Chapter 25 Cash
TWENTY-FIVE
CASH
We all piled down into the bowels of the basement hidden far beneath Kane’s office. The bass reverberated as the packed club danced the night away.
My nerves rattled as I followed my crew down the narrow staircase.
Feeling their curiosity pinging off them each time they glanced my way. I gave it two-point-three seconds before they pounced on me.
Stomach in knots, I took my seat at the round table. Both fear and loyalty rising to the surface. In a way that I’d never felt before. Something more powerful than I’d experienced in all my life.
Everyone sat, their chair legs screeching on the concrete floor before River put his fist out into the middle of the table for us to meet it. “I call to order this meeting of Sovereign Sanctum.”
And that was all it took. All other business forgotten as every eye whipped my way.
“You care to tell us what the fuck is going on with you?” Otto asked where he sat to my left.
“Yeah. We’re going to need to know who you are bringing to my house tomorrow, which just to be clear, Emery is freaking the fuck out with excitement over because for one…
” Kane lifted a single finger. “You’re coming at all, and for two…
” He lifted a second digit. “You plan to have four guests with you.”
His tone was riddled with questions.
Otto’s blue eyes gleamed as he added, “Prepare yourself, brother. Girls have been texting since Emery let everyone know you had RSVP’d and have a plus-four. They’re making plans and shit, and Raven is spearheading it.”
Blowing out a sigh, I shifted uncomfortably on my chair.
Fuck.
Of course, they were.
Did I expect anything less?
Knew once their women caught wind of it, things were going to spiral out of hand. They’d be imagining things that just weren’t there.
“But you said it is a Sanctum issue?” River pressed, giving a glare to the rest to keep their damned cool and focus on what was important.
Not the gossip and speculation that had undoubtedly cut a fiery path through the family tonight.
I inhaled a harsh breath, preparing myself to dish when only Theo knew anything about my history with Daisy.
My throat grew thick. “This woman who I knew back home. Before I came to LA. Her name is Daisy. She has three children. She found me, and she’s in trouble.”
The easy laughs Otto and Kane wore drained from their faces.
Kane sat forward. “What kind of trouble?”
My mouth suddenly felt like the Sahara. “She discovered some nefarious activities on her husband. A bunch of money they shouldn’t have.
She confronted him on it. Demanded to know what was going on.
He tried to gaslight her. Tell her she was imagining things.
Only when one of his business associates went missing under questionable circumstances, she knew he was into something deep. She went to the authorities…”
“Shit,” River rumbled, quick to catch up.
I scrubbed a palm over my face. “Fucker was arrested, and she filed for divorce. It was already finalized when he got released. Judge threw the case out. I learned through my digging she believed there wasn’t enough evidence for the case to stand.
Only the moment he got out, someone tried to run Daisy off the road. She knew he was after her.”
“So he’s out for retaliation?” Theo surmised.
Agitation burned through my nerves. A fuse running out quickly. “Seems so.”
A stir of energy whipped around the room.
Every one of my brothers sat forward. Tattooed flesh crawled over their muscles that bunched and twisted.
Otto curled both hands into fists and set them on the table. Clearly thirsting for a fight. “And where can we find this piece of shit?”
Rage billowed through my senses. A chaotic storm that battered and blew against the rigid armor of my being.
“Motherfucker disappeared. Took me two weeks before I caught a whiff of him in Florida, though I could only tie him there for a couple days. Means he’s gone underground and is fucking good at doing it. ”
Incredulity shook Theo’s head. “You lost track of him?”
I was the best at what I did.
It wasn’t pride.
It was just fact.
“I’ll pin him soon.” It was close to a snarl.
“And we’ll be ready,” Kane said.
Worry darkened River’s demeanor. “She know what you’re in?”
It went without saying that we didn’t just let strangers in on who we were or what we did.
An impenetrable lid kept on Sovereign Sanctum business.
It was dangerous for both civilians and for us.
It was the whole reason we originally had the rule that we couldn’t form attachments. That we couldn’t form bonds or have families other than the one that had been established before Sanctum.
But all of that had been blown to shit the moment Charleigh had come into town and crashed into River’s life, and then each of the guys had gotten plucked like petals from a flower.
In discomfort, I shifted on the hard chair. “She didn’t know anything about me before she came here. I’m just the only other person she knows.”
Anxiety had me bouncing as I warily glanced around at each of them. “She doesn’t have any details, but she does know my hands are tainted. Had to tell her with what she was asking of me.”
Energy flash-fired from Theo. Air puffing from his nose since he knew how deep Daisy’s request had gone.
“Yeah, like she could miss the fact that you’re a grumpy fucking beast.” Otto pushed at my shoulder, jostling me to the side, the razzing rolling out of his mouth.
Giant, I almost corrected him, the thought coming without permission.
Thank fuck I managed to keep my mouth shut.
Instead, I grunted at him. “She knows it’s more than just my seclusion. She asked me point-blank if I’d ever put anyone in the ground before. Wasn’t going to lie to her.”
“You trust her?” Kane asked, head cocked in concern.
“Yeah, I do.” I meant it to my core. “But even if she tried to turn me in, none of what I confessed is tied to any of you.”
And I’d gladly go down in a blaze for her.
“So, what? She and her kids are staying with you while we go after her ex? Or until we place her? Honestly can’t believe you didn’t call Theo here and have him come to your rescue. I mean…three kids?” Kane’s voice was full of incredulity.
He knew no one was welcome on my property.
“Know we have plans for both cabins at The Sanctuary, but I’m sure Theo would be able to get a room for them so you don’t have to deal with it.”
Kane looked at Theo, and Theo glanced at me. Itching in his seat with the info I’d given him yesterday. “I’m here for whatever support Cash needs,” Theo settled on.
I blew out some of the strain and rocked back. Mayhem beating down on my insides as I pinned my attention on Kane. “Turns out, it’s a little more complicated than that.”
“How so?”
I had to work up the nerve to get the words to form on my tongue. “She’s terrified he’s going to get to her and is worried about what would happen to her kids if he did.”
They all just kind of sat there, waiting on me to clarify, no question wondering why I looked like I was about to come out of my skin.
When I couldn’t sit beneath the pressure any longer, I forced out, “She wants me to marry her and find a way to start the adoption process so someone is there to care for them in the event that she can’t.”
Did my best at keeping the emotion out of my voice. Like it was no big deal. Just another part of the job.
Too bad every fuckin’ one of my words rattled with trepidation.
My secrets spilling out like my entire history had come out with the statement.
Air punched out of Otto’s lungs, a moment suspended, before he grinned a ridiculous, shit-eating grin. “Holy shit, bro. Tell me you didn’t agree to this?”
My lips pressed together while my knee bounced a million miles a minute under the table.
“Oh, fuck, dude said yes.” He looked around at the rest of our crew as he smacked his palm on the table.
I grunted, trying to deflect what he was implying.
River sat forward, shock rolling out of his mouth. “Wait, you actually agreed to marry her?”
Otto gave a low whistle. “Our resident recluse finally found himself someone to make him come out of his shell. Or more aptly, he finally found someone to get his poor, neglected cock out of his pants.”
A growl ripped out of me. “None of this is a joke, Otto.”
He rocked back onto two chair legs and canted his head to the side. “Nah, man. It’s not. Sounds to me like you finally found your girl.”
I scoffed. “She’s not my girl.”
“Really? Because it was clear from the beginning that you were missing something, and I’ve been pretty sure all along what you were missing was someone. By the look on your face and the fact you’re willing to marry her and adopt her kids, I think it’s clear exactly who you’ve been missing.”
Pain lanced through my being.
Holes gaping from my soul and the anguish bleeding out.
I was missing everyone.
Every fucking person who meant anything to me.
I’d failed in the worst fucking way, and still, somehow, Daisy had shown up at my door. But she didn’t know the worst part of it all. What I was responsible for. She would hate me if she did.
“Only reason I agreed is because it’s not going to come to that,” I gritted. “That motherfucker is already dead. And once he is, Daisy and I go our separate ways.”
“Yet you’re bringing her to my place to meet the family tomorrow?” Kane’s voice was full of irony.
Turmoil buzzed through my consciousness.
“Why don’t we all give him a fuckin’ break, yeah?” Theo said.
Otto raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry, brother. Not trying to give you a hard time. But it’s difficult to miss there’s something here that we’ve never seen in you before.”
It was obvious.
How wouldn’t it be?
So out of character they probably wondered who was sitting there.
I warred before the words were slipping off my tongue. “She’s…important to me.”
My confession seemed to blow everyone back in their seats.
Surprise raining down.
Yeah, I cared about my crew. All of them. In my own way. But I sure as fuck never uttered it aloud.
I gnashed my teeth. “And in order to give her what she needs, I need to play a part, and that begins tomorrow. So whatever you’re thinking beyond the plan, just fuckin’ let it go. Tell the girls to make them feel welcome, but not to get attached. This is temporary.”
Blowing out a heavy sigh, Otto reached out and squeezed my shoulder with his giant mitt. His expression turned serious. “Hey, man, know what you’re like, and I can’t help if this makes me excited. All of us want you to be happy. You’ve been alone for a long fucking time.”
Happy wasn’t in the cards for me.
“Just need you all to know where I stand, and I need to know you have my back when the time comes.”
“You’ve stood for us time and again,” River said. “You can be sure we’re going to be there for you.”
The rest agreed without qualms.
“Good,” was all I said.
“So that’s it then?” River raised a dark brow.
“Yup.” It came out hard.
He inhaled through his nose, then pressed on to more Sovereign business. Checking in about the two families I was currently surveilling, trying to figure out the best way to get them out of their inhumane situations and under our protection.
I gave them every detail I had, letting them know I should have a plan put in place within the week.
“Good,” River said. “And any movement on the situation with Silas and his sister?”
Disquiet rolled through everyone. Last thing we needed was to get on Kent Ellison’s hit list.
But we’d do it if it meant Elena was safe.
“Silas hasn’t heard a thing,” I said.
It didn’t sit right with me. Clearly, it didn’t sit right with my brothers, either.
“Silas’s sister isn’t going to just up and disappear from his compound without Kent noticing,” Otto said.
“And his guard clearly didn’t get gutted by falling on his own knife.” Theo gave me a pointed look, reminding us of my handiwork.
“Pretty sure a couple of his guys were in the club last night. Something about them raised a red flag,” Kane added.
“Fuck,” I grunted.
“They know we were involved?” Theo asked.
I inhaled a shaky breath. “I haven’t picked anything up on surveillance that says they do, but I don’t have a full tap on what’s going down inside that compound.”
River gave us all a jut of his chin. “Then we be extra vigilant.”
Kane laughed. “As if we don’t sleep with one eye open.”
River grinned something that was pure menace. Dude so fucking intimidating it was a wonder anyone would ever even look at him wrong. “Tonight, we sleep with two.”
Kane chuckled, then River glanced around once again. “Any other business we need to discuss?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“All right then. Let’s finish this so we can get back to our families.” River pushed his fist into the middle of the table, and he led us through the promise we had made to the vulnerable long ago.
“Our oath to the afflicted. Our oath to the forsaken. Our oath to Sovereign Sanctum.”
The second we finished, everyone stood. Conversations struck up as we began to ascend the stairs toward the chaos that ravaged the club above.
I remained silent in the middle of it.
Feeling like I’d run fifteen miles at a full sprint.
My heart racing and my limbs heavy, though there was something antsy underscoring it.
The compulsion to hurry.
To get back on my bike and get home.
To stand in the hall and peek through their door to make sure they were all safe and asleep. To gaze at Daisy lying in the middle of my bed.
The thrum of the music grew louder with each step we took until we piled out into Kane’s office. He locked the basement door and pulled the bookshelves back into place, then Otto worked through the main door’s locks and opened it to the hall.
There was something in the air.
A sense that something wasn’t quite right.
A hazy dread crawled over me that warned someone was there, lurking in the shadows.
I couldn’t get out of that club and on my bike fast enough.
In a flash, my thoughts spiraled back to her. To that time when I finally knew. When I knew what she meant and who she was supposed to be to me.
Who she still would be if I hadn’t fucked it all up.
I pinned the throttle of my bike, swearing that I’d never fuck up again.