Chapter 14 – Whitney
WHITNEY
Packing up was easy. Deciding how all six of us were getting to the clubhouse was not. Stevie needed a car for work, and so did Hadley in case she was called out. The guys didn’t want anyone riding alone. I didn’t want any of the girls alone with any of the guys. It was utter chaos.
Ultimately, we rode with Sin in his truck while Stone and Tomb followed us in the cars.
“They’ll be fine,” Hadley whispered after I turned around to check behind us for the umpteenth time. But I couldn’t seem to help myself. I was worried about Stone and his friend.
“So, what do we need to know about the clubhouse?” Stevie asked, drawing my attention to the front.
“Cora will go over all that and show you around when we get there,” Sin said.
“Who’s Cora? A club whore?”
“My mother was never a club whore.”
“I wouldn’t care if she were,” Stevie said. “I was just asking. I mean, we’re more or less being kidnapped by the local biker gang. Excuse me if I have a couple of questions.”
“She’s asking for me,” I said from the back seat. “She knows I’m back here fighting off a panic attack as I’m being whisked off to an unfamiliar place because someone killed the two people who killed Glenn and tried to kill me. And they might be following us. And your guys could get hurt. And—”
“See,” Stevie said. “So tell us some shit about the clubhouse to help distract her unless you want me to keep asking questions.”
Sin blew out a slow breath. “The clubhouse is in Cross Creek near the crematory. The bedrooms are on the top floor. You’ll have your own room and bathroom, or y’all can stay in the same one if you want.”
“Yes, we want to stay together.”
“Not a problem. Like I said, Mom will show you where everything is when we get there.”
“Thank you,” I said shakily.
“No one’s gonna bother you if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Of course no one’s gonna bother her. What about those of us without a biker husband?” Stevie asked.
“Stevie,” I groaned. “He’s not my husband.”
“Fine. Old Man, or whatever it’s called.”
“He’s not that either.”
“Technically, he is as long as you have his ring,” Sin said.
“Say what now?”
“He gave you his ring, which means you’re under his protection. It’s basically the same thing as being claimed as an Old Lady.”
“Oh,” I said indignantly. “He didn’t say anything about that.”
Sin sighed. “I’m not explaining this well. It’s like when people get married for insurance and shit. It’s not a real marriage.”
“Yes, it is,” Stevie said. “If there’s paperwork, it’s a real marriage.”
“There’s no paperwork involved, and it’s temporary,” Sin said. “But if anyone asks, you can tell them you’re Stone’s Old Lady.”
“Do I have to?” I asked.
“Oh fuck.” Sin laughed so hard I thought he might drive off the road. “No, you don’t have to, but I hope you do.”
“Great. Now that we’ve got that cleared up, can you answer my question?” Stevie asked.
“What’s your question?”
“What about those of us without biker husbands?” she repeated.
“Again, no one is going to bother you, but if someone asks, tell them you’re Stone’s guest. If they have a problem with that, send them to my office.”
“Can I be Tomb’s pretend Old Lady?” Hadley asked. “I don’t want Stone to look like a whore.”
“Fucking hell,” Sin laughed. “You’ll have to ask him.”
“Then I’ll be left out,” Stevie said. “Are there others to choose from?”
I was sitting in the seat behind Stevie, so I had a perfect view of the glare Sin shot her.
“What?” she asked innocently.
“We currently have sixteen members and three prospects.”
“Oh, more than I thought. Perfect.”
* * *
The clubhouse was a gorgeous elevated Southern-style mansion hidden behind a copse of trees. It looked more like a wedding venue than the home of a motorcycle club.
“This is an impressive piece of property,” Hadley said, turning in her seat to get a better view. “How long has the club owned it?”
“Almost thirty years,” Sin said. “Why?”
“I was wondering why it didn’t seem familiar to me. If it had been on the market during the last twenty-five years, it would’ve been listed with Montgomery Realty. I didn’t realize you guys had been here that long.”
“Yep,” Sin said and pulled his truck into a massive garage behind the main part of the house.
“How many cars can this hold?” Stevie asked.
“Six trucks or SUVs, eight to ten cars depending on size, or a fuck ton of bikes.”
“I wonder how long an accidental carbon monoxide death would take in a garage this size.”
“Not now, Stevie,” I said. “She spends her days in court and her nights watching true crime. She’s not a psychopath.”
“Of course I’m not,” Stevie said. “No one is because it’s not a real thing.”
“You’re not helping,” I stage-whispered.
“It’s not a medical diagnosis; it’s a legal term. There. Is that better?”
“A little,” I admitted.
“Follow me,” Sin said. “Stone and Tomb will get your bags.”
We passed a large in-ground pool and an outdoor kitchen on our way to the main house.
While we waited for the elevator, Hadley pointed to a water slide partially hidden by a rock wall. “I hope we get to use that while we’re here.”
“I didn’t bring a bathing suit.” Swimming wasn’t even a consideration when I was packing.
“Neither did I,” she said. “A T-shirt and some shorts will work. Hell, even a black bra with black panties would do.”
“Order one and have it delivered tomorrow,” Stevie said. “They can obviously receive packages here.”
When the elevator opened, Sin gestured for us to exit. Thankfully, Stevie was happy to lead the way. I never liked being the first one to enter a room.
“Hello! You must be our guests. I’m Cora, and that good-looking devil headed this way is mine,” she said and pointed to a man walking toward us.
“The silver fox is off-limits,” Stevie said. “Noted.”
Cora grinned. “I like you. What’s your name, hot stuff?”
“Stevie.”
“I’m Hadley.”
“Then you must be Whitney.”
Raising my hand, I wiggled my fingers. “That’s me.”
“Welcome to the clubhouse,” she said warmly. “Let me show you to your room. After you’ve had a moment to get settled, we’ll get you something to eat, and then I’ll show you around.”
“Thank you,” I said. “That sounds great.”
Our room looked like the inside of a summer camp cabin—three sets of bunk beds, each one hugging a wall, and an en suite bathroom.
“Towels and washcloths are in the bathroom. Extra blankets and pillows are in the closet.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be back to get you for dinner in thirty minutes.”
“Do you think we could have an hour?” I asked.
“Of course, honey. I’ll be back in an hour.”
As soon as Cora left, I turned to Stevie and Hadley. “What in the actual fuck is going on?” I whisper-shouted. It was the first time the three of us had been alone to talk since Stone delivered the news of the letter.
Stevie pointed to something behind me. “The bathroom. Let’s talk in there.” Once inside, she turned on the shower. “Okay, now go.”
“What in the actual fuck is going on?” I repeated. “Someone sent a letter asking them to forgive me? And they sent it with body parts? The body parts of the men who tried to kill me? Seriously. What is happening right now?”
“Okay, let’s take a step back and look at this. What we know versus what we think. Fuck. I need a notebook.”
“I’ve got one,” Hadley said and retrieved a notebook and pen from the bedroom.
“Okay, let’s start with the facts. The Grave Prowlers received a letter, a patch of skin with a hairy mole, and an earlobe with an earring earlier today. Do either of y’all remember what it said?”
“Something about accepting the things and forgiving any grievances the club had with me.”
“Did it specifically say you? Like your name?”
“It referred to her as the girl in the casket,” Hadley clarified.
“That’s right,” Stevie said. “The girl in the casket. Okay, could they be talking about another girl in a casket?”
“How many could there be?” I nearly yelled.
“Thousands. It’s a fucking crematory. They’re all in caskets when they arrive.”
“Nate and Tate are the catalyst,” Hadley said. “How many girls have they sent there?”
“I don’t think I want to know the answer to that,” I admitted.
I knew I was lucky to be alive, and I was doing a superb job of ignoring the seriousness of the situation.
It was the only reason I was continuing to function.
I learned to ignore my own feelings and put them last when I was a child.
But knowing that other women went through something similar and didn’t come out on the other side wasn’t something I could handle.
Not then. Because it would mean that the men protecting us were also part of their disappearances.
And I wasn’t okay with that. If I hadn’t woken up, Stone would have killed me, and no one would have ever known what happened to me.
“Actually, can we do this later?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Stevie said and closed the notebook. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know. I guess I hadn’t thought about this happening to someone else until now. I don’t know how I feel about staying with people who are complicit in things like this.”
“Hang on,” Stevie said. “Don’t make assumptions. They haven’t been complicit with you, have they?”
“No, but it’s not because of what happened to me; it’s because the Wood brothers tried to get a body disposed of for free.”
“So, you’re not okay with them getting rid of you, but you’re okay with them disposing of Glenn?” Hadley asked. “I’m not being judgmental. I just want to make sure I understand.”
“Glenn was a shithead.”
“There it is,” Stevie said. “You’re okay with it as long as the person deserved it.”
“Isn’t everyone okay with that?”
“No!” Stevie and Hadley answered in unison.
“I mean, if it’s like self-defense or something.”
“That’s not murder,” Stevie said.
“We’ve gotten way off track,” Hadley said. “We were trying to narrow down who sent the letter by making a list of the facts.”
“Let’s talk about it before bed,” I suggested. “I want to change clothes and freshen up before we have to go out there and meet everyone.”
“Me, too,” Stevie said excitedly. “I’ve got a biker husband to shop for.”
“Please don’t.”
“I’ll window-shop. They won’t even know I’m doing it.”