by K. J. Dahlen
The dog sniffed the ground for a moment then began walking left of the gate. He woofed at one point then began walking into the trees. Soon, he was running.
Deke, Gator and Deacon kept up but it wasn’t easy. They dodged trees, slipped and slid on the wet leaves on the wood’s grounds and tried to keep one eye on the dog as he ran ahead of them.
Demon stopped and began to growl. He barked a warning.
When Deke caught up, he saw a pair of wolves standing opposite Demon. They were growling back at the dog and trying to circle him. Deke pulled the rifle to firing position and let off a shot. He hit the first wolf but the second one kept coming. Deke worked the slide on the rifle and pulled it into position again. He got off a shot but it went wide.
The wolf turned and ran off but Demon was still growling.
Deacon took aim and made a third shot.
They heard a yelp and when Deke turned his head, he saw a wolf take off running. He stepped closer and that’s when he saw her.
She was tied to a tree covered in blood. Her head was hanging at an odd angle.
His large frame trembled all over and his breath was stuck in his throat. He walked closer to her and knelt on the ground beside her.
Gator was there cutting the ropes that bound her to the tree.
When the ropes let go, she fell forward into Deke’s arms. He sat there for a moment and rocked her back and forth. Tears rolled down his cheeks.
Gator tried to loosen his hold. “Boss, we need to check and see how bad she’s hurt.”
Deke laid her on the ground and stepped back. He didn’t know why but he was shaking badly. He’d never felt fear in his life and it took him a moment to realize that was what it was.
Deacon knelt down beside her and his fingers reached out to find the pulse on her neck.
Deke saw his head fall forward and he knew his heart had just stopped. He couldn’t lose her. NO! His bloodied hands were fisted at his sides. “Is she still alive?” His voice was a mere whisper.
Deacon nodded. “Yeah, but she’s lost a lot of blood. We have to get her to the hospital.”
Gator took out his cell and called 9-1-1.
Deke gathered her into his arms and began walking back to the compound. It bothered him that she never made a sound. He looked down and saw Demon walking by his side.
Glancing down at Cassie, he saw the bruises on her face. He tightened the grip he had on her and she groaned.
She shook her head from side to side and tried to open her eyes.
Deke stopped and called out to her, “Cassie, baby, I’ve got you. You’re gonna be okay.”
Cassie tried to open her eyes and this time it worked. Her eyes tried to focus but she was having some trouble doing so.
Deke frowned as he watched her. He looked over at Deacon with worry. “Baby, are you all right?”
Cassie shook her head. “I think I’m gonna be sick.” She groaned.
“Do you need me to stop for a minute?” Deke frowned.
Cassie shook her head. “I need to know the baby is okay.” She looked at him with tears in her eyes. “Robbie is crazy. He was going to leave me to the wolves then go after Leon. He thinks Leon is his father. God…” Cassie closed her eyes in pain. “…We need to warn him. He’s gonna kill Leon.”
“Hush,” Deke whispered, holding her close. “We’ll get back to the clubhouse and have Peaches call her grandfather to warn him. But I’m not worried about Leon, I’m worried about you. You have to calm down.”
Cassie shivered. “I’m so cold.” She tried to bury herself in his warmth but she still shivered badly.
Deacon came up behind them and whispered, “I think she’s going into shock. We need to hurry.”
Deke nodded and began to walk faster. Within minutes, they came to the fence line. Then they were inside. Everyone gathered around while Deke called out, “She’s lost a lot of blood and she’s going into shock. Somebody get me a blanket!”
Deacon nudged Deke to one side and began looking over Cassie’s wounds. He glanced at Reva and called out for some towels.
Reva brought towels and a basin of warm water.
Marnie brought them a blanket but didn’t want to get in the way, so she stood back holding it.
Deacon began bathing the blood away dropping the blood soaked towels on the floor as she used them up, then wrapped towels around the wounds Robbie left behind.
Peaches came to stand beside her friend and reached for her hand. Tears ran down her cheeks as she watched everyone work on her.
Iceman came over to her and tried to pull her away. “Come on honey, you need to let them get her ready. The ambulance will be here soon.”
Peaches turned to leave her when Cassie gripped her hand tighter. “You need to call Leon.”
“What? Why?” Peaches frowned.
“Robbie is going after him. Janelle told him Leon is his father. Robbie is gonna kill him, then come after you. He told me that before he left.”
“That’s insane!” Peaches exclaimed.
Cassie opened her mouth to say something but her eyes rolled back in her head and her hand dropped to the side of the table.
“Deke!” Peaches screamed.
Deke rushed over and grabbed Cassie’s hand.
Deacon pushed his fingers onto her throat. He had a hard time finding her pulse but finally he found it. It was weak. He caught Deke’s eyes and shook his head. “We have to get her to the hospital now.”
Just then, the ambulance pulled in and Gator went out to hurry the EMT’s inside. Everyone stood back as two men in green uniforms worked to stabilize Cassie.
“You need to know that she pregnant,” Deacon informed them.
When they loaded her on a gurney and pushed her out to the ambulance Deke, Deacon, Peaches and Iceman got into Glory’s van and followed the flashing red and blue lights all the way to the hospital. Demon jumped in just before the doors closed.
Ten minutes later, Deke watched helplessly as they pushed the gurney into the ER.
When the double doors closed, Peaches turned to Deke. “Tell me the bastard that did that to her didn’t get away.”
Deke silently stared back at her, then he turned and punched a hole in the waiting room wall.
CHAPTER NINE
A couple of hours later, the doors to the waiting room opened as Leon and Calderone Vincinti walked in. They were followed by four men in black suits.
Calderone went to his daughter and pulled her into his arms. “Thank God, you’re all right. I couldn’t understand a word you said earlier. I thought you were hurt.”
Peaches shook her head. “Cassie is the one who is hurt.” She sobbed as she leaned into her father’s chest. “That fucker Robbie Pierce got to her and he hurt her bad.”
“Janelle’s son?” Leon asked.
“That’s the one.” Iceman swore. “Cassie said something about a threat to your life before she passed out. We’re still waiting for the doctor to let us know how she’s doing.”
Just then, the doors opened up and a man in scrubs came up to them. “Cassie Ryan?”
Deke and the others crowded around the man. “How is she doing?”
“She’s resting right now,” the doctor answered as he looked all around at the many people surrounding him. “We had to replace two pints of blood and it took sixty eight stitches to close her wounds. We also had to give her something to get her to rest. She kept saying crazy stuff about a man named Leon.”
“What did she say about me?” Leon frowned.
The doctor shook his head. “I wasn’t listening to her ramblings. I was more interested in saving her life and the life of her child.”
“Cassie’s having a baby?” Calderone looked stunned.
The doctor looked over at Deke. “I can’t really get her to calm down, she’s fighting the medication and she shouldn’t be. Maybe if you could see her for a few minutes, and she can tell you what she wants you to know, she’ll let the meds work. Her body has been used an
d abused badly in recent times. She needs the healing of sleep.”
Deke nodded. He looked over at the group of people standing there. Each and every one of them loved her and they all needed to hear what she had to say. “Come on guys. Let get this over with.”
They all filed into the room Cassie was in. She opened her eyes to see Deke and the others. Her eyes went first to Deke then to Peaches and finally to Leon. She held out her hand to Leon. When he took it she whispered, “Please be careful, Janelle’s son Robbie is coming after you.”
Leon frowned. “Why me? He doesn’t even know me.”
“Janelle told him you were his father.”
Leon took a step back. “Are you kidding me?”
Cassie shook her head. “She told him the reason she ran away was that you were bothering her. She said she left when she found she was carrying your child.”
Leon scowled. “I may be a lot of things not suitable for society but I have never molested a young child.” He began to pace. “Besides all that, I was married to the girl’s mother at the time.”
Calderone stepped up to the bed and took her hand. “Can you tell us what happened?”
Deke stepped forward. “Lance Sullivan and his partner came by this morning. The girls told him that Robbie might still be alive. He brought Robbie’s autopsy file and they knew it wasn’t Robbie. He also brought a number of other files, unsolved murders on Boston over the last few years.”
“Are they related to the person called the Butcher of Boston?” Leon asked. “Just before we left this morning, my source in the police department called to let me know they found his eighth victim.”
“Yes, we know,” Peaches spoke up. “He told us the same thing this morning.”
“Why would he do that?” Leon wanted to know.
“He knows who the killer is now,” Deke replied.
Leon turned and stared at the other man. “Not Robbie?”
Deke nodded. “Yeah, it’s Robbie.”
“Cassie has carried his mark since we ran away from that house eleven years ago,” Peaches explained to her grandfather.
Leon and Calderone gasped and turned to look at Cassie. Leon shared a look with his son then stared at Cassie. “Do you know where he has been living all this time?”
Cassie nodded. “There are hidden rooms in the house he grew up in. Rooms that hide all the pain and terror he put out.”
“We have to put the word out and catch him before he can hurt anyone else,” Calderone stated with a cold angry gaze. “If we can get enough people looking for him, Boston will no longer be safe for him to hide.”
“I can get my contacts looking for him as well,” Iceman suggested. “Between us and the police, we shouldn’t have any trouble finding the little prick.”
Leon turned back to Cassie. “Can you tell us what he did to you this morning? Why did the doctor say it took sixty eight stitches to close your wounds?”
Cassie narrowed her eyes. “He dragged me out of my room and deep into the woods. He tied me to a fucking tree and then the bastard cut me and waited for the blood scent to call the wolves. He was going to leave me there as wolf bait. He also told me he was going back to Boston for you.”
Leon shook his head. “I swear I never touched his mother. Hell, I didn’t even like her. She may have only been a child but she was a cold bitch even then.” He hesitated then added, “Thank you for the warning. You didn’t have to do that.”
Cassie glared at him. “I didn’t do it for you. I did it for Peaches. She cares about you and that’s all the reason I needed. You and your son belong to her, that’s good enough for me.”
Leon smiled. “Thank you.”
Cassie turned away to look at Deke. That’s when she noticed his shadow. “Is that a dog?”
Deke motioned for the dog to go to her.
Demon walked over to the bed and jumped up. He sniffed her face and laid down beside her.
Cassie reached out and ran her fingers through his long black hair. She wasn’t afraid of the dog, although Leon and Calderone took a step back.
Deke stepped up and when he leaned over to kiss her forehead he told her, “Demon helped us find you in the woods.” He sat down in the chair beside the bed. “He can also be with you when we can’t. Robbie won’t ever get close to you again. No one will ever hurt you again. Demon will make sure of that.”
Cassie smiled as her hands wrapped around Demon’s neck. “He’s beautiful, aren’t you boy?”
Demon looked over his shoulder and licked her hands.
Calderone pulled Peaches and Iceman out into the hall. “I know I haven’t asked much about the life you and Cassie had as children but I need to know now, what did you mean when you said Cassie was Robbie’s first victim? What exactly did he do to her and you?”
“A couple of days before we left Janelle beat Cassie up bad.” Peaches’ eyes became haunted and her words were little more than a whisper as she remembered the past. “She used a whip this time and laid her back open in several places. She tied her up and dragged her to the basement. Cassie couldn’t stand being down there. Then she sent Robbie down. For the longest time, all we could hear were Cassie’s screams. When she couldn’t scream anymore, Robbie came back upstairs. No one knew how badly Cassie was hurt. Janelle just left her down there with no food or water. Two days later, Robbie and I were alone in the house. He dragged me into a playroom and tied me up. He was getting ready to rape me and I began to scream…”
Her father glared at the wall as he listened.
“The next thing I knew Cassie was there. Her clothes were covered in dried blood and her wrists were cut to shit. She couldn’t even hold a knife but somehow, she managed to get him away from me. Robbie was furious.”
Iceman wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.
“…She grabbed the knife he dropped and she cut him with it. Over and over again she sliced him up. Robbie passed out. Oh, my God there was so much blood.” Peaches cried then swiped the tears away and finished her story, “She untied me somehow, and we started to leave the house. We grabbed some food and water and Cassie grabbed some other stuff she had hidden. We got as far as the docks before she couldn’t go anymore. When she passed out, I cleaned her wounds.” Peaches looked at her father. “Robbie had cut her twenty three times just to watch her bleed. He did it over the course of several days and she was very weak from the blood loss. Then he carved the word WHORE across her back. It made me sick that he could do that.”
Calderone looked ashen. “I heard some of the story from Deke the night he brought you home again. Did they do this to all the children in that house?”
Peaches shook her head. “Most of the kids learned the rules real quick. Cassie was looking out for all of us. She took the most punishments to save the others from getting hurt. Janelle and Robbie seemed to like abusing her the most.”
“What did the doctors say Cassie did to him? How badly did she injure him?”
“He would never be a real man after that,” Iceman answered him.
“I see.”
The doors to the waiting room opened as Lance Sullivan and Victor Shroder walked down the hall. He looked over at Peaches. “We just heard about the attack. Is she going to be okay?”
Peaches nodded. “We think so. Robbie has made a threat on my grandfather though.”
Lance studied her for a moment then said, “We checked the house and found the room Cassie told us about. Someone has been living there for a number of years. We even found his way in and out when the door was locked. We have everyone in the city searching for him as we speak.”
“I hope you don’t mind if my people search for him as well,” Calderone offered, though his eyes said he was simply being polite, despite the answer.
“And mine,” Iceman added his hands fisted at his sides.
Lance searched their hardened faces. “If your people find him, please let us know. The courts can only do so much and the attorneys may feel he’d be better off in
a mental institute. I hope that won’t happen but that’s how the law works sometimes.”
Calderone smiled but there was no humor visible in his eyes. “He doesn’t deserve three hots a day and a cot. He deserves a one way ticket to hell with no return.”
Lance nodded. “I agree with you there.”
“Then we won’t have a problem, will we?”
Lance shook his head. Turning to Peaches he asked, “Do I want to know what he did to her this time?”
Peaches shook her head. “Nothing two pints of blood and sixty eight stitches wouldn’t help. Oh, and there might be a few less wolves in the area.”
Victor visibly cringed at the thought. Looking at Calderone he said, “I hope you do find this bastard.”
Calderone sneered. “Me too. I owe him big time.”
Peaches turned back to the room. “If you need to see her, you best do it now. The doctors want her to rest but she wouldn’t until she spoke to my grandfather to warn him about Robbie’s threat.”
“He threatened Leon Vincinti?” Lance looked stunned.
Calderone shrugged. “Janelle told him my father molested her as a child and he was his father. It isn’t true but he believes it. He told Cassie after he dealt with her, he was coming after Leon. She wanted him to know.”
“I see.” Lance scratched his head while looking overwhelmed. “The mental hospital is looking more and more like a possibility.”
“It isn’t even an issue in this case,” Iceman stated in a low tone.
“I’m not sure that is a wise thing to admit to us as policemen,” Victor suggested.
Iceman glared at him. “So? Don’t listen.”
Lance grabbed Victor’s arm and pulled him along. He stopped at the door to Cassie’s room and glanced inside. He saw her lying on the bed with a huge long haired black dog. The dog stared at them and watched as they came forward. Lance was a bit nervous. Cassie looked to be sleeping now and he didn’t want to disturb her. “I’m sorry.” He turned to Deke.
“Yeah, so am I.” Deke stared at Cassie a moment before he turned his glare to the other man. “He won’t get away the next time we meet.”