Chapter Twenty-Five - Chapter Twenty-Four
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Chapter Twenty-Four
SEAN LED ME through the crowd, his grip on my hand firm yet gentle. The clubhouse backyard buzzed with life, people moving around, tables topped with food, and laughter filling the air. I tried to focus on the festive atmosphere, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Jarrod. How could I believe him after what I saw? Seeing him with Val, if his intention was to hurt me, that was unforgivable.
I had to force the image of that night into my head as Jarrod talked, so I wouldn’t do the unthinkable and believe him.
Or worse, forgive him.
“Hey, you okay?” Sean’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. His concerned gaze met mine.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied, forcing a smile.
He nodded, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t let Valley get you down.”
We wove our way to a table near the yard’s edge, where Casimir sat like a king holding court. Among the women at the table was Sarah, who waved at me enthusiastically.
“Madeline! I’m so glad you’re here,” Sarah said, pulling me into a warm hug. “I wasn’t expecting to see you.”
“Sean invited me,” I replied, genuinely grateful for her gesture that put me at ease.
“Sean, can you give me a hand with this beast?” Player called, nodding towards a massive grill on the back of a truck.
“Sure thing,” Sean said, glancing at me. “You okay here?”
“I’m good,” I assured him. “Go help Player.”
As they walked away, I scanned the crowd for familiar faces. My heart clenched when I spotted Jarrod across the yard, his eyes locked onto me. Despite the distance, his gaze was a tangible force.
I took a deep breath, reminding myself why I was here. This was about enjoying time with friends and proving to myself that I could move on. But Jarrod’s presence was a constant reminder of the pain I still felt and the love I couldn’t shake.
“Madeline!” a cheerful voice called out, breaking my thoughts. I turned to see Daphne approaching, her bright smile infectious.
“Hey, Daphne!” I greeted her warmly.
She said, “You look great,” giving me a once over. “But then, you always do.”
“Of course she looks great,” Casimir chimed in, holding Toby. “She has me for guidance.”
“Bullshit, Cas,” Daphne chuckled, giving him a playful nudge. “I have you for guidance, and I look like a chew toy.”
We chatted for a while, their warmth and laughter gradually easing my tension. These women had a way of making everyone feel welcome, their cheerful demeanor a perfect distraction. But every now and then, I’d catch sight of Jarrod, his presence a dark cloud over an otherwise sunny day.
“Oh, there’s Patch and Katherine!” Daphne squealed, standing up. “And baby Caden.”
I looked over to see the happy couple, Katherine holding the baby tight while Patch’s arm wrapped around them both protectively. Not knowing them well, I held back, observing as everyone cooed over the new arrival. Little Caden was a miracle, as Sarah had told me, and seeing him filled my heart with warmth.
A blonde woman who had come in with Katherine, introduced as Bethany, gathered the women together. “Let’s go set up,” she said quietly. “I want this baby shower to be a surprise for mom.”
“A baby shower?” I asked Casimir as we followed them inside. “I didn’t know, or I would have brought something.”
“Never fear,” he said, holding up a bag with a tag. “I only found out this morning. I added your name to the gift I picked up, so you’re covered.”
“You’re always one step ahead, aren’t you?”
“Of course, in this world, you have to be to survive,” he replied, as we started decorating the common room of the clubhouse. Several women stayed outside to entertain Katherine, along with the men who were in on the surprise.
Half an hour later, we were done, and Katherine was led in, still cradling Caden. “What did you guys do?” she asked, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked around the room.
“You never got your baby shower, mom, and now you will,” Bethany said, pulling her into a gentle hug.
Katherine took the seat designated for her, tears of joy streaming down her face. I couldn’t help but smile. This club was more than just a group of bikers; it was a family that cared for and supported each other in the most heartwarming ways.
“Katherine, we have a special video for you,” Aislynn announced with a smile. Ava switched on the TV and my heart sank as I watched, like all the other women present.
This was not the video they had planned to show.
On the screen were the men from the club, husbands and boyfriends, partying and engaging in graphic despicable acts right here in this very room. The video was a collage of recordings of the drunken men having very public sex; the sounds were included like whoever did this was going in for the kill.
The scenes were gut-wrenching, and I could feel my eyes welling up with tears, not just for me, because Jarrod was included in this horror show, but also for the others whose hearts were breaking in real time.
We couldn’t look away, too stunned to do anything but watch like a nightmare you couldn’t wake up from.
Finally, Daphne cried out and ran towards the TV, her voice cutting through the sobbing in the room. Casimir joined her, his fingers hitting the off button over and over, but the tv wouldn’t shut off. The images and sounds seemed to have a life of their own and suddenly, Patch’s voice boomed through the room, “Move the fuck out of the way!”
As everyone scrambled frantically, a deafening gunshot echoed through the room and shattered the TV into a million pieces, just like our hearts.
TIME SEEMED TO warp, stretching out each second as we all stared at the TV’s shattered remains, the jagged edges of the screen reflecting the volcano that had just erupted. The air seemed thick, stifling with the weight of what we’d just witnessed.
I couldn’t move, couldn’t understand, just stood there in the doorway, my mind reeling. Who the fuck would do this? Everyone— save me —was having a good time, laughing, drinking, until Lana burst outside, her face pale, shouting for us to come quick. What I saw on that screen—me, Tammy, Midnight, at that goddamn party over a year ago—in every graphic detail.
Katherine’s quiet sobs broke through the tension, her tears soaking into Caden’s blanket as she held him close, her knuckles white from the pressure.
Her voice, when it finally came, was a raw whisper, tinged with disbelief. “What the hell did you guys do?” The question hung in the air, sharp as a blade, her eyes wide and searching, desperate for an explanation that might make sense of the pornographic scenes they all just watched. “Was this recent?” she asked the burning question on all the women’s faces.
The women were clustered together near the door, whispering in hushed tones, their eyes darting between us, suspicion and anger mingling in their gazes. My gaze locked onto Madeline. The look on her face—disgust, disappointment—cut me deep. Finally, Patch, who seemed to be frozen in place, spoke, breaking through the tense silence.
“Of course not, Katherine, I would never...you can’t possibly think...” Patch’s voice was soft, almost too soft for him, as he approached her like she might disappear at any moment. But Bethany moved to block him, her body tense, protective.
“Not now, Patch,” she said, her voice a low warning, but firm. The women closed ranks around Katherine, shielding her from him. “What we just saw...it’s beyond traumatizing for her. You know her history.”
Patch’s jaw clenched, his voice low and dangerous. “Don’t tell me what to do, Bethany. Katherine is my wife. That’s my kid.”
“Aislynn?” Leather’s voice boomed as he stormed in from outside, his eyes wild as they darted around the room. “Where is she?”
“Daphne took her away,” Casimir answered, his tone clipped, his eyes narrowing as he looked at us. “She went home. Said don’t follow,” he added, turning to Hillbilly, who’d just come in, looking confused and worried.
Bethany turned back to Patch, her expression softening just a fraction. “I’m taking mom to your room to calm her down. Give her a few minutes, Patch. I promise she won’t leave without talking to you.”
Patch hesitated, then gave a tight nod, his eyes burning with barely restrained anger. As Leather and Hillbilly moved for the door, Patch’s voice sliced through the air. “Church. Now!” His gaze flicked to Midnight, who was edging toward Hadleigh. “Everyone!”
I glanced back at Madeline as we filed out, her eyes still locked on me, her expression unreadable now, like she’d put up a wall. She was talking quietly with Casimir, Sarah, and Randi, and the way Randi looked at Player—like he was something she’d scrape off her shoe—spoke volumes of the subject of conversation.
“What the fuck was that?” Player exploded as we crowded into the meeting room, kicking a chair out of his way before dropping into another one.
I leaned against the wall, feeling the tension ratcheting up another notch as the last of the club members packed into the room, waiting for Patch to erupt. He sat at the head of the table, his breathing heavy, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white. When the door finally shut behind the last man, Patch stood, his gaze sweeping over us like a storm about to break.
“Who the fuck did this?” he snarled, his voice low, deadly. His one good eye burned with fury as he looked at each of us in turn. “Because it had to be one of you motherfuckers!”
Vain shifted uncomfortably, then spoke up, trying to keep his voice steady. “Why do you think it was one of us?” He swallowed hard at the look Patch shot him and quickly added, “I’m just trying to figure it out.”
Patch’s glare was enough to make anyone reconsider speaking up. “Because it had to be someone inside to get that much goddamned personal footage and cast it to the TV,” Player growled, his eyes darting around the room.
“Yeah, someone’s been watching us, recording us for years. It’s an inside job,” Leather said, slamming his fist down on the table. “And if one of you assholes cost me Aislynn and my kid, you’ll be begging for me to let you die.”
“Get in line,” Patch muttered, his voice cold as ice. “The traitorous rat that did this will hide in his hole, so it’s up to each brother here to dangle the cheese to lure him out. Every rat leaves a trail of shit.”
“What if it wasn’t one of us?” Lucky cut in, glancing around the room, his face unreadable. “Who else would wanna hurt the ol’ ladies and stir up shit?”
Patch’s glare could melt steel. “What the hell are you getting at, old man?”
“The sweet butts,” Lucky replied, a smug grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Those hags have itched with jealousy ever since the ol’ ladies started adding up.”
“He’s got a point,” Hillbilly agreed, leaning forward, his voice low and dangerous. “I say we start there.”
“There’s also Johnny,” Scotch spoke up. “He’s got plenty of reasons, especially since we’re threatening to take his rocker.”
“Midnight, get Johnny,” Patch ordered, leaning back in his chair, his gaze narrowing as the men muttered amongst themselves. When Midnight returned empty-handed, a chill settled over the room.
“He’s gone. Took all his stuff with him.”
Patch’s eyes narrowed, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper. “Did anyone see him today?”
“He was supposed to be at the bar,” Teach said, frowning. “But now that I think about it, I haven’t seen him.”
“Scotch, go through the camera footage. Valley, you and Midnight scour the town for any sign of Johnny. Teach, question the sweet butts. The rest of you start digging. I want the motherfucker who did this, and I want him or her yesterday.” Patch stood, his voice like a growl from deep within his chest. “I’ve got to make things right with my ol’ lady. Harker, you come along and call off Bethany.”
As the men started to file out, I turned to Midnight. “You and Hadleigh gonna be okay?”
“Fuck, I hope so,” Midnight sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Knowing I wasn’t a saint before her is one thing, but seeing it... that’s a whole different level of pain.”
“I feel for you,” Vain said, clapping Midnight on the back. “I’m just glad I never got caught up in that shit and fucked around.”
“You were still there,” Jonesy chimed in, his voice grim. “Sarah’s pissed at me just for being in the room. My bet is Lana won’t let you off easy either, and you were married at the time. Doesn’t matter if you didn’t take part. It was happening, and you stayed.”
“Fuck,” Vain muttered, dragging a hand down his face. “You’re right. I better go deal with this. I only just got her back. Losing her again is not a fucking option.”
“Let me talk to Haddie really quick before we ride out,” Midnight said, heading for the door. “I’ll meet you out front in thirty.”
“You got it, brother,” I replied, turning back toward the common room, hoping Madeline was still there. My eyes scanned the room, and I walked outside looking around and seeing Sean helping clean up, but not Madeline. Dammit, she must have left with someone, probably Casimir.
With a disappointed sigh, I headed to my room before I had to meet Midnight out front.