Moose's Obligation: Mayhem Makers-MMM

Zisa Chapter 16

Hours had passed since Moose and Carnage left. Mama and I were still at my house. It was late. Thank goodness Milan and Imani didn’t see the mess I was. Mama wasn’t great, but she was in better shape than I was. She’d called and spoke to Loulou’s mom, Sharon, to ask if the girls could stay with them tonight. She explained I had an emergency. As expected, Sharon had no problem with it. She adored my nieces. We were so close to her family that they even had a key to Mama’s house, so Sharon told her not to worry. They’d take the girls over to get clothes and anything else they needed for school so Mama could stay with me. I felt guilty for taking her away from them. I was an adult. They were children and needed her. I tried to get her to go and leave me, but she was adamant she was staying.

She tried to fix something to eat, but I wasn’t hungry. Needing some space, I went to have a shower and then lie down. She’d stay in the guest bedroom. Or that was my plan. She came walking into my bedroom an hour later with two cups of hot chocolate. I was lying listlessly in bed, staring at the ceiling.

“Azisa Marie, sit up and drink this. You can’t go to bed without something in your stomach. We need to talk.”

I groaned. “I don’t want a drink or to talk. I’m all talked out.”

“No, you’re not. We have things to figure out.” She shoved my leg until I sat up and took a mug. I took a cautious sip because it was piping hot. It was good. My stomach growled in appreciation. She sat down next to me with hers.

“We need to talk about what happened today with Carnage and Moose. Not just what we were told but how you reacted. What happened?”

“What happened? They admitted they kill people. We were alone in the house with them. When they charged at us, my immediate reaction was to protect us.”

“Why did you have the gun with you in the house? The last I knew, you keep it in your lockbox and take it with you when you leave the house. You don’t walk around with it tucked in the back of your pants.”

“I got it out of the box when Moose went to let you and Carnage in. All I could think was, what if they tried to hurt us for knowing what they’ve done?”

“I admit, it got heated and emotional, and hearing Carnage say they killed people was upsetting. I wasn’t exactly acting my typical way, either, but you went too far, honey, with that gun. I’ve been thinking on and off since they left. I have some questions for you. I want you to answer me honestly, even if you think it’s something I don’t want to hear.”

“Okay, ask away.”

“Do you believe there are people in this world who do such horrible things that they deserve to be punished, even if that means they’re not imprisoned but rather they’re killed?”

“What do you mean by killed?”

“Well, hmm, say there’s a powerful person who has limitless money. He’s a pedophile who hurt countless children. Any attempt to bring him to justice will more than likely result in him fleeing the country and never being made to pay for his crimes. However, one of those children has an uncle who can find the man and knows all the things he’s done and the likely outcome. He decides to take the man’s life to save other kids from being harmed. Would you say the uncle is wrong to do it? And think before you answer.”

I mulled over what she said. When I had my answer, I nodded first. “If there was such a person, and it was a certainty or at least a very high probability that the man would go free and not pay, and the uncle knew this and did it to protect others from the same fate, I don’t think I could condemn him.”

“What about this scenario? There are human traffickers who are stealing women and children. They sell them into slavery. Most are beaten, raped, and left to endure things we never want to imagine. The traffickers are like pedophiles with limitless money. Or they live in a country without extradition to the States, so they’ll continue to do it. There’s a group of men who have ways of getting to those awful men. When they do, not only do they kill them, but they crush the pipeline supplying those women and children, making the world safer for the rest of us. Would those men be serving justice or murder?”

My answer came quicker this time. “Justice. But these examples have nothing to do with Moose, Carnage, or the Regulators.”

“Yet, those examples are what they battle. They’re not going out and willy-nilly deciding someone is guilty and should be killed. They ensure the culprits are guilty and that there is no way, through normal means, to get justice or to protect others. They don’t kill for money. It’s not like they’re guns for hire.”

“I know that the world isn’t always fair or that justice is always served. The government and the legal system, despite their best efforts, can’t always punish the guilty or not as long as they deserve. But you don’t know that’s what the Regulators are doing. If working outside the law, how can they ensure they’re not going after someone innocent?” I argued.

“Alright, let me ask you this. Do you love Moose?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does. Answer the question.”

I sighed and then answered her. “Yes, as crazy as it is, I love him, although we’ve only known each other for less than a month. God, I must be crazy. No one falls in love in that short of a time.”

“If you’re crazy, then I’m crazy too because I’m already falling for Carnage, and I’m way old enough to know better. Look at what your dad did to me. And what Penn did to your sister. Or the way Marius cheated on you. Trusting a man enough to fall in love with him is a big deal in our family. We don’t have luck with them. And I’ve learned something during my half a century of life. There’s no specified time for love.”

I was at a loss. It sounded like she was on their side now when she’d agreed with me earlier. “What changed? You were upset like I was earlier, and now it sounds as if you believe them and agree with what they do. Why?”

“I let my temper get in the way. When Carnage said not to think I’d take off every time he told me it was club business, it ticked me off. However, I’ve had time to think and cool off. Plus, while you were taking your bath and moping in here, I made a phone call.”

“To whom, Carnage?”

“No, to Eryck. I needed to ask him if he’d ever heard of an MC called the Devil’s Regulators and, more specifically, the chapters in Norfolk and Topeka.”

“Why would he? And even if he has, so what?” I was lost. What did this have to do with our situation?

“Whenever Eryck was around, we never talked about his work. To you, he was just your mama’s friend who was like an uncle. You had fun. Even as you got older, it was the same. And he hasn’t been around as much over the last ten years as he was before. There’s been a reason for not talking about what he does for a living and for his longer absences.” She paused.

“Well, don’t stop now, tell me,” I prodded.

“Eryck works on a federal fugitive task force that mainly deals with smuggling. He doesn’t just work in the States. He travels all over the world. He has the means to find out whatever he needs to. When I asked him if he had heard of them, he got quiet. Then he said it wasn’t so much them. Rather, they were recently closely connected to a group called the Ares Infidels.”

“Yes, that’s Sara’s husband’s club. The ones who got me to go to MMM.”

“I know. And the Infidels have a reputation for not tolerating pedophiles, smugglers, drug dealers, rapists, murderers, and more in their town of Tenillo. Since they formed their club, the crime rate in that town has drastically decreased. Some have gone to prison. Others have died from accidents or suicide, and some simply disappear or become victims of senseless crime.

“According to Eryck, all the Infidels are former military. No one gets to even prospect for them unless they’ve served in a branch of the military and been honorably discharged. They’re men with a code. And those men have accepted Carnage’s club as a friend. You said Moose’s cousin is to be married to one of them. They’re family. Would that club allow it if the Regulators were running around killing people without cause or there were other recourses?”

“Oh God, Mama, you told Eryck about them! He’ll have them arrested,” I shrieked.

“Why do you care if all Moose is is a murderer?”

When she said it like that, it was as if I was hit by a train. On the heels of my terror that he and the others would be arrested was the overwhelming belief that they had to be innocent and that my love for him wasn’t going to go away. I burst into tears. This time, they were ones of relief. She hugged me and murmured.

“Honey, we were both hateful bitches to those poor men. Sure, they need to figure out how to talk to women, but we didn’t help. We owe them a chance to finish talking, most likely a huge apology, and some groveling. However, they owe us some of the same. Which means we need to get some rest. Oh, and Eryck won’t say a word. He’s not as lily white as you might think. He’ll keep his trap shut.”

I snuggled into her arms like a little kid.

“Thank you, Mama, for setting me straight. Love you.”

“I love you more. Close your eyes and get some sleep. Otherwise, you’ll look like shit in the morning, and that man of yours will run for the hills,” she teased.

I gently smacked her on the arm, making her laugh. She began to hum, causing my eyelids to get heavy. I recognized it from when I was a kid, and she’d sing it to me and Zuri.

???

I sat up in bed, feeling disoriented. It took a few moments for it to register why I was awake. My room was dark, meaning it was the middle of the night. Then, more pounding and the doorbell being pressed over and over made me realize what woke me. Someone was at the door and, by the sounds of them, about to beat it down. Hopping out of bed, I ran into the hall. I knew my small place so well that I could navigate it even in the dark. As I passed the door of the guest room, the door opened, spilling a small amount of light into the hallway. Mama gave me a worried look.

“Hang on. Where’s your gun? We don’t know who’s out there. Get it, just in case.”

Feeling like an idiot, I turned and rushed back to my bedroom to get it. Rejoining her, we marched to the door.

“Who is it?” I yelled at the same time as she flipped on the porch light. We heard a screech, and then a voice we knew hollered, “What the fuck are you trying to do, Zisa? Blind me for life. Turn that damn light off and open the door.”

I turned on the inside lamp by the door and rolled my eyes at Mama, who was shaking her head. She unlocked the door and opened it. Standing there glaring at us was my sister. We barely had the door open before Zuri scurried inside and slammed it behind her. She threw all the locks.

She was shivering. The thin jacket and threadbare clothing, along with her holey shoes, weren’t able to keep her warm. As I guided her to the living room, Mama went to the kitchen. I snagged a blanket off the back of my couch and wrapped it around Zuri. She sank down on the couch. Based on the beeping sounds coming from the kitchen, Mama was making hot tea in the microwave. Not ideal, but it would do. We had to get something hot into her quickly.

“Zuri, what are you doing out this late? And why here?” I asked.

She didn’t answer, but her gaze kept darting around the room. I couldn’t tell if she was scared or high. If she was high, it made her paranoid. I knew this from past experience. I didn’t bother to ask again until she had her hot tea. I let her get a few sips into her before I repeated myself.

“Why are you here and out so late?”

“Can’t a girl just want to see her sister? And what is Mama doing here? Where are the girls?” she asked hopefully.

“They’re at a friend’s house for the night. As for why Mama is here, we had a lot to talk about. Now, it’s your turn. Spill,” I ordered. I wasn’t in the mood for her usual deflection.

Zuri nervously scanned the room, and then she answered. “I did it,” she mumbled.

“Did what?” Mama asked. Zuri talking about something and us being clueless wasn’t new. I wanted to scream in frustration. Staring at my formerly gorgeous sister, now a shadow of herself, made me want to cry.

“I escaped. I’m going somewhere I’ll never be found,” Zuri added. She was sipping her tea greedily.

“Escaped? Were you a prisoner? Where? When?” Mama asked. Zuri nodded.

“Zuri! Focus. Where did you escape from? Do you know where you’re going?” Mama asked.

It was hard to tell with my sister. If she was high, it was anyone’s guess where she thought she was or what she was talking about. When she giggled, I wanted to smack her. She woke us up for this?

“Zuri, I’m tired. I’m not in the mood to listen to crap. Do you need a place to stay tonight? Is that it? And should we expect Penn to come knocking on the door asking to stay, too?” I grumbled as I stood.

She latched onto my wrist. I was surprised at how strong her grip was. To look at her, you’d think a good wind would blow her away. She appeared desperate.

“Need to hide. Penn will be mad when he finds out. Can’t let him find me this time.” She shivered, but it wasn’t because of the temperature. I sat back down.

“Sis, why will Penn be mad?”

“He wants me to be under his thumb. Always finds me when I run. Makes me come back. I want my family and to see my girls. Start over. Please. Help me. I want to get better. Rehab,” she pleaded.

I tried not to hope, but I couldn’t stop myself. In all the times she’d gotten away from him for a short period of time, she never once would allow us to get her into a treatment program. She always found excuses not to go to one, and before long, you’d find them back together. Sometimes, he found her and brought her back. I had no doubt he dragged her and made her life hell for it. Other times, she’d go back to him. It was a vicious, ugly cycle we’d been trying to help her break for ten years.

“Zuriah Eve Adams, are you serious? Will you swear to God you are?” Mama asked. She was studying her.

Zuri raised her hand. “I’ll swear on the Bible. Help me get far from him. I can’t do this anymore,” she wailed as she dropped her head. Her entire body shook as she cried into her hand.

“Shh, shh, hush, child, you’re fine. I can’t tell you how happy this makes us. Honey, you go and do what they tell you. You do the treatments, and when you’re done, you can come home and stay with us. Milan and Imani will remain my responsibility, Zuri. Even if you recover, I’ve adopted them. I’ll continue to raise them, but I’m more than happy to have you help, just like Zisa does, and to be a part of their lives.”

“I just want to be close to my family,” she moaned.

“What do we do? He might come looking for her. You know he’ll stop here and your house first. He always does. We can’t get her into a treatment facility tonight, maybe not even in the morning,” I told Mama, even though I knew she’d be aware of this.

“We’ll go see those two men of ours and see if they’ll keep an eye on her. We’ll put her up at the same hotel they’re in. If they won’t, then we’ll all go there and stay. We’ll have to be careful with whichever car we use, so he can’t find us that way. I have the name and number of an excellent facility a couple of hours away. It’ll depend on if they have a bed.”

After the way I carried on, the thought of facing Moose and Carnage made me sick. However, I had to be an adult and do it, if only to show I wasn’t a total brat. I wasn’t even sure Moose would want to have anything to do with me. But if it saved my sister, I’d do it.

“What if they say no? Hell, after the way I acted, I wouldn’t blame Moose if he never wanted to see or talk to me again. Maybe we should get the girls and just leave town for a few days. We can take Sis somewhere that she can wait for a bed to open up. And there’s the matter of how we’ll pay for it. She doesn’t have insurance. I’ll give whatever I have in the bank, but it won’t be enough.”

“One thing at a time. As for Moose and Carnage not wanting us, if that’s the case, then we’ll do it on our own. We’ve been taking care of ourselves and others for years. It won’t be anything new.”

“Alright, first, let’s get you warm and fed. While you do that, I’ll pack a bag. Mama, we’ll stop at your house and let you pack a bag for you when we leave here. We’ll have to figure out how to do it with the girls. We can say it’s a girls ’-only mini holiday. They’ll find it fun,” I suggested.

“It’s not a bad idea. Go get packed, and I’ll stay with her,” Mama said.

“Are we actually going to stay at the same hotel as the guys?”

“I say we do it.”

“Okay, but there’s no need to wake them right now. Give me ten minutes, fifteen at the most.”

Rushing to my room to pack, I wondered if Zuri would change her mind. If she did, we’d be closer to her being found dead, whether it was an overdose or Penn, who knew?

???

Part of our plan went as we’d hoped. We got away from not only my house but also Mama’s without Penn showing up to find Zuri. While we were at Mama’s, we packed bags for the girls. She’d arrange to have Sharon bring them to the hotel and drop them off there after school. We couldn’t risk coming back to either house or at least not until Zuri was safely tucked away at a treatment facility. It would be tough not to be using my car for every little thing. It would hamper us, but Penn knew them. We couldn’t risk leading him straight to her.

It was five in the morning when we arrived at the hotel where the guys were staying. We didn’t want to wake them, so we decided to get rooms and then wait until it was closer to eight. Then we’d let them know we were there and why. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. They had no available rooms. We had no clue what was happening in Salina to fill them up, but after we left to go to the hotel nearest to them, it was the same.

After striking out four times, we decided our best bet was to head out of town. We didn’t have towns close to us that were large enough for hotels, which meant we had to go twenty-five miles away to Abilene. Neither Mama nor I were thrilled with the distance between us and the girls, but it couldn’t be helped.

Lucky for us, Abilene did have a hotel with rooms. We booked two. We got them adjoining. We knew after the girls joined us, we’d feel better. Then we’d only have to worry about taking them to school.

We would get a couple of hours of sleep, then get up and start making calls to get a place for Zuri. I suggested she take a long hot bath. She eagerly agreed. However, she was so shaky I was afraid to leave her alone in the bathroom, so I went in with her. I ran the water as she got undressed.

When I saw the damage to her body, I had to fight not to cry or go on a murder rampage. I knew about the track marks on her arms. Those were hard to hide. I had no clue about other scars. Her once stunning skin was marred by more than a couple of scars. I tried not to let her see the horror on my face. I yearned to ask her who gave them to her. I wondered if it was all Penn or if someone else had.

As I was washing her back after helping her with her hair, she said super softly. “Look at me, Zissy. I’m so ugly. Even if I straighten up, no one will want me. Penn told me that he’s the only one who’ll ever touch or desire me.” She sniffed.

“Fuck Penn, he doesn’t know shit, Zuri. He’s used lies and intimidation to control you long enough. A true man will love you no matter how many scars you have.”

“Penn said it’s my fault I look like this. He’s been threatening me.”

“Threatening you how?”

“Since I’m so used up and ugly, the men aren’t paying to fuck me like they used to. He’s not making the money he did. He said the only thing left is to sell me off to a whorehouse in Mexico—one of the ones where they can do whatever they want to you for a price. He said I’d be lucky to last a month before someone paid to kill me.”

My fury was so great I couldn’t speak or see due to the tears in my eyes. If Penn was standing in front of me, I’d fill him full of bullets without a second thought. He was poison, and it was time to purge him.

“You listen to me. Penn isn’t touching you again. He’s not selling you. If he comes near you, I’ll make him wish he’d never been born. Forget that motherfucker.”

She was rocking in the water. “I want to. Do you know what scares me more than his threats about me? What finally made me get away?”

“No, what?”

“Since that morning when we ran into you guys having breakfast with those two men, he’s been ranting. He’s got it in his head that in a few years, he’ll be able to put my babies out on the street to earn for him. And in the meantime, he said you and Mama will fetch good prices,” she sobbed.

I don’t know how I held it together long enough to get her washed and settled in bed. She fell asleep almost the moment her head touched the pillow. Grabbing Mama’s hand, I practically dragged her through the connecting door into the other room. I shut the door so we wouldn’t disturb Zuri.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“What Zuri told me Penn said and is plotting,” I snarled before launching into a recap of the conversation. By the time I was done, Mama was shaking.

“I’ll kill that no-good son of a whore! If he thinks I’ll let him touch any of you, he has another thing coming. Tell me you brought your gun.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Good, and I’ve got mine. My God, what happened to make him such a monster?” she asked.

“I don’t know if anything did. He might’ve been born evil. We can’t allow him to find her this time. And he’ll touch Imani and Milan over my dead body. We have to find a way to keep him away from our family forever,” I muttered.

“I’m afraid the only way that’ll happen is when he’s dead, Zisa. He’s been arrested more than a couple of times. He always finds a way out of it. He’s never going to stop coming after her. He’s obsessed, or maybe it’s merely he sees her as his property. That no one else can take her away from him, or his pride takes a hit.”

I gulped. “This is what the guys were talking about. People like Penn never seem to get caught or slip out of the noose somehow. He’ll never stop being a threat to her or us. Like you said, the only way he isn’t is if he’s dead,” I whispered. A full understanding of what Moose and Carnage tried to explain hit me. I’m not sure how long I sat there, letting it soak in.

Eventually, I was told to take a nap. Mama promised to get some sleep as well. Leaving her in that room, I went back to the one Zuri was in, and I crawled into bed with her. It had been years since I got to cuddle my big sister. I moved as close as I could without disturbing her and placed my hand on hers. Before going to sleep, I whispered a promise.

“I’ll make sure he’s no longer a threat, Sis. Even if I have to kill the bastard myself.”