Hulk Chapter 15
The high of presenting Celeste with her property cut and moving the two of them to the compound didn’t last twenty-four hours.
It came to a halt when, on Sunday, after everyone was up and around, Leon went outside the gate.
He did so to check the perimeter. It was something he liked to do.
A throwback, he said, from his days as a Marine.
It was due to his habit that we found the brick with the note tied to it.
He kept his head when he saw it. Instead of automatically picking it up, he called Thoryn to bring him a pair of gloves. Only after he had them on did he pick it up and bring it to the clubhouse. It was Pope who called me.
“Hello,” I said.
“Hulk, we need you at the clubhouse. Don’t bring the ladies,” Pope greeted.
I stiffened and glanced over to the kitchen. Capri and Celeste were there, reviewing our supplies for some meal they wanted to make.
“Alright, I’ll be right over.”
“Who was that?” Celeste called over to me after I disconnected.
“It was Pope. He needs to see me. Let me see what’s up. I’ll be back soon. Don’t let me interrupt your masterpiece,” I told her, trying to act as if everything was normal.
To add to the vibe, I went over and kissed her the way I always did, then left. I had to hold myself back from running. If I did, and one of them happened to look outside, they’d know something was wrong. Until I learned the specifics, I would shield them.
I burst into the back door of the clubhouse, then I ran.
The pounding of my boots announced my impending arrival.
When I entered the common room, I found not only Pope waiting for me, but Wire, Leon, Mace, and Nitro.
As I came to a halt before them, more came streaming out of their rooms and through the front door. What the hell?
“What’s wrong?” I asked Pope.
“Just a second. Agony and Dare are almost here. Sorry that I had to ruin everyone’s Sunday, but I knew you and the rest would want to see this right away,” Pope explained.
Thankfully, Agony and Dare slid up next to us, or I would’ve yelled at him to just fucking show me.
“You said something was found. Explain,” Agony grunted.
“I’ll let Leon tell you. He’s the one who found it,” Pope announced before waving to the prospect.
“I have a habit of liking to go outside the gate and have a look-see along the fence. It’s a habit from my days of watching for booby traps and bombs in the Corps.
It gives me a stretch of the legs, makes me familiar with what is normal, and it’s an extra layer of protection, I guess.
Anyway, I did that this morning, and when I did, I found this on the driveway outside the gate.
It’s addressed to Capri. Before you ask, no, I didn’t touch it with my bare hands.
I used gloves and then put them in this bag. ”
His brief, though concise, explanation kept me from yelling my head off.
We moved closer to the table where he pointed to a plastic bag.
It was a larger evidence bag. Christ, at the rate we kept using these, we’d need to get more was the inane thought that went through my head.
Next to it was a box of latex exam gloves.
That’s when I noticed Wire already had a pair on. I snagged a set for me, and as I slipped them on, Wire opened the bag and slid out the letter, leaving the brick inside. He unfolded it and handed it to me. I hated to take it, but I did.
You fucking slut! Bikers! You’re living with bikers!
That’s where you’ve been hiding from me.
I saw them take your things yesterday and bring them back to that prison of theirs.
Don’t think that fence or those filthy fuckers can keep us apart, Capri.
You belong to me. And I’ll have you back.
If you turn yourself over to me, your punishment will be less.
I’ll forgive you. Make me wait or have to come and get you myself, and you’ll regret the day you ever turned your back on me.
You have until midnight on Monday night to return to your apartment, my pet. Your Owner.
Like last time, fury engulfed me. I had to hold back from tearing the letter to shreds or flinging it to the floor.
With shaking hands, I handed it to Wire.
As he read it aloud, I only vaguely heard him.
My mind was on what I was doing to this motherfucker, when I got my hands on him.
My brothers were no happier than I was, based on their muttered remarks and the swearing. I didn’t look up until they got quiet.
“Thanks for getting me here without the ladies. I don’t want Capri to hear this,” I muttered.
“Will you tell them?” Hazard asked.
“I will, but I hate to. However, they deserve to know. If Celeste wants to know the specifics of what was said, I’ll tell her.
I don’t want that in Capri’s head. She’s still having nightmares from the last one, though they have eased.
There wasn’t one last night. Fuck, I want this bastard dead,” I snarled, slamming my fist on the table.
“He will be. It goes without saying that she won’t be back there on Monday. What we have to do is be prepared for him to be stupid enough to make a grab for her,” Agony said.
“If he wants to send a letter that issues ultimatums and threats, let’s see if he has the guts to come for her here,” Dare stated.
“He’d have to be insane to do that,” Mace said.
“With someone like this, yes, he is insane, and knowing the object of his obsession is further out of his reach and in the hands of bikers, he’ll be even more so,” Leon chimed in.
Before any of us said more, we were interrupted by a woman’s voice.
“Let him try. He won’t walk away this time,” Celeste hissed.
Whirling around toward the hallway that led past most of the rooms and to the back door, I found not only my old lady standing there, but Capri. Celeste was red-faced and furious. Capri was slightly pale.
Automatically, I hurried over to them. I swept both into my arms. “What’re you doing here? I thought you were working on the menu.”
The others remained silent.
“We were, and then I remembered the master pantry in here, where you can not only borrow things but put them on a list so they can be picked up on the next big grocery run. We were coming to do that,” Celeste explained.
“How much did you hear?” I asked.
“That there’s another note, and the person left an ultimatum. I want to know what the note says,” Celeste demanded.
Knowing I had no option, I guided them back to where I’d been standing.
“Troublemaker, I’ll let you read it, but first, let’s hear what everyone thinks we need to do. Capri, honey, I don’t want you to hear or read it. It’s more of the same,” I told her.
“What is the ultimatum?” Capri asked.
I hesitated. It was Celeste who got me to do it.
“Tell her. If not, I will after I find out. She needs to know, Hulk.” My woman warned.
“Fuck, alright, he saw us moving your stuff yesterday and knows you’re here. He’s giving you until Monday at midnight to be back at the apartment. We’re not doing that. When he discovers that, he’ll be forced to make a move against us here,” I explained.
“But he’d have to be stupid to do that. Where did you get the letter?” Capri asked.
“Outside the gate, tied to that brick. Leon found it. I don’t want either of you stressing more over this. He’s not getting his hands on you, Capri. We’ll be free of him soon. I don’t want this to ruin the coming holiday.” I emphasized.
“It’s stressful no matter what, but we’re not going to stop living our lives because of this freak. However, that’s not to say I wouldn’t love for this to be over with before Christmas Day,” Capri admitted.
I glanced over at my Pres and my brothers. Heads were nodding. I knew what I had to do next.
“Then we’ll do everything in our power to make that happen if we can.
The first order of business is to send this off, as we did the rest, for DNA and fingerprint checks.
Next, we’ve got to talk to those three girls from the party.
I suggest we divide and conquer. Three of us go to their homes and speak to them.
We’ll explain that we’re there, helping to find the one who harmed Capri.
If we don’t get anything from them, then we’ll have to try something else while we wait to find Vanessa,” I suggested.
“They won’t speak to you alone. They’ll be too intimidated. I suggest we divide up as you said, but I’ll go with one of you, and Celeste with another. Whoever gets done first will see the third one, unless we’ve received answers from the first two,” Capri proposed.
She was right that the women's presence would make the ladies more likely to talk to us, but I hated the idea of putting the burden on her. However, Guardian chimed in before I told her that.
“I know none of us want to have Capri dealing with this, but seeing her might loosen tongues. And even if it doesn’t, she needs to have a hand in bringing this person to justice. It’s no different from going out on dates around town.”
None of us could argue with his logic. For the next fifteen minutes, we debated and then planned who would go where.
Since it was a Sunday, we had a better chance of the women being home.
If not, we’d return in the evening or tomorrow evening.
When everything had been agreed upon, the session broke up.
Wire went to send off the letter. The rest of us parted ways to do whatever.
I knew I’d be at home worrying with my ladies until it was time to go.
???
I took Celeste with me to the first house.
Capri went with Pyro. The reason he was selected wasn’t that there were no other options.
All my brothers and prospects asked to do it.
Pyro was chosen because he was one of the brothers with military experience and had won the arm-wrestling contest. Yes, even amid something like this, men would be boys.
And the silliness of it made the women laugh and eased the tension.