CHAPTER NINE
Cricket watched as the sun set. She was also waiting for Cordy to get home. The two toddlers had been feed and were now sleeping. The cough syrup had worn off and the babies had cried all afternoon. They were afraid and she couldn’t blame them.
Dusty had been great with them and that helped, but now the day was done and this feeling of dread had been growing in her stomach all day. The kids were sweethearts and they didn’t deserve what Cordy had done to them.
“Cricket, what is going to happen to them kids?” Dusty asked.
Cricket turned her head and observed him. At the tender age of six, he had experienced more than any child ever should have to face. It broke her heart that Dusty had to suffer but she didn’t see any other way. Cordy kept a hard watch on her sister, almost as if she expected her to run. Cricket had thought about running so many times, but she was looking at the only reason she stayed. Dusty. She would never leave him behind but she also didn’t want to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder either.
Cordy was bat shit crazy and she had killed before. Cricket knew if she left and took Dusty with her, one day her sister would find her and she would kill both of them. “I don’t know baby.”
“I wish you were my mom,” he whispered.
“I wish I was too,” Cricket whispered back. “Maybe then, this madness would go away.”
“Can’t you take the kids back to where they belong?” Dusty asked. “You know they don’t belong with us. They have a mom and a dad of their own, don’t they?”
“Yeah baby, they do,” Cricket admitted.
“Does their mom and dad love them?”
“Yes they do, very much.”
“Then we have to get them home again.” Dusty got to his feet. “We can’t let her hurt them.”
Cricket felt tears gathering in her eyes. Dusty was right. Cordy might have taken them but it would be up to Cricket and Dusty to get them back to where they belonged. She felt a ripple of fear rush through her. This wasn’t the first time she’d tried to go against her sister but if she got caught, it would be the last time.
Dusty saw the lights of the truck pull into the driveway. His eyes widened and he scampered off to the bedroom. He knew Cordy probably wouldn’t be in a good mood tonight and he didn’t want to be caught in the middle. He knew she didn’t want to see him and he knew how to make himself scarce.
Cricket tensed and waited for her sister to come inside. When she heard the screech of the door scraping along the floor, she turned and watched as Cordy entered.
She was stumbling, so Cricket knew she had been drinking at work.
She looked over at Cricket and muttered, “So how were the brats?”
“They were fine, scared but okay. Dusty helped a lot,” Cricket informed her sister.
Cordy laughed. “Who knew the little bastard would come in handy one day?” She weaved her way over to the sofa. Flopping down, she laid her head back and closed her eyes.
“So what are you going to do with the kids?” Cricket asked.
Cordy smiled without opening her eyes. “I’m going to make Deke sweat for a day or two, then maybe I’ll let him know where his kids are. He’ll go nuts looking for them.” She chuckled. “Then when I know he’s ready, I’ll give him the ultimatum.”
Cricket shook her head. “You are actually going to tell him either you and his kids or her?”
Cordy sneered. “Yes, I am. I love him and I know deep down, he loves me too. He left before we could do anything about it, but now we can be together. We can raise his kids together or give them to his ex and let her raise them but one way or the other, I will have my happy ever after.”
Cricket was stunned. She knew Cordy was emotionally stunted and cruel but she truly realized now that her sister didn’t live in the real world. Deke would kill her before she got her happy ever after. The fact that she stole his kids would be enough to earn his everlasting hatred. She could only hope she was nowhere near when he found Cordy.
Cricket knew she had to get his kids back to him. It was the right thing to do and maybe if she asked, Deke could protect her long enough for her to disappear with Dusty. That was all she wanted…Freedom and the right to raise Dusty without being under Cordy’s thumb.
Cordy had laid her head on the back of the sofa and had her eyes closed.
Cricket stared at her and she couldn’t believe they were related. Cordy was such a different person since their father was gone. Before, she’d been the homemaker after their mother, Grace died. Cricket thought back to when their mother was still alive. Cordy had always been a mean kid, but she was much better at hiding it. Then their mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Suddenly, there was no time for anything but taking care of their mother. Then after she died, Orrin moved them from New York to Maine. He was home less and less, then Cordy didn’t have to hide her dislike anymore.
It would be years before Cricket would know the real reason Cordy hated her. It seemed Cordy wasn’t Orrin Tannis’s child. Their mother had gotten pregnant with her before she met Orrin. The only parent they shared was the mother that died and Cordy was stuck taking care of Orrin’s true child. Orrin wasn’t her father but he still gave her orders, he still made her take care of Cricket.
Then after Orrin died, the abuse Cordy heaped on Cricket got that much worse. Others in the MC tried to stick their nose in Cordy’s business and that just pissed Cordy off. She packed them both up and they left the MC.
When they left Bangor, Maine that day seven years ago, Cordy had told her she was going to find her Deke. She didn’t care how long it took or where they ended up, she was going to find him.
What Cordy didn’t know was when they left Maine that fateful day, she already carried a small piece of someone else. She hadn’t wanted to keep the child she carried but Cricket did. Cricket promised to take care of the baby and that was a good thing. Cordy used the baby every time she wanted Cricket to do something and while Cricket hated the power Cordy had over her, she loved the baby. She would protect him always.
But Dusty was right, they had to make sure Deke’s kids got back to him. Cricket had to think about how she would do it but she would do it. It was the right thing to do.
Cordy sat up and rubbed her face. She looked tired. “I’m going to bed. I work the early shift tomorrow, so keep the brats quiet tonight. I need my sleep.” With that, Cordy got up and stumbled to the second bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Cricket then heard her flop down on the bed.
~* * * *~
At that moment, eight miles away in the main room of the Sin’s Bastards clubhouse, Deke growled with impatience and fear. His children had been missing for hours and no one had found even a clue as to who took them or why.
Cassie was at the house and all the Old Ladies of the club were there with her, trying to keep her from going crazy.
Deke stomped over to where Zipper was busy tapping keys on his computer. He’d been looking for anything that could tell them who this woman was and for what purpose she had kidnapped two innocent children.
So far, nothing they tried had worked. They still didn’t know who she was or why she’d snatched the kids. Security cameras hadn’t captured her likeness very well at all.
“Well, do you have anything?” Deke muttered angrily.
Zipper shook his head. “Sorry boss, these tapes aren’t telling us anything.”
“I don’t want to hear that!” Deke slammed the back of Zipper’s chair.
Sam came over and grabbed Deke’s arm. “That isn’t helping.”
Deke wrenched his arm out of Sam’s grip and scowled at the older man. “I know but I can’t help it. They’ve been gone for hours and we don’t have a fucking clue where they are or who took them.” He began to pace. “Cassie is barely hanging on and I’m not much better.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I need some answers before it’s too late.”
“We all need answers,” Sam told his son.
“If that bitch hurts them, even down to a tiny scratch I will bring hell’s own fury down on her head. I will burn her myself for what she’s done,” he vowed.
“Hell,” Sam grunted. “I’ll hand you the matches.”