by Khloe Wren
Scout nodded absently, like he knew he had to go but didn't want to.
“Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, Marie. I'm gonna have to leave you for a bit. I'll get that book for you and be back in a few hours. Okay?”
I gave him a nod.
“I know how much work being president is, Scout. Go do your thing. I'm just gonna have a little rest here with Ariel while you're gone. I’m so damn tired.”
He leaned over and pressed another soft kiss on my lips. “If I get time I'll swing by the cafe and see how the girls are holding up.”
“Thanks.”
As I watched him walk out, my thoughts turned to my business. If we did get Ariel, what would happen to my cafe? At least for now Ariel needed someone with her full-time who she could learn to trust. I needed to find more staff. Zara was great, and Mercedes was showing potential, but I was going to need more than two employees if I wasn't going to be working every day myself.
Donna and Rose came to sit closer to the bed.
“You let us know anything we can do to help, Marie. We're all here for you and little Ariel.”
I looked into both their faces. I'd known these women for so long now. I might not have officially been Scout's old lady, but the women of the club had always treated me like I was one of their own. I realized it wasn't just for Scout that I'd stayed in Bridgewater all these years. No, it was for these women and the way they stuck together, too. The Charon MC really was a family.
“I'm going to need to find more help at the cafe. Ariel's gonna need me twenty-four/seven for a while, I suspect.”
The both nodded. Rose speaking up. “I'll talk to Zara about it, see if she's noticed anyone coming in who might be a good fit.”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
Donna tapped a finger against her lips. “You know what business the Charons need to open next? A child care center. Silk and Zara have both had babies, Flick isn't far off delivering her little bundle. Add in Ariel here, we're gonna need somewhere we can trust to look after all our kiddos so the mommas can work and catch a break.”
Rose's eyes lit up as she turned to Donna. “Oh, I would love to head up that project.” She turned back toward me. “You see, I used to work in a kindergarten before I retired. I'd happily manage a child care center. And I'd get more time with my little grandson. Raven's just so damn adorable.”
I couldn't help but smile at the two women as they started planning between themselves. Eventually, I cut into the conversation.
“I think that sounds great, but I suspect Ariel's never even seen another child before. I'm not sure how long it's going to take to help her adjust socially.”
“Oh, this project won't happen overnight. This'll take time to get the permits and sort out a building, find staff. We'll have plenty of time to help little Ariel find her feet in the world.”
Tears sprung from my eyes again.
“Thank you both. Thank you so much. For everything.”
“Oh, sweetheart, no need to thank us. We're family, and this Charon MC family always, always takes care of its own.”
I gave them a watery smile, then let my tired eyelids close as they continued to discuss child care center plans. Maybe, just maybe, this would all work out after all. Even if Sarah dying had left a hole in my heart and soul that I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to fix.
CHAPTER 10
Scout
Before we got out of the hospital Donald grabbed us and ushered us into an empty room, where he shut the door. Donald was our main contact with the police here in town and we helped each other out if we could.
“I understand Sarah passed away this morning.”
“Yeah, she did. The doctor said something about a brain bleed, but I guess we won’t know for sure until they conduct the autopsy.”
I'd given him a statement while Marie had still been sleeping off what Donna had given her, so I didn't need to recap everything that had gone on at the ranch house.
“With the way that place blew up, there was no evidence. We've had to let the three men go without charging them.”
He was glaring at me because he knew full well the Charons were behind the explosion and the bodies found inside the house. I ignored his stare.
“When did you release them?”
I didn't think they'd be dumb enough to come after me again, not after what they saw happen and what my brothers would have threatened them with, but you never knew. Some people were fucking morons.
“Not long ago. Two of the men were very concerned for Sarah, kept asking if she and the kid were okay. The third guy was in a helluva mood. He's the one I'd be watching out for if I were you.”
“Can you give me a name?”
“You know I can't, but I can tell you it was the youngest of the three. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go talk to the doctor. Maybe we can find something to use to charge those three with something over all this shit after all.”
For a moment I thought about telling him about the book, but in the end decided against it. If the book revealed those three were guilty of something, we'd take care of it―Charon style.
We followed Donald out of the room and when he turned to head deeper into the hospital, I headed to the front door with Bulldog, groaning when I got to my ride. I was still stuck driving my damn cage, and had no fucking clue when I'd be able to get to the shop to check out the damage to my bike. As I made my way to the clubhouse, with Bulldog riding behind me, I figured I may as well get used to the cage. If we ended up with Ariel, we'd have to take a cage most places from now on, anyhow.
I was relieved to see the parking lot was nearly empty when I pulled in. It meant I wasn’t going to be hounded with questions while I was here. I quickly got out and headed to the front entrance where the prospect at the door gave me a head tilt as I passed by and entered the building. Knowing Bulldog was following me, I headed directly to my office. As soon as I entered, I noticed a few boxes in the corner.
“I got the boys to stick Sarah's stuff in here to keep it safe until we figured out what the hell we're gonna do with it all.”
Walking over to them, I flipped open the flap of the top one to look inside. Not much, some worn looking clothing, and a ragged looking rabbit.
“After we go through and find that diary of Sarah's, we'll sort it out and store it for Ariel.” I lifted out the rabbit. “Except for the stuff that's obviously Ariel's. I'll take this to her when we head back later.”
Silence filled the room for a minute.
“That poor fucking kid. What the fuck makes a toddler be so quiet? I've never seen a little girl that hasn't chattered all day, every day.”
“We've only been around happy, well cared for kiddos, brother. I suspect that diary is going to be one fucking hard book to read.”
Bulldog came to stand next to me and rested a palm on my shoulder. “We got that fucker downstairs to deal with too. You want me to get Taz to take care of him for you? Let you get back to Marie and Ariel faster? I know as president you want to lead the charge in teaching him a lesson, but you gotta get your priorities straight here. If you're really stepping up to claim Marie, and, in turn, Ariel, they gotta come first. Let your brothers help you out. You've seen what Taz can do, you know he'll make that fucker suffer before he's allowed to die.”
I nodded as I huffed out a breath. I had so much to do, and Bulldog was right, I needed to utilize my brothers, let them help me.
“I'll do down there first, do a little damage then leave him for Taz to finish off. I need to do that much. Then, I'll come sort these boxes out. Don't suppose you feel like helping me out with that?”
He squeezed my shoulder a second before releasing it. “Sure thing, brother. Anything else that needs doing?”
“Yeah, I need to order Marie her cut. Can you put it through for me? Make it a rush job?”
That had the other man grinning. “Sure thing, prez. Be my pleasure. Should have it by the weekend, if you want to have a family BBQ. It can be a welcome
for Ariel, too.”
A warmth filled my heart at the thought. “Not sure she'll be up for that just yet. We'll make it about Marie, let Ariel get used to us all slowly. I'm pretty sure that little girl has never been the center of anyone's attention―well, aside from Sarah that is. Call church for this afternoon. Let me know the time, I'll do my best to get back here. If not, you know what needs to be said.”
Bulldog's smile dimmed some. “Sure. And sorry, I hadn't thought about that side of what Ariel's been through. Right, so you go do your thing down in the basement, I'll start making calls. Then we'll get these boxes sorted out so you can get back to your woman.”
With a nod, I left Bulldog in my office and headed toward the back of the building, where the hidden stairs were. With a roll of my shoulders I headed down to the cells, to where the fucker who'd cut me up was waiting for me. Bank was standing beside the door, keeping guard. When he saw me he turned and unlocked the door for me. I flipped on the light before I stepped inside the bare concrete room.
“Quiet fucker. Barely made a noise all night.”
I nodded. “Lucky for you. Screamers are the fucking worst.”
“True that, prez. You need a hand with him?”
“Nah, I'm gonna have my fun then leave him for Taz to finish off. You can stay if you want to.”
The bastard had both his ankles and wrists shackled to the wall and his head hung down like he was fucking asleep. I was a little insulted he was so fucking relaxed. The table against the other wall held all sorts of fun toys, and a bucket of water. Which I knew was gonna feel like ice against his skin. It was fucking cold down here in the basement.
Lifting the bucket, I tossed the contents at him, standing back so I didn't get any of it on me while he sputtered and coughed. After shaking the water from his face, he silently glared at me as though he could intimidate me.
“Morning, sleeping beauty. Remember me?”
When he just sneered, I had to chuckle. “Still playing the tough guy, huh? That's okay. I can deal with that.”
I went and picked up the largest knife from the table and strode right up to stand before him. His eyes went wide and some of the color drained from his face. Well, that was a little too easy. Holding the bottom of his shirt, I sliced it up the middle before tearing it off his body completely.
“You help that fucker make those drugs of his?”
His head shook as his gaze stayed glued to the blade in my hand.
“No? Yeah, you ain't that fucking clever, are you? But I bet you made the most of Sarah when she was high on that shit, though.”
“No man could resist Sarah after she’d had a hit. She was all over any man she came across till she got cock. Not my fault.”
I slashed the first cut along his ribs, just like he'd done to me yesterday. Unlike me, he didn't suffer silently. Nope, fucker squealed like a pig.
“Bull-fucking-shit. You could have locked her in her room or somewhere else safe, until the effects wore off. Hell, you could have been a real fucking man and got her the hell out of there when you realized what was being done to her. You didn't have to rape her.”
“It wasn't like that! She wanted it. No one raped her!”
“She was given drugs without her knowledge, drugs that altered her state of mind. Did Sarah ever go looking for sex when she wasn't high? Yeah, didn't think so.”
I made another slice. He'd given me four of the fucking things, the least I could do was return the favor.
“But then you made the biggest fucking mistake by helping that motherfucker take me. How the fuck did you think kidnapping the president of an MC was gonna end?”
He groaned and licked his lips before he responded. “Bruce told us we'd get a cut of the profits from whatever ya'll are running out of that bunker of his daddy's.”
“And you fell for that shit? Seriously, how fucking stupid are you? If that's what he really wanted out of this situation, he wouldn't have taken me. Or at least if he did take me, he wouldn't have fucking had me tortured. He was after Sarah's foster sister. You're gonna die because Bruce wanted revenge for something those two didn't even fucking do twenty-five fucking years ago.”
I made quick work of giving him the last two slices, waiting for his screams to die down before I spoke again.
“Now, I've repaid you what you did to me. I gotta go deal with more important things than your sorry ass, but don't worry. You won't be alone for long. One of my brothers, who was a Marine for years, has all sorts of things he wants to practice with you. So, have fun with that. And enjoy hell, you piece of shit.”
I landed my fist against his jaw hard enough to knock the asshole out, before I turned, dumped the knife on the table and headed out the door. I washed my hands before I left the basement, then went straight to my office where I found Bulldog lowering his phone from his ear.
“Perfect timing, prez. All sorted for church today at five-thirty. We'll have a few missing, but I'll catch them later and let them know what they need to.”
I gave him a nod. “Right. Well, let's get these boxes sorted.”
Marie
The press of lips along with the tickle of a beard against my forehead woke me from my sleep with a smile.
“Hmmm, hey, Scout.”
I tilted up my head and he kissed my mouth, slow and gentle, before he pulled back and glanced down at the bundle beginning to stir against me. Ariel pressed closer to me for a moment before she jerked back with wide eyes.
“Shhh, sugar. You're okay.”
Her eyes welled with tears, and I guessed she was remembering what happened before she fell asleep.
“Ariel? I found some of your things earlier. I thought you might like to have them.”
Her gaze flicked over to Scout, who was holding up a dirty, ratty looking plush rabbit. Her face lit up and she reached a hand for the toy. Scout handed it over then ran his hand over her head as she hugged the rabbit tightly and relaxed back down on the mattress next to me with a small sigh.
“Thank you for bringing it. I had no idea she even had any toys, let alone a favorite one. What else did you find?”
His expression turned serious. “The men grabbed everything from their room by the looks of it. Some old clothes, a couple toys, basic toiletries. And Sarah's diary. I haven't read it all, I just skimmed through looking for details on Ariel. She was born on June tenth, 2013. She's four fucking years old, Marie. But she's so tiny.”
His voice was strained and shook me to my core. Four years old? Then I realized that he'd dropped an f bomb and frowned up at him. “Scout, you're going to have to quit swearing around her. When she does start talking, I don't want it to be filled with four-letter words. And that's not good. It can't be healthy she's so small for her age. Have you seen the doctor yet? Asked what we can do?”
“I'm trying, but I'm not used to having to monitor my word choice, babe. Could take me a while. And no, I came straight here. Missed my girl.” His gaze flicked from me to Ariel. “Or rather, my girls.”
He shrugged a backpack off his shoulder and rested it on the end of the bed before he unzipped the top.
“Ariel? I brought your other toys, too. Would you like them?”
That had her full attention. She sat up, and I followed suit, slipping off the bed to sit in the chair beside it as Ariel gave Scout an enthusiastic nod.
“You know, kiddo, you can talk all you want now? No one's going to get angry or cross at you for making noise.”
She dropped her chin and frowned a moment before she flicked her gaze to me.
“That's right, honey. You're truly safe and free to do what you want. Within reason, of course, we want you to be safe. But that's all we want, for you to be safe, healthy and happy. Whatever you want to have or do, just ask us and we'll do what we can to get it for you.”
As I'd spoken, Scout had taken out a couple of small rustic wooden dolls that looked like they'd been hand carved. The hair on one was white blonde, like Ariel's, and a deeper blonde on th
e others, like Sarah's. The clothes were clearly hand sewn. Tears filled my eyes as I realized that Sarah must have made these for Ariel.
“Ariel, did your momma make these for you?”
A tear tracked down her cheek as she nodded and carefully stroked the doll with the darker blonde hair.
“She was very clever, and loved you so much, sweetheart.”
She nodded her little head again before she shut the world out, rearranged herself on the mattress so she had the dolls and her rabbit in her lap and started to play a silent game with them. My heart broke even more for her.
“Right, okay then. I'm going to head off and find the doctor. A couple of the brothers are out in the hall keeping watch, so you don't have to worry about a thing. Is there anything you want me to bring you?”
I hadn't eaten since breakfast, and it was already past lunch time.
“I'd love a coffee, and maybe a sandwich or something to eat?”
He leaned over and gave me a kiss. He kept it sweet, but I could sense the tension in him, that he wanted to do so much more. I knew, because I felt the same way.
“I'll see what I can do. Be back as soon as I can.”
And then he was gone, and since Donna and Rose had left while I'd been sleeping, it was just me and Ariel. As much as I wanted to talk to her, I held off. She wasn't comfortable enough with me yet to talk to me, so she wouldn't answer anything I asked. It would only make her more uncomfortable. So, I sat back and watched as she played, using nothing more than her imagination with her rabbit and dolls, as I thought about everything that was going to need to change in order for her to fit into my world.
The first thing that popped into my mind was where we would live. When I'd left Scout's house, I'd moved into a small place of my own. It had only been me and I didn't want a huge space that would be empty and take me forever to clean. It was a two bedroom, but the second room was tiny, and full of stuff. It wouldn’t be big enough for Ariel and all the things she’d need. And I had no backyard for her to run around in. I remembered Zara telling me all about how she and Mac had bought a house next to Eagle and Silk, and Taz and Flick. How the men had taken down the fences between them so they now had a huge shared yard that, in years to come, meant their kids would have open access to all three homes. That was the kind of thing I had always dreamed of having. Close friends, raising kids together... I focused back on Ariel, so happy playing all by herself in complete silence. How long was it going to take to help this sweet little girl open up to the world? So many things, even simple things, were going to overwhelm her.