Biker Bound: The Lost Souls MC Series (14 page)

For a brief moment it crosses my mind that she could be playing me to gain information, but as quick as I think that the thought vanishes. This is for real. There is no denying the sexual chemistry between us and not only that, the way we can talk to each other, how close we have become in such a short amount of time. This is definitely for real.

“We’ll talk later,” I tell her, “Today I want you to get comfortable here because like I said, I’m not going to let this not work, okay?”

“Okay.”

Before leaving I kiss her on her forehead and say goodbye to Zach.

I leave the house one happy fucker. I don’t care I haven’t slept in twenty-four hours. At this point in time my eyes have never been more open and alert. I have never been more alive.

It isn’t my first choice to sleep at the clubhouse but I know if I go home after I’ve spoken to Cas, I won’t be sleeping knowing Kristen is awake in the same house. I need some sleep today to be on top form with her tonight.

Chapter Eleven

Kristen

I could still feel Slade on my lips a half hour after he left. I really should be scared of the speed our relationship is taking but somehow this feels right. He was right, what is the point in waiting? My father’s death has shown me to make the most out of life and to live it without regrets.

I haven’t been able to stop smiling throughout getting both Zachery and I washed and dressed. Slade told me to get comfortable here but the truth is I already am, and so is Zachery.

For the first time in a long time, I can see a future and the pains of the past don’t hurt so much. From now on, no more dwelling on the past. Onwards and upwards as my mom would say. Firstly, a trip to the store to buy dinner for tonight.

Locking the door behind us, I look around the street and realise this is where we live now. Friendly, quiet neighbours with a path I can see Slade teaching Zachery how to ride a bicycle on. This gives me the strength to move forward.

The store is busier than usual when we arrive, walking up and down the aisle, I realise I know more about Slade than I thought I did, his eating preferences anyway.

After choosing ingredients for a simple stir-fry I roam the aisles picking up groceries that I know Zachery likes and Slade doesn’t have in stock.

The queue at the checkout is longer than any queue I’ve seen here before and I brace myself for a long wait. Forty minutes later and seventy-four dollars lighter, I’m finally pushing the cart out to the car.

Loading the groceries into the trunk a dark shadow falls over me. Turning around sharply I find a young man standing close behind us with one hand on the shopping cart where Zachery is still sitting. My hand strikes out and I hold onto the other end of the cart.

“Take your hand off,” I snap, looking around for help but there’s no one I can see.

“I’m not here to harm you ma’am,” the man says.

“I’ll believe you when you’re not holding my son.”

“You’re not leaving till you’ve heard my message.”

Who the hell is this man?

“Tell me what you have to say and leave us alone.” I say.

“Someone wants you to know that the guy Billy you were looking for didn’t die in a car crash. He was beaten to death because of Alannah Blake.”

“Excuse me? What did you just say?” I ask, because I’m pretty sure I just heard him say Billy was beaten to death and that would make Slade a liar.

“You heard me.”

“Who are you?” I ask.

“I’m someone who was paid to relay a message and now I have. Goodbye.”

He released his hand and turned to walk away.

“Hey, wait!” I call out, but he doesn’t stop and before long he disappears around the corner of the store.

I throw the rest of the groceries into the trunk not caring if anything spills or breaks and get Zachery in his seat within seconds. As soon as I am in the driving seat I am buckled and the doors are locked in case the unknown man returns.

I slam my hands against the wheel over and over again. I knew it, I knew there was something they were hiding. Why did I give up? Oh yeah, because I let a guy and his six pack distract me and let me think he actually cared about me and wanted me. The only thing he cared about was keeping me from the truth.

As soon as Billy’s face entered my mind I couldn’t stop the tears. It was bad enough to imagine his last moments of life dying in an accident but imagining him being punched and kicked and worse until he took his last breath was too much to take in.

No more lies. I need to know the truth and I’ll be damned if I don’t get it now.

I turn the engine on and put my foot down until I am driving into their clubhouse or whatever the fuck they call it and cut the engine.

I don’t give myself a chance to think about what I am going to do. I get out of the car and unbuckle Zachery. I look around the grounds to see if Slade is about but when I don’t see him anywhere I know I have to go inside.

A car pulling up beside me, as I stand frozen in place, disturbs me. When I see it’s Bonnie, I feel sick remembering that I trusted her advice and opinion.

“Are you okay Kristen?” she asks when she sees me.

“I need to see Slade,” I tell her and I wish I didn’t sound so hurt.

“Okay, do you want me to watch Zachery while you find him?” she asks, from the look on her face she knows something is wrong and is taking it easy around me.

“No, I don’t want him near any of you,” I snap.

Hurt flashes across her face and I force down the guilt of inflicting it on her and tell myself she has lied to me as much as the others have.

“Kristen, what’s going on?” she demands.

Before I can answer Sparky is joining us and wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer into him. And to think I was jealous of their relationship.

He must sense tension between us because he asks, “What’s goin’ on?” and steps closer to me and Zachery and I step back quickly, I don’t want him any closer than he already is.

“What the fuck? Why are you scared of me?” he strains.

“She needs to see Slade,” Bonnie tells him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

He narrows his eyes and steps back.

“Follow me.”

I follow him into the main building and notice a bar inside that I didn’t notice before.

“Wait here and I’ll go get him.”

I watch him disappear up some stairs and my anger bypasses the hurt I’m feeling. But my resolve to know the truth is growing stronger by the second. None of these brutes will deter me from that.

I cling to Zachery and hold him tight against me. I wish he wasn’t here but without a single person I can trust here, there isn’t anywhere else he could be.

Slade comes bounding down the stairs and heads straight towards me. He looks worried and agitated, I must have woken him up as he’s half-dressed and the chest I thought I wouldn’t get enough of reminds me he was only a distraction from the truth.

“What’s wrong darlin’?”

“I’m not your darlin’,” I snap, “I want you to tell me the fucking truth! How did Billy die?”

After the words have left my mouth the whole place goes quiet.

Slade looks around quickly before settling back on me and steps forward. Like with Sparky, I step back and the pain on his face only angers me. What right does he have to feel hurt?

“What’s happened?” he demands.

“Answer me first Slade.”

He visibly pales before me and runs his hand through his hair roughly. Sparky and Cas come and stand behind Slade and Cas whispers something in his ear.

“I swear to fucking God, if you don’t answer me I’ll go to the only name he gave me and ask her myself,” I warn him.

“Ask who yourself? And who told you what?” Cas asks roughly, coming closer. Slade puts his arm out to stop him coming any closer.

“I’m not telling you anything until I hear the truth about how Billy died,” I snap.

My patience has well and truly worn out and the longer I stand here, the more I feel like screaming.

“Tell her,” Alannah says, coming up behind me from the door, “She should know the truth.”

My heart has long passed pounding into my chest, it feels like it is bungee jumping. The only thing keeping me in place is Zachery. Thank God he isn’t old enough to understand this.

Slade looks to his side and after a quick nod from Cas, he reaches out and pulls me by my arm to the couches at the other side of the room.

“Don’t you touch me,” I say through gritted teeth and shrug his hand away.

We’re not alone either. Cas, Alannah, Sparky and Bonnie follow with the others moving in a bit closer too.

I sit on one end of the couch and thankfully Slade respects me enough not to sit next to me and lowers himself onto the other end.

I look at Alannah and see she’s wearing the same expression she wore the first day I arrived. Now I know it is guilt. Cas moves closer to her in a protective stance and I look back to Slade who is watching me carefully.

“When I was at the store someone told me I should know Billy was really beaten to death and it was all her fault.” I can’t help the venom in my voice or in my glare I throw Alannah’s way.

“Who told you that?” Cas growls.

Alannah looks distraught hearing my words but I don’t care, her reaction is only making me feel like the strange man at the store is right.

“I’m not saying anything else until I get the truth.” I say.

“Billy didn’t die in a car accident,” Slade begins. I brace myself for the truth I seek so desperately, “He was given an order and in the end it got him killed.”

“I want you to know I think of Billy every single day,” Alannah cuts in.

“So it was your fault?” I ask.

“You need to stop fuckin’ sayin’ that,” Cas warns, “Lana was as much a victim as Billy.”

“Just tell me what happened.”

“The order Billy was given was to watch over Alannah. Our enemy, who no longer exist by the way, found out where Alannah and Billy were and in retaliation they went after them. They were outnumbered and when Billy tried to stop them from kidnapping Alannah, he was attacked so badly he didn’t survive.” Slade explains.

I can feel the contents of my stomach wanting to make an appearance but I squash the feeling and let the tears fall down my cheeks.

Poor Billy, his innocent, boyish face. No, I can’t deal with this. I can’t believe this happened to him, it sounds like something out of a movie.

The giggle erupting from me comes as a shock and once I let myself believe it feels good, I can’t make it stop.

“This ain’t fuckin’ funny. My girl still has nightmares to this day about that night.” Cas shouts.

This sobers me up.

“You’re damn right it isn’t funny, it’s damn right fucking ridiculous,” I shout back, “At least your girl is alive to have nightmares, Billy isn’t is he.” I say to Cas, “I knew this club was bad and you let me believe otherwise.” I say, looking at Bonnie, “I need to go,” I say standing up and readjust Zachery on my hip.

“You haven’t heard all the details yet?” Slade says, jumping up beside me to stop me from leaving.

“I’ve heard enough.” I tell him.

He doesn’t move and we stare each other out. I’m determined not to be the first one to back down but I don’t know who I’m looking at when I look into his eyes anymore.

“I’m not letting you leave like this,” he says, quietly.

“You don’t have a choice, now get out of my way Slade and don’t ever come near us again.”

Silence falls around us and no one moves. Panic sets in and I wonder if I’ll make it out of a room full of killers?

What comes out of my mouth next probably isn’t wise but it’s the only play I have left to make it out of this place.

“If you make me wait then I’ll just have the police walk me out of here, I did call them before I came here.”

There, I said it, hopefully he lets us leave now?

This wakes him up and he falls back a step.

“You called the cops? You called them after I told you how we work?” he asks in disbelief and disgust.

I couldn’t make myself speak so I nodded.

“I’d call your bluff as I don’t think you did but I won’t stop you from leaving. I don’t want you to go without knowing the full truth but I can see you’re not ready to hear it.”

He moves to the side and I waste no time in leaving.

Chapter Twelve

Slade

I desperately wanted to follow her out and stop her from leaving. I stood rooted in place going back on everything that had happened in the last twenty minutes. This morning had been the best time in my life and now it is lost to me.

I have watched my brothers fall in love and I thought I was close to it myself, that I finally had my time for happiness but now that happiness has left.

I could hear my brothers talking behind me.

“We’re gonna have to make sure she doesn’t go talkin’ to the wrong people,” Sparky states.

“She needs to know everything that happened,” Bonnie adds in.

“This is fuckin’ bullshit,” I yell, and everyone falls silent.

I kick the chair in front of me in frustration and it flies across the bar.

“Maybe I should go and look for her, try to explain properly?” Alannah asks Cas.

By the way Kristen was looking at Alannah earlier, I think she’s the last person Kristen wants to see.

“No, I’ll go.” I say, taking deep breaths.

The ride back to my house was the longest of my life, I didn’t know what to expect but as it happens, I needn’t worry because she isn’t here. I check every room and nothing. All her belongings are still here but she and Zachery isn’t. I waited for an hour before leaving again. I rode around town to see if I could see her car parked anywhere but still no luck. The motel was still closed so she wouldn’t be there. Finally after a couple of hours I return to the clubhouse.

“Anything?” Cas asks as I walk into the bar.

“Nothing, her things are still there but I can’t find her anywhere in town. Has she been back here?” I ask, knowing she wouldn’t have been.

“She needs to be found brother and if you’re the one who wants to talk to her then you’re gonna have to find her fast. We can’t take any chances of that night being dragged up again.”