Chapter Twenty-Six #2
“No.” Inez scoffed and looked over at the bathroom door. “Had all the boys come in after they brought you to Killcreek. Had strict rules that only members of the club lived at the house. Had all their asses here, pleading your case. Gave me your history. Told them I’d think about it.”
“I appreciate you saying yes.”
Inez angled her head. “I didn’t. And I wasn’t going to. You have a sad fucking story. So what?” She snapped, and pointed toward the window. “Thousands of us out there got it worse than you.”
Us?
Cleo sucked in a breath, and whispered. “I know that.”
And she did. For as hard as her life had been, it could’ve been worse. Cleo never lost sight of that.
“When the boys came in, they gave me enough but they didn’t give me everything about you.
But to be fair to them, not all of them had your whole story.
” She paused. “Knox came back alone the next day. And he gave me everything. ‘Cause that boy knew, I’d see through the bullshit. Knew he was holding back in front of his brothers to protect your secret.” Inez snorted, showing a small semblance of a smile.
“Then I got Wraith to deal with. Figured it was less of a headache to keep your scrawny ass in Killcreek.”
Her eyes welled but she chuckled. Only one person could openly insult her and at the same time, show her own kind of compassion.
“Thank you.”
“You’re his, and I’m going to let him have you. That’s a good fucking man, and he’s earned you. And you get a good family with my boys in Killcreek.”
I do.
Inez’s lips flattened, and her gaze softened. “But you’ll always be one of mine. And don’t you ever fucking forget that.”
Cleo swallowed the knot in her throat. “I won’t.”
One of mine. For a brief second, she saw Inez differently. All her airs, her reputation, her legacy…it was gone. Evaporated. She was just a woman claiming Cleo as her own.
The girl walked out of the bathroom and Inez pointed to the hallway. “Get my boys.”
Cleo walked to the door, opening it. The men were scattered in the hall, Ace and Cross closest to the door. Others were leaning against the wall. She saw Wraith immediately. He pushed off the wall, stalking toward her.
“Done?” Ace asked, and she tore her gaze from Wraith.
“Yeah,” she muttered and stepped aside when the brothers walked past her into the apartment. Wraith was last in line.
She reached out, sliding her fingers over his knuckles. He stopped and glanced down at her, scowling.
“What’s wrong?”
I love you.
She smiled, shaking her head. “Nothing.”
Wraith dipped his brows, eyeing her suspiciously but continued down the hallway. The girl was seated in a chair in the living room and had her arms folded over her chest. She was in protective mode.
“What’s the plan?” Cross asked.
Inez didn’t answer, sliding her hand over her mouth, staring at the girl.
There was a long stretch of silence. Cleo wasn’t sure where this would land.
Inez had offered her a deal, and seemingly, she’d agreed.
Had something changed since she brought in the men?
I was only gone for thirty seconds. Cleo rocked back on her heels, lifting her chin to get a better view past Gent’s shoulder.
Cleo had no say in the outcome. This was between Inez, the club, and the girl. It was surprising she wasn’t sent out to the hallway. She was never allowed to be part of any meetings. This was a first.
“Inez?”
She lifted her hand, silencing Ace.
“Made a deal.” Inez said.
“What deal?” Ace asked.
“That’s between me and her.” Inez arched her brow, and the girl slowly nodded.
“We don’t know anything about her.” Gent snorted. “Not even a fucking name.”
Inez kept her eyes locked on the girl, pointing toward the men. “Those are my boys.” Inez paused. “Boys. Meet Jane Doe. I’m keeping her. Make a call to Minnie and arrange a room for her. Probably won’t be ready until tomorrow, so she’s gonna stay at the clubhouse tonight.”
Gent snorted. “Another one, Inez? You making this club coed?”
“Shut your mouth.”
Gent chuckled but didn’t add anymore commentary.
“We’ll work out the details,” she said to Ace, and he nodded.
Inez turned to Wraith. “I know you’re playing house out at Grizz’s, but I want her at the clubhouse” —She pointed to Cleo— “as long as this one is there.”
Wraith nodded.
It was done.
****
Cleo stood in the doorway of Wraith’s bedroom with her overnight bag clasped tightly in her hands.
“Hi.”
He lifted his chin, scanning her body. Cleo looked nervous and on edge. Her heel tapped, and she was white knuckling her bag straps.
“I got Jane settled into my old room.”
He lowered his chin and kept his eyes on her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she blurted.
It was too quick.
“Cleo.” He growled and stalked forward, stopping a foot away. “What’s. Wrong?”
She sighed, scanning the room. “Is it okay if I stay in here with you? Because of the rules.”
“You lived here, Cleo.”
“But I don’t anymore.”
Wraith smirked and folded his arms. “You think one of the brothers is gonna have an issue with you being in my room with me?”
She shrugged. “Well, no one else ever has girls stay the night.”
“You’re not just some girl. You’re mine.”
“Like…” She glanced up at the ceiling, and he got the impression she was avoiding eye contact. “Your old lady?”
The term was never used among the Killcreek Drifters because it didn’t apply to any of the women.
Penny being the exception for Hyde, but she never spent the night.
Hyde had always made it a point of keeping his life with Penny separate from his world with the club.
Or at least that motherfucker tried. That woman was a whole different breed of trouble.
“Yeah.”
She glanced down at the floor, but her cheeks shaded to pink, and she smiled.
“Gonna grab a beer downstairs. You want something?”
She shook her head then shivered, rubbing her arms. “Could I borrow a sweatshirt? I didn’t bring mine.”
He gestured to the closet and walked out the door, closing it behind him. The downstairs was quiet, but he could hear voices on the back end. Wraith didn’t even consider checking it out. His only priority was Cleo and getting back to her.
He grabbed a beer and walked back to his room.
He stopped in the doorway, scanning the room but there was no sign of Cleo.
The bathroom door was open, but the light was off.
Where the fuck did she go? He put the beer on his dresser and took three steps inside.
He jerked his head when he caught her standing in his closet staring down at the envelopes in her hands.
There was a stack tied with an elastic band.
Wraith wasn’t sure of the exact count, but it was over fifty.
Along with his sweatshirt that she was wearing, Cleo had also found his letters.
Her letters to him. He’d kept them all.
“You kept them.” She whispered.
“Yeah.”
Her face softened as she sifted through the letters. She was halfway through the pile when her hand stilled and she pulled out the photo.
“I remember sending this.” She flipped the picture to face him. “I thought it was such a great idea until I mailed it and had instant regret. It seemed so silly.”
“Knox had that up on our wall until we got out.” He gestured to the photo. “That was my view every day.”
She bit her bottom lip. “And you kept it.”
He gave a curt nod. “We were packing up our shit right before we were released. Knox had all your letters in a bag but couldn’t find the picture. He fucking flipped our cell, checking every inch of it. But he couldn’t find it.”
She scrunched her nose and lifted the photo. “But…”
“I took it. Didn’t tell him. Figured he’d give me shit but I wasn’t leaving it. You gave it to me. It was mine.”
She ducked her head but he caught her smile. “Why’d you keep them all?”
“I had the club, and those motherfuckers sure as shit weren’t writing me letters.” Wraith gripped his hips. “And I had you, and that kept me going.”
Her gaze jerked up and her mouth formed the shape of an O. “I did?”
“Yeah. You saved me.” It was probably the most honest words he’d ever spoken.
“No one else wrote to you?” she whispered.
This was a conversation he didn’t want to have. It was going to force him to dig into his past.
His face hardened, and his scowl deepened. “Get in bed.”
Cleo slowly nodded but didn’t move.
“What about your family? Your mom or dad…”
“You and the club,” Wraith snapped immediately regretting it.
“I’m sorry. You don’t have to tell me.”
It would’ve been unfair for him to keep his past from her when he knew everything of hers.
“My mom died when I was five, leaving me with my old man, who was a mean son of a bitch. My first memory of that motherfucker is smacking me around. That was daily in my house.” Wraith drew in a breath.
“And the one time I told someone, he beat me so bad I was outta school for a week. He told them I had the flu. I couldn’t fucking walk. ”
“Wraith.” She inched closer, and he instinctively stepped back.
“And when that piece of shit lost his job and couldn’t afford his drinking habit anymore, he entered me in the local underground fights going up against men twice my size just so he could bet against me and win.
Did that for years, three a month since I was fourteen.
He didn’t expect me to feed off my rage, get bigger and stronger.
Adrenaline and anger is a deadly combination. ”
“Did you leave him?”
“No.” Wraith smirked. “I was barely seventeen. I knew if I tried to leave, he’d report it.
I mean, I was his fucking meal ticket. Either they’d send me back to him or a group home.
Both shitty options. Then, I got an offer.
From Inez. She’d taken over the underground ring I’d been working and called me in.
Started prospecting for the club the next day. ”
“What about your dad?”
“She paid him off.” Wraith paused. “He didn’t get to enjoy all that cash though. He was found dead in his apartment two days later. The police never came looking for me. Inez made sure of that.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, inching closer.
This time he didn’t back away but froze when she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek on his chest. Wraith balled his fists.
He didn’t need or want anyone’s sympathy or tears.
Especially hers. When he felt her tremble against his body, he clenched his jaw.
“You and the club. That’s it.”
“You’ll always have me.”
And that’s all I need.