by Sam Crescent
He nodded, reaching out to touch her cheek. “I know you do. I’m pleased you found some kind of happiness. The club is being cautious with Butch.”
“I know. Take whatever time you need.”
“You’re not pissed about the shop?” he asked.
She shrugged. “There’s not a lot I can do about it. I just want Butch to be happy. I hope he realizes that he’s happy with the club.”
“You’re a good woman, Cheryl.”
Not saying anything else, she took it as the compliment it was.
Soon Alex left to join the others. She couldn’t let herself get pulled away. Minutes passed with him having fun and her watching like a guard dog.
“Baby, he’s going to be fine,” Butch said. “Tiny’s got men all around the place taking care of everyone.” He wrapped an arm around her waist then kissed her neck. “Come and have some fun. This was about you enjoying as much as Matthew.”
“I’ve not been much fun, have I?”
“I don’t blame you. After what you saw I can’t expect anyone to be feeling okay with that.”
“How have you been? You knew the person, didn’t you?” she asked.
Butch led her away from stalking her son.
“Yeah, I knew her. She was the doctor who helped me when I needed it most. I tried to protect her, but I couldn’t. She’s the one who ended up dead.”
“Honey.” Cheryl wrapped her arms around him.
“It’s okay. I’m not going to cry. Shit like this happens, which was why I didn’t want you part of the club. The risk was too high.”
“Let’s not do this here. The club is part of you.” Cheryl didn’t want this day to be ruined because of Butch’s stubbornness. She respected his decision to leave The Skulls, but she was delighted he wanted to return to the club. Cheryl was determined to get him back to The Skulls. The club was his life. She would support him in the club like the other old ladies did.
He took her back to where the rest of The Skulls were sitting enjoying the sunshine. The children were running around, and Cheryl loved every minute of the time. She kept checking on Matthew, who was having the time of his life. There was no way she’d be able to simply let him play without looking over him. Butch put his issues aside and looked to be having fun. The time passed until she was able to forget the worries that had been plaguing her.
Steven, one of the Skulls, made her laugh with the jokes he told. The entire experience was amazing. She finally felt at home with the crowd. Glancing toward the play area, she frowned. Standing up, she tried to find her son.
“Where’s Matthew?” Cheryl asked, looking around the large picnic area. She’d taken her eyes off her son for a moment, and she couldn’t see him anywhere. “Matthew.” She shouted his name, starting to panic. No one responded to the name.
“Baby, calm down,” Butch said.
“I can’t find him.”
Without looking back toward him, she took off toward the play area, not bothering to waste time with talking. She saw The Skulls looking from her to Butch. Cheryl didn’t care what they were thinking. The only person she cared about was her son, and she couldn’t find him. Fear clawed at her.
“Cheryl, stop,” Alex said, grabbing her arms. “He’s around here somewhere. Stop panicking.”
“I know my son.” She shoved him away. “He’s not here.”
“We’re all going to start looking. You don’t need to worry,” Eva said.
She wasn’t listening. Her son was out there somewhere. Matthew wouldn’t walk away from the park, not by himself. She looked around the area he’d been playing. Some of the parents were looking at her strangely. She didn’t care what they all thought. The only person she cared about was Matthew. For a few moments she’d been enjoying her time thinking how wonderful it was to have people like The Skulls in her life, and now her son was missing.
In the background she heard Butch and the others shouting her name. Seeing a secluded area near the swings, she rounded the bend and stopped. A man she’d never seen before was pointing a gun at her son’s head. Matthew was sitting between the mystery man’s legs playing with some new toys.
“Hello, Cheryl,” the man said.
Not taking her eyes off her son, her heart started to race more than ever before. “Hello.” She spoke calmly, hoping not to scare her son.
“You don’t know who I am, but I’ve got a friend who knows you, and he wants to meet you.”
“I don’t know anyone who would own a gun or point it at my son’s head,” she said.
Sweat bloomed on her forehead. How could she get Matthew out of danger without him getting hurt? There was no easy way. She couldn’t grab her son, otherwise he’d end up dead.
Tears filled her eyes as she looked at him. “I don’t know who you are,” she said.
“It’s okay. We know who you are. Gonzalez needs your cooperation.”
She went to look behind her.
“That’s not a good idea,” he said. “You shout them or alert them, and I will kill your son.”
The tears she’d tried to keep at bay finally released.
“Please, don’t hurt my son.” She took a step closer and another.
“I wouldn’t try anything funny. You got the head in a box. I’m not against doing it to you.”
“You killed that woman?”
“Yes, and she screamed throughout it all. I loved hearing her scream.”
“I don’t want you to hurt my son. I’ll come with you.”
“Good.”
She reached her son, and he grabbed her arm leading them both away from any prying eyes. Glancing behind her, she didn’t see any of The Skulls. None of them knew she’d gone with this man or where she was going.
Cheryl refused to cry more. Nothing good could come from her letting any tears fall.
The man without a name forced her into the back of the car. It took every ounce of strength not to shout out, begging for help. She held onto her son as they pulled away from the curb. She didn’t know what to do.
Closing her eyes, she hoped Butch found them soon. The thought of never seeing him again filled her with dread.
“We’re going to be okay, honey,” she said, kissing her son’s head.
She didn’t know how long they were driving for. The man pulled up outside of a hotel.
“The boss awaits you,” the man said, opening the door. There was no chance for her to get away as she was led up to another secluded room.
Don’t panic.
Keeping her gaze forward, she held onto Matthew as they were pulled into a beautiful, expensive hotel room.
“Ah, Cheryl, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”
It was Frederick Gonzalez. He wore a business suit and smiled as she walked in.
“What the hell is going on?”
“It’s quite simple, honey. I want The Skulls, and you’re the key to getting them.”
She frowned. “There’s no chance. I’m with Butch, not anyone else.” Cheryl held onto Matthew.
“Yes, and with you gone, he’ll beg to come back to The Skulls. I don’t know how they’ll handle that, but then I get them to do what I want when they ask for you back. This is a win-win for me.” He motioned for her to sit down. “I’d rest if I were you. You’re going to need to relax.”
Sitting down in the sofa, Cheryl wouldn’t let go of her son. Gonzalez didn’t know that Butch had already asked to return? Trying not to let her thoughts show, she kept her gaze on her son.
“Oh, if they don’t give me what I want then I will start to hurt you. I’ll also get Homer to kill your son before he moves onto you.”
Closing her eyes, she prayed for her son’s life.
Come on, Butch. Find us.
****
Back at the clubhouse Butch was losing his mind. He couldn’t find Matthew or Cheryl. It was like they both disappeared, which made no sense. Running fingers through his hair, he waited for Whizz to run a search on the security footage. The clubhouse wa
s a mess. Furniture was trashed, and broken bottles were strewn around all over the place. Gonzalez meant business, and he was taking it out on the club. This had to be about more than Butch and his past.
“What’s going on?” Butch asked, pointing around the clubhouse. There weren’t any sweet-butts around either.
“We’ve got Gonzalez looking into every area of our life,” Nash said. “Everything is a mess right now.”
“It has to be him who’s taken Cheryl and Matthew,” Alex said, speaking up for the first time.
“You’ve got to help me find her. He will kill her.” Butch was sure the other man would kill her. There was no way he was going to put his trust in Gonzalez not to hurt his woman. Memories of the past invaded his thoughts. He shoved them aside and started to pace. “I knew I shouldn’t have taken her to the picnic.” Shaking his head, he was so angry with himself. Instead of listening to his own gut, he’d listened to what she wanted, and now they were both missing.
“Cheryl wanted to go,” Eva said.
“How do I know you’re not working for Gonzalez, huh?” Butch asked, losing his temper.
All of the club tensed up.
“What the fuck did you say?” Zero asked, stepping up. It had been a long time since he’d spoken to his friend.
“No one leaves the club, right? How the fuck do I know if you’re not even working against me to get me as payback? I asked to come back, and none of your have given me the time of day. You were begging me back, and now you’re taking your time.” Zero was on Butch’s ass within seconds of him talking. Zero slammed his fist into his face. Women screamed, and Prue tugged Zero away. Butch knew he shouldn’t have said shit like that. His anger and fear had him lashing out.
“Leave him. He’s not thinking straight,” Prue said, whispering to Zero’s ear.
“He’s not been thinking straight ever since he fucking left the club.” Zero looked like he wanted to hurt him even more.
Rolling to his stomach, Butch got to his feet. “She’s my woman, and you’re not doing anything about it. I asked to come back, and again you’re keeping my ass waiting.”
He pointed at Tiny. The president of The Skulls stared at him with a fierce expression on his face. Butch didn’t care what others thought of him. “For every other woman you were there and reacting to the smallest slight.”
“There’s a difference,” Tiny said.
“What difference? You need to act. My woman is out there with our kid.” He turned to Alex, who looked pale. “They’re in danger, and we’re not doing anything about it.”
“You quit The Skulls, walking away from us. Cheryl is not a Skull, nor is she part of the club.”
“I asked to come back.”
“You left, Butch. Letting you back in takes a fucking vote. I’ve got to wait until Lash gets back to vote you back in.”
Butch paused, frowning at him. “This is your decision, Tiny. Not the club’s.”
“No one has ever walked out like this. I can’t make this decision on my own. It took the whole club to vote Nash back in, and the same goes for you.”
“Tiny,” Alex started to talk. Tiny held his hand up.
“No, I’m not listening to any more crap about this.” Tiny kept his gaze focused on him. “We’re not a fucking library he can take what he wants when he wants. Lash has a deciding vote, and I’m not doing shit about it until he gets back.”
“What are you trying to say?” Butch asked but he knew the truth.
“You’re not a brother anymore until Lash comes back from Italy. We’re going to help get Cheryl back. We don’t get to help you with anything else until Lash is back.” Tiny shrugged. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re not sorry,” Butch said. “This is your fucking club, Tiny.”
“And I’m acting in the club’s best interest. We’re going to get your woman back, but I’m not going to risk my men for you.”
“I’m fucking begging you, Tiny. Let me back in. I’m fucking loyal, and I’ll be good for the club,” Butch said, getting to his knees in front of them. He needed Tiny prepared to do everything to save his woman.
Alex spun away, heading toward the bar. There was no alcohol to drown his sorrows in.
Staring down at the floor, Butch laughed. “I’m sorry for leaving the club. You know, Cheryl told me I shouldn’t have left. I thought I was protecting her, but I was the one who put her in danger.”
“We’re a club and a family, but you didn’t see that. This shit you’ve caused is your problem, not ours,” Tiny said. “We’ll do what we can to save Cheryl and her son, not because of you but because we’re not fucking animals.”
“Tiny?” Eva said.
The other man glared at his wife, and she stopped talking, holding her hands out, backing down.
It was Butch’s decision to leave The Skulls that had started this. By leaving he’d insulted the club, and the more he pulled away, being an asshole, the more the club had moved on. He couldn’t hate Tiny for his decision. Any president of an MC club would have killed him by now. Tears filled his eyes at his own stupidity. He shouldn’t have left, and if Lash was pissed enough, he wasn’t going to get his place back in the club.
“Fine. I’ll wait to be part of the club. I’ll take whatever decision you all make. If I have to, I’ll become a prospect again and pull out of my shares until I earn my loyalty.” He spoke the words, terrified of his future.
Tiny left the room and returned seconds later with his jacket. He didn’t know what to say when he saw the leather jacket. The last time he’d worn this very jacket he’d been filled with pride. He wasn’t full of pride now, no, he was full of shame. No one would help him unless he was a Skull, and he’d turned his back on the club. Cheryl had been trying to convince him to rejoin The Skulls, but he’d refused even though he’d been thinking of joining them again. His own stubbornness had caused this. Cheryl must have known he was part of a club. Only he had denied while she saw through it.
“I’m showing you this jacket because regardless of what happens, I always thought you’d come back to us,” Tiny said, glaring at him. “I want to let you back, but I wouldn’t be any kind of fucking leader if I didn’t put you to a vote like I’ve done everyone else.”
He was sure he detected pain in Tiny’s face, but it was gone before he could analyze it.
“Then I’ll wait, and I’ll prove to you all I want to be here,” Butch said.
“Frederick holds all the cards here. We can’t do anything until he gets in touch,” Tiny said, taking a seat. Eva put her hand on Tiny’s shoulder.
“We can’t do anything but sit and wait?” he asked.
“In case you haven’t noticed,” Nash said, speaking up. “We’re all fucked here. The cops have torn us apart, and we know it’s because of Gonzalez. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s going to keep doing it. Devil’s got the same problem back in Piston County.”
This was not like them. Butch knew they would all fight, but Gonzalez was playing a different game.
“What about Devil and the Chaos Bleeds crew?” Butch asked.
“They’re doing exactly the same. We’re all waiting it out.” Tiny rested his head in his hands.
There was nothing they could do. He took a seat and waited. Butch didn’t have a clue what he was waiting for. In all of his years as a Skull they’d never waited around for anything to happen to them. They’d always been the ones in charge. No one told them what to do.
You’ve got to wait to become a Skull.
Running fingers through his hair, Butch became aware of how much life had changed for the club in the last few months. They couldn’t do anything but wait. He hated this kind of control that Gonzalez had.
Recalling the memory of his father, Butch recalled the way he’d been afraid, but this wasn’t the same.
The whole of The Skulls were waiting. He stood and started to pace.
Time passed slowly. Running his hand over his face, he tried to ignore the pity on all of t
heir faces. The club was a mess, life was a mess, and he knew he shouldn’t have left. The biggest mistake he’d made was leaving, and now he needed to find a way to prove himself. He should have rejoined of his own free will long before he did. The first time he went to work hating his life should have been the time he came back to the club. The more he thought about his mistakes, the more he regretted his decisions.
When the phone went off, everyone tensed. Tiny took his time to answer it.
Butch was surprised when Tiny put the call for the loudspeaker for all of them to hear it.
“Where the fuck is Cheryl?” Tiny asked. The man before him was the person Butch remembered. Tiny, leader of The Skulls, wouldn’t allow any man to fuck with his club.
“Well, I guess that answers at least one of my questions. I take it Butch is there with you,” Frederick said.
“Listen, fucker, if you even think—”
The sound of Cheryl screaming, begging cut through the air. Butch froze. His woman was in danger and in pain.
He shut the fuck up.
“Now, I see we have your attention,” Frederick said. “In case you haven’t noticed it’s a simple yes or no answer.”
Butch stared at Tiny.
“Do you want Cheryl back?”
“Yes,” Tiny said.
“Good. Will you do anything to get her back?”
Tiny returned his stare. The anger in his eyes was pure to see. “Yes.” Butch would owe Tiny and the club big. He wasn’t worried about that.
“Good. You see, we can do this. This is what I like about communicating. We can get what we want and work through the problems.”
Hearing Frederick’s voice made Butch want to hurt the man. He had Cheryl and was using her to get to The Skulls. Butch had forced their hand, and now they were at Frederick’s mercy. The club either took Cheryl back or they listened to them die. Butch wasn’t under any illusions that Frederick would let them live.
“What do you want?” Tiny asked.
“I just want you all to know that if the answer is no I will kill Cheryl’s son. He’s playing nicely at the moment with some colors. You’ve got a nice son here, Alex.”
Looking toward Alex, the pain was so evident on his face. “Leave my son alone.”