by Lilly Atlas
Within seconds, Shell’s breathing evened, and she stopped exploring him.
Sleep didn’t come as quickly for Copper. Once she was out, and the room was quiet, there was nothing left to distract him from thoughts of his brother.
Of his fucking psychopathic rapist of a brother.
After hours of sifting through past memories, trying to find a clue he’d missed, a hint he should have picked up on, anything he could use to punish himself for allowing Shell to be used by Rusty, he gave up. Eventually, he fell into a fitful sleep even Shell’s soft weight and trust in him couldn’t calm.
The following morning, after waking to Shell’s hot mouth on his cock then watching her come twice before leaving the bed, he drove her to pick up Beth then to work. With Rusty in the wind, he wasn’t thrilled about the idea of Shell running around town by herself. Of course, he’d allowed it all week, something else to kick himself over.
Surprisingly, she didn’t put up a fight. Just kissed him and climbed into the passenger seat of her old beater.
Now that she was officially his woman, he’d be getting her a better car. She couldn’t call it charity anymore. Now it was just a gift for his woman.
Fuck, he’d wasted so damn much time.
After he dropped her off, he drove her car back to her house to pick up his bike. Halfway to the clubhouse, his phone rang through the Bluetooth in his helmet.
“What?” he barked after answering.
“It’s me.”
Rusty.
Copper slowed then rolled to a stop in the shoulder of the quiet country road. Shit, he had to play this just right. “Where you been, brother? Whole club’s been out looking for you.”
“You worried about me, Cop?” Rusty’s voice was heavy with disbelief.
“Of course. You lit outta there last week like your ass was on fucking fire. The fuck you been?”
“Yeah, well, wanted to give you space. Wasn’t sure where your head would be at. What’d your ol’ lady say about me?”
And here’s where Copper had to be ultra-cautious. With a snort, he said, “Not a fucking thing. You think I wanna talk to that lying bitch?” The bullshit words turned his stomach.
“You ain’t with her no more?” A note of hope rang out in Rusty’s voice.
“Fuck no. You think I wanna keep fucking a woman who had my brother’s fucking kid? Didn’t call her a lying bitch for nothing.” As he spoke, Copper stared at the sky. Hopefully, the universe recognized it was all horseshit. “Why don’t you come on back to the clubhouse. Have a drink. We’ll sort shit out.”
Rusty was silent for a few moments. “What about the garbage she and Izzy were spewing in your office?”
“That shit about you stealing the money? Come on, Rust. I ain’t a fucking fool, okay. Sure, she might have played me for one, but it usually takes more than a pretty face and a wet pussy to fool me. You came back, she was feeling the fucking heat. It was a good story. I’m ashamed to say it mighta worked if you hadn’t exposed her lies. But I don’t believe a fucking word of it. Just sorry she kept news of your daughter from you.”
Rusty barked out a laugh. “Like I want to be a daddy to a fucking rug rat. We just gotta find a way to keep her from coming after me for cash. I ain’t paying a dime to that slut. Shit, Cop, she was all over me back in the day. Couldn’t get enough of my dick. Now the greedy bitch goes after you? I’m at that overlook we used to drink at when we first moved here. Got a bottle of jack. Meet me?”
He was gonna have to put a call into his dentist because he was pretty sure he cracked a damn tooth working to keep the hatred in his mouth. God damned piece of shit trying to play it off as Shell’s fault. Now that his eyes were finally open, he didn’t believe a word outta Rusty’s two-faced, thieving mouth.
Would he have believed it three days ago, before he talked to Shell? Didn’t really matter now. But the shame of the way he shunned Shell after hearing Rusty’s news would hang from his neck forever.
“Yeah, I’m ten minutes from you.”
“See ya, bro,” Rusty said sounding much more upbeat than he’d been moments ago. He could almost be called fucking giddy.
The ten-minute drive only took him eight. Copper dismounted after cutting his engine in the clearing used by tourists as a scenic overlook. He had to admit the view was breathtaking. Sometimes, living surrounded by such gorgeous sights, it became easy to take it for granted. He paused and breathed in the fresh mountain air.
Maybe he’d bring Shell and Beth here for a picnic after the dust settled.
“Rust?” he called, looking around. His brother’s truck was there, but no sign of the man himself. “Where the fuck are you, brother?”
He gave one last look at the mountain view then turned around before calling, “Rusty!” again.
“Right here.” The sound came from directly behind him. Before he had the chance to turn, a bone-crushing pain cracked across his right shin.
His knees buckled, and he hit the ground like a stone. “Fuck,” he cried as instinct kicked in and he curled around the throbbing shin. Glancing up, he squinted against the blinding sun. “What the fuck?” Rusty stood over him, a baseball bat slung over his shoulder like a lumberjack with an ax.
Each time his heart beat, pulsing blood through the arteries in his legs, the injured shin throbbed with a ferocious pain. Fuck, if that leg wasn’t broken, he’d eat that fucking bat.
“Hey, brother,” Rusty said with a grin that had the hair on Copper’s neck standing on end.
“Why?” It was the only word he could think to say at that moment.
“You think you’re so untouchable. Leader of the pack. Always acting like you’re better than me. Lording your authority over me. Acting like you’re my fucking father. Who’s got the power now, asshole?”
Jesus. He’d heard from Shell how much hatred Rusty had for him, and he’d believed her words, but experiencing the vehemence firsthand was shocking. All his life, he’d tried his damnedest to do right by Rusty. His failure was monumental.
“I only wanted what was best for you, Rusty.”
“Bullshit. All you wanted was to be better than me.” He spat on the ground next to Copper’s head. “Not better now, are you?”
Never once, in his entire life had Copper considered himself above Rusty. Sadness swamped him. Would Rusty have turned out another way if Copper had raised him differently? Was this just who Rusty was, a narcissistic sociopath? Or had Copper made him? His gut told him Rusty was who he was. Like Toni said, not everyone with a difficult upbringing turned into a monster. In fact, most didn’t. “So this is how it’s gonna be, Rust?” Copper asked. He rolled to his back and propped on his elbows. No chance in hell of standing on that leg.
His blood brother shrugged. “Nah. This is how it’s gonna be.”
Before Copper had a chance to react that cryptic statement, a size twelve biker boot careened toward his face. Rusty’s boot made contact against the side of Copper’s head with an audible crack. Seconds before his skull collided with the rocky ground, Copper had one thought. Shell was going to lose her shit when he didn’t show at the diner.
The pain in his head made it impossible to fight the inevitable. The sound of Rusty’s laughter penetrated the looming fog of unconsciousness.
Copper was fucked. He hadn’t told a damn soul where he was going. His brothers were smart fuckers though.
Someone would find him.
As long as Rusty left something to find.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“EGG WHITE OMELET?” Shell asked Izzy. At least three days a week Izzy ate at the diner, and always had an egg white omelet with spinach, tomatoes, and a side of fresh fruit.
Boooring.
But it could explain why Izzy looked like some kind of goddess whereas Shell still hadn’t returned to her pre-baby weight over four years later.
Such is life.
“Nah, not today. I’m going to have the cinnamon roll waffles with bacon. No…sausage. No…ba
con. Actually, I’ll take the bacon, but can I have an extra side of sausage?”
Shell blinked, and across the booth from Izzy, Stephanie snorted out a laugh. The death-glare Izzy shot her had Shell laughing as well. After picking up her butter knife, Izzy pointed it at Steph. “You, shut it.” Then she swung the blunt weapon in Shell’s direction. “And you! You’ve had a child, you should empathize with me. Buncha bitches,” Izzy muttered.
Shell rolled her lips inward and did her best to squash her laughter. After she had herself under control, she patted Izzy’s back. “I’m sorry, honey. You’re very right, I should be more understanding. I remember how insatiable I was all the time.”
Izzy bobbed her eyebrows, snit long gone. “I’m insatiable in other ways too.”
Stephanie’s hands flew into the air. “And that’s all we need to hear about that, folks. Shell, I’ll have her egg white omelet.”
“Hey!” The knife was back and pointing at Steph again. “I had to see your man’s scrawny ass last week and don’t tell me it wasn’t plowing his dick into you. Granted I didn’t see you because my eyeballs melted out of my face as soon as I realized what was going on.”
Steph gave them a sheepish smile as her face turned pink.
“Where were they?” Shell asked. Those two crazy exhibitionists.
“Hood of Steph’s car. Saw them when Jig and I were leaving the clubhouse three days ago.” She shuddered. “Trust me, Mav’s pasty ass is not a sight you want to see.”
Steph rolled her eyes and Shell wanted to laugh. Their friend was unapologetic about the fact that she and her ol’ man liked to get it on out in the wide-open world. “His ass is not pasty…it’s inked.”
The three of them dissolved into giggles.
“Now wait a second,” Steph said waving a hand in Shell’s direction. “What’s going on with you? You’re looking kinda floaty.”
Shell cocked her hip and set the heavy coffee pot down on the table. “Floaty? How does one look floaty?” Thankfully the diner wasn’t busy so she could shoot the shit with her friends for a few moments.
“You know,” Steph said, waving her hands about. “Like you’re floating around the room.”
“Yeah,” Izzy added. “Because you got a got a big dick in ya, and your feet can’t reach the ground.”
Both women stared at Izzy. “What?”
Steph cracked up. “That doesn’t even make sense.”
Izzy shrugged. “Sure it does. Shell knows.”
“You’re ridiculous,” Shell said, but she was pretty sure her face was the color of the tomato going in Steph’s omelet.
“Take it you patched things up with Copper?” Izzy asked. She sipped her decaf coffee then scowled at the mug.
“Yeah. He came over last night. I spilled my guts. He believed me, and—”
“Of course he believed you,” Steph cut in. “I think what happened the other day was just shock. Couldn’t have been easy for him to have a bomb like that dropped on him. He reacted like an ass, but we all know Copper doesn’t usually flip his shit.”
“Yeah.” Shell dropped into the booth beside Izzy. Might as well enjoy a hot minute off her aching feet. “It’ll take us both some time to get used to living with the knowledge of my past, but we’re going to give it a serious go.”
“You feel comfortable sharing what happened with your sisters?” Steph asked. Nothing but sincerity and concern radiated from here. This wasn’t some gossipy interest in the past, this was her family truly wanting to support her and know her.
“Yeah, but I don’t want to say it too many times. The story isn’t exactly a fairy tale. Girl’s night next weekend? My house.”
“You’re on,” Izzy said.
“’Kay, great.” She rose from the booth. “Let me get your orders in before mommy badass starts gnawing on your arm, Steph.”
“Funny.” Izzy hooked a finger in the handle of Stephanie’s coffee mug and started to slowly drag it to her side of the booth. “See if I name my baby girl Michelle.”
With a scowl, Steph slapped Izzy’s hand away. “Unhand my caffeine.”
“Oh my God,” Shell said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “You found out it’s a girl? Wait…it’s way too early to know it’s a girl.”
“Oh, it’s a girl,” Izzy said. “I refuse to birth a penis.”
Shell was still chuckling minutes later when she moved on to her other tables. The women were the heart of the MC. And quite possibly the backbone. Each strong and kickass in their own right, Shell couldn’t ask for better sisters. And that’s what they were. Maybe not by blood, but sisters just the same.
Four hours later, Shell sat on a bench outside the diner frowning at her phone. It was ten to three, and all the other employees were long gone. Toni hadn’t even been in, taking a rare personal day to hang with her man. Apparently, Louie had gone missing, and Zach had been a raving lunatic for the past few days. Toni was hoping to sex him into a better mood before she took him to buy a new baseball bat. Though Zach swore he didn’t need one. He was convinced Louie would turn up somewhere. Toni’s theory was someone from the gym swiped it from Zach’s office.
Wouldn’t want to be that poor schmuck once Zach caught wind of them.
Shell’s shift ended at two, though Copper promised to swing by around one thirty. Over an hour late was definitely not like him. Especially without so much as a text message. He wasn’t answering her calls either. Shell was officially worried. Time to call in reinforcements.
She pulled out her phone and gave Zach a ring.
“Hey, sweetie, what’s up?” he asked after the first ring.
“Hi, Zach, I’m really sorry to bother you, but have you seen Copper? He was supposed to meet me around one thirty, and he never showed. Not answering his phone either. I’m guessing he just forgot, but you know I’m a worrier.”
“Sweetie, he’s not here. Hasn’t been here all morning.”
“What?” Her stomach sank. “He dropped me at work and was going to swing back by my house to get his bike then go straight to the clubhouse. I think he even had a meeting with Jig.”
“Fuck, yeah he did. Never showed for the meeting. Jig assumed you guys were spending the morning fu—uh making up.”
Oh, my God, he hadn’t made it to the clubhouse. Visions of Copper lying bloody in a ditch on the side of the road danced through her mind. “Well, shit, Z, where is he?” A note of hysteria tinged her voice. “I’m going to drive around and look for him.”
“No!” Zach yelled through the phone. “Don’t leave the diner.” Then there was some muffled mumbling. “Screw and I are on our way there. Mav and LJ are gonna head out and drive the route to your house. Gonna call Rocket too. See if he can get some of his crazy contacts to track Cop’s phone. You do not move that ass one step away from the diner, you hear me?”
Being idle while someone she loved was potentially in danger went against every fiber of her being, but she understood Zach’s concern. “I-I hear you. I’ll be here when you get here. Just please hurry.” She ended the call without waiting for more.
There was no point in driving around aimlessly. They needed a plan and would come up with a good one together. And that was what she was telling herself to keep from full-on freaking out.
Zach and Screw, who it seemed was being groomed to be assistant enforcer, made record time. Thunder was with them, driving her car.
Heart pounding, Shell rushed to their idling bikes. “Anything? What did Rocket say? Can he trace the phone? What about Mav? Did they find Copper? Is he okay?”
“Shhh, sweetie come here.” Zach snagged her around the shoulders and drew her in for a hug. “No news yet. I can’t get a hold of Rocket, but we’ll find your man. I promise you. Then Copper will have Rocket’s ass. This is the second time he’s been out of reach lately.”
With a nod, Shell swallowed her fear and said, “What can I do to help?”
After giving her a quick squeeze, Zach released her. “Head on back to the cl
ubhouse. The rest of the ladies are making their way in. Toni will grab Beth for you and meet you there.”
“Oh no.” She shook her head. “No way am I sitting this out.”
“Shell…” Zach’s tone took on the hard edge all the bikers seemed to master. Especially when ordering their women around.
“No, Zach. That’s my ol’ man out there. Give me something to do besides sit on my ass and wait for the big strong men to find him.”
“I’ll ride with her.” Screw piped in for the first time. “We can run my route together.”
Zach leveled her with a look that had a chill racing down her spine.
Yikes.
In all the years she’d known the Handler’s enforcer, she hadn’t actually experienced him in the role. And she kinda hoped to never see it again. Because the man with the perfectly styled hair and pretty face was downright scary when in business mode. No wonder he held the title.
“Listen to me and listen good, Shell. I’ll let you tag along with Screw on one condition. You do every damn thing he tells you. No lip, no sass, no questions, no fucking thinking on your own. Just yes sir, no matter what. You hear me?”
Shell swallowed and nodded. Probably a good time to ignore the fact that she took offense to him saying he was letting her tag along. “I hear you.”
“Swear to fucking Christ, Shell, Screw tells me you’re giving him trouble and I’ll hogtie you and dump you at the clubhouse. Then I’ll make sure Copper blisters your ass after we find him.”
“I get it, Zach.”
He folded his arms and continued glaring at her in a way that made her want to cower in the corner. Poor Toni. How could she ever win an argument against this version of Zach?
“You got any idea what Copper will do to me if something happens to you on my watch?”
“Z!” she shouted. “I get it. Now let’s stop wasting time and find my man.”
A toothy smile overtook Zach’s face. “Damn, sounds good to hear you calling the prez your man.”
Shell rolled her eye and threw her hands up in the air as she stomped toward her car. “You coming?” she called over her shoulder to Screw.