Chapter 13
Sebastian rode out of town, the sun setting in a glorious array of oranges and pinks.
He left the town behind and ventured toward the empty field that stretched before him.
Driving his Rebel farther into the countryside, he reached the deserted grounds of a long-forgotten battlefield.
He left his motorcycle and walked along the tree line.
The wind picked up and rustled his clothing as he took in the scene before him.
The sky was now a deep navy blue, and the stars were coming out, twinkling in the night sky.
Sebastian approached a tall cannon in the middle of the field.
He pulled out his cell phone and hit re-dial.
It was dangerous to dial an unknown number, but he hadn’t heard from Haden.
They’d agreed to use the burner phone for an emergency.
If anyone caught Sebastian, he didn’t want them tracing his calls back to his friend.
Luckily, it was probably a scam call, and he tensed when a voice came on the line.
“Hello?”
Not a scammer. “Hello.”
“B?” came the voice on the other end.
“Yeah. It’s me.”
“We thought something happened to you. I’ve been calling for the past few days.”
“I didn’t recognize the number.” He sighed with relief.
“I took your advice. This way, it’s not traced back to my main number.
” And he wouldn’t have had any way to tell him until now.
Sebastian glanced around the shadows, watching for movement as low-laying fog drifted across the land in the distance, resulting from the humidity and the rain coming at night.
Farther out, a flicker of light breached the darkness from a car’s headlights, illuminating a portion of the field as it descended the road.
The light did not stretch far enough to reach him.
Sebastian took a few steps farther back into the dark. “How’s Holly?”
“Stressed.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
“Come back to us? Bring a wedding venue with you.” Haden barked a short laugh.
“If only,” Sebastian muttered.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to joke.”
Sebastian sat alongside the cannon, looking off into the horizon. “Wedding plan trouble?” He didn’t want to address the fact he might never return to Johnstown.
Haden let out a humorless chuckle. “You have no idea.”
“That bad?”
“Hols’ mother objects to every venue. I don’t see why it should matter. We’re paying for this shindig.”
“This is what? The second time you’ve postponed?”
“Third, actually.”
“Listen, you need a place. I know someone.”
“Yeah, I’m getting ready to elope. Charlie thought it was a good idea, too.”
For a minute or two, Sebastian lost track of the reason for the call.
It was as if he wasn’t in hiding or avoiding his brothers from back in Johnstown.
The struggles Haden and Holly faced with her mother made Sebastian wish he could see them get married.
The wedding talk reminded him of Holly’s father, Charlie Brooks.
After an accident that nearly took Charlie’s life, Sebastian worried about the old timer.
“How is good ole’ Charlie?”
The first mistake the Sharks MC made was going after Charlie.
The man ran Brooks’ Motorcycle Shop. He led the Thunder Valley MC as president until his accident last year.
Holly returned home to help care for him.
She and Haden worked out their long-standing differences, but then the Sharks tried to kidnap her.
Sebastian helped her escape. At least he’d done that one thing right.
“Rehab is treating him well. He won’t ever be out of the chair, but he seems to have accepted his new role.” Charlie Brooks was wheelchair bound for the rest of his life because of the accident.
“Good to hear.” But Sebastian had been lingering here for too long now, and despite wanting to talk to Haden longer, he needed to get back and check on his surveillance videos at Grace Meadows. The eerie quietness of this place sent prickles against his skin.
“You’ve been trying to reach me. I doubt it was about family.” Sebastian hated he needed to be so abrupt. He hated it more that he wouldn’t be there to stand beside his best friend when he got married.
“You need to lie low. I called to tell you not to come back here.”
Closing his eyes, he figured Haden was contacting him because something had happened. He prayed for good news—not this time.
“B?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” Sebastian said, opening his eyes and staring out the darkness blanketing the sky. Faint twinkles of stars glittered in the black.
“There’s been someone asking about you.”
Sebastian scratched his jaw. “I’m listening.”
“Chris. Said you and him were tight.” Chris, aka Chum, was nothing more than a tadpole to the Sharks when they were both prospects.
A guppy in Pike’s eyes. Several times, Sebastian noticed Pike let things slide with Chum.
Things other men would have gotten punished far worse than the young man alongside him.
He chalked it up to Chum’s connection to the club.
Chum was the son of one of the members, and for reasons Sebastian had yet to discover, Pike let Chum slide.
Except Pike was dead. And the Sharks disbanded.
Most, if not all, sat in the state pen. It seemed Chum got exempt from it, too.
“He had a thing for Audra.” Just saying her name splintered a piece of him. An image of her dying in his arms flashed through his memory. He closed his eyes against the recollection. He should have been there to keep her safe. Her son would never meet her.
“He’s been asking questions. About you.” Haden’s voice drew him out of the past.
Maybe he lost his way without a club. “How long ago?”
“Joined a few weeks ago.”
“And he’s been asking about me?” He needed to know more before deciding how to handle the situation.
“At first, it was comments. He claimed he wanted to change his ways. He’s been attending church with Larry and Marge.
They’ve sort of taken him under their wing.
Some others are convinced he has hero worship, but I don’t know.
There’s just something about the way he showed up and joined.
A few days ago, he came to the shop and asked about your old ride. ”
“What about it?” Sebastian held his breath.
“I got the new frame. I’ve been rebuilding it.”
“I told you not to bother.”
“What kind of brother would I be?”
“What does he want with my old ride?” Sebastian gulped in a breath. “Everyone knows your place burnt and Charlie’s bike collection with it. Only you knew my ride was in that collection.”
“That’s my point.”
Sebastian gazed at the path back to his motorcycle. A dark shadow lingered around it. He watched, but nothing stirred. Rising back to his feet, the ancient battlefield creeped him out, and he wasn’t easily one to get spooked.
“Tell Holly to call Samantha Daniels at Grace Meadows. Tell her you’re a friend of mine.
You’ve always wanted a destination barn wedding, right?
” It was hard to imagine Haden getting married while Sebastian would have to remain in hiding.
This wasn’t the way Haden wanted it when he asked Sebastian to be his best man.
If they came to Grace Meadows, Sebastian wasn’t sure he could resist the temptation of spying on their wedding.
An eerie feeling of being watched, a pricking sensation at the back of his neck, caused him to turn around.
His gaze swept across the deserted battlefield.
“Riiiight,” Haden said, slowly.
“Thanks for the info. I’m glad Chris showed up with you all. I don’t think he’s dangerous. Just lost.” For now. “Stay safe.”
“Same.”
Sebastian ended the call. Scrolling through his phone, he saw the notification and sucked in a breath. He had an email from his sister, Sam. Glancing around, he hit the app and opened the message. Scanning through the lines quickly, his hand tightened on the phone.
I know you’re busy keeping the bad guys from hurting other people.
I know you won’t respond to this message, and that’s okay.
I am not giving up on you. I miss you. I hate to ask, but if you have a minute, I have a friend who is in trouble.
Sadly, you’ve never met her because you never come home.
Long story short, her ex is out of prison.
It’s too soon. Can you find out why? Please, Seb.
It’s important. I love this person like a sister.
Her ex’s name is Silas Varela. He’s a past associate of the Ghost Riders.
Stay safe.
Sam
Sebastian drove his motorcycle to La Rosa’s and parked it beside Yeats’ big black hog.
The smell of freshly baked pizza was in the air when he opened the door.
He spotted Yeats in a booth flirting with a waitress, Alison, and sipping on a Coke.
He held up a hand when he saw Sebastian and motioned for him to join him.
“You check in with the missus,” Yeats said, nodding at the pizza counter and winking at Alison as she turned to go. “Grab us another Coke, would you?”
“Whatever you say, Yeats.” Alison gave them a rosy-cheeked smile.
Sebastian slid into the booth. The message from Sam was hot in his pocket. He pulled out his phone, flipped to the email, and slid it toward Yeats.
Yeats spun the phone around to read the message. His face remained neutral.
“Why is Sam asking about Silas Varela?” Sebastian kept an eye on Alison getting his drink. Watching to see if Caitlyn came.
“Sheesh. Don’t say his name. It’s as bad as saying Voldemort around here.”
“You’re gonna compare a dude to a villain in a kid’s book?”
Yeats took a sip of his Coke before answering. “Sam’s probably worried about Caitlyn. She’s been leaving Owen out there while she’s here working. Caitlyn and Sam are good friends. They both dated that troublemaker, Alex, back in high school.”
Sebastian pulled the phone back. “Why didn’t I know this? I never met her in high school.”