Chapter 20
SAVAGE
Leaving Honor passed out in my bed, I dress quietly as to not wake her. She’s been through enough in one day. She doesn’t need to know what I’m about to do, which is something that needs to be done.
Honor said something early that got me thinking, and I’m not about to let it slide. I want to know how the bitch knew what had happened to my woman. My brothers know the details, some of the ol’ ladies know, but none of them would run their mouths where someone could hear.
On top of that, Honor also brought something else to mind.
Me not using protection. Never have I done anything reckless since Mary.
I didn’t want to take the chance of knocking some other bitch up.
Not that Mary was a bitch. She and I had been close.
I was willing to be with her and only her.
Raise our kid and be content. Then I lost her.
Her and our son. Fuck, it pisses me off just thinking about it.
Now, Honor could be carrying my kid considering all the times I’ve taken her in the last few days and not used a fucking condom.
However, when it comes to Honor, I don’t want any barriers. I probably should’ve talked to her about it, I didn’t and that’s on me. The two of us are gonna have to talk about it, when we’re both in the right head space, but I know I don’t want to have anything between us. Not in any way.
What I told Honor in the shower was the truth, it hurt losing Mary and our kid.
I felt it deep. Deep enough I refused to allow anyone else close.
However, with Honor and what happened to her, I felt that shit up to my throat.
It gutted me to find out she nearly killed herself.
Losing her would be the end of me. You might as well put me in the ground with her.
That’s how deep I’m in with her. I know I haven’t given her the words, but in my opinion, actions speak for themselves, and she can see for herself where I’m at for her. I don’t hide it.
Once dressed, I glance back to the bed, taking in her naked back, the sheet barely covering her ass.
Without making a sound, I move to her side, reach out, grab the covers, and pull them up over her.
I don’t want her to get cold. The other night, she told me about growing up in foster care and being cold.
I turn away from her as I recall our conversation.
“I had three foster families. The first two weren’t great,” she whispers, trailing her fingers along my chest. We’d been watching TV curled up on the couch, her in my arms.
“How was growing up in different homes? What made the first two not great?” I ask, allowing her the time to answer in her own time.
“The first one, the dad, he yelled and drank a lot. When the social workers came by, he pretended everything was okay, but it wasn’t.
He hid it well. Only when I broke my arm after he struck me did the system do anything about it.
” The fact she had to deal with an asshole who caused her to break her arm pisses me off.
“What’s the fucker’s name?”
“It doesn’t matter what his name is. I heard he died of a massive heart attack a couple of years later from one of the other kids,” she states, lifting on her elbow to look down at me.
“In the second house, it was the other kids there. They picked on me. Well, it wasn’t just them picking on me.
The mom, she made all the kids do work around the house.
We were to clean everything top to bottom.
The other kids, they’d blame me if something didn’t get done.
I was left to take the heat for it. So, one night, I ended up just running away because I’d had enough of it.
I was hungry since I hadn’t eaten in two days, thanks to them.
Without having food, I was done. I ran. The police found me, and I begged, pleaded not to go back to that house.
That’s when they put me with the Johnsons. ”
“That’s the family who raised you the rest of the time you were in the system,” I remark.
“Yeah, Glacier and I grew up there. It’s because of Mr. Johnson that we found out we were related. That Gunner and I weren’t alone. Nor was Glacier.”
I shake the memory away, swearing Honor will never have to feel alone again. She has not only Gunner and his family, Glacier and Delaney, but she also has me.
Leaving the room, I make sure to close and lock the door without it making a sound. I head toward the main room and find my brothers all gathered around drinking a beer, talking. Among them are CJ, Zinnia, Rebel, Ally, and Emerson.
I shouldn’t be surprised to see Ally and Emerson here. It’s not the first time they came with their men. I mean, fuck, Hades and Ally are Hammer’s nephew and niece. They were raised here until shit went down. Now, they both live up in Virginia at the Franklin Charter.
Hammer’s the first to look in my direction and gives me a chin lift. “Honor okay?”
“She’s passed out now,” I answer and look for Gunner, not seeing him. “Where’s Gunner?”
“He didn’t want to wait around. He’s out back,” Zinnia answers softly, looking concerned.
“And no one went with him?” I cock a brow and look at each of my brothers.
“Bruiser and Cy are with him,” Malice remarks.
“Right.” I nod. “I’m heading out to join him. I have a few questions of my own for the stupid ass cunt.”
“Please tell me I’m going to get the chance to beat the ever-loving hell out of her,” Emerson mutters.
“Emerson,” Hades grunts.
“Sorry, babe, but that bitch, once she answers my questions, is going to be disappearing,” I inform her, knowing she knows exactly what I’m talking about.
The women from the Franklin Charter, just like the other charters, aren’t stupid by any means.
Some of them even get in on the act, if I’m not mistaken.
Hammer’s niece, Ally, lost her shit on one woman.
I don’t know much about what the others did besides giving bitches ass kickings when they deserve it.
I believe Hades’s ol’ lady did something involving her dragging a clubwhore by her hair while in a towel.
I switch my focus back to Hammer. “You good with that?”
“Long as there’s no blowback on the club, I give two shits about the bitch and her leaving here breathing.”
“May I make a suggestion?” Ally asks, speaking up from where she stands in the crook of Burner’s arm.
“Firefly,” Burner mutters with a groan.
“What’s your suggestion, sweetheart?” Hammer asks, keeping his voice soft while speaking to her. It may have been years since he got his niece back, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t remember the state they got her back in.
“Let me have at her.”
“Not gonna happen.” Burner grunts, not letting her finish.
“Appreciate the suggestion, Ally, but I’ve got this. I don’t mind getting a bitch’s blood on my hands. Not when she can do what I’ve got a feeling she’s been doing,” I inform her.
“Well, the offer’s there.” Ally nods.
“That’s where it’s going to stay,” Burner mutters visibly tightening his arms around Ally as she rolls her eyes.
Giving my Prez and VP a jerk of my chin, I head toward the exit, feeling Rogue right behind me. I don’t have to look to know the rest of my brothers are behind him.
Honor means something to each and every member of this club. She’s family to them but everything to me.
For Honor, I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure nothing happens to her again. It’s why I have no problem drawing a woman’s blood if it means her safety.
“Quit wasting my fuckin’ time,” I snarl, spit spewing from my lips, my fingers wrapped around the cunt’s throat.
“Brother, you got to let her go in order for her to talk,” Rogue says, hand on my shoulder.
Slowly, I release my grip on the clubwhore’s throat. “Start talking before I choke the life out of you.”
“I . . . I . . .”
“He said talk, bitch,” Gunner growls.
“I was told about everything while in town with Frenchy a couple of days ago,” she rambles.
“They came up to me and Frenchy. She didn’t want anything to do with them, walked away and left me there.
I listened, and they . . . they offered to pay me.
I . . . they . . . well, they wanted to toy with her.
They found out what happened to her, about how she slit her wrists, they told me.
Said fuck with her head, make her leave the clubhouse.
One of them wanted to play with her some more . . . said she was fun.”
My blood boils with each word that comes out of the bitch’s mouth.
“I figured without her in the way, I’d get my chance. Frenchy and the others, they’d said how good . . . you know. Well, they were pissed when you turned them away and made it known you weren’t having it. If we got her gone, you’d be back to using us.”
“They pay you yet?” I ask, stepping back into her space and curling my fingers back around her throat.
“Y-yes,” she stammers.
“How much?” I squeeze just a little tighter.
“Two thousand dollars.”
“So, you’re willing to chance your life on two thousand dollars,” Hammer snaps, coming forward.
For the most part, he’d stayed silent while I handled this situation alongside Gunner and Rogue.
“I didn’t think you —”
“Of course, you stupid cunt, you didn’t think. Now, because of that bullshit, you’re fuckin’ dead,” I sneer, squeezing with enough force on her trachea she can’t breathe. I keep my hold on her there and watch as the light leaves her eyes.
Finally, I release her and turn away from her lifeless, hanging body.
“Prospect, clean this shit up,” Hammer commands and looks at me. “Two weeks, brother. That’s what we said for the timeline. I’m moving that shit up.” He releases a heavy breath and shakes his head. “I’ll talk to Avery and get her ready. This shit’s got to end.”
“Damn right it does,” Gunner adds.
“But let’s do it right,” Malice states far too calmly.
I nod and flex my fist. “I need to get back to Honor.” Without another word, I leave them all behind and make my way to the clubhouse, down the hall, and straight to my room. Only when I see her still sleeping form in the middle of the bed do I breathe easy again.