Chapter Twenty-Five
Master
TODAY I’M WORKING at the clubhouse. I’m still digging into TJ and his parents with my friend’s help.
She has already sent me a ton of information that makes my skin crawl.
Things I didn’t find on my own. I’m not sure what the damn difference between the two of us is, but I want to learn from her and see the various channels she uses that I clearly don’t know about.
She is a genius, but I don’t know anything about her.
So, instead, I get her help when I absolutely need it and go through my other connections when she can’t help me for whatever reason.
Right now, all I want to do is get this situation taken care of so I can tell Taleah she no longer has to worry about TJ and his parents.
I’ve already sent the information to Officer Reynolds and he’s assured me TJ’s parents will soon be joining him in jail for their various crimes.
I don’t believe his mom is fully to blame, but that she’s being forced into the crimes she’s committed by her husband, the vile piece of shit.
As I work, I keep my phone close in case Taleah needs me.
She’s working from Fantasy Realm today and I’m worried about her.
Yesterday she had to use her walker again because her legs were so shaky.
Her physical therapist said there might be times she still has to use it until she builds up enough strength to leave it behind.
I could tell she didn’t want to use the walker even around the house when I was the only one with her.
Taleah sees it as a weakness and she can’t stand appearing weak in front of anyone.
She’s been like that since she was little from what her brother told me.
He said he felt as if he built her up so much that anything less than perfect in her eyes is a sign she’s struggling.
It’s not true, but her brother could never get her to believe anything else.
Neither could Elara, her parents, or me.
Taleah knows what she feels in her heart and the thoughts running through her mind.
When she makes a decision, she rarely goes back on it.
Count and Viper have been asking me about Taleah when I’m at the clubhouse.
They want her to come by. Cali, Annistyn, and Maysen want to see her here with us as well.
I don’t have a problem bringing her to the compound as long as she’s ready to be around so many people she doesn’t know.
If I get busy, I know Count and Viper will take care of her.
They won’t let the Feral Girls treat her like shit.
Cali and Annistyn will pull her into their group the second she walks through the door.
Annistyn already knows her and likes Taleah.
Maysen has met her at the diner and I can see them becoming good friends.
Cali will take more time to let her in, but I don’t have a doubt it will happen.
My phone starts ringing on the desk in front of me and I pick it up to see Officer Reynold’s name on the screen.
“Officer Reynolds, how can I help you?” I answer his call and place it on speaker as I wonder why he’s calling me out of the blue like this.
“Master, I just got word of something that happened in jail this morning. When the guards were checking cells after they switched shifts, TJ was found dead. He hung himself in the cell with the blankets from his bed. TJ was in a cell alone so we know there’s no foul play.
The guards found a note on his bed. It said something about knowing he’d never get away with all of the charges he was facing and he wasn’t about to spend the rest of his life in prison.
He blamed Taleah for everything,” Reynolds informs me and I honestly want to cheer because the fucker is finally gone and Taleah no longer has to worry about him.
“What are the chances of blowback from his parents?” I ask because Officer Reynolds has known them longer than I have.
“His father might want revenge, but we’re about to head out to arrest them for the information you’ve sent over.
We’ll limit their calls and everything is monitored.
The only conversation we can’t record is when they meet with their lawyer.
You already know that. So, I’ll make sure every precaution is taken to ensure Taleah’s safety.
She doesn’t deserve anything she’s been through.
The only good thing is she won’t have to testify any longer in a trial,” Officer Reynolds says and I agree with him because she was really nervous about testifying in court.
“That’s definitely good news. She was worried about it, but didn’t want TJ to get out of the charges,” I state as I look at the monitor in front of me.
“I’ll let her know, Officer Reynolds. She’s been overdoin’ things and this news should come from me or my sister.
Her parents are still out of town or I’d go to them. ”
“That’s fine. Make sure you talk to her soon.
One of the guards might make the call when they’re done dealing with everything.
Right now they’re waiting for the coroner to come pick the body up.
His parents want an autopsy done because they believe there’s some kind of foul play and that TJ was forced to write the note.
They were told everything by a guard before I found out,” he informs me as I pick up my keys and grab my phone from the desk in front of me.
“I’m leavin’ the compound now,” I say before hanging up the phone and shoving it in my pocket.
Leaving my office, I make sure the door is locked and walk down the hallway toward the common room. I can hear conversations going on and know some of the guys are up after partying last night. Count sees me and calls me over.
“Where the fuck are you goin’ so fast?” he questions me as I stop long enough to answer him.
“Need to tell Taleah about a call I just got. I’ll let you know when I get back.
Don’t expect me back for the rest of the day because I don’t know how she’ll handle the news.
I hope she’ll be okay, but it could be bad.
I won’t shut my phone off, but I don’t want to be disturbed either.
I’m gonna silence it before I get to Fantasy Realm.
You need me, you know how to get a hold of me,” I say as Reckless and Link walk in the clubhouse to hear the end of what I’m saying.
“You good?” Link asks me as I start walking again.
“We’ll see. I won’t be back for the day. You know how to get a hold of me if you really need to. I’ll be with Taleah,” I say as I walk past them and out the door to my bike.
I tie the bandana around my face before sliding my helmet on.
Straddling my bike I start it and let it run while I secure my helmet and make sure I don’t need anything else.
Taleah has a laptop and state of the art computer system at her house I can use if I really need to.
I’ve got my phone and nothing else matters.
Leaving the line of bikes, I pause at the gate until the Prospect opens it for me.
Riding past it when I can, I take off and head into town so I can get to Fantasy Realm as soon as possible.
Taleah doesn’t need to hear this news from some random person she doesn’t know.
They won’t tell her while caring about her emotional state like I will.
They’ll talk to her like a damn robot with no emotion or understanding of the situation and how much TJ truly hurt her when he was a free asshole.
It doesn’t take me long to pull up to Taleah’s bookstore. I park right in front and shut my bike off before climbing off while removing my helmet. Leaving it on the seat, I head inside Fantasy Realm to find Sarah standing behind the counter.
“Hey Master. You looking for the boss lady?” she asks me, a large smile on her face.
“Yeah. She’s already here, yeah?” I return, barely pausing my steps as I head further inside.
“She’s in her office putting away the paperwork she finished at home yesterday.
I just made her this hot chocolate if you want to take it to her instead,” she says, pointing to a large mug in front of her that’s overflowing with whip cream.
I shake my head because this is exactly how Taleah drinks her hot chocolate—equal parts drink and whip cream with various toppings added in.
Grabbing the mug carefully, I walk to the back of the store and straight into her office.
She left the door open and is currently bent over her desk with her ass pointed directly at me.
The tight skirt she’s wearing does nothing but emphasize her body and make her legs appear so much longer than they really are.
Fuck! There’s so much I want to do to her as my mind runs wild with every thought I’ve been keeping back for eight years when it comes to my girl.
“Doll, we need to have a talk,” I tell her as she spins around to look at me with a smile that freezes in place the second she sees how serious I am.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen to Elara or the kids? My parents?” she asks me, panic filling her as the smile disappears and I keep her drink in my hand because her hands are now shaking uncontrollably.
“They’re all fine, Doll. I got a call from Officer Reynolds a little bit ago.
Headed straight to you as soon as I got off the phone with him,” I begin, stepping directly in front of her so I can set the mug down on her desk and pull her into my arms for the next words I’ll tell her.
“TJ was found dead in his cell this mornin’ after the guards changed shifts.
He left a note sayin’ somethin’ about knowin’ he wasn’t gonna get out of the charges and refused to spend the rest of his life in prison. He blamed you, Taleah.”