Chapter 3

Spook

Life at the club has been anything but peaceful. The tension between Trigger and Rudy has a lot of the men staying out of their way. Who would’ve thought that a woman would come between those two. They’re tighter than any father-son I’ve ever met. Shit, I thought I was close to my dad, but these two have us beat.

They’ve done everything together. When Trigger was in the service, Rudy and Queenie sent care packages every week. When he came home for good, Trigger patched in and the rest is history.

Until the day, the blonde blue-eyed goddess stormed the castle and all the knights fell.

She came in here like she owned the place. I guess she does since she’s our missing Princess. Greer’s pictures have been plastered around this club for years and even though she looks nothing like the brown-haired little girl, one of us should’ve known it was her. Trigger and she share the same eyes, as well as the same mischievous smile.

“Church!” Rudy shouts from the meeting room.

We all make our way to Church like grade school kids playing follow the leader. Once seated, we all wait for Rudy. He drops in his chair with a huff.

“Boys, we need to get feelers out for Greer. Professor’s been unable to get anything new. Knowing my girl’s out there somewhere is eating at me. We have a charity run in Knoxville this weekend. On the way back, I’m going to call in a marker with the Rioting Devils to help us in our search.”

“Do you think Brute will help?” Trigger queries.

“Yes, Trigger. Brute was there the day Greer was born. Damn, the man’s her godfather. I’m pretty goddamn certain he’d drop everything for her.” Trigger gives Rudy chin lift.

I speak up next. “Do you want any of us to stop there beforehand?”

Rudy shakes his head. “No, I need to personally ask for this marker. I’ve got nothing else unless ya’ll do.” He bangs the gavel against the wood and we venture out of Church.

Rudy’s been running himself ragged trying to find Greer. I hope the search ends soon, but I have a feeling it’s not going to be the happy reunion Rudy’s hoping for.

***

The charity run was uneventful and I’m ready to be home. Making a stop at a bar called Draft’s to meet with Brute and his men will be a nice reprieve from riding.

Walking into the log cabin style bar all I want is to piss and get a cold beer. Rudy’s already at a table with Brute and a few of his men. I grab a chair a few seats down from Rudy looking around the bar for the Brute’s brother who took my woman from me and take in the whispered conversation.

“Brute, I need a favor.” Rudy says pleadingly.

“What? Didn’t I just help bring Wiz’s girl home a few months ago?”

“Yeah and I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. I need help finding Greer.”

“Greer? Why now?” Brute asks skeptically. “When’s the last time you saw Greer, Rudy?”

“I know it’s been years, but she showed up at the clubhouse and I didn’t get a chance to talk to her. Shit, I didn’t even get the chance to see her.”

“But your boy did.” Brute turns his attention to Trigger. “Didn’t have much to say to her, huh, Trigger? Kind of just stood there looking stupid.”

Trigger pushes back from the table aggressively. “How the fuck do you know I saw her?” Trigger looks around the table at all the men.

“Because Greer’s been with the Rioting Devils for the past six months. I was the one to take her in, not the Chaotic’s. I was the one she ran to, not the Chaotic’s. And when she had the balls to come and see her family, she got the attention of most of your men.” He pointedly looks at Rudy. “But the people she’s needed that attention from for years couldn’t let her run out of there fast enough.” Brute sets down his bottle of beer and raises from his place, as well as the remainder of his men who were seated. “She’s safe and taken care of. Don’t worry about her, Rudy. Do what you’ve done since she was a teenager, leave her to fend for herself. At least the wolves here treat her a whole hell of a lot better than the wolf you left her with.” With that last statement, Brute pushes past and exits the bar.

Rudy scoots his chair back and with his elbows on his knees, he buries his face into his hands.

“My baby has been in the same state as me for half a year and I had no fucking clue.” He whispers to himself.

Looking around at my brothers, I notice Trigger’s missing. “Where’s Trigger?” Everyone looks around and shakes their heads. I make my way out the bar to Trigger in a grappling match with one of Brute’s men.

“Where’s my sister, fucker? Where’s she at?” Trigger yells repeating it over and over.

Finally, Brute breaks the men up and pulls his man off of Trigger. “Poison, that’s enough. Let’s go.”

“Sure thing, Pres.” Poison brushes off his jeans. He looks down at Trigger who’s still on the ground. “Your sister is fine. I’ll let her know you all came looking for her.”

“I want to see her right now.” Rudy bellows from behind me. “Take me to her, Brute. Fuck, man. I looked for years for her.”

“You didn’t look hard enough, Rudy.” Brute replies gruffly. “I found her six years ago in Nevada in a shithole getting wasted. I tried to get her to come with me, but she wouldn’t. She was scared then too, but not as scared as she was when she first got here.”

“Please, Brute. I need to see her myself. I won’t overstep, I just need to see her.” Rudy pleads.

“Banshee, call Gee and give her a heads up that we’re going to have company.” Banshee gives him a nod and walks off. Brute spins on Rudy. “If she doesn’t want you there, you don’t go. She’s not the kid you remember. She’s been through some shit I don’t even know about, but I know it wasn’t good. You got it.”

Rudy agrees. “Got it.”

Ten minutes later, the Chaotic’s are pulling into the Devils’ clubhouse. Looking around, it’s a nice deal, a lot bigger than the Chaotic’s clubhouse.

We step into the clubhouse not knowing what to expect, but the sound of a baby wailing catches my attention to a petite blonde facing away from us swaying back and forth trying to calm the baby down.

She turns slightly to face us and its Greer holding a dark-haired baby.

Rudy comes in behind us and rushes towards Greer, who looks skeptical. He drops to his knees in front of her and wraps his arms around her legs.

Greer frantically looks around the room. She looks to Brute for help who strides over to Rudy and picks him off the floor. Trigger steps up beside his father facing Greer.

“I’m sorry about the way I reacted a few weeks ago. Seeing you after all these years was a shock to my system. I couldn’t get my mouth to form words.” Trigger says softly.

Greer nods. She’s not the same vivacious woman I met that day in our clubhouse. She’s standoffish. She seems to be petrified of Rudy and Trigger. I’m not the only one who has noticed.

Poison, who’s a nice sized man and Banshee who’s a few inches taller than Poison step to each side of Greer. She visibly relaxes. Rudy must notice the tension and steps back a few feet dragging Trigger with him by the collar of his shirt.

“Greer, baby girl. I’m not going to hurt you.” Rudy defends.

Greer nods, but the look in her eyes says it all. She doesn’t trust Rudy or Trigger. The baby takes that moment to screech again bringing Rudy’s attention to the baby.

A tall blonde-haired woman in her mid to late forties comes over and takes the baby from Greer’s arms. The woman walks off with the baby down a long hallway. Greer watches her until she disappears out of sight and her whole demeanor changes.

“Remember when I was little and you told me that a man protects what’s his and how I was yours.” Greer speaks callously and Rudy’s taken aback for a moment and then he nods. “Well, explain to me how when I was thirteen I wasn’t yours anymore. Explain to me how I’ve lived with the devil reincarnated for most of my life and you left me there. After all the times I told you I wanted to go with you. I didn’t want to stay with mom anymore, but you never did and you left me to become a toy.” She grits out.

Rudy stumbles backwards into Ryker. “I didn’t know. I thought you were just being a typical kid. I figured you weren’t getting your way and trying to get back at your mom.”

Greer rotates around and lifts her shirt giving us a good view of her back that’s covered in long, jagged scars. They start below her neck and end a few inches under her bra strap. Whoever did this to her made sure that they weren’t easily found unless she was shirtless. The thought of what she’s been through makes me sick to my stomach.

Rudy begins to step forward with purpose and as fast as lightening, Poison is in front of Greer as she pulls her shirt back down and faces Rudy.

“Does that look like typical punishment for a kid? Does that look like something a loving mother does to her child?” She questions Rudy, but all he can do is shake his head no. “I didn’t think so then and I don’t think so now. So I spent years with a woman who hated me because the love of her life loved me more, but also chose the club over his family. Because of that, I was beat with a cane. I became a toy to her new lover for years. Where the fuck were you, father?” Greer screams at him, spins and runs in the same direction as the woman went earlier.

Once again, Rudy falls to his knees sobbing. Trigger doesn’t look any better. Finding out you left your kid in the hands of a monster for years and didn’t do anything about it must be devastating.

***

After everything settles down, Rudy and Brute leave us in the Devils’ main room. Trigger went outside and hasn’t returned in thirty minutes. I decide to check on my brother and find him outside on a picnic table with his phone to his ear.

“Dani, I just don’t know what to do. She’s so broken.” He stops and listens to what she says. “I know, but I can’t come home knowing my sister’s here and not with us.”

I clear my throat. “Trigger, you’re not going to get answers from Dani on how to handle Greer. She’s not broken.”

“Let me call you back, Dani.” He says his good bye and gives me his full attention. “You saw her cower away from dad and me. She’s broken.”

I bow my head and rub the back of my neck. “No, I saw a woman who doesn’t know you and is trying to figure out your motives. If anything her hunching was to protect the baby she was holding. She may have been through more than the shit we can assume she’s been through, but she’s a survivor. She got away from them and is starting to live her life.”

“How am I supposed to be a part of her life? I have had the perfect life and I feel like shit because she should have had that too.” He replies sadly.

“You can’t figure it all out in a day. Shit, you might not be able to sort it in a few months. She’s not going to open up to you if she doesn’t want to. She’s got plenty of men here that have proven they’ll step up for her.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” He mutters.

“Let’s go inside and see if your dad’s come out yet.” He nods and we walk back in.