Chapter Nineteen
Ghost
“I guess we should start at the beginning. I told you a little about Piper's mom. We were never really in love, but I thought I loved her at one point, I guess. At least I tried. I gave her as much as I could, but I still had a job to do, and I wanted to spend a lot of my free time with Piper. I wanted her ready to take on this world, so I worked night and day to make that happen.” I pause as the next part still causes an ache in my chest.
“I still remember the day she told me what she had done. I never in a million years would have guessed that a mother could do something like that to their own child, but then again, she was more a monster than a mother. She told me she sold my baby girl to one of the most ruthless men in the state.” Tizzy gasps, but I don't stop. “I still don't know how she thought I could have ever been fucking happy with that choice, but she was a self-absorbed bitch from the beginning, so I don't really know why I’m surprised, actually.”
“As soon as I got the notification that my property had been breached, I grabbed Piper and her go bag. I made her leave and run. I knew if I could get her out of the house before that fucker got there, then she could get away. I didn't just teach Piper how to defend herself. I taught her to survive in any situation she might face. When I finally got her out of the house, I armed myself and readied for those fuckers to come. I didn't care if I had to shoot my way through. I would take every single one of them out before I died for even thinking they had a claim on Piper.” This story is harder to tell than I thought, but everything turned out for the best. I just have to remind myself of that as I get through the rest of this.
“They came in, and that's when I found out what the bitch had done. To make a long story short, I was shot. The bullet grazed my head but was still enough to knock me out. From there, I know Diane was shot and killed, then when they realized I hadn't died, they thought it would be even more fun to take me and keep me locked away.”
“Oh, Devon,” Tizzy breathes and kisses my chest. Squeezing her, I continue.
“I waited for weeks, months, years for Piper to show up in that basement cage right beside me. Not that I thought she would be na?ve enough to get caught. I taught her better than that. After chasing and missing her so many times, I thought they would use me as a bargaining tool. Apparently, Hector, the fucker, didn't want to ruin the surprise. He had plans to torture and kill me in front of Piper when he finally caught her. He made sure he let me know all of his plans before each torture session. He told me over and over what he was going to do to Piper in front of me before he killed me. There's no way I could have ever let her go through that. I was bound and determined to get out of there somehow, to kill those fuckers before they could ever lay a hand on Piper. I don't know how long I had been down there when they brought down Izzy.” I take a deep breath, almost losing it at the memory.
“When they first dragged her down, and I got my first look at her, all I saw was a woman being shoved down the stairs. For a second, my world crashed around me, I thought…” I have to take a deep breath as my voice almost cracks. “I thought they had finally gotten her. My worst nightmare was about to come true, and I could do nothing about it. I had taken a lot of torture in my life and never once came close to breaking. That day, I was tempted. As they descended, I noticed the girl's hair wasn’t blonde like Piper's but completely black, and she stumbled more than I expected, almost like she was blind. That was the first time I met Isabella.”
Tizzy gasps. “Izzy? Like Hitter’s sweet Izzy?”
“The very one.” I smile fondly at the thought of Izzy. “I don't know exactly how long we were down there together, but for days and weeks, months, it was only us. Other than bringing us food and the regular torture sessions I was forced to endure, we were together, and we made the most of it. She became like a daughter to me. I couldn't understand how a person could condemn someone as sweet and selfless as Izzy to that hellhole. It was even worse when I found out Hector, the man holding us, was her brother. Flesh and blood reveling in the torture of his own sister.”
“Oh, my skies and stars! This is like a lifetime movie! What happened next?” Tizzy says. I know she's lightening the mood, and I appreciate it more than she’ll ever know. I swear this woman just has a way of putting everyone in her vicinity at ease. I've never appreciated it more.
“Next… we were rescued. I didn't know at the time it was Piper's man. Swift and his men came in, guns blazing, and took everyone out. Well, everyone except Hector. Let's just say I was able to get my payback for a few days.” I smirk, and the giggle she releases has my heart soring. It also has those memories and their residual effects on me, blowing away like ashes in the wind. Just like that, with her listening ear and just one laugh, I’ve never felt more at peace. How the fuck did I survive forty-four years without this woman?
Later that day, we enter church, Tizzy falling behind me. When she moves to the far end of the table, where there's an empty chair, I figure I might as well correct that first. I pull her down into my lap, her rightful spot. This might be about club business, but hell, I’ve already said fuck traditions by even letting her in our sanctuary. She’s right, though, she takes care of us, she's putting her life in danger by being here with us. The least we can do is tell her why she's risking her life.
If she was some wilting flower that would freak the fuck out at every discussion or mention of something unsavory, it would be different. That's just not my girl, though. She would rather spearhead the mission than be left out of it, and I can understand and respect that.
“Alright, calling this meeting to order. As many of you know, we recently had a little incident on the property. That’s fucking unacceptable. I want to know every mother fucking detail about this fucker, and, more importantly, I want to fucking know how he tracked us? We are supposed to be black. Completely off-grid, no records. As far as anyone knows, we are all supposed to be six fucking feet under. So again, how the fuck were we compromised?”
The room falls silent, heavy with tension as the question lingers in the air. I can feel the anger radiating off every single brother at the table. Our compound is sacred, the heart of our operations, and the fact that someone had the nerve—or the resources—to violate our territory has every single one of us on edge.
Tizzy shifts slightly on my lap, her body language a mix of defiance and readiness. She isn’t here to sit pretty. She’s here to contribute, and I’ll be damned if I don’t give her the space to do it. Still, her presence is unorthodox, and I know a few brothers are struggling with that.
Rasputin clears his throat, his face a mask of cold calculation. “We found pieces of another drone out by the south perimeter. High-end tech, military-grade. Not something a random asshole picks up at a hobby shop.”
“That means someone with deep pockets,” Caesar adds, his hands gripping the edge of the table. “Someone who knows exactly where to look.”
“Not just deep pockets,” Taz adds, his voice cutting through the low murmurs. “Someone with a network. Military-grade tech like that doesn’t just fall into the wrong hands. It’s bought, sold, and traded by people who know what they’re doing.”
“Crypt mentioned it was probably stolen, though, so the question really is, who has the resources or ability to steal something like that? Who cares who bought it? You mentioned it was some weird cult you’ve already been watching. Known entity, not something to worry about. But who could pull something like this over on them?" Tizzy asks.
A few heads turn her way, some nodding in agreement, others looking skeptical. I wrap my arm tighter around her waist to remind them all that her place here isn’t up for debate.
Mania taps the table. “Alright, let’s assume this isn’t a one-off. Whoever sent the drone was scouting. Testing us. Which means they’ll try again—unless we make sure they can’t.”
“And what do you suggest?” Caesar growls, leaning back in his chair. He’s skeptical by nature, but he’s got a point. “We sit here twiddling our thumbs, waiting for another drone? Or worse?”
“No,” Tizzy snaps, leaning forward slightly. “We don’t wait. We bait them.”
The room goes quiet again, her words sinking in. I glance at her, and the fire in her eyes is enough to make me grin. That’s my girl.
“Go on,” I say, my voice steady and encouraging. She’s got everyone’s attention now.
“We set a trap,” she explains. “Whoever sent the drone is looking for something—or someone. We make them think they’ve found it. Use the same tech against them. Crypt, you can rig something up, right?”
He nods slowly, a spark of interest lighting up in his usually deadpan expression. “Yeah. I could rig a decoy signal. Something that looks like a high-value target. But it’ll take time—and we’ll need the right bait.”
“That’s where we come in,” I say, looking around the table. “We’ll need eyes on every inch of this property. No one gets close without us knowing. Taz, Mania, you’ll handle perimeter shifts. Caesar, you’ll work on the tech with Crypt. And the rest of us? We’ll be ready for whoever comes sniffing around.”
“And what about me?” Tizzy asks, her voice challenging.
“You stay close,” I say, my tone leaving no room for argument. “If this shit gets messy, I want you where I can see you.”
She gives me a look like she’s ready to argue, but then she nods. It’s a small concession, but I’ll take it. Keeping her safe is non-negotiable.
“Alright,” Crypt says, standing. “I’ll need some extra hands for the setup. And a little time.”
“You’ve got it,” I reply. “Let’s get to work.”
The gavel drops, the sound echoing in the tense air, and the brothers rise, already discussing their tasks. Tizzy stays in my lap for a moment longer, her hand resting lightly on my chest.
“This could get dangerous,” I murmur to her. “You ready for that?”
Her eyes meet mine, unwavering. “Always.”