“Yup, my woman can make a great cup of coffee in the mornings,” Gator commented.
Cassie looked at the other man sitting there and smiled slightly. Holding out her hand, she said, “I’m Cassie.”
Gator stared at her for a moment then reached out to take her hand. “I’m Gator.”
A short time later, people began gathering inside the clubhouse. One or two at a time until soon, all the tables were filled. Wiley limped in last. His arm was around a slender woman and when she noticed Cassie, she glared at her. Her fingers rolled into a fist and she growled. Wiley whispered something to her and glanced over at Cassie. Then he kissed the woman’s head and went over to a table in the corner of the room.
Cassie stared at him for a moment then turned her eyes to the kitchen area where she found the woman Wiley was with glaring back at her. Her eyes turned to Deke.
“I did warn everyone to leave you alone but Connie might not listen.”
Cassie nodded. Getting to her feet, she made her way over to where Wiley was sitting. Wiley stared at her the whole way. When she reached him she said, “I’m sorry I hurt you the other day.”
Before Wiley had a chance to say anything, Cassie turned and found Wiley’s woman standing there with a knife in her hand.
“Get away from my man.” She snarled. “Get away from him and stay away from him!”
“Connie, back the fuck off,” Wiley told her. “She isn’t here to do anything to me.”
“I came to apologize to him,” Cassie told them.
“I ought to gut you like a fish.” Connie hissed. “I ought to cut you real bad and watch you bleed all over the floor.”
~* * * *~
Cassie cocked her head and felt herself shutting down. Going into survival mode, she watched the woman holding the knife carefully.
Everyone around them was silent as they watched the drama unfold.
“Deke,” she called out. “I don’t want to spill any blood here today. I just want you to know that.”
“I know that darlin,” Deke called back. “I did warn her not to mess with you.”
Wiley got to his feet and walked around Cassie. He stepped between Cassie and his woman. He tried to take the knife out of her hands.
Connie pushed him away. “This bitch needs a lesson.”
Wiley grabbed Connie and pulled her back. “Don’t do this woman. Let it go.”
Connie struggled to get away from him. When she succeeded, she turned to Cassie and began moving forward. No one tried to stop her now. Connie brought the knife out in front of her and crouched slightly.
Cassie didn’t move a muscle. “Please don’t do this. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Connie scoffed. “But I want to hurt you. I want to fucking kill you!”
Cassie raised her eyes to Wiley.
Seeing her distracted, Connie struck. She brought the knife into position and jabbed at Cassie. Cassie moved to avoid the blade. Connie followed, swinging the blade a third time. Cassie reached out and knocked it away from Connie.
Cassie stepped to one side and Connie rushed past her. She bent over and grabbed the knife again, and went after Cassie. Cassie blocked the knife a few more times and that enraged Connie. Connie swung the blade again and this time, she nicked Cassie’s arm.
Everyone watched as the expression changed on Cassie’s face. Her eyes narrowed and her skin paled as she breathed a little deeper.
Deke called out softly, “Cassie, don’t kill her.”
Cassie nodded distractedly and went on the attack. She jabbed her fist in the other woman’s face and Connie swung away with the force of the hit. Then Cassie lifted her foot, again and again, striking the woman in several key places: her gut, her chest and her ass. Her intent hadn’t been to kill but to injure her opponent. The third time she struck Connie with a direct smack to the temple, the other woman fell to the floor dazed.
Cassie stood over her, her hands clenched into fists, her breathing deep as rage took her. Finally, Cassie pushed it away. She lifted her eyes to stare at Wiley.
He looked pale. His eyes were on his woman and when he lifted them to Cassie, he mouthed a silent, “Thank you.”
Connie laid on the floor in pain. She’d truly never seen Cassie coming. When Cassie walked away, Wiley bent down and helped her up off the floor. Wrapping his arms around her, he helped her to the table and sat down.
Honey ran out of the kitchen with a basin of water and a washcloth.
Cassie watched as they cleaned her up. She glanced over at Deke and Gator. “I didn’t mean to make her mad. I wanted to apologize to Wiley for my actions. I hope I didn’t hurt her too badly.”
Deke raised an eyebrow and shook his head. Glancing at Gator, there was a stunned look on the other man’s face. “I think you made your point loud and clear. You gave her ample warning.”
Cassie shook her head. “Doesn’t make what I did right. I didn’t have to hit her so many times.” She lowered her head and her voice dropped to a whisper. “But when the rage takes me, I can’t stop.” She got to her feet and ran toward the bedroom. The door slammed behind her and the entire room was silent.
Gator looked over at Deke. “Wow. I’ve never seen those kind of moves before. I thought sure as shit, Connie was gonna kill her.”
“Same thing happened the other day when Wiley grabbed her. She just went ballistic on him.” Deke shook his head.
“Yeah, that’s what I heard, so I didn’t want to touch her myself.” Gator laughed. “I guess it’s fine if she touched me first by shaking my hand huh? What a spitfire!”
“Spitfire?” Deke laughed.
Reva brought out the coffee pot again, and filled their cups. “Do you think she’ll want some more?” she asked softly.
“Can I take it to her?” a voice from behind Deke asked.
They turned their heads and saw Peaches standing there.
She nodded at two men standing just inside the door. “I asked them to bring me here, so I could talk to Cassie.”
“Did you see what she did?” Deke asked as he motioned for her to sit.
Peaches nodded as she sat at the table. “She’s got better control of her rages than she did a few years ago.”
“What does that mean?” Deke frowned.
“It means she didn’t kill anyone or even half kill them,” Peaches said quietly.
“Explain that to me.” Deke glared at her.
“Cassie’s life was a living hell when I first met her. We were both five years old and every day she got beat up by our foster mother. When the pain from her slapping didn’t mean anything anymore, she graduated to a belt. Then a whip. It was rough on all of us but she enjoyed beating Cassie the most. Cassie stuck up for the other kids you see. She would always take their punishment and that drove Mrs. Pierce crazy mad.”
“Go on,” Deke ordered her to continue.
Peaches shook her head. “Cassie took it for five very long years and she would have taken it longer if Robbie Pierce hadn’t tried to rape me. She didn’t let him do that.”
“What happened?” Gator asked.
“She cut him real bad,” Peaches whispered. “There was so much blood. When she finished, she grabbed my hand and we ran away. She vowed she would always protect me and she did. No one messed with Cassie. She kept us both safe for a long time.”
Reva set a fresh cup of coffee down and patted her on the arm. She tilted her head. “You tell her breakfast will be ready soon.”
Peaches got up and taking the coffee and went to the back room.
Gator watched her go, then turned to Deke. “Kinda makes sense now doesn’t it? Her not wanting to be touched.”
“Yeah, it does. It also makes me wonder why social services didn’t notice the kids were getting beaten.” The whole thing left a bad taste in his mouth.
CHAPTER THREE
Peaches knocked on the door and opened it carefully. She saw her friend sitting in the corner wrapped up in a blanket and it reminded her so much of
the past, she almost cried. “Oh Cassie, what have they done to you?”
“Peaches, I’m in so much trouble!” Cassie wailed.
Peaches ran over to where she sat and wrapped her arms around her. “No, you’re not. They don’t know. I swear I would never say anything to put you in harm’s way.”
“But you had to tell them something.”
“I told them you were beaten everyday by that bitch Mrs. Pierce and I told them about the day we ran away but that’s all, I swear,” Peaches cried out.
Cassie nodded. “We can’t tell them anything more. We have to protect our secret.”
Peaches nodded. “I will. I won’t tell them, I promise.”
Cassie stayed in Peaches’ arms for the longest time. Then she peeked up at her friend and smiled. “I kissed him this morning,” she whispered.
Peaches swallowed hard. “Who did you kiss?”
“Deke.”
“Oh, honey,” Peaches said softly. “Is that really wise?”
“I don’t know if it was wise but oh, it felt so wonderful.”
“Did you fuck him?” Peaches asked with a fearful look on her face.
“Yup and it felt great,” Cassie admitted.
For a long time neither of them spoke then Cassie said, “I didn’t mind his touch. In fact. it didn’t feel so bad.”
“Oh, baby.” Peaches wrapped her arms tighter around her. “Some touches are okay and others are wonderful. Not everyone’s touches hurt.”
“I know that now. His touch didn’t hurt me.”
“I’m glad.” Peaches brushed Cassie’s hair away from her face. “Come on girl, Reva said breakfast would be ready soon.”
Cassie got to her feet and laid the blanket back on the bed. She followed Peaches to the door and back into the main room. Deke’s table was full, so they went over to another table and sat down.
Reva carried them each a plate of food and after setting it on the table, she glanced at Cassie. “I hope you’ll give us a chance to be friends. Not all of us are as crazy as Connie.”
Cassie nodded. “I understand why she did what she did. I hope she can understand something as well. I did tell him not to touch me. In fact, I told him twice. He didn’t listen either time.”
Peaches smiled at her.
Reva laughed. “Bet he’ll listen now.”
“I hope someday, he can forgive me,” Cassie said.
“Forgive you?” Reva asked. “What does he need to forgive?”
“My mama told me when I was really young, it was wrong to hurt people. I really try not to, that’s why I tell them not to touch me.”
“When did you lose your mama?” Reva asked.
“I was three I think when she died.”
“Oh honey, I’m sorry.” Reva reached her hand out but didn’t make contact.
Cassie took her hand and squeezed it. “It’s okay, her hell ended and mine began,” she whispered. Then she picked up her fork and began eating.
~* * * *~
Reva got up and walked back to the kitchen with tears in her eyes.
A few minutes later, Gator walked in and wrapped his arms around her.
“That poor child,” Reva whispered sadly.
“Can you try and make friends with her, baby? Deke wants to know more about her. He thinks she’s hiding from someone and he wants to know who it is. If it’s gonna bring the badges down on us, we need to know.”
“Yeah baby, I can ask her.” Reva rested her cheek on the big man’s shoulders for a moment, then she pushed him away. “You’d better finish your meal and go do whatever it is you guys do. I have work to do.”
Gator’s lips crashed down on hers and they took a moment out for their own pleasure. Finally he broke the kiss. “Woman you taste so fine.”
“Remember that tonight. I’ll be the one laying in your bed.” Reva chuckled.
“You’ll be the only one I’ll be fucking for the rest of my life.”
“You got that right, mister.” Reva swatted him on the ass as he walked away.
Cassie brought their plates back to the kitchen and asked if she could help clean up.
Reva nodded and watched as she began washing the mountain of dishes sitting by the sink. “Where did your friend go?”
“Peaches had to go to work. She’s a dancer in the club.”
“Did you have a job before you came here?” Reva asked.
“Yup I did. I used to work in a law office.”
“A law office?” Reva was startled. “Whatever did you do there?”
“I was working on becoming a paralegal. Peaches and I got our GED’s when we were sixteen. I took some classes at night, when we had the money and worked during the day. Peaches and I were going to make a good life for ourselves. I had to quit my job when Peaches was taken. I had to find her and make sure she was okay.”
“Sounds like you were busy.”
“Busy isn’t always a bad thing. After my classes were done, I made time to paint a little.”
“Paint?” Reva asked, “What did you paint?”
“Would you like to see?” Cassie turned to Reva. “If you don’t tell anyone I’ll show you my drawings.”
Reva nodded and they went down the hall to the bedroom she shared with Deke.
Cassie got her suitcase from the closet and opened it. From under her clothes, she pulled out a book. She studied Reva for a long moment. “Please don’t tell anyone what you see in this book. It’s my secret.”
Reva took the book from her and promised, “I won’t tell anyone.” She sat down on the bed and opened the book. She gasped at page after page of excellent drawings. They were so realistic she couldn’t grasp it really. Each was a face of a homeless person, or the face of a tiny baby resting. The best drawings though, were in the back of the book. Cassie liked to draw big cats. Lions and tigers mostly but each drawing seemed so real. “These are really good.”
Cassie smiled. “Thanks.”
“Why do you hide them?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Most people wouldn’t understand my passion for drawing. I can get lost for hours once I start drawing. I tend to get carried away when the right mood hits me.” She sighed. “They look at me and see a misfit, a nobody.”
“Oh baby girl, you are somebody very special.” Reva closed the book.
“If I’m so special, how come nobody out there but Peaches loves me?” Cassie whispered. “Why did my mom have to die and why did my dad throw me away?” Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Reva held out her arms and waited for Cassie. When she joined her, Reva held the girl close and just let her cry. “Honey, I don’t know what to tell you. Some people are just plain stupid and some others just give up trying after so long. I’m sure your mom didn’t want to leave you, she just couldn’t stay with you anymore.”
Cassie left the haven of Reva’s arms. “What is it with you people? I didn’t even cry this much when I was a kid.” She brushed her tears away.
Reva smiled and shook her head. “Sometimes, we all need to cry. There is nothing wrong with that.”
“But tears don’t do anyone any good,” she insisted as she swiped the tears from her cheeks.
“Sometimes, we need the tears to cleanse our souls. Tears can wash away the pain we feel at times.”
Cassie shrugged and looked down at the wound on her arm that Connie left her with. She had stopped the bleeding before but now fresh blood stained her arm. “Oh damn.” She went to the bathroom and washed the blood from her skin. Going to her suitcase, she brought out a small first aid kit. Rummaging through it, she found a large band aid.
“Maybe you should lay down for a while?” Reva suggested. “You look a little tired.”
“Yeah, I guess I am a little tired.” Cassie laid down and throwing the blanket over her shoulders, she closed her eyes.
Reva slipped out of the bedroom and went back to the kitchen to finish up after the morning meal.
~* * * *~
Deke glared at th
e girl across from him. He was back at the club and Peaches wasn’t cooperating with him this morning. “Why won’t you tell me what I want to know?” he asked her for the third time.
Peaches had tears in her eyes. “I can’t. If you want to know, you have to ask Cassie.”
“Why?” he demanded. “She isn’t going anywhere and I need to know if someone is coming after her. I can’t protect her and the club if I don’t know what I’m dealing with. She can’t leave the compound, so tell me what I what to know.”
Peaches chuckled despite the fear she felt. “I will tell you one thing, if Cassie wants to leave she will. Not even you can hold her.”
Deke stared hard at her. “That would be impossible. No one has ever escaped the compound before.”
“If you upset her, she will leave. I’ve seen her do it before. You won’t even know she’s gone until it’s too late and then you won’t find her, if she doesn’t want you to.”
“Tell me what I want to know.” He growled.
“I can’t!” Peaches wailed. “It’s not my secret to share.” She got to her feet and ran out of the room.
Deke groaned with frustration. He didn’t know any more about the woman than he did when she came here. There had to be a way to find out something about her. No one was invisible.
He picked up the phone and called in a marker. When the contact answered, he told him what he wanted and the man on the other end hung up. Deke steepled his fingers and was deep in thought when Gator entered a few minutes later. “What’s up?’ he asked.
“That rumor we talked about this morning?” Gator reminded him.
“What about it?”
“It’s now a fact. Big Jimmy died a couple of hours ago. The cops have no clue who cut him and neither does his crew. But his crew is very interested in who cut him up so badly.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep, his crew is sending feelers out all over town for information leading to the person or persons unknown who did the deed. Nobody knows what happened that night and Big Jimmy never regained consciousness to tell anybody anything.”
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