Chapter 35
Ace
Ten minutes later we pulled into the parking lot of the rundown Sandcastle Motel. There were only two vehicles parked directly in front of the doors to their rooms. Since the room key had the number on it, we headed straight to room ten. There was no vehicle parked there, but it didn't stop us from busting the door in and entering the room.
Hook wasn't there, but his shit was.
"Pete, hit the lobby and find out what you can about this scum." Tanner moved around the room, kicking the scattered clothes out of his way.
"Doesn't have much," Sid commented from the vanity.
"Just got out of prison," Tanner reminded him.
"What the fuck?" Sid reached for something in the trash can. "This fuck on birth control or something?" He held up a thin, rectangular box with Androcur 50mg etched onto the front.
Tanner and I went over to investigate. I took the box from Sid, which hadn't even been opened. "Chemical castration," I explained, dropping the box back into the trash. "They must have started him on this before his release."
"Appears he's stopped taking it," Sid sneered.
I began looking through the shit on the nightstand between the beds. Nothing but the usual crap you would expect to find--an array of receipts, gum wrappers, loose change, an empty food container, and a dirty ashtray filled with cheap cigarette butts.
Pete re-entered the room. "Checked in about a week ago, but the attendant says he's gone a lot. Hasn't seen him in a couple of days."
"Yeah, and we know what the fucker's been busy at," I growled, thinking back to the part of the video that Emerson had been lucky not to see.
Since she hadn't mentioned seeing Gracie on the video I could only assume that, for whatever reason, Hook hadn't shown it to her. Maybe he’d been saving it for later. Who the fuck knew how a psycho thought? Her killing had been done at the beginning of the video, and he'd slaughtered Gracie in a frenzied rage that could only be described as demonic. It had truly looked as if the bastard had been possessed by the worst sort of evil you could imagine. It had been clear that he hadn't killed both women at the same time or in the same place.
"Did you find out what he drives?"
Pete nodded in response to Tanner. "Chevy S10, old one. Attendant said the body was rusted, but you could still make out that it was blue.”
With the motel room door opened it was easy to hear the sound of traffic passing by on the road just out front. So when the loud, rattling sound of a vehicle with a bad muffler could be heard, we all exchanged a knowing look before rushing toward the doorway. Were we about to get lucky? We got to the door in time to see a small truck come into view, slow down as if the driver were about to turn into the motel, and then suddenly speed off again. It had to be Hook!
Nothing was said. My brothers and I rushed to our bikes and took off after him. It didn't take long to catch up to him, he was smart not to speed through town, and we were content to just follow him until we could make our move. We were on A1A and heading in the direction of Ormond Beach. This early in the morning, the coastal road along the Atlantic was quiet, and once we’d reached that quiet stretch, Hook picked up his speed.
Tanner signaled and we immediately moved in closer. Tanner and I picked up speed and passed him, pulling in front and then lowering our speed again in an attempt to slow him down. Pete and Sid pulled up along the driver’s side of the truck, ready to force him off the road, and Sully stayed at the rear. Even though he was driving a rusty heap, Hook had an advantage over our bikes, but we didn't let that sway our determination to get our hands on him. As the sun began to rise over the ocean, I knew that we needed to move fast.
I rolled off the gas, and slowed down, but instead of slowing down to keep from hitting me, Hook's bumper clipped my back tire and I lost control for a second. Fuck! If I went down he'd run right over me. I managed to gain control and pulled over so he could pass me, and that's when I pulled my weapon and showed it to him.
"Pull over!"
He spared me a quick glance, but kept on going.
I shot out his window. "Pull over, or the next one will be your fucking head!" I wanted to kill him, but not on the highway where anyone could happen upon the scene.
The bastard continued to ignore me, flooring it and nearly running Tanner over. Tanner veered off onto the shoulder. I rolled on the gas to remain next to the truck. I aimed my gun toward his head and shot off a round so fucking close that it clipped the point of his chin. He screamed out and swerved as he grabbed the lower half of his face, losing control of the truck. Pete and Sid rode close to the side of his truck to make sure that he didn’t veer back onto the road.
I laid my bike down and hurried to the truck as it came to a jerky stop. Hook was groaning in pain and clutching at his wound. It was a minor injury, but I was savagely happy to see the amount of blood that was now dripping down onto his clothes. I yanked the door open and reached for him, grabbing a hold of his shirt, recognizing him from the video.
"You're a fucking dead man," I snarled into his ashen face, before tossing him over to the passenger side of the truck. He made an attempt to fight back, but unlike a lot of ex-cons, he hadn't bulked up in prison. He appeared years older than he probably was, his frame thin. I hit him mercilessly a few times and then climbed in and slammed the door. "Toss my bike in the back and follow me to my place," I snarled to my brothers. They backed away as I shifted gears. As soon as my bike was loaded, I peeled out.
"Try anything and I'll gut you right here," I snarled, shooting him a glare.
"You're gonna kill me anyway." He could barely talk.
"How do you know we don’t just want to talk?" I almost wished that he would try something stupid so that I had a reason to cut him now. "Why were you running, asshole?" I made a U-turn and headed back the way we'd come.
"I've seen you with Emerson."
I reached over and punched him in the side of the face, not holding back, causing more damage and pain. "You don't fucking speak her name," I growled. I was going to enjoy killing the prick and feeding him to the alligators.
The sound he made was a cross between a snort and a grunt. "She told you who I was, huh?" he said.
When I looked over to catch his smirk, I lost my shit. I wanted to end him then and there. Images of him violating a young Emerson, who must have been frightened and devastated, nearly blinded me. I grabbed him by the back of the head and slammed his face into the dashboard violently several times until blood covered his face and he was out. I couldn't stand to hear his fucking voice or the smugness I detected in it. He thought the whole fucking thing was a joke. He didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as Emerson, and I was going to make him suffer for what he'd done to her and her cousins.
I managed to make it home without killing him.
****
Emerson
"Here, honey, you look like you could use this." Ruby set down a cup of coffee in front of me.
"Thanks." I took a sip, tasting the alcohol at once. I smiled. "What else did you sneak in here?"
"A shot of vodka." She sat down across from me, not the least bit sorry that she’d served me hard liquor before the sun was up.
"Thank you for your help."
"We're family," Ruby said simply with a gentle smile. "Once you embrace that you'll learn to trust us."
I got the impression that she was chastising me, even though it was in a kind, subtle way. I glanced down into my coffee in regret, wishing that I'd figured that out sooner. "My mother died when I was a teenager. Until then I'd had what you could call a normal, happy family. Sure, there were things that happened occasionally but I'd been too young to recognize them for what they were. After my mom passed, my father’s behavior towards me changed."
"You didn't talk to anyone, a school nurse or—"
"I was too ashamed and embarrassed to tell anyone then, or now," I said after a few minutes. "My father was in prison up until a couple of weeks ago. I had a new life. I never thought he'd find me, or that he'd even want to. That he would want revenge for turning him in and testifying against him never entered my mind. Then I began seeing him all over town, just brief glimpses that I convinced myself were lookalikes or that I'd imagined it altogether. Ace and I fought about my keeping secrets."
She smiled with sympathy. "Honey, I'm sure that now that Ace knows more about what happened, he understands. I learned the hard way, too. I wasn’t honest with Tanner about something in my past when I first came here. The results were devastating and almost cost me Tanner. These men are fiercely loyal and protective, but they have a responsibility to their MC and our town. They have to know about any trouble that may come their way."
I nodded. "I see that now. I regret not telling Ace."
"There's not much you could do that Ace wouldn't forgive you for in the end."
She sipped at her coffee. For a minute we sat in silence with our own thoughts, mine on Ace and what he was doing right now, what he felt he had to do for me. He was a good man for the most part, all of the Sentinels were. I knew exactly what Ruby was saying without actually saying the words. They could be as lethal and unpredictable as any other outlaw club when it came to protecting their families and their town. They didn't share anything about club business with their women, but sometimes you just knew that they were involved in dangerous, sometimes illegal activity in order to get the results that law enforcement couldn’t.
Suddenly, Ruby reached across the table for my hand. "Don't worry about Ace."
"I love him!" I blurted out in a breathless whisper.
Amusement danced in Ruby's eyes. "I know. And he loves you. It's obvious."
I stared at her in awe. "He loves me?" Had he told her that?
She nodded. "Yes, but don't expect to hear those words from Ace. He's a doer, not a talker. And if you can't figure it out, you don't deserve him."
I sat back with a gasp, feeling as if she'd struck me.
She laughed. "I'm kidding, honey. You both deserve each other. You’re good for each other. I’m happy that Ace has found someone who won’t put up with his strong-armed tactics and keeps him on his toes. Now give him a couple of kids, and you'll have that man by the balls."
I giggled. "You think he'll want kids?" Even I could hear the hope in my voice.
"Yes. And I'm fairly certain you already have me by the balls."
I squealed with a start and spun around. My back was to the door, and Tanner and Ace were standing behind me. I hadn't even heard them come in. My eyes locked onto the man that I loved beyond reason, moving over him from the top of his head down to his booted feet. I wasn't sure what I was looking for--maybe some sign of what he'd done. But he was clean as a whistle, and his damp hair revealed that he'd had a recent shower. I swallowed nervously.
"It's done, baby. You never have to worry about your monster again."
I left my chair and ran to him, nearly knocking him over in my enthusiasm. He grunted and braced his feet firmly, taking my full weight. His arms crushed me to him immediately. Tears sprang to my eyes as I was overwhelmed by conflicting emotions. I'd work through them later. Right now I just wanted to be held close and tight, and never let go.
I sensed Tanner moving across the room to Ruby, but the only one of importance to me in that instant was my man.
My hero.