or anyone else because you all looked at me like I was broken or about to break. The guilt and pity, it was too much.”
“Babe, that was my shit to deal with, you shouldn’t have ever taken that on yourself, but I can see now where I went wrong. Can’t talk for anyone else, but do you see that in my eyes anymore? You had no blame in this, at all,” Crank said vehemently.
“See, that’s where you're wrong, I did. I turned off the security alarm; I’m the one who brought the champagne in and opened it, even poured the glasses for us to drink. I asked for an RMBC free week. All those things added up to those men being able to get to us. Get to you.”
Crank stood up. “If those fucking quacks at that treatment facility are making you think any of that shit is your fault, I’ll pull every fucking string I have to have the place shut down. You are not at fault.”
“But you are?”
“I should have…”
“See, you what? You should have been stronger and not, what, gotten drugged, or maybe you’re superman and drugs shouldn’t affect you the way that they do a normal person? Or you should have said no to the RBMC free week and checked the alarm? Crank, it’s a no-win situation. We’re both sitting here, taking on portions of this fucked up mess, but the truth is if it hadn’t happened that day the way it did, it would have happened another. They were watching the house. I noticed the dogs acting funny for weeks and blew it off. But my point is, you’re not to blame for this any more than I am. Can you get that now? If you want to take that blame, then I need to take some, too.”
“Shit,” Crank said, sitting back down. “You’re doing good?”
“Yeah, I am, but I’ve made some decisions.”
“Yeah, I saw the sign when I pulled up. So, you’re selling the place?”
“Yep, I just can’t live here anymore. The bad memories creep in too often. I was thinking a new place and a fresh start would help me heal more.”
“I can see that, but all the memories here weren’t all bad.”
“No, not all of them, but even you have to admit, the last couple of years have been rough. We were drifting apart, fighting more, spending less time together.”
“Cathy, I still loved you even through all that, but…”
“I know, Crank, and believe me, I still love you, too. I always will.”
“So, you’re selling the house and moving on. What does that mean for us?”
“Selling the house has nothing to do with us, but to answer your question, I don’t know. I love you, I still want to be with you, but I don’t want it to be like it was before. I want what we had in the beginning back. I want the connection, not the ritual.”
“The ritual?”
“Yeah, living together, moving day in day out, barely speaking. It was like we were roommates or something.” Cathy retook his hand and turned more towards him. “You’ve always been my best friend. The person I want to tell everything to, but I’ve held back some pretty big stuff because I knew how you’d react, and I didn’t want to deal with it. I can’t be that way anymore.”
“Babe, I never asked you to hold anything back. Hell, you could tell me anything.”
“You're right, you never asked, and that’s something I’m dealing with now. I hope one day we can talk about it, but I’m not ready yet. As for your original question, I don’t want to be without you, but I don’t think we should jump right in like before. I think we should maybe date and get to know one another again.” She held up her hand to stop him from saying anything and laughed, “I know, it sounds stupid. We’ve been together for twenty years, but I kind of need this right now. I’m not pushing you out, I just….”
“I get it, and if that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll do. So, are you going back to treatment or are you staying here until the place sells?”
“Actually, I’m going to be staying at a friend’s guest house. Her name is Kayla. She lives on the other side of town, but it’s still close.”
“Well, I guess that’s good, but I’ve never heard of this chick before.” Crank said, rubbing his chin. Cathy knew he was trying to place the name but couldn’t.
“You wouldn’t. Her name is Kayla Stewart. She was one of my first clients. Do you remember Sadie?”
“Oh, yeah,” Crank laughed, “I never thought you were going to be able to train that big, old dog to do more than slobber.”
“Yeah, Sadie gave me a run for my money, at first, but she turned out to be one of my best. Kayla still has her. She’d even recommended a few other clients through the years, and I didn’t even know about it.”
“That’s great, Cathy. You were always the best dog trainer around.”
“No, that was Peyton, but I was pretty close,” Cathy said, smiling back at him.
“I beg to differ with you on that. You’ll always be the best as far as I’m concerned. Talking about the business, what are you going to do with the dogs, still keep them at Addy’s place until you find yours?”
“Right now, no. Those two are working dogs, and they need to work. I’m not any good for them right now, so I called Peyton. She’s going to take them. Once I get back on my feet, I think I’ll start with a new litter. I just, without Dah and Brut, it won’t be the same. I need to test the waters.”
“Babe, you’ve always loved your dogs. Whatever you decide, I have your back. I just want you to know that.”
“I do, and thanks for that,” Cathy said, laying her hand on his shoulder. Crank wrapped his arm around her, and for the first time in a long time, she felt whole. This man meant the world to her. She just hoped they could get through the next part of their lives still together and with her heart intact.
“So, we're going to do this dating thing? Any idea when you would want to start?”
“How about I call you later, and we can make plans? I have a few appointments later this afternoon.”
“Sounds good, babe.”
“Crank, there’s something else I need to ask you.”
“Whatever it is, just spit it out, and I’ll take care of it.”
“You might not, how can you be so sure?”
“I’m sure because I would do anything for you, you have to know that, babe.”
“Yeah, I guess I do, but I don’t think you’re going to like this one.”
“What is it?”
“Will you go to therapy with me? My doctors say it will help, and after everything I’ve learned, I kind of agree. I know it’s not your thing, but I really need this, and it won’t be that bad. If you go once and hate it, we can think about doing it another way or find another therapist you would like better or…” Cathy was rambling, but she didn’t know what else to do.
“Hold up, babe, just give me the time and place, and I’ll be there. If it will help you, then I’m all for it.”
“That’s just it, Crank, you can’t think of it as only helping me. It’s to help us.”
“Well, then, how could I say no. I’ll be there, okay,” Crank said, kissing her forehead.
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me, babe, maybe that’s something we should work on, too.”
“Yeah, maybe we should,” Cathy said shyly. Crank got up, and so did Cathy.
“I think I’m going to head out. Call me tonight?”
“Yeah, I’ll call you tonight. Take care, Crank.”
Crank hugged her close for a few minutes, and Cathy almost changed her mind about letting him go. She knew it was
for the best, but this was fucking hard.
“Okay, babe, gonna go now before I throw you over my shoulder and take you with me.” Cathy held on just a little tighter and said, “Okay,” but managed to pry her arms away from him, only to hug herself.
As she stood there watching him walk away, she realized if this didn’t work out, she would be more lost and in more pain than her assault and rape ever caused her. He was her life. She didn’t think she could live without him. But she needed to be stronger, she needed to fix herself, so this was what had to happen, wasn’t it?
Chapter 16
Cathy walked into Addy’s barn and froze, everything flooding back. She could see Addy standing there, half-dressed with Ogre at her back, his fist in her hair. She could see the bruises starting to form on her exposed body and the blood dripping down from her forehead.
Then she flashed to when the men holding her took her. She had been in the shower, just getting out, putting on her clothes. She remembered thinking Crank had come in to join her. Cathy remembered the sinister laugh of the smaller man as he grabbed her, what he said, “Ah, now sweets aren’t you happy to see me,” as he smiled at her with blackened teeth, right before he knocked her out.
Flashes of things they had done to her kept going through her mind at lightning speed, the first slap to the next hit. Getting shoved into the trunk of a car with a plastic bag over her head and a rope around her neck. Being pulled out of the trunk, hair and bag being ripped away, and marched into the barn as she struggled in vain to get away from them. Their laughs and taunts. Seeing Addy’s eyes as she accepted what was happening and agreed to do whatever they wanted.
What happened in the caves after they left the barn. Faster and faster, the memories flooded her mind. Touching, pain, yelling. Cathy could see Addy standing in front of her, talking, but she couldn’t bring herself back. More pain, more memories, Addy screaming. Why was Addy screaming, she wasn’t in the cave? Had she been there and Cathy didn’t know it? Were they hurting Addy like they were hurting her? She tried to focus, tried to get her breathing under control, but she was seeing spots before her eyes, then felt her body falling. More screaming and then hands. She didn’t want anyone’s hands on her, so she fought.
Crank: Ruthless Bastards (RBMC Book 4) Page 10