Chapter Twenty-Seven Alexandra #2
With a mirthless laugh, I countered, “How could you possibly think after just telling me that you murdered my parents that I’ll want to do anything for you?” This man had a very loose grip on his sanity. He was seriously delusional if he thought I could trust him.
“Because while you can’t bring your parents back, your cooperation allows for your brother to remain safe along with Malloy’s kid.”
I sucked in a harsh breath. “You’re blackmailing me.”
Sigel lifted one shoulder apathetically. “If you want to call it that. I like to think of it as insurance or even collateral. We’re both putting up something in good faith to ensure an outcome.”
“After all that you’ve done, how can I possibly trust you?”
“You’ll have to figure that out for yourself, Miss Evans.
” Sigel placed both his palms down on my desk and leaned forward.
“I know after what happened with Case and Deacon that there will be retaliation by the Raiders against my club. But before that happens, I want you to bring me something—something the Raiders took from me.”
“You want me to steal something?”
“It’s rightfully mine, Miss Evans. Or at least it was my son’s.”
Eyeing him curiously, I asked, “What is it?”
He pushed off my desk and began to pace the room.
Something about the item agitated him. Finally, he turned back to me.
“In the club world, a man’s cut is sacred.
From the moment you’re patched in, it becomes your second skin.
You sew on your own patches and care for the leather.
You don’t ever abandon it somewhere for your brothers to teasingly take it or for your enemy to steal it.
” Reaching in his own cut, Sigel produced a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
I didn’t bother chastising him that there was no smoking on school grounds.
After taking a long drag, Sigel’s eyes bore into mine. “Deacon Malloy didn’t just walk up to my son and shoot him. Nor did he take a knife to him. That cocksucker tortured him for a good two hours.”
If he had intended his words to have an effect on me, he got one. My stomach churned, and I had to fight against the urge to throw up. It was unfathomable to me that the Deacon I loved could do such a horrible thing to another person, even in revenge for his father’s death.
Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Sigel said, “Besides making my boy suffer through two hours of torture, he did the most disrespectful thing a fellow biker can do. He took Andy’s cut. That shoulda been something we buried him in, but Deacon took that from us.”
“You think that Andy’s cut is somewhere in the Raiders’ compound?”
“Oh, I know it is.”
“But what if Deacon burned it or destroyed it somehow?”
Sigel shook his head. “You don’t get rid of war prizes. That cut is somewhere in that clubhouse, and you’re going to find it.”
“What if I can’t?”
“Oh, I know you will. You value your life and the life of Malloy’s brat too much to fail.”
“Once I bring you this cut, you swear not to hurt Willow or me?”
“You have my word.”
“I’m not sure it’s worth anything.”
“In this case, it is. Rest assured that I’m not a double crosser, Miss Evans. When I say something, I mean it. I’m sure your father could attest for that. I told him I would kill him if he didn’t back off, and look what happened.”
“Get out!” I shrieked, as rage shook through me.
A cruel laugh escaped from Sigel. “You’re so very unhospitable.
But I will honor your request for now.” He strode over to the door before turning back to me.
“You can expect to hear from me within the next few daysdays. When I call, I will expect a prompt delivery. No stalling and no excuses. You can also get any ideas out of your pretty little head about enlisting help from the Raiders.”
“I wouldn’t dream of doing anything that would risk not ridding you completely from my life.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I’ll be in touch.”
And then he disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared. As the emotional weight of Sigel’s admission crashed over me, I began to hyperventilate. Gripping the edge of my desk, I wheezed in and out. Breathe, Alex. Just breathe
I repeated the phrase over and over in my mind like a mantra. Then I realized I wasn’t the only one saying it. Jerking my head up, I gazed into Archer’s concerned face. With a weak smile, he once again repeated, “Just breathe.”
Launching myself out of the chair, I wrapped my arms around him. I needed comfort as desperately as I did air.
“I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry I wasn’t here. His men cornered me in the bathroom and held me at gunpoint until he was finished.” I whimpered in protest when he pulled away. Scanning my face, he asked, “Did he hurt you? Did he touch you? Fuck, Alex, did he hurt you in any way?”
“No, he didn’t hurt or touch me.”
When I didn’t volunteer any other information, Archer sighed. “Thank God, you’re all right.”
“Take me home.”
His brows lined. “To your house?”
I shook my head. “No, to the compound.”
“You sure you’re able to ride? I can call someone to pick us up.”
“Just get me home now. Please.”
“Anything for you, Alex,” Archer replied. Sliding his arm around my hip, he pulled me to him. With my head against his chest, I leaned on his strength as we walked outside.
When we got to the door leading outside, I hesitated slightly.
“It’s all right. I’m right here,” Archer reassured me.
I couldn’t help noticing when I gazed up into his face the way his eyes cautiously scanned the surroundings as well as the way he clenched and unclenched his jaw.
He looked like a man on edge, and I couldn’t blame him.
Not only had two of his club members been taken out, but he had just been jumped.
At the sight of his motorcycle, I faltered. I couldn’t help the paranoia that something had been done to his bike.
“You all right?” he questioned.
“Do you think your bike was tampered with?”
Archer’s brows shot up in surprise. “I wouldn’t think so. If they wanted to harm us, they had the chance.”
My mind automatically went to my parents and how when they left for school that morning, they felt they were safe in their SUV. “Just twitchy, I guess.”
“Just a sec,” Archer said. He then made a wide circle around his bike. “No boot prints.”
“Would they even show?”
“If they’d been riding, they would have left some mark, especially considering there’s patches of sediment and dirt all around the parking lot.” He nodded. “It would show.”
“If you say so,” I replied, feeling unconvinced.
Scratching the back of his neck, Archer said, “Listen, Alex, it ain’t my business, but I would imagine if Sigel came all the way out here to meet with you, there’s something he wants.
Something that you, and you alone, will give him.
” When I refused to answer, Archer said, “That fact alone would mean nothing was going to happen to you. At least not now.”
With a quick nod of my head, I replied, “Okay. But I’m not ready to go back to the compound just yet.”
He gave me a questioning look. “You wanna go somewhere else?”
“No, I just need to ride for a little while.”
“Okay, I can do that.”
I’m sure he thought I had absolutely lost my mind since in one minute I was worried about the motorcycle blowing up, and then in the next, I wanted to be on it for a long time.
Without another word to him, I took the helmet and got on the motorcycle.
We took off out of the parking lot. Archer drove us out of town and down one of the off-beat paths into the more rural areas.
As I rode, things became clearer and clearer in my mind.
I had come to a crossroads I never imagined possible.
“Pull over!” I shouted over the roar of the engine.
Archer didn’t glance back at me. Instead, he found a turnaround in a thicket of trees. When he stopped, I didn’t immediately get off. “You need the bathroom?”
“Turn off the engine.” When he obeyed me, I drew in a deep breath. “Archer, if I were to ask you for your help, would you give it without question?”
Slowly, he turned around to look at me. “I don’t think I like where this is going.”
I licked my dry lips. “If I were to ask your help to do something that would protect Willow and the club, would you do it?”
“It depends.” He scratched the stubble on his chin. “What do you want?”
“First, you have to swear that even if you don’t agree to do it, you won’t tell any of the Raiders.”
Archer’s eyes widened, and he hopped off the bike. He stalked around a moment before he began pacing. “You’re putting me between a rock and a fucking hard place.”
“I wouldn’t dream of asking you this unless it was a matter of life and death.”
My words only seemed to agitate him more, and he continued to pace. He’d almost worn a hole in the gravel when he finally stopped. He sighed so hard his body shuddered. Then he turned to me. “You have my word. Now what is it?”
As best I could, I tried relating to him what had come to me while on our drive. He listened raptly without interrupting to question me. When I was done, he stared at me almost incredulously. “You’re serious.”
“I am.”
“That’s fucking batshit crazy.”
“Yeah, well, that’s where I am.”
I expected him to resume his pacing. Instead, he walked back over to me. His blue eyes burned into mine as he stared me down. “I’m in.”
I couldn’t help my gasp of surprise. “You are?”
“Even though I should tell you to go fuck yourself for putting me in this situation, I get it. I really do.”
“Thank you.”
Shaking his head, he slung his leg over the bike. “Save the gratitude until we both come out of this alive.”
I laughed nervously. “It’s a deal.”