Mace’s Madonna (Pagan Souls of Cherokee MC #5)

Mace Chapter 1

It was good to see the family. I always enjoyed spending time with them. This time, I went to visit them rather than have them come to me. The two-and-a-half-hour drive to Hickory wasn’t a bad one at all. I liked seeing what had changed since I was there the last time. It was easier for me to go to them than to have everyone travel to see me in Cherokee. One of the perks of being a biker who didn’t have an overbearing boss hanging over you who wouldn’t let you take time off. As long as I gave some notice, there was no pushback to take time away.

Sure, Agony, our club president, expected us to work and make the businesses we owned thrive. No one slacked off. We took pride in making them successful and profitable. I did. I loved being a part of Pagan’s Repair, our crazily flourishing vehicle repair shop. Cherokee was small, but we attracted people from miles around to bring us their vehicles, especially their motorcycles. It made sense since it was our specialty. Bikers usually knew how to care for and repair motorcycles. Those who didn’t know how wanted someone who was into bikes to be the one to repair their babies. It was logical and a win-win for both sides.

Another reason I enjoyed the trip was that I had a great ride there and back. The rides could always be longer, but this distance was good. It had been a bit since I’d been on more than a short ride around Cherokee. For the end of August, the weather was still great. The temperature ranged from the low eighties to about ninety this time of year. One thing we did contend with was rainstorms. As long as I wasn’t out riding when those hit, I enjoyed not only the rain but also hearing the boom of thunder through the mountains and the lightning displays. Ever since I was a kid, I’d loved to be outside under the cover of the porch, watching a storm. I used to believe it was the gods fighting in heaven.

It had been months since I saw my sister, Bridgit, and her two ankle-biters, Andrea and Aaron. Although now that they were ten years old, they came way past my ankles. I should find them a better nickname, but I wouldn’t. I’d been calling them that since right after they were born. They thought it was funny and laughed every time I said it.

God, it was hard to believe they were more than half-grown. Bridgit was doing a fantastic job with them. Mom and Dad helped, of course, but the day-to-day all fell on her shoulders. It wasn’t like her ex, Jarred, helped. That bastard was a no-load fucker who didn’t see his kids or help see to their needs.

Thinking of Jarred made my grip on the throttle of my bike tighten, and the engine roared as I went faster. I had to make myself ease off it—no use getting into an accident over him. Sometimes, I think I hated him more than my sister did. Maybe it was because he’d been my best friend once upon a time.

We’d been friends since middle school. After we grew up and Bridgit was an adult for a few years, he told me he wanted to date my sister. I wasn’t thrilled at first. I told him no and made threats if he didn’t stay away from her, but after a while, I accepted it and eventually gave them my blessing. Later, when they came to me and said they wanted to get married, I’d been his best man. I thought they’d be together forever. Everything pointed to them both being crazy in love. However, he proved me wrong.

The twins were born a year and a half after they got married, and he began to change. At first, it was barely noticeable, but over time, it got worse. I talked to him, and he denied there was an issue. Bridgit tried to do the same. He told us he was just busy with work, and he was fine. Finally, when the kids were three, Jarred came home one day and told her he wanted a divorce. He said he didn’t love her anymore and had met someone else. After arguing for a while, he got mad, and she discovered he’d been having an affair with this other woman for a year. He wouldn’t say if she were the only one he’d cheated on my sister with.

She was heartbroken, and I was furious. I wanted to beat the hell out of him. Dad did, too, but Bridgit said not to. He was the kids’ father, so we held back for their sake. I wish I hadn’t. I thought at least he’d be in his kids’ lives. Nope. Soon after the divorce was final, the no-good fucker disappeared. No contact and no child support. I knew I could get Wire to track him down and force him to pay, but my sister refused to allow it. She said they were better off without him. It killed me to do it, but I respected her wishes.

It wasn’t like they went without. While Bridget worked and made a decent living, they didn’t have much extra cash lying around. Mom, Dad, and I made sure they got what they needed and wanted, within reason. My sister tried to tell us to stop, but those three deserved some spoiling. They were great kids. I didn’t have a family to spend it on, so why not? We did the same to Bridgit, but she was more likely to save the money than spend it on herself. This reluctance earned her lectures from her big brother, whom she promptly ignored. She was stubborn. I knew that from the day she was born, and I’d only been five years old.

The wind fanned my face as I rode down the curvy road. For the umpteenth time, I wished my birth family would move to Cherokee, where my club family was. I’d be able to be more involved with the kids and watch over my kin better. My parents were in their early sixties, so they were still going strong, but it wouldn’t last forever. As they got older, I wanted to be there to help them. It shouldn’t all fall to Bridgit. I’d talked about it again during this visit. She’d found excuses mainly centered around her job and the kids’ friends, but I thought I saw some weakening in her resolve. Dad and Mom would move if she did. They told me that a long time ago.

Pushing that to the back of my mind to work on later, I began to pay more attention to what was happening around me. I’d been alert on one level, but being distracted while riding was a recipe for disaster. Besides, I was almost home. I’d missed the compound and my club family. It had been two weeks since I’d seen them, though I kept in touch primarily via texts.

I’d left after we ensured everything was settled down and my best friend Twisted’s new family was safe. The shit Aliya, his old lady’s niece, had gone through with that one boy was sickening. Hell, the prejudice and ugliness they all had put up with due to their heritage was appalling and pissed us off. Who cared if they were Arabic? People needed to grow the fuck up and realize that not everyone who was Middle Eastern or who was Muslim in their faith was terrorists.

Look what disregard, hate, prejudice, and obsession had led to for several people in Cherokee. Billy, the boy obsessed with Aliya, would never be the same. Maybe we should’ve killed the little bastard for trying to rape her, but the lesson taught to him by Twisted was a fate worse than death in my book. Some might say it would only turn him into a monster. It might, but we were keeping tabs on him. If we saw any indication of that, we’d kill him.

His stepdaddy was being prosecuted for what he’d done in his position as assistant mayor. He’d bribed, stolen, and more. Jail would be a hard thing for him. Hopefully, he’d come out a changed man. As for Aliya and Arif, they were doing well. Twisted had found them someone to talk to. They were doing sessions remotely with Dr. O’Herron. He was a therapist who our friends, the Hunters Creek Archangel’s Warriors, had recommended. He’d helped one of their loved ones.

The big thing now was them, and by extension, us, preparing for Twisted and Zahirah’s wedding. It was in a few weeks. I was to be the best man, so I needed to be back to throw him a bachelor party and help with anything else he needed.

I was happy for Twisted. He deserved to have a family of his own. I knew he’d wanted one for a long time, even if he pretended he was cool with not settling down like some of the other guys in our club. He was in his element as the uncle slash dad to Zari’s niece and nephew.

Reflecting on everything Twisted and his new family had been through over the past five months or so made me feel a bit lost. I wouldn’t tell anyone that, not even Twisted, but it was there. Ever since I joined the Pagans as a prospect, the two of us have been inseparable in many ways. I’d never had to share him much with anyone. Sure, we both hung out with other brothers and stuff, but it usually ended with the two of us hanging out, drinking, talking, or, in some cases, fucking without the others. Now, he was living a different life than me. It made me wonder what might be in store for me.

I was going to be thirty-nine in October. Where the hell did the time go? I swear, I was only in my early twenties a week ago. I’d been an immature twenty-one-year-old when I came to the club. A somewhat cocky shit who thought he knew everything. Thank God they knocked that out of me. Almost half my life was spent with the Pagans. It was time I didn’t regret. However, my brothers beginning to settle down with old ladies and kids over the past two-and-a-half years had changed things. Counting prospects, a third of us are no longer single.

Being single meant we were the ones the club bunnies and hang arounds came to party and have sex with. Or they should only try to do it with the single brothers. Some, like the recently departed Fiona, had attempted to sink her claws into Twisted, even though he had an old lady. He’d told that damn bunny several times he wasn’t interested, but she refused to listen. The last straw was when she got into it with Aliya and slapped the girl. No one put their hands on our families. Fiona was kicked out and told never to return.

The other two bunnies, Toni and Natalie, remained. I think they knew not to fuck with the claimed brothers or their families. After Fiona left, two new women joined as bunnies. Christie and Jenny had been thoroughly instructed on what was and wasn’t tolerated in our club. If they chose to break the rules, they’d follow Fiona.

I hadn’t had a chance to be with either of them. They came not long before I headed to Hickory. I’d been busy wrapping jobs up at the garage before I left. There was no leaving my work half done. Now that I was back, I’d see how they were and whether they tempted me. I didn’t fuck every woman who offered herself or caught my eye, but bunnies were there for our pleasure. If they were willing, why not? We made sure they were taken care of in return. We didn’t force anyone to be a bunny. It was all on them.

I forgot all those thoughts when I pulled up to the gate of our compound. I saw the parking lot was full, and everyone was buzzing around. It wasn’t the usual buzzing of a Saturday night, and we were partying. It was a worried kind. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. A shiver of awareness went down my spine. I knew whatever was happening, it would change lives. My gut was saying mine would be the one that changed the most. What the fuck was I about to walk into?

I hit the gas when the gate was open far enough to ride through. I waved absentmindedly at Atticus, one of our prospects. He was headed toward the gate and one of the outbuildings that stood close to it. I could’ve stopped and asked him what was going on, but I decided to see for myself.

I found my usual spot outside the clubhouse and carefully backed my bike between the two on either side of it. Even though we officially didn’t have assigned parking, we parked in the same spot, just like we sat in the same chair during church. I removed my helmet after taking off my gloves. Swinging off, I stowed them away and grabbed my rucksack. Slinging it over my shoulder, I ambled inside. No one was outside now. They’d wandered inside by the time I came from the gate to the clubhouse.

It was Saturday. Even though it wasn’t late, I expected music to come from inside. At the very least, loud voices, laughter, and who knows what else. They should already be drinking, playing pool, telling tales, and getting ready for the night ahead. I wasn’t hearing that when I opened the door and strolled inside.

I scanned the common room, the main room of the clubhouse, where we gathered. It had pool tables, tables and chairs, couches, and a bar area—think the main room of a frat house—not that I’d ever been in one. There were people in there, but they were clustered in a couple of groups. No one was playing pool or laughing. Their conversations were muted, and I saw concern and anxiety. I was looking for Twisted, but I didn’t see him. I did see Agony, so I decided to go to the main man and see what was up. This wasn’t normal. Even the kids were unusually quiet.

All the kids were there with their parents. Zoe and Zavian, Agony and Eliana’s almost two-year-old twins were across the room. Branson, Dare, and Joli’s son, who had just turned one a couple of months ago, watched everyone silently. What was even weirder was Cara. At four years old, she was the oldest of the kids, if you discount Aliya and Arif, who were fourteen and eleven.

Cara was typically lively and talked to everyone. Instead, she was curled up in Natalya’s arms. Knight was standing next to them with his arm around his old lady. I realized I didn’t see Eliana, Zari, or Bones after I made a quick mental tally of the room. Jesus Christ, please tell me something hadn’t happened to Zari. If Twisted lost her, he’d go insane. He loved that woman like mad. Arif and Aliya were hunched together at a table with Pope and Cyclone standing behind them. The tension in the room was palpable.

As I reached Agony, he gave me a strained smile. “Hey, Mace, welcome back, brother. How was the family? Everyone good?”

“Everyone is great. What’s going on? Why is everyone so grim? Where’s Twisted? Zari? Did something happen?” I fired off. Niceties be damned. I wanted to know if my best friend or his old lady were hurt. I’d hunt whoever did it down myself. Twisted was my brother in every way except for blood. I recognized the others as family, but not like I did him.

“Chill. No need to go hunting anyone’s ass. Twisted and Zari are fine, I promise. They’re not the issue,” Agony assured me. For once, his usual jovial smile and teasing manner were gone.

“Then tell me where they’re at and what’s bothering all of you.”

“They’re with Bones and Eliana in the treatment room,” Agony informed me. Before he could say more, I interjected.

“I thought you said they’re okay.”

“They are. Damn, hang onto your pants, and give me a chance to explain. Earlier, Zari and Twisted were at the Depot. He was working, and she was hanging with him or helping. I don’t know. Anyway, Wade came to the office needing help. He said there was a woman locked in the ladies’ bathroom. She refused to come out, and she was crying.

“Twisted went to check it out, obviously. Zari insisted she go, too. She thought another woman might help. She convinced Twisted to let her talk to the woman alone. We don’t know what was said, but when Zari came out several minutes later, she insisted they needed to bring the woman here. She asked that Bones and Eliana be here to examine her.”

Agony paused to let what he’d said so far sink in. The fact a woman felt the need to lock herself in a truck stop bathroom didn’t bode well on its own. But to have Zari insisting she be checked out and brought here sounded ominous.

“How long have they been here? Do we know anything about the woman? What about injuries?”

Agony held up his hand. “That’s all we know, Mace. The woman appeared to be in rough shape when they brought her in. Twisted had to carry her practically. She wouldn’t let go of Zari’s hand. She was scared out of her mind. It’s not good, whatever it is. As soon as I know something, I’ll let the club know,” he promised.

It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but I knew it was all I was getting. I nodded. I could be pushy when it came to certain things. Agony knew it. I’d curbed it a lot since I was a kid, but it sometimes came to the surface.

“I’m sorry, Pres. You know how I can get. It was a shock to come home and find everyone so grim. I automatically want to go into fight mode when I see that.”

He couldn’t respond because, at that moment, his grandma, Tanamara, or Tana, as most of us called her, came over. She had Zoe in her arms. The little girl was fussing and stretching her arms out toward her daddy. The smile that spread across Agony’s face as he took her told it all. He adored his daughter. He was the same with Zavian, his son. That man was a father through and through.

“What’s wrong, Zo-Zo? Why are you pushing enisi away?” Enisi meant grandmother in Tsalagi, the Cherokee Indian language,

“Mommy. Want,” she cried. Tears clung to her lashes.

“Mommy is busy. She’s helping someone. We have to be good. Be a big girl until Mommy is done. Then she’ll come to see us,” Agony told her softly as he cradled her close. He gently wiped the tears away. Zoe snuggled her face into his neck, and her body relaxed. Agony rubbed her back and murmured to her. I couldn’t hear what he said, but it settled her.

I heard Zavian’s voice. He was demanding his sister. Natalya was holding him. He was wiggling to get away from her. Knight took him away. I think he was afraid Zave might kick her stomach. Natalya was six, almost seven months pregnant with their first baby. They said they didn’t want to know what it was. However, Enisi ran her hands over her belly and did some other things that she swore would tell what it was. She secretly told the rest of us that it would be a boy. We’ll see.

Knight brought Zavian over to his dad and sister. As soon as Zave was close to Zoe and could touch her, he calmed down. Soon, Agony was seated at one of the tables, and both kids were asleep on his broad chest.

“You know, Agony. You’re lucky your chest is so big. What’ll you do if you guys have another kid? Where will he or she fit?” I teased.

He snorted. “I have plenty of room, don’t you worry. And there will be more. Eliana and I have already decided on that.” This got the attention of everyone close to us.

Everyone’s ears perked up at the news. “Are you trying to tell us something, Pres? Is your old lady pregnant again?” Hulk asked. Our enforcer was standing to the left of Agony. His observant eyes watched everything in the common room.

“I’m telling you that we plan to have more. When that is, we’ll let you know when she is.”

“That’s not a no. Are you trying to get pregnant?” Knight asked.

“I’m sexing that woman up as much as I can. If she ends up knocked up, then all the better. If not, then we’ll enjoy the practice.”

“Christ, you know what that means, Agony. If she gets pregnant, you’ll have three kids under the age of three. Goddamn, that sounds exhausting,” Nitro piped up.

He was the youngest brother at only twenty-nine. However, Pyro wasn’t far ahead of him. They were still entirely into enjoying life as a biker and what it did for their sex lives. I’d been the same, but it had begun to get old. Nitro looked sick at the thought of three kids that young.

“It will, but it’ll be worth it. You wait. One day, you’ll find someone who you can’t live without. When you do, you’ll want to have everything with them, including kids,” Agony warned him.

“Not if he ends up with a dude. You can’t have asshole babies,” Cyclone jokes.

Nitro rolled his eyes at him. We’d recently discovered that Nitro was bisexual. He’d casually brought it up one night. None of us cared who he fucked. Hell, our best friends, the Warriors, had guys with guys, two men with one woman, who, in one case, there was no sword crossing, and in the other, there was.

There had been worry in their clubs about how it would be taken. It was all good. The only bitch they had was in Thorn and Tiger’s case and Bandit and Coyote’s. They’d hidden it, which upset their brothers. Taking a page out of their book, Agony made it clear that no one should hide who they were and that anyone giving that person grief would answer to him. We weren’t a bunch of bigoted assholes. That was when Nitro came forward. So far, no one had seen him with a guy. He sure did seem to like the ladies.

“You can have a surrogate and have them that way,” Nitro informed Cyclone.

“Would you want kids?” Pyro asked. He and Nitro had prospected together and were close friends.

“Maybe when I’m older and if I find someone I want to be with forever. If it happened to be a guy, then surrogacy or even adoption would be options. But I’m not after that now. I don’t want to be like Pres and have kids coming out of my ears,” Nitro explained with a grin.

That remark caused Agony to chuckle. We were making comments about Nitro and what his kids would be like when Eliana came rushing into the room.

The first thing I noticed about her was her face. She looked upset, and her mouth was drawn tight. Eliana was usually smiling. She went straight to her man. Not caring that they had two kids between them, she squeezed close and kissed Agony. He returned the kiss. They kissed for a solid minute before she slowly drew away from him.

“What’s wrong, Medicine Woman?” Agony asked.

It was his nickname, among other things, for her. They met because of her healing abilities. In fact, Agony almost blew it before it ever got started because he’d doubted her skills and set out to warn people about not trusting her. Her reputation was close to being in tatters when he realized he was wrong. It took work for him to win her friendship, forgiveness, and heart. Now, the locals and even those further away flocked to her at Pagan Promises, the clinic slash caregiver slash whatever center she ran. If you needed medical attention with a holistic approach, a nurse practitioner, caregiver, handyman, or whatever, she’d help you get it. She mostly helped the elderly.

“Agony, you need to come speak to her. Oh my God, what she’s told us so far is terrible. You’ve got to listen and help her. This can’t be tolerated. It has to stop before more are hurt,” Eliana said in agitation.

“Honey, calm down. You know I’ll do what I can, and so will the club. Let me get these two taken care of, then I’ll come,” Agony assured her.

“We’ll take care of them. You go. We’re all anxious to know what the hell is going on,” Dare stated. He was our VP, and he and I ran Pagan Repairs. His old lady, Joli, was standing there holding their son, Branson. His little thumb was in his mouth, and he was sleepily sucking on it.

“Yeah, go, we’ve got this,” Hulk assured them.

He stepped up and held out his hands. Eliana lifted Zavian into his arms. Dare took Zoe. Both kids fussed but didn’t open their eyes or wake up. With them out of the way, Agony stood. He put an arm around Eliana. I didn’t know what made me do it, but I opened my mouth, and these words spilled from it.

“Agony, I want to go with you. I don’t know why, but my gut is insisting I should. I need to see why. Maybe it’s a threat. You know how I get.”

There was this thing that happened occasionally where I’d get this sick feeling in my stomach. When it happened, ninety percent of the time, we ended up in deep shit. My dad had the same ability. Dad claimed it was the second sight, and our family had it for generations. We were Irish, after all, and that meant there were a lot of superstitions and things we believed in, even to this day. I wasn’t sure if it was, but I knew not to ignore it.

Agony studied me for a few moments, and then he nodded. “Yeah, come. I think you should be there too. I have no idea why. Let’s go.”

Dropping my rucksack on a table to deal with later, I followed Agony and Eliana through the common room and down the hall to where we’d set up a treatment room for Bones, our club doctor and brother, and Eliana to work if we or someone close to us needed it. When we got to the door, Elaina stopped and cautioned us.

“She’s scared, and strangers, especially men, make it worse. Try not to make sudden moves, and keep your voice down. She’s trying not to lose it,” she warned.

“Got it,” I said. Agony nodded.

Eliana faced the door, knocked twice, paused, then turned the knob. The door swung open, and we walked inside. As soon as I entered, I felt it—terror. But there was more. Twisted was against the far wall. Bones was closer to the gurney. Sitting on one side of it was Zari. Her hand was clasped in the woman’s. My eyes zeroed in on the woman reclining on the gurney, or whatever you called it. I focused on her, and an invisible fist slammed into my gut, almost knocking the wind from me. I couldn’t breathe as I stared at her, and she looked back at me.

What the fuck?