by Colbie Kay
I shake my head frantically. "No!" I can feel the anxiety and fear building up, and I’m afraid they are going to drown me.
"Rowan, I swear to you I won't let anyone hurt you or take you away from me. What happened was not your fault." His hand goes into the back of my hair, and he gently holds the nape of my neck. I close my eyes at the contact and his gentleness.
I try to steel myself. "You promise you won't go anywhere? No matter how bad it gets?"
"I promise." His lips press against my forehead.
Still terrified, I take a deep breath and release it. "Okay. I'll tell them."
We stroll up to the porch, and I knock on the door. Tyler jerks it open. "Do you have any idea—"
Bam Bam cuts him off, "Shut the fuck up. She’s willing to sit down and talk. You can shut your fuckin' mouth for ten minutes and listen to what she has to say."
"Fine, she can come in, but you need to leave. You’re lucky I didn’t press charges for assault"
"Tyler," I say his name, my tone filled with disdain, warning him. "I'm not doing this without him. Now move and get out of our way."
Tyler reluctantly opens the door wider for both of us to enter, and we walk into the living room.
"Rowan!" My mom and dad jump from the couch.
"Hi." I stand awkwardly. I don’t know what to do. Should I hug them, keep standing here, or sit down?”
As if my dad can read my mind, he instructs, "Sit down." Jenson and I sit on the love seat opposite the couch where they are seated. Tyler remains standing, propping himself against the wall with his arms crossed.
I take a deep breath and slowly release it before blurting, "Harold Dinch is the one who kidnapped me." The words come out jumbled together with how fast I said them.
Tyler lets out an antagonist chuckle. "Harold Dinch? The same detective who was the lead on your case? The cop? The man that spent forty years on the force and retired?"
My eyes narrow on him. "Yes."
"Do you really expect us to believe that?" He snorts incredulously.
My dad's attention shifts to Tyler. "That's enough! We have stood by and let you ask your questions. We have let you accuse and drive her away. Sit down, and for once, act like her brother and shut up!"
Tyler's eyes grow wide, and mom's lips tuck into her mouth to keep her smile hidden. Dad finally stood up for me. Confidence grows inside me.
“Go on,” My mom encourages.
"Not long after, I was there, I was taken out of my cell to meet with the man in charge. He told me how beautiful I was, just like the other two. He said belonged to him and as long as I was a good girl, I could stay. I fought him at first whenever his hands would touch me, and I fought when he took my virginity." I blink away tears as the room becomes eerily quiet. "After fighting for so long, I realized it was pointless." I grimace at the memory. "It was like he loved the fight, it made him even more excited. I had to find another way to escape, so I became compliant and did every dirty thing he expected of me. Eventually, after I turned eighteen, he would clean me up and put a pretty dress on me. He had my hair done and makeup applied, and then he would take me to these parties. People would watch as my wrists were handcuffed and my ankles shackled to tables. Men and women would take turns doing as they pleased, I had man after man shoving himself inside me. Women inserted objects into me while everyone stood around, watching as I was violated.” A sob rips out of me from deep within.
Bam Bam growls with anger beside me. He promised he wouldn’t leave no matter what.
I go on, “I wasn’t a human being. I was…this toy they used in every humiliating and demeaning way possible. He received offers for me from people wanting to buy me, but he always rejected them. I thought if I could sneak away, I could escape, but he never let me out of his sight, not even to go to the bathroom. When Belle was brought in, she was young. That's when I began working on the bars of our window. It took months, but I pried them out and got free. I remembered from the times he took me out, the woods would lead to a main road. So when I escaped, I ran until I reached it."
My eyes travel to each of them. No one is saying anything. All of their heads hang down, and I’m suddenly regretting sharing everything. “I think we should go,” I say to Bam Bam and stand.
“Don’t go,” My mom pleads, and I sit back down.
“I’m still not seeing how Harold Dinch could be involved. What would he get out of it?” Tyler’s questions don’t sound like he’s interrogating me this time, it’s more like he’s trying to fit a puzzle together.
“I don’t know, but he’s the reason I don’t want the cops called.” My voice warbles, my hands are shaking and sweaty.
Bam Bam speaks up, “Money or blackmail.”
Tyler’s eyes meet Bam Bam’s. “What would they have on him? Why would he get involved with sex trafficking?”
Bam Bam shakes his head. “I don’t know, but I’ll find out. Didn’t you ever think it was strange that he never had any information on her case?”
“Not really. I just assumed since he was a cop he would do all he could. I never thought he could be a dirty cop.” I’m glad to see that they are conversing without trying to kill each other.
“I’ll look into it,” Bam Bam tells my brother.
Tyler insists, “No, I’ll do it.”
Bam Bam suggests, “Maybe it wouldn’t hurt if both of us work on it.”
“No—”
Tyler is cut off by my mom, “We want you to come back home.”
“I don’t know…” I hesitate. “I’m sorry I ran, but I need to feel free. I was locked away for ten years, I can’t be locked away here too.”
My dad offers, “It might be a good idea for you to see someone who you can talk to about what happened.”
I tilt my head side to side, weighing my options. “I don’t disagree with that, but I don’t know. I’m a little scared about trusting a stranger.”
Mom questions, “What can we do for you to be comfortable here? We don’t want to lose you again. We’re sorry for making you feel like you weren’t wanted or that this wasn’t your home.”
“I should be able to come and go as I please. I don’t want to feel bombarded. But…” I bite my lip and focus my attention on Jenson. “I like it at the club.”
“This is about what you want, not anybody else, so you decide. I’m gonna be here to support you with whatever you choose.” His lips lift slightly, but I sense a change in him which has me worried. Or maybe I’m paranoid.
I turn back to my parents. “For now, I think I should stay with Jenson, but how about I come over every day or call?”
“If that’s what you’ve decided,” My mom agrees, but I can see the hurt and pain in her eyes.
“It’s what I want.” My gaze shifts to Tyler’s. He’s peering down at the floor. I’m suspicious of why he’s staying quiet.
“Tyler?” I question.
“You do what you want, Rowan. You’re twenty-six. You’ve let us all know more than once we can’t make decisions for you, so when you’re calling for help, remember you got yourself into it.”
Bam Bam stands. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Okay.” I jump into the space between them. My eyes meet Bam Bam’s. “Let’s go.”
I dropped Rowan off at the Cobra’s clubhouse to spend more time with Haven and Chapel before I had to meet Hanger. I can’t wait for this fuckin’ cold weather and snow to be gone so I can get Rowan on the back of my bike. The winter months don’t bother me much, but I’m not gonna risk her freezing or getting sick.
I meet Hanger between my car and his truck. “What’s the plan, Prez?”
He stares up at the small stucco home. “Stay calm and try to get him to talk. His time will come, but for now, he stays alive.”
I smirk. “Come on, what’s the fun in that?”
His eyes cut to mine, and the corner of his mouth lifts. “It’ll give you more time to get creative. Come on, let’s see what that fuckin’ pig’s g
otta say.”
We stomp up the sidewalk and onto his porch. Hanger bangs on the screen door.
The old man opens the door, his beady eyes filled with suspicion rake over us. “Harold Dinch, we’d like to speak with you,” Hanger tells him using his deep intimidating voice.
“What’s this about?” He questions his narrowed gaze drifting between us.
Arching my brow, I respond, “Rowan Burris.”
His face drains of all color, but without another word he moves aside and lets us in, closing the door after we enter. His wife is sitting in a recliner across the living room. “Helen, I need to have a word with these gentlemen in private.”
She nods to her husband, and when she stands, she drops her head. That seems odd. I watch her until she is out of sight. I think Harold Dinch is hiding more than his dealings with the sex traffickers. I bet if someone could get near his wife, we’d find out he’s not a nice husband either.
My attention shifts to Harold and his body language. His fists are clenched tightly at his sides, and he is taking in deep breaths. He turns to face us. "What can I do for you gentlemen?" His tone is calm yet laced with a slight tremor. Is he worried?
Crossing my arms over my chest, I ask, "Tell us about the night Rowan went missing."
He blows out a breath. "I was lead on her case, but we never found anything to go on. We never had any suspects, never had any evidence in her disappearance. Why are you bringing this up after what, ten years or more?"
I nod and tilt my head to the side as my eyes harden. "Yep, it's been ten years, but did you know that I was one of the boys you questioned at her house that night? Did you also know she's back?"
Harold stumbles back and lands on the couch. His eyes widen, and he stares straight ahead.
"You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," Hanger taunts.
"She's back? After all this time? I bet her family was really happy to see her," He responds absently, still staring as if he can’t see us standing in front of him.
I bend down, making certain his eyes meet mine. "Yeah, they sure were.” My voice becomes quieter when I say, “But we think you might know more about her going missing than you let on."
He finally sees me, and his brows pull down. "What are you suggesting?"
I shrug and purse my lips. "Oh, I'm not suggesting anything. I'm telling you Rowan told me who took her."
Hanger interjects, "All we want from you is a name. Give us what we ask for, and you'll never see us again."
“Marcus Coletti.”
Hanger questions, "Where can we find this Marcus Coletti?"
Harold’s eyes lock with Hanger’s. "He lives here in Sedgwick County last I heard."
I ask the question I have been desperate to learn the answer to, "What would make a cop turn dirty and get involved in sex trafficking? We may be criminals, and you and your cop buddies may have tried to pin shit on us, but even we aren’t that fuckin’ low."
He quickly stands, and I join him, standing toe to toe. "You can show yourself out. Don't come back to my home. I have nothing more to say."
He doesn’t need to ask twice. We show ourselves out and meet at the end of the sidewalk. I study the house from the outside and mumble, "I can’t wait to put a bullet between his eyes."
Hanger’s hand slaps my shoulder. “All in due time, brother, all in due time. I’ll have Hacker get info on Marcus. Where you headed?”
“I’m going to pay Rowan’s brother a visit while she’s still with Haven and Chapel. We need him to back off this.”
Hanger walks toward his driver’s side door. “Be careful, brother.”
“Yep. I’ll see you at the compound later.”
PARKING MY CAR, I walk up to the front porch and knock on the door. Dan answers, "Jenson, where's Rowan?"
"She didn’t know I was coming over. Where's Tyler?"
"He’s at the Sheriff’s Department.” Both of us stand silent for a moment. “Do you want me to tell him you stopped by?”
I run my hand over my hair. “No, I’ll go see him now. Thanks, Dan.”
I begin to glide down the steps when he calls my name, and I spin. “Tell Rowan we love her.”
I nod once. “I’ll tell her.”
Hopping back into my car, I head toward the Sheriff’s Department. I never thought I’d be going in there of my own accord.
I stroll through the doors of the Sheriff's Department like I own the mother-fuckin' place and spot Tyler sitting on top of a desk talking to someone with a folder in his hand. I don't stop moving until I'm in front of him. "We need to talk."
He quickly closes the folder, lays it on the desk, and gets to his feet. I follow his steps until we come to an interrogation room and he holds the door open for me.
"What do we need to talk about?" He stands with his arms crossed.
"You need to back off your sister's case."
"Not gonna happen."
"Tyler—" I say his name as a warning, but he cuts me off before I can say anything else.
"It's not going to happen. You and your club are the ones that need to back off. This is a police matter, so let us do our jobs and stay the hell out of it."
My brow cocks. "You won't bring the whole operation down."
"And you think your club can?" His expression mirrors my own.
"We're gonna damn sure try."
His phone rings, and he pulls it out of his pocket. After talking for a moment, his eyes snap to me. He hangs up and slams his fist against the wall. “Did you go to Harold Dinch’s house?”
My eyes narrow in suspicion. “Why?”
“An ambulance was called to his residence not long ago, and he was DOA. His wife found him hanging in their bedroom. She said two men had been there. God damn it! Stay out of this, Jenson!” With those words, he throws the door open and storms out of the room.
Of fucking course, Dinch would off himself to save himself the repercussions of either the police getting to him or me. I may not get the satisfaction of killing him myself, but at least he’s fuckin’ dead.
There's a knock on the door before it tentatively begins to open. A woman with red hair pokes her head in. "Hey, Rowan."
My brows pull down. "Hey?" Who is she?
She comes all the way into the room and closes the door. "I'm not sure if you remember me or not, but I'm the one that cleaned you up and stitched the wounds I could."
"Oh, right!" I nod. I was pretty out of it and didn't remember too much until I saw Bam Bam. "How are you?"
Her smile is kind. "I'm good. Bam told me I would find you in here. I wanted to check on you and see how you're healing." She sits on the edge of the bed. "You look great! You're gaining weight, and you’re not so pale." She begins to examine me. "Your wounds are healing nicely, and the stitches will come out on their own in the next week or so since I used dissolvable instead of the ones you need to have removed."
"Thank you! I feel much better."
"How is everything?"
I bite the inside of my cheek as I wonder if it’s okay talk to her. Sighing, I decide to trust her. "Me and Bam Bam have had sex." I grin. "A lot."
She laughs. "Okay..."
I twist my fingers together. "Well it's just...a couple days ago he found out what happened to me in more detail. Since then, it seems like he's more standoffish. I'm beginning to think he doesn't want to be with me in that type of way anymore, or that maybe he doesn't want me here."
"Have you tried talking to him?"
I shake my head. "No."
She nods and grins. "I'll tell you something I've learned about these guys. If they love you, they love you hard. If you're here, you aren't going anywhere. If something is wrong with you, talk to them, and they will do everything in their power to make it right. They might make mistakes, and they might fuck up, but the love they have for the people they love doesn’t rival anything else. Their loyalty, devotion, and trust is everything. Talk to him." Her hand rubs up and down my arm. "I'm glad to see you're doin
g better." She begins to leave.
"Hey," I shout stopping her. "How do you know so much about them? Bam Bam hasn't really talked about his life here."
"I'm Hacker's Ol' Lady. He won't talk about it because club business isn't to be discussed with us. Over time, you'll get used to it, but be patient with him. That's if you wanna be an Ol' Lady. I never thought I would, and especially with Hacker. He hated me, and I was terrified of him." She lightly laughs. “Talking brought us together, and here we are now. I hope it works out for you two. Bam’s a great guy.”
"Thanks."
She shuts the door behind her.
Soon after she leaves, Bam Bam strolls into the room. “How was your visit with Sierra?”
She never gave me her name, but it fits her. She’s beautiful. “It was good.” I stare down at my lap as I pull at a string on the comforter.
“What’s wrong?”
Glancing up, I bite my lip nervously. I see his concern etched in his features. “Can I ask you a question?"
"What's up?"
I take in a deep breath and blurt, "Do you feel differently toward me since hearing what was done to me? Do you still want me here?"
He gawks at me, his eyes wide. "No! Why would you think that? And of course, I want you here," he sputters.
Shrugging my shoulders, I voice my concerns, "I don't know. It seems like you've pulled away from me. We haven't had sex in the last couple of days, and you have been gone a lot."
"Babe…" He sits down next to me, taking my hand in his. "The shit that was done to you gives me the urge kill everyone involved, but it doesn't affect how I feel about you. I'm sorry if you feel I've pulled away. I've just been busy with the club and trying to figure out what our next step will be in order to rescue Belle."
"Okay." I shift my gaze downward, still not wholly convinced.
"Hey." My eyes meet his. "I still think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Merely looking at you turns me on." He grins in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"Shut up!" Unable to hold back after seeing his goofy smile, I laugh.