Chapter Four
TAKE ME TO CHURCH
Tightening my hold on Sparrow’s hand, I look up into his blue eyes and once again find myself wondering what it is about him that makes me believe I can trust him.
I can’t explain it, but I know he won’t hurt me.
The gentle side he’s been showing me today is proof there’s more to the man than the asshole I met when he picked me up.
“Ready?”
“Yeah, but I’m scared, too,” I whisper as he opens the door and pulls me inside. Crossing the threshold, I find that the common room is mostly empty and start to get nervous that I’m being set up. I vaguely remember this place from a year ago, but it seems bigger now that I’m clean.
“Sparrow! They’re in church waiting on you two,” a man behind the bar shouts. As I’m scanning the room, a redhead in the corner has her narrowed eyes trained on the hand holding mine, and a look of devastation crosses her face.
“What’s wrong?” he asks when I try to pull my hand free.
“That woman in the corner. Do you know her? She’s looking at us like you just broke her heart.” He looks in that direction and then turns his guilty eyes back to mine, making my heart sink.
Grabbing my chin when I try to look away, he forces me to look him in the eyes as he says, “Oh no! Wipe that look off your face. She’s not my woman. She’s a club girl. I admit that I can be an asshole, but I haven’t done a damn thing wrong where Candy’s concerned.”
“Sorry.” I feel embarrassed for getting jealous. These men don’t do serious relationships, and I was gearing up to make a fool of myself.
With the hand that’s holding my chin, he tilts my face higher as he moves in closer.
“Let me make a few things clear before we go back there. If I had a serious woman in my life, I wouldn’t have driven across the country to pick up another one, regardless of duty.
Ya got me? That ain’t the kind of man I am.
Now, are you ready to get this shit over with? ”
“I got you. Take me to church, Braxton.” He grins and wraps his arm around my shoulders as he leads me down the hallway.
“Be brave, Birdie. I’ve got your back, okay?”
“Whatever happens in there,” I say, nodding to the closed door, “thanks for being my friend today.”
“Birdie . . .” Before he can finish whatever promise he’s about to make, I take a deep breath and cross the threshold into the lion’s den.
The room is full of large, intimidating bikers, and they’re all staring at me like I’m public enemy number one.
Sparrow enters after me and closes the door.
As he rounds the table to take a seat next to the man who granted my pardon a year ago, I see my sister for the first time in over a year.
It’s not lost on me that he’s standing behind my sister in a show of solidarity.
I make a note of the possessive hold he has on her shoulder and the matching wedding bands on their fingers.
Sailor told me that she’d married and had a son while I was away. I hate that I’ve missed so much.
“Sierra.” Hearing Kierra’s voice is my undoing. It’s been so long since we spoke, and I’ve missed her so much. I turn my back to the room as tears race down my cheeks. I wrap my arms around myself protectively, desperate to hold all the pieces together. This is going to be harder than I thought.
The scraping of a chair is followed by my new ally enveloping me in his arms. “Be brave, Birdie. Don’t show any weakness in here,” he whispers.
Nodding, I swipe at the wetness on my cheeks.
It’s too late to hide the evidence, but I try to anyway.
I’m grateful for his support, but he’s right. I need to be strong.
Turning around, I steel my spine and give Kierra my full attention.
“Kierra. I . . . I’m sorry.” I dash at the tears that refuse to stop falling, but it’s pointless.
“This isn’t going to be like all the times before, Sierra. You’re going to have to tell me the truth.”
“I . . . I won’t let you down this time. I promise. I’m stronger now.”
“You said that last time, Sierra. You were doing so well, then . . . I need to know what happened to set you back and make you relapse?” I want to tell her but seeing her husband reminds me of the threat he made a year ago. If I hurt my sister again, he’ll kill me.
“I can’t,” I whisper.
“See, this is what I’m talking about. I can’t trust you if you won’t even tell me the truth about why you started shooting that shit into your veins again,” Kierra growls, slamming her hands on the table.
I don’t know what to do. There’s no winning here. What she wants to know will hurt her but not telling her may be worse.
“Fucking junkie,” someone says under their breath, but everyone hears it.
“Watch your fucking mouth,” Sparrow snarls.
“You can’t get mad, Sparrow, when it’s the truth.” My heart plummets, and I whimper at my sister’s words.
“That’s not fair, Kierra. She’s put in the work, and there are things I’ve seen—” I quickly cut Sparrow off.
“Don’t! Please, Sparrow, don’t!” Whatever it is he thinks he knows, he needs to keep his mouth shut.
“Birdie, you need to talk to your sister. She’ll understand. Whatever it is, if you just tell her.”
“You’re wasting your time, Sparrow. My sister is a selfish bitch and only thinks about herself. She doesn’t care about anyone, even her own son.” Kierra has always known how to hit below the belt.
“Tell him, sis. Tell him how you left Nash in his crib and took off when he was only a baby to go get high. TELL HIM, SIERRA!” Kierra screams.
“I . . .” Everyone is staring at me with hate in their eyes. Looking up at Sparrow, he’s watching me with uncertainty, and I . . . I can’t do this. I don’t want to see that look on his face. I shouldn’t have come here.
“This was a mistake. Where’s my son? I want my son, and then I’ll leave.”
“You’re out of your fucking mind if you think I’ll let you leave here with him. You don’t deserve him!” With those words, all my pain erupts into the here and now.
“You have no idea what I’ve been through, Kierra!” I growl.
“Don’t talk to me about what you’ve been through, sister! I was almost raped because of YOU!” she screams.
“I WAS raped because of you!” I scream back and quickly cover my mouth.
“What?” she whispers.
No, no, no . . . This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Ducking under Sparrow’s arm, I yank open the door and run out of the room.
As I push through the clubhouse doors, my breaths are coming faster and faster.
My chest is tight, and I think I’m about to have a damn heart attack.
With my hands on my knees, I take deep breaths trying to get my lungs to fill. I need air.
I can feel him before he ever speaks. “Sierra, wait! Please!”
“Leave me alone, Sparrow.” Lifting up, I sprint towards the gate. I need to get the hell out of here. I almost make it, but Sparrow takes me to the ground like a linebacker. Taking the brunt of the fall when we go down.
“Oomph,” I grunt as the air is knocked out of me.
“Please, baby. You can’t leave. I have no clue what you’ve been through, but I know you need to talk to your sister. It may hurt her to hear it, but she needs to understand, Birdie. You know I’m right.” I don’t. I don’t think he’s right at all.
“I can’t, Sparrow. He’ll kill me.”
“Who? Please, sis, please talk to me.” I peek over my shoulder and find Kierra crying in her husband’s arms.
“Your husband told me if I ever hurt you again, he’d end me. I’ve never wanted to hurt you, Kierra.”
Kierra narrows her eyes and starts banging on her husband’s chest. “You told my sister you would kill her if she told me what happened to her?” she yells.
Banding his arm around her back, he spanks her ass and demands, “Enough, woman. I didn’t know about any of this.
Sparrow, take Sierra home with you, and we can figure all this shit out tomorrow after everyone has had a chance to calm down.
It’s late, and we all need a clear head if we’re going to sort this shit out.
” Squinting, I read “Viper” on the man’s vest. I never had any doubts he was the man in charge, but the title President makes a lot of sense.
“No, I want to talk to my sister,” Kierra pleads.
“Not tonight. You’re getting too agitated, and I can’t have that, woman,” Viper says gruffly, leaving no room for argument.
“You’re not the boss of me, mister!” Kierra growls.
I start to wonder if she’s lost her damn mind talking to him like that.
My worries disappear when he grins at her outburst and whispers in her ear, making her blush.
Okay, even I can admit that despite the blinding age difference, they’re undeniably cute together.
“Call me tomorrow, Prez, and we’ll figure something out.
” I hadn’t realized how big Sparrow was until he was standing next to his president.
At 6’5, anyone can see how tall he is, but seeing him next to another hulking man just puts it into perspective.
He’s not only tall but has broad shoulders as well.
“Let’s go, Birdie. I’m beat, and I bet Bones is starving.”
“Wait!” I turn around as my sister comes closer. “Sierra . . . I’m sorry. I . . . I didn’t know.”
“I know.” Wrapping my arms around her, I feel a peace I haven’t felt in a long time. With a watery smile, I kiss her cheek before jogging to catch up with Sparrow.
“You okay, Birdie?”
“No, but I will be.” There’s no other option. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get my son back. Opening the truck’s door, I let Bones jump in before climbing in behind him. Sparrow tips his head at a group of men that are standing outside the clubhouse and staring as he backs out.
Damn it. I hate that everyone saw my meltdown. I don’t want anyone to think I’m some weak woman who crumbles under pressure.
I watch through the windshield as Sparrow pulls around the clubhouse onto a gravel road that is lined with massive Ficus trees on each side that remind me of a keyhole.
“Stop, stop, stop,” I cry out in panic as he aims the truck toward a wall of trees. Oh shit, we’re going to crash into the trees!