Chapter 8
Fenrir and I were home.
We’d explored more of Florida, made a loop back up the Gulf Coast side of the state, and then crossed over to St.
Augustine.
We’d gotten back an hour ago. It was late Friday afternoon.
The week hadn’t been without success.
I’d gotten calls about my resume from three different places.
They were all in Florida.
I informed them I was on vacation but would set up interviews with them next week once I was home. They were all fine with it. I came back in a slightly better mood than I left.
The termination and what happened with Santiago and his friend still bothered me.
It was unfair, but since when was life fair? At least I might stay in Florida.
One of the places that wanted to interview me was near Titusville.
I liked that area, although not as much as I did here. But I could make do.
Fenrir was lazing in his doggie bed.
He’d missed it.
We’d taken a stroll so he could use the bathroom in one of his favorite spots.
It didn’t take much to make him happy. He was chewing on one of his favorite rubber bones. I was at the coffee table, submitting more resumes. Even if I had three potential interviews, it didn’t mean any would offer me a job, or that I’d want them.
Checking off another one, I was moving to the next site when my doorbell rang.
I smiled.
I knew who it was.
Alvin always came to say hello after I returned from a trip. He liked to make sure I was alright, which meant putting his eyes on me. Even though I texted him to tell him we were back and good, he still insisted on doing it. He’d been out running errands when I returned. Fenrir’s head came up.
“Stay,” I told him as I made my way to the door.
I checked my peephole just to be sure it was him.
Alvin’s face was staring back at me.
Smiling, I unlocked and opened the door.
“I knew that…” My greeting died on my lips.
Standing off to the side of Alvin was someone I didn’t want to see.
It was Scorpion.
Before I could ask what he was doing here and with my neighbor, Alvin told me.
“Paige, this man has been stopping by all week to speak to you.
He says it’s important.
He claims you lost your job because of him, and he’s here to make things right.
I want to be sure that’s what he does.” Alvin cast a narrow-eyed glance at Scorpion.
“Alvin is right.
I have been stopping by to talk to you.
Paige, I’m the last person you probably want to see, but I need to talk to you.
It’s rather urgent. May I come in? If you feel safer about it, Alvin can join us,” Scorpion offered.
I debated a few moments, then shook my head.
I didn’t need anyone to protect me or to have poor Alvin hear all the dirty details about me.
He had no idea of my past, and I’d like to keep it that way.
“There’s no need for that.
Alvin, thank you for looking out for me.
I’ll be alright.
Fenrir is here,” I reminded him. He grinned.
“Then you’re protected.
However, if you change your mind, just call me.
We’ll talk later,” Alvin said.
He leaned forward and kissed my cheek, and I kissed his. It was our standard greeting. Before he walked off, Alvin faced Scorpion.
“Don’t make me regret this,” he warned.
“I won’t,” Scorpion swore.
As Alvin walked away, I stepped back and opened the door wider.
“Come in, then.”
As Scorpion passed me, he said, “I’m not here to fight.
Your boyfriend won’t need to protect you.”
His boyfriend remark confused me.
What boyfriend? When he was inside, Fenrir came running.
He growled when he saw Scorpion.
“Heel,” I ordered, which he did, but he didn’t take his eyes off Scorpion.
“I see you have double protection.
No worries, boy, I’m just here to talk to your mom,” he told Fenrir, who tilted his head.
“I don’t see what we have to discuss, Scorpion.
You made your position and opinion of me clear.
You got what you wanted.
Did you lie to Alvin? Are you here to rub salt into the wound? If so, I don’t need it, and you can leave.”
“I’m not here to do that.
I need to explain some things and make it right,” he stated.
“Make what right?”
“Can we sit? It might take a while to explain everything,” he said.
Reluctantly, I nodded.
As he sat, my manners wouldn’t allow me not to offer him something.
“Would you like something to drink? I have water, Cokes, and lemonade.”
“If you’re having something, then lemonade.
Otherwise, no need to bother.”
I busied myself in my tiny kitchen next to the table.
He could see me and vice versa.
Fenrir was sitting there, relaxed yet alert.
If I ordered him to attack, he would. I quickly got both of us refreshments and set them on the table. I took a seat across from him.
“If you’d like to start, I’d appreciate it.
I’ve got things to do.”
“Should we wait for your boyfriend to join us? I assume he’s in the bedroom,” Scorpion said.
I thought I saw his upper lip curl, but I blinked, and it was gone.
“I don’t know who this boyfriend you keep mentioning is.”
“Fenrir,” he said.
When he mentioned my dog’s name, his head rose, and he whined.
I laughed as he did.
Scorpion looked confused.
Once I stopped laughing, I explained, “Fenrir isn’t my boyfriend.
He’s my dog.
Here, Fenrir,” I crooned.
Fenrir came trotting over to have his head scratched.
Scorpion’s expression went from confused to amused.
He threw back his head and laughed.
I hated to admit it, even to myself, but he looked even better when he was happy. Damn man made me want to slap and kiss him at the same time.
“Christ, that’s a good one, a goddamn dog,” he muttered.
“Why did you think he was my boyfriend?” I had to know.
“Tiago mentioned Fenrir was possessive of you.
When I first spoke to Alvin, he said you and Fenrir went on a trip.
Neither of them said he was a dog.
I thought he was a boyfriend with an odd name.”
I snorted.
“Who are you to say someone has an odd name, Scorpion? Okay, enough idle chit chat.
I should have my head examined for listening to you.
What do you have to tell me?”
“First, I want to apologize for how I reacted to you.
It was a shock the first time I saw you.
I never imagined running into you, and certainly not when you were taking care of Tiago.
I was upset, and it still affected me when I returned and found you in his room after you were told not to have contact with him. I want you to know that T chewed me out for the first time and said he had no issue with you being his nurse despite your history. Anyway, I overreacted and shouldn’t have manhandled you either time. That’s not the man I am. You fell last time. I hope you didn’t injure yourself,” he sounded concerned.
“A few bruises, nothing to worry about.
Go on,” I muttered.
“After we were in Gill’s office and you left, I went to talk to Tiago.
My president, enforcer, and T were waiting.
Tiago told me what had happened.
I’m fucking sorry I didn’t give you a chance to explain. As soon as we finished talking, I went to tell your administrator not to proceed with the termination. He was gone.
“Stupidly, I thought since it was the weekend, he wouldn’t start the process until Monday.
When I arrived to see him on Monday, he was out.
When Gill returned, he came to talk to me while I was with Tiago.
I explained we didn’t want you fired. He said it was too late. He’d already done it that morning. We demanded Gill rescind it, but he said he couldn’t.”
As he paused, my astonishment, if what he said was the truth, eased enough for me to ask a question.
“Why couldn’t he overturn it? It surely hadn’t been processed that quickly.”
“He uttered some crap about it would open the hospital up to a case for you to sue them for wrongful termination, and they didn’t want the publicity.
I warned him he’d better figure out a way to do it or else.”
“And that’s all it took?”
“No.
Let me ask.
Did you get a call from him or anyone at the hospital offering you your job back?”
“I have not,” I admitted.
Scorpion didn’t appear happy with my answer.
“Go on, you said that wasn’t all it took,” I prompted.
“My president, Diablo, my enforcer, Butcher, our secretary, Thunder, and I went to see Gill on Wednesday morning.
We found he hadn’t done anything.
Diablo informed him of a few things that changed Gill’s outlook on the matter, and he promised he’d have you reinstated.
He was to do it by the end of the week, so you could come back on Monday.”
As he explained, Scorpion removed his cell phone from his pocket and tapped on it.
I wondered who he was messaging.
“I’m texting Diablo and our tech guy to let them know.
They’ll get to work on finding out what the damn hold-up is.”
“Scorpion, I don’t understand why you had such a drastic change of heart.
And while I do appreciate you attempting to make things right, there’s no need for you to force Mr.
Gill to give me back my job.
And I won’t sue them, even if I can. I just want to forget this happened.”
“You don’t want your job back. Why not?”
“Because I refuse to work for people who would do that to me.
What’s preventing them from changing their mind in the future? And I bet I’m not the only one fired without true cause.
It’s best I take the opportunity it presents me.”
“To work somewhere else in St.
Augustine,” he said.
“No, to work somewhere not in St.
Augustine.
It was a mistake to return here.
The past isn’t in the past and cannot be forgotten like I hoped. I’m in the process of finding a new job. As soon as I do, I’ll be moving.”
I thought he’d be happy, but his thunderous expression said otherwise.
“You don’t need to do that! Where will you go?”
“I think it’s best that I don’t say.
It’ll be far enough away that you won’t need to worry about running into me, or that I’ll take care of anyone you care for.
I want you to tell Tiago that I’m sorry and never meant to cause him drama or pain.
It was my last intention.”
I rose to my feet.
It was time to end this.
I was becoming emotional and didn’t want to risk crying in front of Scorpion.
It would be a final humiliation. He came to his feet. The next thing I knew, he was around the table, looming over me. The funny thing was, I didn’t feel threatened by him, which I should have. That was why I didn’t call Fenrir, who was lying next to the table, watching us quizzically.
“You don’t need to leave, Paige.
Even if you don’t want your job back at the hospital, you have no reason to leave town.
The club and I won’t bother you.
You came back here for a reason, despite everything that happened. I’d like to know why.”
I went to walk around him, but he reached out and gripped my upper arms.
His grip was firm yet not painful.
I wouldn’t have bruises this time.
Maybe if I answered him, he’d leave.
“Despite it all, the first sixteen years here were my best.
I missed St.
Augustine terribly after we left.
No place has ever felt as much like home as it did. I was stupid and thought that, if enough time had passed, no one would know me and that I wouldn’t run into Santiago or your club. I was wrong. Thank you for saying I can stay, but it’s better if I don’t. Now, if you don’t mind, I have things to do. I’d like you to leave.”
“Please, Paige, don’t leave.
What can I do or say that’ll convince you not to?” Scorpion practically pleaded.
“Nothing.
There’s too much history for me to remain.
Please, go,” I said hoarsely.
I felt the tears attempting to gather. I fought them back.
Scorpion’s stare almost made me think he was looking inside of me.
That would be a disaster.
There were things he shouldn’t know.
I don’t know how long he stood there before he let go of me. I breathed a sigh of relief. He swung around and walked toward the door. I followed him. When we got to it, he unlocked and opened it, but then looked back at me.
“You’re not leaving,” he said gruffly.
Before I could argue, he walked out.
I stood there with my mouth hanging open like a moron.
What the hell did that mean? He couldn’t stop me.
Or could he? Shit, I needed to get out of here. I wanted to get a new job first, but it could wait. Priority one had just become to move. I feared what the Horsemen and Scorpion would do to keep me here. And why would they want to?
Slamming the door closed, I locked it and then raced to my laptop.
I jumped into researching movers.
However, since it was late on Friday, they were all closed until Monday.
All I could do was jot down names and numbers to call on Monday and fill out quote requests. However, that didn’t mean I couldn’t get started on packing. I still had my boxes stored in a closet. Why I never got rid of them, I don’t know. Maybe deep down, I knew I’d never be able to stay here. Fenrir watched me as I brought them out and got started. He had a puzzled doggie look on his poor face.
“I’m sorry, buddy, but we’ve got to go.
I’ll find us a nice place to live.
We just might have to wander for a little while,” I told him as I rubbed his head.
I didn’t own a lot of things, so it wouldn’t take a long time to get myself packed. Hopefully, on Monday, I’ll find someone to pick it up and store my things until I find a permanent home. Some places do that these days.
Scorpion:
I was still upset when I arrived at the compound.
I didn’t waste time finding out where Diablo and Micro were.
I was in luck.
It was after regular business hours, so they were home from work. Micro oversaw our thrift shop, Vintage Rummages. Diablo, even though he didn’t need to supervise a business as president, he did. Wrath’s Prep & Restore was our primary hurricane preparation and restoration company, and his baby. Being in Florida, we had a lot of business.
I asked them to come to my house.
They knew it pertained to Paige from my text.
I was in the living room when I heard a brisk knock, and then my front door opened.
I checked to see which one it was and was happy to see both. I waved to the couch and another chair. Diablo took the chair, and Micro dropped onto the sofa with his almost-always-present tablet. They both wore grim expressions.
“You’re not happy.
Tell us what happened.
You said you saw her, and she hasn’t gotten a call from Gill,” Diablo ordered.
I ran through the details and then hit them with what she said at the end about moving and not accepting the job back.
They both swore.
“I don’t feel right about her doing that, Pres,” I told him.
“I don’t either, and what we’re about to tell you won’t make it any more acceptable,” Diablo replied.
He glanced at Micro.
My gaze settled on him.
“You’ve got the full report,” I stated.
Micro nodded.
It had taken longer than usual, and I knew it had made him almost as antsy as I was.
“While we waited for you to get home, I filled Diablo in.
It’s not good, VP.
It leaves more questions and doubts.
Or it does to us,” Micro added.
“Tell me.”
“The Worthy family left St.
Augustine about six months after the accident.
We already knew that.
They moved out of Florida to Texas. It seems Paige’s older brother, Paxton, was in college there. The family relocated near him to College Station, Texas, where he went to college at Texas A&M. They remained until he graduated and finished law school. He was a sophomore at A&M when Paige was sixteen.”
“Do they all still live there?” I asked.
“The parents moved to Houston after their son got a job there once he passed the bar.
They all live there,” Micro stated.
“But that’s not what has our alarms going off.
Tell him,” Diablo added.
“It seems that Paige didn’t stay until her big brother graduated from law school.
At eighteen, she left and moved to Pennsylvania to go to college.
She had a scholarship to help pay for it.
What her brother lacked in scholarship money, the parents forked out. They paid one hundred percent for his law school. When it came to Paige, she worked to make up the difference. They didn’t give her a dime.
“What took so long was trying to see how much contact she had with her family after she left Texas.
It was next to none, Scorpion.
A couple of times a year, there was a call.
She never went to see them, and they didn’t come to visit her. After she finished her program, she worked in Pennsylvania for a year and then moved to North Carolina. The move was sudden, after an influx of calls from her family.
“She lived in three different places in North Carolina over six years before returning to St.
Augustine.
The same pattern appeared every time she moved.
There would be a flurry of contact from her family, mainly her brother, and she’d change jobs and move.”
“What else do you know about the parents and the brother?” I asked.
“The parents are middle class, you recall that.
The dad is a doctor.
His wife was a nurse until they had kids.
Once the kids were older, she became mostly a social person who sits on boards and does charity work,” Micro added.
“And Paige’s brother?” I knew there was something more making them appear so grim.
“Officially, he’s an upstanding citizen.
He’s engaged and has no kids.
The woman he’s marrying comes from a prominent Texas family that made their money in oil.
He’s made a name for himself, and there’s talk of him going into politics soon.” Micro paused.
“And unofficially,” I drawled.
“Unofficially, he fucking stinks.
There are rumors about how he’s been in and out of trouble since high school.
Tracing that took some of the extra time.
He drank and got into trouble for it, and the incidents were swept under the rug at college. He was a football player. The coaches protected their guys. A couple of times, he was supposedly accused of getting physical with girlfriends and leaving marks, but those allegations were always unsubstantiated, or the women recanted their statements. He’s amassing money for his run for office. Sources of that money, while on the surface seem legit, are questionable underneath. He’s got dirty money feeding his campaign. Criminals who should’ve gone to prison have gotten off due to technicalities, evidence disappearing, or new witnesses coming forward giving them rock-solid alibis. Paxton Worthy is a bottom-feeder,” Diablo growled.
“And you think that’s why Paige has nothing to do with her family,” I stated.
“Partly, but I believe there’s more to it.
Why does she move after they initiate contact? The official story is that they left to be near their son.
However, Micro discovered something happening here before they moved.
Paige was targeted. She was tortured daily at school, yet she kept attending. Her car was vandalized. Hateful messages were left for her. She tried to work but kept getting fired. I have no doubt there was more,” Diablo said.
I knew we’d end up here as this conversation went on.
I hated to open my mouth, but I had to.
If I wanted to make this right, I needed to come clean.
Diablo would be disappointed in me. Hell, I was disgusted with myself.
“Some of that was my fault.
I couldn’t bother her at school.
But her car and some of the messages were from me.
I followed her and made her know someone was there. Any chance I got to let it slip who she was, I did. I have no doubt her firings were my fault,” I confessed.
“Jesus Christ! Did you do more? Did you physically harm her?” Diablo demanded to know.
He was sitting forward in his chair.
“No! Hell, no, I didn’t.
I terrorized her, but I never laid a finger on her.
I know it was immature and horrible of me to do.
It doesn’t excuse what I did, but I was lashing out because of Tiago and trying to assuage my guilt.”
“Guilt, you had no reason to feel.
Jesus, Scorpion, we beat people for the shit you pulled with her.
No wonder they left.
And after what I found out today, I think we’re missing something about the night Tiago was hurt. Something that only Paige can tell us. And figure the odds she will. You went after her twice. You’re lucky she hasn’t gotten a restraining order against your ass or shot you,” Diablo snarled. He was on his feet.
I hung my head.
“You think I don’t know that? Earlier, when she said she was leaving, I damn near snatched her up to bring her back here so she couldn’t.
I’ll find a way to get that information.
And if you’re right, I’ll repay her for what I did.
As it is, I know that I should have my ass beat for most of it. We should tell the rest of the club and let them decide my punishment.”
Diablo was shaking his head.
“No, we’ll keep this between us for now.
There’s no use taking the punishment until we know how much you truly deserve.
The key now is to convince her not to leave and find out what we don’t know about that night.
You asking her isn’t the answer. And I don’t think she’d tell me. We need to get her and Tiago together,” Diablo muttered.
“How do we do that?” Micro asked.
“By using one stone to kill two birds.
She needs a reason to stay while we work this out.
Tiago needs help.
We haven’t found anyone we like to take care of him. What if we had Tiago call and beg her to be his nurse? He can give her some sob story about how he’s tried a couple, and they’re awful. The two of them seem to have connected. Let him convince her to be his nurse temporarily. It’ll buy us time,” Diablo mused.
And that was one of the reasons he was called Diablo.
It wasn’t just for the pain and torture he could bring.
The man had a diabolical mind.
“Will he do it?” Micro asked.
“Let’s call him right now and ask.
I bet money he will.
He’ll do it if it rights a wrong,” I said.
“Micro, this is to stay between us, but if you can find more, that would be great,” Diablo instructed.
“I’ll keep digging.
My gut is saying there’s a lot more,” Micro replied.
When they stopped, I whipped out my cell phone.
I dialed T’s number.
My heart was pounding for a variety of reasons.
One of the biggest was the thought of Paige remaining in St. Augustine. Another was the unlikeliest thing in the world: her forgiveness and what it could mean.