Run To Me

by Erin Trejo

  My head lolls to the side. My dad moves only to throw a bowl full of ice cold water over me. I jerk in the chair, dragging my spinning gaze back to his. I smirk at the bastard.

  “What do you want?” I ask through the blood dripping down my chin.

  “Nomad status doesn’t suit you. I want you back here where you belong,” he roars loudly.

  “I wouldn’t come back here. Why the fuck would I?”

  Vic moves to pull his phone out of his pocket, pulling up a video feed. Harper sits on the couch wrapped in Josie’s arms, tears streaming down her face. My heart is being ripped from my chest. The harder she cries, the more pissed I become. I want to tear these motherfuckers apart.

  “What do you fuckin’ want?” I growl when he pulls the phone away.

  “I want you back here,” my dad says as if this is just another conversation.

  I turn my head and spit the blood from my mouth before looking back up at him. “Why? You let the Nomad status go through. Why now?”

  He seems to ponder that question which annoys me more than anything.

  “You went to prison over her. You never wanted Nomad status before that. That little bitch ruined things around here,” he sneers, but when he calls her a bitch, I tug at the restraints as I let out a growl.

  “You can’t force me to do shit for you.”

  “I can and I will. You want your little bitch to remain alive and well? You will do what you’re told.”

  I never pegged him for this type of man. He’s never had to force anyone to do shit for him. He was the president after all, and I find it a little beneath him to be forcing me. I chuckle as I look up at him.

  “What’s wrong, Dad? Can’t get your men in line?” A back hand across the face makes me laugh harder. I drag my head back around and look up at him again. His eyes are on fire, murderous even. Good, that makes two of us.

  “You were always meant to be here, Lynx. If it wasn’t for her, you would have been! When Den was killed, where the fuck were you?”

  “Livin’ my life in hell! Yeah, I nearly killed that fucker for her, and you know what? I’d do it all again!”

  “You are dumber than I thought then. I’m offerin’ you your place, Lynx. I’m offerin’ you a place back in the club, back at home! You’d be a fool to not accept it,” he sneers.

  “Fuck you! I don’t want anything to do with this club. You are a piece of shit President, and we all know it. Den died? That was all on you, old man.” Each word that leaves my lips is laced with venom and hate. “Did you think there was no talk in prison?” Vic looks confused and I laugh, throwing my head back.

  “You didn’t know, did you?” I ask Vic. He looks to my dad and back to me confused as hell. I almost love it a little.

  “What the fuck are you talkin’ about?”

  “Den’s death wasn’t an accident. You were out there lookin’ for the fuckin’ shooter when he was right under your nose. Or I should say over your goddamn head,” I inform him of the truth. I wasn’t completely out of the loop during those five years. Rumors went around, truths came out. It was like being on the outside looking in. I heard it all. I wasn’t surprised when I heard about Den’s death.

  “What the fuck is he talkin’ about, Prez?” Vic growls, looking toward him.

  Get out of this one, asshole.

  “You mind your fuckin’ business,” my dad roars at Vic. Vic moves in, grabbing the front of his cut before he snaps.

  “I’m your fuckin’ VP! You’re supposed to be tellin’ me this shit, Strike! What the fuck is goin’ on?”

  My dad shoves him off and moves back toward me. He leans down, grabbing my face in his hands and squeezing. “You listen to me real good, you little bastard. I made you. I made you who and what you are. You want that girl to live? You do as you’re told. She comes sniffin’ around and I see you don’t send her away, I’ll kill her myself after makin’ all the guys take a round with her. Do you fuckin’ understand me?”

  I stare into the eyes of a monster. A monster that resembles me. It’s a gut-wrenching thing to see yourself in someone like him but I do. I could kill without remorse. I have in the pen. I didn’t care because each death meant one less fucker that would come after me. Now my family has turned against me. I always knew he didn’t want me around aside from doing his dirty work. I was too much of a reminder of my mom and he hated that, resented me for that. It never bothered me until right this moment. I cock my head, his hands moving with me as I take him in.

  “Kill me.”

  “What?”

  “Kill me. I won’t be your bitch,” I hiss at him.

  “You won’t? Well then she will,” he laughs as he releases my face and heads toward the door. My heart beats faster, and when I look up at Vic, I know I’ve fucked up. He gives me a small nod and that’s all I need.

  “Fine! You fuckin’ win!”

  “What was that?” he says, turning around with a smile on his face.

  “You win. Don’t fuckin’ touch her,” I grunt. He walks closer and leans down in my face once more.

  “Good choice. Fuck up one time, that’s all it will take, Lynx. I’ll have that little red head bent over your lap while the guys all take a turn.”

  Chapter 26

  Harper

  I don’t know what hurts worse, the pain in my heart or the one in my head. I can barely remember that night. I remember getting stuck and men coming in and then Lynx telling me he loved me. That’s it. When I woke up, I was alone and all his things were gone including his bike. The one good thing was that the baby was alright. I did go and get checked out. Everything else? It didn’t make sense then and it sure as hell doesn’t now. I wanted to go look for him. I begged Chip to take me but he refused. He was furious when he found out Lynx left. I’ve never seen that look in his eyes before and it scared me. Josie kept me calm or as much as she could. It ripped me apart inside. I just don’t understand why he did it. We were happy, we got married and had our own place. Lynx took care of everything and now he’s just gone.

  “You look tired. Are you still not sleeping?” Josie asks from where I’m perched at the bar.

  “A little. I feel like I can hear him and jump at every little sound,” I tell her. It’s true. Even though Chip and Stan had a security system put in, I feel like there’s something else lingering in the air.

  “You are always welcome at the house, Harper.”

  I know I am. She’s all but begged me to stay with them, but I just didn’t feel right doing that. I wanted to be at home, in my bed. Home. That was what we had. We had a home and he left it. I don’t know where he is or why he went, I just know that he bailed on me this time. Maybe this is my payback, God’s way of showing me how it felt when I left him. I can feel the tears filling my eyes. I force myself to stop thinking about it and sniff back the tears.

  “I like the house, Josie. It’s my home.”

  “I know you do but you’re not alone. You know that much.”

  I nod my head because I truly do know that. As much as I’d love to rely on her again, I know I need to grow up and take care of myself. It isn’t just me anymore. I have a child growing inside of me that needs me as I much as I need it.

  “I know and I love you so much for that. You and Stan have been amazing to me. I can’t thank you enough,” I tell her.

  “What about me?” I turn on the stool and see Chip’s smug smile and laugh.

  “Of course, you too. Where would I be without you?” I ask in a teasing tone.

  “Driving around the country?”

  I want to laugh, I really do but he’s right. I almost did it. I almost got in my car and drove around looking for him. Insane, I know but I just couldn’t accept the fact that he left the way he did. He was happy. Wasn’t he?

  “He was happy, Harper. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know the right words to say but we all saw the way he looked at you,” Josie says when I realize I said that out loud.

  “We were good, Josie. We
were talking about the house and the baby. He looked so excited. I just don’t get it.” Shaking my head, I try to conjure up what happened that night. There has to be more but I can’t remember.

  “Everything will fine. Maybe it was a job,” Stan adds when he walks into the room.

  “He wouldn’t have just left like that.”

  “Maybe it was an emergency.”

  “Someone drugged me, Stan. Why would he do that? He wouldn’t do that to his baby. To me.” I whisper the last part. Arms slip around my shoulders, and before I realize it, I’m laying my head on Chip’s chest, tears falling down my face.

  “I’ll find him. I’ll do whatever I can to bring him back to you, Harper.” Chip’s words burn straight through me.

  I cry harder and hold on for dear life. If I didn’t have these three in my life I would have crumbled a month ago. A month. He left me a month ago and I haven’t gotten a single word on where he is. I think that’s what hurts me the most. I thought we were moving on from the past, but it’s clear now that he didn’t want that.

  “Is everything okay?” That voice. I haven’t heard it in months. I look over Chip’s shoulder to see Luke eyeing all of us.

  “We’re fine,” Chip snaps. He slowly pulls away from me and turns to face Luke. “You need something?”

  “You just going man to man? Is that it? I could have loved you the way you deserved, Harper.”

  I inhale a deep breath about to lay into his ass when Chip moves. He slams a fist into his face, watching him fall to the floor.

  “You apologize for talking to her like that,” Chip hisses. Luke holds his bloody nose as he climbs to his feet.

  “Got you too, huh? She doesn’t love you either. She’s just using you until he shows back up,” Luke hollers like a bitch. I’m on my feet in seconds moving toward him when Stan grabs me.

  “You’re pregnant,” he reminds me.

  “You’re what? Is it mine?” Luke asks. I bark out a laugh and cover my mouth quickly.

  “Hell no. I would rather cut my ear off than have a child with you.”

  “So it’s the biker’s? You should be so proud of yourself, Harper. He left you, didn’t he?”

  My eyes fill with tears as Chip grabs ahold of Luke. In seconds the fight is over and Chip and Stan are hauling him out of the bar.

  “You okay?” Josie asks wrapping her arm around my shoulder.

  “I’m confused. I’m pissed. I’m angry. I’m far from okay, but I have to be, don’t I?” I ask looking over at her. She has no answers. No one does.

  “I don’t know what to say here but you have a baby growing inside you that needs you to be strong. It needs you to be there and take care of it so you can’t just check out on reality, Harper. You have to prepare yourself to be a single parent. If anyone can do it, it’s you.”

  I huff out a laugh before I nod my head.

  “You’re right. I have to harden up and handle this. I just never thought that I’d be raising a child on my own,” I admit.

  “You’re not alone, Harper.” I look over my shoulder and smile at Chip. Him and Stan stroll back over and stop next to me.

  “He’s right. We’re your family too,” Stan adds. I smile at the three of them knowing that I have them by my side.

  Chapter 27

  Lynx

  I’ve closed myself off from everyone. I’m too lost in my own mind to let them in. I can’t. If I do, I know I’ll lose control of the situation and kill them all. I never wanted this. Not in a million years would I have thought I’d be back here living this life once more. I left for a reason and now I’m sent video reminders of why it has to be this way. They are keeping surveillance on her. Every video I see is of her crying. It kills me. She didn’t deserve that. I didn’t deserve it. When I fall asleep at night, I find myself asking God - anyone really - why my life is the way it is. Why the universe hates me to the point it stole my girl once again. Nothing ever makes any sense. I lost her once and now she’s gone again. This time it wasn’t her running from me because she ran back to me. She came willingly and I let her back in. Now my fucking black heart is breaking all over again. It’s crumbling to ash inside of me and I can’t do anything to stop it. I’m pissed, I’m confused. I don’t even know what half the emotions are that I feel because I’ve never felt them before.

  The thought of blowing my dad’s head off has crossed my mind many times since I’ve been back here and each time I get a friendly reminder of why I can’t. He will kill her. He will kill everyone she loves first and make her watch. I know that man. The only way to protect myself to play along, but I’ve pushed everyone away including Vic. No matter how many times he tries to talk to me, get me alone, I back away. I don’t trust him anymore. He played me, made me think he was still my friend when he truly wasn’t.

  “We need to talk.”

  Speak of the bastard and he appears. I bring my cigarette to my lips and inhale.

  “No, we don’t.” Blowing the smoke through my nose, I look away. Vic sits in the seat across from me, glancing around the room before focusing on me.

  “I think we do. You don’t understand everything, Lynx,” he starts saying much the same as he always does. It doesn’t matter to me anymore. He’s nothing. He isn’t my family, as much as that hurts to say.

  “I understand plenty. I understand you fed that motherfucker every drop of intel you had on me and her. Why, Vic? You out of all the motherfuckers here?” Rage is my new best friend. It has been for months. The only thing saving my soul right now are the videos that my dad keeps having sent to my phone as a reminder to do as I’m told. Little does he realize those videos are what lets me know that she’s okay too.

  “It’s not like that,” Vic hisses.

  “You tellin’ me you didn’t tell that bastard where we were?”

  “I did but not for the reason you think, brother,” Vic says harshly.

  “Don’t you fuckin’ call me brother. We aren’t brothers. Not anymore!” I roar before moving out of my seat. Vic moves too, which was a wrong move on his part. When he comes toward me, I swing. My fist collides with his jaw, pain shooting up my arm. I’m about to move back in when one of the other guys grabs me.

  “You are nothin’ to me, Vic.”

  “Outside, Grind,” Vic says. The asshole Grind keeps a hold on me and walks me out the side door before slamming me against the side of the building.

  “Make it look like you’re just havin’ a friendly chat with Vic. You don’t know what the fuck is goin’ down around here, brother,” Grind snaps before shoving me once more.

  I’m sick of this shit. I don’t care what’s happening around here. It means nothing to me. Vic walks out with two beers in his hands, holding one out to me. Grind eyes me with the look of death flashing across his face. What the hell is this? Deciding to give him a chance, I take the beer and bring it to my lips. Vic leans against the wall next to me looking as casual as we used to be with each other.

  “He’s got eyes but not ears,” he says softly.

  “What the fuck does that mean?”

  “It means, there are cameras all over this motherfucker. No audio feed, which is strange,” Vic adds with a shrug.

  “What the hell does that even mean? Why does he video?” I ask bringing the beer to my lips.

  “Your dad has been off, man. Not his normal off, either. I’m talkin’ the kind of off that should scare you. He’s doin’ shit behind the club’s back. I’ve heard talk of a takeover. Patchin’ the guys over to the Rebels.”

  “Fuck that! They aren’t ones to climb in bed with. Why the hell would he do that?”

  Grind moves closer, his eyes landing on mine. “Calm the fuck down, kid,” he sneers.

  “He’s right. He’s always watchin’, Lynx. We don’t look casual and he’ll fuckin’ call us on it. That’s where that finger sent to Harper came from. Belonged to one of ours who defected,” Vic adds.

  I shake my head and run my hand through my hair as I look back a
t Vic. “What the hell is happenin’ to him?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve been tryin’ to figure that out myself. I’ve been askin’ around to see what I can dig up. Most I got is Marco is patchin’ him in as VP once the takeover with the Rebels happens. He’s gonna be top dog on that shit and I’m not down for it. He’s unstable as it is,” Vic says, taking a long pull from his beer.

  I scratch at my jaw and let it all sink in.

  “Fuck,” I grumble.

  “What?” Grind looks to me.

  “He knew I wouldn’t go for it. He knew I’d fight it. Shit with the Rebels has been good and bad since I was a kid, long before you guys were around. I remember when I was young, the bad shit. Rebels didn’t care who they took down. Women, kids - it was all the same to them. He knew I’d fight that shit. That’s why he brought me back the way he did.” I can’t say that anger is a strong enough word for what I’m feeling right now. Trying to keep it all down is even harder. I want to go in there and ruin him. I want to take his life much the same as he’s done to so many others. This club doesn’t deserve the road he’s taking them down. They have families and people they care about.

  “You get why I’m bein’ this way now?” Vic hisses.

  I drag my gaze to his and I almost feel like a prick for the way I’ve been treating him. “To a point. You could have told me, Vic.”

  “And what? Risked you runnin’? He won’t hesitate to kill her, Lynx!” he snaps, moving closer to me. When he’s nearly nose to nose with me, I exhale.

  “She’s everything to me, brother. I mean it. Fuckin’ everything. I will kill him before he gets his hands on her.”

  The look in Vic’s eyes changes. It softens but that hardness is still there. He nods his head slowly and steps back.

  “I wouldn’t ask you to kill your own dad, Lynx. I’ll handle it. We aren’t the only ones against this takeover. Most of the club is against it.”

  “Most of them meanin’ we need to handle those who aren’t before we go after Strike.” For the first time in my life, I call him by his club name, not Dad, because as of this moment, that motherfucker isn’t my dad anymore. He is nothing to me and I’ll make damn sure he knows it.