“Fine, but Z, if you pull this shit again, I will take a vote to have you sit out of decisions until I see fit to let you back.” He leans closer to me, his nostrils flaring. “Do you fucking understand?”
I smile and nod. “Couldn’t be clearer.”
He’s not gonna make this easy because I already want to punch that smug look off his face. But we need to get shit done and it won’t happen like this. He’ll get his.
“Z, go get everyone and tell them we need to figure out everything that happened with Thomas,” Enzo says.
I push through the door and Kace stands up. He walks over to me with questioning eyes. “It’s all good, brother,” I say, slapping his back. “They want to figure everything out, so we all need to be around the table.”
Once everyone is around the table, Brooks leans forward, folding his hands on the table. “We need to talk about our next move. Thomas gave us some vague information, but it’s enough for now.”
“We need to figure out where Dom’s girl lives,” Riley says.
“Agreed, we should start there,” I say.
“Who the fuck is his girl? I’ve never seen him with anyone,” Porter asks.
I was wondering the same thing. I’m pretty sure Harper will be able to give me that information, but I definitely won’t tell them that. “We’ll have to ask around,” I say.
Everyone agrees. We talk for a while taking guesses on who Dom could be fucking. We’re all laughing when Enzo clears his throat.
“We need to move on this guys. Without Dom, we’ll never find Kingsley,” he says.
“I feel like Kingsley is here, biding his time. He’s watching everything we do. He is definitely a piece of shit, but he’s not dumb,” I say.
Kace rubs the back of his neck and looks around. “I agree with, Z. There’s no way he’s hiding across the country. He’s laying low, planning his next move.”
“Fuck,” Alex whispers.
“Maybe he’s with Dom at the chick’s house,” Riley suggests.
“Or maybe he’s picking up another shipment,” Porter says.
“Maybe he’s not even fucking hiding, we just aren’t paying attention,” Kace growls.
They are all possibilities. We have no idea what is going on and that is dangerous.
Brooks slams his fist down on the table, causing us all to stop talking. “We can throw out theories all fucking night. The only truth we have is Kingsley and Dom are actively making sure we can’t find them. Instead of guessing, let's decide what we are going to do.”
He’s an asshole, but he’s right about this. It’s just wasting our time. A solid plan is what we need before it’s too late.
“We find out who Dom’s girl is. Once we know, we’ll decide our next move,” Enzo says. “Until then, keep your eyes open. We don’t need the Vegas Kings thinking we are tied up in any more of their missing drugs. Riley and Alex, go check out the local bars. See if anyone knows anything. Porter, Kace and Z, drive by Dom’s and Kingsley’s again. See if anything is different. Footprints on the grass, a cigar that wasn’t there before, a fucking weed that was pulled, Christ, check the goddamn mailbox to see if it’s being picked up. We need something.” He pauses and looks at Brooks. “Brooks and I will see what we can find out.”
We all leave, and I wonder what it is that Brooks and Enzo are going to do. I think it’s sitting on their asses while we are looking, but I’m not going to say shit. It’s time to find these mother fuckers.
Kace and Porter follow me to Dom’s house. It’s late now and there are no lights on, but that doesn’t mean anything. We park around the block and walk back to his place. They check around the house, looking in windows. I decide to take Ezno’s advice and look in the mailbox. “Son of a bitch,” I whisper. I whistle, getting their attention. When they walk over, I show them the empty mailbox. “Someone is getting his mail.”
“Fuck,” Kace says, running his hands through his hair.
“These assholes are playing us,” Porter growls.
“Looks like we’ll be paying a visit to the post office in the morning. See who deliveries Dom’s mail. We’ll press them for information. Let’s go check Kingsley's to see if we need to confront two postal workers,” I say, slipping my helmet on.
We do the same thing at Kingsley’s and just like Dom’s, his mailbox is empty. They’re here and they’re close. Shit is going to get bad; I fucking feel it wrapping around me. We need to end this before it blows up in our faces.
14
Harper
I was asleep when Zane came in last night, but he did as promise and had me screaming his name. Yesterday was one of the greatest days I can remember. It was terrifying finally stepping out from behind my fears, but I’m grateful I did. My body is relaxed, my mind is clear, and my heart is happy.
I got up early to make breakfast. It’s been nice having the time to myself. Kace, Ivy, and Finn have been here every day since we found that note on my car at Ivy’s. It’s been fucking months. I’m hoping that soon, Zane and I can just be alone. It makes me laugh because Kace doesn’t need to be here. He’s here because Ivy is, but he stays in one guest room and she stays in the other. Finn sleeps on the couch when he sleeps. It’s like a bunch of college kids all packed in a house to be able to afford it. It’s been nice, but it’s time to grow up.
“Hey,” Ivy mumbles, coming into the kitchen. “Coffee?”
I laugh and nod. “Yeah, it’s brewed.” I watch her drag around the kitchen. Her eyes have dark circles under them, her shoulders are hanging, and her hair is standing up in every direction. “What the hell is wrong with you? You look like you haven’t slept in days,” I say, sipping my coffee.
“I haven’t,” she says, dropping into the kitchen chair.
I flip the pancakes and bacon, before turning toward her. “Really? You seemed fine yesterday. What happened?”
“Someone kept me up,” she mumbles, burying her face in her coffee mug.
I spin back around and smile. “Kace?” I ask, excitedly.
Her tired eyes peek over her mug as she stares at me. “No, you and Zane. I mean, I’m glad you got over yourself and all, but do you forget there are other people in this house?”
I can’t even help it, I burst out laughing. She shakes her head, but I turn around and finish making breakfast. “It was late, why weren’t you asleep before that?” I finally ask.
“I just can’t sleep,” she sighs.
“Babe, it smells awesome,” Z says, interrupting our conversation.
He strides over to me and kisses me, smiling against my lips. “I like waking up to you in the kitchen. Next time be naked,” he whispers, slapping my ass.
“Ugh,” Ivy groans, stomping out of the kitchen.
I laugh again. Zane peeks up at me as he pours his coffee. “What’s wrong with her?”
“I think she might be feeling that frustration from no sex.”
He lifts an eyebrow as he sips his coffee. “Oh yeah?”
“She said we kept her up last night because we were too loud,” I say, laughing. “But she said she hasn’t slept, so I don’t. Maybe, she’s in there hoping Kace sneaks in?” I lift my shoulder.
“That’s between them.” He jumps in to help me finish breakfast and once it’s all done, we sit down to eat. Before I can even take a bite, he clears his throat. I look at him and he sighs. “Before we aren’t alone, I need to ask you something,” he says.
I put my fork down, looking at his uncertain eyes. “What?”
“Who’s Dom’s girl?”
I roll my eyes, picking my fork back up. “Stacey Gorden, she’s a twat. She thinks she’s the fucking Queen of the Kings. He’s been with her for years, on and off.”
My hatred for her is valid. She helped Dom several times make sure I was ready to make payments for my father. She wants to have power and be feared.
“Do you know where she lives?” he asks.
“Yep. You know that dirt road off County Road?”
“She lives in the trailer park?” he asks.
I finish my breakfast, taking another sip of my coffee. “Yeah. I don’t exactly know which one is hers, but I know that’s where she lives.” I realize what he’s asking and snap my head up. “Holy fuck! That’s where they both are,” I whisper.
“You think your father is there, too?” he rushes out.
“I don’t know for sure. I mean, it would be the perfect place to hide, but I’m not sure my father would give up his luxuries. But I’d bet my tit on it that Dom is there.”
He laughs and leans over the table to kiss me. “Don’t bet those perfect tits away.” He clears our plates and grabs me, pulling me into his arms. He slams his power lips to mine and fucks my mouth. I run my hands up his solid back and pull at his hair when I reach it. He groans and digs his fingers into my ass.
“Seriously?” Ivy yells.
We break the kiss, laughing. He doesn’t let me go though, he gently bites my ear, his warm breath fanning on my skin. “Thank you, babe. You have no idea how much I needed that information, but don’t tell anyone you gave it to me.”
“Okay, baby, don’t worry,” I whisper.
“Oh, fuck yeah, free show,” Kace jokes.
The three of us laugh, but Ivy doesn’t even crack a smile while she pours more coffee. I tell them there’s breakfast and sit down on Zane’s lap.
“Damn, thanks Harper,” Kace says.
He makes a plate and sits across from us. “When you’re done, we have to get to Souls,” Zane tells him.
“What are we supposed to do today?” Ivy snaps. “I’m tired of being stuck here and not working. I have bills that are due to be paid and my savings is running dry.”
“It’s too dangerous for you to be working without any of us there,” Kace states. He doesn’t look at her, just continues eating.
She growls with frustration. “I’m a grown ass woman! This has gone from being taken against my will to now being a hostage!” she screams.
I look at Z and his eyes are wide. Kace drops his fork, letting it clatter against the plate. He slowly turns his head, pinning her with his dark angry eyes. “Are you fucking serious?” he asks. His voice is low, controlled, and full of rage.
I just up and grab her arm. “No, she’s just tired,” I say, pulling her out of the kitchen. I drag her down the hallway, pushing her into the spare room she’s been staying in. “What the fuck, Ivy?”
She spins around, pulling at her own hair. Her eyes are wild as she is pacing in front of the bed. “I can’t do this anymore, Harper. I need my life back. I need to feel normal again. I can’t even shower without letting someone know!”
I instantly feel regret for putting her in this situation. She’s here because of me. This isn’t the life she’s used to. She’s used to being her own person, playing by her own rules, making her own decisions. I took advantage of the fact she was here. I liked having another woman around, but I should’ve been fighting for her to get her life back. Now she’s about to explode and I can’t say I blame her.
I reach out to touch her arm, but she pulls away. I slowly shake my head and step back. “I’m sorry, Ivy. You know I didn’t put you in harm's way on purpose. It all happened so quickly, and I guess, I selfishly liked having you around. I’ll talk with Zane.”
I reach for the door handle, expecting her to stop me, but she doesn’t. I sigh, closing the door and head back to the kitchen. Zane and Kace are still sitting there, drinking their coffee.
“She alright?” Zane asks.
“No babe, she’s not. This isn’t her life; she needs to get back to what she knows. I mean, this is the shitty world I’m used to, and I miss working. I miss making my own money and feeling like I have a purpose. It’s not exactly the same, but I get where she’s coming from. You guys can’t keep her here any longer,” My lips turn down as I shrug.
Zane gets up and wraps his arms around me. “Soon, just give us today to figure this out.”
“No, fuck that. She’s not going home by herself. Everyone knows she’s been here and that makes her a bigger target than before. She’s not going anywhere. When Harper is safe to stay alone, then we’ll discuss Ivy leaving,” Kace growls.
I pull out of Zane’s embrace, placing my hands on my hips. “What the fuck is going on with you two?”
He narrows his eyes briefly, but quickly stops when Zane steps forward. He grabs the back of his neck and plays with that lip ring of his. “Nothing.”
“I’m so tired of you both telling me nothing. You guys are like a bunch of horny teenagers. You’re scared to tell the other one how you are feeling, so you do anything you can be around each other, without actually being with each other. Man up, Kace. If you want her, do it before she runs out of here and never looks back,” I say.
He scrubs his face and stands up, grabbing his plate and coffee cup. When he walks past me, he kisses my check. “Thanks for the unwanted advice and breakfast.” He puts everything in the sink and looks at Zane. “You ready?”
Zane looks at me and I smile. “Go, I’ve got this.”
He wraps his strong arms around me and kisses my cheek. “Thank you again, babe.”
After they leave, I clean up the mess from breakfast. Then I deep clean the house. I scrub every inch, vacuum, even wash the windows. The more I clean, the more I start to wonder where my father is. Not only where he is, but what the fuck he’s up to. It doesn’t add up. He shot me, but I lived. Honestly, even if he killed me he wouldn’t go into hiding. He’s watching, he’s planning, and he’s going to attack. I need to really think of where he could be before it’s too late. If Zane gets Dom, he should know. My father doesn’t do anything without Dom, I’m surprised my father took a piss without his help. The Shattered Souls have taken too much time. My father is definitely in the lead, whether they realize it or not. Something needs to happen and fast.
When I’m finally done cleaning, I plop down on the couch. It’s lunchtime now. I groan and stand back up, opening the front door.
“Finn, do you want something for lunch? I can make you a quick sandwich.”
He looks over at me and smiles. “No thanks.”
I don’t push him because it gets me nowhere. I decide though, it is time to talk to Ivy. She’s been locked in that bedroom all day. A part of me hopes it’s because she’s asleep and will wake up in a better mood, but the other part knows that’s a long shot.
I crack the door open and find her sitting on the edge of the bed. “Hey,” I say, walking in.
“Hey.” I sit down next to her and she jerks her head toward me. “Damn, you reek of bleach.”
I laugh, knocking my shoulder into hers. “Fuck you, I was cleaning.”
“Wow, fun,” she mockingly says.
I sigh and turn sideways so I can see her. “Look, I know this is shitty. It’s not usually like this though. We’re close to winning this one. After that you can run out of here and never look back.”
“Good,” she says, crossing her arms.
“I miss working, too. I’d do anything to be able to run that strip club again.” I stop and think about that for a minute. “Alright, not anything, but I loved what I did. I was fucking good at it too. We were making a killing on that club.”
“So, now what?” she quickly asks.
“I have no idea, maybe talk to Zane about starting one on my own,” I say.
She doesn’t look at me. Her focus is on the floor and I have to wonder if it’s because she doesn’t want me to see what she’s trying to hide. “I have no skills to run my own thing. I’ll have to find another shitty waitressing job. Maybe I’ll be lucky and this time I won’t need to wear a skirt so short my ass is almost hanging out. Maybe I won’t have to constantly swat away roaming hands. Maybe I’ll make more tips without my tits on display,” she sighs, and I see her biting her bottom lip. “It’s nice to imagine things differently, but that is rarely the case, Harper.”
My eyebrows dip in confusion. “What’s that sup
posed to mean?”
This time she does lift her head and the sadness I see in her eyes is hard to look at. “It means, you might want things to be different, but life has a way of pulling you back into what you know. When this is over, I’ll go back to my life, you and Zane will go back to yours, and Kace will go back to his. Hell, Finn might actually get a life.” We both laugh, but hers fades quickly. “I can’t wait.”
There is so much more going on than she is letting on. I wish she’d open up to me. I want to force her to tell me, but I know better than anyone, you’ll never get results that way. She’s right though, about it all. Life does have a way of pulling you back in, no matter what. I tried to walk away from it all and look where I am now. Our lives seem to be written out and when we try to change the narrative, we are quickly reminded that’s not the way it goes.
I won’t force her to talk, but I will ask one more time, “Ivy, is any of this about Kace?”
She laughs and stands up. “All of it.” She grabs her clothes and opens the door. “I’m going to shower.”
Well, that’s it. She’s done talking. I want to help her, but the only way to do that is to get her talking to Kace. Like I said to him, they are being ridiculous. I can’t force them to be adults and talk about their feelings. So, I’ll just focus on what I can try to do...find my fucking father.
Ivy spent most of the day holed up inside the bedroom, but I’ve been busy. I’ve been writing everything down I can remember about times my father got himself into a bad situation. I have everything laid out on the table in front of me. Finn asked a few times what I was doing, but I told him not to break my concentration. I went back as far as I could remember and my first memory is when Ginger, one of the girls a member was dating, was watching me. My dad left for a while, but I didn’t think anything of it at the time. I was glad to be having fun with Ginger, but the more I thought about it now, the clearer things started to become. I remember I was supposed to be sleeping, but I was listening at the door of the room I was staying in. It might have been her house, but I’m not entirely sure, but I do remember being scared to walk out. There was yelling in the living room and Ginger was screaming about my father just leaving me while he hides away from the shit he started. The more I thought back on things, the more they started falling into place. He wasn’t always picking up his next shipment, he was indeed staying hidden.
Redemption (Shattered Souls MC Book 2) Page 11