Chapter 9
Winter, 1988
Alexander Gannon wiped his tired eyes and made his way back into his kitchen. It was dark, really dark, and he was scared.
Alexander had always been afraid of the dark but now?
Now, he was terrified, because the big men with guns had only just left. His mother’s screams had only just stopped, and he had no idea where Ashley was.
Is she okay?
Is she still alive?
Did the bikers get her too?
Alex knew his mom and dad were involved with other bikers…but these men were mean. They were loud, and nasty, and they made mom cry.
Alexander knew that the second he stepped foot back into the kitchen, he was going to see something he didn’t want to see.
“Ashley? Ashley, are you okay?”
As he called out his sister’s name, he wondered if she would even answer, or if she too was terrified.
Instead of hearing her respond to his call, he heard her crying. Her soft weeping was coming from the kitchen, and as he turned the corner and stepped through the doorway, he saw why.
Their mother, a beautiful raven-haired- angel, was tied naked to a chair. She was covered in blood and tears and her wide blue eyes were still open, seeing nothing as they gazed heavenward.
Their mother was dead, and now Alex and Ashley knew that for sure.
“Ashley, come here!,” Alex demanded.
Ashley was kneeling beside their mother’s body, her hands wrapped around her bare thigh.
Ashley glanced up at him and slowly shook her head of red hair, the long strands sticking to her wet cheeks.
“Come on, you shouldn’t be lookin’ at this! Did you find dad?,” Alexander asked as he lifted his sister from the tiled floor. She was shaking like a leaf, terrified even still, so Alex pretended like he wasn’t about to fall to pieces…like he wasn’t absolutely heartbroken.
“In the living room,” she whispered.
Alex moved into the living room, his sister tucked in his arms like the princess she was.
Or, used to be.
Princesses aren’t witnesses to a murder.
Now, Ashley’s youth would be just as ruined as his was.
Their father was on the floor by the front door, his eyes wide open, blood pooling around his mouth.
Alex felt his chest heave as tears threatened to over take him, but for Ashley, he had to be strong. He couldn’t let this ruin him. He’d have time to cry later.
“Ashley, I want you to take the phone and call 911. Tell them to come now.”
Ashley’s wide eyes met his and she nodded, not bothering to argue with him for once.
Alexander knew that the bikers could still be around the corner, watching and waiting. The only reason he and Ashley had survived was because they hid in the attic, where they knew they would be safe.
They’d heard and seen it all from the rafters above.
Ashley’s small voice met his ears as he gently closed his father’s eyes.
This was his life now, this was where their story started.
Yet, at only twelve years old, Axel silently vowed that he wouldn’t stop until every biker that had laid hands on his family was dead.
He would bathe in their blood if he had to, no matter how long it took, he wouldn’t give up.
He couldn’t.
He had to keep his sister safe…
-~-
“Laney, it’s break time.”
Laney looked up to see Esme leaning against the office door jamb, her arms crossed.
“Already?”
“Yep! Time flies around this place. Are you having a good first week here?”
Laney glanced around the small office and nodded.
Working at Sexy Sinners wasn’t her idea of a dream job, but it worked. It made her good money, offered good benefits, and now that she was working, she had something to distract her from her own anxieties.
“I’m hungry, you wanna grab lunch?”
Esme nodded her dark head and gestures towards the bar.
“We can eat here if you want.”
Laney has no problem with that, considering she had a mountain of paperwork to finish filing before the week was done. She’d gotten a good head start on it to feel comfortable, but Ox had given her a few tasks that seemed daunting to say the least.
“What sounds good to you?,” Laney asked as they headed towards the bar.
Esme shook her head.
“I’m okay with anything at this point, I haven’t eaten for hours.”
Laney pulled out her phone to see what places would deliver in the area, wondering what she herself was in the mood for.
“Well, well, look who’s working’ the club scene. You fit in here much better,” Laney heard over her shoulder.
To her surprise, Pierce was standing behind her. He wasn’t wearing a cut, but she supposed he wasn’t allowed to at the moment. It didn’t make her feel guilty though, especially not with the way he was glaring at her.
“Can I help you?,” She asked.
He sneered, his teeth bared for only a second before they disappeared.
“I mean, if you’re up for a private dance-”
“She’s not a dancer ass hole, and you know it. Just like you also know that she’s your prez’s girl,” Esme snapped.
“Did I know that? Sounds like news to me,” He growled.
Laney looked between the two and shook her head. Leveling Pierce with a glare of her own, she said, “I don’t know what your problem is, and I honestly don’t care, but my advice would be to leave me alone.”
Pierce seemed to think that was humorous because he started to laugh, his dark brows furrowed, his mouth twisted in confusion.
“I bet you’re the kind of woman who likes missionary, too, huh? Whether it be me or somebody else around here, you’re gonna have to learn your place, bitch. This ain’t a fairytale kingdom,” He hissed.
He moved closer to her, close enough that Laney could feel his body heat. Esme moved to stand, but Laney stopped her.
It was time she stood up for herself, right? She’d let him run his mouth a lot more than she should have, and Axel wouldn’t always be around to fight her battles for her. Sure, she was scared, Pierce was a big guy.
But, he was just a guy.
There wasn’t anything he could do to her that could surprise or hurt her, not after what she’d been through.
Laney tugged on the ends of his t-shirt, sans cut, and smiled wickedly.
“Looks to me like you have to learn your place, big boy. Where’s your cut?”
Pierce didn’t say anything at first, but his chest puffed out like a proud peacock and his nostrils flared. Esme tried to cover her laugh, but she couldn’t, and her laughter inly seemed to make him angrier. Laney cleared her throat as she said, “You’re not a patch anymore, remember? You’re no better than all the tagalongs I see workin’ their asses on that pole over there. I think you fit in much better around here than I do, Pierce.”
He grunted, made an angry whistling sound in the back of his throat before he lunged towards her. Faster than he could blink, Laney reached around the bar and smashed the bigger end of a beer bottle against the counter beside Esme. Esme squeaked in surprise as the beer and glass went flying, but Laney didn’t hesitate to hold it up to his throat.
“Go ahead, baby. Go ahead. I dare you. I’ll slit your throat so fuckin’ fast that you won’t have time to lift those greedy little hands of yours,” She said softly.
If Pierce was surprised then Laney was fucking shocked at her own behavior because the old her would have been too scared to raise her voice. The woman that James had by his side would have been too scared to whisper, not even yell, but this Laney was apparently, a badass.
“You’re gonna regret this, bitch!,” He snapped.
Laney’s mouth lifted in amusement.
“I guarantee you, if you try to put your hands on me again, you’ll regret it.”
Only after he stomped away and slammed the doors wide open, flooding the entire club with sunlight, did Laney realize that everyone was watching her; including Tango and Rebel from across the room.
With trembling fingers, she set the broken bottle down and glanced at Esme.
“Sorry,” She mumbled.
“Hey, don’t apologize! You just got accosted by that ass hole, again, girl! Are you okay? Do you want to call Axel?”
“No! I mean…no, I’m good. I just want to forget it ever happened. The drama isn’t worth it. I want a cigarette and I want a burger,” She joked.
Esme looked like she didn’t really believe her, but she was telling the truth. She didn’t want anyone to give her any more shit or walk on egg shells around her. If they thought she was still a basket case, then oh well, but if they knew she could take care of her own, they’d leave her be. No one wanted to fuck with the crazy chick.
“A burger and a cigarette I can offer you, Laney. You did good.”
Laney looked up to see Tango watching her, his eyes kind.
“Thank you…aren’t you mad? I just disrespected your brother in front a room full of people,” She wondered.
Rebel laughed, a deep gritty sound, and held out a cigarette to her.
“No way, sweetheart. Pierce just dug his own grave. When we tell Axel-,” Laney interrupted them by shaking her head vehemently.
“Please, no! Just let it go. It’s not that big of a deal, and it doesn’t really matter anyways. He’s already gotten a punishment. Just let it go,” She begged.
Rebel and Tango looked at each other skeptically, neither one seeming to agree with her.
“Please. I’m beggin’ ya, please. Just let this one go.”
Finally Tango sighed and nodded.
“Okay, sure. We’ll let this one go, you handled yourself well. But, if there’s one more problem, we’re gonna hand it over to Axel to handle. Okay?”
Laney closed her eyes in relief and smiled shakily at them.
“Thank you, really. I just don’t want any more trouble, okay?”
Rebel studied her.
“I don’t suppose you do. Okay, Laney. We’ll keep this between us. I can’t speak for everyone else here, but neither one of us will say a word.”
Laney felt relief bubble in her belly and suppress her anxiety for a moment.
“How about that burger?”