Chapter 9 #3
“He was waiting in my apartment when I got there,” she says so quietly, dejectedly, like she’s telling someone else’s story.
“He hit me with something, and when I woke up, I was tied to a bed in my underwear. He…he pu… pu… put his mouth on me. He kept bi… bi… biting on my… my… my skin, and he put his fingers inside m… m… Me,” she studders out before once again breaking down and completely falling apart in my arms. I tighten my hold and do everything I can to hold her together, while trying to put a lid on the rage swirling inside me.
Later. Later, I will deal with that. Later, I will hunt him down and take my time ending his worthless life.
Right now, my woman needs me more than anything else.
“Forgive me, Kierra. I’m so damn sorry. I know I fucked up and I promise I will be here every step of the way. For you. For our baby. I need you to forgive me, please. I’ll do anything,” I beg of her, clinging to hope that she will give me what I don’t deserve.
“Ok.” She nods her head. I don’t deserve her forgiveness; I know that but I’m going to cherish it.
“What do you need? Name it and it’s yours, Kierra. I’ll make this up to you, I swear.”
“Promise me you’ll make him pay. Promise me it won’t be quick, and it won’t be easy,” she softly asks, raising her face to look me in the eyes when she finally demands, “and I want to be there when he takes his last breath. I need that.”
Seeing the conviction in her tear-stained, bloodshot eyes, I know she needs this in order to move forward. “Yeah. Anything you need, baby, it’s yours,” I vow, and with that her body relaxes into mine and her breaths turn shallow as she succumbs to sleep.
I replay everything she’s told me tonight, and I know taking care of Pinball is going to have to be handled carefully and quietly in order to avoid a war.
I just hope Kierra can be patient and understand that it’s going to take some time to give her what she needs.
Looking down, I memorize every mark on her body so when the time comes, I can give her back what was taken from her.
Unable to sleep, I hold Kierra all night, and my heart shatters every time she wakes up screaming, desperately trying to escape the nightmares while clinging to me for my protection.
Walking out my front door, I take a deep breath and do a quick inventory of everything I need to do today as I climb on my bike and head over to the clubhouse.
This morning I called G and found out that she had kept Nash last night.
I asked her to have Thorn get him over to daycare so Kierra can rest. Kierra was quiet after waking up this morning, and I don’t know how to reach her.
I’m afraid that I’ll only make things worse.
I found myself reaching out to G once more to ask her to come and sit with Kierra so I could handle business.
Kierra was reluctant for me to leave, but I promised her I’d have Kidd out front and that G would stay with her until I got back.
I promised her I wouldn’t be gone long and that I would hurry back.
If she weren’t pregnant, I would ask Priest to give her a sedative. That’s another thing we need to figure out today, what she wants when it comes to our child. After thinking about it last night, I want this baby, but ultimately it’s her decision.
Looking down at my phone as I’m walking into church, I feel relief at G’s message.
Giselle: We talked. She’s going to be just fine.
Viper: Thanks G.
Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I take my seat and look to Sparrow for answers. “How’d it go last night?”
“You ain’t going to like it but we don’t have a choice if we want to avoid a war.
He needs transport for his guns from the harbor to Vegas.
We hand them over to a crew in Vegas, then the shipment is no longer our responsibility.
I know we swore not to ever move guns again after Diablo got pinched but as I said, we don’t have a choice. ”
“Shit.” Scrubbing my hands across my face, I try to think of a way out of this shit, but I just don’t see one.
“How’s Kierra?” Legend asks.
“Not good, but she will be. She’s strong, and we’ll all do our part to help her through this.
She’s asked for Pinball’s head on a spike, and she’ll have it, even if it’s the last thing I do.
” I’m not giving them any of the details she entrusted me with.
That’s her story to tell if and when she sees fit to do so.
“Can we do anything to help, Prez?” Knox asks, looking tortured from what his mind must be imagining she’s gone through.
“Just tread lightly for a little bit. Don’t sneak up on her, and please, all of you, try not to startle her by being loud.” They know how serious this is with me asking for them to please be mindful of her.
“Yeah. Sure. Absolutely,” they all answer, nodding their heads that they will handle Kierra with care.
“Thanks. Let’s get out of here. I need to call Sadie to check in with her and give her an update on what’s going on, so she doesn’t walk into something she isn’t prepared to handle.” I bang the gavel to end our meeting.