Chapter Four
Karlyn
“What do you mean, you found nothing?” I asked, standing in front of my brother. “You were only out there ten minutes.”
“Don’t know what to tell you, sis.” My brother stepped around me in a huff. “I looked around and saw nothing.”
“What’s going on?” Daphne asked, walking into the kitchen. Standing in front of the kitchen sink, I turned around and looked out the window. I knew someone was out there. I could feel them looking at me right now. Why wouldn’t my brother believe me?
“Karlyn thinks she saw someone in the forest last night. I told her I would go check it out, and I did. There is nothing out there.”
“Ink,” Daphne whispered. “This is the first time your sister’s been out of her room since Ravage left. If she says someone is out there, then you need to listen to her.”
“What more do you want me to do?” my brother groaned. “I went and looked. It’s a big-ass forest back there.”
“Then go get some brothers and go take another look.”
“But, baby,” he whined as I turned to glare at him. “There are bugs back there.”
Daphne rolled her eyes, but her voice was gentle. “Ink, please. Just humor her. I know you hate bugs, but if Karlyn’s this convinced, it’s worth being sure.”
My brother hesitated, glancing from Daphne to me, then finally sighed. “Fine. I’ll grab a couple of the guys, and we’ll check the edge of the woods again. But if I come back covered in mosquito bites, I’m blaming both of you.”
I said nothing as my brother walked out of the kitchen, muttering mainly to himself, leaving me alone with his wife.
I liked Daphne. She was a sweet woman. Shy too, and I knew she only meant well.
She welcomed me into her home, no questions asked.
Even when the paternity results came back regarding her daughter, she still wanted me to stay with her.
I didn’t know why, but with no place else left to go, I didn’t tell her no.
The only person who kept me here was Jackson, and much to my brother’s annoyance, he moved in as well.
I missed him.
I could think clearly when he was around. I missed our talks, our long walks, and the comfortable silence that tethered us together.
Sometimes at night, lying awake in my room, I would listen for footsteps on the porch or the low rumble of Jackson’s laughter from down the hall.
The silence pressed in, thick and uneasy, reminding me of all the things I couldn’t say to anyone here.
I wondered if things would ever feel normal again, or if I was destined to always feel like a stranger in my own life.
“I thought if you were feeling up to it, that maybe we could venture over to the clubhouse. There is a cookout tomorrow, and all the girls are getting together to cook and prepare everything. It’s the first cookout of the summer, and from what the others tell me, it’s kind of special.
The Tennessee Chapter will be arriving shortly, so there will be plenty of mouths to feed. ”
“I don’t know.” I leaned back against the kitchen sink.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to go, Karlyn,” Daphne said softly, sensing my hesitation.
She moved closer, her hands finding mine on the cool porcelain of the sink.
“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.
I just thought... maybe it would be good for you to get out of the house for a bit. ”
“I... I don’t know, Daphne,” I murmured, pulling my hands away and turning back to the window, my gaze fixed on the dark line of trees.
The forest seemed to hold its breath, a silent sentinel watching my every move.
The unsettling feeling from the night before hadn’t entirely faded.
It was a low hum beneath the surface of my consciousness, a persistent whisper that something was still out there, waiting.
“It’s just... I’ve been feeling a bit off lately.
And the thought of all those people...” I trailed off, unable to articulate the overwhelming anxiety that threatened to suffocate me.
Daphne’s voice was a gentle balm. “We can just go for a little while. And if you want to leave, we’ll leave.
No questions asked. Ink will be there, and so will I.
You won’t be alone.” She squeezed my shoulder, her touch a comforting weight.
The idea of being around Ink, my brother, was reassuring, but the memory of his disbelief when I’d spoken of the presence in the woods still stung.
Still, the promise of Daphne’s unwavering support was a lifeline, and the lure of distraction, of a brief escape from the suffocating memories, was strong. Maybe a cookout, with its noise and its crowds, was exactly what I needed to push the shadows back, even if only for an evening.
The air thrummed with boisterous energy, a stark contrast to the quiet solitude of my room.
Laughter and the sizzle of meat on the grill created a cacophony that, surprisingly, didn’t feel entirely unwelcome.
I found myself drawn to the periphery, a silent observer amidst the revelry.
Daphne, ever perceptive, found me leaning against a rough-hewn picnic table, a half-empty plate beside me.
She offered a gentle smile, her presence a quiet anchor in the swirling chaos of familiar faces.
“It’s a good turnout,” Reaper, the president of the Golden Skulls, said as he walked toward me, his gaze sweeping over the mingling crowd. “The Tennessee Chapter always brings a lively bunch.”
I nodded, my eyes drifting back toward the dark, looming tree line that bordered the clearing.
The memory of the night before, of the unseen presence I’d felt, still clung to me like a damp shroud, a persistent whisper beneath the festive din.
Even here, surrounded by people I knew, I felt a prickle of unease, a sense of being watched.
“Ink told me what happened. You okay?” His voice, soft and concerned, cut through my thoughts.
I forced a smile, trying to push the lingering fear into the shadowed corners of my mind. “Yeah,” I lied, my voice thinner than I intended. “It was probably just my imagination.”
I knew he didn’t fully believe me, but he didn’t press.
Instead, he sighed, taking a seat next to me. “Don’t do that to yourself. If you thought you heard something, then you heard it.”
“My brother doesn’t believe me.”
“Your brother thinks a children’s cartoon is the greatest movie ever made.”
“Toy Story.” I nodded in agreement, then asked, “How many times has he made you watch it?”
“Enough to blast his ass into infinity and beyond if I ever watch it again.”
At that, I laughed. Like, really laughed.
Reaper let out a low chuckle, the kind that rumbled from deep in his chest. For a moment, the tension eased.
The laughter of the crowd grew louder, music from a battered speaker drifting through the evening air.
I tried to focus on the warmth of the gathering, the familiar faces and steady hum of conversation, but every now and then my gaze flicked back to the forest, searching for movement that might prove my fears right.
“Reaper, can I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything.”
“Where is Jackson?”
Sighing, he leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “He’s hunting.”
“What does that mean?”
Turning to look at me, he asked, “You know Massacre got hurt in Nebraska, right?”
I nodded.
“Well, what only a few know is that Massacre was dead. Like, really dead. Ravage found him hanging in a warehouse, beaten and left for dead. Ravage found him first. All I can think is that when he saw him, he believed Massacre was really dead, and I guess he was right, because when the rest of us arrived, Valhalla was administering CPR and Ravage was long gone.”
“He left him hanging there?”
“Ravage differs from the rest of us, Karlyn. He’s not had an easy life.
None of us have really, but the shit Ravage survived left a stain on his soul and made him the man he is today.
Ravage sees only in black and white, but when those two mix.
.. well, let’s just say I’d hate to be on the receiving end.
But to answer your question, Ravage is hunting the man responsible for Massacre’s death. ”
“But he didn’t die.”
“Ravage doesn’t know that. All he knows is what he saw. He was gone before Massacre’s heart started beating again.”
“There has to be a way to contact him. To tell him Massacre is alive.”
“We’ve all tried. Sypher is scouring the internet for any signs of him. I’ve notified all our allied clubs to be on the lookout, but not to approach. But when Ravage takes off like this, he won’t stop until he’s found the guy and killed him.”
“Is the man really that bad?”
Reaper nodded but said nothing more.
Sighing, I looked at everyone laughing, enjoying themselves while kids ran around playing, as if their worlds were filled with light and joy, and it occurred to me that we were all here enjoying this beautiful day and good food because of men like Jackson and the brothers of the Golden Skulls.
They weren’t perfect. Hell, they weren’t even half perfect, but they believed in something greater than themselves, and that was something I could understand.
Reaper’s silence was heavier than words; his reputation alone spoke volumes.
I glanced at him, uneasy. “So, what do we do now?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
The uncertainty hung in the air. I was torn between protecting myself and chasing the truth, but I knew one thing was certain: until Ravage learned the truth, nobody was safe from the storm he was about to unleash.
“We wait for the fallout.”