Page 17
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Declan
While Violet is upstairs taking her bath, I need to make a few phone calls. I will probably catch hell from Pres for not filling him in before heading up here to meet with Kayce and Matteo, but I didn’t know exactly what I was walking into and whether it was something I want to pull the club into. Honestly, I’m still not sure but either way, I need to tell Gabe what’s happening.
“Hello.” Gabe answers on the first ring.
“Hey, Pres. Is this a good time to talk?” He knows what I’m asking without me having to elaborate.
“Headed to my office now. Hold on.” I hear a few voices chatting, fading in and out in the background as he moves. A door closes, and he’s back on the line. “What do you got for me?”
Leaning against the window, I let the beautiful scenery calm me.
“I found Violet,” I start. “We’re staying in a cabin not far from town, but quite a way off the beaten path.”
“All right. That’s the basic information. So, what’s the shit you’re not telling me?” Pres says, not missing a fucking beat. “Is she okay? What are walking into, Dec? What kind of trouble is she in?”
I let out a long sigh. “Physically, she’s fine. I don’t know about emotionally.” I sigh. “I heard a strangled noise upstairs while she was supposed to be taking a bath. She says she fell asleep and must’ve had a nightmare.”
“Jesus,” Gabe mutters. “You believe her?”
I shrug. “I don’t know, Pres. She hasn’t told me anything about her past except that her husband is a scary asshole.”
“Husband? She’s still married?” Gabe sounds pissed. “You know what kind of shit you could be bringing here? Is he crazy? A sick, twisted fuck? Or did she just leave without filing for divorce? What are we dealing with, Dec? I need to know before we bring this shit to the table.”
“I don’t have all the details. I only know some of it. I’m hoping to get the rest from her while we’re here. But she’s got some serious wounds, Pres. I don’t know if she’s going to open up to me right away.”
“Wounds? She’s hurt? You need Doc?” Under his gruff tone, I hear his genuine concern.
“Not physical wounds. At least none that I’ve seen,” I tell him. “But she’s been through some serious shit with this fucker before.”
“How can you be sure if she hasn’t told you everything yet?” Gabe asks skeptically.
“I called in a favor from an old friend. He’s the one who found her for me. He’s also the one who helped her and Carter escape the son of a bitch.”
“Jesus.” Gabe breathes deeply. “What about Carter? Is he good?”
“Carter is with Caleb and Liz until I get back.”
Gabe chuckles. “Smart move on your part. It also explains why Ma’s visits to the basement were shorter today.”
“Yeah, I thought having a kid around would help. Plus, he loves animals. I figure Caleb gets an extra set of hands and the kid gets spoiled by Liz. Win-win.”
“Okay. So, the kid’s handled. Now, what do you need from the club? How can we help?” Gabe gets down to business. “Actually, back up. Tell me what you know, then I’ll decide what our next steps need to be.”
I chuckle to myself. It’s one of the things I appreciate about Gabe. It doesn’t matter what trouble any of us get into, we just bring it to him and he tells us what the club will do to help. He takes control, but it’s not because he doesn’t trust us to make our own decisions. It’s because as the president, it’s his job to take care of his men and their families, and he takes that shit seriously. Brotherhood means everything to this club. I’m so fucking glad I found my way to be a part of it.
“Like I said, I have a friend who works off the books for various agencies. He was able to fill me in on a few things, but not everything.” I want to tell Gabe everything I know, but part of Kayce’s agreement to work with me was that I keep him and his men’s identities to myself. The fewer people who know who they are and exactly what they do, the safer they’ll be in the long run.
“Her husband is a dirty cop, and not just the kind who writes bullshit citations,” I explain. “If the payoff is high enough, he’ll dispose of evidence, arrest some unsuspecting asshole who pissed off his boss, or conspire to bring young women and children into the harbor for trade.”
“Fucking bastard,” Gabe spits out. “And who’s paying him?”
“That’s the mystery,” I tell him. “My source says it’s not just one person.”
“So, he works for the highest bidder? That might make it easier to get to him.”
“Maybe. But from the information I’ve gathered, it’s sounds like one person is controlling all the others this bastard is working for.”
“Do you think he’s connected to Cusenza?” Gabe asks.
“Not sure.” I pause. “But …”
“But what, Dec?”
“Parisi helped Violet and Carter when they got away.”
“I thought you said it was an old friend of yours,” Gabe damn near shouts.
“He got her out, but Vincenzo gave them a new identity and a place to live.”
“Fucking hell!” This time he does shout. “At what cost Declan? What does she owe Vincenzo? We both know that motherfucker doesn’t work for free.”
“I don’t know yet. But Pres,” I pause, hoping he’ll take a breath and calm down. “Vincenzo was working with George to put an end to the trafficking bullshit.”
“And he got George fucking killed and damn near got Skyler killed, too.” Nope. He’s still pissed.
“I know. But what if Violet’s husband was planning to traffic her and the kid? Maybe Vincenzo got involved to prevent that from happening,” I suggest.
“She would still owe him a debt, Dec,” Gabe argues. “His not a generous person without cause. There has to be something in it for him. Find out what it is.”
“I got you, Pres.”
“Ok,” Gabe says a little more calmly. “So, first things first. What’s this fucker’s name?”
“James Swanson. He works out of Baron’s Edge, but he has connections all the way to Devil’s Canyon and is currently running for Sheriff. If he wins, he’ll have access to everything. County jails, policing unincorporated areas, serving warrants and court papers, and providing security to courts in the county. He could even be made responsible for evictions or seizing property upon court orders.He would be a mob boss’s wet dream. Access to all those places, he could fuck up records, release prisoners, and pay off the DA for specific judgments.” I only know all this because Kayce did some digging of his own to find out what kind of shit Swanson could stir up if he gets elected to office. “He has a decent shot at winning too. On paper, he’s got a clean record, lots of awards and shit.”
“If I had to guess, I’d say whoever’s paying him is pulling strings to get those accolades for him as well. If they’re controlling him, they’ll want him in a position of authority—higher up the food chain—someone who can cover more tracks and will have more intel to offer them for a price.”
“Yeah,” I agree, scrubbing my chin. “I don’t think it’s just one person this cop is working for, Pres.” I have to tell him about the doctor and what Kayce told me happened to her. “The reason Violet left town was to help her friend. A doctor she knows was attacked by a group of bikers in Baron’s Edge a couple of nights ago.”
“What group of bikers?” Gabe’s angry tone tells me he’s thinking the same thing I am.
“We don’t have a definitive ID on the bikers, but if I had to guess, given the area and the reason for their interest, I’d say it’s the Devils. Apparently, they were sending a message to whoever she’s connected with.”
“And what was the message exactly?” Gabe asks through what I imagine are gritted teeth from the sounds of it.
“To stop helping the women they’re trying to traffic.” I don’t sugarcoat it. There’s no reason to.
“Fuck.” Gabe curses. “Is the doctor okay?”
“I assume so. She’s with Vincenzo at his mansion.” I smile to myself because if what Kayce told me about this doctor is true, she’s going to give Vincenzo a run for his fucking money.
“The doctor is partnered with a mercenary group who’ve been actively rescuing and rehabilitating women and children who’ve been abused or trafficked.”
“Not too long ago, the mercenary group intercepted a shipment of women and young girls being smuggled through the harbor. The doctor saw to their injuries.” I take a second to breathe through the anger I’m feeling. “The group of bikers messed the doctor up pretty bad, but Parisi had a medical team there to see to her injuries. Once she was stable enough, they flew home to Oakridge. Vincenzo took the doc to his place and Matteo brought Violet to me.”
“Fuck,” Gabe hisses. “I bet she’s pretty pissed at you for keeping her away from the kid.”
“She’ll get over it. I can’t let her go back yet. It’s not safe for her or the kid,” I tell him.
“Why? What the fuck else is going on, Declan? Jesus.”
“I need a prospect on her apartment. Someone broke in while she was gone. Doesn’t seem to have taken anything, but my family is not going back there while some sick fuck has a way to get inside.”
“You mean you were going to let her go home after all of this?” Gabe chuckles humorlessly.
“Fuck no.”
He laughs even harder. “I knew you were going to go caveman, eventually.” He continues to laugh. A few seconds go by and when he realizes I’m not laughing with him, he sobers up. “I’m happy for you, Dec. But you can’t just throw your weight around and force Violet to accept your claim on her. You’re going to have to go easy with her. Tread lightly. Do you even know why she left her bastard of a husband and went into hiding? What did he do?”
“Aside from the obvious, I don’t know. I know she was abused. Even before I got confirmation, I knew. The signs were all there. But it doesn’t change how I feel or the fact she and Carter are mine now. It may take some convincing, but she’ll come around. I just need to prove to her she can trust me to be what she needs.”
“And the fact she has a husband and is still legally married … what are you going to do about that?” Gabe asks smugly.
“He can’t do shit if he’s dead.”
“Fucking hell,” Gabe grunts. “Brother, you better make damn sure you know what the hell you’re doing. Fucking with a cop—a crooked one at that—you’re asking for shit to rain down on you … and the club.”
“I get it if you don’t want the club involved, Pres. I can handle shit on my own. I’ll take Carter and Violet somewhere safe away from Oakridge and the Kings.”
“Fuck you!” Gabe shouts. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it, asshole. The club has your back no matter what you choose. All I’m saying is you better know what the hell it is that you’re doing. If this cop is as connected as you say he is …” He pauses. “You know the saying ‘shit rolls downhill?’ Well, we would be at the bottom of that fucking hill, brother. So, you better be goddamn sure this is a war you’re ready to fight.”
“Never been more sure of anything in my life, Pres.” I say without hesitation. “This fucker didn’t just hurt my woman. He’s helping to facilitate human trafficking.”
“Can you prove he is for certain?” Gabe asks.
“No. But he’s not stopping it and it’s happening in his own fucking backyard. If he’s not facilitating it, he’s turning his head, which is just as fucking bad in my book.”
“James isn’t just facilitating it. He’s a partaker too,” Violet’s voice coming from the kitchen has me turning to face her.
“I’ll call you back, Pres.” Hanging up the phone, I tuck it away in my back pocket and move over to the island where Violet is standing, tugging the bottom of my shirt down over her legs. Unfortunately for her, my shirt barely reaches her knees, and my cock takes instant notice of her beautiful bare legs.
“Hey, Dove. I didn’t hear you coming down the stairs. You trying to sneak up on me?” I tease.
“I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. I was coming down for dinner,” she says, looking down at her hands. The vulnerability I see before me tears at my heart. “I-I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was just … I-I’m sorry. I’ll go back upstairs.”
She turns to make a break for it, but I’m faster. Reaching an arm around her waist from behind, I pull her back into my chest and hold her firmly against me. “I’m not mad, baby. You don’t have to be afraid of me. I’ll never hurt you.” I feel her shoulders sag and her back melts into my chest. “I’m glad you heard me. In fact, I need you to finish telling me what you meant. Can you do that for me?”
She doesn’t speak, only nods. I spin Violet around and take her hand in mine, leading her back to the table where I have the plates all set up. She takes a seat and, placing my hands on the arms of her chair, I cage her in, then lift her—chair and all—as I scoot her seat in closer.
Not backing away, I lean in close to her ear and ask, “Do you need a blanket for your legs? It’s getting a little chilly in here.” Violet shivers as I run my nose up and down her neck.
“Yes, please.”
“I’ll be right back.” I take a step back, but don’t miss the long breath she lets out as soon as I do. I smirk at her, but don’t let her see me as I grab the blanket off the back of the couch and bring it back to where she’s waiting.
When I move to pull her chair out, Violet reaches out and snags the blanket from my hands.
“I can do it myself. Thank you.” She’s flustered, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like it. I need her off guard while we have this conversation, so she doesn’t throw up walls between us. I need to know everything there is to know about her husband and any potential threats he may bring with him.
I grab our plates from the warmer in the kitchen and bring them to the table, setting hers in front of her first.
“Do you want something to drink? There’s a wine chiller with a couple of bottles of wine, some beer, and a few water bottles. Or I can make us some coffee if you’d like,” I offer. She’s watching me, uncertainty dancing in her eyes.
“Water is fine. Thank you.” Her voice is soft and timid. Not at all like my Dove. Something has her spooked, and I’m not sure if it’s the conversation we’re about to have or the fact we’re here alone.
When I come back to the table with two water bottles, Violet’s brows furrow.
“Is something wrong, Dove?”
“You aren’t going to have a beer?” She looks almost shocked.
“No.” I smile. “I want to keep a level head.”
“Oh, I see.” Violet ducks her head and begins cutting into her steak, taking one small bite at a time. I watch as she does everything with slow, calculated moves.
“How’s your steak?” It’s almost robotic the way she’s moving. Cut a piece, lift it to her lips, take the bite, sit up ramrod straight, chew, all the while looking straight ahead but not at me. It reminds me of the way they made us eat in the chow hall in camp when I was a kid. It was a game we played to see who would crack first, but Violet’s not cracking.
What the hell is going on?
She finishes chewing and swallowing before wiping her mouth with a napkin and replying stoically, “It’s very good. Thank you.”
I set my knife and fork down and reach for her hand, stopping her next bite. “Baby, what’s wrong? Why do you look so stiff? It’s just dinner. We’ve had food together before. What’s going on?”
Violet’s eyes glass over and her shoulders drop. Her fork and knife are set down on the table and her hands are pulled from mine and are now in her lap.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I guess the mention of my husband has brought back some old behaviors. I don’t even know how it happened.” She chuckles softly. “It started in the bathroom. I cleaned it exactly the way he would’ve wanted it. The way I had to do it for years to keep from upsetting him.”
“The bathroom?”
She smiles softly, but it doesn’t meet her eyes. “It’s silly, I know. But everything had its place, and it had to be in a neat, orderly fashion in case anyone came by to visit the house. It needed to be perfect, and I needed to be the perfect wife. It was all a facade, of course.” She twists her hands in her lap, and I get up to move onto the seat beside her, gripping her hands in mine to stop the nervous movements.
“If anything was out of place. If I didn’t look put together. If the house wasn’t perfectly clean. He would, uh …”
“He would hurt you,” I fill in the blanks for her. Violet nods.
“I got used to it after a while. It wasn’t until he started threatening Carter that I started fighting back.” Her brow creases, and my temper is boiling just under the surface.
Kayce didn’t mention the boy being hurt.
“It’s good that you fought, Dove. It shows how much you love your son.”
Her smile drops, and her tears spill over the corners of her eyes as she shakes her head. “No. I fought back because I knew I could take the beating, but Carter was so young. Just a little boy. He didn’t deserve the man’s wrath. He was innocent in it all.” She looks down, shaking her head again, and I gently lift her chin, forcing our eyes to meet. “When James realized I would fight back if he went after Carter, it did something to him. He would use Carter as leverage to keep me under control. But sometimes …” Her breath hitches and her face pales. “James would purposely go after Carter and hurt him. He got some kind of sick satisfaction out of hearing my baby scream in terror. Even if the house was perfect. If I was perfect. If I did everything right, he would still threaten my son to get a rise out of me. And then he would …”
I pull Violet into my lap and hold her to my chest as she hiccups and sobs.
“Shh, baby. I’ve got you. He won’t hurt you anymore. He won’t touch Carter either. You have my word. I’ll keep both of you safe. You understand?” I pull back, lifting her chin once more so I can see her eyes, but also so she can see the seriousness looking back at her in mine. “You two are mine now. He won’t hurt either of you ever again, because I’ll kill the bastard if he tries.”
Violet gasps, but she doesn’t turn away. To my surprise, she lifts her head up and her lips crash against mine. She twists her body so she’s straddling me, and I let her take over. Whatever she needs from me, I’ll give her, and right now she needs to feel like she’s in control of something.
Her hands grip my hair, pulling me closer as our tongues explore each other. Tasting, sipping, nipping at one another. Her hips begin to move, grinding down on my now very hard cock. My hands find their way under the hem of my t-shirt she’s wearing, and I grip her hips intending to help her find that spot, looking to help her chase that release, but pause when I find she’s not wearing any panties.
I groan into her mouth. Violet whimpers in response.
Keeping one hand on her hip, I use the other to reach between her legs and find that sweet, heated heaven. She’s fucking soaked, and now my cock is weeping to be inside her. But not yet. This moment is about her.
I feel her body stiffen the moment my fingers caress her center, but I’m quick to move my other hand behind her neck and brace her to me. Breaking the kiss and leaning my forehead to hers, I watch as she closes her eyes, and see the moment her mind begins to spin.
“Don’t pull away from me, Violet. Look at me, baby.” I can feel the rise and fall of her chest. When her eyes finally meet mine, they’re still heated, but the vulnerability and fear I see staring back at me calls to something deep inside.
Caressing her cheek, I gently lean in and place a kiss on her forehead. “What are you afraid of, Dove? I can’t slay the demons if I don’t know what’s lurking in the dark.” She closes her eyes as I kiss her softly once more. “I do, however, know what I’m fighting for. Do you? My sweet Dove? Do you know what I’m fighting for?”
She shakes her head, and a softly whispered, “No” escapes from her lips. I smile down at her and kiss her nose.
“Us,” I tell her honestly. “I’m fighting like hell for us, baby. All of us. I want us to be a family. You, me, and Carter. You belong with me. You know that, don’t you?”
Violet shrugs her shoulders, tears still silently falling down her face.
“Tell me the truth. You want to be mine as much as I want you to be yours, don’t you baby?” Violet squeezes her eyes shut tight, then lets out a stuttered breath.
She nods her head, keeping her beautiful hazel eyes hidden away from me as she says, “I’m so scared of losing you. If I allow myself to have you, to believe we could be a family, he’ll find a way to take you away from me. To punish me for everything I’ve done. James takes everyone I love away.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
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- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17 (Reading here)
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