At night, her parents would put her to bed and tell her stories. She could still remember the smell of her mother’s perfume, a sweet floral scent, as she laid and cuddled in her arms. The comfort and security she had felt as a child, Sky had never felt that way since until just a little while ago with Sebastian. What was up with that?
So, caught up in the feelings that the memories were creating, Sky shocked herself when she heard, clear as day, the words her mother often spoke to her in her head. “Baby girl, this world holds many things; some you will understand and others you won’t. Watch for the signs your Daddy has shown you and run if you ever see them. Don’t let them get you. You are a prize they can never have. You can never let the men that do those things get you.”
Shocked, Sky took a deep breath. Dammit, how could she have forgotten those words and what did they mean? She was starting to get a picture now, but was it all too late. Those men seemed to have found her, but why? Why did her mother tell her to run and had they been running all that time? Was the snake man the reason? Thinking about that time, there were other things that didn’t make sense. Her parents weren’t the typical homesteaders; wanting to live off the land. Her mom was also more cultured than a free-spirited hippie.
Then there was her Dad. He was a big man, but kind. He would leave for extended periods of time only to come back like he had never been gone in the first place. Sky was too young to realize that was odd. He also “trained” her by taking her out into the woods to play hide and seek. Only she wasn’t the one that got to hide. She would wander around and look for him. He would jump out of nowhere and grab her up, always saying, “Baby girl, you need to listen, hear, and see what is around you. Don’t ever let anyone sneak up on you.” He would then teach her how to be still and take in all that was around her.
He would also show her things like how his eyes could change. One minute they would be normal and the next they would glow. As a child, she thought it was funny, but when she would laugh her dad would correct her, “No Skylar, if you see another man’s eyes do this you have to run.” So, Sky did just that, every time, holding back her little girl giggles, but still thinking it was a great game.
More and more suppressed memories began to flow into her thoughts. One thing kept hitting her brain. Her aunt and uncle had told her that her parents had died in a car accident. But how did that happen when they never went anywhere without her? How was she kept safe and her parents died? She didn’t remember a car accident or her parents ever leaving her alone or with anyone else. The only thing she did remember was her uncle picking her up at the airport and telling her she was coming to live with him and that her parents were gone. Who put her on the plane? That part was a blank in her mind.
So many questions and no answers. Sky needed those answers. Looking down at her inner wrist, Sky rubbed her birthmark with her finger. That snake man had looked at it as if to verify something. Sky never paid much attention to the mark. After all, she’d had it since birth. It was small, maybe the size of a penny, but it was unusual. It consisted of three rings all interlinked in a triangular shape. Her birthmark always reminded her of a Celtic knot, and she often got asked if it was a tattoo and what it meant. She never had a good answer for the people who asked so she would just blow it off saying she was born with it with a shrug of her shoulders. Now she wondered if the birthmark had a deeper meaning. Damn, what had she gotten into now?
Her contact with Sebastian had changed it somehow, first turning it a cherry red, and now it was raised and a little darker than normal but not red anymore. She was also feeling things that she couldn’t explain; intense frustration and confusion. But the feelings weren’t exactly her own. It was kind of like she was channeling someone else’s thoughts and emotions. Sure, she was confused, scared, and in shock by all that had happened, but these thoughts and feelings were different.
Shit, if her brain wasn’t so numb right now, Sky would think she truly was going nuts. Nothing made sense anymore. People were after her, Shelby was dead, and a guy she had never met before seemed to have buried himself deep within her soul, making her react in ways she had never done before. It was almost like a live wire was connecting them in some way. She needed him when she hadn’t needed anyone else in a very long time. Then there were the memories of her parents and her life before. What the hell was going on?
Sitting idle wasn’t something Sky ever did. She was always active; working, drawing, or figuring out her next move. Daydreaming about a man she didn’t even know wasn’t getting her anywhere, and until he got back, she couldn’t get any of the answers she needed. She had lived her life by facing whatever was in front of her and this time wasn’t going to be any different. She could still hope feel and dream, but those things often let her down. What she really needed right now were facts and actions. She needed to pull up her big girl panties and do something, anything.
Tuck and the rest of the guys from the MC took off to their meeting room, the place they held Church. Sky knew from her experience with MCs that the room was scared. No non-members or woman were ever allowed to enter. That was where the MC made their decisions about the Club and anything else that had to do with the Club. Those meetings could make or break a person, and Sky just hoped she wasn’t on the chopping block. But she wasn’t going to be broken by what they decided, no matter what that happened to be. She had put the MC in jeopardy by bringing Shelby with her in the first place and now having caused one of the members to kill another person.
Looking at the room Sky was pretty surprised on how filthy the place really was. Bottles and cups littered every surface and her shoes stuck to the floor. She didn’t even want to sit on the furniture, not knowing what could be on them, but Tuck had demanded she sit. That was exactly what she was doing. She knew better than to push her luck further today. She was in enough trouble as it was.
The place was pretty much like the Rusty Toad had been except this was their clubhouse, their inner domain. It resided in an older farmhouse that had been retrofitted to fit their needs. The room that Sky was currently in was the family room or common room. It held a bar, some tables and chairs, and hardwood floors. The walls were paneled, making the place kind of dark and gloomy. There were also a couple of couches and more comfortable chairs littering the area. The room was pretty big, not something one would find in a typical farmhouse.
From where she was sitting Sky could see the staircase that went upstairs through the foyer, the door, to the meeting room, and a hallway off to the side of that. There was another door off to the side of the huge ass bar that lined one of the walls. Several people were milling around, but none of them seemed to be paying Sky any attention.
But she needed a distraction. Noticing one of the Club’s Prospects watching her, she motioned him over. When he approached, she asked, "Hey is there any way I could get some paper and a pen or pencil?" Sky knew better than to ask to go and get her things. Tuck had technically put her on lockdown, but she didn’t see a problem with requesting for those simple things.
"Sure, give me a minute. Is there anything else you want? My name is Jordan by the way. Tuck told me to keep an eye on you and get you anything you needed."
"Hi, Jordan. I’m Sky, but the guys around here call me Pixie. No, the paper and pen will be okay for now, thanks."
Sky didn’t have the strength to say or do anything more. The guy was sweet. He had one of those Babe faces that made her think that he wasn’t even old enough to be a part of the club. Prospects were men that wanted to be a part of the club but had to prove their metal and loyalty first. Sky had heard some horror stories through the years on some of the things other Clubs put their prospects through, and she couldn’t see this sweet kid doing any of that. But then again, that wasn’t her problem.
When Jordan left to get the items, she had asked for, Sky started thinking, imagining different bikes in her mind. Getting ready to put the ideas on to paper, she could get lost in a motorcycle design for hours. Her mind would just
blank, and that was all she could think about until the design was on paper. Right now, getting lost was essential to her sanity. Her uncle used to tease her that her imagination created things he couldn’t even think of and it was one of the reasons he had taken her under his wing and taught her.
While other littler girls were playing with Barbie dolls or other girly things, Sky had been drawing pictures of bikes. She spent her time tinkering with parts and imagining what she could create with them. She didn’t draw ponies or landscapes; she drew bikes. Some of her customers took her drawings and framed them. It should have been an honor, but Sky always cherished the real thing-the completed projected. The drawing was just the beginning.
Sky had been drawing for a while. She had no idea how long, just that it had been quite a while. Her neck and fingers were stiff when she felt it. A shiver ran up her spine, and she knew that Sebastian would be walking through the door soon. He was here. Her body was vibrating with the knowledge. Instinctually she looked to the door and seconds later Sebastian stormed through it like he owned the place. He was a force upon himself; strong, vibrant, and apparently pissed.
She watched, and he looked around the room. When those eyes landed on her, she went to stand up. She wanted to go to him and put her arms around him once more. The only thing holding her back was the look on his face. Sky wasn’t exactly scared, just cautious. So she froze in the awkward position of half sitting with half standing up. When he didn’t make a move to come closure, she didn’t have any choice but to sit back down and wait.
When he just continued walking and went to the meeting room, shutting the door behind him, Sky couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Didn’t he feel the same things she was feeling? Was this weird connection all in her mind?
Chapter 13
Bas walked into the RBMC clubhouse and instantly sought out Sky. He refused to call her Pixie anymore or even think of her with that name anymore. Sky that was who she was and what he would call her. He liked it, wanted to say it out loud. He also wanted to go to her and hold her like he had before, but he had work to do. That could all come later.
He hated the look of disappointment he saw on her face when she started walking towards the meeting room, but it couldn’t be helped. She had gotten up from her seat as though she was going to come to him and he wanted that, just not yet. He needed to get things in order. Now that he had seen that she was safe with his own eyes, that would have to hold him over, forcing his body to move away from where she was at the table. Bas went towards the meeting room. A Prospect that was standing by the door must have had orders to let him in because before he even got to the door, the kid opened it.
Bas hadn’t ever been in their meeting room before. It was a place that the Club conducted business, and outsiders were not welcome. Him being invited was a rarity. Well, invited wasn’t precisely the word. More like his presence was demanded, and he wasn’t going to deny the request. Seeing all the unhappy, pissed off faces pointing in his direction, Bas knew this meeting wasn’t going to go very well. It looked like the whole Club was there to witness what was to come. He couldn’t tell any of them what was really going on, but they did have the right to some answers.
Tuck was the first one to speak. "Mother fucker, you might be linked to this Club by blood, and I might respect you and your boss, but nothing will stop me from taking you out if you bring problems to this Club. You get here and all hell breaks out."
"Shit Tuck, listen, I was only supposed to come out and check up on Shelby Thomas, nothing more. I don’t have any idea who the guy was that I just transported, or what has happened since. What I can tell you is that I will take care of it. Jacks is already calling in the calvary, and we should have this mess cleaned in no time. With minimal to no blowback on the RBMC."
"Yeah, you think so, asshole. This is a small town, and already we are getting looks. The commotion at the bar and then the apartment has raised some eyebrows, and I’m also pretty sure the helicopter drew some additional attention. People talk, and that brings unwanted eyes. You understand that?"
"Yeah man, we should have this cleared up within the hour. But I need to speak to Sky. I have to find out what happened in that apartment and figure out what steps I need to take. Link said that she was Club and I don’t want to piss you off, but this can’t be helped and if she is involved in what I was sent here to investigate. I might need to take her off your hands. Are you going to have a problem with that?"
"Hell yeah! I’m going to have a problem with that. But fuck, I can’t stop her if she agrees. And dude, that is a big if. She doesn’t know you. The Club can vouch for you and NAC, but tell me what makes you think I’m going to do that without some assurances and answers? It seems to me that everything was all peaceful like until you stepped foot into our territory. Now look where we are at."
"Shit man, I don’t have the answers you want. I’ve already told Link, and he said he informed you that this was supposed to be a simple surveillance job. Sky wasn’t even the one I was sent here to watch. I have to talk to her and figure out if what just happened is because of something the Shelby chick did or because of what I am looking into for NAC. Right now none of us have those answers, and until we get them, I won’t be able to do anything more than I have already set up."
Bas continued, "NAC will take the snake and the man you have in custody off your hands. We will also make sure there isn’t any blowback on the Club with any authorities that might get a little interested in recent events."
"Fuck!” Tuck yelled. “I don’t like this, but I don’t see any other way. If Pixie agrees, you can talk with her, but I want in on anything the two of you decided. I owe it to her and her uncle to keep her safe. NAC is good, but so are we. If Pixie needs to hide out, we can make that happen just as easily as your people can."
"Okay, now tell me everything that has happened and whatever else you think I might need to know," Bas questioned.
"We did some checking. The first man you and Pix downed has not been in town long. We couldn’t even find a vehicle that he had used to get here. But there were two other unknowns that came to town about two days ago, one of which is the man currently spending time in our shed. They didn’t do much; stuck to themselves and stayed out at the Motel on Highway 75. They didn’t interact with the locals and didn’t bring any attention to themselves. The Motel clerk said that they were just passing through on the way to Florida, but that was all the information he had."
"I had our computer guy, Punk, check it out too. There weren’t any charges made to the rooms and no phone calls from the landline. From what little we know, the guys stuck to the fast food joints down on the highway out of town. I wish I had more, but that is about it. I am being told they came off as businessmen."
"Pixie hasn’t said much. She was in shock when we got to the apartment and dispatched the guy holding her. I have a Prospect keeping an eye on her right now. He knows that if she gets that urge to run again, to detain her until one of the members is available to deal with it. But it’s been quiet so far. We don’t know if she saw what happened to her cousin or came in afterward. But dude, that snake would be enough to freak anyone out by itself. The possibility of seeing a cousin brutally murdered before your own eyes would put anyone over the edge. It could be the topping on the turd cake she was just handed."
"Oh, come on, I thought you guys were badasses," Bas joked. "That is the second time I’ve heard about this snake. Fuck, I know you guys have all worked in jungles. No way could it have been that big. Maybe the shock made your mind think a little tiny gardener snake was a big bad anaconda. Kind of like when Link talks about his dick. You know he talks a good game, gets the chicks all excited, and then bam, micropenis." Bas said all this with a straight face, shaking his head like, what a shame, and Link took the bait.
"Shut up, asshole. And why are you looking at my dick anyways? That’s just weird."
"Dude, you’re the one with the weird exhibitionist problem, not me. If yo
u don’t want people to notice the wee pee pee, then don’t put it out there."
The whole room laughed, making Link just a little more pissed off, but it was all in good fun. His brother did have exhibitionist tendencies, but thankfully Bas had never seen them. Not an image he wanted in his head.
"Whatever, asshole, take a look at this."
Link shoved his cell phone in front of Bas’ face. The picture chilled him, but not because of the obviously dead girl lying on the floor. No, they hadn’t been exaggerating at all. The snake was impossibly huge and he would place bets that it was not only a snake, but a Shifter. Son of a bitch, Bas thought, things just got a hell of a lot more fucked-up.
"Yeah, I guess that is a little bigger than a garden snake,” Bas declared. “Fuck man, I don’t think I have ever seen anything like it. The fucker must be an exotic, hybrid, or genetically engineered something. I’m going to have to call Jacks and tell him that the exterminator is going to need more than a pillowcase for this baby. Listen, I need to make some calls to ensure the guys coming in to take care of this know what they are in for. Do you mind if I send this pic to myself? That way I can forward it to Jacks."
"Yeah go for it,” Link said.
Bas immediately sent the photo to Jacks. The only text he sent said, “Our problems just got bigger.” It only took Jacks a second to respond, and his text was just as simple, “Got it Matthias in on his way along with a few Delta guys. ETA 30 minutes.”
Bas looked up and said right to Tuck, "I need to talk with Sky now. Are you okay with me doing it in private?"
"No man, but it doesn’t seem like I have a choice. So that you know, after you talk to her, I will be having a conversation with her. I don’t want you go pressuring her or causing her any more harm. This shit will wear on her like nothing else. She is loyal and felt Shelby was her responsibility in this world. Now that she’s gone, Pix is going to be at loose ends. I don’t want her making any decisions that cause her any more problems. Get me?"
Sebastian: NAC & The Holly Group (Alpha Team Book 4) Page 13