Whitney

I TOOK MY CONVERSATION with Sami a month ago and weighed my options. She was right when she said that this time is my choice to either be or not be with Irish. No one is forcing me to be with him. So, he stayed the night for the first time that night and it was interesting. With the kids in the house, I didn’t want anything to happen. Especially with Cassidy being in a new place. We stayed up and talked for a while before going to bed. I told him my ideas about the house and he didn’t mind. In fact, he told me that Rage builds their houses and he does it inside the ‘compound’. Now, I’m debating whether or not I want to live that close to other members when I really don’t know any of them.

Today, we’re all going to a barbeque at the clubhouse. I’m nervous as hell and not ready to jump into the fire so to speak, but I’m going to do it. Besides, it’s not like I don’t know anyone there. It’s going to be fine and I just keep telling myself that. Sami, of course, is excited to go there and mingle with everyone. She wants to see Goose in his environment at the clubhouse. If you ask her, it’s so she knows now whether or not she can handle being around the club girls and him. I don’t think she has a thing to worry about.

Irish will be here soon to pick us up and I’m not even close to being ready. I asked Bailey the other day what I should wear so I don’t embarrass anyone. She told me to wear whatever makes me comfortable. Well, the problem with that is I’ve never been comfortable around large crowds or had the opportunity to be around them. Now, I have no clue what I’m going to be comfortable in. Plus, I’ve just hit my third month in this pregnancy and a few things are starting to get a little snug.

If this pregnancy is anything like it was with Sami, I’ll have morning sickness on and off the entire time. Irish is worried about it, but I’m not losing weight and I’ve talked to the doctor about it. So, there’s really nothing to worry about. In certain situations, it’s embarrassing but other than that, there’s nothing I can do about it. I just try to stay away from certain foods and smells to help keep it controlled.

As soon as I get out of the shower, I see that Irish and Cassidy are already here waiting for us. He wraps his arms around me and gives me a kiss before I can even get dressed. I’m guessing Cassidy is in with Sami, so I wrap my arms around him and pull him in closer. It’s been way too long since I’ve been in his arms and I don’t want to be anywhere else right now.

Before I know it, things are getting out of control and I can feel Irish growing hard in his jeans. No matter how much I want him right now, Sami and Cassidy are in the house. With reluctance, I slowly pull away from him and back up a step or two. We’re both breathing heavy and looking at one another with need filling our eyes.

“Mom, Goose is going to take Cassidy and me to the clubhouse. We’re taking your car because he only has his bike here. You can follow when you finish getting ready.” Sami calls from the other side of my door.

“That’s fine honey. I’ll see you soon. Please be careful and stay close to everyone. No wandering off on your own.”

“I know mom. Love you!”

As soon as we hear the front door shut and my car pull away, Irish is back in front of me and pulling me in as close as he can get. My towel finds its way to the floor and I’m standing naked in front of him. Not wanting to be the only one to be naked, I reach out for the hem of his shirt to lift over his head. As I’m doing that, he’s already got his boots off and is working on his pants. I must not be the only one eager to connect again.

“Gonna be fast,” he says. “Don’t want to be too far behind them.”

“I know.”

Irish makes sure I’m wet enough and ready to take him before leading me over to the bed. He falls back on it and pulls me down with him. I don’t waste any time in lining his cock up with my entrance and starting to slide down. I’m going slow because it’s been a while and I know I’m going to need to take my time and adjust to his size again.

Looking down, I can see how much it’s taking for Irish to hold back and not surge up into me. He’s got his hands wrapped in my blanket as I slide back up, not having taken very much of him in me. I’m working up and down him, taking a little more each time I make my way down his cock. Irish suddenly pulls me down and kisses me like his next breath depends on it. It’s to the point of distraction and I forget what I’m doing and slide all the way down. We both moan out at the feeling as I stop for a second.

“Can’t wait anymore,” Irish says as he grips my hips.

Instead of flipping me over or taking the top, Irish moves beneath me and I just hang on for the ride until I can match his rhythm. Before too long, I’m sitting up and my head is hanging back. I can feel my release building and I know it’s only a matter of time before an earth shattering orgasm rips through me. Irish is telling me to give it up to him as he moves one hand to my clit to help me find what I need to let go.

“Connor!” I yell out, as my release takes hold after a few pinches of my clit.

Irish’s movements are erratic as he’s holding on to find his own release. He wants to make sure I get mine before he lets himself go. I don’t want to wait though, I want him to lose control and not hold off no matter how hard he’s trying. So, I start twisting my hips as I move up and down on him faster and faster. We never break eye contact and I can see the exact moment he loses his control. Feeling him swell even bigger inside me, I lose control once again and we’re both moving erratically trying to find what seems to be just out of our reach. With a few final thrusts up, I feel Irish let go and it triggers another orgasm from me. We both call out one another’s name before I collapse on top of him.

As we’re trying to come down, Irish starts rubbing his hands up and down my back. I can’t even begin to move to be able to return the favor to him. But, before I can dwell on the fact too long, I feel like I’m going to be sick. Jumping up from him, I make my way into the bathroom just in time. Irish is immediately behind me holding my hair back and letting me know he’s there no matter what I need.

“I’m good,” I finally tell him.

Getting up, we clean ourselves up before I find something to wear and he gets dressed again. I can feel his eyes on me the entire time and I know he doesn’t like it when I get sick. It’s something he’s going to have to get used to though if he plans on being around me. I’ll probably get sick again today and I don’t want to hide it from him. But, I’m not going to have him look at me like I’m fragile or something else is wrong with me either. It’s part of being pregnant.

“Irish, I can feel you watching me from over there. I’m fine.”

“I know you are. I just hate seein’ you go through this.”

“There’s nothing we can do about it. I really haven’t eaten yet today and that’s probably why I got sick after doing that.”

“Why haven’t you eaten?” he asks, and I immediately know I’ve said the wrong thing to him.

“Look, I’ve munched on some stuff. I just haven’t been all that hungry. I’ll eat a lot at the cookout.”

“Okay. But, you can’t be skippin’ meals because of that.”

“I’m not. Like I said, I’ve been munching on and off since I got up. Nothing tasted good though as soon as I started eating it.”

Irish doesn’t respond so I know he’s going to give me this for now. I’m not sure what else I can tell him but it’s not like I’m starving or anything. If you ask me, I’ve eaten a ton of food, but it’s been a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Trust me, Sami is almost as bad as Irish is when it comes to doing what I have to do for the baby. On one hand it’s cute, but on the other, it’s annoying as hell.

We’ve finally made it to the clubhouse after it took me forever to finally settle on wearing a sundress, and walk out back to a bunch of hoots and hollers. I can feel my face turning multiple shades of red and I bury myself into Irish. He wraps his arm around me and I can feel his silent laughter. Peering up, I give him a look to let him know I don’t find this funny, but it just makes him laugh out loud. I go to turn away and his hold tightens slightly on me.

“Don’t leave. I’m sorry. It’s just the guys bein’ guys. They don’t mean nothin’ by it. I promise,” he tells me.

“I know they don’t, but you could’ve tried to contain your laughter. I could feel you shaking Irish,” I tell him, trying to sound upset when we both know I’m not really.

“Babe, I’m sorry. Let’s go introduce you to some people and then you can hang out with the girls. Sound good?”

“Yeah.”

Irish leads me around the backyard of the clubhouse and introduces me to people. Some of them are in his club and others belong to other clubs. From what he’s told me, there’s another chapter of his club here and a club they’re friends with here today. I learned that the club they’re friends with is led by Maddie’s dad, so they try to get together on a regular basis. It kind of makes me wish I had that type of relationship with my parents but they were always too selfish to worry about me. Selling me at the age of fourteen should tell anyone that.

There’s so many people here that I don’t know, and my mind is spinning with everyone’s name. I’m never going to remember everyone. Skylar’s walking towards me and I make my excuses to go talk to her. My mind needs a break from the overload it’s getting right now.

“I can see from the look on your face that you’re getting overwhelmed,” she says, wrapping her arm through mine.

“Yeah. Is it always like this?”

“Not usually. But, it’s been awhile since the three clubs got together. And, Irish kind of wanted to show you off.”

“Why is that?”

“Because he’s in love with you, even if he hasn’t said it, and wants everyone to know you’re off limits. This is the best way to do that.”

I take that information in and let it sit. I’m glad that he’s making sure no one else thinks they can talk to me. I don’t think that would sit well with me. Not after everything with Carl. Irish is different because of whatever connection we seem to have. There’s no way I can explain it and I don’t think anyone here would expect me to.

“Trust me, the first time I met anyone, I had the same look on my face. And it wasn’t all three clubs at once. It was just a few guys from this club. I was still overwhelmed and confused. You’re thinking that there’s no way to remember their names huh?”

“Yeah. I’ve met so many people today and I know it’s going to be hard.”

“You’ll learn them soon enough. Now, I know there’s one person here you need to talk to. Rage is the one building the houses. If you guys end up building, he’s the one you need to meet. Want to go see him?”

“I guess. I’m just nervous about living with everyone here. I mean, I know it’s safer here than anywhere else, but I want some privacy too.”

“You’ll get privacy hun. We don’t always have to be up one another’s ass.”

I can’t help the laugh that escapes. Skylar always seems to have a way of making me feel at ease when I need it. Usually I know Irish will bring me the calm I need, but right now, it’s not him that I needed. He needs to hang out with his brothers and focus on having a good time. I think I need to spend some time with the girls.

“Hey Rage!” Skylar calls out as we round the front of the clubhouse.

“What’s up Sky?” a guy asks, turning around.

“This is Whitney, Irish’s woman. She might want to talk to you about building a house for them.”

“Okay. Not a problem. The only thing I need to know is where you want to build it and if you have any specific ideas about what you want. Once you approve the plans, we’ll get started building it.”

“I’ll talk to Irish and see what he says then. I know there’s only really one thing I want. My daughter was drooling over a picture of this room and I’d like her to have it. I just need to figure out if I want to live here with everyone else.”

“No rush. Just get with me when you know for sure and we’ll get started.”

Before a word is said, I can feel Irish coming up behind me. He wraps his arms around me and has a huge smile on his face. It’s like he thinks that my talking to Rage is saying that I’m going to build a house here with him. Really there’s nothing stopping us from doing it other than my insecurities. Maybe I should just jump the gun and do it. There’s really nothing that says we have to stay here if I don’t like it here. And there’s nothing saying that I won’t like it here.

“Everythin’ good babe?” he asks me.

“Yep. I think we need to talk later on though.”

“About what?”

“The house.”

“We’re gonna do it then?” he asks, excitement lighting up his face.

“Yeah. I think we are.”

Irish picks me up and spins me around almost to the point that I’m going to be sick. He must sense this and puts me down, making sure that I’m steady on my feet before removing his hand from me. I smile up at him so he knows I’m good. Sami comes over and asks what’s going on. She’s carrying Cassidy in her arms and being followed closely by Goose. When I tell her that we’re more than likely going to build a house here with everyone else, I can see Sami’s excitement. She wants to be close to everyone. So, maybe I’ll put my reservations aside and do this.

“What’s goin’ on over here?” Pops asks, joining our little circle.

“Skylar just introduced me to Rage. We’re thinking of building a house here.”

“I think that would be a good idea,” Pops tells me. I know he wants to say more, but something has him distracted.

Turning around to see what has his attention captured, I see a car driving slowly up to the gate. My breath catches in my throat and I can feel everything like it’s going in slow motion. There’s no way that they’re here. They can’t have found me already. Panic is building within me and I feel like I’m about to pass out. This can’t be happening!

“What’s wrong, Whit?” Irish asks me, his voice sounding farther and farther away.

“My p-p-parents,” I stammer out, feeling the panic get worse.

“What?” Irish yells out. “How the fuck did they find her?”

No one answers because no one knows how they found me. I don’t know what’s going to happen now, but I know that I’m not going anywhere with them. I also know that it’s only a matter of time before Carl shows up here.

“Someone get Whit inside. She needs to calm down and relax before her and the baby get sick as fuck!” Irish yells. “She’s already going into shock or some shit, get the doctor and get her here now.”

Goose and Sami lead me inside. The main room of the clubhouse is cool and is starting to cool down my overheated skin. Panic is still rising in me and I want to know what’s going on, but I need to protect this baby. Panic, fear, and anything that my parents may end up doing are not worth the risk to the baby.

“Mom, are you okay?” Sami asks, concern etched over her features.

“I just need to sit down for a little bit I think,” I respond, trying to calm her and me down.

Goose leads me over to one of the couches and makes me sit before running to get me a bottle of water. I’m trying to calm my breathing down and get my heart rate to slow down a little bit. Really, I want to be outside so I know what’s going on and what bullshit they’re trying to feed all of these amazing people surrounding me now.

“Goose, I need to be out there,” I tell him. “I need to know what’s going on and see them face-to-face.”

“Irish isn’t going to want you out there. If he did, he would’ve kept you out there.”

“This isn’t his battle, it’s mine. I’m going whether he likes it or not,” I say, standing up to show him that I’m fine.

I’ve realized that I need to start facing my demons head on or I’m always going to be scared. I’m always going to be looking over my shoulder if I don’t start confronting things. I’ve hidden, been timid, and been scared for far too long in my life. If I want to be able to build a life with Irish, Sami, Cassidy, and the new baby, I’m going to have to be stronger than what I see myself now.

As I’m walking out the door, I see Goose frantically typing away on his phone. I’m sure he’s sending Irish a message right now about me coming back outside. This is something that I have to do, and Irish can’t fight all my battles for me. If he can’t understand my need to do this, then we might have some bigger issues going on here. Because if I have him fight all my battles, I’m never going to grow stronger and learn that I can handle situations on my own. I’m never going to know that I can stand up to Irish without fear creeping in that I’ve done something wrong and he’s going to use his fists to punish me. He needs to let me do this and stand by my side, not in front me as a shield.

I see my dad pulling the car into the club’s parking lot and that more members have come out front to see what’s going on. This is going to turn into a spectacle and that’s not what I want either. Members of the other two clubs don’t know my story, but it looks like they will today. I’m not holding anything back and cowering away from my parents today. Today, I know I have people at my back that want to protect me and let me know that Sami and I are loved and cared for.

“Mom. Dad,” I say dryly as they get out of the car.

I can see them looking at everyone standing around me and I know that they’re judging them. They judge everyone based on their looks and nothing more than that. It’s sickening really and I’m glad that I’m not surrounded by people like that anymore.

“I hope you had a good time running around acting like a slut with these people,” my dad starts out. “It’s time to come home and act like the lady that Carl expects you to be. The one he demands you be.”

“I’m not going anywhere. We’re creating a life here and Carl has no say in what I do anymore. You’re all lucky I don’t call the cops and have you all arrested for what you did to me.”

“We didn’t do a damn thing to you young lady,” my dad yells, getting in my face. Well, as close as anyone surrounding me will allow him to get.

“Please, some of the people here know the truth about what’s happened to me. You want me to tell the rest of the people here what happened to me. I’m not afraid of you anymore, dad.”

Irish steps up behind me and wraps his arms around me. I can feel his pride and strength seeping into me. I’m glad that he’s here because honestly, my strength is starting to fade. Confronting my parents is a hell of a hard thing to do. It may not seem that bad, but when you’ve never said a word out of place to them, it takes a lot out of you.

“Nothing ever happened to you. I don’t know what kind of crazy things you’ve been telling these people, but that’s why we need to take you back with us,” my dad says.

“That’s enough. For those of you that don’t know, this man that’s supposed to love and protect me, sold me when I was fourteen years old. He sold me to a man over twice my age who raped and beat me for sixteen years. My dad here told me at fourteen that I was old enough to take care of myself. In all reality, I found out that he needed to have a gambling debt cleared out and the debt was owed to Carl, my husband. Yes, at fourteen my parents signed off for me to marry this man. I have scars inside and out. Every day was a battle not to cower in a corner and hide from him. Now apparently, he’s here to take me back to that man.”

There are audible gasps and rage radiating from all of the men surrounding me. Even the men that knew what happened to me are outraged. The circle is getting smaller and smaller around me. I don’t know what these men are going to do to my parents and I’m not really sure that I want to know, but I need to see it with my own eyes.

“G-gerald,” my mom suddenly says, looking directly at Pops. “Is that you?”

“Elizabeth,” he says, so cold and unfeeling.

“What are you doing here?”

“Right now, I’m protectin’ my nieces from you two. You will not be gettin’ your hands on them ever again.”

“Gerald, you don’t understand. Please, listen to me.” my mom pleads with Pops.

“What do you think you could possibly say that would make any difference to me?”

“I’ve been scared for my life since I left home. This man is not a nice man. When I was young I was so blinded by who he made me think he was. As soon as we got married, things changed drastically. I had no choice but to do the things I’ve done since then. Fuck, he’s even pimped me out,” my mom tells my uncle.

“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me?” Pops yells out. “And you chose to stay with this motherfucker!”

I look over at my dad and I can see that he’s paled, and I know that he’s getting scared now. For once in his life, my dad is scared of someone. It’s kind of funny to see when he’s always been the one to put the fear of God in those around him. He acts like he’s some badass when really, he’s just a bully. Now, Pops is about to beat the shit out of him and I can’t wait to see it honestly. It might sound cruel, but when someone has done nothing but beat you down you want to see them get what’s coming to them.

“Gerald, please help me get away. If I had known you would help me, I would’ve gotten a hold of you sooner. Way before he sold my daughter,” my mom says finally looking at me.

I can see the tears in her eyes and I know that eventually I will forgive her for what’s been done to me. If, and only if, she leaves the man that helped create me I will eventually learn to forgive her. Looking over at Pops, I see that he’s torn. On one hand, he wants to protect Sami and I by not giving into her. But, on the other hand, he wants to save his sister.

“Do you honestly think I’m goin’ to choose you over Whitney and Sami? How do we know this isn’t some sort of game you two are playin’?”

“Gerald, do you remember when we were younger and talked about getting away from everything when things got too hard? I’m about ready to head there.”

I look at Pops and I see him thinking so hard it’s not funny. He truly doesn’t want to help my mom out, but at the same time, it is his sister. Pops is so torn right now. So, I’ll come up with a solution that hopefully everyone can work with. This is the only way she’ll get any help from any of us. And whether or not I choose to have anything to do with her is up to me and no one else.

“Okay, let’s do this. Mom, you say you want away from dad and to never see him again. Right?”

“Yes. I’ve wanted to be away from him for so long,” she says lifting up her sleeves so we all can see the bruises clearly on her wrists and up her arms. Next, she pulls down the turtle neck I didn’t notice she was wearing and shows us the bruises surrounding her neck. Pops yells at this and I know his decision is made.

“Fine. I’m not saying that I’m going to have anything to do with you. But, maybe you can convince one of these clubs to help you. However, you will not be allowed to have access to a phone, you will not know where Sami and I live, you will be guarded at all times, and you will have to do whatever else they tell you to do. You will basically be escaping one prison and going to another one. If, and only if, they decide that you can be trusted, you will be allowed to start getting privileges back. Does that work for everyone here?” I ask, looking at everyone surrounding us.

My dad’s face is turning beat red and I know he’s pissed beyond belief right now. There’s no way that he’s not going to give this shit up without a fight. He sees my mom the same way he used to see me, as a piece of property he owns. Someone to control and use for any reason that’s going to benefit him. He hasn’t had a reason to sell my mom, but who knows what’s going to happen if it comes down to it.

“So, dad, why is it so important that I go back with you?” I ask.

“If you don’t go back with me, he’ll kill me. You were to pay off a debt I owed and now my collateral is gone until you go back.”

“News flash, I’m not going back dad. So, I suggest you leave and don’t ever think of coming back. If I were you, I’d go take all of your cash out of the bank and disappear. Carl is going to continue looking for all of us. The only difference is that I have people that love and care for me and Sami now. Unconditionally. And they’ll protect my daughter and I no matter what.”

“Not really. I still have one more ace up my sleeve,” my dad says, looking like he just won a huge jackpot.

Looking back towards the car, my dad starts swearing up a storm and I know that his ace just disappeared. Whatever it was. I look over everyone’s heads and see the back door of the car open. I’m not sure who was in there, but whoever it was is now gone. They might still be here, but then again, they might already have gotten through the gate.

“Where the fuck is Keegan?” my dad hollers.

I gasp because Keegan is my cousin on his side. She’s about two years younger than me and I haven’t seen her since I got sold to Carl. From conversations I overheard, she was also getting sold. It was to a friend of Carl’s, and I know her fate would’ve been the same as mine. For a while I cried for her because I was so scared. Then I hoped that she got away somehow because when Carl’s friends did come over, Keegan was never there.

“Alright, Elizabeth, come inside with me,” Pops says. “I’ll find a room for you and take first shift guardin’ you. Grim, you good with this?”

“Yeah. She’s family and I want to know what she plans on doin’ to make this shit as right as she can with Whitney and Sami.” Grim responds. “Now, I suggest you get off my lot and away from my club. I could care less if you tell this asswipe where our girls are because we’ll be ready for a fight. If I ever see you around here again, I’ll put you to ground myself. I won’t even give Whitney’s man the chance to do it.”

By now, Grim is up in my dad’s face. I can see the fear running through my dad and I know that he’s going to try to do what he can to protect himself. It’s always been about him and what he needs. My dad is the most selfish person I know. If it’s not about him, then it doesn’t matter.

Right now, I’m not sure if I want to stay here with my mom being in the clubhouse. But, I know that it’s not fair to everyone else here if I leave because of her. In essence, I’ll still be letting her win if I do go home. I can’t do that, so I’m going to stay and try to enjoy the rest of the day. First, I’m going to stand here and make sure that my dad truly leaves the clubhouse and the gates close behind him. That way I know he won’t get back in and try something stupid. At this point, I won’t put anything past him.

Irish

I’m so proud of Whitney right now. Even though I didn’t want her out here talking to these assholes, I get why she had to do it without her saying a word to me. This is something she had to do, and I back her play. Well, only because her parents didn’t try anything. If they had tried to do anything to harm her, a side of me no one wants to see would’ve come out. Whitney and Sami are mine to protect and I’ll do that until the day I die.

Leading her back inside, I want her to relax for a little while before we head back outside. If I know her though, she’s going to do what she wants to do and not listen to me. Unless she knows that it’s going to do something to harm the baby, then she’ll do what she knows she has to.

“Babe, are you okay?” I ask her, wrapping my arms around her.

“Honestly, I feel amazing right now. I’m not sure how I feel about my mom being here, but if someone would’ve helped me then I would’ve taken it. So, I’m going to give her a chance. Like I said, I don’t have to interact with her at all. Not until I want to.”

“This is true. Now, what do you want to do about the rest of the day here?”

“I’m going to go back out there and have a good day. We’re going to eat, hang out, and whatever else you guys do here.”

“Do you want to relax a little bit first?” I ask, letting her see the concern on my face.

“No,” she responds, placing a hand on the side of my face. “I’ll be okay. No one can hurt me here. But, I did make a decision.”

“About what babe?”

“We’re building a house here. I don’t ever want to be put in this position again. I mean, I don’t think I would’ve had the courage to confront them the way I did if you all didn’t have my back. And we know it’s now just a matter of time before Carl shows up.”

Whitney is making me prouder by the second. She’s smart and knows what’s going to happen. This means that she’s still going to be vigilant when she’s out or at home. She’ll make sure Sami and her are still watching over their shoulder until they know that Carl is not going to be a problem anymore. And I’ll be by her side the entire time. Making sure that no one can ever get close enough to hurt my girls.

“If that’s what you want babe, then we’ll talk to Rage about it.”

“It’s what I want. I just have to get the picture I took from Sami for a bedroom she was practically salivating over as soon as she saw it. Honestly, I don’t care about anything else in the house as long as she gets this room.”

“We’ll make sure the house is perfect. Exactly what we want,” I tell her knowing there’s one or two things I’m going to make sure are in there for her.

“I do have one question though. Where’s Keegan?” I ask, looking around to see if I can get a glimpse of my cousin.

“I don’t know babe. Do you want me to ask around and see if anyone’s seen her?”

“Could you? I need to know what happened to her all those years ago. I need to see her with my own eyes.”

I take off in search of Whit’s cousin. I’m not sure who she’s talking about because I didn’t see any one other than her parents. That shouldn’t be surprising though considering that I was so filled with rage that they showed up at our clubhouse. So, I start asking my brothers if they saw a woman get out of their car.

Finally, Grim tells me to go talk to Rage. He said Rage sent him a message earlier saying he was in his room, he needed someone to watch Kasey, and that he’d send for Whitney in a little while. So, I head in the direction of his room to see if this Keegan girl is in there with him. It’s the only thing I can think of with the message he sent to Grim.

Knocking on his door, he tells me to hang on a minute. I can hear some scuffling around and I know that he’s trying to hide this girl or put her somewhere so no one else sees her. I’m not sure what she’s scared of, but I intend to find out before Whitney sees her. Whitney will not be put in jeopardy.

“What’s up Irish?” Rage asks when he finally opens the door.

“She in here?” I ask, not hesitating to find out.

“Yeah. She doesn’t want anyone to see her right now though.”

“Why not?” I ask, getting more and more confused.

“She’s in rough shape right now and needs some help. I’ve already let Grim know so he’s callin’ a doctor in to look her over. Please, give her this?”

“You know I’m not goin’ to be able to hold Whit off. She wants to see her now. Keegan can you please come out here? I won’t let anyone else see you, I promise,” I tell her, trying to convince her to come out of hiding.

After a few minutes, I hear the bathroom door creak open and I know that she’s decided to come out. I patiently wait to see what is wrong with this girl before I make a decision as to what I’m going to do about Whitney. When she takes her first step through the door, I see that she looks a lot like Whitney. They have the same color hair and eyes, some of the facial features are the same too. The main difference is that Keegan is covered in bruises from what looks to be head to toe. Someone really worked her over.

Keegan is barely moving and I’m guessing she has some broken bones. Her ribs are for sure fucked up from the way she’s holding herself. One of her eyes is almost completely swollen shut, and her lips are both split open. I can’t believe the shape that this woman is in. Not to mention that she is skinny enough that she looks like it’s been months since she’s eaten a bit of food. Yeah, Rage was right in making sure a doctor is called in to look her over. She’s also made my decision easier about putting my house for use for the domestic violence homes we’re doing.

“Well, Keegan, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Irish and I’m with your cousin Whitney,” I tell her, not even bothering to stick my hand out so I don’t scare her.

“Whitney? She’s here?” Keegan speaks softly, but filled with hope.

“She is. She’s downstairs and she wants to see you right now,” I tell her.

“Can you send her up here? I need to know that she’s okay.”

“I’ll get her right now. Rage, I’ll be right back with her. I’ll text you so that you can let us in.”

Heading back in the main room, I see Whitney sitting on one of the couches. Her foot is tapping and she’s downing a bottle of water. Basically, she’s waiting impatiently. I chuckle knowing that she’s been waiting for me to come back with news on her cousin and I’m surprised that she hasn’t started tearing the place apart yet in search of her.

“Whit!” I call out. “Wanna come with me?”

“You found her?” she asks, her voice full of hope.

“I did. She doesn’t want anyone else to see her though. So, for right now, only you can come up.”

Whitney doesn’t hesitate to almost run to me. I put my arm up so she knows to slow down a little bit. There’s no way I’m not going to warn her about what kind of shape Keegan is in. So, as gently as I can, I tell her what I saw of her cousin. I can see the tears filling her eyes. At one point in time, I’m sure she remembers looking exactly like I explained Keegan looks right now.

“Take me to her. Now!” Whitney tells me. There’s no room for argument in her voice, she’s serious about wanting to see her right this second. So, I text Rage and let him know to open the door.

As soon as we enter the room, Whitney about collapses. She’s crying hysterically, and I don’t know if it’s because of the way Keegan looks or because she’s finally seeing her after so long. Hell, it’s probably a combination of the two things. My arms are around her as I lead her to sit on the edge of Rage’s bed. Keegan is also in tears and I know it’s from seeing Whitney after so long.

“Keegan, is that really you?” Whitney asks.

“Yes. I’ve been so scared for you Whitney. I couldn’t end up the way you did though. I ran away, and I’ve been on the run ever since.”

“Okay, but who did this to you?” Whitney asks.

The two girls share a look and I know that Whitney already knows who beat the shit out of her cousin. I’ll get her to tell me when we’re alone. Although I have a feeling that it was Whitney’s dad that made Keegan look like this. But, we’ll figure it out later on. Because I know without a doubt that we’re not done with her dad. He’ll be back, and we’ll deal with him properly at that point in time.

We left Whitney and Keegan in Rage’s room for a little bit to talk alone. It’s been a very long time since they’ve seen one another, and I didn’t think they’d be comfortable talking in front of us. So, we waited right outside his door in case there were any problems.

All we heard was muffled conversation and crying a few times. It was hard as hell for me to stay in the hallway when I heard my girl crying. But, I know that they needed this time. So, I’ll wait for my girl to come out and then we’ll go back to the cookout. I know I could be out there now and Whitney would find me, but I need to make sure that she’s okay. Today has been a lot on her emotionally and I know it’s taking a toll on her.

“Are you the one that got her out of the car?” I ask Rage.

“Yeah. I saw her poundin’ on the windows as hard as she could. Not that it was all that hard considerin’ how beat up she is.”

“Why did you think to bring her in your room and not in one of the empty rooms? Especially with Kasey here?”

“She was clingin’ to me and didn’t want to be left alone. I tried to tell her I’d stay with her, but she wanted to come to my room. There was no way I could deny her what she wanted when she was already scared shitless.”

I nod my head because I completely understand where he’s coming from. If Whitney were looking the way her cousin is right now, I wouldn’t be able to deny her a single thing she wanted either. Hell, she doesn’t look like that and I can’t seem to deny her whatever her heart desires. I wouldn’t have it any other way either.

Finally, Whit emerges from Rage’s room and her eyes are glossy and red-rimmed. You can definitely tell she’s been crying. Honestly, I’ve never seen her look more gorgeous in the entire time I’ve known her. Whitney has always been pure and never one to wear make-up and things like that. Right in this moment, Whitney is as pure as she can be. There’s nothing fake about her and she’s not hiding the emotions she’s feeling or going through.

“I’m ready to go back outside now,” she says, holding me close to her for a few minutes.

“Are you sure? We can go in my room and you can lay down for a little bit.”

“I’m sure. I need to see Sami and talk to her for a few minutes. And, I really need to get something to eat. I’m starving.”

I lead her down a different set of steps and out the back door of the clubhouse. The cookout is in full swing and the smells coming from the grill are enough to make my mouth water. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Whitney. Based on the look gracing her face right now, she’s ready to find the nearest bathroom. I keep an eye on her to see what her move is going to be. She stands still for a few minutes before I see her swallow another sip or two of water. Then, she turns and heads a little bit further away from the grill and finds a table to sit at. It’s not long before she’s surrounded by Pops, Joker, Bailey, Sami, Goose, and Grim. Everyone else is giving her some space and I appreciate it.

As they all sit and talk, I walk around and talk to a few of my brothers. Gage and Steel stop me to talk and I know that they’re going to be asking about Whitney and what I’m doing with her. I can see it written plainly all over their faces. Before they can begin, I need to ask a question though.

“Um, if Pops is up here, who’s with Whitney’s mom?” I ask, looking around to try to see who’s missing.

“Killer.”

Nothing else needs to be said. I know that he’s not going to let any games she may attempt to play get past him. Killer is a strong brother even though he’s with the Phantom Bastards. He takes his job seriously, and he’ll find out what her end game is. Killer is one of those guys that can read a person better than most and I have a feeling his military career is to thank for that. I relax a little bit and let myself start to have a good time.

“So, are you sure about this girl?” Steel asks me.

“I am. You don’t even understand the connection we have, and it’s been that way from the first time I saw her. After spendin’ time with her and bein’ with her I know it without a doubt.”

“I’m happy for you then,” Gage tells me. “Does she know about Caydence and everythin’ that happened there?”

“I told her the condensed version of it. Sami and her are amazin’ with Cassidy and Cassidy loves them.”

“I can see that she loves you. She hasn’t taken her eyes off you since you all came out here,” Steel says.

I glance over my shoulder and see that Whitney is in fact looking my way. This makes me break out in a smile and I know the guys can see it. I don’t even give a fuck. They can say whatever they need to say about it, because you know that I’m going to be there saying the same shit to them when it happens to them. It’s just a matter of time.

Deciding I need to go get Whitney a plate, I walk away and get in the food line. Catching her eye, I let her know that the plate is for her and see her nod her head in acknowledgment. I’m glad that she’s not fighting me on this right now. She said she was starving and I’m going to make sure the baby and her are fed.

Not knowing what she wants to eat and what may make her sick, I just grab a little bit of everything. I end up making her two plates and I get Goose, who’s doing the same thing for Sami, to grab the drinks. Instead of more water, he grabs them juice from the kid’s drink table. That way we know for sure it’s not spiked with anything.

“Here you go Whit,” I tell her, setting the plates down in front of her.

She looks up at me and I’m waiting for her to say something about the amount of food I got her. Instead, she picks up her fork and starts eating. After a few minutes, she asks me where my food is, and I go make myself a plate. I join them at the table and soon everyone else is getting their food and separating off to eat with their family. Everyone other than Pops that is. He stays sitting with us. I know he wants to talk to the girls. He’ll get his chance at some point.

We’ve eaten, talked with friends, started talking to Rage about building the house, and now I’m about to get my girl to dance with me for the first time. I don’t know if she dances, and typically I don’t, but I want to dance with Whitney. Goose and Sami are already dancing along with several other people. With You by Emerson Drive is playing as I lead her to the make-shift dance floor. Whitney goes willingly into my arms and we move slowly to the song. Sami and Goose are close by us and I know that she’s sensing the same thing that I am. My girl is getting worn out and will want to be leaving soon. She won’t say anything to any of us, but I know she’ll want to get to bed soon. After today, I’m not going to be anywhere other than in bed with her.

“Babe, when the song is done, I’m goin’ to talk to Grim for a few minutes. Then we’re goin’ back to your house and goin’ to bed.”

“That sounds good,” she tells me, leaning closer into my body.

Yeah, my girl is tired, and I don’t want to keep her on the dance floor, but I don’t want to let her out of my arms just yet either. Finally, the song ends, and I walk Whitney over to Pops so she can start saying her goodbyes. Grim is standing with Bailey over by the make-shift bar. I let her know that we’re gonna be heading out so she can make her way over there while I have this conversation.

“What’s up Irish?” he asks me.

“I bought a house with Caydence before everythin’ happened. There’s no way that I’m goin’ to be able to live there now. And, there’s no sense in passin’ it down to Cassidy because we never lived there. So, I want to use it as another house for domestic violence victims.”

“Are you sure?” Grim asks after a few minutes.

“Yeah. I’ve been thinkin’ about this a long time now. I’ll get the keys to you tomorrow. Right now, my concern is gettin’ my girls back to Whit’s house so that she can go to bed. Have someone call and let us know how Keegan is doin’.”

“I will. I’m about to go check on her and Whitney’s mom now. I want to know what Killer’s managed to get from her. Hopefully she’s tellin’ the truth and truly wants away from that sick fuck.”

I give Grim our standard man hug and make my way back towards Whitney, Sami, and Cassidy. Goose is already standing with them and I know he’ll be making the trip back with us. Even if his bike wasn’t still there. Sami and him have been watching at least one movie a night together, and tonight will be no different. All I want to do is get everyone back to the house and climb in bed with my girl. I want to hold her close and make sure she knows that no one will ever hurt her as long as I’m around.