CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Deke poured a round of drinks and lifted his glass to his lips.
Cordelia was back in her bedroom under guard still screaming out threats while Cricket sat with Raine. The tribunal was over but a vote hadn’t been called yet. Everyone was still in shock at the revelations that had come forward.
“That is one seriously fucked up bitch.” Reaper slammed down his shot. “My brother never stood a chance did he?”
Deke shook his head. “No I don’t think he did. What surprises me the most is how different the sisters are. One of them thought nothing of killing someone and kidnapping two innocent kids while the other one just wanted to do the right thing.”
“I think I owe that girl an apology.” Scythe nodded at Cricket. “I’ve hated the wrong person for seven years.”
“It’s hard to know the truth when the facts are hidden,” Deke told them. “Cordy spent her whole life hiding everything from everyone but her sister. I have a feeling Cricket has more secrets about Cordy.”
“Do we really want to know?” Reaper asked. “I think I’ve heard enough. My only concern was my brother, and I finally learned what I needed to know. I finally know what really happened the night he died.”
“So what are you going to do with Cordy?” Scythe asked.
“We’ll take a vote but I’m pretty sure she’ll pay the ultimate price for her treachery.” Deke shrugged.
“What about her son?” Reaper asked.
“As we don’t know who the boy’s father is we’ll keep him here.” Deke said.
“And Cricket?” Reaper asked. “What’s going to happen to her?”
Deke shrugged. “She’s not completely innocent in all of this.”
“But she isn’t guilty either.” Sam pointed out. “She did bring Jemmia back and without her, you wouldn’t have found Sammy.”
“But she didn’t stop it in the first place.” Deke pointed out. “All it would have taken was a fucking phone call.”
“And who would she have called?” Sam asked. “She had no idea where to call. She did the best she could. She took care of the kids.”
Deke fisted his hands. “I know but Cassie still went through hell. We all did.”
“And you don’t think she did?” Sam asked. “You saw her back, you know Cordy is psychotic. You left before you got to know her but all those years she lived with my old MC, I watched her. There was something off about that girl. Orrin saw it even if he didn’t want to, he saw it.” He sighed heavily. “Cricket never said a word she was being mistreated. She took everything her sister handed her and never said a word.”
“She probably thought no one would believe her.” Deke shook his head. “How was it no one caught on that Orrin was murdered?”
Sam shrugged. “There was so much going on at the time I don’t suppose anyone thought to look at the tapes, and by the time we did, Cordy and Cricket were gone. No one knew where they were.”
When the main doors opened, Deke swung around to see who would be foolish enough to interrupt a tribunal. When he saw Black Jack and his three sons, Hound, Gambler and Judge he frowned. Getting to his feet, he walked over to where they had joined Raine. Sam joined them as well.
“I’m sorry Black Jack, but you came at the worst possible time.” Deke shook the other man’s hand.
“No. I know you’re in the middle of something here,” Black Jack replied. “But Raine called us this morning with news that couldn’t wait.”
Deke turned to study Raine. “And what would that be?” He turned back to Black Jack.
“It was the fact that Cordy Tannnis had a child six years ago.” Black Jack stated.
“And that concerns your family how?” Deke asked.
“The child is probably mine,” Gambler told him.
“How do you figure that?” Cricket asked. “She never told me about you.” She glanced over at Raine and said, “I know he thinks Dusty belongs to your family, because of his birthmark but he can’t know for sure.”
Gambler shook his head. “We were only together that one time. I had too much to drink and got stupid one night. When I woke up the next morning and saw her in bed with me, I kicked her to the curb. I knew better than to get with her, hell I didn’t even remember what happened that night.”
“Then why do you think the boy is yours?” Deke asked.
“Because he has the Moore birthmark,” Raine explained. He lifted his shirt and showed the mark under his right armpit.
Black Jack nodded. “That birthmark belongs to our family. All my boys have it. We breed mostly boys and they all have it. If this boy has it, he’s more than likely a Moore.”
“And if he’s a Moore, he’s my son,” Gambler stated. “I want to meet him.”
“And you will but not right now,” Deke assured him. “We’re in the voting stage of the tribunal.”
Black Jack nodded. “Before you pass sentence, can we speak to Cordy and find out if the boy is Gambler’s?”
Deke looked over the crowd. They looked ready for justice. “I suppose so, but you’d better hurry.”
“I’ll take them to her.” Sam volunteered. He looked at Black Jack. “I don’t know if she’ll tell you the truth or not. But you can ask. Maybe she’ll do the right thing and tell you what you want to know.”
They all followed Sam down the hall to the bedroom where Cordy was under guard.
~* * * *~
Cricket was stunned. Dusty was all she had left in the whole world and now, she was going to lose him too. Tears rolled down her cheeks and the pain of loss overwhelmed her. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she began rocking back and forth slightly.
Raine watched his family disappear into the bedroom then he looked over at Cricket. When he noticed her blank stare he became concerned. “Are you all right?”
Cricket whispered, “I’ve lost everything I ever held dear to me. Dusty was all I had left and now, I’m going to lose him too. Cordy won. She’s taken everything I ever loved away from me. She’s left me with nothing.”
“You won’t lose Dusty,” Raine insisted. “Dusty will always love you.”
“But he won’t be with me anymore,” She wailed. “I won’t be able to hug him every day or whisper all my secret dreams to him when he’s sleeping. I won’t be able to watch him grow up.”
“Why? Why can’t you do all of that?” Raine asked.
Cricket stared at him for a moment, then looked away. “Your brother will claim him as his father. He’ll take Dusty home with him. I’ll never see him again.”
“If the boy is Gambler’s he’ll be with his dad. Is that so bad? He’ll have a grandfather and a grandmother and a couple of uncles.” Raine tried to reason with her. “Dusty will have a whole new family to take care of him, to love him. That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“No it doesn’t,” Cricket admitted. “But you need to understand I’ve watched over him since the day he was born. I was the only one who ever loved him like that.” She thought for a moment. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t ready to give him up just yet.”
Raine wrapped his arms around her. “You don’t have to give him up. Don’t you realize he loves you? He’ll never stop loving you. His world is about to get a lot bigger that’s all.”
Cricket nodded. “I know I should be happy for him but god help me, I hate change, especially when someone I love is going to be ripped away from me.” Then she looked around the room. The tension was still thick and she knew they would call a vote soon. “But maybe in light of what’s going on here it’s a good thing. At least I know someone will look out for him when I’m gone.”
“I don’t think you’re going anywhere,” Raine told her. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Cricket shook her head. “I didn’t do anything to stop her either. I even helped cover up her crimes.”
“That wasn’t your fault,” Raine argued. “You were under her thumb all your life. She controlled you for so long.”
Cricket shook her head. “It doesn’t make it right. I broke MC laws. They might not be so different from common laws but I still broke them. They have to uphold the rules or there would be anarchy and no MC could have that. I agreed to the rule of the tribunal and whatever happens I will abide by that.” She paused then added, “It’s a matter of honor, my honor. I may not have much left but I do have that. I gave my word.”
Before he could respond, the door opened. Deke and the others came back. Gambler and Black Jack both had grins on their faces. When they reached Raine, Gambler announced, “I have a son. The boy Dusty is my son, my flesh and blood.”
Hound nudged his brother when he saw the look of desolation on Cricket’s face.
It was only there for a moment before it changed to a blank stare. She looked up at Gambler and tried to smile. Even though it killed her, she tried. “I’m so happy for you. Dusty is a great kid.”
Gambler laid his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure he is, thanks to you. I know whatever he is today, is your doing. I know Cordy never cared about him.”
Cricket felt a tightening in her throat. Nodding, she looked away. After a moment, she told them, “He likes to say his prayers sitting on his knees on top of his bed rather than on the floor. He says it doesn’t matter as God will hear them anyway and he says the floor is too hard. He likes to eat his toast without butter. He likes peanut butter instead. He doesn’t like milk unless its strawberry milk. He doesn’t like chocolate milk at all. He likes peanut butter cookies more than any other kind…” Her voice trailed off.
The men stood very still and stared at her.
Cricket wiped the tears away and continued, “He likes chicken nuggets but not fish sticks. He likes to look at the stars wrapped up in a blanket sitting on your lap. He’ll talk your ear off if you let him. He likes to lay in bed at night and talk about what he wants to do when he grows up. He likes to watch SpongeBob and imagine he’s living under the sea.” She looked up at Gambler. “He’s a real good boy and his hugs will come to mean the word to you. They do to me.” She reached out and grabbed his hand. With her wrists tied together as they had been all morning, she begged him, “Please be good to him. Please love him for me?” Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Gambler nodded then leaned toward her and kissed her forehead. “I will remind him every day of his Aunt Cricket.”
“Please feel free to visit anytime,” Black Jack told her, “You will always be welcome in our home.”
Cricket looked around the room. “I’m not so sure I’ll be able to do that but I thank you for the invite.”
Black Jack nodded then said, “We’ll just wait outside until the tribunal is done and we can meet the boy.”
Deke shook his hand. “I appreciate that. I think they’re about ready to vote.”
When Black Jack and his sons left, Deke banged the gavel. He nodded toward Wiley who was standing guard.
Wiley opened the door and brought Cordy back to the main room.
When she was seated, Cricket glanced over at her and noted her expression. She looked as if her life were ending. And Cricket supposed it was. Cordy had never faced justice before but this time, she had no way out.
Deke called out, “You’ve all had time to discuss the charges and what justice we should seek here. Cordelia Tannis, please stand and face this tribunal.”
Cordy got to her feet and faced the crowd.
“The charges against you are kidnapping, murder and treason against the MC. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
“No I do not.”
“How do you plead?”
“Guilty,” she claimed loud and clear. She paused then said, “Can we just get on with this?”
“You have pled guilty to the charges and the club will pronounce your sentence,” Deke stated as he sat down.
One by one, each member called out his vote. “Death.” It took five minutes until the last vote was cast.
Cordy sat there and made no sound. When the last vote was cast, she closed her eyes briefly then sat down.
“This tribunal has sentenced you to death for your crimes, do you accept your fate?”
“Yes.”
“Then it is done.” Deke rapped the gavel down on the table. He got to his feet again, and called out, “Cricket Tannis, please stand and face this tribunal.”
Cricket got to her feet.
“You have been charged with aiding and abetting your sister in these charges. How do you plead?”
“Guilty.”
Deke looked around the room. “Does anyone have anything to say about these charges?”
“When everything is said and done it doesn’t seem to me like she really had a choice,” one of the men called out.
“She did what she could to correct what her sister did,” another voice was heard.
“Without her, your kids would still be out there, lost. She brought them both home again.”
“Is that how you all feel?” Deke asked the room.
“Yes,” they all called out together.
“What is your sentence of punishment?”
“Brand her,” someone called out. “Let her serve the club for a year to make up for what she did.”
“How say you one, how say you all?” Deke called out.
“Aye,” their voices came together and the roof rattled.
“This tribunal has decided your fate. Do you accept their sentence?”
“I do,” Cricket called out with tears on her cheeks.
“Then so be it.” He rapped the gavel on the table.
Cricket sat down in her chair hard. She couldn’t believe it. Her body shook terribly.
Cordy turned and looked at her. There was no emotion in her face. “I know I haven’t always been there for you and quite frankly, I never wanted to be. I always felt there was something deep inside me that was fucked up. When Mom told me Orrin wasn’t my father, I was almost relieved. I didn’t have to wait for the disappointment anymore.”
“What disappointment?”
“The look he always got in his eyes when I fucked up,” Cordy explained. “It was always the same kind of look and it always burned the deepest. You never noticed it but I did. I could see that look in his eyes every time he looked at me and I took it out on you. Every time I felt the rage building inside me, I hurt you. When the rage went away, I felt like shit but I couldn’t stop myself.” She looked down at the scars on her arms. “I think that’s why I cut myself all the time. I just wanted to feel something and the pain I felt was at least something. The pain and the scent of the blood almost gave me a high I could never get from anything or anyone else.” She looked around the room and saw the faces of the men around her. “This is right. This is what had to happen. Now, I’ll finally be free—free of the bitterness and pain I have felt all my miserable life. I am sorry for all the hell I put you through. You may not believe me but I am.”
“Are you afraid?” Cricket asked quietly.
Cordy shook her head. “No. I’m ready for death. It’s been a long time coming.” She paused then said, “It’s almost freeing in a subtle way.”
Cricket nodded. She watched as three men came for her sister. When they took her out the back door, she knew Cordy’s pain was almost over. When the gunshot sounded in the distance a few minutes later, Cricket jumped, then bowed her head and prayed. She prayed for her sister’s soul and asked God to forgive her for her sins against her fellow man.
Deke came up to her and reached for the knife held in a sheath at his waist. He sliced through the ropes around her wrists. When they broke free, he told her, “We don’t have a branding iron, so tomorrow we’ll tattoo your shoulder. You have been sentenced to serve this club for a year. Tonight is your last night as a free woman for the next year. Spend it with whoever you like but tomorrow you will begin your sentence.”
“What will I be expected to do?” she asked.
Deke smiled. “Probably not what you’re thinking. We don’t have club whores here. While most clubs have them, our wives wouldn’t approve. Your job will be whatever the club members ask of you.”
Cricket nodded. “Will I be able to say goodbye to Dusty?”
Deke nodded. “I think that might be best if it’s done tonight. I know the Moore men and patience is not one of their virtues.”
Cricket nodded. “He’s at Reva’s right now.”
Raine came over to where they were standing. “I can take her over there.”
Deke’s eyes got hard for a moment. “Do I have to worry about you running?”
Cricket shook her head. “No, I’m not going anywhere. I agreed to abide by the club laws and I will. I just want the chance to say goodbye. Dusty is all I really ever had in this life and I want the chance to tell him that.”
Deke nodded and watched as they left the clubhouse.