Chapter 11
Dima
“So, you gonna tell me exactly where we’re headed?” she asks, after sitting quietly watching the city out the window.
“About three hours from here, just outside a place called Adonner.”
She slowly turns her head toward me. “You mean the place where that religious cult was?”
I tilt my head in her direction, eyes still on the road. “You know of Eden’s Keep?”
Kristie scooches around in her seat, turning her body toward me, her knee tucked up under one leg. My lips twitch because she has such a large personality I forget, or perhaps don’t notice, how small she really is.
“Ah, yeah. Everyone knows about Eden’s Keep.
With that creepy prophet guy and his even creepier brother.
” She waves a hand in the air. “I always thought that the whole place was super suss. I mean, that many people living in the middle of nowhere, all dressed the same and not allowing insiders in? That’s a breeding ground for weird sex and abuse.
” She faces forward again, watching the road.
“So, somewhere out that way you know people who own gators that help you get rid of people like Glenn?” She shakes her head.
“I bet there’s all sorts of weirdos out there. ”
I chuckle under my breath. “Yeah, and you’re about to meet some of them. The Landrys I told you about? They’re the prophet’s sons.”
A sharp intake of breath has my eyes darting to Kristie who is staring at me wide-eyed.
“No. Fucking. WAY!? We get to go to Eden’s Keep and meet actual Eden’s Keep people?
Oh hells yes!” She punches the air, wriggling in her seat.
“Do you think they’ll let me ask questions?
Wait, how are we allowed in? It’s all like, exclusive and locked down and stuff isn’t it? ”
I weigh up what to tell her. While Eden’s Keep has been the topic of various television expose-type specials, what happened to the Keep has been kept fairly quiet from the general public.
How, I have no idea. I mean, how does one hide the fact that the whole cult has been dismantled and in its place is an MC?
My silence must make Kristie suspicious because she bodily turns toward me again in her car seat. “Isn’t it?”
“Ah, not so much.”
“Are they not there anymore? Wait, there was like, what? Just over 100 members at some stage? How do that many people just disappear?”
I can see her mind working overtime, and even though it’s not my story to tell, it’s a long drive and I’m not sure she’s the type of person that will just let this go.
“What do you know about Eden’s Keep exactly?” I ask, deciding to start with what she knows.
She turns again, facing forward, jiggling a little in her seat and I’m struck once again how different she is when she forgets her gift.
“OK. Well, I know that it’s run by the prophet guy, Mercy Landry and his second is his weird creepy brother who I think probably marries underaged girls.
There’s a council of men who make the decisions for the whole community and the men and women all have jobs within the community, but they’re all such gender stereotypes.
Like who says a boy can’t cook? Like come on!
” She throws her hands in the air. “Anyway, I haven’t heard anything about them for a while AND there haven’t been any new documentaries on them.
If they committed mass suicide we’d all know.
It’s hinky.” Her big hazel eyes narrow, her lush lips screwed up to the side as if she’s trying to solve the mystery of the universe.
“Well, I can tell you they didn’t commit suicide.”
“Aha! So you do know something! Come on Dima, you gotta spill.” She says, bouncing in her seat.
“You can’t tell anyone else,”
“Dude, who am I going to tell? Mama wouldn’t care, or she probably already knows because she knows everything.
Brenna is too fucking nice to know anything icky about the world.
And you’re the only other person I’ve spent more than an hour with in the last however many years.
Stop holding out on me!” She reaches over and jabs me in the shoulder.
“OK, OK,” I laugh, loving the playfulness. “Eden’s Keep is just called The Keep now. It’s run by a motorcycle club.”
“No. Fucking. Way!”
“Yes. Fucking. Way.” I nod.
She sits quietly for a moment, chewing her lip. “But, how the hell did the MC take over?”
I let out a breath, side-eying her for a moment.
“My friends, the Landrys all left the Keep pretty early on. They, along with their younger sister, made it their mission to help people escape Eden’s Keep.
Well, the brothers did. Blanche made it her life mission to bring Eden’s Keep to its knees.
She fast tracked her plans when it was revealed that Eden’s Keep was led by some of the biggest traffickers in the state. ”
“Oh she better have gotten rid of those gross mofos.”
“She did. From what her brothers have told me, it was a blood bath.”
“She sounds like a hero. I hope I can meet her one day.” Kristie says, a soft smile on her face as she gazes out the window, satisfied with the information I’ve shared.
“I hope so too, Ved’ma moya.”
She gives me a funny side eye, but the slight lifting of her lips shows some pleasure in the name I like to call her. It fits. She’s my witch.
We travel in companionable silence the rest of the way, only really chatting when Kristie loudly yells “Cow!” every time she sees one. Which oddly, is fairly regularly on our trip to the Keep.
Pulling into the long drive that leads to the clubhouse, I lower my window when a large blonde man with a lazy smile lopes up to my driver’s side.
“Hey cher! Who ya lookin for?” He leans against the side of my car, his prospect patch proud on his chest.
“Vex is expecting us, we have a gift.” He peers into the car, eyes darting to mine when he sees the empty back seat. “He’s in the trunk.”
Understanding dawns on his face, a wide grin replacing the lazy smile of before.
“Landry business?” I nod in reply. “Well then, lemme call dem Landrys for ya,” He taps away at his phone screen, his smile getting wider and wider before a snort leaves him.
“Head on down, cher, Gretchen is waitin’,” he waves me ahead and I snort a little when I see the distaste on Kristie’s face at the mention of Gretchen. Is my little witch jealous?
I follow the winding path, waving at a small girl perched on a slide in a brightly colored playground in the center of the compound.
Her mother rushes to her, eyeing us warily, so I smile and wave to show we are friendly.
Not that I’m sure she trusts us, but that’s OK.
If she’s here it’s because she’s survived something, and I can’t fault her wariness.
“You said this was an MC?”
“Yes. But part of what they do is a continuation of the work the Landrys started when they left Eden’s Keep.
The DRMC head chapter is in Rose Grove, Texas.
They’re not a 1% club, but they actively work against traffickers and rescue those who need rescuing.
The Keep chapter helps them by keeping the rescues safe before helping transport them home, along with the cult and domestic violence rescues they help with. ”
“That’s so fucking cool,” she murmurs, eyes widening as I pull up to three men sitting on their idling bikes.
Vex removes his sunglasses, his eyes flicking to Kristie in the passenger seat before returning to me, a smirk on his face.
He tilts his head to the side, indicating I follow behind his and his brothers’ bikes.
From behind us a roar of pipes fills the air, causing Kristie to jump a little in her seat.
Flicking my eyes to the rear view I see the rest of the MC pulling in behind us.
Well, looks like feeding Gretchen will be a whole club affair.
“Shit, I think I might need myself a Harley. I’d look so hot on a Harley.”
My cock twitches at the thought. My little witch dressed in her all black outfits, shit kicker boots on a Harley. Yeah, I’d pay to see that.
Pulling in, I walk to her side, opening her door and helping her out. Not only am I a gentleman, but I also want these men to know that she is mine. Even if her face screws up in confusion with a hint of suspicion before realization dawns on her face.
“You may as well raise a leg and piss on me,” she murmurs as she slips past, her lush ass rubbing against my cock. “Actually, are you a fan of watersports? I don’t think I am, but I’m willing to try if you’re down.” She raises a brow and cackles when my face begins to flush.
“Ved’ma moya, I’ll do anything you ask, but I’m not pissing on you.”
“Good to know.” She pats my chest and trots over to the Landrys, thrusting a hand out and launching straight into Eden’s Keep talk.
“Interesting woman you’ve found yourself,” Dex smirks, stepping up with his hand outstretched.
“Pres,” I clasp his hand and jolt slightly, images flashing for a split second, not enough to cause the ache in the back of my brain, but enough for me to know that I need to make it known the Keep needs to be alert.
“Lemme guess, we have shit coming our way,” Dex says drily, taking his hand back.
“Unsure what exactly, just be prepared.”
He nods in understanding. “Thank you, Dima.”
He steps back, whistling to the brothers who all move to a large wood platform slightly off the ground. Vex, and Saint move my way, Kristie and Omen in their wake as Kristie chats animatedly.
“Brother,” Vex says, pulling me into a one armed hug.
“Kristie looks good on you, brother,” Saint adds with a cheeky grin, hugging me once Vex steps aside.
I smile at his comment, my gaze searching her out, to find her already staring at me, a grin on her face.
“I see you met the Landry brothers, Vex, Omen and Saint.”
“Already on a first name basis, dude. They have those handy name tags,” Kristie answers, pointing to their cuts, ignoring the look on the Landrys’ faces as she calls their patches name tags.