by Wilder, L.
Once he regained his footing, he charged at me again, this time slamming his shoulder into my chest as he pinned me against the wall. Even though I’d grown bigger and much stronger over the past few years, he still had a good hundred pounds on me, making it difficult to break free from his hold. “I don’t know why I didn’t end you a long time ago.”
With his hand clenched firmly into a fist, he nailed me in the ribs, over and over again. He had me in a position where I could barely move, so I did the only thing I could. I reared back and crashed my head right into his nose, causing him to flail back. When his hands reached up for his nose, I rushed towards him, wrapping my arms around his waist as I tried to tackle him to the ground, but my efforts were in vain. I couldn’t get him off his feet, and in a matter of seconds, he was back on me. Hoping that she might be able to help, Michele came up behind him, tugging at his arm, as she cried, “Please, just stop. Leave him alone.”
Ridley threw up his arm, shoving her out of the way. She stumbled, and with her hands extended in my direction, she fell backwards, hitting her head firmly against her bedside table before collapsing on the floor. There was something about the way her body fell limp that didn’t seem right, and I knew I had to get to her. Once I broke from Ridley’s grasp, I rushed over to Michele. Her eyes were open, but she didn’t acknowledge me as knelt down beside her. I reached for her, but stopped when I saw the blood pooling around her head. My heart started pounding in my chest so loudly that I couldn’t hear anything else. I knew it was bad, but I just couldn’t make myself believe it. I gently shook her, hoping for some kind of response, but got nothing.
She was gone.
CHAPTER 18
Alex
After spending several days at the clubhouse, I realized that there was a great deal more to the brothers of Satan’s Fury than just the crazy rumors I’d heard. If they were, in fact, vicious killers who were doing unspeakable things, they certainly had me fooled. I knew they had their secrets, that they did some unspeakable things, but from what I could tell, they seemed like good, decent men who put their brotherhood above all else. Even though my father was causing the club all kinds of trouble, they’d been nothing but kind to me. Each and every one of the brothers made me feel welcome and part of their family.
During the day, most of them were busy dealing with club stuff, but during those brief moments I’d shared with them at breakfast or dinner, I’d enjoyed getting to know each of their different personalities, including Shadow’s. The more I was around him, the more I understood my initial attraction towards him. While he was often quiet and reserved, it was the little things he would do that showed his compassionate side. Not only was he thoughtful of me, he never hesitated when one of his brothers came to him for help, and even though he didn’t cut up like Gunner and T-Bone, there was a softer side to him—a side that I’d come to love. He seemed to sense when I was feeling uncomfortable or out of place, and he’d place his hand on my thigh or give my hand a light squeeze, letting me know that he was right there with me.
The more time I spent with the brothers and their ol’ ladies, the more comfortable I became with all of them, including the club girls who were clearly surprised by my presence. I chose to ignore their questionable stares and spent my time watching the dynamic between the brothers. It gave me a much needed distraction from the anxious feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. I enjoyed those moments of reprieve, because when I was alone, I became consumed with worry. I’d find myself thinking about my father and just how far he’d go to find me. Those thoughts terrified me, and I wasn’t alone. Shadow was also concerned.
While he hadn’t actually said the words, I could see it in his eyes whenever he looked at me. I wanted to ease his mind and assure him that everything would be okay, but there was no way I could know how things would turn out, especially when it came to my father. I knew the club was planning to use my help to get to him, but I had no idea what they had planned. They’d put everything on hold until they’d returned from their trip to Louisiana. The not knowing what was to come was difficult, but I tried to have faith that they would figure things out. I wanted to talk to Shadow about it, but knowing he was totally against me being involved, I decided to leave it alone. I thought I would let him deal with his doubts on his own, but I changed my mind when he started having another horrible nightmare. Like the night before, he hadn’t been sleeping long when he started mumbling in his sleep. While I couldn’t make out what he was saying, it was clear that he was distraught. Sweat started to bead across his forehead as he thrashed from side to side, and when I tried to wake him, he became even more agitated.
“Mason! Wake up,” I whispered as I nudged his side. When that didn’t work, I shook him a little harder and said his name a little loud. “Mason! You’re having a nightmare. Wake up!”
He gasped as he sat up in the bed, and when he finally opened his eyes, he let out a deep breath. After a moment of gathering his senses, he finally turned to me and said, “I’m sorry. I thought they’d stopped.”
“You thought what had stopped?”
“Nothing,” he answered as he laid his head back down on the pillow. “It was nothing.”
“That wasn’t nothing, Mason.”
“It was just a dream.”
“But …” I started, but stopped when he threw the covers back and got out of bed. When he started putting on his clothes, I asked, “Where are you going?”
“You know we have the run today. We’ll be heading out soon.”
I glanced over at the clock, and when I noticed that it was only four-thirty in the morning, I said, “But it’s so early.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.” I could tell he was becoming aggravated when he snapped, “I’ve got shit to do.”
“You tell me what the hell is really going on with you.” I eased off the bed and walked over to him. “I know this thing with my father and me is bothering you, but you haven’t talked to me about it. I feel like you’re shutting me out, and I don’t know what to do about it.”
As he pulled his shirt over his head, he answered, “I’m not shutting you out, Alex.”
“Then, talk to me. Tell me about the nightmares.”
“You. You’re the only thing that’s on my mind,” he snapped. “Every minute of every fucking day, it’s you.”
I stepped towards him, and as I placed the palms of my hand on his chest, I told him, “I know you are worried about the club using me to get close to my father, but I trust them and most of all, I trust you. Together, you will find a way to make this work. You’ll see.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Alex.”
“I know that. You just have to believe.”
He leaned towards me and kissed me lightly on the forehead before he said, “I’ve gotta get going.”
“If this thing us between is going to work, you can’t keep shutting me out. You have to find a way to talk to me.”
“I will, but not today. I’ve gotta go.”
“Fine.” As he started towards the door, I told him, “Be careful.”
“Always.”
He closed the door behind him, leaving me alone once again. Since it was still so early, I crawled back into bed and tried to go back to sleep. After a great deal of tossing and turning, I finally managed to doze off. Several hours later, I woke up to the sun trickling in through the curtains. I glanced over at the clock and saw that it was almost eight. I stayed there for several more minutes, but when my stomach started to growl, I eased out of bed and started to get dressed. I’d just gotten on my clothes when I heard someone knocking. I opened the door and found Riggs standing in the hall with my laptop and a cell phone. “I thought you might need these. I transferred all of your contacts to the burner, so you are all set.”
As he handed them over to me, I said, “So, they’re safe to use now?”
“Yep, you’re all good. Just be careful about who you call and what you say. You don’t want to take any chance
s.”
“Okay. I will. Thank you so much!”
“No problem.”
When he turned to leave, I asked, “You aren’t going with the others?”
“Yeah, we’re just about to leave now.”
“Oh … umm … have you seen Shadow?”
It was obvious from his expression that my question had caught him off guard. “No, but I’m sure he’s just been getting ready for the run. You want me to let him know that you’re looking for him?”
“No. That’s not necessary. I was just curious.”
“All right then. I’ll see ya when we get back.”
“Okay. I hope it goes well.”
When he turned to leave, I closed the door, then took my laptop over to Shadow’s desk and turned it on. I tried to log into my email, but when I realized that my account had been deleted, I closed it and reached for the cell phone Riggs had given me. I scrolled through the contacts that had been added, and stopped when I came across Jason’s name. As I sat there staring at his number, I was overcome with guilt. I hadn’t spoken to him in days, and knowing he must be worried, I dialed his number. It rang several times before he finally answered, “Hello?”
“Hey, Jason. It’s me, Alex.”
“What the fuck, Alex? Where are you?” he roared.
“I … uh.” I hadn’t actually thought things through and struggled to find the right words to say to him. “I had to go out of town for a few days.”
“You should’ve called and told me something! I didn’t know what to think. Hell, I was about to contact the police!”
“I’m really sorry. Things got really hectic, and I forgot to call.”
“Whose phone number is this? I’ve been calling yours for days and haven’t been able to get anything but your voicemail.”
“I lost mine and had to get a new one.”
“Well, are you okay? I’ve been going out of my mind worrying about you.”
“Yes. I’m fine. I’m really sorry that I worried you, but an emergency came up and I had to leave unexpectedly.”
I could hear the concern in his voice when he asked, “What kind of emergency?”
“Just a family thing … I’ll explain it all to you later. I just wanted to let you know that I was okay.”
“When are you coming back?”
“I’m not sure just yet. I’ll call you when I figure things out.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“No. This is something I have to do on my own.”
“Are you sure? What about the bookstore?”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do about that. For now, I will just have to keep it closed. I don’t have any other choice.”
“Why do I get the feeling you aren’t telling me something?” he pushed.
“Because you are a worry-wart who always assumes the worst. I’ll be fine, and as soon as I get back, I’ll explain everything.”
“What about …”
Before he could finish his question, I said, “Jason, I’ve really got to go. I’ll be in touch when I can.”
I hated being so cryptic, but the last thing I wanted was for him to get involved in this mess with my father. I had no choice but to hang up the phone and pray that he wouldn’t do anything stupid. As I sat there going over everything in my head, I felt my stomach rumble with hunger. While I didn’t have much of an appetite, I knew I needed to get something to eat, so I put my phone down and headed to the kitchen to find something to settle my stomach. On most mornings, you could hear the guys bantering back and forth as they ate their breakfast, but it was oddly quiet as I stepped into the kitchen. After I made myself a bowl of cereal, I went over to the table and sat down. I’d just started eating when I heard someone walk in. I turned and saw a beautiful brunette wearing hospital scrubs covered in bright colored balloons coming towards me.
She smiled as she said, “Hey! You must be, Alex.”
“I am.” I returned her smile as I replied, “And you must be Blaze’s fiancé.”
“That I am.” She extended her hand to me as she said, “My name’s Kenedee. It’s great to finally meet you.”
As I shook her hand, I couldn’t help but stare. She was quite beautiful, and with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she looked so young and innocent, making me wonder how a woman like her ended up being with a man as fierce as Blaze. “It’s nice to meet you, too. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
She went over to the counter, and after she poured herself a cup of coffee, she came over and sat down next to me. “Yeah, I bet you have. These guys always have some story to tell.”
“That they do. Sometimes I have to wonder if they are all true.”
She laughed as she replied, “Oh, they’re true. They might exaggerate here and there, but they’re all true.”
“Oh, wow. That’s a scary thought.”
“At least they’ve lived to tell about it.”
“That’s very true.” I giggled. “So, how did you meet Blaze?”
Her face lit up at the sound of his name. “We first met down at Daisy’s, the club’s diner. He helped me get my food out to my car, and then we met again when his son was admitted into the hospital where I work. He asked me out, and I guess the rest is history.”
“I remember Blaze telling me that you worked at the trauma center. Do you like working there?”
“It gets a little intense at times, but I love it.”
“It’s great that you love your job like that.”
“Yeah. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.” She took a sip of her coffee before asking, “You own a bookstore, right?”
“I do. It was actually Hallie’s. She was a close friend of mine, and she left it to me when she died last year.”
“Oh, I hate to hear about your friend. She must’ve been special to leave you the bookstore.”
“Yes. She was very special to me, and I still miss her dearly. I think about her every morning when I open the store.”
“I can imagine.” I could hear the curiosity in her voice when she asked, “You met Shadow there, right?”
I couldn’t hold back my smile when I answered, “Yeah, but it took me forever to actually talk to him. You know, he can be a little intimidating.”
“Hmm … yes. Yes, he can.” She laughed again. “I have to admit, I was a little surprised when Blaze told me that Shadow was seeing someone.”
“Really? Why is that?”
“Well, like you said, he can be a little intimidating, and he’s not a big talker.”
“No, he’s definitely not, but he says a lot with only a few words.”
She studied me for a moment, then smiled as she asked, “How are you adjusting to things around here?”
“I don’t know. Pretty good, I guess. I’m still getting to know everyone, but I think it’s going okay.”
“I know it can be overwhelming. I still remember my first few days. It was an adjustment for sure, especially with all the different rules.”
“Rules?”
“You mean Shadow hasn’t talked to you about it?”
“No. Not really.”
I could see the surprise in her eyes when she answered, “Oh.”
“With everything that’s been going on, we really haven’t had time to talk about it. So, what are these rules you’re talking about?”
“I think that’s something you should discuss with Shadow.”
“Well, he’s not here, and you are,” I pushed. “Just give me the gist of it, so I’ll have an idea of what I’m dealing with.”
“Okay, but you’re gonna have to hold on. I’m gonna need more coffee for this.”
Once she’s refilled her cup, she came back over to the table and immediately started sharing the ins and outs of the club. She seemed surprised by my lack of reaction when she explained that club business was never discussed with the women, and she seemed even more surprised that I wasn’t bothered by the fact that we weren’t supposed to ask questions. It might’ve
seemed strange to her, but over the years, it was something I’d grown used to. My father never shared his business dealings with me or my mother, and neither of us ever questioned him—about anything. It simply wasn’t done. Furthermore, I’d spent the past eight years doing everything I could to keep my identity a secret, and I knew the consequences that would occur if it ever got out. Knowing how detrimental it could be, I understood why the brothers of Satan’s Fury kept their secrets. It was their way of ensuring their family’s safety, and I didn’t begrudge them for doing so.
CHAPTER 19
Shadow
I got an uneasy feeling when we pulled up to the dock in Baton Rouge, one the largest ports in the area. At this time of day, you’d normally see people scurrying around as they prepared their next shipment, cranes high in the sky, shifting from one side to the other as they loaded their cargo onto the different ships, and barges creeping down the river as they made their way down south. But as I surveyed the area, I was surprised to see that it was completely deserted. There was no one in sight for miles, not even out on the water, and the fact that Ronin and his guys weren’t there to meet us wasn’t a good sign. From day one, they’d always been there to give us a hand and keep a lookout. It took a good deal of effort to unload all the crates from the two horse trailers, especially when they had to be removed from the secret compartment that was hidden beneath the horses’ feet. Once we’d gotten all the crates out of both trailers, they’d help us carry them over to the storage container on the barge. Even though Ronin knew Gus’s plan and that today’s shipment wouldn’t be like the others, I still expected him to be there when we arrived. Seeing that he wasn’t, I could only assume that Navarro had read Riggs’ dummy email and had used the information that was provided to know exactly when and where our run would be.
Knowing there was a strong possibility that we had visitors, Murphy and I instructed the others to stay put while we checked things out. I eased the truck door open, and as soon as my foot touched the gravel, I knew we had eyes on us. I could sense it, and when I glanced over at Murphy, it was clear from his expression that he felt it, too. It wasn’t like we hadn’t expected company. After talking to Berny, Navarro’s man who tried to kidnap Alex, we knew Navarro had managed to put a small tracking device on one of the club’s SUVs. While we had no idea how long it had been there, we knew he had used it to gather intel on Fury, including our connection to Ronin. It was a definite hit to the club, but we hoped we could use it to our advantage. Instead of immediately removing the tracker, we left it alone, hoping to provide Navarro with misleading information.