Whitney

IT’S TAKEN ME SIXTEEN YEARS, but I’ve finally gotten away from the man my parents sold me to when I was fourteen. My fifteen-year-old daughter, Sami, and I have been in the car for days and days trying to stay ahead of the man that’s abused me, raped me, and taken every piece of my soul away from me. I’m trying to stay upbeat and not let on that the last beating I suffered at his hands has done a real number on me. Sami isn’t dumb though and she knows that I’m not right. She’s just happy we’re finally away from him. He’s her dad and she can’t stand him, can’t stand the life he wanted for her.

Sami was lucky enough to escape the verbal assaults by her father. Every time we turned around he was yelling at her for something. Hell, I’m surprised she could breathe without getting yelled and screamed at by him. I know most people would’ve gotten out of the situation a long time ago. We weren’t lucky enough to do that though.

My husband is an extremely rich man. While he was gone to work, business trips, fucking his whore of the week, and whatever else he decided he had to do, we were guarded by armed guards. They were in the house, outside of the house, and stationed around the block we lived on. The only reason we were able to get out this time was because I managed to get sympathy from one of the new guards that didn’t like the way my husband treated us. He acted like he was driving me to pick Sami up from school and then he let us go. As soon as I picked my daughter up he got out of the car, gave me some cash, and told me to get as far away as possible. When I asked him what he was going to do, he said he would just blend in and disappear. He knows what’s going to happen to him if my husband ever finds him, he’ll pay for his traitorous behavior with his life.

“Mom, can we stop somewhere please?” my daughter asks me.

“You okay honey?”

“Yeah. I’m just hungry and I have to go to the bathroom.”

“I could use a pit stop myself. The next little town we come to, we’ll make a stop.”

“How are you going to cover up the bruises on your face mom?”

“I’m not worried about it. I’ll put my sunglasses on to cover up the black eyes and the rest will have to go as is.” I tell her, knowing that she’s concerned about what people are going to think.

Up ahead I see a sign announcing the town of Clifton Falls. I’ll find somewhere to go to the bathroom, top off the tank, and grab something to eat before we get back on the road. I’m going to splurge on us today and see if I can find some place we can sit down and eat. I’m tired of fast food and gas station snacks. Sami has to be getting tired of it too, but she won’t complain. My girl is the easiest person in the world to make happy. As long as those around her are happy and safe, my girl could care less what she has. Thankfully he hasn’t taken that away from her.

Pulling up to a gas station, I see that it’s fairly packed. I’m not surprised with it being a Saturday. What does surprise me are the number of motorcycles in the parking lot. A group of men are standing off to the side, talking and laughing. They don’t frighten me. When they head into the gas station, I see one lone man standing watch over the bikes.

Sami is staring at the young man that was left behind and I can see the look of interest in her eyes. I’m not worried though, it’s not like we’ll be staying in this little town for longer than it takes for us to get something to eat. We still have a lot of travelling left to do so I know that my husband will never find us again. The beating I suffer if he does find us will make the previous beatings look like love taps in comparison.

As soon as Sami steps out of the car, I see the young man look our way. He takes an appreciative glance at my daughter before looking at me. I can see the shock and anger register on his face before he turns and looks towards the gas station.

“Why don’t you head in to use the restroom while I get gas?” I ask my daughter.

“Okay. Are you gonna walk in with me?”

“Yeah. There’s nothing to be scared of here though sweetheart. We’ll just do what we have to do and be on our way. Besides, I saw you looking at the young man over there.”

“Mom!” Sami practically shrieks in embarrassment.

We make our way in the store and I can see once everyone inside registers my face and the bruising all over it. The main ones are the men wearing the leather cuts. I’m not sure what club they’re from, but I’ve known men in clubs before and they weren’t exactly good men. My father kept some questionable acquaintances. I haven’t seen men in leather in a very long time though. When I do see them, I don’t get scared and cower behind things. I go on about my business and let them handle theirs.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” one of the men ask.

“Yeah.” I answer, going to say more but being cut off.

“Spare me the runnin’ into a door or fallin’ down stairs bit. I know better than that. Do you need help?”

“No sir. As long as I can keep going, we’ll be just fine. I’ll be here long enough to find a little restaurant to eat and then we’ll be out of here.”

Sami chooses that moment to come back from the bathroom and come by my side. The men look at her, probably to see if she’s been abused physically or not. I smile at the man questioning me before paying for my gas so we can get out of here. All I want right now is to sit down to a nice meal and be back on the road before dark. I don’t want to have to change cars again. We’ve already been through five cars and I kind of like the little one we’re in now. It’s definitely not something my husband would picture me in.

“I’ll pump the gas while you get in the car.”

“Are we still eating here mom?”

“We sure are. I’m sick of fast food. We’ll find something small and then be back on the road by dark. Sound good?”

“Yeah. When are we stopping for the night so you can get some rest?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll drive until I get tired. Then we’ll find somewhere to pull over.”

Sami gets in the car while I pump the gas. I’m not paying attention to anything around me, when I know better. So, I don’t see the guy I was talking to pull out his cell phone and place a call while watching me. This is the moment that our lives are going to change. The moment when I can finally take a breath and let my guard down a little bit.

It doesn’t take us long to find a little restaurant. Pulling in I see that it’s not too busy for a Saturday. I pull as far in the back and away from the road as I can. Just in case my husband does have someone following us. It’s something that we’ve gotten used to as the days have gone by. Just like I know never to use my credit cards and I dumped my cell phone a while ago. It’s about two hundred miles from home in the opposite direction as what we’re currently heading.

As we walk in the restaurant I notice the cozy atmosphere. You can tell we’re in a small town when everyone turns to stare at every person that walks through the door. I’m greeted by stares of astonishment, questions, and rage. A few of the bikers from the gas station walk in behind us and make their way over to a group of women sitting in the back corner.

I put my hand on Sami’s back and lead her in the opposite direction from the men and women. The young man my daughter was looking at before is once again out guarding the bikes. She’s watching him through the window and trying to hide it from me. Too bad it’s not working.

“What can I get you guys?” an older woman asks, smiling at us with questions in her eyes.

“Can I please have a cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate milkshake?” I ask, closing my menu.

“Absolutely. And what about you sugar?”

“Can I please have a BLT on white toast with light lettuce, fries with gravy on the side, and a chocolate milkshake?”

The woman writes down our order, tells us her name is Alice, and then makes her way to turn in our order. Before we can continue a conversation, a pretty blond walks up to our table. I notice her as one of the women that was sitting with the bikers. I’m not sure if this is good or not, but we’re about to find out.

“Hey guys!”

“Hi!” I answer, turning my face away as much as possible without being rude.

“Can I sit down for a second please?” she asks.

I look at Sami and she nods her head. So, I move over and let her join us. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I guess we’re about to find out. Just as she goes to speak, Alice brings our milkshakes over. As soon as she walks away, the woman begins talking.

“My name is Skylar and I can’t help but notice that someone put you through the ringer. I know what it looks like when someone’s on the run. I’m here to offer help. The club and I are offering our services to you.”

“I’m Whitney and this is my daughter Sami. I don’t know what you guys could possibly do to help us.”

“Some of the women in the club have been where you two are right now and we didn’t have anyone to help us get away. We’ve got one house currently available that we’re using to shelter domestic violence victims. I would like to offer the house, free of charge to your daughter and you. There’s round the clock security, you can come and go as you please with an escort for your protection, and you have a place to call home for as long as it takes you to get on your feet.”

“Why would you offer it to us? How do you know we don’t have a destination in mind already?”

“Mom, can’t we just take their help? I don’t want to stay in the car forever. We’re sitting ducks driving down the road when we don’t know if he’s out looking for us.”

Looking at my daughter, I can see the exhaustion on her face. She’s more than ready to get out of the car and she hasn’t said one word to me about it. Until now. There’s no way I can deny her this. If she wants to stay here, and these people are willing to help us out, then who am I to deny her what she wants. I can’t do it to her.

“What’s the catch?” I ask, hesitantly.

“The only thing we ask is that you tell us any important names we need to know, such as the person that did this to you, and if you want to share a little bit of your backstory with one of the females, you can. This is only so that we have the necessary information to protect you. The guys will do a background check on the person that did this so they can get all the information possible to be prepared.”

“I can do that.”

“Okay. Well, you let me know when you guys are done eating and I’ll lead you over to the house. There’s a garage you can use to hide your car in too. I’ll be right over there.”

Skylar gets up and looks at Sami as she looks back out the window at the guy standing guard. Looking back at me, she gives me a knowing look and I can see the smile forming on her face. Sami notices us exchanging looks and a blush breaks out on her face. Neither one of us says a word about her looking at the guy. It’s not like we’ve never been where she’s at right now.

As Skylar is leaving our table, I see Alice making her way towards us with our food in her hands. Sami and I sit back in our seats so that she can set our plates down without us getting in her way. I’ve waitressed before, the one and only time I was allowed to work when I was sixteen. I know what to do and what not to do when it comes to making sure their job is as easy as possible. I’m not going to make Alice’s job any harder than it has to be.

Sami and I dig into our food since it’s the first decent meal we’ve had since leaving the house. I can feel eyes watching us, but I’m too hungry to give a shit what anyone thinks about us at the moment. My face is making everyone look at me anyway, so why not give them something else to look at?

We’re following Skylar and the men on bikes to the house she was telling us about. The rest of the women that were sitting with them are now with us. Skylar said they didn’t want to overwhelm us but that it’s probably going to be easier to say what we have to say one time and one time only. It’s not like I know these people and I’m not going to have to be around them forever. We’ll only be in their house until I get on my feet, find a job, and get a place of our own. If we even decide to stay in this town.

Skylar and two men lead us up to the door of the house. It’s a nice little one-story home, perfect for Sami and me. They take us on a tour and then sit us down in the living room to tell our story. I’m not looking forward to sharing this part of my life, the shame and guilt I feel for keeping Sami there is all-consuming, and I don’t know how I’ll ever get past it.

“When I was fourteen, my parents decided that it was time for me to make my own life. They sold me to a man who made me marry him with my parents’ permission. I’ve been married to this man for almost sixteen years. He’s raped, beat, tortured, verbally, and emotionally assaulted me. This all started when I was fourteen, the first night I moved in with him.”

“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me?” One of the guys explodes.

“Irish, calm down. This isn’t helping the situation.” Skylar says. “Please continue. I’m sorry for his outburst Whitney.”

“It’s okay. Anyway, I’ve been accused of cheating on him, Sami not being his daughter, and a whole list of other offenses. I couldn’t take a breath without getting yelled at or beat on. He figured because I was so much younger than him, I’d never have the guts to leave him. It took me forever, and the help of one of the guards, but I finally got away from him.”

“Can I ask how you finally managed to get away?” the guy that had the outburst earlier asks.

“One of the armed guards helped me. See, there are guards in the house, outside, and around the surrounding block we lived on. One of the new guards decided that he didn’t like how my husband was treating us, so he helped me get away. It happened when he took me to pick Sami up from school.”

“Are you plannin’ on stayin’ here, or movin’ on once you get some cash in your pocket?” he asks.

“I don’t know. There’s really no final destination for us. It depends on if I can find what my daughter and I are looking for here.”

“And what exactly are you lookin’ for?”

“A place to heal, somewhere I don’t have to look over my shoulder every two seconds, and somewhere I can let my daughter grow and become the amazing woman she’s meant to be.”

“And what about guys?”

“What about them? Do you see what I look like right now?” I ask the man, pulling my sunglasses off my face.

I hear audible gasps from around the room. More than likely it’s from the women sitting here. There’s also more than one or two growls and swear words. The guy that’s been questioning me leaves the house, slamming the door after him. I’m not sure what his problem is, and I don’t intend to find out either.

“I’m sorry about him sweetheart,” another man says. “I’m Grim, the President of the Wild Kings MC. Can you tell me what his name is so we can get all the information on him?”

“His name is Carl Baxter.” I answer.

“Okay. I’m goin’ to leave a patch member and a few prospects. We’ll be outside so I can figure out who I’m leavin’ with you. For now, I’ll have Goose start emptin’ your car and bringin’ your bags inside. Welcome to Clifton Falls honey. I’m sorry it wasn’t under better circumstances that we’re meetin’.”

“I just can’t thank you all enough for wanting to help someone you don’t know.”

“Don’t mention it. Skylar is goin’ to give you a list of numbers. Mainly the women so you have someone to call if you need to talk or need anythin’.”

With that, all the men walk out of the house and the women surround Sami and I. I’m not sure what’s going to happen next, but we’re about to find out. Hopefully I’m not making the biggest mistake of my life by staying here. Sami needs to be happy and have the ability to grow and be shown love like never before. So, I’m going to give that to her.

Irish

It’s been six months since I lost Caydence. I’ve been struggling through every day, trying to figure out how to make it in the club and with my daughter. I never thought I’d be a single dad. Caydence is on my mind from the second my eyes pop open until exhaustion claims me. Cassidy is the only thing keeping me sane and not going off the deep end right now.

Everyone keeps telling me that the loss I feel will diminish over time. I’ll admit that the days don’t seem quite as long or lonely these days, but I’ll never forget my girl or get over the devastation her loss caused. Now, my daughter will never know the love of a great mom like Caydence. Yeah, she had problems, but we were getting her the help she needed to get past them.

This morning, I never thought that my day would turn out like it has. When this woman pulled into the gas station down town, I could see the bruising as soon as she looked in our direction. My blood instantly boiled in rage as I thought about someone putting their hands on this woman. I can’t stand that, and I step in no matter what I’m doing if I see it. This woman would not be looking like she does if I were around. I discreetly point her out to Grim and Cage, who are the closest to me as we make our way in the store. If she’s on the run, which I’m sure she is, there’s no way she’s going to be using her credit cards if she knows what’s good for her.

“When she comes in, I want Joker to go talk to her. He’s the least menacing out of all of us. See what you can find out and we’ll go from there,” Grim tells us.

We all spread out around the store and watch for the unknown woman to come in. She walks in a few minutes later with her daughter and they go separate ways. Joker makes his way over to the woman and starts talking to her. I can’t hear what she’s saying to him, but I want to know.

For some reason there’s this weird pull towards this woman. I haven’t looked at another woman in so long that I don’t know why she’s piquing my interest so much. Maybe it’s just because I know that she needs help. Or the fact that her face is covered in bruises that you can tell are fresh, they can’t be more than a few days old, and she’s still laughing and smiling with what I’m assuming is her daughter. Not many people would be doing that. They’d have gotten away and chosen some place to hide out until they were healed enough to go in public without having to worry about covering their battle wounds. She’s not even trying to cover her face in layers of makeup to hide the evidence.

I continue to watch her as her daughter joins them. The two make their way out of the store and back to their car. Joker pulls his cell phone out and makes a call to Skylar I’m assuming. Yeah, we have the house that we’re planning on using that Blade stayed in while Keira was gone for domestic violence victims, but how is he planning on getting Skylar and the rest of the girls to see this woman if she’s heading out of town.

“What’s her story?” Grim asks as we catch up to Joker.

“It’s obvious she’s hidin’ from someone. They’re on their way to get a bite to eat and then headin’ out of town.”

“You think she’s goin’ to the Corner Café?” I ask.

“Her daughter wants to sit down to a meal and that’s the only place in town to do it.”

We all get back on our bikes and head in the direction of the café. We’re a part of this project so we’re going to make our presence known. And if the members of the town are seen with her, they’ll be more than likely to snub anyone that comes looking for her. It’s hard enough to get information out of the people of Clifton Falls. When it comes to protecting people that obviously need it, they clam up tighter than hell. And this woman and her daughter need help.

We’ve gotten some of Whitney’s back story and I know there’s more to tell than that. I had to leave the house as she was talking. It was like she was talking about someone else as she told us the little bit of information she thought we’d need. There was no emotion, no facial expressions as she was talking. I guess when you’ve been dealing with the abuse for so long, you kind of become numb to it. That doesn’t mean that she’s not hurt and isn’t bothered by what she suffered through. It just means that is doesn’t faze her anymore. It’s like she’s tired of hiding and walking on eggshells to protect the sick bastard that fucked her over.

“Goose, I’m sure you’re gonna be needed soon,” I tell him as I take a few calming breaths to calm the rage I feel building.

No woman deserves to have a man put their hands on her. This woman really doesn’t deserve it. You can see the love for her daughter shining bright in her eyes. Along with the guilt for not being able to get her out of their situation sooner. I’ve gotten good at reading people while Caydence was still alive. This woman would do anything to protect the people that she loves and cares about.

“What do you need Irish?” Goose asks.

“I’m sure Grim is goin’ to want you to help unload their car.”

“Anythin’ you need.”

I see a slight blush creep up his face and I know without a doubt that he’s liking what he sees with Whitney’s daughter, Sami. I’m not sure that they’re going to be around long enough for anything to happen. But, I know Goose is eighteen and her daughter is a minor. I’ll have to keep my eye on the two of them. Hell, I want to keep my eye on Whitney. This thought shocks the living hell out of me because no woman has even been on my radar since I lost my girl.

“You know she’s a minor, right?” I ask, leaning up against my bike while I wait for everyone to come out.

“I know. She’s the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen though. Irish, don’t worry, I know not to touch her. I won’t cross any boundaries. I promise.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Grim and the rest of the guys come outside. I know that they need a breather as much as I do. You could feel the rage rolling through the room as Whitney was talking. Most of these guys are going to want to protect her and make sure she’s not touched, that Sami isn’t touched, as much as I do. I’m going to make sure that I’m the one that’s around the most though. And I can pretty much guarantee that Goose is going to feel the same way.

“Alright, we got the fucker’s name. Tank, I want you to run it as soon as we get back and start gatherin’ information on him. Put a file together and get it to me so we can go over it in church. Goose, start unloadin’ their car and ask them where they want their things. Now, we’re goin’ to have men here around the clock. Who wants to volunteer?”

“I want to be here as much as possible,” I speak up without a second thought.

Grim takes a second to think this over. “You sure?”

“I am. And I want Goose here with me.”

Grim and the rest of the club look over at Goose where he’s unloading Whitney’s car. Goose is staring at me with his mouth hanging open. After my little speech about Sami being a minor I’m sure he never thought I’d be saying I want him here with me. But, if I’ve learned anything it’s that he’s going to do what he has to in order to protect Sami if he’s interested in her at all. Even if they can only ever be friends. Hopefully she doesn’t rip his heart out when she leaves. If they leave.

The guys all pretty much volunteer to help do round the clock security. I get the day shifts so I can be with Cassidy during the night. I’ll have to talk to Bailey and the girls about keeping an eye on her while I have to be here. Or maybe, once I get to know Whitney and Sami better, I’ll see if Sami wants to earn some money and watch her while I’m here or on other club business.

Goose, the new prospect, and I come up with a game plan to ensure the entire house and property are covered while we’re here. I’m going to stay out front so I can watch for any cars driving by or pulling in the driveway. There’s not going to be anyone coming here that I don’t know about. If I sit on the porch for part of my stay here, I can also watch the girls inside and make sure they’re okay. It’s just a babysitting job, I keep trying to tell myself.