When Deke’s phone rang a couple of hours later, he almost ignored it. But it kept ringing. Hauling it out of his pocket he growled, “What the fuck do you want?”

“Just giving you a head’s up.” Rusty’s voice came over the line.

“About what?”

“The picture of the tiger went viral,” Rusty explained. “When it hit the net this morning along with your address, several agencies suddenly became very interested.”

“Who and why?”

“Boston police Detective Lance Sullivan for one. Seems the man has an open murder case sitting on his desk. Boston Child Services for another. They seem to have misplaced two wards of the state several years ago.”

“Anybody else I need to know about?” Deke asked drily.

“Yeah.” Rusty paused. “Mrs. Eleonore Pierce wants to know the whereabouts of the two missing girls. She’s even offering a reward of a hundred thousand dollars for information and, or their return. From what I can understand, she don’t care in what condition they are returned in as long as both girls are still breathing.”

“What the fuck is her interest?”

“One of the girls she claims killed her son, Robbie.”

“How did she know?”

“The painting resembles something the girl did on her basement wall.”

Deke sighed heavily. “So, what I asked you to find out this morning is really true?”

“Yeah, every fucking word. The cops are closing in on the girls, and Mrs. Pierce has the clout to make sure they never see the light of day again.”

“Did she kill Robbie the night of the attack?”

“No he lived, but the girl did a number on his manhood. It seems he felt life wasn’t worth living without his dick. He blew his brains out three weeks later. Got his hands on daddy’s gun and pulled the trigger with his own little hand.”

“Fuck a duck,” Deke whispered.

“Yeah and Mama’s had eleven years to wait for her revenge. That woman is a bitch of the worst kind.”

“Okay, let me know whatever else you can find out. We’re going on lockdown once we settle the business of the leak.”

“Are you all right man?” Rusty asked. “You sound a little strange.”

“Yeah, there’s been some goings on here. That bitch Connie was caught snooping at my door. Wiley took her cut and tossed her sorry ass out. Then she leaked that picture and our MC over the net, clocked Cassie in the head and put her down in the basement. It wasn’t good.”

“Poor girl.” Rusty cleared his throat. “I’ll try to let you know when the cops are on their way down to you.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” Deke ended the call and got to his feet. He’d been sitting in the bedroom all afternoon. It was time to take care of business. He glanced over at Peaches. She was curled up on the bed with Cassie and both of them were sleeping.

He left the bedroom quietly. His footsteps echoed as he moved down the hall. When he got to the main room, everyone was looking for word of how Cassie was doing. He went over to Gator’s table and sat down. Deke ran his fingers over his tired face. “She and Peaches are sleeping. I don’t think she’s back yet, at least not all the way. She’s fighting some pretty bad demons.”

Reaching over, Reva patted his hand. “At least she’s trying.”

Deke nodded, then looked over at Gator. “Are the boys back yet?”

Just then, they all heard the roar of motorcycles pulling into the parking lot. They waited for Wiley and the others to come in.

Everyone could hear a woman screaming, begging for her life, as they got closer to the door. Wiley dragged Connie into the room by her hair. He had to pull her along and he wasn’t gentle about it. He brought her over to where Deke and Gator were sitting, then threw her on the floor.

Connie was crying and screaming at the whole bunch of them, then she peered up at Deke as she paled and shut her mouth.

Deke picked up his drink and sipped it. “I just got a phone call from Rusty. He told me that someone posted a photo this morning on the World Wide Web. It was a photo of Cassie’s painting. Peaches told me earlier that Cassie doesn’t share her art with anyone until she feels safe. In fact, Peaches was very surprised when she saw old Rufus here.” He grinned and motioned to the tiger on the wall. “Peaches told me that when Cassie had nobody else to talk to, she could always talk to Rufus.”

Connie looked perplexed and terrified. They all knew this tone. The way he spoke and the way he smiled. It meant hell was coming and Deke would be serving up cold justice.

He turned back to the group. “We have been betrayed my brothers. Connie betrayed us to the whole world when she posted that picture. Now, we have badges coming our way. Johnny Law is coming all the way from Boston after my woman and they know right where to come, thanks to Connie.”

The room went silent except for Connie’s whimpering.

Deke slammed down another shot of whiskey. “I know all of you have had a hard life. It isn’t easy for any of us to grow up. Hell, the only family I ever had was either in the service or here with you all. But I’ll tell you a little bit of Cassie and Peaches’ story, so you can understand the hell they went through. At the age of three, Cassie lost her mother. He father sold her to Mrs. Eleonore Pierce. Pierce used her as a slave and used to beat the shit out of her on a regular basis. Cassie stood up for every other kid in that house and got beat down for her troubles. Pierce threw her tiny little body in a dark basement, after she beat the hell out of her, for days at a time, just for kicks. She left her tied up all alone for days. That’s what Connie overheard this morning. When we all left to do our normal business, Connie came back. She hit Cassie on the head with a fucking wrench, while she was sleeping, tied her up and left her to die in our basement.”

When Deke stopped talking the room was silent as all the members stared at the woman on the floor in disgust.

Connie hung her head down and was still crying.

Deke searched the faces of each of his men. “I know life isn’t fair but for a ten year old kid, there should be something more than what she had. One night when she heard Peaches screaming she busted out and went to find her only friend. She saw Robbie Pierce, a fourteen year old pig cutting and trying to rape a ten year old little girl. She didn’t manage to kill him, the bastard took his own life three weeks after the fact. But she did almost cut off his dick. They managed to escape and have been living on the streets since then. Now thanks to this bitch, old lady Pierce has a bounty on my woman and the badges are coming here.”

“What do you want us to do boss?” Wiley asked.

“Two things…The first thing, you have to seal her fate.” Deke nodded his head at Connie. “You all have to pronounce what’s going to happen to her, then you have to decide if you think I’m still your President. You all may think my feelings for this woman have led me astray. And you may all be right. I will use everything I can to protect her but I won’t use this club, if you guys aren’t comfortable with it. I can’t betray everything this club stands for, for my own personal gain. I won’t do that to you guys. I love and respect you guys too much for that.” Deke sat down and poured himself another drink.

No one said a word. Finally, one by one they all came forward and stood behind Deke. The last one standing there was Wiley. He went to stand behind Connie. Before she could raise her head, he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head back. Then while staring into Deke’s eyes he took his knife and slit her throat. Blood sprayed everywhere. Wiley threw her body to the ground. Then he laid the bloody knife on the table and joined his brothers standing behind Deke.

Everyone was waiting for him to speak when they heard footsteps coming from the back hall. Deke stood and turned to see Peaches helping Cassie coming toward him. She still looked incredibly weak but with Peaches’ help, they made their way to within a few feet of where Deke sat. Everyone moved to make a path.

A few of the men stepped in front of Connie’s body. They all watched as Peaches let Cassie go.

She took a few steps to come to a halt in front of him. Without saying a word, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. When her lips touched his, Deke grabbed her to him and kissed her for all she was worth. Everyone cheered and Deke could feel tears rolling down her face. He could taste them but he didn’t care.

Cassie leaned away from his embrace for a moment. “I’m sorry I left you for a while.”

“You came back to me.” Deke smiled. “That’s all I care about. You came back.”

“It was hard to do,” she whispered. “I almost didn’t. I almost stayed in the shadows. It’s easier to do.”

Deke sat down and hauled her into his lap. Several of the guys dragged Connie’s body out the back door and the women got busy cleaning up the blood. Deke held Cassie’s face to his chest until everything was done. He didn’t want her to see any of it. Then he let her go.

Peaches, Reva and Gator sat down with them.

Finally, Cassie spoke up, “I know its club business and I have no right to ask, but Peaches and I heard some of what you said. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

Deke reached for his drink. After swallowing it, he told her, “Connie betrayed both you and the club. She was listening at the door this morning and heard everything you told me. She’s the one who hit you and took you to the basement. She brought the police, Boston Child Services and Mrs. Pierce down on us.” Then he shrugged. “She paid for her betrayal.” He tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. “Life is hard in a MC. She knew the rules same as everybody else here does.”

Cassie nodded. “Those are the same rules all over, even on the streets. You rat out your friends and you pay for it with your life.” Then she shuddered. “I do wish she hadn’t included Mrs. Pierce though. She’s a stone cold bitch.”

“That bitch has a hundred thousand dollar bounty on your head,” Deke told her.

Cassie paled.

“What?’ Peaches yelled. “That’s just wrong.”

Cassie shook her head. “I killed Robbie. She thinks she’s justified.”

“But you didn’t kill the little puke. You just cut off his dick. He blew his own brains out three weeks after your attack.”

Cassie shrugged. “I was still behind what he did. She won’t care he pulled the trigger with his own filthy hands.”

“We aren’t giving you up Spitfire,” Wiley called out. “We stand behind our President and will protect you from both the law and this Pierce bitch.”

Cassie paused at the nickname then she blushed and smiled. Looking around she said, “Thank you. As for the law and Child Services, I have evidence of the horrors that went on in that house. I’d been collecting it for some time before Peaches and I left. Before we got out, I took her scrapbook. She has pictures of what happened to the kids there. I took it all and hid it.”

“Can you get it here?” Gator asked. “That would clear your name for the police.”

“It’s out in the door panel of my Jeep. I’ve carried that stuff for too long already. You learn early in life not to trust anyone but yourself. It has to be that way sometimes.”

Deke looked at his men. “We go to lock down. No one in or out, for however long it takes. One badge in particular, Lance Sullivan is heading here. I want a roaming watch until they get here.” He looked over at Gator. “Get rid of Connie’s body where no one will ever find it. I don’t want that coming back to us.”

“We’ll take her over to the pig farmer.”

“Do it now and when you get back, we’ll lock it down. I want an armed guard standing watch. I’m not taking any chances someone will jump the fence and come after her. A hundred grand is a lot of money.”

Gator got up and three guys followed him out the back door.

Cassie sighed. “Maybe Peaches and I should just leave.”

Deke held her tighter. “You girls aren’t going anywhere. I’m not letting you go. If you really have the evidence you say you do, then the law isn’t going to have a case against you. If I need to handle this Pierce woman I will.” Deke scowled. “She’s gonna wish she’d never been born if I go after her.” He patted her thigh. ”Let’s go see what this evidence of yours looks like. I like to know exactly where I stand.”

Together, they walked out to her Jeep and she showed him her secret hiding place. It was very hard for her to turn it over but she did. She watched him take the packet, her eyes glued to the envelope.

Deke lifted her face to his. “Are you sure you can do this?”

“What do you mean?” Cassie frowned.

“You can’t take your eyes off of this. Don’t you trust me with it?”

“Yes. I do trust you with it but you have to understand that for half my life, I’ve been protecting those papers. It’s very hard to turn them over to anyone. I don’t trust easily and if anyone but you had asked me for it, I wouldn’t have turned it over. My life and Peaches’ depends on that evidence. Without it, I would go to prison or worse, Eleonore Pierce could get her hands on us. This isn’t just my life at stake, its Peaches life too. I have to protect her.”

Deke leaned forward and laid his forehead on hers. “Sweetheart, that’s my job now. To protect both you and Peaches. If you let me, I promise I won’t let you down. I’d give my life for yours.”

Cassie smiled. “I don’t want your life given for mine. I want to share whatever life I have with you. I know we haven’t known each other very long but I have to believe you came into my life for a purpose. I want to make love to you again and again, for the rest of my life. Please understand I’ve never known love before. I’ve never had to share my feelings with anyone but Peaches before. I might make some mistakes or screw this whole thing up. I hope I don’t, but I might. Please give me a chance and don’t hold my mistakes against me.”

“I’ll do whatever I have to, to keep you. You have to trust me on this.” She held out her small hand.

“I do trust you.” He took it into in large one and they went back inside the clubhouse together.

When they sat down again, Deke spread the evidence on the table. He and Gator began going through what was there.

Cassie felt a little embarrassed by what was there but Deke and Gator didn’t look like they thought any less of her because of what they read.

She and Peaches went to the kitchen to make coffee. While they were there, Reva joined them. “How you doing girls?”

Cassie smiled. “I haven’t quite recovered but I’m getting there. My head hurts. I still feel a little shaky and the nightmare isn’t quite pushed all the way to the back of my mind.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe Connie did that. I’ll give you some aspirin. I was glad to see it wasn’t as bad as I thought with all that blood.”

“I’m sorry about it all too. I really don’t like to be touched. I told Wiley that several times and when he grabbed me, I lost it. I didn’t mean to hurt him.”

Reva snorted. “He should have listened and learned the first time, the dumb ox. The second inning was his own damn fault, and he knew it. She should have left it alone, but she didn’t. In this life, you do whatever your man tells you or you suffer the consequences. She’s also been here long enough to know you don’t rat out the club. She put not only your life in danger but everyone who calls this place home. She knew that, yet did it anyway.”

Peaches shuddered. “Cassie has always been tougher than me. She’s been the one all this time to watch over me and I’m very grateful she’s always had my back. Even when I was snatched she was brave enough to come looking for me.”

Cassie smiled. “We’re sisters from different parents’ girl, I told you that a long time ago. I’ll always have your back but hey, you aren’t the only one getting something out of this relationship. You’ve given me back something too.”

Peaches wrapped her arms around Cassie and held her tight.

Deke popped his head in the kitchen. “Cassie, Peaches we need to talk to you two for a minute. Can you come out here?”

Cassie searched his face but she couldn’t read his expression. Grabbing Peaches’ hand, they walked out to the main room. They went over to the table and Cassie gasped as she saw the pictures spread out on the wooden surface. Tears welled in her eyes and she grabbed Peaches’ hand a bit tighter.

“What’s going on in these pictures?” Deke asked. “Who is this little girl?”

The pictures in question showed a little girl laying on her stomach. Her back and legs had been whipped and she had several open wounds. Wounds that oozed blood. It ran down her back and legs.

Cassie sat down on a chair and stared at the pictures. She remembered that day very clearly.

“Oh Cassie,” Peaches sobbed. “You have to tell them.”

Cassie shook her head violently. “I can’t tell anyone what happened that day. I’m too ashamed.”

Deke knelt beside her chair. “You don’t need to be ashamed, but sweetheart I need to know. Is this little girl you?”

After a long moment, Cassie nodded. “Yes, that’s me but I can’t talk about that day.” She sobbed. She got up and ran down the hall. They all heard the door slam shut and her sobs long after it closed.

Deke looked over to Peaches.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. She too, sat down, laid her head on her arms and sobbed. A few minutes later, she stopped. Raising her head, she wiped her tears away and began to talk, “That was the day Mrs. Pierce came the closest to breaking Cassie.” Her words were barely more than a whisper but everyone standing around could hear them. “The old bitch had picked a fight with one of the small kids because she knew Cassie would watch out for them, she always did. She used to tell us that somebody had to fight for the little ones and Cassie was always sticking up for someone. Anyway, that day was the worst day. Mrs. Pierce almost killed her.” She took a deep breath, let it out and went on with her story, “That day Willie had dropped his glass of milk. Cassie was on the floor cleaning up the mess and Mrs. Pierce grabbed her belt and began beating her with it. She was screaming the whole time about how ungrateful she was that somebody had opened her home to kids nobody else wanted.” Peaches halted and swiped at a tear on her cheek.

Everyone waited for her to continue.

“Cassie made the mistake of telling the old bitch she may be unwanted but she was still a person and she had rights. The old lady lost it then. She ripped Cassie’s shirt off and beat the hell out of her. It never got as bad as it did that day. She was covered in blood but the old bat wouldn’t stop. She hauled Cassie down to the basement and tied her to the wall. Then she set Robbie down there to teach her a lesson. We could hear Cassie screaming and when she stopped, Robbie came back up. He told his mother she had learned a good lesson. That was the day Cassie drew Rufus. That was the time she was alone in the dark for four days. They didn’t feed her or even give her any water. When they brought her back upstairs, Cassie had a certain look in her eyes and she couldn’t stand to be touched. That was a week before we left.”

“Did she ever tell you what the little bastard did to her?” Deke asked. “He didn’t rape her, she was a virgin.”

Peaches looked at him sadly. “She didn’t have to tell me what Robbie did to her.” She shuddered. “Robbie always was a pervert that way. He loved dishing out pain.”

Deke closed his eyes when he understood what happened that day. “I think it’s a good thing Robbie is gone. I’d have a hard time with him still breathing.”

Gator laid his hand on Deke’s shoulder.

Deke got to his feet and walked down the hall. Opening the door, he slipped inside and closed the door behind him.

Cassie was curled up on the bed.

When he went over to the bed and sat down, she moved away.

Deke pulled her close to him. “I’m so sorry honey.”

“How can you stand being close to me now?” she finally asked. “I’m damaged goods.”

Deke tightened his hold on her. “No baby, you’re not. Robbie was one sick mother fucker and what he did to you and the other kids in his mother’s charge wasn’t right. The fact his own mother allowed him to do it doesn’t say much about her. She’s the one who needs to go to jail. The bitches in the joint will teach her right and wrong. I guarantee that.”

“But I’m dirty, I feel so dirty.”

“No you aren’t.” Deke insisted. “Anal sex can be pleasurable when it’s done right. Robbie didn’t do it with pleasure in mind, he used pain as a weapon, a tool and he was a sick fuck.”

Cassie was still for a moment then she turned to look at him. “Have you ever—you know…”

Deke grinned softly. “Yeah baby, I have but my partner enjoyed herself. I didn’t hurt her.” He hesitated then told her, “I enjoyed it too.”

“Can we have sex again? I want to feel something other than being so lost. I want to feel alive again and that’s what I feel when you’re inside me,” Cassie whispered. “I need to feel alive.”

Deke was still awed by her innocence and her forthright ways. When she wanted something, she simply asked for it. He smiled as he stood up.

Cassie sat there and watched as he pulled off his shirt and jeans.

When he was naked, he reached for her clothes. A few minutes later, he joined her on the bed. Deke leaned toward her and began kissing her. When she opened her mouth to his, he plunged his tongue in deep.

Cassie groaned. She wrapped arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

Deke’s hands made their way to her breasts and he rubbed his thumbs over her hard nipples.

Cassie could feel her body responding. Her pussy was getting wet and she needed his cock inside her. Pulling him down on top of her, she opened her legs and arched her hips. “For so long, I’ve felt nothing and I was okay with that. Nothing was worse than the pain, but you’ve shown me something so new and I want to feel it again.” She shook her head. “I need to feel it again…”

Deke felt his cock throb at her words. Without thinking, he thrust hard and deep inside her. He felt the walls of her pussy wrapping around him. She felt so good, so tight, so wet. Pulling back, he plunged even deeper. Several thrusts later, he could feel his body tighten. He knew he couldn’t hold out too much longer. “Cassie, I need you to come,” he whispered. “I’m so close.”

Cassie arched her back as her entire body quaked.

He groaned as he ground his hips against hers and came inside her. Sweat dripped down Deke’s temple as he leaned forward covered her mouth with his. His tongue thrust into her mouth and she met his invasion with one of her own. Finally, he rolled off and plopped down on the bed beside her. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her to his side.

Cassie let him hold her but only for a moment. When she pulled away, she wrapped her shoulders in the blanket.

She leaned back into his arms again, but it didn’t feel the same to Deke. He wanted her warm body naked, not draped in a blanket.

Cassie touched his chest lightly with the tips of her fingers. “I never knew it could be like this.”

He squeezed her tighter to him.

“So, when do you think they will come?”

Deke sighed. “I don’t know but we have to get ready. We aren’t that far from Boston, so they could be here anytime.”

Cassie nodded. “I suppose we’d better get dressed then, huh?”

Deke rolled to a sitting position and grabbed his pants. Standing up, he reached for his shirt, he pulled it over his head and sat down to put on his boots. Cassie hadn’t moved and he turned his head to see her watching him. When she didn’t say anything, he got up and went to the door. With one last look at her, he went back to the main room. She wore an odd expression. He wondered what she was thinking. It could just be all that she as going through, but he felt there was more she wasn’t telling him.

When he reached the table where Reva and Peaches sat, he joined them. Pouring himself a drink, he glared over the rim of his glass at Peaches. “What else do I need to know before this shit hits the fan?”