Chapter 23
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
Gretchen
“I can’t believe how busy it is!” I exclaim over my shoulder to Constance.
Ever since the farmer’s market opened, our booth has been swamped.
I’ve already sold out of the dipped strawberries, the pretzel rods, the Rice Krispie treats, and three flavors of cake pops.
Constance and Maria only have a few more cakes left themselves, and I realize if it’s like this every week, I’m going to need to make more.
“Our booth is always this way,” Maria says. “But we also added a post in the local group that we had something new coming this weekend that folks wouldn’t want to miss.”
“The cake pops and other treats?” I question.
“Yes, and from the looks of it, you’re going to be busy next week making more and stockpiling,” Constance replies.
“I’m okay with that. Maybe the camper will be done by then, since it’s so close to being finished,” I say.
“Gretchen?” Mongrel asks. He’s been around most of the day since Doc had to go into the clinic for a few hours unexpectedly. “I talked to Herb and I’ll be going by to get you two bushels of strawberries on Thursday.”
“Two bushels?”
“Considering how quickly those sold out, I thought it was a good idea,” he replies. “Should I go tell him it’ll just be one?”
“No, no, I think that’ll work just fine.” Looking at Constance, I state, “I’m going to be hanging with y’all in the kitchen a lot this upcoming week.”
“Make it early morning before the heat of the day gets to be too much,” Maria cautions.
“It’s one of the reasons we started using warmers and coming up with other options for lunch and dinner.
It gets too hot in the kitchen to have the oven running, but thankfully, the men are okay with grilled foods. ”
“We live in Texas, so as long as they can get meat of some sort and a cold, frosty beer, they’re perfectly content,” I tease, making both of the other women laugh.
“Let me know if I need to make a run to the store to pick up anything else,” Mongrel adds.
“Mongrel, you don’t have to do that, I can get one of the prospects to get it,” I protest. At his raised brow, I add, “Okay, fine, you can as long as it doesn’t interfere with whatever you’re going to be doing for the club.”
“They’ll get that figured out, but I still don’t mind helping,” he replies.
“And I appreciate all the assistance I can get, especially because I think Gretchen’s Goodies are a bona fide hit!” I exclaim as I see the last few cake pops being bagged up by Maria.
I’m coming out of the bathroom when I hear a male voice say, “I know she’s around here somewhere, dammit. Find her!”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I freeze in place, my mind taking me back to that abandoned warehouse where I was restrained and drugged against my will.
I may not always remember what I’ve had for breakfast the day before, but that voice?
I’ll never forget it. Mongrel, who was waiting for me walks closer, leans in and quietly asks, “Are you okay?”
“No,” I whisper. “Do you see anyone around us? A couple of men, maybe?”
“Why?” His tone is sharp, insistent and I see him pull his phone from the inside of his cut.
“Because one of the men who took me is close by,” I admit.
He doesn’t hesitate at all; he hits one of the contacts as he takes me firmly by the arm and starts hustling me back toward the booth and safety.
“Yeah, pres, Gretchen says one of the men who took her is here. We’re by the restrooms, but I’m heading back with her to the booth now. Yes, sir. Got it.”
“What… what’s going on?”
“My priority is to get you back to the brothers, then we’re going to see if we can find them.”
“I wish I could remember what he looked like, but I was so out of it, I only have vague memories. I may not remember what they looked like, but I will never forget that voice,” I reply, my tone apologetic.
“It’s gonna be okay, I’ll keep you safe,” he promises as we near the booth. I notice that there are now a lot of Kings roaming nearby as he hustles me behind the tables. I’m still shaking so badly that Constance leads me over to a chair and makes me sit.
“God, I thought this was over,” I whisper into my hands. “I won’t survive it if they take me again, I know I won’t. I’ll kill myself first.”
“Since nobody fucks with the Kings, I think you’ll live a nice long life,” Gwynee says as she crouches by my side.
At my dubious look, she gives me a small, sad smile but adds, “Big Daddy, Wicked, Soulless, the East Texas brothers, and most of the ones who came from your club are out scouring the place right now. If they were smart, they hopefully saw all the cuts and left, but we could get lucky.”
To keep from focusing on what’s currently happening, I ask, “Did I tell you how they managed to abduct me? I was so stupid and wasn’t paying attention while going to my car one night.
I had gone by the store to pick up stuff I needed to make some treats because I was going to get my sobriety tattoo the next day and wanted to make them as a thank you to the shop since they offer the tattoos at no cost. Instead, I lost sixteen years of being clean and had to start all over again once Doc and his brothers found me and rescued me. ”
“You still have that to build on,” she replies, much like Doc told me.
“And it wasn’t like you deliberately chose to break it, Gretchen.
Give yourself some grace and credit. You should be safe walking through a parking lot that was no doubt well-lit with plenty of people around.
Sadly, that’s something that women deal with on a constant basis.
We’re never truly safe on our own which is bullshit if you ask me.
It’s one of the reasons why I don’t care what the club gets involved in because I know at the end of the day, every single woman in our clubhouse is beyond protected.
So are you, honey, because all it took was the new brother calling to immobilize every man with a Kings cut. ”
“I just… I wish it was done and over with,” I reply.
“And yes, my comfort level being around the club has increased, especially after what Mongrel did the day they tried to abduct me again. Did you know that he ran to where I was after they pushed him and his bike off the road? He got hurt too, but his first thought was to protect me.”
“The Kings are their own unique brand of man, that’s for sure, so it doesn’t surprise me in the least that he did that, and I’m willing to bet that it’s the reason he earned his patch.
It’s one thing to be on a protective detail over an old lady, but it’s another to keep going when you’ve been knocked down in an effort to ensure she’s safe. ”
We sit there quietly talking until Doc comes rushing over. “Are you okay, baby?” he asks once he reaches my side.
“I am, thanks to Mongrel,” I reply.
“Well, you’re all sold out of your stuff, so I’m taking you back to the clubhouse,” he says.
“Did… did they catch them?” I stammer.
“No, baby, they didn’t, but Nerd is tracking them through the city’s camera system now to see where they go. We’ll figure it out, don’t you worry,” he states.
“I’ll try.” Suddenly exhausted, I look up at him and say, “Take me home, please.”
“You ever been so tired, but it was a good tired?” I ask Doc as I lay sprawled on the bed while he wanders around, gathering the dirty clothes that have spread beyond the basket.
“Yes, I have,” he replies. “How can two people generate so many items of clothing?” he mutters.
I shrug because that’s how it was when it was just me.
But what he’s forgetting is on clinic days, he wears his scrubs which he immediately changes out of when he gets home after he’s showered.
Then, depending on what our evening plans are, there’s his biker ensemble, or a pair of cut off sweats and a T-shirt.
None of it is worn again, either, so in essence, that’s two, sometimes three outfits in one day.
Times two people, only now, with my pregnancy definitively confirmed, I just have one change of clothes these days.
Even still, that’s a minimum of twenty-one outfits per week.
I’d explain it to him, but my brain has short circuited after the busyness of the farmer’s market, so instead, I fall into a light doze.
I’m not sure how long I was sleeping, but when I wake up, the baskets of dirty clothes are gone, and the room is quiet and dark.
Sighing, I get up, go to the bathroom then after washing my hands, decide to head downstairs to see what’s happening since it’s the last night both of the other chapters will be here.
“It’s going to be glorious,” I murmur as I start down the stairs only to walk into complete bedlam.
“What’s going on?” I ask Issy, who’s standing there with her hands across her chest as she watches Doc and Rio going toe to toe.
“I’m not one-hundred-percent sure, but from what I understand, Nerd found another warehouse full of people who were abducted like you were.
Doc wants to go in and rescue them while Rafe, surprisingly, wants to use a contact that Rip has to tip off the feds.
He thinks this is much bigger than it looks. ”
I’m kind of shocked that they’re not pushing for an all-out rescue, but I kind of agree with Rio.
I heard enough while I was there to know that the big boss was trying to set up an infrastructure that would allow him to transport those who were taken through the southern states.
I think our area was targeted because we’re not far from Mexico, and we’ve got access to various waterways that would help them move people.
“I’m sure Doc wants to be able to check them to assess their health,” I reply.
“I guess I can see both sides, honestly. This has to piss the brothers off that someone came into their territory and set something like this up, but I have vague memories of them talking about establishing their empire. So, maybe getting the officials involved is the best way to go.”
“Enough!” Big Daddy roars. “Riptide, get Rio your man’s information so he can send in an anonymous tip. In the meantime, Rio, you and your brothers keep looking for these fuckers. I suspect they’re like cockroaches and will keep turning up. Let them know what’ll happen if they fuck with the Kings.”
“Got it, sir,” Rio replies. Turning to Doc, he says, “If there’s a way for you to get in there without detection to check on those that’ve been taken, then we’ll do it, but we’re making a plan, because we don’t need another warehouse popping up in a few weeks.
We need to cut the head off the snake, once and for all.
Donnelly is the key, he’s just well-hidden. ”