Page 32 of T-Bone (Steel Demons MC #11)

T-Bone

T he cabin that had been the cause of all this trouble sat alongside a manmade lake at the base of the Shiloh Valley Forest, the moon cast a spotlight on the one-story wooden structure as if it was saying, this is the place, you dumb shit.

One lone lamp lit the front of the cabin that faced the lake, and Gio and I climbed the short wooden staircase slowly and quietly, to avoid causing any unnecessary alarm.

“You sure about this?” Gio whispered.

I nodded. “If we don’t save the girl then all of this shit happened for nothing.

Then Ashley died for nothing.” Pike was still devastated and drinking himself into an early grave.

This wouldn’t bring her back but maybe it’d bring him a little bit of fucking peace.

“Just try to be your usual charming self, yeah?”

His face lit up with a smile. “You think I’m charming too?”

“Fucker,” I grumbled. Before knocking I looked around the property at my brothers.

Rocky and Falcon stood guard in front of the cabin while Maverick and Sniper protected the entrance from the road.

All sides were covered just in case everything went to hell.

I spared a few seconds for Faith, wondering—hell, hoping—she was all right.

That she would make it out alive to see her niece again.

“Okay, let’s do this.” I sucked in a deep breath and let it out as my knuckles connected with the door.

There was no answer and honestly, I hadn’t expected anybody to answer. This was supposed to be some kind of safe house and no one who stayed alive this long would open the door to strangers in the middle of the night. I knocked again and let another minute pass before trying the doorknob.

Gio’s hand shot out. “Wait. What if this is a trap?”

He was right but I trusted my gut. “If the Ghost Riders had made it here, there’d be a trail of blood, and they would’ve opened fire the minute we set foot on the porch.”

“Good point. Let’s do this.” He pulled out his gun and nodded. “Ready.”

I twisted the knob and pushed the door open.

“Gemma, are you in here?” There was no answer, but I wasn’t deterred.

“Gemma? Rachel? Are you in here?” I took another step forward and then another.

“Gemma, tell me where you are sweetheart. Amber,” I called out remembering the name on the drawing of the red-haired little girl. “Where are you?”

A loud roar tore through the darkness followed by heavy footsteps hurtling at me too fast for me to duck out of the way.

“Don’t shoot,” I told Gio when the face came into view. Blonde hair but with familiar green eyes. Other than the hair color, the woman could’ve been Faith’s twin, which shocked me at first, but the bat clutched in her hands had to be dealt with before I could process anything else.

She was a tiny slip of a woman, so it was easy to take the bat with one hand and hook my arm around her waist with the other.

But she was a fighter, kicking and flailing against me in an effort to break free.

“I’ll kill you sons of bitches! You can’t have my baby!

You can’t,” she shouted but the last two words ended on a desperate, defeated cry.

“We’re not trying to kill you or your kid.

I’m gonna put you down and you’re gonna be cool, right?

” I waited for her nod before I slowly set her down, my grip still tight as I turned her around and examined those deep green eyes.

Her face was so familiar, cheeks more gaunt than Faith’s, lips a little thinner but that was Faith’s sister.

A pale, thin, version of the strong woman I knew and loved, but it was her. “Chloe?”

Her eyes widened and she jumped back with alarm. “No, I’m Rachel. Rachel Grey.”

I shook my head, more certain than ever. “Nah, you have the same green eyes as Faith. You bleached your hair, but you can’t hide genetics.”

She scoffed, taking another step back that trapped her between me and a wall. “You’re lying.” Chloe was half a heartbeat away from panicking and I knew I had to calm her before she tried to bolt.

“How do you think we found this place?” I dropped the bat and kicked it away, keeping my arms at my sides so she knew I wasn’t a threat.

“You’ve been looking for us since Marcus died.” Her words were sharp and breathless. Fear shook her small frame.

“No, we’re not the Ghost Riders. Ashley’s brother, Will? He’s my best friend and part of our MC. She ever tell you about the Steel Demons?”

She nodded. “Th-th-they kept coming around, asking her questions about Gemma so she sent us here.”

“Yeah, I know. One of Faith’s friends at her old precinct called her to tell her that Gemma’s DNA was found in Ashley’s apartment. She came to town, and we’ve been working together.”

She was starting to believe me, but she wasn’t there yet, and I didn’t blame her. Three years of living in the shadows had hardened her and stolen her trust. “Ashley? We’ve been waiting for her to meet us here.”

“Shit,” I muttered, more to myself than to Chloe. “They killed Ashley, that’s how Gemma’s DNA was found at the crime scene.”

“No!” Her hand flew to her mouth and tears pooled in her green eyes. “No.”

“Okay. Maybe this will convince you.” I pulled out my phone and played Faith’s voicemail.

Chloe gasped at the sound of Faith’s voice and her hand shook as she reached for my phone. “Faith,” she whispered. Her gaze flicked to mine, uncertainty turning to something that looked a lot like wonder. “She trusted you?”

I nodded, proud that her sister realized what it had taken me until tonight to understand. “I guess so.”

Chloe shook her head. “Faith doesn’t trust anyone, definitely not men or bikers. You must be special to her.” Her smile was watery and soft, but it was there.

“That’s what I said,” Gio offered with a smile in his voice.

Her smile grew.

“You’re not safe here Chloe. We need to get you and Gemma out of here. Now.” I hated to put that look of fear in her eyes again, but we needed to get the fuck out of here.

She looked past me and Gio to the front door. “Where’s Faith?”

“You heard the message,” I said softly even though I knew she hadn’t heard the words, just her sister’s voice. “My other brothers are looking for her. She led Nate away from here so we could get to you, well to Gemma, first. She wanted me to come here for Gemma.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she shook her head. “I’m ruining Faith’s life. Again.”

I took a cautious step forward and reached for her. “Trust me, finding out you’re alive is going to make her so fuckin’ happy.”

“She thought I was… d-d-dead?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “She was focused on rescuing Gemma and keeping her safe. She quit being a cop when they closed your case, she became a private investigator so she could search for your little girl.”

Devastation took over again. She dropped her head forward and her entire body slumped forward. “I’m always ruining her life.”

“She doesn’t see it that way. I promise.”

Indecision kept her rooted to where she stood.

“Chloe, the quicker we can get you and Gemma to our clubhouse, the sooner the rest of us can go find Faith. Please.”

Her jaw clenched and she nodded. “Right. Yeah. Okay.” Her legs were shaky, so I held on to her. “Gemma, it’s okay honey. Come out.”

Slowly a door opened, and a little redheaded girl appeared. When she looked up, I saw those familiar green eyes and sighed. A heaviness mixed with happiness and everything felt almost right.

“Thank fuck.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “He said a bad word.”

Chloe and Gio laughed. “Come on Gemma, we need to go.”

She took a step back. “With them?”

“Yeah, they’re going to take us to Auntie Faith.”

Tears welled in the little girl’s eyes. “But you said we couldn’t see her again, that it wasn’t safe.”

“It wasn’t,” I answered. “But me and your auntie have been looking for you and she asked me to bring you to her.” I held out a hand and the little girl took it. “We don’t have time to pack. Grab anything important and make it quick.”

Chloe nodded and rushed around the small space until she held one backpack, exploding with stuff, clutched in her hands. “Okay. Ready.”

“Stay between me and Gio, and stay close.” Chloe nodded and I exited the cabin first, my head swiveling as Rocky and Falcon joined us, and then Sniper and Maverick flanked us once we got closer to the road.

Falcon stood beside the SUV with the back door open.

Chloe looked at me, pleading in her gaze.

I nodded, understanding perfectly. Tossing my keys at Falcon, I glared at him. “Don’t fuck up my bike. Or else.”

He flashed a knowing smile. “I’ll ride her better than you ever did.”

“Whatever.” I helped Gemma into the back seat, strapping her in while Chloe jumped in front.

We drove in silence for five minutes before Chloe finally spoke again. “Is Ashley really…” the last word broke off when her voice cracked.

I nodded. “I’m sorry but yeah. Her brother isn’t handling it well.” That was a goddamn understatement.

“He probably hates me too.”

I reached out to her. “Chloe, we all thought we were doing this just for her,” I nodded to the backseat where Gemma had drifted off to sleep. “None of us knew you were alive. Ash protected you with her life. Both of you. That makes you family.”

That was when she broke down completely, filling the car with her quiet sobs.

I rested a hand on her frail back while keeping my eyes on the road, long and dark and quiet, except for me and my brothers. I listened to her cry for all she had endured, all she had lost and the entirety of the life she would have to rebuild.

With my foot pressed hard on the gas, I let my thoughts drift to Faith. The woman who was my exact opposite on the surface, but who had the same determination, the same no-bullshit attitude I possessed.

And who also had stolen my heart when I wasn’t paying attention.