by Jackson Kane
“I didn’t give a fuck about your mom. She was just some chink whore that I married to keep up appearances. I killed her because my brother needed to know his place!” Struggling against the tremendous amount of pain, Slick used all of his concentration to just form the words. “I put your mom on her knees and made Robbie watch as I blew her fucking brains out. Then I warned him that I’d do the same thing to his daughter if I ever so much as heard his name mentioned again. He needed to disappear and live knowing that everything that happened was all on him. That he was nothing but a worm beneath my boot heel!”
He was goading me on. My arm shook. I really wanted to kill him. He deserved it. The gun I held was pointed at his head. My finger tightened around the trigger. It would be the easiest thing in the world to end his life, to kill the monster that had caused me so much hurt over the years. I could take vengeance for Mom, Hendrix, Aunt Gina, Robbie, Miles, and probably countless others as well. And all I had to say to the cops was that it was in self-defense.
“Do it!” he snarled at me, drooling through clenched teeth and grimacing against the pain. “I’m owed too many favors! I won’t be in prison long, and when I get out, I’m coming for you! Be the tough Merritt girl I always knew you could be.”
It was a bluff, all that talk about not staying in prison. With all the evidence I had against him, if I testified in court, he was fucked and he knew it. He wanted me to kill him. Death was his only way out of a lifetime of mental torment in a tiny, windowless cell.
“No. You get to rot in jail knowing you lost.” I kicked his gun away instead. Then I tossed my gun aside as well as I didn’t need it any longer. I would hopefully never need it again. “Bruce Merritt failed!”
Slick’s expression darkened once he realized there would be no easy out for him. “Even without me, the Broken Veins are still out there and growing every day. They’re going to come for you, cunt. I’ll make sure of it. You, Anna, Hendrix—you’re all as good as dead, you—”
I kicked him as hard as I could in the face, which wasn’t enough to do any permanent damage, but it mercifully knocked him out. I then sat beside Hendrix and waited for the cops to make their way inside.
“Great speech... I wanted to clap, but I thought I might die.” His free hand slid over mine, and he managed a weak smile. “The good news is that I’m hurt too badly to go directly back to jail.” His strained chuckle became a horrible wheeze.
“Don’t you dare joke about this, you idiot!” Tears streamed down my face. I was racked with remorse over his wounds but was relieved that he was alive. “I, too, worried about you. After all this, you’re not allowed to die on me now.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. I don’t care what it takes, but I’m never going to lose you again. That’s a promise.” Hendrix squeezed my hand, then in extreme pain, cocked his head over to the side. “Go check on your Aunt Gina. I saw her chest moving. I think she’s still alive.”
Chapter Thirteen
Hendrix
There was a soft knock on my hospital room door.
“Can I come in?” Maya’s silky voice greeted me, and I spied her peeking around the doorsill, wearing a black business suit with a white blouse underneath. It was quite the change from stolen lost-and-found clothes. But Maya looked great in, and especially out of, anything she wore.
“Of course. I’d get up, but....” I raised my arm to the length that the handcuff would allow. “I’ve never been much of a jewelry guy, but at least they didn’t give me a matching set.”
“Bracelets aren’t a good look for you. Now an earring, that’s a different story.” She brushed the hair from her eyes and smiled. It had only been a few weeks, but I missed the hell out of that smile.
“How’s your aunt?”
“It’s going to be a long road, but she’s recovering. She told me to send you her thanks.” Maya sashayed over to my bedside, her heels clicking on the laminate flooring. “You’ve been on my mind a lot lately.”
“I’d have called, but you never gave me your number. I was hoping I’d get to see you before they transferred me.”
“That’s part of why I’m here. Your charges are in the process of being dropped. I wanted to be the one to tell you that in person.”
“You’re joking! A twenty-year sentence doesn’t evaporate that easily.”
“No joke, Hendrix. The gun you had under the seat of the rental car was picked up by the Broken Vein that brought me to the bank. With both sets of prints on there, they couldn’t prove who used it to do the slayings in the casket warehouse. And with him killed while shooting at the police, obviously they couldn’t get a statement from him. All they really have you on is skipping town while on parole.”
Maya unlocked my cuff. Now was my first taste of freedom since I had been shot. “Between my witness statements of what happened with the Broken Veins and the Coffin Eaters, plus everything my mom had stashed away, I practically had the ATF bending over backward for me. Negotiating your release took a little work, but that was easy within the scope of things.”
I rubbed my chafing wrist. “Sounds too good to be true. These kinds of things don’t usually happen to guys like me.”
“It doesn’t hurt that I am a lawyer, even if I’m a freshman, at that.” She winked at me and smiled. “Also Star contacted me and told me the Steel Veins MC would be willing to cooperate with the investigation on the one condition that you were cleared of any charges.”
“Well, I’ll be damned....” Now I’d have to go meet Remy and Star and thank them in person.
“After this and what they’d done for Anna…” Maya scoffed, shaking her head. “I never thought I’d be saying this, but I guess I was wrong about the Steel Veins.”
Apparently, hours after I had originally talked to Star, Remy had brought the full weight of his MC down on the St. Louis chapter of the Broken Veins. He rescued Anna and kept her safe until Maya could get to her. Then he went back and utterly destroyed Slick’s chapter, going so far as razing the clubhouse to the ground.
“You and me both,” I agree with a disbelieving chuckle. This whole mess started because Tex wanted to sell out Maya to Slick’s chapter of the Steel Veins back before they broke off into the splinter faction, the Broken Veins. Who the hell could’ve foreseen that the Steel Veins would be the ones to actually save the day?
“I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner,” Maya concluded.
I scooted to the edge of the bed and forced myself to stand. The various tubes I was hooked up to pulled taut, and pain crackled up my leg from the slowly healing bullet wound in my thigh. I fought through the pain, but I stumbled a little though Maya caught me before I could take a tumble. I gazed into her beautiful reddish-brown eyes. “You’re here now.”
“Get back into bed, crazy,” she weakly protested. “You’re still injured!”
“Not yet.” I slipped a hand behind her head and kissed her. I needed that far more than painkillers or whatever else these doctors and nurses were giving me. I was dying without it. We parted lips, but I couldn’t let her go just yet. I hugged her and breathed her in enough to fill my wounded soul. Lilacs. She still smelled of lilacs.
“How’s your heart?” Maya whispered, her chest fluttering a little at my closeness.
“Better now. It missed you.”
“Hendrix....” She swallowed hard. I knew she missed me, too, but I could feel her hesitancy. Something weighed heavily on her.
I leaned back to get a better look at her. “If you’re trying not to get attached, it’s a bit late for that.”
She sighed. “It’s not that. I just….”
I awkwardly sat down on the edge of the bed, and she followed suit. “What did they want from you for my freedom?” My voice took on a darker tone. That’s what this was about. Nothing from the government ever came without strings attached.
“It’s one of San Francisco’s assistant district attorneys. She, uh… she hates the fact that you’re getting out of all this
with just a slap on the wrist.” She let her gaze sink to the floor. “Topeka wanted first bite at Slick, but she was successful in keeping Slick within her jurisdiction because of the incident at Aunt Gina’s house, plus Mom’s incriminating paperwork. So being the vindictive bitch that she is, she told me that she’s dropping me from her witness list because I have done nothing to contribute to her case other than retrieve Mom’s safe-deposit box’s contents. I can’t even testify to my part in the chain of evidence because that’s being done by that damn bank officer since she states she watched me the entire time, and her statement is backed up by the bank’s security cameras within the vault. And now I found out that my testimony about what happened at Aunt Gina’s place will not be used because there’s plenty of good stuff from yours and Aunt Gina’s statements.”
“What about the DA?” I asked, growing more and more worried. “You basically handed them their fucking case on a platter.”
“I talked to the DA until I lost my voice, but he’s still supporting her.” Maya’s lips pulled into a tight line, and the red flecks in her brown eyes seemed to flare angrily. “Apparently, he’s up for re-election soon, and this case is going to boost his popularity. Imagine him taking down a dangerous MC in order to protect the good citizens of San Francisco. Whoopee.... I’ve already gone on the internet and raised hell about it, but I’m not winning much in terms of supporters for my cause, probably because I’m the MC’s president’s daughter, so there goes my credibility.”
“They fucked you.” I let my head sag as I slowly realized where this was headed.
“Yeah.” Maya let out a frustrated burst of air. The look on her face told me she was still having trouble believing how everything went down. “In the end, my repeated requests for witness protection have all been denied. Me and Anna both.”
And there it was.
The Federal Witness Protection Program would mean a new name, a new social security number, and a new identity. It would mean a new, anonymous life courtesy of the United States government for those testifying against large networks of organized crime syndicates.
With Slick still alive and the Broken Veins rapidly growing, Maya and Anna wouldn’t be safe on their own. If they couldn’t get into witness protection, they’d be sitting ducks for any Slick loyalist who wanted revenge.
“But it’s okay.” Maya attempted to smile through her frown. “I found an expat asylum program that we qualify for in Denmark, so I’m selling everything I own and taking Anna out of the country.”
“Jesus….” I let the news slowly register. I wasn’t positive, but I was pretty sure the asylum program wouldn’t give them a new identity. It would certainly be more difficult for Slick to get to them, but it sure as hell wouldn’t be impossible. “Do you know anyone there that can watch your back?”
Maya shook her head. She started to choke up a little but stayed strong. “So I guess that’s the other part of this visit. I’m here to say goodbye.”
The thought of losing Maya hurt a lot worse than any bullet wound. My body would mend, but…
“I don’t like this, Maya. You and Anna won’t be safe.” The words burned like acid in my mouth. Slick might spend his life behind bars, but who knew how many friends that bastard had that were still out there? MC grudges lasted a lifetime. Maya and Anna would always need protection. “What about your career?”
“What career? It’s a different legal system there. I’ll probably have to start all over.” Maya shrugged, looking away long enough to change the subject. “What will you do now that you have your freedom?”
“I’ll figure something out. I’ve always been pretty good with my hands.” I let some mischievousness creep into my face to help lighten the mood.
She glanced at me and couldn’t help but smirk back. “That is true.”
Looking at her too long made my façade fall away immediately. I was fooling myself to think the levity could last with so much heartache ahead of both of us. I shook my head. “All I’ve wanted since I got out was my freedom, but at some point in our trip to Cali, I realized that freedom wasn’t enough.” I gently turned her chin to look at me. “These last few weeks without you have been hell.”
“Don’t, please. I can’t....” Her eyes were racked with so much pain. She turned away, but I caught her chin again and gently led it back toward me.
“What I really wanted wasn’t freedom, Maya. I wanted something to believe in. Someone to believe in. That person is you, and I can’t let anything take you from me again.”
“Hendrix, we don’t have a choice. This asylum program is our only option.” Her pained expression worsened as she cleared her throat. It took her a minute to regain enough composure to continue. “We don’t like it, but it looks like distance is the only thing that’ll save us now.”
“No, it’s not.” I exhaled hard, slowly gathering courage. “Stay with me, and I’ll protect you. Always.”
The shock of the request had taken Maya aback so much that she blurted out an exasperated yelp. She knew I was serious but probably wondered how I could possibly be so confident in the face of all these odds. “You’re the toughest man I’ve ever met. I have no doubt of what you’re capable of, but, Hendrix… we’re talking about an army!”
“So let’s get an army to watch our backs too.” I reflected back upon Star’s offer.
“What are you talking about?”
“Join the Steel Veins with me.”
“What? Hendrix!”
“Hear me out! Hear me out!” I raised my hands and patted the air. “All the schooling you did, passing the bar exams, all that insanely hard work. Don’t let Slick’s shadow make you throw that away. Stay with me, and you won’t have to start over again.”
“I don’t know.” Maya considered it but was still racked with uncertainty. This was a huge life-changing decision. “Remy and Star did treat Anna really well after rescuing her, but it’s going to be a while before you’re healed up enough to even leave the hospital. I worry that I can’t keep Anna safe if we stay here and wait for you.”
“You’re right. It’s probably going to be a few months before I’ve recuperated enough to go out to wherever the hell this asylum dumps you. And during that time, you’ll be completely unprotected.” I paused, grimacing at the thought of my Maya being out there on her own. “I can’t let that happen. I believe in us too much, and I’ll be damned if I let anything on Earth tear us apart again. At least stay with Remy and Star in Leslie until I’m healthy enough to come after you.”
“Hendrix, that’s asking a lot from people we don’t know. Anna and I would have to move into their clubhouse or a safehouse—one that was actually safe.” Maya was no doubt thinking of what happened at the last safehouse Anna went to. “What could I really offer them for that kind of protection? I don’t have much money.”
“You’re kidding, right?” I chuckled incredulously. Her naïveté was endearing. “With all the bullshit swirling around the Steel Veins, I’m sure they’ll need a lawyer like you more than ever.”
“Dealing with ruthless bikers might actually be a step up from the sleazy partners at the two legal firms I’ve worked at,” Maya joked darkly, her disposition softening for a moment before abruptly hardening again. Now she frowned with a heavy sigh as a look of hopelessness washed over her. “Hendrix, that offer from Star was for you, not me or Anna. What are we to them?”
“Family,” I defended, grunting with exertion as I forced myself out of bed once again. The pain was so excruciating that it brought me to my knees. Maya shot over to help me, but I stopped her with an outstretched hand. Gazing up at her overly concerned face, I did the craziest thing I had ever considered. “I love you, Maya. I always will. Marry me.”
Her almond eyes became as big as saucers as she was stunned into silence.
“I-I can’t hold this position very long. What do you say?”
“Yes! YES!” She yelled it so loud that the guard opened the door to see if everything was all right. Sh
e apologized to him for the outburst and waved him off.
“I have one more question for you,” I said, the agony of what I was stupid enough to do quickly setting in.
“What? Anything!” Her smile and eyes were brighter than I had ever seen in so long.
“Can you help me up?”
She laughed and assisted me back onto the bed. After a long—and careful—hug and burying me in kisses, we spent a little while discussing timeframes and details. I assured her that having one of the biggest MCs in the country watching over us was the most protected we’d ever be.
We joked and said that marriage would be the only way to see if the relationship could work out, but I thought deep down, we knew that didn’t matter anymore. We had already survived so much together, it was hard to think of anything that could shake that foundation.
We talked about Maya’s future and how much good she could do with a massive organization like the Steel Veins having her back. She really liked the idea of getting into advocacy work. If anyone could reshape the underground railroad for domestic violence victims, it was her. Maya’s experience and expertise with abuse, abandonment, and survival coupled with her vast legal knowledge and researching talents made her the best possible person to help families that desperately needed help. She might not have been able to save her mother, but she could sure as hell save many other mothers out there. And when I was healthier, I would help Maya’s practice in any way I could.
It felt amazing for us to gaze at the starry horizon and see so much future ahead of us now.
I was looking forward to meeting her little sister, Anna. Technically, Maya and I would be her legal guardians until she turned eighteen. That alone was pretty heavy, but I knew right away it was a good decision. Probably the best one I had ever made. I had finally found what I had been searching for.
I think Maya did too.
Epilogue