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“Anythin’ else?” I ask, not wanting to be in here any longer. “She’s gettin’ ready to leave. That’s great news. We can be fuckin’ rid of her and not think twice about movin’ on. Again, I don’t need to be in here for this shit and don’t want to be called in again. If we’re in church, that’s different. Venom, I don’t know what else I can say to make myself clear about this shit. I’m not twisted up inside about the bitch. She fuckin’ lied to everyone here. She could’ve brought trouble here and didn’t give a fuck about it. The bitch had Ghost questionin’ people he’s known his entire life and that shit should piss the rest of you off the way it does us. Why the fuck are you lettin’ her get away with shit you wouldn’t take from anyone else?”
“Look at the bigger picture, Brick. She has ties to Nolan Montez who multiple offices have been tryin’ to get their hands on for most of his life. They can never make anythin’ stick and this is our chance to help them get the information they need to put him behind bars where he belongs for everythin’ he’s done. For all the lives he’s destroyed and taken over the years. That’s why I haven’t kicked Autumn out yet. Yes, she lied about the cell phone. Would I have done the same thing in her position? I can’t honestly answer that question. You want to keep bitchin’ about us not knowin’ anythin’ about her, but she doesn’t know anythin’ about us either. Not a single person here other than Quinn and some of the ol’ ladies haven’t done a fuckin’ thing to get to know her. Ghost and yourself included. You might have fucked her, and don’t bother denyin’ it, but you haven’t spent any time with her or gotten her to open up. Think about shit before you lash out. This is your one fuckin’ free pass, Brick. I suggest you figure out a way to calm the fuck down and come back when you have a better attitude,” Venom says, letting his anger out and his frustration with me lashing out at him again.
I don’t say anything as I storm out of the office and slam the door behind me. Instead of going back to see my sister and the kids, I head out back. When I’m like this, I don’t want to be around anyone. Especially Brindley and James. They’ll sense my emotions and be upset. Once I’m outside, I pull my phone from my pocket and make a call to my dad. He’s the one person besides Ghost who can get through to me when I need it the most.
“Son, it’s been a while since I heard from you,” my dad answers the phone. “How is the new baby?”
“He’s good. I was just holdin’ him. He’s come a long way from what Quinn’s told me. Are you and Mom comin’ down soon to see him?” I ask him, not getting into the reason I’m calling right away.
“We are. I think we’re leavin’ first thing in the mornin’ to come down. Now, why don’t you tell me why you really called. It wasn’t to talk about James or any other bullshit. What’s goin’ on?”
My dad knows me so fucking well. Taking a deep breath, I lean my body back against the clubhouse before releasing the breath and trying to ease the tension I’ve got building up in my body.
“So, we got a woman stayin’ here. She came into Cedar Bay and I ended up towin’ her car. The woman had no job, nowhere to stay other than her car, and so Venom gave her a chance. He gave her the office position at the garage and has been lettin’ her stay at the clubhouse. For a while she was helpin’ out and shit. Now, she’s back to hidin’ in her room and doin’ nothin’ around the club. We just found out she lied and had a cell phone on her that she said wasn’t able to be charged because her charger broke. She’s had access to it the entire time. I can’t fuckin’ stand liars, Dad. You know this. Venom also keeps insistin’ on pullin’ Ghost and me in whenever shit is discussed about her. We don’t need to know a fuckin’ thing about her,” I growl out, my frustration filling me even more as I think about everything that’s happened over the last few months.
“Why does it bother you so much, Cole? That’s the main question I want you to answer. And be honest with yourself. You do hate liars and I completely agree with you about that shit. However, what’s this girl's situation? Is she on the run? Has she been treated like shit her entire life? How much of her life has she actually had to hide from those she was before findin’ Cedar Bay? And, most importantly, how many of you have actually taken the time to get to know her? Has a single person there tried to extend their trust to her without holdin’ everythin’ back?” my dad questions me, always the voice of reason when I need it. What I love and hate about the man who taught me how to be the man I am today.
“Ghost and I fucked her. Well, I fucked her and she gave him a blowjob. He was thinkin’ about settlin’ down with this woman, Dad. She fuckin’ intrigues me in ways no one else ever has. From the first second I saw her, she had my attention. I don’t fuckin’ get it. I don’t want an ol’ lady or kids of my own. That shit isn’t for me and I’ve always said that. Autumn’s situation is complicated to say the least. She’s on the run and hidin’ out from her mother who has sold her off to the highest bidder essentially. Or at least arranged her marriage. She’s supposed to fuckin’ marry Nolan Montez,” I begin telling my dad before he cuts me off.
“Are you fuckin’ shittin’ me, Cole? Nolan fuckin’ Montez is the man she’s supposed to marry and you’re pissed about her lyin’ about a damn cell phone? Do you know anythin’ about that fucker? How truly fuckin’ sadistic and vile he is?” he questions me, his voice going hard and cold as he goes to club mode instead of dad mode.
“I don’t really know anythin’ about him. Goose told us some stuff but he’s never been on our radar before. He’s really that bad?”
“He’s even fuckin’ worse. You wanna know what this girl can expect if she’s forced to marry him? He’ll fuckin’ rape her. Every-fuckin’-day. I’m guessin’ he wants an heir and he’ll not let her be on birth control, not fuck him, or anythin’ else. When he’s not tryin’ to get her pregnant, she’ll be locked up in some fuckin’ cell or chained against a wall. And she’ll be kept naked the entire time. The only time he’ll allow her to put clothes on is if he decides she’s to join his staff until she’s pregnant. Once he does knock her up, she’ll be kept in a locked room and the only one allowed inside will bring her enough food to nourish the baby and make sure nothin’ is goin’ wrong. She’ll become a prisoner in his house and the medical staff will be comin’ there to see her and she won’t be allowed outside the house. Nolan Montez will only keep her around as long as she’s useful to him. After that, he’ll either have her killed or sell her off to the highest bidder so she can be raped and tortured for the rest of her life. So, no, I get that you don’t like liars, but that girl has lived a life of hell if her parents associate with men like Montez,” my dad states, his voice colder than I’ve ever heard it while I’m having a private conversation with him.
“That doesn’t change anythin’, Dad. She still fuckin’ lied and I want nothin’ to do with her. I don’t want her here. From what I can guess, she’s gettin’ ready to run though. Autumn won’t be our problem much longer and I can’t wait until she’s fuckin’ gone,” I return, my voice hard as hell as I think about what her leaving actually means.
“Cole, I fuckin’ raised you better than that. I’m tellin’ you now that if she leaves there, Montez will get his hands on her and no one will ever fuckin’ see her again. She’ll be dead and you’ll be the ones who signed her death warrant. Is that what you guys want on your fuckin’ conscience? Are you really treatin’ women like that now? We all raised you better than that and there’s no reason for you to fuckin’ be this stupid. I’ll be there tomorrow and I’m gonna have my own talk with this girl. Let her know exactly what kind of shit she’s facin’ if she chooses to leave the clubhouse. If she still wants to leave, I’ll bring her back here with us. We’ll fuckin’ protect her and keep her safe,” my dad states before hanging up on me.
Well, shit. This conversation didn’t go as I thought it would. It’s been a long time since I’ve pissed my dad off like this and I don’t believe I’m going to be able to simply apologize to get back on his good side. I guess I should let Venom know what’s going on so the club is prepared for hurricane Steel to get here tomorrow. He’s gonna chew everyone here a new ass and won’t wait to find out what’s going on before he does it. I’ve sealed our fate and the guys deserve to know.
Walking back in the clubhouse, I find Venom at his table with Vanessa, their kids, and Hawkeye.
“Need to talk,” I say, looking at Venom and only him.
“What’s up?” he asks, not looking at me because of the disrespect I showed him in the office. I’m fucking up all over the place.
“Just got off the phone with my dad. He’ll be here tomorrow to meet James and hang out. Um, I was usin’ him to vent to and he got on my ass. Apparently we don’t know as much as we should about this Nolan fucker. My dad knows more information about him than what Goose has managed to dig up. He’s pissed as fuck about my treatment of Autumn and the possibility of us lettin’ her leave here. While he asked some good questions, there’s really nothin’ I can do to stop him once he got started. You know how he is. He’s gonna talk to Autumn when he gets here and fill her in on some truth about Nolan. If she’s still set on leavin’ here, he’s gonna talk to her about goin’ back to Dander Falls with him. Doesn’t like our treatment of her and shit. We’re all about to get our asses handed to us,” I inform my President as Vanessa starts laughing hysterically.
“I’m not sorry to hear that shit. You guys are treating her like shit for no fucking reason. She lied about having a cell phone. Who the fuck cares? A lie is a lie and I get that. However, none of us have made a real attempt to get her to trust us or give her our trust in return. None of you are thinking about that shit. You don’t know what she’s been through and can’t imagine the hell she’s more than likely lived in. Get the fuck over yourselves and do right by her. I hope she does go back to Dander Falls with Steel and Harley. At least she’ll be taken care of and allowed to open up when she’s ready and not forced to share her story when it’s convenient for you all,” Vanessa says, gathering her children and leaving the table behind. “And we’re just as guilty of that shit as you are. Quinn’s the only one who’s made any attempt with her. It’s fucking on all of us at this point.”
“She’s right,” Hawkeye says, standing from his seat. “We’ve all kind of been takin’ our cues from Ghost and you and that’s not fair to Autumn. None of this shit is. She didn’t ask for any of this and doesn’t deserve to be treated like shit because of a few decisions she’s made. I’ll make sure I change my own actions and mindset when it comes to her.”
Hawkeye then walks away and leaves Venom and me on our own. I have no fucking words. In my mind, a liar is a liar and there’s no reason for anyone to lie about anything. That’s how I’ve always felt and I’m not about to change my mind because of Autumn and what she’s going through currently or been through in the past. Shaking my head, I walk away from Venom and head to my room. I'm over today and ready for bed. Somewhere I can forget all about this shit and let my body lose the tension I carry more often than not these days.
Chapter Fourteen
Ghost
YESTERDAY WAS AN absolute clusterfuck. Steel will be here today and I don’t want to be anywhere around him when he gets here. Brick let us know we’re gonna get our asses chewed by Steel for our treatment of Autumn. He doesn’t understand the full story of what’s going on here with her though. No one does because they aren’t actually here with her and what we’re dealing with. Maybe we can figure out a way to make him see what’s going on without him chewing us a new one. So, instead of waiting for him to get to the clubhouse, I’m leaving. I need to get out and ride. To clear my head and figure out what the hell I can do in this situation moving forward.
Getting on my bike, I take off without letting anyone know I’m heading out. Even if Brick wanted to leave, he wouldn’t. He’s going to wait here for his parents to show up and not hide out from his dad. He’ll take his ass chewing like a man. I honestly wouldn’t expect any less from my best friend. Brick will face his father head on and listen to what he has to say before adding in what he has to about the situation. That’s just how it goes with him. Brick and Steel butt heads more often than not because they both have the same mindset about most things and are stubborn as fuck when it comes down to what they feel about certain situations.
Leaving the compound, I make my way through Cedar Bay. There’s really not a lot to see around here and I can’t open up the throttle the way I truly want to. That’s what the highways are for. I’ll ride around town for a few minutes before making my way out to the highway. Heading for the bay, I pull in to spot a familiar car sitting on the outer edge of the parking area away from everything else. I want to immediately turn around and leave, but something pulls me even closer to Autumn’s car.
When I get close to her car, I don’t spot her inside. All the doors are closed and I’m not seeing her around the immediate area. There’s a ton of trees leading up to the clubhouse and my eyes go there. Shutting my bike off, I immediately hear the sound of someone getting sick. I’m off my bike and racing toward the woods where I know I’ll find Autumn once again getting sick.
It doesn’t take me long to find her hunched over and losing everything she’s ever eaten in her life. This isn’t good. She’s sick more often than not these days. Yes, I’ve caught her at work in the bathroom getting sick more than just that day I stayed with her for a few minutes. She was supposed to have gone to the clinic yesterday and no one knows what was said by them about what’s going on with her. I’m really concerned, as I’d be for anyone, about why she’s constantly sick.
