Chapter Thirty-Six
King
I sent Cash a text, letting him know I needed to check on Ravage before I met him and the others in church. I needed to talk to my brother and tell him what I knew.
I walked into the infirmary to find him thankfully lying in bed, Karlyn curled up at his side. She was asleep, but Ravage was staring at me, waiting.
“He still here?”
“Yeah. He stormed off after Rhea told him she was hiding from him and not her uncle like she told us.”
“The whole family is fucked up,” Ravage said as he blew out a frustrated breath.
“Sal is here.”
“Your father?” he asked, surprise on his face.
I sat in the chair next to his bed and leaned my arms on my thighs, letting my hands hang between my legs. I dropped my head down and shook it.
“Yeah, my niece called him when Maureen went into labor.”
“Your niece?”
Confused, I looked up, then remembered he was still learning how many gnarled branches this family had.
“Beck, Blade’s old lady, is Declan’s daughter.
He never knew. Her mom went to college in Arkansas and they had a fling; she lied and told him she had an abortion.
We met her last year when she moved back home.
Her and Blade grew up together here in Diamond Creek.
Oh, and Blade is my cousin. His father and Sal were half-brothers. ”
“He and Beck...?”
I shook my head and grinned. “Nah, Sal is Beck’s uncle and Blade’s uncle, but two separate sides of the family and no blood relation thank fuck, because we didn’t know who she was until after he fucked her.”
“Jesus Christ,” Ravage said, rolling his head back and looking at the ceiling. “Your family might be more fucked up than Reaper’s.”
“Honestly, I’m surprised Sypher hasn’t found a way to connect me to Reaper yet.”
I looked around the room, stalling. Nav had told me about what had happened in Lincoln, between James and Ravage. I wasn’t sure how he would react knowing he was coming here.
“I got a phone call today.” Ravage looked my way, his eyes hard. And I wondered who he might hate more than his father. “James Doherty.”
“Fuck.”
“Says he has information. Reaper and Montana will be here in three days.”
Ravage began to move. “Baby, wake up; we need to go.”
“What?” Karlyn asked, her eyes barely even open.
“You aren’t leaving this clubhouse,” I stated firmly.
“You almost fucking died. Patch has you hooked up to an IV for the antibiotics so you don’t die from a fucking infection.
And Morpheus already tried to take you to the Brotherhood once.
You don’t have enough strength to fight him off, and I’d really rather not die for shooting the fucker in the head. I’ve got enough to deal with already.”
“What?”
I grinned at Karlyn. “Your girl here walked right up to the big motherfucker and put him in his place.”
Ravage looked down at Karlyn, and she blushed. “I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, and King was right behind me.” She shrugged.
“He didn’t know,” I said softly.
“About what?”
“Me. And you. About us having the same mom. I guess she didn’t tell him she’d had a baby a few months before she met him.”
“There are so many questions,” he whispered.
“Questions we’ll never get answers to,” I agreed. “There’s something else I need to tell you before I go upstairs and talk to my men.” I looked at Karlyn.
“I need to use the restroom; you two can talk.” She leaned up and kissed Ravage, and I looked away. I didn’t know if she’d suffered the same fate as Grace. But I was jealous that she hadn’t pulled away from him.
She stood up, but before she walked out, she asked, “How is Grace?”
I took a deep breath and shook my head. “She’s not doing great. She let me share a bed with her for a while, but I couldn’t sleep. I was afraid to fucking move. I’m so afraid to fucking touch her, but all I want to do is hold her in my arms and promise it’ll never happen again.”
Karlyn put her hand on my shoulder. “That’s not something you can promise, King.” Looking into Karlyn’s eyes, I immediately knew Grace wasn’t the only one who had suffered at the hands of the Death Dogs.
“I’m so fucking sorry, Karlyn.”
“She told me what she’d tried to do.” Her voice was quiet. “While we were sitting at Trudy’s, she told me everything.”
I closed my eyes. “That’s why you looked upset,” I said.
“What did she do?” Ravage asked.
I shook my head. I wouldn’t tell him, and I hoped Karlyn wouldn’t either. I didn’t blame Grace. She was hurting when she moved here. We talked about it so many times, and I told her to let it go, but she wouldn’t. I didn’t know why she would open up to Karlyn.
“She wanted me to know I could trust you. She said it might sever any friendship between her and I, but your relationship with Jackson was more important.”
“She’s so fucking stubborn. I told her to let that shit go.”
“What did she do?” Ravage growled.
“It’s not important, Jackson.” Karlyn tried to soothe my brother’s temper, but I knew I might have to tell him. “Give her time, King.”
I nodded, unable to say anything more. Karlyn left the room, and Jackson glared at me. “I saw the video, King. Whatever Grace said upset my woman.”
“I’ll tell you some other time. Right now, we have shit to deal with.”
“King,” Ravage warned.
“I can’t, Jackson.” I stood up and paced the room.
“I can’t think about her right now. I have three fucking clubs upstairs, two of which want to kill each other.
Oh, and two more assholes to add to the mix in three days and a fucking traitor possibly in mine.
I hope to God it’s not one of my brothers. ”
“What happened?”
I told him what happened while he was in Lincoln with Nav.
He growled when I mentioned Lynch’s name and smiled when I told him about how Indie snuck up behind him and sliced his throat.
I explained everything that happened after that.
My taking over as president, Diamond Creek now being the Mother Chapter, and putting Zombie in place as interim president of the Arkansas Chapter.
I ran through Zombie’s plan to take out Stone, his SAA, and any others loyal to them, and what he found when he got home.
“So someone tipped him off?”
“Yeah. I have a guy in a cell. Someone Steele sent up here to spy. He’s been down there since I called Steele. It wasn’t him. I wish to God it was. Then I wouldn’t have to question the loyalty of my men.”
“I don’t think it was one of yours,” Ravage pondered out loud.
“You think it was one of Zeus’?”
“Maybe Zeus himself. Or Kronos.”
“I thought about that,” I said as I sat back down. “I’ve kept an eye on them since Nav called from Lincoln. I honestly don’t think it’s Zeus. Not after the way he reacted to Eros being in F.I.R.E. Maybe Kronos, but what would he have to gain?”
“What do any of them have to gain? Power, money, fucking greed? It’s always the same shit.
Someone had to have tipped off the Death Dogs that Grace and Karlyn were in town.
It sure as hell wasn’t Indigo or Eros. And I’ve seen the way your men treat her.
I don’t think they would have done it either. ”
“When Banshee was taken, he killed his old lady’s husband.”
“Her husband was a Death Dog?”
I shook my head. “Long fucking story, but yes. Anyway, he assumed Banshee would be the one dying, so he told him some shit. Skinner had a rich backer trying to take over the Federation. Zeus has a right to the seat; he wouldn’t need to take it by force.
But Kronos doesn’t. And he’s no longer a president. ”
“We talked about that with Sypher and Phantom. Nav suggested Kytten.”
“I already talked to Cash and Mimic. They both hate it but conceded. I’m gonna talk to Kytten today when I go upstairs.”
“It will put a target on her back.”
“She already has one. Fucking Dakota Stone is after Mimic, probably her too.”
“Why?”
“Another long fucking story. I swear to fuck, my life was supposed to be quiet in the Midwest,” I snapped. “Skinner wanted my club ’cause it’s in the middle of the fucking country. And Steele was ready to give it to him.”
“Well, Steele’s dead. What about Skinner?” he asked.
“I shot him in the fucking neck right before I went over the damn cliff after you.” I grinned.
“Fuck, we’re all lucky to be alive. I didn’t even realize I’d been shot.”
“Neither did I. Karlyn and I were doing CPR, and I was pushing the blood right out of you. It was Grace who saved your life.” Ravage jerked his head toward me.
“She knew to put mud on the hole to stop the bleeding. So when I tell you what happened the night I met her, maybe you could keep that in mind?”
He turned away without a response, and I took a deep breath and rubbed the back of my neck. “There’s one more thing I need to tell you before I go upstairs.”
“Is it important? ’Cause I think I’m fucking done.”
“It’s about Karlyn.”
Ravage closed his eyes and clenched his fists against the bed. “What?” he growled.
“There was a video. Grace told me. She doesn’t know about the pictures Skinner sent. But she asked me if I’d seen the video.”
“That’s what they were keeping from us.”
“I think so, yeah,” I confirmed. “I assume there was one of Karlyn too.”
“Who saw it?” Ravage asked, his teeth clenched tightly.
“I don’t know yet. But I know Nav. And you do too. He wouldn’t have shown anyone. I don’t think Sypher would either.”
A knock on the door cut the conversation as Karlyn popped her head in. “Can I come in?”
I stood from my chair. “Yeah, sweetheart. I’m done for now.” I looked at Ravage. As soon as he heard Karlyn’s voice, the rage left his body. I’d noticed Ravage did that for Karlyn, too; only, it was fear that he soothed in her.
Grace did that for me. She was my calm in the storm. My homecoming peace. I wanted to be her security. I wanted her to see me and have that same reaction. I wanted to watch her body relax knowing she was safe in my arms.
“I’ll let you know what I find out. Did Patch say when he’d let you out?” I asked, standing by the door.
“Tomorrow, he’ll switch me over to pills, and he said as long as I take it easy, I can move upstairs to my room.”
“I’ve got my guys coming home tomorrow as well, so you won’t be the only invalid. Johnny and Indigo need to stay in hospital another day or two.”
Ravage scoffed. “Good luck keeping Indigo in there. And pray Disturbed doesn’t show up.”
“Shit, I didn’t even think of that,” I groaned, running my hands over my face. “One fucking day. I just need one fucking day.”
“Heavy is the crown, big brother.” Ravage grinned, and I flipped him off as I closed the door while he laughed.
I took the stairs two at a time and stopped in the kitchen looking for Kytten and Indie.
I found them both in the main room with some of my men.
Zeus’ men were patrolling. They started taking turns with mine to protect the clubhouse.
The Brotherhood had also offered to help.
At least them I could trust. With Ravage in the infirmary downstairs, I knew Morpheus’ men would protect my clubhouse.
“Kytten, Indie, can you both come with me?” Without a word, they both stood and followed me into church.