Chapter 8 Cinerator
It had been nearly two weeks since I met Gwen. Every night, I visited her apartment and almost always took her for a ride on my bike. She fucking loved it.
Tonight, I held her hand as we walked beyond the cemetery fence and into the forest that stretched toward the river. Property of the club that extended for a few hundred acres. Woods that were special to us. Sacred.
And it was where I wanted to tell her how I felt about her. How our meeting wasn’t just a coincidence. That the connection we shared was a bond forged long ago. Lifetimes, if my suspicions were correct.
I wouldn’t reveal those secrets until I was sure.
Moonlight bathed her in soft white light as she smiled at the view, pausing as we reached a hollow in the woods. The thick, dense rows of trees parted for us, opening the space a little wider until the moon filled the sky above our heads.
I could hear the trickle of water over rocks near the river’s shore. The wind rustled the leaves in the trees, snatching a few free from the limbs.
Being here soothed me.
Gwen leaned her head against my shoulder. “It’s so calm. Like we’re in a different world.”
We were, in a way. There were more than secrets in these woods. Things that roamed and prowled like Omen. That hunted. Their energy was woven into the trees, grass, and earth. Dangerous for those who meant to harm the forest and the life within it.
Omen chose that moment to howl. The sound rose above the treetops and saturated the air. If I took off my boots and stepped on the ground, I knew I would feel the vibrations beneath my feet.
“Um.” Gwen bit her lip and clutched my arm. “That’s Omen, right?”
“It is.”
“Where is he? Close?”
He spooked her. It wasn’t intentional. She’d have to get used to him. Omen was bound to the cemetery and these woods. “Not right now. He’s hungry and hunting.”
Her head snapped up to me. Wide eyes stared into mine. “He doesn’t eat people, right?”
I chuckled. Couldn’t help it. It would scare the hell outta her right now to tell the truth, so I chose to give a partial one. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.” And she didn’t.
Not as long as she never tried to harm the forest, the creatures inside it, or anything inside the cemetery.
Omen already liked her. He pounced on her the second he met Gwen. Her scent called to him in the same way it did to me. That recurring feeling that Gwen and I were tied to one another in the past also included Omen.
“Since we’re talking about Omen,” Gwen began, “I have some questions.”
I wondered when she would get around to it. “Go ahead.”
“Why can I hear him and not see him?”
Good question. “I think you have an ability, a sensitivity to beings like him.”
She blinked up at me. “That’s a lot to unpack.”
Could she believe in the unbelievable?
“You understand he’s a supernatural creature, right?”
“Yes.” Surprise flickered over her face. A small gasp left her throat before she backed away from me. “I can hear a supernatural dog but not see him. Your pet, for lack of a better term.”
“That’s right.”
“If he’s supernatural, and he’s yours,” she paused.
Yeah, she was putting it together now.
“What does that make you?”
“Human,” I answered without hesitation, “but also, more.”
“More,” she repeated. “What kind of more?”
There were things I wasn’t free to tell her. The origin of my club and its roots in the nearby forest. How G.D.’s grandfather Otis, road name Wolf, met something in the woods one night that changed him forever. That sharing his blood with new members made us more.
“What matters is that I’m a protector of these woods, just like Omen watches over the cemetery. A guardian,” I explained.
Gwen seemed to be thinking that over. “That’s not that weird.”
“No, it’s not.”
The corners of her mouth curled into a smile. “I expected you to say something crazier than that.”
“I’ll try not to be offended.”
My phone buzzed inside my cut, and I reached for it, glancing at the screen. G.D.’s name popped up, and I swiped across to answer, “Pres.”
“Get back to the clubhouse. We’ve got a fucking problem.”
Shit. “What happened?”
He didn’t answer. “You with Gwen?”
“I am.” Why did it matter? I stiffened when I realized it had something to do with her.
“The police found Matt Marshall’s body.”
Oh, fuck!
“Tell her. She doesn’t need to hear it from that fucking NCIS agent.”
“I hear you, Pres. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“Make it fifteen.”
He hung up, and I slid my phone back into my pocket. “Gotta cut our evening short, Gwen.”
Her teeth nibbled on her bottom lip, and I could feel her anxiety. “Why? What happened?”
I slid my hand around hers and began walking back to my Harley. “Let’s get back to the bike, and I’ll tell you.”
“I don’t like the sound of that, Cin.” Her fingers clenched around mine. “Is something wrong?”
“Yes,” I admitted, “but it’s got nothing to do with you or Ethan.”
“That’s not making me feel better.”
Since her emotions surged, I knew that already.
When we reached the cemetery and my bike, I gripped her hips with my hands to steady her. “The police found a body.”
Her eyes widened. “Who?”
“Matt Marshall. He’s been missing since the day after your sister died.”
“Since the day after she was murdered,” Gwen corrected.
“That’s two homicides. The law is gonna be up everyone’s ass, including you and your brother. G.D. wanted me to warn you.”
“G.D.?”
“My president.” I lifted my hands to her face, gently holding her still.
Her gaze searched mine like she was looking for something. “Cin?”
“I’m going to check into this. Both murders. You have my word, Gwen.”
“Thank you.”
“Need you to do something for me.” She might not like my request, but I was gonna ask.
“What?”
“The cops already think our club is connected to this somehow. It’s not. I didn’t know shit about your sister until I met you. We don’t have any ties to Marshall. There’s no reason to come sniffing around my club except to fuck with us.”
She didn’t look happy. “Okay. What do you want from me?”
“If Castor or Barnes wants to question you about our club, let me know right away. I don’t want you mixed up in bullshit. I can help.”
She didn’t ask what that help would be. “Okay. Anything else?”
“Keep your phone with you at all times. Even if you’re just going to the bathroom. Make sure your apartment is locked. No exceptions. And if you feel unsafe or think you might be, you call me. Don’t matter what time it is. You feel me?”
“Cin, do you think I’m next or something?”
Her chin wobbled, and I snarled, hauling her against my chest. “No. If I thought that, you’d be coming to my clubhouse and staying where I could protect you 24/7.”
She sagged against me, her relief so thick and real I could almost taste it. “I’m not in danger, right?”
I didn’t like the question. “As far as I know, you’re not.”
“Okay. Good.” She stepped back and smiled, swiping at tears that fell while I held her. “You should get moving before your president calls again.”
If G.D. had to call back, he’d be pissed. “I know.” I held her to me for a few seconds, then stole a kiss before we rode into town.
I dropped Gwen at her apartment and waited until she was inside, waving from her bedroom window before I rode away.
The chapel was filled with members when I arrived, the last to show up. Couldn’t be helped.
I didn’t waste time. “Told Gwen to call me right away if Castor or Barnes reach out. If they try to question her about us, she promised to let me know.”
“Good call,” Ghost responded.
G.D. cracked his neck. “They’re going to use this as an excuse to watch us closer now. Be prepared to have a tail wherever you go. Where are we with orders, Nightmare?”
“Solid. No deliveries after Thursday. Got Wednesday and Friday next week. Already on it.”
He turned his attention to Zombie. “You notice anything at Marshall’s place?”
G.D. sent Zombie to scope the place out after Castor and Barnes dropped by the clubhouse.
As Sergeant-at-Arms, Zombie made club security his highest priority.
He worked closely with Ghost. Anything that could pose a threat, he dealt with.
Since Marshall was missing, we needed surveillance on his place.
Turned out that didn’t matter since he was killed away from home.
“No activity that I could tell. Place is dark. Dog was whining in the backyard. Neighbors complained, and animal control picked it up.”
“Caught that on the internet,” Cyber announced.
“Anything else on the internet?” G.D. growled.
“About Marshall? Just his name related to both homicide cases. The police are scrambling to lock it down.”
“And the club?”
“Nothing. Got that shit locked up tight.”
Satisfied, G.D. finally relaxed against the back of his chair.
“Cyber.” He shifted his gaze to me as I said his name. “Can you dig into Becka Carmichael’s death? See if there’s anything we’re missing. Why she was targeted. It’s not making any sense.”
“Agreed.” Ghost shook his head. “Something ain’t right.”
“I’ve already been looking into her socials. Marshall didn’t have much of an online footprint. He got out of the Corps and kept in contact with mostly Becka and a few other Marines he served with. But the girl has a bunch to sort through. Gonna take time.”
“Need your focus on this, Cyber. Might save our asses if we can point the law in another direction.”
Cyber scooped up his laptop and equipment. “If you need me, you know where I’ll be, Pres.”
G.D. sat forward, elbows resting on the table. “Everyone reports directly to me on this. If trouble is comin’, we need to be prepared.”
He ended church, and I rose from my seat, feeling antsy. Maybe it would sound paranoid to someone on the outside, but preparation kept our club safe and whole. We didn’t like surprises. Right now, we were in the dark about Marshall’s murder and how it might connect to Becka’s.
Until we had answers, we’d stay alert.
I RODE STRAIGHT TO Gwen’s apartment. Didn’t matter that it had only been two hours since I saw her. She was like a drug to me, and I needed another fix.