MAESTRO
It had been a couple of days and so far, there had been nothing mentioned anywhere. Hard-Drive was monitoring all news channels as well as official police channels. I’d heard nothing from our FBI contact either and figured I’d give him another day before calling.
We’d pulled Blake and his family into the fold and put them up in the cottage that Emily had been staying in. She’d moved in with Dad, much to his happiness. It was good to see him looking more like himself after the dark few years we’d had with Chains being killed and Mom dying. It was like, finally, things were slowly coming back together.
I’d given Blake a job in the garage under Buck. I wanted to find out what the rest of the officers thought of him, but if they liked him, I was going to offer him a place in the MC. Not sure how I was going to get around the prospect aspect, but something would come to me.
Broken from my musings by the ringing of my phone, my brows rose as I recognised the number. Picking it up, I answered.
“Maestro.”
There was silence for a minute before he spoke, “Was it you?”
“Was what me?”
“The kids that we found in the cattle car that just so happened to be the sons of the traffickers we were investigating. The ones who tried to rape your girl. Was it you?”
‘Guess they finally found them then,’ I thought with a small grin.
“I can assure you, whatever happened to them, it wasn’t us,” I informed him truthfully because it hadn’t been, not really.
He must have heard the truth in my voice, “Seriously, it wasn’t you?”
“No, whatever happened to them wasn’t me. I gave you a month; that being said, I’m not going to cry over them if they got what they deserved.”
“Fuck! I really thought it was you. The way that we found them was sick, man. I mean, I get why. The video we found on them basically left us all the clues, but fuck me, what was done to them was horrific.”
“I’m sure the girls they raped won’t be crying about it,” I replied tightly.
There was a slight pause before he continued a little more calmly, “No, I’m sure you’re right. If it wasn’t you, then we have no clue who it was. There were no fingerprints on any of the items found. We did find hair on one of them, but when questioned, they told us they’d been out at a bonfire with half their school but had no idea what happened. They’d been drugged, that much we know, but with it being such a common date-rape drug, it’s a dead end,” he sighed.
I waited a beat before asking, “And the parents?”
“Our special ops team took them down the same night that the boys were left in the cattle car. Not sure if someone knew or if it was just a coincidence. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that they are going away for a long time. All their assets have been taken and frozen. There’s nothing left in your town for their wives. I apologise for coming on so strong. Should have known it wasn’t you; men don’t typically do to other men what was done to the boys. I doubt we’ll ever find out what happened, not unless they remember, and with the evidence that was basically handed to us, I doubt they’ll be seeing the light of day for many years.”
“Good,” I replied. “I’m sure the girls at their school will all breathe a sigh of relief. I’ll let my girls know they can go back to school. Is there anything else you need?”
I was done talking to him. He’d pissed me off enough for the day, and I needed to call Church to update the brothers.
“Yeah, one last thing. I understand you’ve taken Blake on at your garage,” he hesitated before continuing, “If you can, you should try to get him to stay.” I could hear the defeat in his voice when he continued, “He’s a good man, and he wasn’t treated right with everything that went down,” he sighed again. “Anyway, that’s all.”
“Thanks for the update,” I informed him. “I’ll speak to the brothers about Blake. His kids are friends with mine, so for now we’ll keep him on at the garage until he’s back on his feet.”
Done with talking with him, I hung up. Resting my head back against my chair, I closed my eyes tiredly. It had been a stressful few days and I can’t lie, I’d been worried about the kids and evidence, even though from what Kyle said there was no need to worry and having met Rowena, I had a feeling he was right. My next worry had been the kids that had helped, but on that one, Rowena had assured me that I didn’t need to worry. I had to agree with Kyle; for such a little thing, she was kind of terrifying and the way she walked around silently like she did was just a little freaky.
That she seemed to like my family by the amount of time she spent with us eased my mind a little. We could all see she had a thing for Ford, although none of us had a clue how he felt other than protective. It was Stacey she’d bonded with, though. It was like she was starved for feminine affection, and if that was one thing my woman was good at, it was giving love to those that needed it. I had a feeling that no matter what happened, Rowena would be loyal for that reason alone.
Pulled from my musings by a knock on the door, I called out, “Come in.”
The door opened to reveal a wide-eyed, pale prospect. “Umm, Pres.”
“I know I’m scary, Spud, but for fuck’s sake, spit it out.”
“Oh, it’s not that, Pres, I mean, you are scary, but these guys are terrifying and, um, they want to speak to you.”
My eyebrows rose at his words. Who the fuck was it? There were brothers in the clubhouse, so I knew they weren’t enemies because they’d not have got far if they had been. Standing up, I pushed the prospect back out into the common room and came to a stop. Yeah, I could see why the prospect was a little concerned.
There were four of them, and they were big motherfuckers, built like tanks with hair drawn back in braids like the Vikings of old had worn. They were looking around the clubhouse with interest; Cash was with them, and he didn’t look worried, so I relaxed as I walked up to them.
“Welcome to the Queens Wraiths clubhouse. Can I help you?” I asked as I came to a stop.
Four pairs of eyes swung towards me at my words, and I have to say it was a little disconcerting having them stare silently at me. Finally, one of them stepped forward and shook my hand, “You must be Maestro. I’m Cahir, these are my brothers Silas,” he pointed to the Viking with dark hair and eyes, “Cai, you may know Hawk, who is from his family and is a brother in the Crow MC in England,” he continued as I shook the hand of the Viking who had his braids pulled back in a mohawk and had piercing green eyes. There wasn’t a patch of skin that wasn’t tattooed from what I could see on him. I relaxed a bit when I realised that they knew the Crows.
“And this is Ramzi.” I took the hand offered by the red-haired Viking.
“Good to meet you,” I replied. “Is there something we can do for you?”
“We were wondering if we could have some of your time to put your minds at ease regarding a job we did for the FBI over the weekend,” Cahir explained.
My gaze met Cash’s. My eyebrows raised. We’d known each other long enough that we could have complete conversations without having to say a word, but I wanted his take on them before I invited them further into the clubhouse.
At his subtle nod.
“Come to my office,” I invited. “Would you like something to drink?”
They all shook their heads.
‘Silent motherfuckers.’
Turning on my heel, I walked back to my office and opened the door, allowing them to enter first before following them in. Once we were seated, I waited, only to find that they were all looking at the glassed-in tapestry hanging on the wall.
When the silence stretched on, I ventured a sideways look at Cash, who silently shrugged. Clearing my throat, I asked, “What did you have to tell me?”
Cahir turned his sharp blue gaze to mine, “We know you’ve been in touch with your FBI contact, but we wanted to come and assure you that the traffickers are gone and they won’t be a problem anymore. The women and girls we saved have been taken in and are getting the care they need.”
Sitting back, elbows resting on the arms of my chair, forefingers touching, I tapped them to my bottom lip as I shrewdly assessed them.
“That’s good. I’m glad they’re getting the help they need. But let’s be honest, that’s not why you’re here.”
Ramzi chuckled and said something in a foreign language that had them all smiling.
Cahir turned his attention back to me, his gaze friendly. I wasn’t getting any bad vibes from them, even though I could tell they were dangerous as fuck.
He chuckled, “My brothers say the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, and they are right; you are definitely an Ivor. We are here for another reason. But first, what do you know of your ancestors?”
“Not much,” I shrugged, “just that my family has always been in the Wraiths and the ones to lead them.”
“You don’t know anything of the other three bloodlines that formed the Queens Wraiths?” Silas asked.
Shaking my head, “No. Why should I have known?”
“You should because it’s imperative to the future of your club,” Silas informed me, making me sit up. Cash pushed away from the wall he’d been leaning against, moving closer to my desk.
“Relax,” Ramzi grinned, “we’d never harm you; in a way, you’re family. But you should listen to what Cahir has to tell you, and you have to promise that what we tell you never leaves this room.”
My gaze didn’t leave them as I tried to assess if I should trust them, but I found nothing but openness in their faces—nothing to say that they were here to do any harm.
“Okay, we’re listening.”
What Cahir had to tell me was like something out of a fantasy book, but they’d come prepared and had proof. Cash and I had no choice but to believe them.
If they were to be believed, then they were thousands of years old and had been friends with our ancestors.
“Why now?” I queried. “Why are you here now when you’ve always known about us? You’ve never, not once, made contact with any of us before.”
Cahir exchanged a look with Silas before lowering his head. Hands clasped between his legs, he contemplated the floor for a minute before raising his eyes to mine.
“Because change is coming. Silas has foreseen it. You know what we do,” he waved his hand to his brothers. “We need to make sure that our work carries on should the curse ever be lifted and we are no longer here. We’ve never had to before, but over the centuries we’ve taken to paying attention when Silas says it’s needed.
“Trafficking is getting worse. And not just here but worldwide. We need to build a team that is not only trustworthy but who has close ties with each other. It will be funded, but I have to warn you, it’s dangerous and it’s not pretty. We deal with the worst of humanity. It’s not time for this Chapter to get involved, but the Chapter that you’ll start in the United Kingdom is ready to take up the mantle there. We’ll train them and give them support as and when we can. We won’t send them out cold. They will have the blood of the original four running through them, and we are sending some of our descendants that we have recently found to aid them. There will be ten to start the new chapter,” his hand disappeared into the front pocket of his vest, and he pulled out a paper, which he shoved across the desk at me.
Unfolding it, I read the names, surprise on my face because the main family on here had been part of this MC for many years. I knew this because their ancestors were in all the photos.
Cash took the list from me and read it, “Why them?”
Cahir smiled a familiar smile at Cash, and I was hit then by what was happening; our bloodlines had for the most part fallen back into line with what had happened centuries ago. Somehow, we’d always been aligned.
“Cash is from your lineage,” I guessed, ignoring the way Cash startled as he looked at Cahir.
“Smart like Ivor,” Silas chuckled. “Didn’t take you long to put it together. For some reason, our bloodlines always seem to find their way towards each other. Our families have been intertwined for many years. Cash is from Cahir’s bloodline, just like your lady is from mine.”
He paused after that little bombshell and grinned at me. I could see it then; the colour of their hair was the same, as was the shape of their eyes, and I had to assume that the height Stacey and Rosie had came from them too.
“We thought our bloodlines had died out long ago, but it seems not. Cai has great-great-grandchildren with the Crow MC in New Forest. His was the easiest to track, as his last family was just before the Second World War, and we’ve always kept an eye on them. The rest of us gave up on having families long before that. It was too painful to keep losing them,” Silas paused for a minute.
‘I imagine that it must have been,’ I thought with sympathy.
“The new DNA testing is making it easier to keep track of everyone. While the two clubs won’t be strictly blood from the four founding members, it will be close, and we are mixing ours in with yours.”
“It seems history really does have a way of repeating itself,” he mused. “You need to stay here because there’s always been an Ivor at the helm. Tin was Ivor’s second; it seems fitting that his legacy will be leading a new chapter. Don’t you think?” Silas questioned.
“Fuck,” I responded hoarsely, wiping my hands down my face. “Honestly, I have no idea what to think. What you’ve told me doesn’t seem real, but I can tell you’re speaking the truth.”
Turning slightly, I looked out the window as I mulled everything over in my head until I could make sense of it all. I was happy that they waited patiently for me to work through it, even Cash, although I could see he had questions.
When I thought I had it all straight, I turned back to them, “Okay, how is this going to work? I can’t just expect them to up and move. You must have a plan in place for this to work.”
Cahir nodded, “There is, and it seems the stars aligned this many years ago. Tinman was your brother’s best friend, and I think you all know he’s not been handling your brother’s passing well. Now that you know the history between the two families, you can understand why.
“However, Tinman doesn’t want to lead, and that is fine because his son Coal is the embodiment of his ancestor. He’d make a good president. Plus, not only does he carry the Tin bloodline, he also carries Cai’s through Maggie, his mother.”
My gaze met the bright piercing green of the silent Cai, who nodded at me. I turned my attention back to Cahir as he continued.
“Maggie already has ties and property in the UK close to a town called Southampton. This is where you will set up. You will need to set up businesses as covers that can be used for information. We’ve given you a list of what we think will be suitable, as well as property. We have a couple of warehouses in the area that we’ve been renting out, and there should be money in the account to get started. This has to look as natural as possible to our enemies, so Coal will have to build the MC just like any other chapter is built.”
“Fair enough,” I agreed. “They’ll appreciate it more that way anyway. Tell me about the prospects on this list. Who are they and why them?”
“The prospects are from Cai’s lineage and from my lineage,” Ramzi answers this time. “Cai’s lineage seems to have an affinity for weapons and being snipers and mine seems to have an affinity with computers, which that club will need, as most of our leads come from the dark web.”
Tapping a finger on the table, I looked over the list again. I could see why they’d been chosen, and it wasn’t just because of their last names.
“Okay, when do you foresee this happening?” I looked at Silas because I knew it was because of what he’d seen that our lives would be changing dramatically over the next year or so.
“Soon,” Silas replied. “Circumstances are already in play; Tinman will be coming to talk to you soon.”
“What about this club?” Cash asks.
It was Silas who replied again, “This club won’t have any major changes for a little while, other than losing those eight men on the list. You’ll continue to build and strengthen until your children are ready to take over. They’ve already started from what we understand. Which brings me to the next thing and because of your stance on women in the club.”
I held up my hand, already knowing where this was going, “Let me guess—Rowena. Who does she belong to?”
Ramzi laughed out loud at my question. “Fuck,” I groaned. “I should have seen it. She’s one of yours.”
He nodded, “Yes, she is, and it pains me how much the past has changed her. Unfortunately, that is life. Sadly, she’s now got a darkness in her that, unless channelled, will have her escalating. It would be good if you could have her work with your technical man, Hard-Drive. You won’t regret bringing her on, and as your stepson said, women are vicious in certain circumstances. They also bring another perspective to dealing with situations.”
“Son,” I interrupted.
“What?” Ramzi looked confused.
“He’s my son, not my stepson, same as Rosie and Poppy are my daughters. Ford might be my nephew by blood, but he’s my son. And if I have to, I’ll take Rowena too; she seems to have bonded with my woman. Blood means nothing to me; they’re mine and Stacey’s children.”
It was the one thing that I was adamant about—those kids had had a rough start in life; that’s not the way the second half of their lives were going to go if I had anything to say about it.
“You’re a good man,” Cai spoke in a raspy voice. “You are right; there is more to family than blood. We are brothers,” he waved to the other three, “but we share no blood. Just as Ivor, Tin, Fin, and Roald were brothers but shared no blood. It’s good to remember that.”
Giving him a nod, “How do we help Rowena?”
“Have her around your family as much as possible. Her father isn’t a good man, and her mother died when she and her sister were eight. She’s alone now, with her sister gone. Here,” Ramzi handed me a cheque, “I want you to buy the scrapyard; it will come in useful, and it will get rid of her father. I’m happy to give you money to build a room onto your house for her.”
“No need,” Cash said. “We have room, she’ll be welcome with us. Roman and I live next door to each other, so she’ll still have access to Stacey. Lizzie will enjoy having another girl in the house. RJ will moan but the girls won’t mind.”
“Before we end this, one more question because you all seem to know a lot about everything. Can we trust Blake and his children?”
“Yes,” Cahir answered instantly. “He’s a good man, and his children will be assets to you. Although the boy needs to start some sort of training because he’s angry, and he needs a way to get that out. In fact, you need to start training all your children. Speak to the Crows and have Carly send you a training regimen. They need to be able to protect themselves better. Both the boys and girls. You never know when they’re going to need it. We see a lot, but not everything; sometimes it’s too late, as in the case of Rowena’s twin.”
They all stood up as if they had a silent signal. “We’ve given you a lot to think about. We’ll keep in touch. Ramzi will send you our contact numbers. Call if you ever need anything,” Cahir stated.
“I will. Not sure whether to say thanks or not about all the information you dumped on me. Keep in touch, family is always welcome.”
With a nod or a chin lift, they slowly filtered out, and for the first time, I got a good look at their patch: a black melting skull with wings and black flames on an orange background, with the words ‘Cursed Skulls’ circling it.
Cahir reached the door, and I knew I had to ask because it would bother me if I didn’t.
Pointing towards the glassed-in tapestry, I asked, “Do you know what that says?”
He grinned, his teeth flashing white behind his beard, “I should, I wrote it.”
With those words and a soft chuckle, he left me to my thoughts, still none the wiser on what the tapestry said. Cash came back not long after they’d left my office.
“They’ve gone. Fuck, Roman, that was an information dump that I’m not sure what to do with,” he sighed.
“Me either, brother, me either,” I replied, lying my head back against the back of my chair. I still didn’t know what to think after I’d filled Stacey in on the visit we’d had today. I wanted to get her take on it. I’d found that I loved having her to talk to; she was a great sounding board, and she always offered a different perspective.
“Is there anything that you can do to change the news they gave you?” she asked quietly in the dark of our bedroom. We seemed to do most of our talking late at night while wrapped in each other’s arms.
“No.”
“Do you trust them?”
“Funnily enough, I do,” I replied. “They’re familiar in a strange way.”
“Then trust in what they’ve told you. It will all work out in the end. I have faith. I’ll miss Maggie, Tinman, and their family, but the Skulls are right; Tinman is slowly fading away with grief. Maggie’s worried about him. Now that I know the history, I can understand some of it. It will be good for them.”
“Okay,” I agree. “I’ll let fate have her way.”
Turning over, I situated myself between her legs, “Talking about fate,” I hovered over her lips, smiling as Stacey wrapped her legs around my waist.
“You were saying,” she whispered huskily, flicking her tongue over my lips.
“According to history, it seems we were fated to be together.”
“Is that right?” she grinned at me. “Well then, we shouldn’t interfere with fate. Kiss me, Roman.”
I did. We spent most of the night showing fate that she was right.