“What the FUCK?” Bomber screamed, the temperature rising quickly in the cab once again. Fucking dragons.
“‘What the fuck’ is right, asshole! Quit acting so immature. Betina has been through enough, and this trip is hard as is, without you going out of your way to be a little bitch.”
“So what? I’m supposed to be all sunshine and rainbows on a trip with you and your new girl toy, all the while, we’ve known her for what? A total of two weeks? We could be looking at another council lackey like Charisma, but we’re just blindly believing she’s a good person, and taking her on some long ass road trip to save her life? Fuck that!” I knew he was talking out of his ass. I knew it was jealousy because we’d talked about Betina. He’d told me to see if there was something more because he thought I deserved an easy relationship.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I-” Betina started, but I’d be damned if she was going to be the one who apologized.
“Tina, don’t.” I felt Bomber tense at my use of her nickname, but I chose to ignore it. “You’re not the one that should be apologizing.”
“No, I want to,” she quipped back, seeming annoyed with my interruption. She resituated herself so that she was sitting sideways facing Bomber, her back to me. Well fuck, that stung.
“Bomber, I am sorry. You and I haven’t had a chance to talk about my past, especially as it pertains to the coward who claimed me and my relationship thereafter with the council. I completely understand your apprehension when it comes to trusting me. Charisma and other members of the council just attacked your family, so it makes sense. Will you please give me a chance to explain myself to you now?”
Bomber contemplated her offer for a moment while I silently dared him to be a dick to her again. I might actually pull the truck over and beat his ass if he chose that route. After a moment’s thought, he replied. “By all means, say what you need to say. It’s not like I can leave. Besides, I’ve always been better than Brace at detecting a lie, so I’d like to hear this story first hand. I’d also like to know how much you knew about Charisma before your visit.” He’d been more passive aggressive than I would’ve liked, but Betina appeared almost relieved that he would give her the chance to speak, so I chose to keep my opinion, and my hands, to myself this time.
“Thank you. This story begins years ago, when I was still a small child. My entire world revolved round my father. I had no siblings because my mother died when I was just a baby. My father never fully recovered from her death in his lifetime, and I truly believe that the only reason he didn’t follow her into the afterlife straight away is because he didn’t want to leave me alone in the world. I’ll forever be grateful to him for that.” I’d heard this story before, but she was already providing more detail that she did for me, and I couldn’t help but reach over with my right hand and squeeze her knee in encouragement before returning it to the steering wheel so that the two of them could continue having their private conversation. At least, as private of a conversation that two people can have when they have someone chauffeuring them around.
“He had been the claw’s leader until my mother passed away. Then, he conceded his position when he realized he wouldn’t be able to push past the grief of losing his mate well enough to lead effectively. Despite my father’s intentions to allow his second in command, Ambrose, to take over in his place, the council stepped in.
“As you probably already know, the council coming in to make leadership decisions for lesser claws is nearly unheard of, still to this day. I have no idea their reasoning, but they came for a visit the day of Ambrose’s anointment ceremony to invite him into the council, a request that he seemed unable to refuse. In his place, they declared that a lesser member of our pack, Fynn, would take over as our leader.
“I was just a baby then, but for the next eleven years, I did everything with my father. He taught me self defense, and solo hunting techniques. He was my protector, and even though he was no longer the claw’s leader, everyone knew that if he wanted to, my dad could challenge and easily overcome Fynn, and anyone else in the claw. Until the day of his passing, my dad kept me sheltered, and no harm came to me.
“One morning, I woke up and went into the kitchen to eat breakfast with my father. There he was, in the middle of the floor, a shattered coffee mug beside his hand, and long gone was the life I loved more fiercely than anything in the world. They said it was a heart attack. I never believed that though. My dad was young for our kind, and in fantastic shape, despite his heart being broken. Still, I didn’t have time to grieve before a few of Fynn’s men came to grab me from my home.” At that moment, I wanted to pull the truck over and wrap myself around the girl that was pouring her heart out in order to bridge the gap that had been created between Bomber and me. It was clear she was struggling with her vow not to cry over Fynn, and the things he did to her, but damn if she wasn’t staying strong.
“They took me to his home and left me there, knowing that he intended to stake his claim on a child. A child whose father, the former leader of the claw, had just died under mysterious circumstances. I may have been a tomboy whose best friend was her own dad, but I was still like any other girl in the claw. I dreamed of the day that I would come face to face with my mate. One day, I would meet the perfect person, the soul that my animal craved and needed. The day that my father left this Earth, so did my chances of finding that man. Fynn took me as his own, before I even really knew what that meant. For weeks, I was held there in his home while I grieved for my father, and for the life I had before I was taken prisoner. That’s when I met Gentry.”
“You, um, said he was from the council before, right?” Bomber asked, his tone much more gentle than the last time he spoke. “I remember you talking about him.” Betina offered him a half smile before responding.
“You remember correctly. He was no longer a member of the council when I met him as he had recently retired. He was passing through on his journey to finding a new home. He requested a meeting with Fynn, which ended up taking place in his home. That is where Gentry met me.”
“Wait, you’re telling me this guy claimed a fucking child, and then didn’t even have the shame to hide it? He just allowed a member of the council into his house with you there?” Bomber interrogated, suddenly looking like he might lose his cool again.
“No. Fynn was chosen by the council to lead our claw, not in spite of his willingness to get his hands dirty, but likely because of it. The council loves to have claw leaders under their collective thumb, and the dirtier the leader, the more leverage the council has over them. Fynn had no reason to believe that a council member, retired or not, would be a cause for concern. To an extent, he was right. Gentry wasn’t a perfect man, but he was a man with daughters and granddaughters of his own that made him have a weak spot for other females of our kind.. When he realized I’d been claimed already, at such a young age, he promised me that he would get me out of there.
Still, he wasn’t about to stir the pot more than he had to, so he told Fynn that the council had requested my presence temporarily as part of a tribute ceremony for my late father. Reluctantly, and under the assumption that I would be brought back to him, Fynn released me to Gentry, who simply never brought me back.”
“You mean to tell me that even the good guy in this story couldn’t stand up to that piece of shit? What the fuck?” Bomber questioned.
“You have to remember, the council already knew Fynn was shady. The council is as shady as it gets. I’m just grateful that Gentry had a soft spot for kids. Otherwise, I’d likely be dead by now. The council was annoyed at Gentry for bringing another stray into their ranks, but they allowed me to stay and earn my keep as long as he rejoined their ranks too.”
“Wait, you never told me that, Tina. I had no idea they made you work for your home.” I’d wrongfully assumed that since a council member rescued her from Fynn, she would be treated like any other child that was born from members of the council.
“That’s because it wasn’t a big de
al. I was far from miserable. I wasn’t a prisoner anymore, and because of Raven, I was introduced to Solarin. I was far away from the only person who’d ever truly frightened me. The council offered protection, and to top it all off, I didn’t have to be alone. I know the council is full of bad apples, and I stand by the need to overthrow the lot of them. The toxicity that they bring to those that they consider lesser is abhorrent. They need to be brought to justice, but I also don’t resent the time I spent there. The alternative would have been much worse. Plus, at least I learned how to cook while I was there, right?” She laughed, hoping the humor would be infectious enough to turn the tone of the conversation, but I couldn’t bring myself to oblige.
Betina’s smile faded quickly as we fell into another awkward silence. Bomber glared down at the floor while bouncing his leg up and down on the ball of his foot. I knew Bomber better than anyone, and because of that, I knew he wasn’t just mad about Fynn and the council. He knew he’d made an ass out of himself, and apologizing was far from Bomb’s favorite thing to do.
A few minutes went by without so much as an audible sigh to break through the quiet before Bomber finally had a question. “So, I think I understand nearly everything. I’d heard bits and pieces of that story here and there, but you filled in most of the gray areas for me by telling it yourself. I, don’t want to push it, but I would like to know what your relationship with Charisma was like.”
“What do you want to know?”
“As much as you’re comfortable with sharing. What was your experience with Charisma prior to visiting the MC? Are there more surprises we should be expecting from the council, or even from Chantal’s other sister? I know Knox has asked you all of this by now, and I’m sure Brace has to, but I need to hear more from you directly. If that’s all right? You know more about the council and the other Piper sisters than we do. I want to help you find your new witch, but I also want to protect my family, and this information could help me do that.”
“I wish I did know more. And I know you have no reason to trust me, but I assure you, I don’t know much of anything that I haven’t already told you. My world and the world of the council were not the same, even though we all existed in the same location. I only got to know Charisma and Charlotte recently, and as much as I already knew Charisma was off, I never suspected she was evil, much less out to get her own sisters. I wish I could be of more help. What I can say, and I’m sure this is redundant at this point, is that the council will stop at nothing to increase their power. Their weaknesses are becoming apparent to other claws, and there are members that have been comfortably sitting at the top of the food chain for a long time now who are starting to get antsy. Even if your MC doesn’t step in, someone is bound to take the council down. They know too much, are holding too many cards, and they’re no longer strong enough to keep any of that knowledge secure.”
“Raven was never strong enough to keep the council from being attacked by outsiders,” Bomber quipped.
“No, but his sister certainly was. Together, they were an unstoppable force. He just guarded her carefully so others wouldn’t know she was the source of his power.”
“That’s probably why when he came to see us at the clubhouse we picked up on how weak he was in comparison to many of our members,” I mumbled as a few things started clicking into place.
“I don’t suppose you know exactly which groups out there have something to gain by silencing the remainder of the Council of Feline Shifters, do you?” Bomber asked.
“The one Fynn runs, for sure. As for others, I’d know their faces if I saw them, but it was rare that I was allowed near any of the important areas of the council’s compound when others were around.”
Without taking my eyes off the road, I sensed that Bomber’s interrogation of Betina was over. Humility and understanding were tangible in the air, and for the first time, we fell into a comfortable silence and simmered there until I could hear the soft sounds of Betina’s slow inhales, letting me know she’d fallen asleep.
3
We’d been riding for about an hour since Betina laid out everything she’d been through and I’d eaten myself a giant hunking slice of humble pie.
I knew I’d be apologizing to her at some point, but I’d let the conversation fade naturally earlier because I wasn’t even going to hint at being sorry to Betina in front of Brace. Our situationship may have been unusual, but he knew how I felt about him, and I thought he felt the same way until she showed up. I couldn’t be mad at her anymore. She’d honestly been through enough, and it wasn’t her fault that she was able to turn his head so easily. Hell, if I was being honest with myself now, she really was beautiful. Maybe I’d only failed to see it up to that point because of my own jealousy, but I wasn’t ready to say that out loud yet either.
Suddenly, Betina shrieked loudly, jolting me out of my brooding self-reflections.
“Fuck,” Brace yelled, jerking the wheel to the right in response to the sudden scream coming from between us. It was more shocking being that she’d just been asleep for nearly an hour. I grabbed onto the “oh shit” handle and braced for impact, but there was none. Instead, Betina’s breathing became more shallow and frequent, like she was on the cusp of hyperventilating. Brace placed a hand on her knee, looking between her and the road with deep concern etched into the lines on his face. Her normally olive toned skin had noticeably paled, and fear was the only emotion present in her eyes.
“I’m worried, Tina, was that a bad dream, or…” Brace asked, trailing off in order to give her an opportunity to fill in the blanks. She stayed silent for another minute or so before answering, actively trying to calm her breathing.
“I felt him. I felt Fynn. It wasn’t like it was before. This was a sharp feeling, almost like his very being was trying to rip through mine.” It was clear she wasn’t done explaining, but her lack of breath caught up with her and she started coughing, tears involuntarily beginning to fill her eyes.
“Does he know?” Brace demanded with anger, his knuckles turning white as they gripped the steering wheel. “Does that piece of shit know where we are?” Just then, a small ass fucking clown car cut off our truck, almost sending us into the ditch to avoid hitting them.
“Pull over, Brace.” I stated calmly, knowing that it would have to be me that diffused the situation.
“We have to find the witch so that we can keep that piece of shit at bay. We don’t have time to stop every time some piece of shit in a tiny car cuts us off.”
“Pull over, man. Just that one incident put you over the edge and you’re not paying attention anymore. She’s going to be anxious for the rest of the trip, which you’re going to feed off of, not to mention the fact that now Fynn is at least aware of her presence. He may even know exactly where she is now. You need to keep your head on your shoulders, and I think we need you on your bike behind us so you can keep watch better. I’ll stay in the cage with Betina. Pull over,” I tried to keep my tone gentle, but it didn’t seem to matter.
“Fucking christ! Now all of a sudden you care about what happens to Betina? You haven’t had the first kind interaction with her since she arrived. You judged her from the moment that she walked in and you haven’t given her another chance since.” Well, fuck, he was really going to make this sting. “You expect me to be okay with you taking her and keeping her safe?”
“I get it, man. What I expect is for you to realize that I’m still the same guy you trusted with your life a few weeks ago. Despite any petty bullshit between us, I’ve always had your back, and you’ve gotta trust me this time because you are too emotional to make sound decisions right now.” Brace sighed, running his hand down his face in exasperation.
“He’s right, I think maybe you should pull over. I need a minute and some fresh air to pull myself together anyway,” Betina agreed, her voice wavering as she spoke.
“What else can we do? Is there anything we even can do to, fuck, I don’t know, distract the bond or whatever so that he can’
t find you? I’ll die defending you, but don’t know how many men he’d bring with him and-”
“Alright brother, we aren’t there yet. Let’s not freak her out anymore than she already is. Pull over. There’s a gas station about a mile off of this next road according to my phone’s GPS. We can all take a breather, get our heads on straight, and make a real game plan.” Brace nodded and took my advice, coasting into a gas station parking lot a few minutes later.
The B Team: A Dark Leopards MC Novella Page 2