7. Ghost
Ghost
It had been a hell of day, and I’d just gotten into bed when a muffled cry pierced through the silence of the night. I eased up on the bed and tilted my head, trying to hear it again. At first, I thought I was dreaming, but then I heard it again—much louder than before.
It was a scream. Not only that, but it was a woman’s scream.
“Whitney.”
My blood ran cold as I shot out of bed and grabbed my gun from the nightstand. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins as I bolted down the hall. As I got closer, the sound of her screams grew louder, echoing through the clubhouse walls. Toby’s cries quickly followed. “Mom... Momma...”
I didn’t bother knocking. I just barged right in and quickly scanned the room, searching for the threat. That’s when I spotted Whitney thrashing wildly in her bed.
Sweat dripped down her forehead, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Toby was next to her, and he looked like a deer in headlights. When I saw that no one else was in the room, I quickly lowered my weapon and looked back to Toby. He was already terrified, and I’d only added to his fear by barging into their room with my gun drawn.
“It’s okay, buddy.” I placed it on the desk, then stepped over to the edge of the bed. “I’m just here to make sure you both are safe.”
He nodded, but the fear in his eyes remained.
He watched intently as I knelt in front of Whitney and whispered, “Hey, Whitney… Whitney , wake up.”
I placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently, and her eyes shot open. Still caught between the dream and reality, her body jolted back, and she let out another choked scream. Trying my best not to scare her further, I leaned back and whispered, “Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay.”
“Ghost?”
My name had barely left her lips when she reached for me. She wound her arms around my neck and pulled me close, clinging to me like her life depended on it. I slipped my arm around her waist, holding her as I whispered, “You’re okay. You’re at the clubhouse. It was just a bad dream.”
“I thought he was here.” She started to cry as she muttered, “I thought he’d found us.”
“Hey, hey.” I eased her back so she could see my face. “He’s not here. No one’s here. It’s just us.”
She quickly scanned the room, and when she saw that no one was there, she muttered, “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to?—”
“It’s alright,” I cut her off gently. “No need to apologize.”
“It seemed so real.” She wiped the tears from her eyes as she added, “It’s been a while since I’ve had one that bad.”
Toby shuffled closer, and I gave him a nod, letting him know that everything was going to be okay. Toby hesitated for a moment, then inched closer to her. “It was a bad one, Mom.”
“I know, sweetie, and I’m sorry.” She gave him a quick hug and kissed him on the cheek. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I hate when you have those dreams.”
“I do, too. But I’m okay now. Come on. Let’s get you settled.” She stood and led him back over to his bed. “Everything’s fine now. Try to get you some sleep.”
He nodded, then slipped under the covers and pulled them up over his shoulders. Whitney leaned down and kissed him on the forehead before getting back in her bed. She settled back on her pillow with a sigh. It was tough seeing them like this, and as much as I tried to keep my emotions in check, there was something about seeing them so rattled that got to me. “You need anything? Water? Something to help you sleep?”
“No, I just… I’ll be fine.” Whitney shook her head. “I’m really sorry about all this. I’m sure you’re sick of me and all...”
“Don’t.”
She was trying to be strong, but I could see the cracks in her fa?ade. The pain and fear had worn her down, but she was here—which meant she still had some fight in her. Regardless, I didn’t push. I knew the demons she was fighting. Mine were of a different breed, but I had them, too.
I knew how hard they were to face, so I said, “You don’t ever have to apologize to me. Not for anything.”
“Thank you, Ghost. I really appreciate that.”
“Don’t gotta thank me either.” I glanced over at Toby and was pleased to see that he was already dozing off. “You good?”
“I want to say yes, but I’m not so sure.” She grimaced as she asked, “Would you mind staying for a bit? Just until I fall back asleep?”
“Yeah. I can do that.”
I sat down on the floor and leaned my back against the wall. I crossed my arms and then threw one leg over the other, trying my best to make myself comfortable. Whitney tossed me a blanket as she said, “This might help.”
“Thanks.”
I laid it across my chest, and once she saw that I was settled, Whitney turned off the light. We sat there in silence long enough for me to think she’d fallen asleep, and then, out of nowhere, she whispered, “Is this ever going to be over?”
“Yeah. You’re getting closer all the time.”
“It doesn’t feel like it,” she sighed. “It feels like I’m caught up in a bad dream, and I’m never going to find my way out.”
“Might help to talk about it.”
“I don’t know.” She glanced over at Toby, making sure he was asleep, then sighed. “I need you to know that this thing with Dylan wasn’t some drawn out abusive relationship. I thought I’d met a good guy. He was a police officer with great friends and a wonderful family, and I thought I’d hit the jackpot until we had our first fight.”
“He showed his true colors?”
“Yeah, you could say that,” she scoffed. “I’d never seen someone lose it like he did. It was like he turned into a completely different person, and when he hit me that first time, I really thought it was just a fluke. I told myself he was just tired or stressed out at work. But then, it happened again, and I wasn’t having it. I wasn’t going to have a man like that in our lives, so, I broke it off with him. That time, he really lost it and did a real number on me. He told me that it wasn’t over until he said it was over, and he would kill me if I tried to walk away.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah, it was pretty bad. To make matters worse, I had no one to turn to. I couldn’t call the police... He was the police . His partner and everyone on the force would’ve believed him over me. He would’ve made sure of that. I was stuck.”
“What about your family?”
“My mother was really young when she got pregnant with me, and after a couple of months, she pawned me off on my grandmother. Never really saw much of her after that. She didn’t come to the funeral when my grandmother died.”
“Damn. So, what did you do?”
“I did the only thing I could. I ran.” She shifted in the bed, making herself more comfortable as she added, “The first time, I just moved across town and changed my number. It was less than a month before he showed up at my door. That’s when the stalking started.”
Her tone was distant, almost detached, as she went on to explain, “He followed me to work and got my number there. He called a hundred times a day, and when that didn’t work, he cornered me and hurt me again. I was in the hospital for several days. When I got out, Frankie helped me find a place in Murfreesboro. I got a new job, and Toby changed schools. I thought it would be enough, but it was never enough. The guy was relentless.”
I knew she’d had a hard time with her asshole ex. Hell, that had been evident with all the bruises and the sprained wrist. But there was so much more to it. She’d done everything she could to get away from him, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt for blaming her for not doing more to protect Toby. She’d done all that she could and more.
“God, I’m such a fucking asshole.”
“What?” she gasped. “No.”
“That shit I said that night....” I shook my head. “I should’ve never blamed you. None of this has been your fault, and I should’ve never said otherwise or even thought otherwise.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.” I’d never been more wrong about a person, and it gutted me that I’d said the things I’d said. Hell, I couldn’t even look at her when I said, “Sometimes the past can sneak up on you and make you think things you have no business thinking.”
“Sounds like there’s a story there.”
“Yeah, a story for another day.”
“Okay.” Her tone grew soft as she said, “I still say you were right. I had my part to play in things. I’m the one who brought him into our lives. I should’ve picked up on the fact that something was up with him long before I introduced him to Toby.”
“Guys like him are really good at putting on a show.”
“Yeah, he was good at it. A regular charmer... until he wasn’t , and then, he was anything but. I just hate I didn’t see it sooner.”
Whitney’s voice started to fade, and her eyelids were starting to get heavy. She was exhausted and needed rest, so I told her, “It’s late. You should probably get some sleep.”
She nodded, then closed her eyes. It didn’t take long for the tension in her face to fade. Moments after, her breathing became slow and steady, and she drifted off to sleep. I could’ve gotten up and left. She would’ve never been the wiser, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave her—not after seeing how scared she was after that nightmare.
I wanted to stay there and make sure she didn’t have another one, so I eased my head back and propped it on the wall. As I sat there staring at her, I was struck by how beautiful she was. I’d always found her pretty—even with the black eye and busted lip, but at that moment, she looked at peace in a way I’d never seen her before—like an angel.
Her long, jet-black hair was down and splayed out on her pillow. It was a stark contrast against her pale skin, and it made me wonder if she’d dyed it when hiding from her ex—and if so, she might’ve been a lighter brown like her son. Her hazel eyes, which were usually filled with uncertainty, were now hidden behind her lashes, and the lines of worry and fear that haunted her features were now gone.
But that quiet strength of hers was still there.
Even in her most vulnerable moments, it was always there, lingering beneath the surface. And she was going to need it over the next few months. She had a lot of changes ahead of her, but she wouldn’t have to face them alone. I would make sure of that.
The soothing sound of her breathing had me nodding off. I was fighting to stay awake when I heard a tap at the door.
“Hey, Ghost,” Seven whispered. “Are you in there?”
“Yeah. Give me a sec.” I didn’t want to wake Whitney, so I jumped to my feet and answered the door. “What’s going on?”
“Prez called church.”
I could tell by the urgency in his voice that something was wrong, so I stepped out of the room and closed the door. “I need to change.”
He nodded, then followed me down to my room. He waited as I threw on a pair of jeans and my boots, then, we were on our way. As we started back down the hall, I turned to him and asked, “You gonna leave me hanging, or are you gonna tell me what the hell’s going on?”
“It’s Kay.” He grimaced as he told me, “We just got word that her house in Memphis just got torched.”
“Ah, hell. Does that mean what I think it means?”
“Don’t know for sure. That’s why Prez is calling us in.”
I nodded, then followed him down to the conference room. When we walked in Preacher was already at the head of the table, and the other brothers were filing in around him. I could feel the weight of whatever news Preacher was about to drop, and it had me feeling on edge as I took a seat next to Goose.
Once everyone was settled, Preacher leaned forward, his expression hard. “As some of you might have heard, Kay’s home was torched tonight.”
A wave of murmurs spread through the room, but Preacher raised a hand, quickly silencing us.
“Our contact talked to one of his guys at the fire department, and there were accelerants all over the property and house.”
“So, someone’s sending a message.”
“Afraid so.” Prez ran his hand over his beard. “We believe this was tied to Carmine and the money he stole from the cartel.”
I exchanged a glance with Goose, and I could tell by his expression that we were both thinking the same thing. The cartel didn’t play around. If they were making moves like this, things were going to escalate fast.
“Carmine’s done well. He’s managed to stay under the radar, and it’s looking like they’ve grown tired of looking for him.” Preacher's jaw clenched as he looked over to Memphis. “Looks like they’re targeting anyone they think might be connected to him, and that includes Kay and possibly Antonia. But she’s here and safe.”
“But Mom’s not.” While they had their differences and lots of them, Memphis had always been protective of his mother. “You really think they know she’s in California?”
“No way to be sure,” Preacher said, his voice grim. “We’ve been careful, but it’s possible.”
“Fuck.”
“She’s family, son. We’re not going to let anything happen to her,” Preacher assured him. “Zeke is bringing her home. It’s a haul, so it’ll take him a couple of days to get here. But they’re coming, and once they’re here, we’ll do everything we can to keep her safe.”
I could feel the tension in the room rising as the reality of the situation settled in. We all knew it was bad. The cartel wasn’t going to back down until they got what they wanted. Memphis knew this, so I wasn’t surprised when he asked, “Why don’t we just give up Carmine? He’s the one that caused all this.”
“Why don’t you ask Antonia that question?”
“She wouldn’t want his actions to put Mom or the club in jeopardy!”
“We committed to help him. We step away from that now, it will just come off as weak. And we are anything but weak.”
Memphis nodded, then watched as Preacher stood and said, “Our strength is in our loyalty. All for one, and one for all.”
We all nodded in agreement, determination marking our expressions. There was no doubt that we were in this together—we always were. Before dismissing us, Preacher told us to stay close and be prepared for the days ahead. The guys quickly dispersed and either headed back to their rooms or to the bar.
Memphis stayed back to talk to Prez for a moment, then stormed out of the room with a huff. He was upset, and I couldn’t blame him. It’s hard enough when someone you care about is in trouble, but it’s even harder when it’s your mother. I figured he could use a moment to vent, so I followed him outside to the parking lot.
He'd just pulled out a cigarette and was lighting it when I walked up next to him and asked, “Hey, brother. You alright?”
“Nope. Far from it.” He took a long drag, then said, “I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
“Maybe this whole house burning thing was just a coincidence or...”
“It was a threat. You know it, and I know it,” he cut me off. “I don’t want to wait around for them to make another move. We need to end this before it starts.”
I understood where Memphis was coming from, but knowing the risks, I pushed, “But do you really think giving them Carmine will make this go away?”
“He’s the one who started all this, not Mom. She had nothing to do with him taking that money. And neither did Antonia or anyone else in the club. The cartel’s not gonna stop until they get what they want.”
“And what they want is blood. You gotta know that Carmine’s only part of it, brother. They’ll take him and then come for the rest of us. You know how they work.”
“They might not even know we’re involved.”
“Maybe not, but it won’t take long for guys like these to piece it all together, and when they do...”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “There’s gotta be a way to end this.”
“I know you’re worried, but if we hand Carmine over, we’re sending a message that we’ll fold under pressure. If we come off looking weak, they’re liable to come after us even harder?”
“We’ve gotta do something.”
“And we will.” I let my words hang in the air for a moment before speaking, my voice softer this time. “But I’m telling ya, giving Carmine to the cartel won’t stop them from showing up at our door.”
Memphis nodded, his mind already turning over the next steps. “I’m gonna call Zeke and check-in, then go home to my woman.”
I gave him a nod, then turned and headed back inside the clubhouse. My mind should’ve been on the club and the possibility of war with the cartel, but as I started down the hall, there was only one thing on my mind.
Whitney.
I went down to her room, and being as quiet as possible, I eased the door open. The light from the hallway was enough for me to see that she and Toby were both sound asleep in their beds. Neither of them had a clue whether I was there or not, but I didn’t care. I’d promised her I’d stay, and that was exactly what I was going to do.
Besides, Seven had already proven that the guys knew where to find me if they needed me, so I quietly made my way back over to my spot on the floor. I leaned back against the wall and grabbed the blanket from the floor, quickly tossing it over me. While I wasn’t exactly comfortable, it felt right to be there—even more so than I expected.
I didn’t know what it was about these two, but they brought out something in me that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not, but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t going anywhere now.