Dayanara Chapter 2 #3
I did get a hug and a good night out of him at the door. I hurried to my SUV. It was a relief to get inside it, even if it was cold. I loved my brother, but he stressed me out sometimes to the point I wanted to scream or smack him.
The drive was uneventful, like I told him it would be.
At home, after a hot shower to warm up, I crawled into bed.
However, I didn’t fall asleep right away, even though I was tired.
I was kept awake thinking about Predator and Stalker, and how intrigued they made me.
I’d have to be on my guard and keep my distance, or I might do something stupid.
???
It was Monday, and almost forty-eight hours after the meeting at the bar that carried over to Jessup’s house.
We still hadn’t told Brighton that Marshall was getting out of prison.
We didn’t know how to break it to her. She’d taken almost two years to be able to leave the house and not look over her shoulder every second.
And she had adjusted to staying home alone and not becoming unglued.
She had friends. She was in college and doing exceptionally well.
She was going to school to become a counselor.
Brighton wanted to work with people who had been harmed like she was.
She hoped to work with kids and teens. She was taking her trauma and using it to help others.
She could empathize, not only sympathize.
I had told her I had to work tonight. It wasn’t unheard of, so she never questioned why I wouldn’t be available.
Often, she’d come to my place, and we’d hang out.
I had no clue what lie Jess had told her to explain his absence.
He insisted we go together, so he picked me up.
We were going to the Archangel’s Warriors MC compound.
Hunters Creek wasn’t far from us. I admit, I’d driven by the place before.
I was curious to see what it was like after my cousin told us he wanted to prospect with them. I hadn’t expected the outer appearance.
When Stryder informed us of his desire, I asked around to find out what was known of the Warriors.
To my relief, they were well-liked and even respected in Hunters Creek.
They ran several businesses, and according to my sources, they were all legitimate.
If they had any illegal ventures, they were well hidden.
There were rumors that years ago, they weren’t as clean as they appeared to be now.
I warned Stryder to be careful. He assured me it was purely gossip.
After he joined, I asked him if they were doing things that they shouldn’t.
He hadn’t hesitated to say that no one in the club did anything like what people said. I was relieved.
Yesterday, in the late afternoon, Stryder reached out and asked Jess and me to get on a video chat.
When we did, he informed us that the club had been told of our problem and what we wanted to do.
They’d unanimously voted to help us take out the trash, as our cousin phrased it.
Due to the tight timeline we were on, they asked if we’d come to their clubhouse tonight so we could all meet and talk things over.
We’d readily said yes. It had killed me to wait all day.
Luckily, I had work to help keep me partially occupied.
During the short drive, Jess asked how work was today, and I told him how my day went.
My brother was a master craftsman who worked with wood.
There was nothing he couldn’t make, and he made beautiful pieces.
His work, especially furniture, was in high demand.
People would wait a year or more to have one of his pieces.
He made a great living off of it. It had been something he learned from our dad, and it allowed him to take care of Brighton after our parents died.
He had the house that had been our family home and a steady job.
The court had no problem granting him custody of her.
By the time we exhausted those two topics, we were nearing the compound.
It sat outside of Hunters Creek on a large piece of property.
There were no neighbors right up against them.
The place was surrounded by a concrete block wall that went as far as I could see.
It stood between ten and twelve feet high with razor wire along the top.
To most individuals, it was intimidating.
They’d be afraid to enter. I thought that was the point of it.
However, for me, it wasn’t terrifying. Sure, I thought, why did they need one so solid and tall with the wire?
But it reminded me of some of the military installations I’d been on over my ten years in the Corps. It made me think of my second home.
We stopped at a large gate. There was a box there with a speaker and a button. Jess pressed it, making it buzz. He didn’t need to do it twice. Within moments, a deep male voice came over the speaker.
“Hello, how may I help you?” the invisible man asked.
“Hi, we’re here to see your club. I’m Jessup, and this is Dayanara. We were asked to come here.”
“Oh, hey, you’re Stryder’s cousins. We’ve been expecting you. Come on in. As soon as the gate opens far enough, drive through, and you’ll see the big building that looks like a house gone crazy with expansion. That’s the clubhouse. Park anywhere,” the voice directed.
“Thanks,” my brother said before rolling up his window.
The gate opened rather quickly. We drove through, and as I glanced in the side mirror, I saw it closing behind us.
They didn’t fool around. It was dark, so I couldn’t appease my curiosity about what it looked like inside, but I easily saw what appeared to be a mini-mansion gone wild. Lights were blazing out the windows.
A few vehicles were parked outside. I wondered where their bikes were.
In the glow cast by the lights, I saw a couple of houses past the clubhouse.
According to our cousin, everyone in the club lived on the compound.
Some had their own homes. Those who didn’t, like him or the prospects, had a room inside the clubhouse. I was eager to check it out.
I was out of the truck and impatiently waiting for my brother to get out and walk with me.
The shout of my name had me twirling around.
Coming out of the main door was Stryder.
He wasn’t alone. Right behind him were Predator and Stalker.
As they approached, I lectured myself. Stay calm.
They’re just men. Don’t act like a silly airhead.
The two of them passed up my cousin and got to us first. They stood before me.
Their intent gazes made me want to squirm.
There was something about it that made me feel like they were sizing me up for a reason, but I had no clue what that reason could be.
Both held out their hands as they welcomed me.
Not wanting to make one wait, I placed my hands in theirs at the same time.
Their grips were warm and secure without crushing.
“I’m glad you’re here. Welcome to the Warriors’ compound,” Stalker said.
“It’s good to see you again, Dayanara. Welcome,” Predator greeted.
“It’s great to be here. I admit, I’ve been curious about what’s behind the wall.”
Jess and Stryder had finished their greeting and were waiting to swap out. Reluctantly, I tugged my hands free of the two Warriors’ then smiled at my cousin. He wrapped me in a hug while the two men spoke to my brother and shook his hand.
“It’s good to see you and to know that you haven’t strangled Jess yet,” Stryder whispered, causing me to snort and giggle as I smacked his back. He chuckled in my ear before letting me go.
“Let’s get you inside where it’s warm. I’ll warn you.
The place is packed. Even the old ladies and kidlets are here.
Everyone wanted to meet you. It’ll be loud and somewhat chaotic, but I promise, they’ve all had their shots, and you’re safe with them.
As we said before, we see you as family.
We don’t harm our family,” Predator informed us.
As they moved and turned to face the porch and the front door, I was taken by surprise when Stalker and Predator presented their bent elbows to me.
I fumbled a moment before I slid my arms through them.
As I curled my arms up against theirs, I felt the tensile strength in those arms. The hard muscles broadcast it loud and clear.
I had to resist petting them. My brother and cousin took the lead.
They were the ones to open the door, and a rush of sound came streaming out to meet us. Here we go.
The interior was bright. The room was a massive open area with people milling about or seated.
A large bar dominated one section of a wall.
A second wall had pool tables and dart boards along it.
Couches lined the other two walls. In the middle were several tables with chairs surrounding them.
Unlike a bar, there was no scent of tobacco smoke.
However, the air had a faint smell of beer and spirits.
The talk died down, leaving only the children’s voices.
Even some of them got quiet as all eyes landed on us.