Page 47

With the group of us in the outbuilding, it felt familiar yet strange with Blythe and Leon there.

Less so with him, though. He felt like he belonged.

Assuming he stayed an ally when this was over, I wanted to ask if he ever considered becoming a biker.

If what Gio said was all true and the Dark Patriots wanted him, he’d be an asset.

Plus, I liked him even if I didn’t know him well, which wasn’t normal.

But that would have to wait. Time to get information and end this adoption and whorehouse horror.

Besides Leon, me, and Blythe, there were Hulk, Cyclone, Agony, Pope, and Wire. Wire had his laptop with him. He could and would get his hands dirty, but we needed him more to look into anything she said. If we could do it in real-time, it would be even better. He sat and got himself ready.

“How has she been?” Agony asked our enforcer.

“The usual. Trying to threaten what’ll happen to all of us, especially if she’s not let go.

She’s pissed that Blythe fucked it up for them.

She wants her to disappear and those two babies badly.

It’s become personal for her,” Hulk told us.

He did it softly and well away from Tavia so she couldn’t hear him.

She was still gazing hatefully at all of us, but I noticed it was worse when she saw Blythe.

“If that’s the case, then maybe I should begin asking the questions.

If she has a grudge against me, I may make her angry enough to tell us things that she wouldn’t give up easily.

I know you might have to hurt her eventually to get everything you need.

I’m not against it. It’s not out of concern for her.

I’d rather not make you guys do it unless it’s necessary.

I think she and Deon are more than business partners. They’re involved,” Blythe whispered.

“I got that vibe too, at the store,” Leon added.

“It’s up to you, Pres,” I told Agony.

“Lead away, and when you’re tired or ready to stop, tell us. Remember, don’t get too stressed.”

“I won’t. Bones, baby, I might have to say some things you’ll find upsetting. Just know they’re a lie. I need you to stay calm and not react. Okay, can one of you remove the tape from her mouth?” she asked sweetly.

Leon beat us to it. When he removed it, he took it slowly.

It wasn’t to make it hurt less. Duct tape stuck like crazy.

By doing it slowly, he was extending the pain and hoping to remove skin.

The way she screamed in her throat, it worked.

When he was done, her lips had dots of blood coming to the surface.

“You’ll pay! Every fucking last one of you is dead. And when we’re done, all your kids will be with new parents or sold to those who like to play with kiddies. And your women, God, the things that’ll be done to them,” she cackled.

“Tavia, stop. Wait, is that even your name? Tavia sounds fake. I thought so when you came in and introduced yourself, but I was polite and didn’t say it. However, that’s a made-up name—the kind a hooker would use. Your name is probably Mary or Jane,” Blythe said, rolling her eyes.

“Fuck you. It’s not made up. And who are you to make fun of someone’s name? Blythe, what a boring name,” Tavia snapped.

“At least it’s real, and Deon sure didn’t seem to mind it.” She smirked when she said his name.

“Like hell he did. He told me all the time how sick it made him to be near you, to touch you, or even say your name,” Tavia sneered.

“Really? Wow. He has to be an amazing actor because he sure didn’t indicate any of that to me.

Until he lost it and beat me that last time, I couldn’t get away from him.

He wanted to be with me all the time. The constant touching, telling me how much he wanted, loved, and couldn’t get enough of me, was sometimes tiring.

And don’t get me started on sex. He was all over me. ”

I admit it bothered me to hear her say it, but I kept my expression bland and stayed quiet.

“He had to do that to get you to fall for him, move in, and then get you to give up your friends and work while he got you pregnant. He said fucking you made him sick, and he was relieved when you finally got knocked up and he could stop,” Tavia insisted.

Blythe gave her a shocked look that changed to a sly one and then an amused one. She snorted. “He told you that? That he stopped having sex with me after I got pregnant?”

“Yes.”

Blythe laughed and then shook her head. “Tavia, I think the one he was fooling was you. Deon never stopped having sex with me. Not until the night he beat me, then passed out drunk in the living room. He was so remorseful and begged me over and over to forgive him. Until that happened, it was daily, more than once a day sometimes. He often told me how beautiful I was and that he’d never been with someone as amazing as me.

If he hadn’t hit me, we’d still be together.

He talked about how we should move and start a new life with our baby somewhere no one knew us. He was looking for a job.”

Everything sounded so damn truthful that I was left to wonder if he’d said those things. Tavia thought he did. She began to scream and try to jerk loose. Hulk and Cyclone had tied her to a chair. It was bolted to the floor.

“He never said that! He fucking hated you! Deon was counting the days until you were out of our lives! We were working towards one day moving to a place where we could settle and have a life. Where we could enjoy our money like kings!”

“Deon was pushing to pick out names for the baby. He wanted more as soon as I was ready. You two might’ve been involved and run this scam more than once, but I was different.

He wanted me. He fell in love with me. He was looking to run and take me and these babies with him so we could be together.

Too bad he let his old self break through for a moment,” Blythe taunted.

“She’s good,” Hulk muttered softly.

“Like hell! He knew better than to betray me or the others that way. If he’d done that, all of us would’ve hunted you down and killed you,” Tavia hissed.

“Please. Do you think anyone is afraid of you and your so-called people? Deon wasn’t afraid of you or your cohorts.

Christ, you’re pathetic. Guys, I bet there are no people or whorehouses.

It’s just her and Deon arranging adoptions with people who have no idea where the babies come from.

He changed his mind when he met me and was trying to find a way out.

Does she look like she has connections or someone to be concerned with? ” Blythe asked dismissively.

My woman rolled her eyes again and turned her back to Tavia. It was clear Blythe thought of her as beneath her in every way. With her back to the woman, Blythe mouthed, I love you. Sorry . I wish I could say it back.

“You wait until my uncle and cousin come to rescue me. They’ll make sure you and that one, Bones, suffer for days.

They know how to make people die hard. They’ll bring their men here and storm your pathetic walls.

And when I’m free, I’ll make sure those bastards in your belly are dead.

And if Deon betrayed me, he’ll be right beside you.

No one messes with the Machado family!” she screamed.

Bingo, a last name. If Tavia were her first name, surely Tavia Machado wouldn’t be a common name. And there was a Spanish accent coming through as she got angrier. Her dark hair, eyes, and skin tone could suggest a Latina heritage. Wire was furiously working.

“Machado, Machado, who’s scared of two-bit hoodlums?” Blythe asked Leon. He chuckled.

“I’m not. I think you’re right, Blythe. She’s jealous because she feels herself losing the man she thought was hers to you.

I bet he doesn’t even know she came to see you.

He’s hiding out somewhere, clueless. Here, we thought he’d be watching the store.

We had known for a while that he was watching the compound, but the club had removed his camera.

The note you got last week from him makes sense.

What did it say?” Leon effortlessly fell into the lie with her.

“ I made a mistake, but I’ll make it up to you. I need you. I love you. Please, don’t leave m e. I want us and the baby to be free and together forever . It was pathetic,” Blythe said, shrugging.

As Leon spoke, Blythe moved back closer to Tavia.

When she said what the nonexistent note read, Tavia tried to lunge at her even though she was tied down.

A blood-curdling scream came out of her, and she was almost foaming at the mouth.

Tavia’s eyes were wild. If she’d been free, Blythe would’ve been dead. I’d seen and heard enough.

“Firefly, it’s time. Go back to the clubhouse, or better yet, go home and lie down. Cyclone, will you take her, please?”

“Sure will,” he said.

Blythe kept her word and didn’t argue. She came over to me. I didn’t allow her to leave before I kissed her. As I let go, I whispered, “You did a fantastic job. Thank you.”

“I was happy to help. Now, get the rest we need and come home. I won’t sleep worth a damn without you.” She smiled at the others as she left with Cyclone.

The things spewing from Tavia’s mouth were sickening and demented, but mixed in there, if you paid attention, was valuable information about her family, Deon, and those they worked with to sell the women and babies.

She kept ranting and raving after Blythe left.

It was as if she couldn’t control herself.

It wasn’t everything, but enough for Wire to follow a trail.

We needed to know numbers. Was the Machado family heavily connected and large? Or a small family trying to grow?