Page 14

CHAPTER

THIRTEEN

Brick

As the group makes their way toward us, I’m hit with a sense of unease. The only reason Madame Laveaux would come is if there’s more to what happened to Rayleigh than we already know. “Brothers,” I say, standing to give each one a man hug before turning to her. “Madame Laveaux, it’s an honor and privilege to have you here.”

“You don’t know why I’ve come. All I’ll say is everything will be revealed in its own time.” Glancing over at Voodoo, he shrugs at me.

“Brother, she says that all the time. I just know she called and told me it was imperative she be here to meet Rayleigh’s parents before we dealt with them.”

“Let me show her to a room so we can go ahead and have Church. Ma’am, how did you know we got them? That's club business.” I feel pretty confident Voodoo wouldn’t utter a word, none of the brothers would.

“I have my ways, dear boy.” She smiles at me, and I find myself returning the gesture. If I didn’t know some of the stories surrounding her, I’d swear she was a harmless senior citizen, who bakes cookies and spends time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Rooster walks over, sees the Ankeny brothers along with her and his face pales when he realizes there’s a woman standing in their midst. “Ma’am, I can show you to a room so you can get settled if that’s okay.”

“Dear child, I will follow you once I’ve made a cup of tea. Can you show me the kitchen first?” she asks.

“Yes, ma’am. Please come with me.” I watch as he gently takes her elbow then leads her toward our kitchen, chattering away as if he’s known her forever. Seems she has that effect on folks if his reaction is any indication.

“Let me send out a text to the brothers announcing Church. Seems we need to get to the bottom of things, Brothers,” I state, pulling my phone from my pocket. Once the message is sent, I sit back down since I know it’ll take about thirty minutes or so before everyone shows up.

“This is an interesting turn of events,” Grim says, before downing a shot of whiskey.

“You tell me,” Voodoo replies, grabbing a chair and pulling it over to our table. “We were halfway here when she called to tell me she’d meet me at the next exit. How she knew we were enroute is beyond me, but she was there waiting when we pulled in to gas up and stretch.”

I remain quiet as the others continue talking, trying to guess why she wanted to be here. I remember how familiar Rayleigh is to me, despite being positive I’ve never met her before and briefly wonder if Madame Laveaux knows something about it. I wouldn’t be surprised seeing as she seems to know stuff before anyone else does. Angel calling my name interrupts my musings.

“How’s she doing, Brother?” he asks.

“She seems to be settling into her new life quite well,” I reply.

“She’s not here as your ol’ lady?” Voodoo questions, his brows raised.

“Not yet,” Banshee retorts. “Brick felt she needed to feel what it was like to be free before he claimed her.”

I glare at my brother before stating, “She’s been virtually a prisoner her whole fucking life. What kind of man would I be if I immediately claimed her without giving her the chance to see who she is as a person?” I may be rubbing one out multiple times a day to thoughts of her, but I still stand by my original conviction; she needs to come to her decision on her own, without any prompting by me. However, if she ever comes back to the clubhouse, she’s mine. Plain and simple.

Voodoo nods his head in understanding. “I get it now. You’ve probably told her what’s going to happen, but are letting her figure shit out on her own for the time being. Bet you’ve either got brothers watching over her or you’re doing it yourself.”

I shrug. “She lives in the apartment above our bar and works for both the bar and tattoo shop. Brew and Phantom are keeping watch over her.”

Voodoo belts out a laugh even as he’s nodding. “And what do they report?”

I grin. “She’s coming into her own, apparently. Just today she stood up to Brew about something. He said he could tell she immediately felt bad for speaking out, but despite a shaky voice, she stood her ground. I’m sure she’s going to have good and bad days. I just want her to realize by my side is where she belongs. And… now that we’ve apparently all grown pussies or some shit, I think it’s about time to head to Church.”

It’s a bit unusual to have brothers from another chapter in Church with us, but given the circumstances, plus their verbalized desire to be here when we dealt with her parents, I don’t have an issue with it. We’re not discussing any other club business while they’re here, just the situation with Laura and Dave Matthews. As everyone makes their way into the room, I settle into my seat, the gavel in my hand. Once everyone finds a seat, a few of the brothers leaning against the walls, I lift the gavel then say, “Shut the fuck up, we got shit to discuss!”

As silence pervades the room, I glance at Scythe and ask, “How’s Enoch faring?”

“He’s looking quite a bit worse for the wear, Pres,” he replies. “Now that Tonopah Valley is here, it might be time to let him fly south, so to speak.”

“Fly south, I kinda like it,” Rael retorts. “Makes it sound like he’s going on a long vacation in a warm place.”

“Oh, it’s warm alright,” Grim replies, smirking. “I’m positive Lucifer’s got just the right place for that fucking bastard to spend eternity in while he endures unremitting torture.”

“We’ll take care of it today, then. Now, about her parents. Voodoo, you have no clue why your grandmother decided she had to be here?” That part puzzles me the most, to be honest. I know she’s in tune with the other side; did she get another message pertaining to Rayleigh? Is she still in danger of some sort? The questions invade my mind, nearly driving me crazy.

“Not a fucking thing. She tends to do what she wants, though, so be prepared, Brother.”

“Will do. Now, Laura and Dave Matthews have a bit of an alcohol and drug problem. Their addictions caused them to neglect and also abuse Rayleigh in nearly every way possible. I’m of the mind to give them a taste of their own medicine, but I know y’all can’t be gone from your own chapters that long, and I realize Banshee and Rooster need to get to Texas to deal with Rooster’s shit. So, y’all hit me with some of your ideas because I’m sure you’ve got some. Especially you two,” I state, looking at Brew and Phantom, who have been working with her for several weeks now.

Brew’s face darkens as he opens his mouth to speak. It takes him several minutes before he growls out, “That little girl is so fucking brave, she makes all of us look like pussies.”

“What do you mean?” Grim asks before I can speak.

“Every fucking day, she comes downstairs ready to tackle the mess our customers leave. She rolls up her sleeves and never complains, no matter how bad it is and y’all know there are nights when it looks like a tornado blew through the place. A week ago, when the mop broke, she researched on her laptop you gave her, Hawg, then came to me to show me how the system she found would benefit us. She shook the whole time but stood her ground with me when I peppered her with questions about the cost, upkeep, supplies. Even when a loud noise startles her and I see her nearly drop to the ground in fear, she squares her shoulders then goes back to what she’s doing.”

“Today, she flat out asked me why we tell her to keep the change,” Phantom adds. When I look at him with one brow raised, he says, “She always asks each of us if she can grab us lunch, so both of us tell her to get the special at the diner, get one for herself, and keep the change out of the money we both give her. It’s because she wants to do things on her own, y’know? When she first moved in, Brew and I both tried to leave stuff for her to help her get settled into her place, but she returned it, thanked us profusely, then said she had to learn to do things on her own. Fucking sweetheart, that one.”

Pride swells in my chest when I hear how she’s doing. “She also has a friend now, too,” Jingles advises. “The chick who works at the thrift store. It’s why she’s turned all of us down when we try to arrange to take her shopping on Sundays. She says her friend, Cassie, doesn’t mind taking her and she doesn’t want any of us to go out of our way, we’ve done more than enough to help her already.”

“Better get that claim on her soon, Brother. Sounds like she’s winning over your brothers,” Rael says, smirking at me. I can see his Reaper peeking out, both of them laughing at my current predicament.

“Working on it, Rael,” I retort. “Glad she’s healing.”

“When I guard her door, I sometimes hear her crying out,” Rooster admits. “But she seems to settle right back down, so I don’t knock or anything. I know you said you didn’t want her to know we were watching her like that.”

“Shoulda said something, Brother,” I growl out, upset she’s having nightmares and no one’s there to soothe her.

“I’ll be sure to do so the next time it happens, Pres,” Rooster says, dropping his head.

“Can we hasten up the parents’ demise?” Grim asks. “Tell me what you were thinking?”

“Well, I thought we could deprive them of food at least, work both of them over even though she’s a woman, then lock them in a small room before we end them.”

“She’s no woman if she was able to treat her daughter in such a manner,” Phoenix says.

Angel nods then adds, “We could bury them in a container with limited resources and let them die.”

“We’re here to reap their souls,” Rael states.

“Honestly? I think we should see what Madame Laveaux wants to say to them, then each brother who wants, take their best shot, then see if Rayleigh has anything she wants to say to them,” Banshee suggests.

“I’m concerned seeing them again might set her back, Brother,” I reply. “Otherwise, what you’re suggesting sounds pretty fucking good. We can all play then let our Tonopah Valley brothers do their thing.”

“Bet there won’t be anything left to clean up,” Phantom teases, looking at the three men standing there. All of their Reapers are just below the surface, as if they sense they’re about to be let loose to claim a few more souls for the Devil.

“You’d be correct,” Grim says, smirking so evilly it gives me chills.

“Can I just say I’m glad y’all are on our side and not sound like a fucking pussy?” Kracken asks.

“We’ve heard that a time or two. Now, are we ready to get this party started?” Grim questions, looking at me.

With a nod, I hit the table with the gavel then state, “All Brothers who want in, follow us so we can get this shit dealt with now.”

It doesn’t surprise me that every brother who isn’t out on a run is down here right now. Once we finish with Enoch, Voodoo will snag Madame Laveaux so she can do whatever it is she feels she needs to, then we’re going to start on Rayleigh’s parents. Right now, we have them in separate cells with no food or water. I can hear their wails as they go through withdrawal. Sucks to be them right now because it’s only going to get worse.

“This is the piece of shit who left her for dead?” Angel asks, glaring down at Enoch, who is looking pretty fucking pitiful at this point. Old and new bruises cover his body, and the cuts some of the brothers gave him are definitely infected if the foul-smelling pus oozing from them is any indication. The stench of body odor as well as body waste has me wrinkling my nose in disgust.

“The very one. Took her from her parents in payment for a debt. Then, decided she’d make a great punching bag when she wasn’t able to accomplish what he thought she should while he left her alone with barely any food or water to speak of,” Kracken replies. “Oh look, I see you weren’t able to keep from eating everything. You were supposed to divvy it out, man.”

“Kinda wish we could have a bonfire,” Phoenix says, flames dancing off his fingers. “Oops, didn't mean it,” he continues, as one of the flames lands on Enoch, causing him to scream in pain as the flame remains concentrated on one area.

I’m absolutely fascinated by my brothers’ otherworldly talents at this point. Growing up in the mountains, there are so many superstitions and stories surrounding the area, I never realized some of them had a bit of truth to them. Plus, Madame Laveaux’s own reputation precedes her, which is one of the reasons I’m beyond respectful of whatever it is she does. I don’t have to understand something to recognize it’s real.

“Phoenix, you gonna move back so we can finish this fucker then move on?” Grim asks, a smirk on his face. His Reaper is even closer to the surface, causing me to hide my instinctive shudder. I can’t fully grasp willingly letting the Devil have my soul, but these brothers, despite some of the shit our club is involved with, help rid the world of evil.

“You guys just want to take a man’s fun away,” Phoenix retorts, calling the flame back before closing his hand and reabsorbing all of them.

“No, we don’t want to get stuck here in this godforsaken snow,” Shadow supplies, rubbing his hands together almost gleefully, as if he’s eager to get to work. “Can we do it now?” he asks me.

Nodding, I step back and let the Tonopah Valley brothers gather around Enoch’s nearly prone figure. He’s injured, weak from hunger and lack of water, so he’s unable to do anything to save himself. Not that he was ever getting out of here alive to begin with. I watch in fascination as their shapes shift and their Reapers stand there, Grim reaching over to slit Enoch’s throat and end his miserable life. As one, we see what I’m guessing is Enoch’s soul begin to rise before three scythes cut through him, screams echoing in the small chamber. The floor trembles before opening and I can smell the sulfur and brimstone as well as feel the heat before Enoch’s physical body and his soul disappear from sight. Blinking, I see the floor has closed up again leaving nothing behind.

“Well, that’s gonna make clean up a fuckton easier,” Phantom says, looking down at where Enoch disappeared. “Just gotta get rid of the stench he left from pissing and shitting. We need to get some prospects, Pres,” he tells me almost as an aside.

“Got a few in mind, we’ll talk about it at the next Church. Voodoo, you want to get Madame Laveaux?”

“Be back shortly, brothers,” Voodoo says, walking out of the room.

“Let’s go see how her parents are doing,” I state.

“Looks like you’re both hurting,” Brew says, peering at the two individuals who are currently tied to two chairs, the brothers grabbing her from her cell so we can get this shit done.

The sickening stench of sweat, combined with urine, has my stomach turning. I swear to Christ, I’m going to start doing what I’ve heard coroners do before an autopsy. I’m going to smear some Vicks under my nose because this shit’s for the birds.

“Just need a drink,” Dave Matthews sputters out, his body trembling from withdrawal.

“More like you probably need a fifth at this point,” Jingles retorts, causing all of us to burst into laughter. The sinister sound causes her to whimper as tears begin falling down her face, but any sympathy I normally have for a woman in distress is absent.

I can see the brothers who captured them weren’t gentle as both are sporting multiple bruises. Normally, I wouldn’t deign to hurt a woman, but Laura Matthews isn’t a female, she’s a cold-blooded monster. “While we wait for our guest to arrive, I’ve got a few questions for you,” I say.

“What kind of sorry, good-for-nothing assholes trade their daughter to pay off a drug debt?” I casually inquire, even though my body is vibrating with so much anger I can feel my blood pressure rising.

Dave sneers at me through bloodied lips but doesn’t answer, while Laura starts laughing maniacally. She, too, doesn’t respond to my question, causing Scythe to step forward and backhand each of them. “When Pres speaks, you answer, motherfuckers,” he rumbles out.

Once again, the smell of urine permeates the air as each of them piss themselves. At this rate, the ammonia smell is going to singe off my nose hairs, for fuck’s sake. “Swear to Christ, getting tired of cowards thinking they can piss in our rooms,” I state. “Now, either of you feel like answering?”

“I could likely get them to say something,” Phoenix advises, his little flames dancing in his palm once again. “Of course, they’re so wet now, they’d probably be able to put them out, who knows?”

Again, sinister chuckles reverberate around me as each of my brothers stand around the couple, arms crossed over their chests with the exception of Phoenix, who now appears to be juggling several small fireballs.

“They can’t speak on what they don’t know,” Madame Laveaux states, walking into the room.

This is another first for me because women never come in when we’re interrogating people. However, as I’ve learned, when she wants to do something, she does it. “Madame Laveaux, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you but whatever you see or hear here has to stay in this room to ensure all of our safety.”

“I completely understand, young man. Now, may I speak with your guests?”

Stepping back, I wave for her to come forward, interested in hearing what she has to say. What happens next completely blows my mind. Instead of uttering a word, she lightly touches their foreheads with her fingers, a frown marring her surprisingly smooth, youthful face. A slight ‘hmph’ can be heard and I see both of them start swaying. Turning to us, she says, “Look to your past for the answers you seek. They were pawns in the whole thing, however, their treatment of your woman is abhorrent.” She looks over her shoulder and tells the pair, “You have much to answer for in the afterlife.”

With that, she calmly walks out of the room, leaving all of us just standing there, mouths agape.

“She coulda phoned that one in,” Banshee quietly says.

“She had to put hands on them, dumbass,” Brew retorts, eyeing Laura and Dave as they appear to be lost inside their own minds.

“Wonder what she did?” Phantom muses.

“She probably confirmed what she already knew,” Voodoo says, smirking. “I stopped questioning her motives years ago in order to keep my sanity and wits.”

“So, back to the questions, assholes. You gonna answer Pres yet?” Rooster asks, glaring menacingly at the couple.

“In case you forgot the question, and just to let you know, I don’t normally repeat myself, what kind of sorry, good-for-nothing assholes trade their daughter to pay off a drug debt?”

Both start shaking as though they’re having some kind of seizure. Brew reaches over and slaps Laura while Rooster backhands Dave, but instead of answering, they start foaming at the mouth. “Jesus fucking Christ,” Grim bellows. “Did she pickle their brains?” he asks Voodoo, who merely shrugs.

“No fucking clue. Bet it’s got more to do with the fact they’re heavy users who were cut off from their supply,” he replies. “Angel?”

I see Angel grimace before lightly touching each of their heads, keeping his distance as best as possible considering body fluids are surrounding each of them. “That should help. At least long enough for you to hopefully get the answers you’re looking for,” he says, glancing in my direction.

Lifting my chin in response, I move closer to the pair then crouch down so I can stare into their eyes. “One last time. Why?”

“B-b-because she had been around long enough. We weren’t supposed to…” Laura starts only to stop when Dave glares in her direction.

“Weren’t supposed to what?” Scythe questions, his voice low and menacing. “Raise your child? Make sure she would become a productive member of society? Take care of her? Tell us, you pieces of shit, what weren’t you supposed to do?”

“Have her to begin with,” Laura rushes out despite Dave’s protests to keep her mouth shut.

“Wait a second,” Banshee muses. “We may not have members around any longer who have kids, but growing up, I remember how excited the ol’ ladies would get when they’d find out they were expecting. Don’t you, Brick? Hell, my own mother was beyond ecstatic especially because she was told she couldn’t have any more kids. My little sister was doted on by not only my folks, but everyone in the fucking club. Up until the day we found out she was killed, anything she wanted, she got.”

I close my eyes, remembering the days after the club was sent proof by the Demon Devils MC they’d killed the little girl. Their actions started a war between the two clubs, but when they took out hers and Banshee’s parents, we had annihilated them. Not a trace of any of the members was left by the time we were done raining hell on them. Still, the memories of how somber the club was for a long time after she was taken then killed rise to the surface. Even our most hardened member, Angst, walked around with reddened eyes.

“What you’re saying makes absolutely no sense at all,” Voodoo advises. “If you weren’t supposed to be able to have her to begin with, you should’ve been overjoyed when she was born.”

“Most folks are,” Rael says, agreeing with Voodoo’s assessment. “At least, that’s how real parents react, anyhow.”

“Who says we’re her real parents?” Dave intones, a smirk on his bloodied face.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I bellow out, now totally confused.

But despite continually peppering, first with questions then with our fists, they remain mute, refusing to clarify what Dave said. After doing everything short of slitting their miserable throats, I finally throw my hands in the air.

“It’s obvious they plan to take their secrets to the grave, Brothers. Neither of them is in any kind of shape now to say anything.” I look at them, covered from head to toe in blood, teeth and fingernails littering the floor beneath them. Small burns courtesy of Phoenix have left festering, blistered places all over their bodies and Scythe’s knife work shows slashes across their arms, legs, and torsos.

“Don’t think they’re giving anything up,” Grim decrees, his Reaper staring at the pair with glee. “Like you, I hate unanswered questions, but hopefully, if you dig more into the past like Madame Laveaux said, you’ll find your answers.”

“Go ahead, Brothers, make Lucifer proud,” I say, waving my hand at the trio.

Once again, the rest of us stand back as the three men allow their Reapers to come forth, eliciting shrieks from both Laura and Dave before their cries are cut off by Grim’s sharp claw slicing through each of their throats. As the floor beneath us begins to tremble, I watch in avid fascination as three scythes appear and as one, they carve through the ebony black souls floating away from the now-prone bodies. Seconds later, the ground swallows everything up leaving behind the detritus of their torture.

“This shit gives me a boner,” Phantom whispers, seeing the room return almost to normal. “Minimal clean up, no bodies to worry about coming to light years down the road. Yeah, totally got a hardon right now.”

His words, while said quietly, almost to himself, soon have the rest of us chuckling. As our cleaner, it would make sense that having a virtual crime scene take care of itself with minimal fuss would cause some kind of reaction in him.

“Let’s get cleaned up, Brothers, I feel the need to down some booze right now,” Banshee decrees.