Chapter 17
-:- VICTORIA -:-
“What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?” I snap at Bethy, who I note is dripping with sweat, red in the face, and puffing like she’s going to take her last breath.
“You had me brought here by that asshole ape...” Bethy states out of breath and looking at me like I’m her worst enemy.
Stopping with my hands on my knees, gasping, I tilt my head and look at her again. “What did he do?”
“Well, what didn’t he do. The man is a psychotic lunatic. He threatened a man for looking at me. I mean, looking at me...Who the hell threatens someone for looking?”
“Apparently, he does? Did something go on between you two?” I ask because she seems a bit too fired up about the man for it to be all innocent.
Frowning and giving me a nasty look, Bethy sighs, “No, nothing happened. He is just irritating. He freaking smiles too much, too.”
“Again, what is going on with you Bethy?”
“Nothing. As I just said he is irritating. He is good at what he does mind you. We dodged a few of our followers and I saw him knock one out cold with one punch,” Bethy frowns again. “I saw him fight hand-to-hand with another, and Vicky, he can fight. It was like watching something out of a movie. Hands and feet everywhere, but it was like seeing something choreographed. The other one could fight too. After, when we were back on the road, Wings said the other was obviously former military, so a mercenary, and we had to watch our backs. That’s when we really started checking things out before we...”
A crack sounds, and I turn to look over my shoulder but see nothing. Turning back to speak again to Bethy I scream in horror because she’s on the ground with a bullet hole in her forehead. I scream again and don’t realize what is happening until I’m lifted into the air, thrown over a shoulder and am being carried into the clubhouse.
Men are running around throwing orders at each other. I have been placed in the children's playroom along with the other women.
“We are not staying in here. Get a weapon ladies, we are going to war.” I don’t know which one says that so fiercely that I flinch.
I mumble under my breath, “Bethy!” but the image of her on the ground has so many emotions flowing that I am not sure which is the worst of them.
Mia has all the kids at the back of the room. Eden and Kenzie along with an enormous dog are standing in front of them. How Eden has a weapon in her hand so quickly I don’t know, and I’m not asking.
I look at Mia as she squats in front of me. “Who do you think did this?”
“Joe Tizwald. It has to be. Bethy and I never made enemies. Art was always getting Bethy into shit she didn’t deserve to be in. She’s dead, Mia, she’s dead.” Tears are flowing down my cheeks.
I look again when Mia speaks. “Does Bethy have any family apart from her brother?”
“No. I’m her family. I’ll organize her funeral, and I’ll pay for it. I want to find her brother, Joe Tizwald, and the shooter, and I’m going to kill them all,” I whisper through the sobs that are wracking my body.
The door opens, and Chaos walks into the room. Searching until he finds me. Stepping over to me he lifts me onto my feet and wraps me into his arms. Kissing the top of my head, trying to give me some comfort.
“Stitch has Bethy in his room. He’s being respectful of her. Forest is here and organizing the deputies. All are going hunting. Wings has already left, and I’m not sure if he had something going on with Bethy, but he’s going to murder someone. Whoever it is I’m not stopping him.” Chaos looks around and takes notice that Corey is with the other kids. They are all playing quietly, but know something is wrong, they just don’t know what yet.
The door opens and I’m not sure who speaks as my face is tucked into Chaos’ neck. But I hear, “Church, now.”
“I’ve gotta go, Victoria. But know that whoever did this is not walking away from it. They will pay for it. Stitch haslocked Bethy’s body in the medical room until the funeral director comes later. Forest is calling in people he knows to register Bethy’s death, but we’ll have to keep it quiet. It was an assassination, after all, and we don’t want the government involved. If they do, they’ll take her, and it’ll become a circus. Trust me to do what’s right for her.”
“Okay,” is all I manage through the floods of tears that are rolling down my cheeks.
Mia has been called out to speak with Axel, and we can all hear the conversation is heated. But as Chaos kisses my forehead and leaves the room, Mia steps back inside and takes my hand, guiding me to a seat. Sitting beside me, Mia sighs. “Axel and the brothers will make sure whoever did this will pay, Victoria. But do you have any idea where to look?”
Winter and Star squat in front of me, and I shake my head. “I don’t know where to look for the shooter. Or Art, or even Joe Tizwald. Does anyone have a laptop that I can use?”
That is how an hour later, I show Winter, Star and Mia a location that may be a good hiding spot for the up-and-coming Senator. It’s a cabin owned by Joe Tizwald's grandfather. I have it showing on Google Earth for them to see what it looks like. Exactly where it is, and how isolated it is, too.
“Okay, let’s make a move, Winter,” Star says quietly, and I frown as I’m not sure what they are talking about. “Are you coming or staying?” she asks me.
“Are you going here? To the cabin?” I’m feeling dimwitted by the question.
“We are going after these fuckers. The men can go into church and bluster all they like, but we’ll do what we need to before they take a piss and get ready to leave.” Star smirks, and it’s not a particularly nice smirk either.
