36. Penelope
THIRTY-SIX
The gun shotsabove the floor were muffled, but it still felt like I had felt every single shot. My fear over Jameson was so acute that at times I had nearly stopped breathing. Connor had thankfully fallen asleep, but I needed to walk. So, I started pacing the cellar. Laura was sitting with Callie, holding her hand so tight, I wasn’t sure her circulation was working. Tears streamed down Callie’s face as she muttered a thousand different things, none of us knew what.
Harris, and the two old timers, watched the door while Red began sifting through dry ingredients. She’d found us a pack of water bottles, which had helped tremendously, but she worried we’d need food. I appreciated her keeping busy. It did something to me to see people sitting still, doing nothing.
So I paced.
There were tall shelves that bracketed the entire floor. Rows and rows that hid me from view as tears teemed down my face. As fear gathered in my heart like a black flame, burning my hopes to ash.
I wasn’t paying attention.
Which was why someone was able to take me by surprise.
It was quiet and then a hand was over my mouth. They must have found the door that led out, somehow whoever they were knew about it and had found his way in.
I was turned and Miles’ familiar face swam in front of me. I knew he shouldn’t be there, standing in front of me, and yet something about him had me lowering my guard. Once he dropped his hand from my mouth, he waved me over to the door he’d used.
“Jameson sent me to come get you. He wanted to be sure the others weren’t alarmed since my bike can only hold one. We need to go now. He wants to get you to safety.”
I looked back over my shoulder; the others were far beyond the shelves where I had chosen to hide.
Pulling at his hands, because something in my gut twisted, I refused him. He’d been asking too many questions in the letter. Something felt off about it.
“I want to wait here with my friends. Jamie will understand.”
Miles, the only man I had ever known as a father figure, softened his features as if he understood. I was about to explain that he could help keep watch when he suddenly pulled Connor from my arms.
My gasp was short-lived as he put his finger to his mouth as if to tell me to shut up.
Mouth snapping shut, I glared as he held my son from me.
“Now come with me.”
I followed him watching my son, keenly aware that one wrong move might mean his life. We’d gone through a thin door, nearly naked to the eye. I would have never found it on my own on this side. On the outside, it merely looked like siding from the clubhouse. The door clicked back into place as Miles held my son and gripped my elbow.
“Why are you doing this? You were family to me, Miles.”
He kept his gaze forward as we walked. “You know my first love has always been this club. Tuck was always the president we were supposed to have. Getting him out of prison was a huge task, and when Fable managed to do it, we were all excited about the prospect of a new chapter starting for all of us original members who remembered what it was like in the old days.”
My letters. I felt so stupid.
“Did you tell Tuck what I wrote to you?” I glared up at him, and he looked over his shoulder for a brief second.
“He asked to see them…the way you described the property, and clubhouse. You mentioned the back gate where the other members were. That and Jefferson helped fill in the gaps from what he could remember about this place. They upgraded all this recently, according to him, but this cellar hasn’t changed. We hadn’t even considered hitting this place until your letter arrived, they were an inspiration. Especially after we heard that you had Luke’s kid.”
I was going to be sick.
All of this…everything, it was all my fault.
We strode around the house as silence fell between us. Betrayal had any words I might have had for Miles turning to ash in my mouth. I was so angry with him, with myself. I thought Miles was someone I could trust. My mother had trusted him…I even think she had loved him.
How could he—my feet nearly faltered as I froze in place and Miles had to drag me the rest of the way.
Tuck Holloway stood there waiting. His watery eyes dropped to the bundle in Miles’ arms and then swept over to me.
“Forgot what a looker you are, Penny.” Tuck trailed me from head to toe salaciously.
I cringed and fought to get out of Miles’ grip.
“Hand her the baby. We need to get this over with, fucking Death Raiders showed up to help them. Fable is going to murder Silas when he finds out he showed up to help.”
Miles locked eyes with me as he gently set my son back into my arms before turning back toward Tuck. “Fable didn’t ride with us…where is he?”
“Oh, he’s around…but Miles, why don’t you go ahead and lead the way so nothing happens to the little baby or your precious adopted daughter.”
Miles flicked a quick gaze to me, and then to Tuck. I wanted to tell him no, not to go…it was clearly a trap, but Miles merely turned on his heel and went anyway. Ten strides away from us, Tuck pulled out his gun and shot Miles in the back of the head.
I didn’t cry. I kept my face forward and pulled my son closer to my chest. Tuck had me alive and was parading me for the sake of Jamie. All I had to do was get to my husband and everything would be okay.
Tuck pushed my back with the barrel of his gun as I walked up the steps to the front of the house, and in through a damaged door. Glass was everywhere, tattered pool tables were flipped over, couches were shot to hell, and there were dead bodies everywhere. I caught sight of Silas Silva with a busted lip, and his gun pointed down at someone on the floor, right as I entered. Everyone seemed to freeze.
Where was Jameson? My eyes moved around the room frantically while I tried to keep my footing, so not to trip.
People lowered their guns and stared at Tuck when he started speaking.
“Jameson King. Tear off your president patch, throw it at my feet and I might let your bride walk away from this. The boy comes with me, no matter what, but I may spare your new, pretty wife.”
I heard shuffling from the side, and Jameson came into view. He was on the floor, bloody, covered in dust and debris, and…oh my god, he’d been shot.
Jameson slowly got to his feet, and then he limped over to us.
His eyes were wide with fear…there was something else there too. Like a silent goodbye.
No.
His fingers went to his patch but stilled.
“What is it you really want, Tuck? You want revenge, then let’s go outside. You want the club?” He slid the cut off his shoulders and tossed it at Tuck’s feet. “It’s yours, but I will not part with my wife or my son. Not in this life or the next. They are mine. If you need blood, then spill mine. Let them go free.”
Tuck smirked.
“Penelope is Chaos King royalty. She’ll return as Luke’s widow, and the baby will be raised as a Holloway. I just wanted you to see that before you died.”
Tuck moved his gun from my back and pointed it at Jamie.
Jamie’s gaze remained fixed on me. “I love you. I’ve always loved you. You’ll go with me wherever I go, I promise.”
Unbidden tears began sliding down my face as I watched him fall to his knees. His hands were up, and his eyes refused to leave mine.
I moved so that I was kneeling across from him, Connor tucked protectively in my arms. “It was always you, Jameson. It always will be you forever. I only chose Luke because I had to move on from you. But you’re in here for always.” I pointed at my heart as tears blurred my vision.
The gun went off.
The shot seemed to sail through me as the sound reverberated around me. My eyes closed, too terrified to open them and see my husband with a bloodstain on his shirt, or worse, his face disfigured. A sob caught in my chest as more tears tried to slide free. I’d used the blanket and my chest to protect Connor’s ears, but he still stirred and began to fuss, my eyes remained closed. Silent tears slipping down my dust-streaked face.
Warm hands gently gripped me, thumbs swiped at my tears.
“Open your eyes, Penelope.”
I blinked, and Jamie came into focus. His warm smile, his soft brown eyes.
My hand went to his jaw to trace it and make sure it was real.
“Did you get shot?”
He laughed, pinning his forehead to mine.
“No, baby.”
I twisted my neck to see who had shot Tuck, but I didn’t recognize the person standing over Tuck’s body, holding a shotgun. He had dark hair, his skin ashen, and body frail.
“Who is that?” I whispered to Jamie.
Wes suddenly limped into view, then froze at the sight of the man.
“That...” Jamie’s face twisted in confusion, looking up. “Is Simon Stone…who is supposed to be dead.”
There were at least fifty or so Stone Riders in what was left of the clubhouse. Brooms were grabbed, vacuums and hammers. Within a few hours, the front of the club was boarded up. People flipped over the bullet-torn couch and plopped down on it as if nothing had ever happened.
Callie and Wes were long gone, the entire ordeal very traumatic for everyone. It was concluded that the reason Simon had apparently come out of hiding was because Silas had made a call, and the old man, even sick, had arrived to protect his daughter, Callie, and help Wes. There was a long history there I knew nothing about, but I had hugged the former president and thanked him for saving my husband’s life.
Killian had Laura in his lap; she was tucked into him as if she were worried he’d disappear, and he was staring off into space as if he wasn’t sure he’d actually survived what happened. Jameson had to be treated for the gunshot wound. The club doctor was too far away, so I suggested they go to Dr. Beckett.
She had a soft spot for Simon Stone, and if he were the one to make the request, there was no way she would turn it down. Sure enough, I was right. My husband was bullet-free, stitched and currently using crutches.
I had stuck close to the kitchen, helping with fixing all the broken glass and whatever else I could in-between nursing and changing Connor. Near midnight, Silas walked into the club looking like death himself, there to claim a soul.
Killian stood and went to intercept the Death Raider. “Silas, thank you for coming today. You saved us.”
Silas took Killian’s outstretched hand and shook it. “I told you I’d come back for what’s mine someday. I’m here to collect.”
His…did that mean Natty?
Where was she?
Silas began searching the room like I started to. In all the chaos, I realized she had never reappeared. I had assumed Silas had taken her to safety.
“Where the fuck is she?” Silas asked, his eyes growing frantic. They landed on me, and my face became as white as a ghost.
We stared at one another, my lip began to tremble because if she hadn’t been with him or put somewhere safe. Then…where the hell was she?
“Tell me you know,” Silas rasped, his voice shuddering. His eyes panicked and wild.
A tear slid free as I shook my head.
Killian glanced at me, then Silas.
I thought back to what Tuck had said about Fable. Oh god.
“Silas,” I choked, walking toward him, “Tuck…he said Fable was here today. Miles asked where, but Tuck just said he was around…what if he…”
I couldn’t say it.
I couldn’t breathe.
Silas froze, his face went slack…his features ghostly white. With a choked sound, he stumbled back outside into the dark.
I followed, unsure of how I could help but desperately wanting to. I watched as he slowly sank to his knees, hitting the gravel. His fingers speared through the loose rocks, gripping them tightly.
I heard him muttering something in that language he spoke with Natty. Maybe a prayer, or a promise.
Then in English, he whispered. “Caelum.”
Jameson was suddenly behind me, braced against his crutches. Killian and Laura were there too, watching as the fallen reaper remained in the dirt.
“What do we do, Silas?” I rasped as terror gripped my heart.
The Death Raider slowly got to his feet, swiping at his eyes and then leveled us all with a solemn glare.
“Pray.”