He grabbed my shirt and yanked me back until I hit his chest. His rancid smell singed my nose as his hot breath puffed against the shell of my ear. “Where do you think you’re going? I want to have a little fun with you.”
When his hands moved over my breasts, I turned quickly and shoved against his chest as hard as I could. He only took one step back before he came at me again, roughly pushing me onto the bed and coming down on top of me. I tried to scoot away, but he was too heavy, and I didn’t get very far.
As he wrestled with my clothes, I fought him with everything I had. He reared back and slammed his fist into the side of my head causing my vision to blur. My arms were flailing, trying to deflect another hit, when my fingers brushed against something familiar. With zero hesitation, I wrapped my hand around it, swung my arm in an arc over my head, and plunged Evelyn’s knitting needle into his eye.
For a split second, he froze in horror. I, however, did not. I used that moment to shove him off of me and get the hell out of there. I ran through the house and crashed through the back door, hitting the ground at a full sprint.
“You fucking bitch,” he roared from somewhere behind me, but I didn’t dare turn my head to look back. No, I kept running until I physically couldn’t run anymore. Only then did I turn to look behind me, and sagged in relief when I saw no one in sight. But after taking a few minutes to catch my breath, a new horror dawned on me. Even if I’d wanted to go back to Evelyn’s, I couldn’t, because I didn’t know where in the hell I was.
***
“That’s how I found the bunker, and that’s why I was scared to leave. I was going to go back to her cabin, to make sure she was okay, but I didn’t know how to get there, and then it snowed. She wasn’t home when her son attacked me, but I’ve got to make sure she’s okay, and let her know that I’m okay. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know where I’d be right now,” I sobbed.
Copper curled his arm around my shoulders while I cried on his. “My friend, Badger, who owns the cabin and bunker knows Evelyn. He talked to some people from town, and I’m sorry, Locks, but Evelyn’s son did hurt her, or I assume it was him. She told the police she fell down her front steps, hitting her head and breaking her hip. She also reported you missing, but refused to give a name and only gave a vague description. The whole story makes more sense now. Sounds like she was trying to protect you.”
I gasped in horror and cried harder. “Where is she? I have to go see her!”
“I don’t know exactly, but I’ll find out. Badger said she’d been in a rehab facility in the city while her hip healed,” he told me.
“Did he say anything about her son?” I asked even though I was scared to know the answer.
Copper grimaced and shook his head. “No, he didn’t mention anything about her son, but you can damn well rest assured that he will pay for what he did to his mother and tried to do to you,” he said vehemently.
“I don’t want to cause any trouble. I just want to make sure she’s okay and do whatever I can to help her.”
“You aren’t causing any trouble. He committed a crime, a few actually, and he needs to be punished, just like anyone else who breaks the law.”
I cleared my throat, but couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes, “Yes, but, you’re the President of a motorcycle club—”
He stopped me with, “Layla, he was going to rape you. He physically injured his mother. Why do you care what happens to him?”
“I don’t care what happens to him, but I don’t want you to have blood on your hands because of me,” I explained.
He chuckled, “I appreciate the concern, but I didn’t mean I would deal with him; I was referring to the police.”
“Oh, well okay then,” I said. “Can you call your friend and find out where Evelyn is?”
“Yeah, I will, but let me fill you in on the other details first. Just like a Band-Aid. Ready?” No, I most certainly was not ready, but I gave him a curt nod anyway.
“You have a half sister named Annabelle. She’s married to my cousin, Phoenix.”
As a child, from time to time I wondered if whoever my father was had other children, but it was the last thing I expected to hear at that moment. “What?” I breathed.
“You heard me, Locks. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to meet you. She and Phoenix have twins, a boy and a girl, who are nineteen or twenty by now, and she has a boy who’s a year younger than them. She’s currently pregnant with another set of twins that are due in the next few weeks. Oh, and Ember, their daughter, is also pregnant, but she’s only got one in there.”
“Does she know about me?” I asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“No way. She would’ve looked for you if she did. She hated her parents from what I remember. Phoenix and Annabelle are a bit older than me, but from what I learned as an adult, she despised her father.”
“Are there any others?”
“Not that any of us know about. I’ve got a tech guy in the club, and Phoenix has one in his; we can get the two of them to do some searches and see if anything comes up,” he offered.
“Maybe one day. Let me absorb this first,” I said distractedly. My mind was whirling—a sister. I had a sister. An older sister. And nieces and nephews. I had a family! My whole life it was just Mom and me. When she died, I felt so alone, which admittedly, had a lot to do with why I wasn’t in a rush to return to reality.
“That’s fine, but I have to tell Phoenix about you. He’s family, and he’s also the President of the original chapter of Blackwings. In other words, he’s the President of Presidents. I can’t keep this from him,” Copper said carefully.
“I wouldn’t ask you to,” I answered truthfully.
“Annabelle will want to meet you as soon as possible. Are you ready for that?” he asked.
Was I? “I don’t think anyone is capable of being ready for the news I received today. I mean, it’s a lot to take in, but finding out I have a sister isn’t exactly bad news.”
“I’ll call him this afternoon after I give Badger a call about Evelyn. I hate to leave after dropping a bombshell on you like that, but I need to get to the clubhouse and get started on the mess over there. I probably won’t be back until later tonight. Are you going to be okay?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine,” I said flatly.
“Layla, about this morning—”
I cut him off. “Don’t. Let’s forget it happened and never mention it again.”
“It’s not what you think,” he continued.
“It doesn’t matter what I think. Let it go, okay?”
He nodded once in acknowledgment and dropped a kiss on top of my head. “I’ll see you later. Leigh has my number. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.” With that, he left.
I flopped onto my back on the bed and covered my eyes with my hands. I had a sister, my father was dead, and Hastings and Hensley were in custody. That meant only Evelyn’s son might be looking for me, but the chances of running into him were slim to none. Was it possible to get my life back? It sounded like it might be, but I was too afraid to let my mind go there.
Chapter Thirteen
Copper
When I arrived at the clubhouse, Judge, Batta, and most of the other brothers were already working on the damaged section of the building. “I’ll be there in a few,” I called out as I walked to my office.
I figured it was better to call Phoenix sooner than later. If Luke said something to him before I did, he would have my ass. “Phoenix Black,” he barked into the phone.
“Got a minute?” I asked.
“Yeah. I’m in my office. What’s up?”
“Luke dropped in this morning to question the girl I found squatting in Badger’s bunker. Turns out she was kidnapped by her estranged father at her mother’s funeral and sold to Hastings and Hensley. She managed to escape without a trace and stayed with a friend for a while, but shit happened there that caused her to run, which is how she stumbled upon the cabin and the bunker.”
&nb
sp; “Holy shit, man. So, she had no idea Hastings and Hensley had been arrested?”
“Nope. She thought they’d be looking for her, as well as her father.”
“What kind of man does that to his own daughter? Tell me that asshole was arrested with the rest of them,” he said.
“He wasn’t. He was killed before his involvement with Hastings and Hensley was discovered,” I hedged.
“Quit beating around the bush, Copper. What are you not telling me?”
I sighed, “The woman’s name is Layla East, and her father’s name is Jimmy ‘Gnaw’ Burnett.”
Silence.
“Phoenix?”
More silence.
I checked the phone to make sure I hadn’t dropped the call.
“Phoenix?”
“Fuck,” he breathed. “She’s Annabelle’s sister.”
“Yeah, she is. That’s why I’m calling,” I said. “I figured Annabelle would want to meet her as soon as possible. I know Layla wants to meet her.”
“Did she know about Annabelle?”
I chuckled, “Layla asked the same thing. And, no, she had no idea of Annabelle’s existence. She didn’t even know who her father was until her mother told her right before she died a few months ago.”
“If I share this news with Annabelle, she is going to insist on meeting her right away, and she’s in no shape to travel. Honestly, the excitement might not be good for the babies. I hate to say it, but I think it would be best to wait until after she delivers to share this news with her. Do you think Layla will agree to that?”
“I don’t see why not. I don’t know her very well, but she seems like a kind and understanding person who has been handed more than her fair share of bullshit in her lifetime,” I said. “You know, when I first saw her, there was something familiar about her that I couldn’t place. Knowing what I know now, it’s obvious. She reminded me of Annabelle.”
“How old is she?” Phoenix asked.
I chuckled, “I don’t know for sure. It never occurred to me to ask, but I’d guess she’s around twenty-four or twenty-five years old.”
“What are her plans now? Does she have a home or family to get back to?”
“We haven’t talked about it in great detail, but once or twice she mentioned she didn’t have anywhere to go. I’m guessing wherever she did live is probably long gone by now since she was MIA for so long. Same goes for whatever job she had, too. She did say that her mother died right before Gnaw took her, but she hasn’t mentioned any other family,” I replied.
“Let me know what she needs, and I’ll take care of it. Annabelle isn’t going to be happy when she finds out I kept this from her, but she would have my ass if I didn’t take care of her sister.”
Not happening. If anyone was going to take care of Layla, it was going to be me. “Don’t worry about it. You’ve got enough on your plate for the next few weeks. I’ll take care of Layla for the time being,” I offered.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it,” he said. “Any updates on the attack?”
“Nothing, yet. I’ll be sure to let you know if anything comes up.” We talked for a few more minutes before ending the call.
The next few hours were spent helping my brothers sort through the massive pile of rubble and debris that was once part of our clubhouse only to find very little worth saving. When we stopped for a bite to eat, Judge left to start reviewing the security footage. Spazz went back to his room to start working his magic on his computer. We needed answers yesterday. I wanted to know who attacked my club and why.
Color me surprised when I saw Boar’s name flashing on my phone’s screen.
“Heard a rumor your club was attacked yesterday. I hope there’s no truth to that,” Boar rumbled in my ear.
“Wish I could say there wasn’t, but that’d be a lie,” I replied.
“Fuck, man. Anybody hurt?”
“Bronze and a couple of club whores spent the night in the hospital, but they’ll all be okay. A handful had some minor cuts and bruises. Destroyed a quarter of the clubhouse, though.”
“Mind if I ask who did it?” he asked.
“That’s what shits me about it; I don’t have a fucking clue who was behind it. Judge and Spazz are trying to find something to point us in the right direction,” I answered honestly. Normally, I wouldn’t share club business so freely with another club, but Boar had shockingly proven to be a strong ally for the Blackwings over the last two years. He and his club had been more than willing to step in and lend a hand to Phoenix’s club at the drop of a hat on more than one occasion.
His extended silence had the hairs on the back of my neck rising. Finally, he asked, “Are you aware of what went down with the Disciples of Death last week?”
“No. Is there a reason I should be?” I asked warily.
He cleared his throat, and his tone changed to one of a more serious nature. “Listen, Copper, I’m not insinuating anything here; I’m just sharing a bit of information you may or may not find useful.” I heard him exhale slowly. “Last week, Scream and his VP, Belch, were killed. From what I’ve heard, they were taken out by their own club. Word is some guy called Aim took over as the new President, and he handpicked all new officers.”
“I see,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose to relieve some pressure. “Do you know why?”
“Nope. Haven’t heard a word about their reasoning. I’ve got my ear to the ground, and I’ll let you know if I hear anything else. I could be wrong, but I’ve got a feeling the new leadership is going to be bad news for anyone in their vicinity.”
“Fuck,” I cursed. “Seems awfully coincidental my club was attacked a week after new leadership forcefully took over. I didn’t have a truce or even a good relationship with Scream, but he didn’t fuck with my club.”
“Yeah, because the fucker was scared of you and Phoenix. We had some trouble with them years ago, but that wasn’t Scream’s doing. Seems the trouble he had with rogue members finally got the better of him, so to speak.”
“Sounds like it. Listen, I’ve got to get back to getting shit sorted. Thanks for calling and letting me know about Scream and Belch,” I said.
“No problem. I’ll let you know if I hear anything else,” he said and disconnected.
I headed straight to Spazz’s room. As expected, I found him hunched over his computer, his face entirely too close to the screen. “Spazz, I’ve got something for you.” After filling him in on my conversation with Boar, I left him to search for anything and everything he could find on Aim and the new officers of the Disciples of Death.
Finally, I gave Badger a call and told him what Layla shared with me about Evelyn. “She wanted to know if you could find out how to get in touch with Evelyn. She desperately wants to talk to her and make sure she’s okay.”
“I’ll give Madge a call and ask. She keeps up with everyone in town, so if anyone’ll know, it’ll be her,” Badger said.
“Might as well see if she knows anything about Evelyn’s piece of shit son while you’re at it.”
“She probably doesn’t, but I’ll ask. Travis hasn’t been welcome in town since his dad ran him off years ago. The way it was told to me was Archie came home from work one day and found Travis slapping Evelyn around in the kitchen. I only met Archie a few times before he passed, but even in his later years, the man was built like a brick shit house. Anyway, he beat the piss out of Travis and told him never to come back,” Badger explained.
“Yeah, Layla said Evelyn told her he was mixed up with drugs and had been in and out of jail many times over the years. I’ve already got Spazz checking into him, but you know how it goes with small rural towns.”
He chuckled. “That I do. You want me to give Sheriff Simmons a call and see if he knows anything?”
“Thanks, but no. I’d like to have a word with him myself before handing him over to the police,” I said.
“Understood.”
With that, we ended the call, and I tilted my head back and closed
my eyes. I needed a vacation.
Chapter Fourteen
Layla
I was in bed, but not asleep, when I heard a light knock on the door. Copper was the only person it could be, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to see him. I had been lost in my thoughts the entire day, and I studiously avoided thinking about him, which turned out to be much more difficult than I anticipated.
I stayed perfectly still, hoping he would think I was asleep and leave, but I should have known better. When the man wanted something, he got it. I was all too aware of this when I heard the door creak open. I hadn’t bothered with locking it since that hadn’t stopped him from entering before.
“Layla,” he whispered.
I wanted to keep pretending I was asleep, but that wasn’t the mature thing to do. Sighing in exasperation, I forced myself to act like an adult and rolled to my side to face him, “Yes?”
He slowly came closer. “You doing okay?”
“I’m fine,” I replied flatly and waited for him to say or do something. When he didn’t, I asked, “Did you need something?”
He blinked and nodded, “Uh, yeah. I wanted to let you know I talked to Badger earlier this afternoon. He’s going to work on getting a phone number or address for the rehab place where Evelyn is recuperating.”
“Thank you.” I felt a small sense of relief knowing I was one step closer to finding Evelyn.
“Also, I spoke with my cousin, Phoenix, earlier today. He thought it would be best to wait to tell Annabelle about you until after she has delivered the twins. She would want to meet you right away, and he doesn’t want her traveling this late in the game. Plus, he thought the excitement of the news might not be good for the babies. I hope you’re okay with that decision.”
“Of course, I am. I certainly don’t want anything to happen to her or her babies…” I trailed off, unsure of how to bring up the rest of my concerns.
“What is it?” he asked.
I pushed myself to a sitting position and started fidgeting with my hands. “You mentioned she was due in a few weeks. What happens between now and then?” I asked carefully.
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