by KJ Dahlen
He’d spoken to Boone a few hours ago. As soon as Boone told him what they’d found at the Hubbard house, Gunner knew what they were up against. He had everything almost in place and as soon as his men got back, they would be ready.
This psycho bitch might come here looking to settle her affairs but the only thing settled would be her fate. This woman, whoever she really was would probably arrive in a couple of hours to tie up her obvious loose ends.
But Gunner and his Savaged Souls knew one thing that she did not—she would not be leaving.
Chapter Fourteen
Patriot stepped back from the bed. He went over to the sink while removing his gloves and washed his hands.
Zoey knelt at one side of the bed and held her mother’s hand the whole time Patriot had examined her mom.
Gunner, Skeeter and Hayes stood quietly in the room and just watched.
Patriot finally noticed them and walked over to where they were standing. “Why don’t we step outside?” he suggested quietly while he dried his hands.
The men left the room and walked out to the main room where everyone else waited for word on how Calista was doing.
Mercy got up and walked back to the infirmary to be with Zoey.
“Well Patriot, how is she?” Gunner finally asked.
“Apparently, that young woman has a guardian angel that takes his job seriously.” Patriot exhaled.
“Excuse me?” Hayes glared at him. “She’s been in that place a very long time and some of the drugs she’s been on aren’t for beginners or fit for humans.”
Patriot nodded. “True enough, they aren’t but the human body is a miraculous thing. Given enough time and rest, it can come back on its own. As soon as one cell dies, another one in born. Out with the old, in with the new. Also, the body can get used to any medication and it isn’t as effective anymore. That’s why real doctors are always looking to replace medications a patient been on a long time. I think that’s what her body is doing. These guys brought her charts with them.” He nodded at Hayes. “Which has helped a lot. Given the drugs, she was issued by that quack of a doctor, even the strength he gave her ran out of power on her a long time ago. In one of her more lucid moments, she must have realized what was happening and rather than get hurt, she’s been faking compliance. Oh, the meds still affect her but not nearly as much as they would have if she’d been given something new or a stronger dose. I think she’ll be okay. We’ll have to wait until she comes around again, to find out for sure.”
Hayes slumped against the wall with a sigh of relief, but he didn’t say anything.
“That’s a bit of good news isn’t it?” Gunner ran his hands over the back of his head.
“She isn’t out of the woods yet,” Patriot warned them. “We still have to wait for her to completely wake up and see just how bad her mind really is. She could still have a long way to go.”
“At least, she and the others are out of that fucking place.” Hayes growled.
“True enough,” Skeeter agreed. “But now, we have to concentrate on Karen. We still need to find her and stop her.”
“Our trap is all set up for tonight.” Boone nodded. “We saw her on the street when we were scouting out that house. She saw us then flipped her vehicle around and took off. We don’t know how she knew we were there waiting for her but she did. I didn’t want to get into it where innocents could and would get hurt, there were even kids on the sidewalks and in the yards all around. She wouldn’t care about shooting kids but we do. So we backed off and came home.”
When they got back and reported to Gunner about what they found at the house, Gunner knew what it meant. They knew she would come back here as long as they had Calista and Zoey.
“This just needs to end, so we can get back to our lives.” Skeeter growled. “Those two girls can’t take much more and they shouldn’t have to. Being a kid is hard enough sometimes, but no kid deserves this.”
“I agree.” Hayes snarled. “No kid deserves what that fucking house did either. I wanted to kill that damn doctor today.”
“I’m glad that for your brother you didn’t,” Gunner told him. “DJ deserves you at his side. You two have been apart long enough.”
“I just wish I could have gotten to him before that doctor took his voice away, you know man?” Hayes shook his head.
Janice went over to him and patted his arm. “You just worry about strengthening the bond between you and DJ. You have a real chance here with him. He needs you just as much as you need him. Let the rest of it go. His mom will meet her karma and I have a feeling that bitch is gonna get slapped hard, but you and DJ don’t need to be there to see it. You both need to heal.”
“Thank you darlin,” Hayes said quietly as he glanced at Skeeter and that man wasn’t happy. He smirked. He knew bikers didn’t like their women touched by other men but Hayes didn’t think Skeeter had claimed her just yet.
Skeeter walked over to them and dragged Janice away from the other man.
Hayes didn’t say anything just chuckled under his breath.
Skeeter dragged her to the other side of the room and wrapped his arm around her waist.
Janice looked stunned as she stared at him without saying a word.
Gunner noticed and cleared his throat to attract Skeeter’s attention back to the problem at hand. “Skeet, we’re going to need to put Janice and the girls in a safe room tonight, at least until we can defuse Karen. I don’t think she’ll bother any of the other women but I want those three protected.”
“You really think she’ll come here? Here, of all the places on earth she could be, you think she’ll come here?” Janice asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Hayes told her. “You see, she has to tie up her loose ends before she can move on to the next part of her life. Her brain is wired that way.”
Beau nodded. “Hell yeah, she pretty much had it all planned out. From what you all showed us. She figured she could come in here, grab Skeeter and throw his ass in jail for something he didn’t do, then she would take care of the real Calista. Next on her to do list was Zoey, then drop out of sight for a while and show up somewhere else as a new woman. Only damn thing is Skeet didn’t let her railroad him into prison, he fought back and called her bluff. So fake Calista had to escape and then smart little Zoey left her. She has to see her plans through. So the only way out now is to finish off the real Calista and Zoey, then top it all off by taking out Skeeter. That’s what she thinks she has to do before she can move on one way or the other.”
“You talk as if you know this for a fact?” Janice remarked.
Beau shook his head sadly. “Honey, I’ve seen this so many times I can almost tell you step by step how criminals think. Gunner and the others know, hell even Skeet knows this is how it goes down with some people. Their wiring just isn’t right.” Beau touched the temple of his head. “But their actions are always the same.”
“Oh, I believe what you are saying.” Janice rubbed her arms with her hands. “I just wish this was over. This drama isn’t good for any of us.”
“Are you going to give up and go home where all you have to worry about is traffic and how many zero’s you can add to the final check?” Jackson asked his sister as he joined the conversation.
Janice glared at him then snorted. “Oh hell no, big brother. I’m beginning to like Texas and Texans.” Janice winked at Skeeter. “The people here aren’t nearly half as crazy as New Yorkers are but the slower pace is good for a person, I’m thinking.”
Jackson grinned and nodded at her. “I agree sis.”
“Ok...” Gunner clapped his hands. “We all need to get into place.” He looked over at Hayes and said, “Hayes, I need you and Skeeter to be seen outside. We want her to see both of you because we’re thinking she knows you took Calista out of the house. So she needs to see you two together before she’ll come in and make her move.”
Everyone moved to where they were supposed to be, Rigger and Boone went to check the cameras on Rigger’s mon
itors. Grizzly, Thor, Jett and Gypsy went up to the roof to keep watch up there. They were there for watching only.
Hayes, Runner, Stomper, Acer and Beau waited in the main room as they hadn’t been told where they should be just yet. DJ was sitting in a corner listening and watching the proceedings.
Skeeter walked with Janice back to the Infirmary to collect the girls.
When they came in, Mercy looked up with tears in her eyes. She didn’t say anything just sat there shaking her head.
Then they both heard Zoey whispering to her mom, “Come on mom, wake up. I want to meet you. I know we’ve never met before but I really need you now. Please wake up.”
Mercy sat on Calista’s other side watching and waiting to see if the woman would wake up.
Janice went over to Zoey and placed her hands on the girl’s shoulder. “Oh honey, she’s trying. She just needs time, time for the drugs to leave her system.”
Zoey looked up at her and asked, “Do you think she loved her baby? Do you think she loved me at all?”
Janice cupped the girl’s face between her hands. “I think she’s still alive because she loved you enough to hang on. That’s what I think. She’s had to fight all this time for the right to live and meet you. I think it was you who kept her alive all these years.”
Skeeter stepped up and said, “Girls, we need to get you to a safe place. We think Karen will follow us here and try to make her move tonight. We’ll stand guard over your mom but we don’t want to put you anywhere near where she can get to you.”
“But I want to stay here with my mom,” Zoey pleaded.
Janice knelt down to her level. “Zoey, I want you to think for a moment, will you do that for me?”
Zoey wiped her tears away and nodded.
“Please listen to me okay?” she urged her. “Your mom was taken from you and Karen took over her life, she became Calista Jones for all the world to see. She lied and stole not only your life but your mom’s life too. She stole the money from your dad and from you. Now we can stop her, but these guys need to know you will live to tell the world the truth about what she did. To do that, you have to survive what’s coming. Both you and Mercy have to tell the world what this nasty woman did.”
Zoey wiped her cheeks again. “Ok, I can do that.” She looked over at Mercy and asked, “What about you? Can you do that?”
Mercy nodded. “Si, I can sister. I know she was responsible for my mom’s death in some way. She’s done nothing but lie since I met her and if I can stop her, I will do it.”
Janice nodded. “Good, then to do that, we need to keep you safe until this is over.” She got to her feet and held out her hands. “Come on. Skeeter will show us where to go.”
Zoey leaned over and kissed her mom’s forehead. “I’ll be back mom. These men will keep you safe.” Then she took Janice’s hand and turned as Mercy joined them.
They all turned to Skeeter.
He just shook his head. He turned and took them to his room. “There is only one way in and one way out. She can’t get in through a window because there isn’t one, so she can’t see who is in this room. She won’t know where in the building you are but if we have our way, she won’t be able to be looking for you.” He looked at each of them. “If you want I can leave you with a gun.”
Janice shook her head. “This is terrifying enough. A gun might get someone innocent shot.”
Mercy smiled. “I have protection, senor.”
Skeeter looked over her way and raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”
Mercy reached down into her boot and came up with a wicked looking knife. The handle was dark wood and the blade looked super sharp.
Janice gasped.
Zoey whistled. “Awesome blade Sis, where did you get it?”
“Yeah,” Skeeter wanted to know. “Where did you get something like that?”
“This belonged to my mama.” She gazed at the blade. “She had it for protection and when she died, it became mine. It is the last thing I have from her.”
“Did Karen know you had that with you?” He had to ask.
Mercy rolled her eyes. “I am not a fool, senor. I keep what is mine and I never completely trusted her. I came to her looking for my papa, she told me he was here. I think I’ve known all my life that he was dead but I wanted so badly to believe.”
“Do you know how to use that?” Skeeter wanted to know.
Mercy nodded. “Si, I do. I will to protect my sister and Ms. Janice.”
Skeeter looked into her eyes and read the cold resolve in them. He nodded and then turned to Janice. Cupping her face in his hands, he just gazed at her for a moment then he leaned forward and crushed her lips under his.
The spark of electricity that sparked between them surprised both of them for a moment.
When he broke the kiss, he whispered, “We’ll talk about us when this is over. I think I’ve known since we met you belonged to me. That kiss just proves it.” He kissed her again and broke it only when Zoey began with the gagging sounds of a typical teenager.
“Eww, do you need us to leave?” she teased them.
Skeeter looked over at her and grinned. “Maybe later, brat.” He turned back to Janice.
She cupped his face with her hands as well. “You be careful out there. She really wants you dead. If you want this to go to the next level, you better come back to me.”
Skeeter grinned. “I’ll be back, I won’t let that bitch win this game. Me and the Souls will win this round.” He looked at the three of them. “You just stay here and stay quiet. Do not come out, no matter what you hear.” He turned and left quickly, pulling the door closed behind him.
Janice turned the lock at his order and they all heard his footsteps as he walked away from them. She laid her head on the door as she whispered a prayer.
As Skeeter and Hayes stood on the front stoop, Skeeter turned to him and asked, “Can you feel it?”
“Oh yeah, she’s out there isn’t she? Just waiting and watching for the right time to make her move.”
Skeeter shivered but straightened his stance. “Oh yeah, I can almost smell her. All fire and brimstone. Such a cold hearted woman with no soul to speak of. Come on, let's go back in. I don’t want to give her a target to shoot at.”
They turned and went back inside then a few minutes later, the main lights went out. Everyone was in place, now all they needed was the main player.
It was about thirty minutes later, when the main door opened just enough for a shadow to slip inside. To the men waiting in the dark, they watched as she made her way across the main room and down the hall. No one dared breathe as she made her way through the room.
They could barely hear her footsteps to track her progress, so they didn’t know where she really was.
Rigger had told them he’d seen her heat signature walking around the outside of the compound, so she must have planned her route already.
She seemed to be heading toward the Infirmary first.
The silence was pulsing as they all waited for her first move.
A small cold hand reached for the doorknob and turned it to open the door.
Inside the room, the darkness was shattered by the dim light of a small lamp beside the bed where Calista laid.
Karen gasped softly upon actually seeing her and stepped inside the room.
Chapter Fifteen
Her eyes were focused on the figure on the bed. She hadn’t expected Calista to look the same as she had seventeen years ago. Damn, maybe she ought to take those drugs. She chuckled manically to herself. Though Calista had always been a beautiful young girl and that had been part of what had drawn Trace to her and not to Karen.
She stepped toward the bed and snarled. “You should already be dead, sweet Calista. Why are you still alive? After all I’ve done, you shouldn’t be breathing anymore.” She drew a knife from the backpack she carried. “Well, you won’t be for long. They always say if you want something done, you have to do it yourself.” She gripped the kni
fe tightly in her hand and stepped forward.
That was when Skeeter stepped out of the shadows. “Drop the fucking knife before I shoot you where you stand.” He growled and cocked the gun in his hand.
She twirled around, holding the knife out in front of her. “You!” She growled. “Why the hell are you still breathing?”
Skeeter stared at her. “Don’t you ever get tired of asking people that question?” He held his gun steady in his hand.
She didn’t even look at it, she stared at his face. “You got the little brat here too? Zoey? Is she here?” Karen asked.
“She’s here.” Skeeter nodded.
“And Mercy? Is that little bitch here too?”
“Yeah, she’s here as well.”
“Good.” Karen nodded, not taking her eyes off the man holding the gun. “Then they will both die after I kill Calista and finally take you down.”
Skeeter narrowed his eyes at her. “You won’t be walking out of here tonight. You know that right?”
Karen shrugged. “I may not, that has yet to be determined, but the real question is will you shoot me before I can kill her? Or will I take her to hell with me? Something I should have done a long time ago.”
She dove for the bed and Skeeter’s gun went off. The knife clattered to the floor but when Karen stopped, she was on the other side on the bed and she was holding a gun in her right hand. She hadn’t even screamed when the bullet pierced her body. Her left hand was hanging at her side. She’d been holding the knife in that hand and it was now dripping blood on the floor as his shot had pierced her wrist. The knife laid under the bed Calista was in.
Karen smiled as she aimed her weapon at Calista’s head. “I can use either hand with a gun or a knife.” She paused and smirked. “You lose, big guy.”