Savy

We are at the Compound getting dressed for Ena’s party. She looks beautiful. She dressed in black jeans, a tight red low-cut shirt that shows her cleavage. Instead of wearing heels, she’s opted for the black motorcycle boots we splurged on at the mall. They’re badass and they look good on her. To top off her outfit, she’s wearing a black leather moto jacket.

Her hair is down and the curly locks flow down her back in a black river, wearing a smoky eye and bright red lipstick, Ena looks amazing. This is the happiest I’ve ever seen her. I hope this happiness lasts for her. She deserves nothing but happiness in her life.

“Ena,” I say. “I want to give you your present before things get crazy.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything, Savy. You already bought me new clothes. It’s too much.”

“It’s not. And I’ve been waiting a long time to give this to you,” I say. She looks surprised. “Sit down in that chair and close your eyes.”

She moves toward the wood chair and lowers herself onto the seat. Her breathing has increased, and I can feel her nerves radiating off her. I hope she likes it. Moving behind her, I open the small black box I’ve been saving for ten years. Pulling out the silver necklace, I open the clasp and place it on Ena’s delicate neck. She reaches up and touches the thin chain, feeling the charm. Once I close the clasp, I step back and say, “You can open your eyes now.”

She doesn’t open her eyes right away, but when she does, the unshed tears are pooling in her eyes. She looks into the mirror sitting in front of her and our eyes meet. But we don’t say a word.

The deafening silence dances between us until she speaks.

“You said you didn’t have anything of hers.” The awe of the moment shakes her voice.

“I lied,” I say. Before running, I prepared our escape. I gathered not only money, but I also took and hid items of my mother’s that I wanted to take with us. But the day it was time to run, I could only take two things, her silver bracelet, and a heart shaped necklace with two pearls on the charm. My mother always told me the pearls represented Ena and me. I wanted to give Ena something of my mother’s so I’ve been holding onto the necklace until her eighteenth birthday.

“Savy,” Ena says, “I don’t understand.”

“I took three things the day I ran. A bracelet, this necklace, and you.” Emotion swells in my chest, making it hard to speak. My voice cracks, but I continue, “Ena, I took what I could the day we left, but you were the most important thing I needed to get out of there with. This necklace belonged to our mother, and I want you to have it.”

“But,” she says, “You don’t wear a bracelet. Where is it?”

“I have it. I didn’t want to wear something of our mother’s without you having something too.” Thinking about all I was able to get away with. “Ena, I have memories of a happier time. A time with Mom, which you don’t get to have, and for that I’m so sorry. I’m sorry we had a shitty childhood that required us to run away. I’m sorry you never got to meet her, and I’m sorry you don’t get wonderful, warm memories of a woman who literally gave her life for her child.”

Ena’s tears are streaming down her face now. I reach out and wipe her cheek, removing the tears that are quickly replaced with more tears.

“You are all that matters. You are all that ever mattered. Happy birthday, Pip. You are an amazing young woman that grew up in some pretty shitty circumstances, but you are stronger, braver and smarter for it. I love you with all my soul.”

“Thank you, Savy. I love it. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present.”

“You’re welcome. Now, let’s fix your face and go have some fun,” I say.

“All right, but first, I have one question,” she says with a straight face.

Letting her ask her question, her face twists, her eyebrows rising, “When are you going to officially come out as Diablo’s ol’ lady?”

Of all the things floating around in my head, I didn’t think that was what Ena wanted to ask.

“I know you got his ink already,” she says.

This fucking kid is too smart for her own good.

“After your party,” I say. Tonight is Ena’s day. It’s the first party she has had in ten years, and it has to be perfect.

“Savy, I want you to tell everyone tonight,” she says. “What can be more perfect than gaining a big brother? I love Caleb like family and he loves you. What more can I ask for?”

God, I love her.

“If that’s what you want, Pip, then that is what you get. I’ll talk to Caleb.”

“Good,” she says. She has a smug ass look on her face.

Shaking my head, I smile at the woman I saved as a child, and I’m damn happy I did it.

* * *

Savy

Ena has enjoyed her party. She’s looking great, and spending time with her friends, Ashleigh and Natalie, who have been flirting a lot with some brothers. This isn’t good, but they’re old enough to make their own decisions. Caleb has been keeping an eye out too. I think he told the brothers to keep away from the girls because they aren’t engaging with the girls as much as I expected they would. It’s not stopping them from trying to get the attention of the older bikers, though.

Ena and Skull have been tied at the hip all night. She’s not paying attention to her friend’s antics. It’s cute, but nothing keeps a biker away faster than a desperate woman. I’m not worried about them tonight. I’ll talk to them about it after things from Ena’s party settle down.

Sitting in Caleb’s lap, I lay my head on his chest as he’s talking to Wolf and Preacher. Again, Wolf is telling dirty jokes. It’s hard not to like him, but I can’t forget what he’s done to Joss and Lexa. I haven’t seen Lexa since we sang happy birthday to Ena. I’m sure she went home early, or she’s hiding in her brother Axel’s room. I don’t think she wants to see the dance of Joss and Wolf. Wolf tries to talk to Joss and she b-lines to the other side of the room to avoid talking to him. I’m not sure what is going on with my friend. She won’t talk about it. It seems she has secrets too. I’m all right with secrets. They’re hers and she’ll share with me once she’s ready.

Hopefully.

And as with any part of my fucked up life, when things seem to go well, Paul crashes back into my life to fuck it all up. As we are all sitting around, laughing at Wolf’s antics, Bo, the newest prospect, runs into the Compound and yells, “Pigs!” All the brothers rise and take various positions in the room. My heart is pounding, and my breaths are short. My whole life, cops have been the enemy. It seems that is no different with Havoc. I grab Ena’s hand as Joker and Gunner move us toward the back of the club.

Just as we are about to exit the main room, the door flies off the hinge from a swift kick, and several heavily armed cops swarm the room. They shout commands, but I’m too afraid to move. I’m not sure why the cops are here, but I’m sure it has something to do with Paul. It takes all of my instincts not to run as fast as I can. Joker and Gunner both move into position, blocking Ena and me from view.

“Everyone get on the fucking floor!” We all lower ourselves to the floor.

“Put your fucking hands behind your head, fingers locked!” Again, we follow the cop with a buzz cut’s commands.

“Who is Diablo?” another cop asks.

“I am!” Diablo bellows. I notice the change; he is no longer my sweet biker.

Tears form in my eyes as Ena and I stare at each other. I mouth, “I’m sorry.” And she shakes her head no.

“Get the fuck up. We have a warrant.”

“We didn’t do shit,” he spits. “We are having a nice family get-together on our own property.”

“Shut the fuck up!” The cop punches Diablo in the jaw.

The sickening sound of a fist hitting flesh turns my stomach, and I squeeze my eyes shut. The awful thud reminds me of the blows I used to take regularly. Diablo spits out a mouth full of blood and flashes a sinister grin at the cop.

“Look around, officers, we have nothing to hide here.”

“Yeah, I hear you store weapons and drugs here. And trust me, we will find them. Son of a bitches like you need to be off the street.”

We continue to lay on the floor as more cops enter the room and split us into smaller groups to ask questions. I’ve never been happier to not know anything about Havoc’s business. I can honestly tell the cops I know nothing about guns and drugs.

“I know your father,” a redheaded pimply cop says. The name on his badge says Mills.

I sit straight up, but I don’t speak. I have nothing to say to anyone who knows my father.

“He sent us here to find some shit on your boyfriend and get you and your sister out. It’s okay, Savannah, you can trust me.” His tone is sincere, but someone working for my father cannot be trusted. Giving up on questioning me, he turns his attention to Ena.

“McKena, you know you can trust the police. We can walk you out of here and you won’t have to see these bastards again.”

“You’ll excuse me, Detective Mills, but I don’t trust the cops. I’m sure my father forgot to mention how he beat the shit out of my sister and molested her best friend when we were kids. So you can fuck off! I’m eighteen. I don’t want to leave Havoc. And for your information, these bastards are the best people to ever happen to Savy and I. They took care of us, when your kind left us abused.” She turns her head and stares across the room at Skull, who winks at her in return. She lets a small smile cross her lips before it quickly leaves her face.

“Well, ladies. We will need to take Savannah in for questioning in the kidnapping of McKena Riley ten years ago. Please stand, Savannah. I need to put handcuffs on you.”

I stand and turn around and feel the cold steel of the cuffs against my shaking wrists. I’m unable to look toward Caleb, instead I look toward the ceiling, just above his head.

“Yo! What the fuck are you doing? She’s not going anywhere.”

“Mr. Masterson, she is wanted for kidnapping. She has to come with us,” Mills says. “Jones, come take Ms. Riley out to the cruiser.”

“No problem, Detective.” Jones grabs my upper arm and pulls me roughly toward the exit. He is digging his fingernails into my arm and drags me across the large room. He shifts his grip and grazes my breast, but it was no accident. Not only does he graze me, but he also squeezes my breast in a tight grip. I lose it and dig in my heels, snatching away from the officer. No man will ever touch me without my permission again.

“Don’t you fucking rub and grab me, you son of a bitch!” I try to rip my arm from his grip. When I begin to struggle, he punches me in the face and openly gropes me in front of the whole room. He’s obviously stupid. He grabs me again, but this time it’s rougher than before. Every member of Havoc jumps up from where they are sitting and cuffed ready to charge over. Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for Jones, Joker is sitting close to where I’m struggling to free myself. He is only zip tied so with no real effort, he breaks his straps and picks Officer Jones up from behind. Officer Jones lets me go and I scramble away though ungracefully. You can only move so quickly with your hands cuffed behind your back and a sore face. The fucker hit me with his full force. I’m seeing stars.

“Put him down!” Detective Mills yells. He and every other officer in the room has their guns drawn and pointed at Joker, but they don’t shoot. Doing so could mean they shoot and kill their bastard of a cop too.

“Joker!” Diablo says.

It’s all it takes. Joker drops Officer Jones, and he slams into the floor in a heap of disgusting man.

“Now gentlemen, I cannot have you man handling my officers. Joker here will pay for that,” Detective Mills says.

I lose it. Joker is going to pay? What about that fucking pervert that had his grubby hands all over me?

“Pardon me, Detective Mills, but I believe you are mistaken,” I say. My words are slurred from the punch. I know I have blood dripping down my chin. I can feel it, but for now I ignore it. “Your officer, here was sexually assaulting me and my friend was merely defending me. There is a room full of people who saw him groping me and punching a handcuffed woman. And trust me there are cameras all around this fucking building that have recorded every fucking thing you have done here today. Don’t try to find the tapes because they are wirelessly backed up, off site. McKena is safe. You can ask Paul why we ran ten years ago, but as far as what has gone on here, you should probably let it go. And, I know my rights, the statute of limitations for kidnapping in the state of Georgia is seven years. You yourself said ten years ago this apparent kidnapping happened. You have no grounds to arrest me.”

“Ms. Riley, if these animals are threatening you, you can trust me to help you,” Detective Mills says. He’s trying and failing to sound sincere.

“Last time I trusted a cop, he raped me. No thank you.”

His face pales at my words. He looks uncomfortable.

Good.

“Mr. Masterson, we’re done here today, but you are on notice. One toe out of line and I will be back to arrest your ass.”

The officers unlock our cuffs, and file out of the building. Once the door closes, I begin shaking. I don’t know what came over me, but couldn’t let him grope and hit me without fighting back.

“Come on, little bird, you’re bleeding.”

Looking up to Caleb’s beautiful black eyes, tears fill mine. “He’s never going to stop is he?”

“No,” he says. An apology is written on his chiseled face. “He won’t stop unless we stop him.”

The only way to make him stop is to kill him. And given the opportunity that is exactly what I plan to do.