by River Savage
My father let the men go that night, a warning for all not to fuck with Red Knight and the Knights Rebels; that was his second mistake. I learnt not long after that an outlaw MC doesn't take too kindly to a threat, and the retaliation that followed cost my sweet mom her life.
Shaking away thoughts that won’t help me now, I take a seat opposite T. The scowl on his face leaves no question that he’s just as excited about our meet as I am.
“Wanna tell me why the fuck you’re wagin’ war with Gunner Jamieson and why we’re in the middle of it?” I get straight to the point, no time for idle chitchat. After Beau had got a hold of him last night, we learnt that the Mayhems weren’t responsible for the attacks on the two shops.
“Wanna tell me why you intercepted our shipment?” he replies with his own question.
“What the fuck you talkin’ bout, T?”
“Our weapons shipment, word out is some of your men were in on it. Now, I know our club has the truce, but you double cross me, Nix, we got fuckin’ problems. I had a big marker on this one, and I’m not taking it lightly that you got your fuckin’ hands in on this. You want in, then this makes it fair game, guns and drugs,” he declares, and I feel my temper slowly rising. T and his boys don’t like the truce for the simple fact that they run a different way than us. Where we keep it clean, they are prepared to get as dirty as possible. But now that we’re out of the game, T and his boys benefit more than we do.
“The fuck, T? You know our hands are clean. Our history speaks for itself. If I wanted back in, you sure as hell would know it.”
“Don’t give a shit about history or respect. I’ve got a fuckin’ truck load riding on this,” he responds.
“You should care about respect, brother. You've got a lot more ridin’ on this. Don’t know what the fuckin’ deal is, but your info is wrong. We got nothin’ to do with it. You’re dealin’ with Gunner Jamieson and his crew all the way on this one. Our hands are clean, and you know it,” I inform him. “And don’t forget, T, you start pushin’ drugs in Rushford, you’ll need to prepare yourself for shit to go down. You have my word,” I tell him, meaning it. The market of Rushford is off limits, and we’ve made it our job to keep it safe. The Knights Rebels and the Mayhems made that deal five years ago, and that still stands solid. They keep their shit out of our town, and we leave them to run shop how they see fit in their territory.
He holds my gaze searching for some tell that I’m bullshitting him. I’m not. We both know drugs in my territory are not taken lightly.
“I’ll sort out Gunner. Don’t worry, that fucker and I go way back,” he assures me.
“Well fuckin’ sort it quick. We’ve got break ins and fires happenin’ on our side of town. As far as we are concerned, this is your mess you need to clean up. The last thing we need is Jamieson stickin’ his nose in our business. This shit lies on you. If you can’t deal with him, we’re gonna step up and you know that won’t be a fuckin’ fun fair,” I threaten. I don’t want to get involved; the boys and I work hard to keep out of the shit that gets thrown around, but we will if they can’t contain it.
“I told ya, we fuckin’ got it,” T barks, and I don’t miss the warning in his tone. Nodding my head, I let it go. Last thing we need right now is pissing each other off, especially with Gunner sniffing around.
After talking for another ten minutes about the issues they’ve been having with Jamieson, we agree to keep the lines open. I’m not sure if T and his crew are going to be able to handle the asshole by themselves. Impatient to head back and see Kadence, we leave T and his boys in the diner and make our way back out to our bikes.
“Boss man,” Jesse calls out as I mount my ride. I can feel a headache coming on after dealing with T and all the shit that comes with it. I hope there is no more shit to deal with.
“Kadence left.”
Fuck me, I spoke too soon.
“What the fuck do you mean she left?” I ask, my headache now throbbing. “Where the fuck did she go?”
“Her friend picked her up outside the club twenty minutes ago.”
Pulling my cell out of my pocket, I see a text.
Kadence: Sorry I had to go, explain later.
I dial her number. She ignores the call, letting it go to voicemail.
“Kadence, call me back,” I demand. Hanging up, I send her a text.
Nix: Jesus, you’re a pain in my ass. Call me.
“Did Beau get eyes on her?” I ask Jesse, hoping he did as I asked when I left. I didn’t think she would run, but fuck, I must have known she would.
“Yeah, Hunter’s on her. Says she stopped off at her house, but left in her own car five minutes ago.”
Pocketing my phone, I look to the sky asking the big guy why he thinks it’s funny he sent me the most testing woman on earth. Brooks laughs beside me, telling me to get used to it.
“What way did she go?” I yell over the roar of the pipes, wanting to know what direction to start heading.
“South,” he tells me. My mind is already trying to figure out where she could be going. We pull out of the diner’s parking lot and head back south in search of my woman. The same woman who needs to learn that no matter how many times she runs, I’m gonna keep finding her.
Chapter Seventeen
Kadence
Pulling into the old street that I use to live on, I start to second-guess my choice of meeting Zane. My exit of the clubhouse didn’t go to plan. To say Beau wasn’t too keen with me just leaving would be an understatement. After pleading that I had an emergency, he gave me the choice of waiting for Nix, or letting him take me. None of those ideas worked for me, so I conceded and went back to Nix’s room to come up with another idea.
I had to not only get past Beau, but also make it out through the gates to get to Holly. I was screwed.
I ended up sneaking out through the back and creeping around to the side. Fate was on my side. As I made it to the gate, there was a commotion with some guys about to ride out.
Somehow, the guy at the gate wasn’t where he was supposed to be and I walked straight out and into Holly’s car before they noticed I was gone. I kept the text from Zane and what I was going to do from Holly. I didn’t need her following me and going all badass on him. I needed to get this over and done with before Nix found out I left.
My phone rings as if on cue and I look down and see Nix calling. Ignoring the call, I throw my cell in the back of the car. I can’t be tempted, and I need to get this over with.
My palms sweat and a wave of nausea grips me as I drive past our old house. No signs of the fire that destroyed my home, but I know different. The memories of the flames and the smell of the charred remains will always stay with me. Pulling up in front of the old park, I spot a figure sitting on the park bench.
Getting out of my car, I walk the short distance down the old path. Zane stands and walks forward, his dark hair now longer and pulled back into a short ponytail. He looks so different from the last time I saw him. His expensive cut suit fits his body like a second skin, and I can’t help notice how well he looks. The thought makes me angry; he took something away from me and left me broken. Not broken, Kadence, just scarred.
The last time I saw Zane, I had gone to bed defeated. His behavior in the weeks leading up to the fire was out of character. He was acting strangely, snapping at me one minute and then being over-attentive the next. He was fidgety and secretive. Holly suspected drugs but I put it down to stress; working for an impressive architect firm here in Rushford wasn’t what he wanted anymore.
He worked hard to move his way up, and that hard work paid off. Their sister company had just acquired a bid for a new development in California, his dream job, and we had to make a decision if we were going to pack up and move closer or try the long-distance thing. I’d just secured a full-time position at Rushford Elementary and wasn’t prepared to give up my dream of being a teacher in my hometown, but Zane wanted me by his side and it was something we fought constantly over.
That night Zane had received a call that he took outside; we were going out for the night with some of his work friends to celebrate his promotion. I put the night down to being a bust after that phone call. He came back inside with a mood and snapped at everything I did, what I was wearing, how I had my makeup, even the way I smelt. We had been together for three years, only recently engaged, and he stood there and tore me to shreds. I tried to ignore the words he spewed at me, but the ugliness of them was too much. Each insult broke me down with every blow he dealt. I was pathetic. He could do so much better. He wasted three years of his life.
I tried everything not to believe them. I was lost and thought the man I was going to marry was having a hard time dealing with the stress of work, the uncertainty of where we were going, and I wasn’t making it easier for him. It was only natural that he would take it out on me. I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to be his partner and stand by his side through it all, so I brushed off his abuse hoping once we made our decision regarding his job, everything would go back to normal.
The whole night he continued being in a foul mood, his work buddies not once looking uncomfortable with his constant digs at me. By the end of the night, I was beaten down. I realized, in between listening to the venom he spat out at me and the looks he was giving other women, that Zane was no longer the man I agreed to marry. I didn’t know what was happening to him. I was concerned for him, for me and for us. I made it in the front door back home before unleashing my anger on him. We argued for over an hour, me accusing him of anything and everything. He was accusing me of being paranoid, not supporting him. I went to bed exhausted and drained, with no idea what I was going to do. When I woke up in the middle of the night to our house burning around me, I had no clue that it was because of Zane. I only later found out Zane wasn’t coming back.
Determined not to fall down the hole of why, I straighten my shoulders ready to meet him.
“Kadence,” he greets me, reaching for my hand. I pull back, not wanting his fingers touching mine.
“Cut the bullshit, Zane,” I snap back at him. “What the hell do you want?” He looks taken back for a moment. His blue eyes look shocked, not used to my attitude. He wouldn't. He missed the phase of me dealing with my anger after I almost died.
“I need your help—” he begins before I instantly cut him off.
“Do you think I’m dense? Do you honestly think I’d believe you’ve come back to town for my help?” I laugh, knowing I won’t fall for his shit.
“Is this how you greet your fiancé after three years, Kadence?” His question angers me, but not as much as his disregarded that it has been just that. Three years.
“After everything you have done to me? What you put me through? Yes, I would say that’s just about right,” I manage to fire back without clawing his eyes out. What is wrong with this man? What is wrong with me for even thinking I was in love with him?
“Kadence, cut the dramatics. Yes, I did a shitty thing, but you’re okay. You're fine. I’ve seen you the last few weeks. If anything, you’ve bounced back well.”
“I’ve bounced back? My life isn’t a fucking ball game, Zane. You destroyed it; took it all away from me. I can’t believe I even agreed to come here.” I begin to feel more stupid with each second that passes.
"You don't mean that, baby." He steps forward, giving me the look that used to get me.
“Baby? Jesus, you are fucking dumb. I’m done. Leave me alone. I’m not getting involved with whatever bullshit you have gotten yourself into.” I turn to go, ready to be out of his presence. I know he threatened me with Holly’s house, but standing in front of him, that terror that he once placed in me is now replaced with pity. The man is pathetic. I don’t know that he won’t follow through, but standing here, listening to him telling me I’m being dramatic proves it wouldn’t matter what I did. He is going to do what he wants.
“Kadence,” he calls out, as I walk away. “I need my money from the house,” he tries again, and this time I bite.
“You what?” I ask, wanting to double check what I just heard, hoping I heard different, ‘cause there is no way in hell he just asked me for money, considering the asshole cleaned me out.
“The money I put into the house. It’s mine, and I want it back.”
I laugh in his face. The guy has a screw loose that’s for sure.
“Zane, the house sold last year. It has been three years of no contact from you, and now you want money? Do you even care that you left me alone in that house to die? Do you understand the surgeries I went through and the pain? You missed it all.” The memories of feeling lost and alone slowly seep their way out. I’ve kept them so deeply locked away, having them surface again feels foreign to me. “You never returned any of my calls. Do you even care that I could have died, that I nearly did?” I shake my head, knowing it’s all lost on him. He doesn’t care, doesn’t give a shit.
“You stole from me. Cleaned me out. You no longer have the rights to anything that came from that house. You had a chance to come home. You didn’t. What did you expect? That I was going to wait for you? You left me to burn, all over an unpaid debt to a motorcycle gang,” I scream, finally losing it. Fuck him and his indifference. A rage boils within, my hands itching to lash out at him. Every moment I lived through because of him comes to the surface as I let everything out.
“Step back, Kadence,” someone demands from behind me. His voice that controlled anger I remember back at the school with his ex.
Nix. Shit.
“No way, Nix,” I argue, ignoring his demand, ready to take both of these men on.
“I’m not kidding, Kadence. You need to move behind me right now.” The tone of his voice plunges into a low and fierce level, but it’s the way he barks my name that puts me on alert. We've come to blows a few times now, but this? This is a whole new level of anger. I look at him, slightly afraid and not sure if I’m scared for my safety or if I’m scared that I have made him mad. I like to push him to frustration, but to anger boiling over, I’m not too sure. I move to the side and slide in behind him. I notice Jesse come up behind me with Brooks closing me into the side.
“What’s this, Kadence?” Zane yells out. For a second there, I forgot the asshole was here.
“You speak to me and only me.” Nix walks forward, getting into Zane’s space. Two guys wearing black walk out from behind some trees, closing in next to Zane. What the hell is going on?
“You wanna tell me why the hell you're talkin’ to my woman, Edwards?” Nix spits out, calling Zane by his last name. What the hell. How does Nix know Zane?
“Your woman? Guess you’d be the type to go for another man’s woman,” Zane fires back smiling.
“The fuck you just say?” Nix walks further up to him. Zane holds his ground, but I can see by the look in his eyes he’s holding back some fear. He must grow some confidence or have a death wish because he responds.
“What I should have said is that your ‘woman’ is my fiancée and that sexy mouth of hers has been around my cock plenty of times,” he smirks.
I don’t know what universe I’ve stepped into, but I’m standing frozen, listening to my ex-fiancé describe to my current lover, who is now looking every bit the scary biker dude, that I’ve had my mouth around his cock. Oh, shit.
“Kadence, get in the car,” Nix addresses me. His stare is still firmly on Zane.
“Nix—” I begin.
“Kadence, get in the goddamn car, now!” he bellows out, and I shrink back at his harsh tone. “Jesse, take her,” he demands, still not looking at me. Jesse grabs my hand and pulls me to follow him. Looking up at Zane, I see the bastard has a smile on his face, clearly enjoying the show.
“Bye, Kadence, it’s been great catching up. Shame you’ve turned into a biker whore—” He doesn't finish his sentence because Nix throws a punch, hitting him square in the jaw.
“Shut your fuckin’ mouth,” I hear Nix say as Jesse drags me further back to the car.
; “Jesus, woman, what the fuck is that all about?” Jesse asks when he opens the car door for me, my hands too shaky to get the keys out of my handbag.
“I have no idea, Jesse. Zane is my ex; the one I told you about. He sent me a text and told me he needed to talk, threatened me if I didn’t come.”
“Sweetheart, you need to get it together and drive back to the compound now.” I shake my head, not liking that idea, with Nix and his anger.
“I’m not sure Nix will want that, Jesse,” I voice my concern.
“Kadence, I’m telling you now, it will be a whole lot worse if you don’t get your ass back to the club. Trust me.” I nod my head, not prepared to discuss with him.
“How does Nix know Zane?” I ask, afraid of the answer. My whole world feels like it has just been turned on its axis, and I feel like I’m missing something.
“You might know him as Zane sweetheart, but around here, he’s known as Edwards, and that bastard holds the second highest position in the drug cartel organization. In other words, your ex is a very dangerous man. Now go. We’ll explain it all when we get back.” I slowly nod and get into the driver's seat, hoping my shaking hands calm enough for me to drive.
“Straight back to the clubhouse,” Jesse repeats, leaning into the car.
He closes the door and watches me take in what he just told me. Zane Edwards, the man I was engaged to, wasn't a part of any organization; he was an architect. We lived in a four-bedroom home, and we were in the middle of planning our wedding. No way was he into drugs. I would have seen it. Wouldn’t I?
Starting the car, I force myself to relax and keep myself together. The need to get away, away from Zane and away from Nix is too much to ignore. I know Jesse told me to go back to the compound, but facing Nix, knowing that he knows I was with that man, makes me turn home instead.
I need Holly.
I need her to tell me what to do. I’ve got bigger issues than I first thought. If Zane is this big drug thug who runs with bad people, why does he want money from me? He can’t be that hard up for money, could he? Or is he playing me for bigger things?