by Tillie Cole
The rider stopped and got off his bike, and a face I knew well came into view. “Crow?” I said, real fucking confused. He marched to me and saw Hush on the ground, Sia protecting him with her body like a shield.
“Thank fuck!” Crow blew out a breath. “Thought I was gonna find him dead.” He shook his head. “He almost made a good job of that with Titus.”
I felt my face drain of color. “What?”
“Marched into the club and threw a fist at the prez.” Crow shook his head in disbelief. “Then just let Titus kick the shit outta him. I pulled Hush away and took him to my place. I . . .” He gave me a weird look. “I’d found out some stuff about how his folks died.” He ran his hand down his face. “Should’ve known he wasn’t in the right mind to hear it. I was fucked. Before he got to the club we’d been drinking all fucking day. I went to bed, leaving him with all the information about his past. Woke a few hours ago to see him, and my truck, gone. I roughly remembered where he’d lived and rode like fuck to get here. Fucking rode past this place a few times before I worked out it was where he used to live.”
I glanced back at Hush. He was sitting up. But his eyes were still lost. Fucking devoid of any kind of life. That scared me more than anything. “It was his granddaddy,” Crow said. I snapped my head back to my old VP. “He’s who got the Klan to start the fire.” He came closer still, voice low. “Wanted him and his daddy dead.” Crow hesitated, eyed me weirdly, then said, “Your folks knew too, man. Weren’t closely involved . . . but they knew something was going down. Just thought you should know.”
Blood rushed through my ears like a flood. My hands shook at my side.
“Hush has a list of those who were here. Who lit the place up.” Crow’s words hung between us. I got was he was saying loud and clear. They wouldn’t be walking this earth much longer. Hangmen brother code. Crow pointed his thumb south. “There’s a motel in the next town over. Get your boy and . . .” He looked at Sia.
“Sia,” I said. “Our old lady.”
Crow nodded, but his dark eyes fixed on me, like he was trying to read something in my eyes. “She understand club life?”
I laughed, although there was fuck-all humor in it. “She’s Ky’s sister.”
Crow’s eyes widened in surprise and then fell to Sia, who was watching closely. I knew she could hear every word. “Ky has a sister? Since when?”
“Long story.”
“He know you’ve taken his sister as your bitch?”
“Yeah, he knows,” Sia spoke up. “And this bitch couldn’t give two shits about what her brother thinks about us.”
Crow smiled. A fucking rarity for the sadistic brother. “Now I see the family resemblance.” Crow put his hand on my shoulder. “I’m gonna do some scouting around. There’re a few pricks in this town that have grabbed my attention.” His hand went into his pocket. I knew he was playing with his dice. “Get to the motel. Get him cleaned up. I got some jeans and shit in the truck you can have. I’ll come by later.”
As he got back on his bike, I said, “Why you helping us? If Titus finds out, he’ll kill you.”
“I’ll let your brother fill you in.” Crow drove away. I went to Hush. I pulled him off the ground and slung his arm around my neck. Sia went to his other side, mirroring my action. I knew he didn’t wanna go, but it was tough shit. He did have a family. He had people who fucking loved him.
And it was about time he let that sink in. Because we weren’t going anywhere.
At least, not anywhere he wasn’t coming too.
*****
I held Hush up in the shower as Sia went in with him, cleaning the blood and mud and ash from his body. He was shaking, his legs struggling to keep him upright. I’d made him take his meds the minute we got into the motel room. Hush sagged in my arms as Sia cleaned him, following each stroke of the soapy washcloth with a kiss on the skin of wherever she’d just washed. It took longer than a normal shower would, but eventually he was clean enough to take out. His skin was cut and bruised, especially his ribs. I’d grabbed Crow’s spare clothes from the truck, and I put them on Hush; he and Crow were a similar size. I laid him on the bed and Sia lay next to him. Hush’s eyes were shut in an instant. The brother reeked of whiskey. He needed to sleep.
“I’m gonna get us food,” I announced as Sia cuddled up beside him. The brother might have been fighting this—being with us, with Sia—with everything he had, but his body knew better. As Sia pressed into his side, his arm came around her and pulled her closer. His lips were on her forehead, and I watched as the bitch smiled, shutting her eyes and going to sleep too.
I stared at them for a while. Two people who’d had nothing but shit in their lives. Sia, who longed for someone—or some people—to love her. And Hush, who chased everyone away because all he’d ever seen was two people in love get destroyed because folks thought they’d chosen wrong.
I saw the parallels. Three of us. A mix of white and black. Two men and one woman. Plenty of folk would have an issue with us, for more than just the color of our skin. I couldn’t bring myself to care. But I knew he would. The brother had earned the right to just be fucking happy. Not to battle with dickheads who felt it was their God-given right to judge people for who they loved.
Sighing, I slipped through the door, locking it behind me. I blinked to see my Chopper sitting out front. I knew that somehow Crow had done it. Needing to feel the wind against my face, I chose my bike over the truck and just fucking rode. I rode for a fucking age before I dropped in at a burger bar. I took the food back to the motel.
As I walked through the door, I froze. Hush was awake, staring at Sia as he stroked her long blond hair. He turned to look at me, and I met his eyes. Last time they were blank and vacant. Now they were filled with so much fucking pain and anger and sadness, all rolled into one, that I wondered how he hadn’t broken apart before now.
“In the truck.” He pointed outside. I didn’t know what he meant, but I put down the food and went out to the truck anyhow. I searched the cabin until I found the folder stuffed into the glove compartment. I took it back inside. Hush hadn’t moved.
I sat down at the desk and started pawing through it. I never knew a person could feel so much rage and hatred as I turned over and read every page . . . studied every picture. By the time I read the section about my parents, I wanted to fucking rip something—or someone—the fuck apart. They were told by Moreau to get me away from Hush that night. Didn’t fucking question it. Just followed like the fucking devout fuckers they were.
Cunts.
I got to my feet and pushed my hands through my hair, gripping the strands and almost tearing them from my fucking scalp.
When I could breathe again, Hush met my eyes. His shoulders sagged and he looked away, toward the window. The curtains were closed. He was looking at nothing. I took the food over to him. “Eat.” Hush looked like he was gonna argue, but he needed to eat. For his epilepsy. Thankfully, Hush took the burger and fries from me and started to eat.
Sia woke up and smiled at Hush, then me. Hush stroked her hair again before kissing her lips. Sia ate her food in silence. We all did. When everything was eaten, I lay on the bed behind her. Her hand was on Hush’s chest, her fingertips running over his tattoos.
Hush was the first to speak. “I’ll never understand why anyone cares who anyone loves.” Sia tensed under my arm. I held her tighter. Hush’s voice was almost gone, too much stress over the past few days stripping him of energy and sound.
“Hush,” Sia soothed and went to put her hand on his cheek.
Hush put his hand on hers to stop her. “I don’t want a life for you where you’re judged for being with me. It might not happen today or tomorrow, but someone somewhere will say something, one day. It might even be more than words. I . . .” He shook his head. “I can’t do it to you both.”
“The world is changing,” Sia argued.
“Not quick enough.”
“Then we’ll create a world of our own,” she s
aid defiantly and got to her knees, facing him. Hush’s sad eyes dropped to her, and she gripped his hand.
Then she gripped mine.
“In our home. It’ll be our world. We won’t have to give a shit about those outside. I love you both so fucking much.” She met Hush’s gaze. “Do you know that?”
“Yeah,” Hush said, voice breaking.
Sia’s face relaxed and her shoulders dropped. She leaned forward and kissed his bruised lips. He pulled back, forehead to hers. “You have family,” she whispered. She brought my hand to her lips. “We are a family.” She let out a breath. “The club . . .” She hesitated, then reluctantly added, “They’re our family too.” She ran her hand down Hush’s face. “You’re not alone. But you have to let us in.” A smile spread across her lips. “I know you’re ‘Hush.’ Your road name suits you, because you haven’t ever opened up to me, let me get close.” She looked at me, then back at Hush. “I’m not even sure you’ve truly let Cowboy in either.”
He hadn’t. Not completely.
“For years I’ve been waiting to wake up one day to you gone,” I said. Hush didn’t look at me. His eyes became lost as he stared unseeing at the sheets. “I always knew there was a part of you that’s closed off. Never dealt with . . .” I hated saying this, but . . . “your parents. How they died.” I looked him square in the eyes, until he had no choice but to return my gaze. “It wasn’t your fault, Val. The actions of those racist pricks could never be laid at your feet. Victims are never responsible for their own murders. It’s the evil fucks who ended them who are responsible.” I took his hand and fucking squeezed. “It’s time you forgave yourself. Because the way I see it, we got a real fucking good life ahead of us.” I smiled. “We just have to take it.”
Sia nestled closer to his side. “I don’t care what anyone thinks of us. Even my own brother. I want this . . . I want this so much it hurts.” She kissed his wounded ribs. “I need this . . . I never knew how much until we thought we’d lost you.” She lifted herself up on to her elbow. “Why does it matter what it looks like, or who it involves? If it’s love, we should grab it with both hands.” Her eyes lowered. “I have no parents. You’re alone too, Hush.” She kissed my fingers. “And you, Cowboy, are the light that chases away the deepest darkness within us when it begins to creep in.”
Hush was silent for so long, I thought he would argue. But then he looked at me. “I have to let this go,” he acknowledged, and I saw his face crumble. He ducked his head. “It’s suffocating. I can’t . . . I can’t breathe with it weighing so heavily on me.” When he looked up again, I knew what he wanted.
He needed revenge on those sick fucks that took away his family.
I nodded. He knew I was gonna be right by his side.
We lay back down in silence, until there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find Crow. He came into the room, and Sia got up from the bed. “I’m gonna take a bath,” she said.
“You tell him?” Crow asked Hush. Hush shook his head and then told me about Crow’s suspicions regarding Titus.
“Whatever you need,” I said to Crow. “Whatever it takes to bring that cunt to justice.”
Crow slapped me on the back. “So? When are you paying good ole Granddaddy a visit?”
I looked to Hush. He shuffled off the bed. I could see the anger and determination settling on his face. “Tonight,” Hush said. I nodded. “Then we get the others.”
Crow shook his head. “Nah, brother. I got them.” A spark lit in his eyes that only he ever carried. Never knew someone who got such a fucking buzz from killing as Crow . . . except maybe Flame. Those two together would be like something from a fucking slasher movie.
“They’re mine to take care of,” Hush argued.
“You get the puppet master. Leave his puppets to me,” Crow said. Hush shook his head. “We’re family, Hush.” Hush’s eyes widened and his lips parted. I don’t think in all the years we’d been with the Hangmen, he’d ever let himself truly feel like they were our family. Titus’s shit hadn’t helped. And now Ky was threatening our patches over Sia. But even though all that was a ball-ache, the Hangmen were our family. Hush hadn’t ever been alone. I’d always been there, but more, so had his brothers . . . brothers he had never let in.
It was time for him to start.
“You go on a murder spree and you risk getting caught.” Crow held up his cell. “I got reinforcements coming. You get Granddaddy. We’ll clean up.” He smiled the most fucked-up smile I’d ever seen. “Then Hades’ dice and me, we’ll go have us some fun . . .”
“Okay,” Hush agreed finally. I saw something, some never-before-seen expression, settle over his face. Acceptance. And maybe a bit of relief.
Crow got to his feet. “I’ll be waiting for your call.” He left the motel room, and Sia came out of the bathroom. Worry was written across her face. I knew she’d been listening.
“We need to go out for a while,” I stated. Sia nodded. Hush got off the bed and kissed Sia on the mouth. He threw on his cut, then I walked to Sia. Her eyes were pleading us to come back safe. “We’ll be back soon, cher,” I assured her and kissed her lips.
I opened the door, Hush following behind, when he stopped suddenly and turned to Sia. “I’m called Hush not because I’m quiet, but because I was a ‘hush’ baby. Nobody wanted me.” He smiled, but it was strained. “Except my parents. The rest of my family refused to acknowledge my very existence.”
Sia stayed rooted to the spot, but her eyes shone. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for letting me in.” Hush sighed, and I saw another brick from his high walls fall down to earth.
As we got in Crow’s truck, I knew that after tonight an entire section of wall would turn into rubble. Hush blew out a breath and then nodded. Taking that as my signal, I pulled out of the motel parking lot and headed for the Moreaus’.
Granddaddy Moreau had an appointment to keep with Hades.
*****
The gate to the grand estate was open as we killed the lights and slowly made our way down the road to the mansion. I kept my eyes peeled for groundsmen, security, whoever the fuck else they might have hired. But there was nothing. I could see Hush looking for the same thing. The brother kept checking his Glock and the knife in his boot, waiting for someone to come at us. Question us. Anything.
When we tucked the truck under the cover of some trees, the place seemingly a ghost town, I uttered a one-word explanation: “Crow.” Hush nodded, staring at the big white mansion. He blew out a breath. “You good?” I asked.
“She grew up here.” Hush pointed to the house. He shook his head. “How could she have been happy at our shack of a home?”
“Because she had you and your papa.” I looked at the white columns and wraparound porch. “I knew your granddaddy,” I said. I remembered the many dinners at this place. The stuffy attitudes, the racist talk . . . and how his grandmother was always silent. Hush had more in common with her than he might have known.
“You ready?” I asked, conscious about being here too long. Crow could only keep people away for so long. One call to the police and they’d be crawling all over this place in seconds. Hush’s opening of the truck door was all the answer I needed. He was limping, leaning to the side due to the pain from his ribs. But there was steely determination in his eyes. Hell, with the fire looking back at me, he could have passed for Hades himself.
I walked next to Hush as we climbed the steps and burst through the front door. The minute we walked through there, we weren’t Hush and Cowboy, we were Aubin and Valan, here to do what should have been done years ago.
The house looked like a museum as we walked through the hallways. Until we rounded the corner to the library . . . and found old Mr. Moreau sitting behind his desk. He looked startled when we filled up the doorway, standing side by side. His eyes widened. He tried to press something under his desk—an alarm maybe? But no sound came.
I had a fucking lot to thank Crow for.
I smiled and stepped
forward. Hush was frozen to the spot. “Mr. Moreau.” I sat on the chair opposite him and kicked my feet up on the desk. “You remember me?”
He stared at me awhile, then his mouth dropped open. “Aubin Breaux?”
I tipped the front of my Stetson. “At your service.”
Then his eyes slammed to Hush, standing tall behind me. The old man swallowed. “And I’m the abomination,” Hush said coldly. He strutted forward to stand by my side.
I kept my eyes on Moreau’s hand, just in case he tried to go for his gun. As expected, his hand disappeared underneath the desk. I pulled out my gun and aimed it right at the fucker’s head. “Hands where I can see them, prick.” When he didn’t do as I demanded, I clicked off the safety. His hands flattened on the desk in an instant. “Val?” I called, giving Hush the floor.
Hush didn’t waste time. Just got right to the fucking point. “You ordered the death of my papa and me from your Klan friends.” Moreau paled, but the bastard kept his head high. He didn’t speak. He couldn’t deny it. “But you killed her instead. Killed them both for being in love.”
Moreau cracked, his jaw tensing. “She brought shame upon this family,” he hissed. “Never, in three hundred years, had this family been polluted, then she brings home him.” The look Moreau gave Hush was laced with disgust. “And then they had you.” He laughed. “She wasn’t even biologically mine, but she was the perfect Aryan and carried my name. She was ruined by that man you call a father.” He sat back in his seat. “You were meant to be there, not her. I wanted her away from your father’s influence, from you.” He shrugged. “But in hindsight, I realize it wouldn’t have helped.” A cold fucking glint of victory flared in his eyes. “I now count it as a happy mistake that she died too. The shame on the Moreau name died with her.”
One second his lips were moving. The next, a gunshot sounded and a bullet raced between his eyes. I swung my feet back to the floor as blood pooled along the desk. When I stood, Hush was staring down at his dead granddaddy. He let out a quick breath, then looked at me. His eyes were wide. I was about to speak when I heard a gasp from the doorway.