Chapter 8 Ginny
B utcher was alive. My father’s murderer now walked a free man after taking away the person I loved most in the world when I was just a kid. I lost all these years with my father. He’d never know his grandchildren, walk me down the aisle the day I married, or be there to offer his guidance and support.
That asshole needed to know pain. He wasn’t getting away with this.
“Ginny.”
I blinked up at Brick, lifting my chin to stare into his deep, striking blue eyes filled with determination. This man would kill for his club and did in the past, but killing for me? That was something I could barely grasp.
He loves me.
The shock of that declaration combined with the brutal realization that our enemies were hunting us, and we might not survive and see this to the end.
“Babygirl, we’re going to okay. You, me, and our baby. I’ll make fucking sure or die trying.”
I lifted my fingers and pressed them to his lips. “Don’t say shit like that.”
He couldn’t speak that heartache into existence.
“We need you, Brick.”
It wasn’t just me anymore. I had to think of the child I was carrying. This became a whole new set of nightmares as I thought of everything that could go wrong.
“I’m here, baby. Breathe.”
I wanted to tell him that I trusted him, believed in him, and I knew he’d find a way to keep me and our child safe, but the words wouldn’t form on my tongue.
Brick’s cell began to vibrate inside his cut, and he reached inside, swiping across the screen to answer. “Yeah, Pres?”
“Get the fuck out of there!”
Panic and adrenaline flooded my bloodstream the second I heard those chilling words.
Behind us, coming from the house, Dagger shouted. “Brick! We gotta go! Now!”
“On it, Pres!”
“Call me once you’re sure you don’t have a tail.”
Judge hung up.
Brick scooped me up and ran down the steps of the gazebo, nearly colliding with Dagger. “Fuck!”
Dagger had all our bags, hauling everything of significance with him as he rushed toward the boat tethered to the end of the dock. “Crimson Skulls are at the gate. They’ll be here in minutes!”
Shit!
Brick’s legs pumped hard as he ran, cradling me against his chest. His boots pounded the wood beneath us as he raced down the dock. We reached the Bowrider as Brick set me down, hopping over and then reaching for me as Dagger joined us.
I didn’t know who had experience with driving a boat among the three of us, but I hadn’t been in one of these roundabouts since I was a kid. “Do you know what you’re doing?” I asked as Dagger took the helm.
He shot me a glare. “You point the stern where you want it to go, and the bow will follow.”
Okay. Yeah. That worked.
I moved to the opposite side of the boat, across from the bags, to help evenly distribute the weight as Brick untethered the rope. He rushed to Dagger, glancing over his shoulder to stare at the house.
“Nothing yet.”
Dagger must have known what he was doing because we were already pulling away from the dock, heading out into deeper water. But we weren’t picking up enough speed yet.
“Can’t you go faster?” Brick asked, probably thinking the same thing.
“You wanna drive? Have at it,” Dagger spat, releasing the wheel.
“For fuck’s sake!”
Dagger chuckled. “Yeah. Give me some space, brother. We’ve got to clear this end of the shore.”
Brick lifted his hands and shook his head. “Cranky fucker.” He reached inside his cut, and I watched him pull his gun from the shoulder holster he always wore. “We’re okay, Ginny. Breathe, baby.”
“I’m trying.”
“We’re already putting some good distance between us and the house.”
Sighing, I dared to look over my shoulder. He was right. The house and dock were growing smaller. We’d turn the corner in another minute, and you wouldn’t ever know we were there.
“Won’t they know we left by boat?” I asked, thinking my father’s Bowrider was too loud and the rippling water was a clear indicator of our hasty retreat.
“Not if we get around this corner,” Brick answered as he scanned the shoreline.
“We’re nearly there,” Dagger announced.
I chanced a final look at the only other home I’d ever loved, staring at the gazebo like I’d never get to see it again. What would the Crimson Skulls do once they figured out that we escaped before they could get to us? Would they burn it down? Destroy it?
I couldn’t bear the thought of all those memories stolen from me the same way my father had been.
“You’ll see it again,” Brick promised as if reading my thoughts.
He couldn’t guarantee that. No one could.
The house disappeared from view, and I wondered how close the Crimson Skulls came before we rounded the corner, and they wouldn’t be able to see us. Would they hear the boat in the distance?
I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. If they were at the gate, we shouldn’t have been able to get this far without someone reaching the backyard and the dock. Had they entered the house first? Did they send other members to intercept us?
“Ginny.”
I whipped my head around to face Brick, catching his stern tone.
“Stop, baby. Don’t create problems where there aren’t any.”
Sighing, I leaned back. “It’s hard not to wonder what happens next.”
“We get to shore, find a place to lay low, and contact Judge.”
“Where do you plan to dock this boat?”
It wasn’t like there was a marina close by or even another dock to anchor the boat until we could return to it later. This section of Redwood Creek was miles of deep water and inlets. Finding a place to leave and go ashore would be tricky. The closest marina was too far to consider and way too public.
“Depends.” Dagger shrugged.
Exasperated, I turned to Brick.
“Wherever we can find a safe place to dock and hike to our bikes.”
Wait. “You planned for this?”
Why didn’t he say something?
“Emergency contingency. I was hoping we wouldn’t have to sneak off like we did.”
“Where are your bikes?”
“Stashed them a few miles down the river. We’ll have to leave the boat behind.”
I stared at Dagger. “Where?”
“In an old trapper’s cabin that’s no longer in use.”
Wow.
I settled against the seat, leaning back and trying to relax because there wasn’t shit we could do until we found a safe place to anchor.
“Do you think my mom and Uncle Trig are okay?” I asked, trying not to think about all the other things my mind kept trying to return to and focus on.
“Yes, but we’ll check up on them as soon as we find a place to stay for the night.”
That wouldn’t be easy. We weren’t campers and didn’t have those supplies. The only real option was a hotel. But wasn’t that risky? The CSMC might be staking out lodging close to my vacation house, especially if they realized we’d actually been there, hiding out, and we managed to slip away.
“Is a hotel worth the risk?”
“You sure ask a lot of questions.” Dagger cut his gaze my way. “Trust ol’ Dagger. If not me, then at least your man.”
I guess he had a point.
Brick faced me. “We’re not going to a hotel.”
Okay, good.
“We’re staying at a gentleman’s club.”
“What?”
Dagger chuckled.
“You’re taking me to a strip club?” I nearly screeched the words.
Brick nodded. “Best place for us. The Crimson Skulls aren’t looking for us there.”
Dagger snorted. “If they show up, it’ll be for the tits and ass.”
Ugh.
“You’re both serious, aren’t you?”
Dagger snickered.
“You’re awful, you know that?”
His amusement increased.
“This is going to be a long day, isn’t it?”
Brick’s lips twitched as he held back laughter. “Probably.”
brICK LIED TO ME. THE first time I asked him about my father, and if he knew why he’d been hunted down and killed, Brick said he didn’t know. He finally revealed the truth today, stating I wasn’t ready to hear it before now, but it didn’t change the fact that he lied to me when we first arrived at the safe house.
Was I angry at him? A little. Frustrated? Oh, hell yeah.
But I understood why he made that choice, and it annoyed me more than his lie. Did I think Brick usually told me the truth? Yes. I’d say it was probably the only time he ever chose to lie, but it made me wonder if this was something that would happen again in the future.
Did that mean I didn’t trust him? Not at all. Brick had proven numerous times that he was loyal, cared about me, and was willing to make hard choices to keep me safe. In his mind, that lie was probably a necessity until he knew I could handle learning more about my father. He was right.
I wasn’t ready six weeks ago. Since then, I’d come to terms with a lot about my father, the Desert Titans MC, and the bloody feud with the Crimson Skulls. What I couldn’t figure out was what started it all. At this point, it didn’t matter. So much hatred existed there was no way to stop it.
This only ended one way. The rest of the CSMC members needed to die before Dagger, Brick, and the rest of the Desert Titans were hunted down and murdered like my father.
A chill ghosted across my skin, and I rubbed my arms as we finally found a place to anchor the boat. Someone would have to return it to the dock, but it wasn’t important now.
Brick helped me to my feet, taking my hand as we began the hike toward the abandoned cabin where Dagger said they stashed their bikes.
“You sure we weren’t followed?”
It was hard to tell with the boat’s motor. It could have concealed anyone tracking us.
Dagger shook his head. “Nope. We would have seen signs.”
“True,” Brick agreed.
“This isn’t one of those times where you’re lying or stretching the truth to make me feel better, right?”
Dagger hooted. “She has you figured out, brother.”
Brick ignored him. “No, baby. I know I lied when we first got to the safe house. Couldn’t help it. I took one look at you and saw how exhausted and overwhelmed you were, and made the choice.” He stopped to tilt my chin up, grasping it tenderly. “I know that sucks. It won’t happen again.”
I believed him. “Thank you.”
He brushed his lips over mine.
“We’re building a foundation together. It can’t be built on lies.”
“And it won’t be,” he swore.
That was enough for me.
The hike took nearly thirty minutes, but we located the old trapper’s cabin, and I stood outside as Dagger and Brick uncovered their bikes. They’d stored them underneath an overhang where rusted tools and equipment sat forgotten.
“Is there a trail nearby?” I wondered aloud, thinking about how much noise these motorcycles would make and how bumpy the ride would be without some kind of path to travel on.
My stomach chose this moment to become queasy. Funny, the jostling, unsteady boat ride never bothered me a bit.
“Yeah,” Brick answered as he steered his bike around the back of the cabin. “Follow me.”
I walked behind the two bikers, noting the trail on the other side. It was worn with time, with more dirt and rocks than gravel.
“Here.” Brick handed me a helmet. “You’re not riding without this.”
Once the helmet was secured, he dug around in his bag and found a jacket. It was a bit too big but warm and smelled like him. Underneath the canopy of redwood trees, the sun didn’t penetrate as deeply. The cool, damp air left my skin cold to the touch.
“You ready?”
“Yes.”
“Then hop on, Babygirl. We got a hell of a ride ahead of us.”
I planned to hold on tight.