CHAPTER NINE
I paced my cell, which had been my home for the last few months; pacing and working out is all I had done being locked up in this godforsaken place.
Locked up with no sign of ever leaving, I had taken my brothers off the visitors” list; it was too hard having to see them, knowing I would probably never get out of here. The only person I allowed to see me was my lawyer, but even his visits have been sporadic since there has been no news on any change to Zoe’s condition.
Knowing that the love of my life was still in a coma, probably never to wake up, was killing me inside. I had even prayed in here, something I’d never done in my life, I would do anything to get her to wake up. But nothing was helping. I believed that there was no hope for me, and I would be in here for the rest of my life.
A guard walked up to my cell, looking at me with his usual scowl. I had bulked up over the last few months I’d been here, since there was nothing else to do but work out.
“Prisoner, you have a visitor,” he announced, and I couldn’t quite hide my surprise at his words.
I silently shoved my hands through the bars and waited for him to cuff my wrists. Once he did, he unlocked my cell. I had to smirk because I knew he would shit bricks next to me if I weren’t in cuffs.
The asshole pushed me ahead of him, and I couldn’t help the growl that escaped at the move. The fucker was lucky I was restrained, otherwise, he’d find himself in a headlock. But I didn’t want to jeopardize my time here, not wanting to find myself in solitary. Otherwise, I’d go mad. I was sure of it.
Silently, we made our way to the visitors” quarters, where I spotted my lawyer, Travis Tobin. I couldn’t make out anything in his blank expression, but my heart rate kicked up, and I started thinking the worst.
When I was unceremoniously shoved into a plastic chair across from my lawyer, I barely restrained myself for lunging at the guard, holding myself back until we were finally left alone.
“How’d you manage that?” I ask, motioning with my head towards the closed door. Usually, there would be at least two guards inside the room with us.
“Had to grease a few palms. No big deal,” he replies, opening his briefcase.
“What’s going on?” I demand, linking my fingers together on the table. If he’s here to tell me Zoe didn’t make it, I don’t think I could hold myself back, and I would end up in solitary, anyway. Travis seemed to sense my mood, and a small smile tipped up his thin lips.
“It’s all good news,” he announces. “Zoe has woken up. She remembers every detail of the attack, and has told her father and anyone else who will listen that you are innocent. Apparently, it was her husband.”
My jaw ticks, and I tighten it until I feel a pain in my teeth. The fucking fucker! I knew it! All I want to do is get out of here and go find the asshole and give him my personal brand of justice. But I can’t do that from inside. Yet.
“So, what does that mean for me?” I ask.
“It means you’re free to go. I’ve got all the paperwork; the warden has already signed it.”
“Are you shittin’ me?” I inquire, feeling like I’m on an episode of that show Punk’d or something. The man surprises me by throwing his head back and laughing wholeheartedly.
“No, I’m definitely not shitting you,” he replies. He gets to his feet, a full-on smile on his handsome face.
“Good luck, Mr Dawson. You deserve it. I’ll send my bill to your club.” And with that, he walks out.
Returning to my cell, I want to whoop for joy, knowing that I’ll be out of here soon and that Zoe is going to be okay. I’ve had a lot of time to think in this hellhole, and I’ve decided I’m going to throw caution to the wind and finally get my head out of my ass. Zoe’s mine, and she’s been mine for a long time. It’s time I proved to her I’m worthy of her. I’ve finally got my life back and I’m not wasting a moment longer.
***
I was fuckin’ nervous, like I was visiting the club for the first time, and not coming home after months of being locked up in jail. Tiny picked me up, and I didn’t realize how good it was to see him until I did. I couldn’t wait to see everyone else. We man hugged, slapping each other on the back, and he commented on the fact that I had bulked up.
“Lookin’ good, brother. Happy to see you’ve kept out of trouble.”
“As much as I could, brother.” I reply, hefting myself up into the passenger seat of the Escalade he bought when he was still in rehab. “Okay, so catch me up on what’s been happening while I’ve been out of commission.” I ask, even though finding out what I’d missed out on in the last six months because I didn’t want to see my brothers on the inside was going to be painful, I had to suck it up.
All these months later, I still blame myself for not doing enough to intervene before things became so untenable for Zoe. Thinking she was better off with that asshole than me was the biggest mistake of my life. Just because he had a normal 9-5 job, didn’t make him the best choice. And what he did to Zoe proved it.
So that’s what he did for the next few hours, as we drove back to Briar Creek; and when he came to Storm, it was a shock to learn that Kick had given his best friend an ultimatum. Get into rehab for his drug addiction or get out of the club.
His relationship with that bitch, Bunny, wasn’t helping any either, and apparently, she took off a few weeks ago, who knows where she went? Good riddance to her, I say. If it wasn’t for her, he would never have touched the hard stuff, I was sure of it. He’d be much better off back with Mallory, Everleigh’s best friend, if he would just get his head out of his ass for a minute.
“Oh, and by the way, the brothers from the Dallas chapter will be there today with some of their club whores.” With that piece of news, I couldn’t help the loud groan from escaping my lips.
“What’s up, brother?” Tiny asks.
“Nothing, I just hope one of them won’t be Sin. She acted possessive with me the morning they arrested me.” I reluctantly tell him.
“Ah, okay. So, you’ve got yourself a Honey, have you?” Tiny chuckles. Honey, a club whore from our Washington chapter was obsessed with him so much so, she’d kidnapped his woman, Sage, and wanted to get rid of her so that her path was clear to get to him. But now, Sage and Tiny are madly in love, and have a son named Silas to add to the two boys they already have. It’s all quite sickening if you ask me. But then a vision of Zoe pregnant with my kid enters my mind, and I’m not as opposed to it as I thought.
It surprised me when Tiny told me that Zoe was going to move in with Lexie at her place once she’s released from the hospital. Knowing that she was going to be closer to me made me happier than I thought possible. I’ll have to speak to Lexie and find out when Zoe’s getting out of the hospital.
“God, I hope not. That’s all I need.” I grumble. Another chuckle from Tiny, and I can’t help but smile back. I haven’t been behind bars for long, but it was long enough for me to miss all the people who matter to me.
A few hours later, after stopping to stretch our legs, get gas and have something to eat, we finally turn into the driveway to the clubhouse, the prospect at the gate opening it once he sees it’s us.
Once Tiny parks the truck, I jump out, and am suddenly bombarded by all my brothers. Hugs and backslaps abound. It’s the happiest I’ve been in months. I never thought I’d be out of that place, never to be surrounded by my brothers, who are all like family to me.
Sage and Everleigh, Kicks’ ol’ lady, are there as well, and they give me warm, welcome hugs, as a ball of emotion lodges in my throat. These two women have changed the lives of my brothers, and because of that, they mean the world to me.
Once I got back into the swing of things in the club, since I had held on to my position as Road Captain, my job would keep me preoccupied for a while. But the need to see Zoe was almost palpable, and I wondered how I was supposed to wait days before I could.
Even though I was determined to see her, I resolved to give her a few days of space; But tonight was for celebrating, and that’s what I was going to do. Even if it meant with a bottle of Jack alone in my room. Because with Sin being here, I didn’t want anything derailing my second chance with Zoe. Unfortunately, I was going to find out that it was easier said than done.
***
I groan aloud, something pressing into my back and practically wrapping itself around me made me feel overheated.
“What the fuck?” I mutter, lifting my head, seeing strands of blonde hair draped over my shoulder. My bare shoulder.
“You have got to be kidding me.” I growl, getting pissed off because I clearly remember face planting onto my bed, fully clothed, and falling asleep alone after I had polished off half a bottle of Jack.
What the fuck was Sin doing in my room, let alone in my bed? And how the fuck did I get naked? Was I drunker than I realized and just didn’t remember the details of what happened? If so, that means I fucked the bitch last night without knowing what I’d done. Shit!
“What the fuck happened last night?” I demand on a growl. I watch as she pouts, thinking it’s the thing that will get her out of this, and I narrow my glare at her.
She shrugs, not making a move to get out of the bed. “If you don’t remember what happened between us last night, baby, I can give you a little reminder right now?” She moves in closer, and I jump off the bed.
I look around the room, not seeing any condom wrappers, and shut my eyes on a groan. Double shit! I hear her giggle and snap my eyes open, glaring at her. “What the fuck’s so funny?”
“The panic in your eyes right now. You were insatiable last night; we didn’t even have time for the condoms.” She confirms my suspicions.
I can’t deal with this right now, her stowing away in my room will have to wait until we get through with Church this morning. I want to know what progress has been made so far in discovering the whereabouts of the fucker who attacked Zoe. I refuse to call him her husband any longer.
Without bothering to dress, I stride to my bathroom totally naked, but when I get in there, I lock the door just in case Sin thinks of following me. Within ten minutes, I’m showered and dressed in clean low-rise jeans, a gray T-shirt, and my cut, before I go back into my bedroom.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding when I see Sin isn’t in my room, but she has left the scrap of clothing she must’ve been wearing last night, which means she walked out of here stark naked. That’s all I need for the whole clubhouse to see her leaving my room.
I shake my head, there’s nothing I can do about that now. My phone dings; it was a message from Kick telling everyone to be in Church in ten minutes.
I look at the rumpled bed before I leave, a feeling of guilt washes over me, but I push it down, and make a mental note to change the bedding sometime today, before I lift my head and head out to the meeting.
I’ve been back at the club now for a few weeks, and I’ve not been able to see Zoe yet, being too busy with shit I have to do for the club. After the brothers from the Dallas chapter left, they unfortunately left Sin behind, and a few other sweet butts for a couple of our own, who wanted a change of scenery
The officers in the club are all seated around the table. Being the Road Captain, I get a seat at the table; waiting for the meeting to begin, the rest of the members standing around wherever they find room, when Kick finally enters, ignoring the ribbing he’s getting from the other members for being late.
I force my thoughts back to the here and now. My issues with Zoe can wait until after Church. After all, Lexie had gotten Zoe to move in with her, at least until she’s had time to recover. And she won’t be going anywhere. At least, for the time being.
Now this issue with Sin and me sleeping together, having the potential to ruin everything with Zoe, was doing my head in.
I’ve been hanging on by a thread, and anything that happens now is liable to make me explode. I haven’t been to see her in the last few weeks since I’d been back in Briar Creek. Not because I didn”t want to, but because I wasn”t sure how she would react to my presence.
Sitting down next to Tiny, the club’s VP, Kick bangs the gavel a few times.
“Okay, let’s get things started,” Kick calls out, and the room goes quiet. “I’ve just gotten off the phone with Kon, and that’s why I was late. Not what you assholes were thinking.” He adds by way of an explanation, with a smirk on his face.
“Anyway, Kon has eyes on that Caleb fucker. He was in Mexico recently, hanging around the villa of Jose Ramos. Seems the cartel has taken him in. Either that, or he’s been working with them from the beginning. I’m inclined to believe the former.”
“Fuck me.” I mutter to myself, ignoring the chatter that’s going on around me when Kick imparts that bit of news.
“How did we not know until now that he was working for the fucking cartel?” I ground out, trying to keep a handle on my swirling emotions. How the hell did we let him get away?
Kick’s eyes bore into mine, and I can tell he’s not happy with me cutting in.
“We still don’t know for sure…” he begins, but I couldn’t help the snort that escapes after he’d spoken those words. I need to get out of here, I have to find Lexie and find out what’s going on with Zoe.
I was happy that Zoe was staying with Lexie at her place since she had her own apartment away from club property which Kick had paid for, he”s been looking after Lexie since she was a teenager, and Storm, her brother was in jail.
Lexie refused to be anywhere near my brother Riggs, and she readily accepted Kick’s offer to pay for her place, albeit reluctantly, which had cut my brother to the quick.
She decided not to go after someone who wasn”t ready for what she had to offer. I mean, what did he expect after rejecting Lexie first?
I would have suggested Zoe come live with me, but I doubt after everything, she would be interested in that. So, I would have to be satisfied with her, at least being close by, living with Lexie.
I’d tuned out the details of the meeting until I heard my name being called by Kick’s irritated voice.
“Hey, earth to asshole. Where the fuck you at, brother?”
Returning my attention to the room, I see multiple pairs of eyes directed at me. Clearing my throat, I sit up straight in my chair.
“Just thinking about some stuff, Prez. Nothing important. Sorry, I’m present now.” The lie rolls off my tongue with ease. The answering smirks on my brothers” faces told me what they believed I was thinking about. They must’ve seen a naked Sin leaving my room this morning. Great, that’s all I need for it to get back to Zoe.
“You better fuckin’ be. This meeting is about your girl, after all.” He grouched.
Properly chastised, I opened my mouth to tell him Zoe wasn’t my girl, but closed it again. What would be the point of denying it? She’d been my girl since I’d seen her walk into that party all those years ago. Even though I was too blind and too wet behind the ears to see it then.
Just the thought of her being hurt to where she almost died made my blood boil all over again. Riggs elbows me in the ribs hard enough that I almost double over in pain. Asshole.
“Ky, how’s things at the gym?” Kick inquires.
Ky, his eldest kid who’s a part time MMA fighter, beamed. He’d opened Fitness Fuel recently, a gym where the brothers could come to keep in shape since we don’t have equipment here at the clubhouse, and it’s too much of a hike to Cullville just to attend their gym. And also letting other MMA fighters in the area come in to use the gym to train prior to a fight, since there’s a full-blown boxing ring in the middle of the gym.
He’d talked my ear off about it for a long time before it became a reality, just like Ink’s tattoo parlour, it’s come to fruition.
“Best decision we’ve made opening up a gym in Briar Creek. We’ve also been getting customers in from Cullville.” Pride beaming on his face as he turns to look at me. Instinctively, I know what’s coming next, bracing myself.
“I was thinking Chains here could give me a hand now that he’s out of the slammer. With the customers and all,” Ky says, a wide smile on his face. I can see the pride beaming from him. He’s finally achieved something not connected to his old man. Even though the gym is under the umbrella of the DCMC, he’s the outright owner.
“Sure, he’s got nothing better to do. Have you, brother?” Kick smirks in my direction, knowing me too well. I was planning on spending time with Zoe, but now they’ve nixed that idea.
“Just to finish up,” the Prez adds, “for those who weren’t listening,” Kick gives me a pointed look. “Kon will let us know where to find the asshole once he’s locked down a specific location.” I wanted to roll my eyes, but kept my mouth shut.
Would Kick’s true blood brother be that willing to give up the scumbag’s current location without going after him himself first?
Kon has been like a second father to Zoe, as he and Max have been close friends for years. After what Caleb did to her, I thought he’d go off and hunt him down himself. But I was glad he was sharing intel with us.
He helped us out the last few times we needed him, after all. Every one of us, even him, was ready to string Caleb up by his balls.
I needed a cigarette to calm my rattled nerves, and I was counting down the minutes when I could finally leave this room.
“Everyone dismissed.” Kick calls out, his all-seeing eyes zeroing in on me, and I know I won’t be making a quick escape when he orders.
“Chains, stay back,” he tells me.
I sigh deeply, knowing what was coming. “Aww, come on Prez, Ky’s leaving for the gym soon.” I plead, but all I get is silence. When the room finally empties, he tells me to sit back down, to which I do.
“What the fuck’s goin’ on with you?” he demands to know.
I’ve never talked back to the president of the DCMC since I became a prospect all those years ago, but he was being an asshole, and I was ready to explode since being released from prison weeks ago.
“Oh, I don’t know, Prez. I guess it’s the couple of months I did in prison for something I didn’t do that’s got to me.” I bark, and immediately regret it, when I see the look of surprise at my tone, and then the narrowing of Kick’s eyes. We stare each other down. I’m unwilling to admit I was wrong, and I’m sure Kick’s thinking up ways of skinning me alive for my insubordination.
Finally, I’m the first to back down, lowering my head sheepishly.
“I’m sorry, brother. But with all due respect, you’re not my old man, and it’s got nothin’ to do with you.” I tell him, and move to stand up. I’m not ready to sit down with him and sing kumbaya after everything my ex-best friend did to me and Zoe. He’s my brother in the club, but he’s not my damn old man. I got away from one crazy son of a bitch; I don’t need another.
Hurt, then anger transform Kick’s face, and he pulls back. I should feel bad for saying what I did. And I do, but it’s out, and I can’t take it back now.
“I’m not your old man, asshole. But I am your President, and your disrespect could earn you an ass whooping or worse. Expulsion from the club. I’ll let it slide for now, but that was your one and only chance. Now get the fuck outta here.” Kick growls, dismissing me.
Feeling like a total asshole, I walk out into the main area of the clubhouse, where I find Ky sitting at the bar, chatting up a sweet butt. He’s only a few years younger than me, but we have the most in common, and we’ve become firm friends and brothers over the years.
He sees me and shoos away the sweet butt before sauntering in my direction.
“My old man, drag you over the hot coals?” he drawls. I can’t help but chuckle.
“Yeah, Something like that. Come on, I’m excited to see this gym of yours.”
We get on our bikes, and I express my gratitude to the brothers in the club for looking after mine for the last couple of months. I make a mental note of apologizing to Kick for my behavior earlier, but right now I need to ride. To feel the wind and the freedom riding gives me.