Chapter 23
CLUTCH - LOST OUR WAY
I wasn’t sure what to expect as I parked my bike at the compound and burst through the front door of the clubhouse. Whoever had been helping Razor, hadn’t had time to mess with the footage from the day he ran, so we knew Kori was the one who helped him leave and Cage let them through the gates.
Finding Kori was the first and only thing that had panned out since everything went to shit.
I scanned the space frantically. Connor, the prospect, was behind the bar, with Cypher and Lacey sitting with several laptops open at a table together.
Angel came out of his office down the hall, with Axel trailing behind him, wiping his hands on a rag.
“Where is she?”
Angel kept walking towards me. “Sit down for a minute, Clutch. Torch and Ledger should be here any minute with her.”
That was not going to happen. I paced the room for what felt like an hour, but was really only five minutes.
So many questions swirled through my head.
I needed to deal with Razor and Cage… anyone else who was involved in trying to take down the club from within and ensure that Bex is safe.
I needed to find her, see her, hear her voice…
The front door burst open, and Ledger walked in first with a look of annoyance on his face.
Torch followed behind him, dragging a ragged-looking Kori behind him.
As someone who had named herself the queen of the club girls, she had seen better days.
When Torch got to the bar, he dropped her at Angel’s feet.
Angel looked at him when he noticed she was gagged and had her hands bound behind her back.
Torch shrugged, “She wouldn’t stop screeching, and the bitch has nails.”
Angel crouched down and removed the rag from Kori’s mouth, asking, “You gonna behave if I untie you?”
Kori didn’t respond, just glared at him, and I was quickly losing my patience. I pulled my gun and immediately removed the safety. The sound drew her attention to me, and the look of contempt quickly morphed into fear.
Angel stood to his full height and motioned to a prospect to bring a chair over.
“Get her in the chair.” He ordered.
The prospect paused for a moment when Kori shot him a glare.
“For fuck's sake,” Axel muttered and he stepped up, grabbing Kori by her shoulders and put her on the chair, arms still tied back behind the back rest.
Angel moved closer to her, crouching down again so they were at eye level, “You are going to tell me where Razor is.”
Kori, fucking, laughed in his face. “What are you gonna do Angel? Hit me? Beat the truth out of me?”
Angel stood, stepping back, a look on his face I hadn’t seen before. He didn’t know what to do.
I scanned the room again, and my eyes locked on Lacey.
I stepped up beside Angel, my gun out in front of me, “Lacey, get over here.”
Her eyes snapped up from her computer like she hadn’t realized that anything else was going on around them.
“I… what do you want me to do?”
“Get over here.” Angel grit out.
She stood on shaky legs and made her way over to Angel, Cypher following behind her.
Angel turned back to Kori, “Now I may not get the information out of you, but Lacey here has been helping us out and I think she can get the information we need.”
Lacey stepped back, looking uncomfortable, “I.. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
Angel growled and then grabbed Lacey’s arm, pulling her closer, “You want to be able to stay, you need to do what you are asked. Or you can get the fuck out of my club with the rest of the whores.”
Cypher was there, pulling her out of Angel’s grip and pulling her back with him. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
With all the focus on them we’d missed the front door opening.
“You know, I had hoped disappearing would help you get your head out of your ass, brother. But it looks liked you guys are still fucking up.”
All eyes snapped to the front door, and a ragged sound came from Angel, because standing there was Mara, flanked by Dani and Meg.
Mara and Dani’s eyes were on Angel, but Meg was staring at Cypher, who too slowly released Lacey from his arms. A flicker of something passed over Meg’s face, but then she schooled it and her eyes locked on Kori.
Angel gasped again and then moved. Straight for his sister, pulling her into his arms. He was shaking as he held her tightly.
After a minute, Mara squirmed out of his hold. “You are crushing me, asshole.”
Angel stepped back, but kept his hands on Mara, as if she might disappear.
Even though something deep within knew she wasn’t with them, I still couldn't help but look behind them at the door, hoping that she was a step behind and would be walking in right after them. Dani must have caught the look because she gave me a sympathetic look and then shook her head, No.
I rubbed at the spot that had a constant ache in my chest, the pain sharper now.
Angel took another step back, scanning his sister, his eyes stopping on a wrap on her wrist. “What the fuck happened to you?”
Mara pulled out of his reach, stepping back with Dani and Meg, lifting her arm. “Oh this. This is just one of many gifts left by your brother, Razor.”
A wounded growl sound came from Angel. “What the fuck do you mean?”
Kori laughed from her seat, and all eyes moved to her. “She was Razor’s favourite punching bag.”
A mix of emotions moved across Angel’s face, and then he made a choked sound as he looked down at Mara, almost as if he were hoping she’d deny it.
When she didn’t, he stepped back, running his hands through his hair. “Wha… why didn’t you tell me? I would have fucking killed him.”
Now it was Mara’s turn to laugh, “Oh ya, like you did when I went to you and told you he was fucking everything that moved in front of me and I wanted him gone. Or when I tried to tell you and you told me you were too busy with club business to deal with my relationship drama.”
Angel stood there stunned, watching Mara. He looked frozen.
After a while, Mara just shook her head and walked towards the rest of us. “I thought running would make you look closer at the reason why. I needed to get somewhere safe, so I went to the one person who I thought would help me without question. And she did.”
She let that sit for a moment before turning to me.
“And you fuckwads repaid her loyalty to me… with what? A public interrogation? Humiliation?” She laughed again, shaking her head.
“You dragged the most loyal person in this whole fucking place over the coals and then let Razor get his hands on her.”
I closed my eyes, unable to control myself, and I felt a tear run down my cheek.
I did this.
“Ya you should be ashamed.” Mara snarled.
I opened my eyes because she was right. I am ashamed; I can’t hide from what I did to Bex. What I allowed to happen. And if Mara knew what happened to her, I had to find out.
“Where did you go? We couldn’t find a trace of you.” Angel asked.
Mara shook her head, looking tired and frustrated. “Bex made sure I ended up with someone who would keep me safe. A place where I was reminded of my worth, of who the fuck I am. I may not have a dick or be a brother, but this is my dad’s legacy too… this is my club.”
She turned and moved towards Kori, grabbing a chunk of dirty bleach-blonde hair and pulling it back so Kori had to look up at her. “You wanna know why this bitch knew I was his punching bag?”
Angel made another choking sound, but Mara kept going.
“Because one of his favourite things to do was to fuck one of the whores in front of me and if I reacted he would put me in my place… while they watched.”
Torch stood so fast that the bar stool crashed to the floor behind him, causing Lacey to jump back.
That drew Mara’s attention, “What’s wrong?” She sniped eyes locked on Lacey who was backing up. “You were one of his favourites too, weren’t you?”
“What the fuck is she still doing here?” Dani asked.
Lacey looked like she was about to cry, “I… I didn’t have a choice.”
Mara’s voice was frigid, “We all have choices to make. You chose to spread your legs for a psychopath in my bed and watch him punish me for crying.”
Lacey started to cry and Cypher turned to her, murmuring something quietly.
“Cypher… wha… Are.. are you comforting her?” Meg choked out. “Are you… Have you….”
She couldn't get the words out before she turned and ran from the clubhouse. Cypher looked shocked, then… he looked down at Lacey confused and then ran after Meg.
What a fucking mess.
I needed to get someone to talk so I could find Razor and make sure Bex was ok.
Mara’s eyes were still locked on Lacey, but she was still holding Kori’s head back by her hair.
“Gather your shit and get the fuck out of here.”
“Cy..Cypher said I could stay and help.” Lacey stammered.
Mara laughed again, but the sound was cold, “I bet he did. But I don’t give a shit what Cypher said. You are part of the problem with this club. You have five minutes to get your shit together or you will be joining Kori in the shed.”
Kori made a choking sound as Lacey turned and started grabbing her laptop and things from the table.
Mara turned her anger back to Kori, “Now are you going to tell us where Razor is… or do you need time to think about it?”
Kori sputtered, “They… they wouldn't do that to me. Angel wouldn’t lay a finger on me.”
Mara pulled her hair harder, then with her other hand she slapped the side of Kori’s face before moving that hand to squeeze her jaw.
Leaning closer, “Do you think just because my brother fucked you once when your skanky ass got here that he feels anything for you? He was trashed and missing the only women he ever loved and you were just a hole. He might not hit women... But I have lots of anger I need to work out and it’s been a minute since I had someone in the shed. ”
Kori’s eyes got big and she tried to squirm out of Mara’s grasp, but she held her in the chair.
After a minute Mara stepped back and said, “Take her out back.”
Everyone stood shocked at what was being said. All the signs that we ignored, all the things Bex had said that were true.
We had lost our way.
Lacey finished grabbing her things then ran out the front door, the slam echoing through the quiet of the room.
When no one moved, Dani swore and walked up to Torch. “Give me the keys.”
He looked down at her, “You don’t want to go in there right now Dani…”
She interrupted him, “Four can’t do shit right now from home, but I can. And you guys haven’t gotten anywhere so we are done playing good girls.”
He just stood there shocked, staring at Dani, who had always had a spine, but was usually a quiet observer.
“Key’s,” She barked with her hand out, torch fumbled in his pockets and handed them to her.
Dani rolled her eyes and walked over to Mara and Kori, grabbing Kori from the chair and dragging her towards the door that led out back.
The whole room stood still, until Angel finally spoke. “I… Fuck… Mara. I didn’t know… I…”
Mara shook her head, her eyes skimming over all of us with a look of disappointment on her face. “Ya, well that's the problem isn’t it.” She shook her head and wiped her hand on her jeans. ”But I am not here for a heart to heart.”
She took a deep breath and then looked at me again, my stomach bottomed out and I was terrified about what she was about to say.
“I am here because Bex protected me, was loyal to me when no one else was. And you guys repaid that with… I don’t even know what to call what you did…”
She looked back to Angel who looked frozen in place, “I was going to stay gone. I was willing to walk away from this place, this life. Because this club has become something I don’t recognize anymore. Something Dad would be ashamed of.”
Angel grabbed at his chest, his eyes locked on his sister.
“I am back because Bex is in danger. I am back because she protected me and now I am going to do what you didn’t do. I am going to repay the favour and put an end to all of this.”
I fet like bile and fear were waring for space in my throat, “I… fuck… do you know where she is?”
Mara looked at me, studying me for a moment, “I do…”
I stepped towards her needing to know more, but she raised her hand. “But I am not about to tell you.”
I growled and Angel moved towards me. Mara stepped between the two of us.
“I am not going to tell you because she is safe for now and she doesn’t want you or anyone else to know where she is.”
I gasped, feeling a panic like I never felt before. She didn’t want me to find her. Because… Because I showed her she wasn’t safe here. Wasn’t safe with me.
But she was safe… she was hiding…
Mara continued, “She is safe… But if Razor finds her she won’t be and neither will the people who are helping her… And that is why I am back.”
She is safe.
I felt tears prick my eyes.
Angel still stood frozen in place, Ledger stepped up closer to Mara asking, “And how is you coming back going to help us find Razor?”
Mara took a deep breath, eyes still on her brother, “Because I am going to draw him out.”
The room was quiet until Angel finally found his voice, “And why would Razor come out of hiding for you?”
She didn’t blink or hesitate when she said, “Because I am pregnant.”