by Wilder, L.
“When I was a kid, I thought she was happy, but now, looking back, I’m not so sure. She’s had to face some hard times, more than her fair share, but she always tried to focus on the positive side of things and encouraged me to do the same.”
“Yeah, I remember that about her.” I turned to leave, but stopped and asked, “Hey … You ever wonder where you got the name August?”
“It’s not exactly a common name, is it?” she scoffed with a shrug. “I just figured Mom was trying to come up with something unique. I figured it was the month she got pregnant with me or something like that?”
“Yeah, I guess that could be a possibility.”
With that, Gunner took her down to one of the empty rooms while I went to my office and made a few calls. I had some connections in Nashville and hoped they might be able to help me find some answers. I started with Viper, the president of the Ruthless Sinners. I told him what was going on, and he assured me that he’d find out whatever he could about David James. After I made a few more calls, I asked Murphy, Riggs, and Gunner to come down to my office. Once they’d all come in and sat down, I told them, “I’ve got something to discuss with you boys, but I’m trusting you to keep this conversation between us. What’s said in this room, stays in this room. Is that understood?”
“Understood,” they each replied.
“I wouldn’t even be telling you any of this, but you need to know how important this all is to me.”
I spent the next half-hour telling them about my relationship with Samantha and how I suspected that August was my daughter. “If August is mine, then that means it’s my granddaughter who’s out there missing. We have to find her.”
“I’m here to help you any way I can,” Murphy assured me. “We all are.”
“I appreciate that, brother.” I wasn’t surprised by their response. My boys had never failed to have my back. I turned to Gunner and told him, “I want you keeping an eye on August. I’m trusting you to make sure nothing happens to her.”
“You can count on me, Prez.”
“Always have.” I ran my hand over my beard as I told them, “I put a call into the Ruthless Sinners’ clubhouse and spoke to their prez, Viper. He’s putting feelers out to see if he can come up with anything on Harper. While I was at it, I asked him about the mayor.”
“And?” Riggs pushed.
“He said he’s all kinds of shady. Far from the up and up, so August might be right about him knowing more about Harper than he’s letting on.”
“Damn, that makes things complicated.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter. In case there’s any question, I’m gonna find her, and when I do, she better be okay or I’m gonna fucking end whoever took her.”
After doing a little digging, the boys and I discovered that August’s piece-of-shit ex-husband, David, was a crooked politician. Hoping to win his election, he’d gotten into bed with Anthony Polito, an Italian mafia boss with a rap sheet a mile long. We had a talk with August, found out where we could find David, and I sent Shadow and Riggs to go get him. They brought him back to the clubhouse, and we took him straight to one of Shadow’s rooms. He was our club’s enforcer, and he had a knack for making men spill their secrets. David was no different. After a few hard blows, he started singing like a fucking canary. He admitted that he had a connection to Polito, that he’d taken bribes to win his election, but it took another round with Shadow hammering into him to get him to confess everything.
“Polito. He’s the one who took her. He th-thought I’d make good on my promise if he held my daughter’s life over my head. He didn’t get the fact that I can’t just snap my fingers and get his guy off. It took some time, but I got … it sorted. I’ve got it worked out where his guy will be able to get out on bail. Once that happens, Polito will return Harper and this thing will be over.”
“And what happens if this guy is considered some kind of flight risk and doesn’t get bail?”
“He’ll get bail,” he answered adamantly. “I pulled a few strings and got him on Judge Michaels’ docket. He owes me a favor, and we also have a witness that will testify that the cops didn’t give him his Miranda rights. That by itself is enough to get the charges dropped.”
“How will he get Harper back to you?”
“As soon as the hearing is over, we’ll meet up with him somewhere. Probably at the diner where we’ve met before. It’s not a big deal. I swear it.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. This asshole didn’t seemed bothered in the least that his own child had been kidnapped. “It’s your daughter, asshole. It’s a big fucking deal!”
“That’s not what I meant. I know it’s a big deal, and I’m telling you … I’ll get her back.”
“You better hope the hell you do, because if you don’t … if so much as one hair is touched on her pretty little head, I’ll end you with my bare hands.” I took a charging step towards him as I growled, “I have a half a mind to go on and do it right now after the hell you’ve put August through.”
“August? Is she h-how I ended up here?”
“She came to us out of concern for her daughter,” I snapped. “If you were any kind of man at all, you’d get that.”
“I should’ve known she had something to do with this. Dammit! She couldn’t just leave it alone,” he complained. “That fucking … cunt has been a pain in my ass for two and a half years now. Always on my ass. Bitching and moaning when I can’t make it to Harper’s goddamn birthday party. Fuck. It’s not like she won’t have another one. I should’ve saved m-myself the hassle and had her dealt with ages ago.”
Consumed with rage, I reared back and slammed my fist into his jaw. Before he had a chance to recover, I hit him again and again, knocking him completely out. When his head dropped, I muttered, “Worthless piece of shit.”
I wanted to do more. Hell, I wanted to kill the motherfucker, but I knew that wasn’t an option. Instead, I left him hanging in that room until the following morning when it was time to go pick up Harper from Polito. When the time came for us to leave for Nashville, Shadow and I took David with us in our SUV, while Gunner and Riggs took August in theirs. David had made arrangements to meet up with Polito at a restaurant downtown. He seemed confident that the drop-off would go without a hitch. Thankfully, he was right. I dropped him off at the rear parking lot, and it wasn’t long before he was walking back with Harper in his arms.
I have to admit getting Harper back was bittersweet. While I was relieved that she was safe and sound, I hadn’t gotten much time to spend with August and only a few fleeting moments with my granddaughter. Gunner, Riggs, Shadow and I were in the parking lot with August, watching as David returned Harper. After exchanging a few words, David stormed off. Once he was gone, I went over to say my goodbyes. When I walked over to August and Harper, Shadow asked, “Is it just me, or was that too fucking easy? Polito just handed her over … no questions asked. Doesn’t seem right.”
“That’s because it isn’t.” I hated to think of those men coming after Harper or August, but like it or not, it was a real possibility. “If they took her, there’s nothing to keep them from doing it again, or worse. We’re going to have to find a way to make sure that shit doesn’t happen.”
August clutched her daughter close to her chest as she asked, “How are you going to do that?”
“Let us worry about that. You just focus on having your daughter back.” I looked over at my beautiful daughter and granddaughter, and I suddenly found it hard to breathe. They were mine—both of them. I so desperately wanted to tell them the truth, to tell everyone, but the time just wasn’t right. I placed my hand on Harper’s little head as I said, “Her pictures didn’t do her justice. She’s beautiful like her momma.”
“Thank you, Gus.” August leaned towards me, hugging me tightly.
“No need to thank me, August. It was my pleasure.” I gave her a quick squeeze in return, then took a step back and turned to Gunner. He’d been watching over August while she was at
the clubhouse. I figured she’d feel the safest with him around, so I told him, “I’m gonna need you to hang back and stay with them for a couple of days to keep an eye on things.”
There was no missing the concern in her voice when she asked, “Do you really think that’s necessary?”
“Don’t want to take any chances.” I hadn’t checked with him first, so I looked back at Gunner and asked, “You good with staying? Need anything?”
“I’m good. Got a change of clothes in the truck.”
My mind was racing as I followed them back over to the SUV. I didn’t want her to go. I wanted her to come back to Memphis, so I could get to know the daughter I never knew I had. I wanted to talk to her, tell her the things that were going through my head, but I needed to wait until the time was right. For now, I had to let her go. Just before she got inside, I called out to her, “August?”
“Yeah?”
“I got something I need to discuss with you.” I tried to hide the uneasiness I was feeling, but I’m pretty sure she saw right through me. “Now isn’t the time, but I would like to get in touch with you soon. You okay with that?”
“Yeah. Absolutely. I’m definitely okay with that.” She studied me for a minute then asked, “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing for you to worry about. Just some unfinished business.” I glanced down at Harper, ran my hand over her head as I tried to commit her face to my memory. After several moments, I looked back to August. Damn. She was everything I could’ve hoped for in a daughter. I just hated I’d missed so much of her life. As I stood there staring at her, I made a vow to myself to make up for the time I’d lost. “I’ll be in touch soon.”
“Okay.” She smiled, then said, “I’ll be looking forward to it.”
I helped her get Harper inside the SUV, and once they were settled, I closed the door and watched as they drove out of the parking lot. As much as I hated to see them go, I found comfort in knowing that I would be seeing them again, and if I had anything to say about it, it would be sooner than later.
CHAPTER 7
Samantha
Sending August to see Gus was harder than I could’ve imagined. I wouldn’t have even suggested it if I’d thought there was another way for us to get Harper back, but we were desperate. August was completely distraught and was barely holding it together. I wasn’t much better. Harper meant the world to us both. After August divorced David, they spent a great deal of time with me, and I’d gotten very attached to Harper. For such a small child, she brought so much light into my life, and when we discovered that she was missing, it was like our whole world had been turned upside down. We searched everywhere for her, even places the police didn’t think to look. August hired a private investigator, but he was no help either. I felt so helpless. No one had been able to give us any answers, and time was getting away from us. We had to do something, so I decided it was time for August to go see Gus. If anyone could find Harper, I knew it would be him.
I could still remember the look on August’s face when I told her she should go see him. We’d both had a long night. She’d come home after talking with David, and she was crying hysterically as she told me about their conversation. She was adamant that he knew who had taken Harper, but she had no way of proving it. We both felt like we should be doing something more, so we got in the car and just started driving around, hoping by chance we might spot Harper somewhere. When we could barely keep our eyes open a minute longer, we drove back to the house and went to bed. I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about Gus. I’d gone back and forth with whether or not I should mention him to her, but eventually decided he was our only hope.
The sun was just starting to rise as we made ourselves a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table. Tears started to fill her eyes once again as she looked over to me and said, “I’ve got to do something. I can’t keep going on like this.”
“I know, sweetheart. I’ve been thinking the same thing. I think I know someone who might be able to help.”
Confusion crossed her face as she looked up at me and asked, “Who?”
“It’s nobody that you know. He’s just an old friend of mine.” I suddenly felt anxious, like I was walking on a slippery slope as I continued, “His name is Gus, and he’s in Memphis.”
“How’s a guy in Memphis going to be able to help me find Harper?”
“I don’t know how to explain it.” I let out a deep breath. “You’re just going to have to trust me on this.”
“Who is this guy?”
“He’s a friend, but he knows people, August. The kind of people who can help us get Harper back.”
Her eyes narrowed as she asked, “Is this guy dangerous or something?”
“He can help, sweetheart. That’s all you need to know.”
“So, you say he’s a friend or whatever, but how do you know that he’ll even help me find Harper?” she pushed.
“Because he will.” I placed my hand on hers as I said, “You just have to go see him face to face. Tell him that I sent you and that Harper is missing. Once you do that, he’ll do whatever it takes to find her.”
As she wiped the tears from her cheek, she said, “You sound pretty sure of yourself.”
“That’s because I am.” I could’ve told her the truth about Gus then, but I just didn’t know how—not after all this time. “You need to go see him today. Now, actually.”
“Why me? Why don’t you call him or go talk to him for me?”
“Because you are Harper’s mother. It will be better coming from you.”
“I don’t know, Mom.” Her brows furrowed. “It seems kind of strange to go see some guy I don’t even know and ask him for help.”
“Do you want to find Harper?”
“You know that I do.”
“Then get in your car and go see him,” I demanded. “The sooner you get to him, the sooner we’ll get Harper back.”
August stood as she asked, “Are you sure about this?”
“I’ve never been more sure about anything.”
“Okay. I guess it’s worth a try.” She got up and started for the door, then stopped. “Wait. What am I doing? I have no idea how to find this guy.”
“You’ll go downtown, by the river… It’s a large, cobblestone building with a tall gated fence around it.”
“Mom, you’re not giving me much to go by here.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” I couldn’t remember the exact address, so I told her, “Go to the Peabody. Take Third down to McLemore. When you get there, if you don’t see it, stop and ask someone for directions.”
“Directions to a guy name Gus?”
“Tell them you’re looking for the Satan’s Fury clubhouse.”
“Clubhouse?”
I wasn’t surprised by her question. I knew she had no idea what I was talking about. She didn’t know anything about MCs or bikers in general. Hell, she wouldn’t know a Fury man even if he walked right up to her, but there weren’t many around Memphis who hadn’t heard of Gus and his brothers. I had no doubt that someone would be able to help her find it. “They’ll tell you exactly where to go.”
Thankfully, she didn’t push for more information. Instead, she went to change her clothes, then quickly returned to the kitchen. With a look of determination, she took her keys and her purse in her hand and rushed out the door. I followed her outside and waited as she got in her car. Before she took off, she rolled down her window and said, “Stay by your phone. I’ll call you when I get there.”
“Okay. Will do.”
I watched as she pulled out of the driveway, and once she was no longer in sight, I went back inside. My nerves were shot and I felt like I couldn’t breathe, so I went straight into the kitchen and took out a bottle of bourbon from the cabinet. I quickly poured some into my glass, then drank it. Without even giving it a chance to take the edge off, I poured myself another one, then carried it into the living room and sat down. I took in several long, cleansing breaths, trying my best not to
completely unravel, but I couldn’t help myself. I’d just sent August to meet her father for the first time. They were flesh and blood, and yet, they were both complete strangers. Finding out that I’d kept the truth from them for all these years would be hard on them both. They would be angry with me, probably hate me, but it was a chance I had to take. Gus was our only hope of finding Harper, and honestly, I was relieved that the truth would soon be out.
I sat there watching the clock, and as each hour passed, I became more and more anxious. I remembered the first time I’d gone to the Satan’s Fury clubhouse. It was a day I would never forget, and I had a feeling my daughter would feel the same way. Like me, she’d never really been around bikers. Their way of life was quite different from ours. They were rougher, tougher, and it might take her some time to see that behind their hard exteriors they were good men, especially Gus. I’ve never known a man who was so caring, so compassionate, and loyal to his family. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his brothers, and I hoped the same would hold true for August.
Other than a quick call to check directions, I hadn’t heard anything from August in hours. I just sat there in that living room, lost in my own head, waiting to hear something. I was considering making myself another drink when my phone rang. As I’d hoped, it was August letting me know that she’d found her way to the clubhouse.
“Did you talk to Gus? Is he going to help you find Harper?”
“He’s going to try.”
“Oh, thank god.” I couldn’t have been more relieved. I knew in my heart that if anyone could find her, it would be him. “Did you tell him about the daycare and—”
“I told him everything, Mom.”
“Good. Then, he’ll find her.”
“You really think so? Cause I’m not going to be able to survive if something happens to Harper.”
“We’re going to find her, sweetheart, and I really do think Gus will help us get some answers,” I assured her. “That’s more than anyone has been able to do.”