Chapter Ten
Aspen
He knew I was here.
He knew, and he was coming for me.
He knew, and he was coming for me, and he would kill me to keep me quiet.
I didn’t say a word as Banshee led me up the stairs to my room. He left me here to pack while he did the same. Only, I couldn’t do anything but sit on the end of my bed, Diesel at my feet, and plan my exit strategy.
I couldn’t tell anyone I was leaving. Not even Haizley. I wasn’t sure that was within the realm of doctor-patient confidentiality. No one could know what I was planning.
“Baby girl, you need to pack.”
My eyes closed at the sound of his voice. He wouldn’t let me leave. If he heard the thoughts inside my head, he’d lock me up and keep me here.
The mattress sank as he sat beside me, and Diesel whined, nudging me with his nose. “I know you’re scared, but I’ll keep you safe.”
No one could keep me safe. Desperate men did desperate things, and Pepper was desperate. If Skinner learned his secret, he would kill him. He wouldn’t ask questions; he would just put a bullet in his head and walk away as if Pepper never existed.
When men feared for their lives, they made mistakes. I couldn’t help but wonder what reason Pepper had given to move the club to Wyoming. What lies had he told about me that would make it worth Skinner’s time to hunt me down?
I was supposed to be a nobody. Here, I was Aspen Winters. Not Irene Cooper. Irene Cooper died on her kitchen floor two years ago. She was beaten and strangled, and she was dead.
Irene Cooper was weak.
Aspen Winters was strong. She was confident and powerful. Because she had no ties to the underworld.
Until she did.
I’d come to realize, sitting in church, that I would never escape my destiny. Never escape my family legacy and the underworld they were a part of.
“Baby girl, let’s go.”
I looked up, and Banshee held out his hand. In the other was my suitcase. He’d packed my things while I sat here, closed off to the world around me. I hadn’t even noticed him moving about the room.
I ignored his hand and stood. When I reached for my bag, he growled, and my eyes rolled involuntarily. I was so tired of the macho alpha crap. But I was also too exhausted to fight him right now, so I walked out of the room I would never see again.
“Aspen?” Haizley met us downstairs. “I’ll be out at the ranch in a few days for your session.”
I nodded, unable to voice the words that swirled in my belly. I wouldn’t be there tomorrow. By morning I would be gone. I couldn’t let him find me. I wouldn’t put these people at risk. Half of the old ladies were due to have babies. They didn’t deserve to be hurt.
Silently, I followed Banshee to the SUV. He held the door open while I climbed in and then opened the back door for Diesel. He slid in behind the wheel, and as we rolled through the gate, he reached over and grabbed my hand.
“It will be okay, baby girl. I’ll keep you safe.”
I stared out the window as the vehicle crawled down the street to the other side of town, where the Powell Ranch sat. Winchester met us at the gate, and we followed him to an area that held small cabins.
It was beautiful out here. Quiet and peaceful. The cabins were set far enough from the house and the road that no one would know we were back here. Except Pepper would find me. The area was too open, too exposed.
There was nowhere to hide.
It had become the story of my life. A life that once held promise. Once fueled a dream to grow and learn and live by my own rules. Rules that hadn’t been set in stone long before I was born.
This wasn’t the life I wanted.
This wasn’t the life I’d dreamed of.
This wasn’t the life I was promised.
Growing up in the club was wonderful until it wasn’t. I was spoiled not only by my parents and my brother, but by my uncle Issac. And Jupiter, and Oceanus, my father’s friends and their old ladies. I was the only daughter of the president after my sister disappeared. So, I was doted on—protected.
Until they could no longer protect me, and now, I protected them by staying hidden. Staying away, not only from them, and from my husband, but from the underworld.
I shouldn’t be here. I should never have stayed in Diamond Creek. If I’d been smart, I would have told Kytten in the beginning. I would have been truthful one of the many times she called to check on me.
But I stayed silent, as I was now.
Banshee led me inside, and I looked around the room. It was small and open. The kitchen was to the right, with a small table with four chairs. A small countertop spread out from the sink, with a stove and refrigerator.
To the left was a sofa and one chair. Books lined a small bookcase in the corner. There was no television to pass the time. No radio to listen to music. The cabin was small and rustic. Banshee, Diesel, and I would trip over each other in the small space.
“It’s not much, but it has two bedrooms and a bathroom through that doorway,” Winchester explained. “The kitchen is stocked. When you run out of food, get me a list, and I’ll send someone out to restock it.”
“Thanks, brother.”
Winchester slapped Banshee on the back and left the cabin.
The sound of the door clicking closed was louder than I expected.
It felt similar to what I imagined it would feel like to be sealed into a coffin.
Confined by the choices made by myself and others.
Choices that, for the most part, had been out of my control.
I sat on the sofa while Banshee put our bags in the bedrooms. Diesel lay on the floor beside me. It would be a long day waiting for Banshee to fall asleep so I could run. I had no other choice. I had to run.
“Are you hungry?”
I shook my head as I stared out the window. I couldn’t eat, not with the way my stomach flipped as my mind raced with plans I needed to make. Plans to escape. Plans to survive.
“Baby girl, I need you to talk to me. Tell me what you’re feeling.”
I glared at him. My lips pursed tight as I silently berated him for calling me that name. A name I had repeatedly asked him not to use. Every time I heard it, my heart fluttered in my chest. Light bloomed inside me that maybe he meant it. That maybe I could be his.
But it wasn’t possible.
For one, I was married to someone else. Someone who held my life in his hands. My future. A future I would never have as long as Pepper was alive. A plan began to take root. A way for me to gain my life back. At least my life here in Diamond Creek.
Texas was no longer an option. Too many memories. Too much hurt and betrayal. But here in Nebraska, if I didn’t have the threat of Pepper hanging over my head. If he were gone, I could stay here. Aspen Winters could continue on.
I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.
With my chin resting on top, I thought about how I could entice Pepper away from the club.
Would he come alone if I called him? If I begged him to forgive me and made him believe I never wanted to leave, would he trust me enough not to bring his brothers with him?
I had a chance if he were alone. I knew how to shoot a gun; my mother had made sure of it. After Diana disappeared, my mother was relentless in teaching me to protect myself. None of it had worked. There was a reason his brothers called him Pepper.
He was a habanero, the first bite hit hard and fast. Leaving you gasping for breath, unable to get control of your senses to fight back. But if he were alone, if I could catch him off guard, I might stand a chance.
Banshee made sandwiches for dinner. I nibbled at mine, unable to stomach any real food, while he took Diesel outside. When we were done, I went to bed without a word. I crawled under the covers, still in my clothes.
And I waited.
Listening to the sounds of Banshee cleaning up, I stared at the ceiling, planning my escape. The walk to the road would be long and dark. Snakes were always an issue, as were coyotes.
My boots were by the door. Growing up in Texas, I’d learned that anytime you walked in the grass, you’d better wear your boots. Rattlesnakes were an enormous concern, and they could hide anywhere. Especially in the dark.
A knock on my door made me close my eyes. I held the blanket to my chin and pretended to be asleep when Banshee peeked inside.
He didn’t speak, but I could feel his presence just inside the door. Watching me. Expecting me to chastise him, to tell him to leave, or something. But I kept my eyes closed and my breaths even.
“You’re safe here, baby girl. No one will ever hurt you again,” Banshee whispered as Diesel whined, moving closer.
The door closed softly, and a tear slipped from the corner of my eye. I wanted to believe him. I wanted him to hold me like he did yesterday when I came home from brunch terrified after seeing Kytten.
There were a lot of things I’d wanted in life. I’d never received any of them. Disappointment was my closest friend. The one constant in my life. The one thing I could always count on.
I lay in my bed until the silence had taken over. Then I lay there even longer. Looking at the clock, I was confident that Banshee had fallen asleep. I quietly climbed out of bed and grabbed my boots.
Diesel’s head popped up, and I said, “Stay. I’ll be right back.”
I crept down the hall, holding the boots in my hand to put on once I was outside. With my hand on the knob, I looked over my shoulder. Longing for a man who had rejected me sat heavy in my chest.
I knew he would be angry when he found me gone. But I couldn’t think about that now. I needed to get outside, walk to town, and get my car. My car might not even start after sitting for so long outside my house. I’d left it there the day I moved into the clubhouse.
That was two months ago. So much had happened in that time. So much had changed. The club knew who I was now. King understood the repercussions of having me in the clubhouse. It was the reason he’d sent me here.
I opened the door slowly, praying the hinges wouldn’t squeak. I stepped out onto the porch, pulling the door closed behind me. Two quick steps and I was on the ground, pulling my boots on.
The night was dark; the moon was waning, and the stars didn’t give off nearly enough light despite how clear the sky was. I looked out over the shadowy horizon, trying to get my bearings to head in the right direction.
I’d taken a handful of steps when a hand clamped over my mouth and an arm wrapped around my waist. Heavy panting whispered over my ear as a harsh voice asked, “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to kick out, but the assailant held me tight against his body, preventing any movement.
“Do not fucking scream, Irene.”
He removed his hand, and when I turned around, I gasped loudly as the ghost behind me smiled.