“Yeah. And they were really good. We should go eat there again tomorrow night,” he said with a bright smile.
“We’ll definitely go back.”
“Maybe Griffin will be there,” he said optimistically.
“Yeah, you never know. Either way, it was really nice of him to stay there with you. I wish there was something I could do to thank him.”
“You could make him one of your pecan pies like you made for the neighbor when she watered your plants.”
“Maybe so,” I told him, even as I knew there was very little chance of that happening. I didn’t know anything about the man, and I knew it was unlikely that I would ever see him again.
“Night momma,” Wyatt whispered as he turned to his side.
“Night sweetheart.” I leaned over and gave him a quick kiss before heading back to my room. With my mind still racing over everything that had happened tonight, I slipped into my bed. Just as I was turning off my bedside light, I heard the sound of a motorcycle engine roar to life outside my window. I almost got up to check, but decided my mind had to be playing tricks on me.
Chapter 4
Stitch
I was late. Cotton was expecting me hours ago, but my little detour set me back. My mind should’ve been focused on the club and everything that I’d found out from Victor, but I couldn’t get them out of my head, either of them. That worried look on Wren’s face was burned into my memory, making it impossible for me to forget her. It reminded me of Emerson and my grandmother when I was being dragged to the barn.
I thought if I just followed them home and made sure they were safe, that I’d be able to let it go. Unfortunately, being there only fueled my need to know more about them. I watched them walk into that little house, half the size of my own, and I found myself wondering what they were doing inside those walls. I’m not sure what compelled me to stay as long as I did, but I couldn’t leave until all the lights were off, and I knew they were safely tucked away in their beds.
When I finally made it back to the clubhouse, Cotton was drinking a beer at the bar. He spotted me coming in the front door and roared, “Where the fuck have you been?”
“Had something I needed to take care of.” I had no intention of explaining where I’d been or what I’d been doing. He’d have all kinds of shit to say if he knew I’d been sitting outside some woman’s house for the past hour, and I didn’t want to hear it.
“From now on, take care of your shit on your own time. The club comes first, and I hate fucking waiting,” he scolded.
“Let’s talk in the office,” he ordered as he stood up to leave. I reached into the cooler, grabbed myself a beer and followed him down the hall.
After shutting the door behind us, he went over to his desk and sat down, pulling his cigarettes out of his shirt pocket. As soon as my ass hit the seat, Cotton snapped, “Tell me.”
“There’s more of them holed up at one of the warehouses at Port Angeles Mill.”
“How many?” he asked while lighting his cigarette.
“Three or four. Maybe more. He said they’d been gathering intel on us for weeks, could be longer,” I clarified. “Everything’s on some computer in the warehouse.”
“Gonna need to see what they’ve got.”
“Absolutely. Victor’s disappearance is going to have ramifications, as well. They’ll know something’s up.”
“We’ll need to make a move before they have a chance to get back up. Plan to head out before daybreak. I’ll call in Guardrail and Maverick.”
“Won’t need ’em,” I clipped.
“Maybe not, but they’re going with you along with a couple of the prospects,” he said. Even though I knew it would be easier to go in alone, I also knew better than to try to argue that point with him.
“Ready to bring these motherfuckers down, Prez. No dicking around. They’re already making plans to start distribution.”
“Yeah, well… they’ll have to get through the club and you first,” he snickered. He was right about that. Cotton knew that I would do whatever it took to protect the club and my brothers, and I intended to do just that.
“I need some shut eye before we leave. I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” I told him.
When I left his office, I went straight to Big Mike’s room. It was late, but I knew he’d be up. He was always working on something. Hacking, rerouting, I don’t even know what the hell he does in that room, but he’s a genius with a keyboard. Big Mike just had a way with computers that I couldn’t even begin to understand, so I knew he’d be able to help me without drawing any unnecessary attention.
My knuckles had barely made contact with the door, when he shouted, “Yeah?”
When I opened the door, he was sitting at his computer, feverously typing away. His fingers froze as he watched me walk into the room. “Need you to do something for me.”
“Whatcha got?” he asked, turning his chair from his computer to face me.
“Not much for you to go on. Just an address and two first names. I’d say the woman’s in her late-twenties. She goes by Wren, and she’s got a young boy that’s probably seven or eight named Wyatt.” I told him as I handed him the scrap of paper. “Need everything you can find on them.”
“You need it now?” he asked, rubbing his red eyes.
“Next few days will do.”
I didn’t wait for a response as I turned to leave. I got on my bike, and even though I only had a few hours till I had to meet back up with my brothers, I took the long way home. I needed some time to clear my head. It was one of those times that I needed all my focus to be on my club. But seeing the bruises on that kid’s arms brought back an onslaught of memories that I just couldn’t ignore. I remembered how it felt to be afraid all the time, living in a constant state of dread and the pain. God, I’d never forget the pain. There were times when I wondered what my life would’ve been like if someone had been there to put a stop to it, to end the hell that I was living through, but there was no one. Nobody had ever come to my rescue.
I laid down on my sofa in an attempt to catch a few hours of sleep, but it was utterly useless. Every time I closed my eyes, they were there – my grandfather’s cold, glaring eyes. The kid with the red tennis shoes, arms all bruised up and his mother’s pretty but worried face. And that damn leather strap. The memories all ran together. I couldn’t get away from it, so after a restless few hours of tossing and turning, I gave up and checked the clock. Seeing that it was just before dawn, I pulled myself out of bed and headed to the clubhouse. When I drove through the gate, just like Cotton had ordered, Maverick and Guardrail were waiting for me with two prospects. Guardrail had chosen to take Two Bit and Q’ with us. He’d chosen well. Not only were they were loyal to the club, they were close to being patched in. They could be trusted, and it didn’t hurt that they both could make a clean shot. We’d need them if things got heated, and it would be a good opportunity to see if they really had what it took to become a brother.
Without turning off my bike, I told them, “Let’s get this thing done.”
With a quick nod, they all loaded up, following me one-by-one, out to the docks. After a thirty mile drive to Angeles, we pulled up to a secluded warehouse, located just a few yards off of the main road. The lot was overgrown with weeds and cluttered with litter. The building looked deserted; it was dark and uncomfortably quiet. We dismounted from our bikes and headed towards the rear entrance. As we approached, I couldn’t help but notice that the side door was bolted shut. After using my bolt cutters to remove the lock, I lifted the rolling, overhead door. I was the first one into the building, the others following right on my heels. I quickly searched the area as my brothers got into position. Two Bit stumbled across an old anchor line and slammed his shoulder into the wall, causing a loud crash to echo throughout the warehouse.
“Fuck,” Maverick growled. “Get the hell back, dumbass.” Embarrassment flashed over Two Bit’s face as he stepped behind Guardrail.
“Gotta move,” Guardrail grumbled, aiming the tip of his gun towards the back of the warehouse.
Steering the prospects into the shadows, Guardrail headed towards the rear of the building. Maverick followed as I searched for the stairs Victor had described that led up to the main office. Knowing what was on that laptop, I was determined to find it – I didn’t care how long it took, what I had to do or how many motherfuckers I had to kill to get it. I wasn’t leaving that fucking warehouse without it. Silence encased us as we made our way through the darkness, making my heart beat excitedly. It is what I lived for—the thrill of the hunt. Anticipation coursed through me as we headed towards the small metal staircase, causing all of my senses to sharpen and snap into high alert. We’d only taken a few steps when the hairs on the back of my neck stood tall, letting me know we weren’t alone. I had no doubt that someone was watching our every move. I could feel their eyes on me, and it was only a matter of time before all hell would break loose. I looked forward to it, burned for it. Being in the heat of the battle gave me a release unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.