CHAPTER EIGHT
It was mid-morning when Zipper found Deke alone. He was sitting at the desk in his office at the club and he hesitated before he knocked.
When Deke saw him standing in the doorway, he motioned the other man in. “What do you need Zip?”
“I thought of something and I wanted to run it by you,” Zipper stated.
Deke nodded. “I’m listening.”
“I have a friend in town, she’s a K-9 trainer. You know as well as I do we can’t protect Cassie twenty four seven.”
“Don’t remind me,” Deke muttered angrily.
“We can’t but a specially trained dog could,” Zipper suggested.
“Go on.”
“I spoke to Glory this morning and she agreed. A dog can stay with her every moment we can’t be there. These dogs are trained to protect their owners, trained to die for them if necessary. They are also trained to stop anyone who goes after their owners.”
“I see.” Deke was busy thinking. “How long does it take to bond with the dog?”
“Not long at all. Once Glory introduces the animal to Cassie, he’ll know it’s his job to protect her.”
“Does she have a dog in mind?”
Zipper nodded. “I asked her about getting one today and she said Demon would be the one she would recommend.”
“Get her on the horn and have her bring the dog out to the clubhouse,” Deke replied. “I’m almost done here and I’ll be heading out in a few minutes. As soon as we get back, we’ll be going on lockdown again until that bastard is caught.”
Zipper turned to make the call when Deke called him back. When Zip turned Deke held out his hand. “Thank you man.”
Zipper grinned. “That little girl has come to mean a lot to all of us. You are one lucky bastard. I don’t think there’s a one of us that would allow anything to happen to her.”
“Let’s hope we never have to find out.” Deke sneered. “If that fucker comes here, he isn’t leaving here alive.”
“Amen to that,” Zipper vowed.
~* * * *~
Robbie dragged Cassie deep into the woods. He’d already picked out the spot he was looking for. It was far enough away from the compound and he was sure no one would hear her screams. It was also in the path of some very predatory night creatures. He’d seen them the night before. Several large gray wolves roamed this part of the woods.
He jerked her over to a nearby tree he’d already prepared. A rope was strung around the trunk and he’d found several wolf prints in the area. He wrapped the rope around her waist and throat and when he was done, he tightened the knot. He ripped the gag out of her mouth and appreciated the blood dripping from her lip.
“What the hell are you doing Robbie?” Cassie snarled. “How did you get inside the clubhouse without being seen?”
“I got in last night,” Robbie told her. “I followed the FBI guys when they came to talk to you and I’ve been watching you for days. When everything was quiet, I came through the window and I hid until you were alone.”
“So, what are you going to do now?”
“Just giving you a taste of what you turned my life into.” Robbie growled. “The night you cut me, you ruined my life. When the doctors told me and my mother I could never live like a real man, she began to hate me. For the first time in my life, she gave me rules. She’d been a cruel bitch to everyone but me until that day.”
“Poor little monster you.” Cassie sneered.
Robbie backhanded her face hard. “Shut the fuck up bitch.” He snarled.
Her eye instantly swelled and blood ran down her face from the cut on her cheek. “I saw the autopsy photos of what was supposed to be you.” She stared at him steadily as if he didn’t just hit her. “Why did you have to kill Willy? What the hell did he ever do to you?”
Robbie tipped his head back and laughed. “You knew that wasn’t me huh? He was my way out. I made a vow the day I came home from the hospital. I vowed that one day I would find you and make you pay for what you did to me. For every time you cut me, I’d cut you back three times. That was the day I began to actually hate you.”
“And now that you’ve found me?”
Robbie smiled. His eyes grew cold and his lip curled. “You’ll still die but this is going to mean a whole lot more. You found love and now you carry the bastard’s baby. I can get my revenge by taking not only your worthless life but also your child.”
“What are you going to do?” Cassie asked calmly.
“My mother actually came up with the plan to use Will as my surrogate. She thought if we killed him and pretended he was me I could find you one day and get our revenge,” he explained as he paced in front of her. “We had it planned very carefully. Once she killed Will, I had to stay out of sight until I was old enough to start hunting for you.” He paused then looked at her carefully. “Do you remember that hidden room off the kitchen? That’s where she forced me to live. I could see everything that happened in that house but no one knew I was even there. She thought I was her prisoner but I soon, found a way to get out. I’d leave the house after dark and come back just before dawn. She never knew I was gone.”
“Where did you go?”
“I went into the city,” he admitted. “I told you, I was hunting for you.” Robbie shrugged. “I almost had you one night. This creep was beating hell out of you and I just stood there watching.”
“You’re the one who killed Jeremy aren’t you?”
“Was that his name?” Robbie asked. “I never knew who he was. I stopped him a couple of nights later and wanted to thank him but he took a swing at me. It pissed me off and I lost control. He was dead before I knew it.”
“Who were the other two you buried in the woods behind the house?”
Robbie sneered. “I watched you rebury the brats, did you know that? I used to watch you all the time and I’ll bet you never saw me do it either, did you?”
Cassie shook her head.
Robbie gave her a cold grin. “You were the only one in that house that ever came close to breaking her, you know? My mother was a horrible bitch. She bullied everyone. She could break the hardest of the men that came around there, but there was something about you, a snot nosed little kid, she never could break you.”
“It wasn’t as if she didn’t try,” Cassie whispered.
“It made me almost respect you, almost.” Robbie began to pace again. “Anyway, about six years ago I was out looking for you, walking the streets of Boston when this young chick stopped me. She said she was hungry and asked if I would buy her a sandwich. She kept looking around almost like she was waiting for someone else. When she got me in an alley, someone jumped me. I got mad and killed them both but not before the other guy hit me several times. I always carried a knife back then. I stabbed them both and carried their bodies back to the woods with me.” He shrugged. “It was easy enough to bury them beside the others my mother killed in her business. I never asked her name and she didn’t give it either. I simply didn’t care who she was.”
“Why did you leave my locket there?”
“I took that locket from my mother and I carried it with me for years. After you and Peaches left I wanted something of yours, so I wouldn’t forget how much I hate you.” He shook his head. “It slipped out of my pocket and I didn’t even know until it was too late.”
“The police know you’re still alive,” Cassie informed him.
He stared at her. “Now how would they know that? I’ve taken care not to get caught. No one has seen me during the daytime in years. I only go out at night and stay close to the shadows.”
“They brought your autopsy photos with them. Peaches and I told them the body wasn’t yours.”
He raised his hand and slapped her again. “You bitch!” He shouted at her.
Cassie screamed.
Robbie laughed. “Scream all you want bitch, no one can hear you. No one that is on two legs, but you are attracting the attention of the four legged variety of male persuasion.”
Cassie turned her head and looked around the area. At first, she didn’t see anything. She almost called him on it when she noticed dark eyes staring back at her. The eyes were set on either side of a long snout, above a mouth full of snarling teeth. She swallowed hard.
“You woke them up.” Robbie laughed. “I’ve been watching them and they aren’t usually up and moving this early.” He turned and watched the wolf for a moment. When he turned back to Cassie he said, “I guess we’ll wait for his brothers and sisters to get here.”
“What are you going to do to me?”
Robbie nodded and stared at her for a moment. “I’ve been thinking about that for a while now. I thought about killing you slowly and I’ve thought about the many ways I could kill you. Then…” He turned and stared at the wolf again. “…Then I thought about something else entirely.”
“And what would that be?” Cassie asked.
“When we die, we all become food for the worms and other creatures that live underground. Why should they be the other creatures that eat you? So, I found a place that was perfect for what I had in mind.” He lifted his arms and swung around in a circle. “I brought you here to this spot, so you could become dinner for the wolves.”
“So you’re going to leave me tied to a tree in the belief that the wolves will eat me?” Cassie asked.
“Wolves are drawn to their prey sometimes by the scent of blood and the promise of fresh meat,” he explained. “Did you know that? Anyway, I plan to leave you for them, heavy with the scent of fresh blood and unable to get away.” He smiled again without humor. His eyes were cold and soulless. “They won’t be able to resist tearing you apart. They will dig their very sharp teeth into your flesh, tearing big strips of it off your bones. You can scream if you like, but no one will hear you.”
“You are one sick fuck, you know that?”
“Thank you for the compliment.” He nodded in acknowledgement. “My mother would be so proud to know I have lived up to all of her expectations.”
“Oh, I think you have passed her expectations by a long shot.”
Robbie knelt in the dirt beside her. He reached out his hand and brushed the hair away from her face. He touched her bruises carefully. “I think you could be right about that. Mom has been avoiding me for some time now. When the police came to arrest her that day, she never even gave me a thought. All she could do was worry about herself. She’s a very selfish woman you know.” He shifted again. “I’ll have to track her down and have a word with her before I’m done.”
“You won’t find her.” Cassie shook her head. “She’s dead, you know.”
Robbie smiled softly. “Really? That’s news to me but I’m not surprised.” He carried on a casual conversation, like only the insane could do. “Who got her? The cops or a disgruntled customer?”
“Leon Vincinti.”
“Ahh…” He nodded. “I supposed this had to do with her role in Peaches’ kidnapping and the murder of his daughter in law. Mother was very happy to do her part. Of course, your father did most of the work. Mother was fairly disappointed when poor Peaches couldn’t remember her own name. Tell me, did she ever remember who she was?”
“Yeah, she remembered. Both Leon and Calderone got retribution from her. I heard she died screaming.”
“Mother was always better at dishing out punishment rather than taking it.” He reached for his knife and wiped the blade on his pants. “It’s almost time. When I get done here, I have more work to do.”
“What are you going to do after this?”
“I have to go see my step-grandfather. Seems old Leon was married to my grandmother at one time. My mother told me some of what he did to her when she was a child. She also told me why she had to run away.”
“And why was that?” She asked.
“Seems old Leon can’t keep his dick in his pants. He molested her at fifteen. She ran away when she found out she was carrying me.”
Cassie’s eyes grew huge. “Leon is your father?”
“Seems so, at least according to my mother. Of course, she lies all the time so it might not be true but I’ll get the old man to tell me.” He smiled. “Then when I get done killing the old man I’ll have to find Peaches again and take care of her too. Then my mission will be complete.”
“He’s going to kill you if Deke doesn’t find you first.”
Robbie smiled but there was no humor in his eyes. “Well, as neither of them knows where I am and you aren’t going to live to tell them, they’ll have to find me first, won’t they?” He lifted the knife to her belly. He pierced her shirt but didn’t touch her skin. He sliced the t-shirt away from that point up to the collar. When the two pieces flopped open, Robbie could see her chest. He grinned and reached for one of her breasts. Squeezing it hard, he twisted her flesh. “I may not be able to fuck you anymore but I can hurt you and still enjoy that.”
Cassie glared at him. “You always were a crazy piece of shit.”
Robbie slapped her hard. “You deserve this and so much more.” He roared. “For what you did to me you deserve it bitch!”
Cassie narrowed her eyes at him. She could feel the blood running down her chin. “And I hope I’m still alive when Deke gets his hands on you. You think you know pain? You don’t, but you will.”
He snickered. “I’ll be long gone before he even knows you’re missing. He’ll never find what’s left of your body and he will never know what happened to his child. That’s the whole point of your death. He’ll never know what happened to you. Nobody will.”
Cassie peeked over his shoulder. She could see more than one wolf now and they were closing in. Closing her eyes, she prayed for a quick death but she also prayed Robbie would go with her. She would gladly meet him in hell.
He raised the knife again to the top of her chest. The cut burned as he sliced through her skin. She could feel the blood running down over her breasts and pooling at her waist. Cassie hissed slightly but wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of screaming out her pain.
Robbie wiped the blood from the first cut off on her shorts. Then he placed the blade on her right thigh. Holding her gaze, he sliced into her skin.
Cassie never made a sound. Blood began to pool down her legs to her feet.
Robbie placed the blade on her left calf and dug it in a little deeper than he had the first two times. As he dragged the blade down her leg then the silence was broken by a creature coming toward them. Robbie snapped his head around but he didn’t hear anything close. He smiled as he felt the ground shake.
He turned back to Cassie. “It seems you might be rescued. That won’t do at all.” He got to his feet and kicked out his foot at her head.
There was a thud as his foot met her temple. Cassie felt the kick then she felt nothing else as she fell into unconsciousness.
~* * * *~
An hour after Zipper placed his call, a white van pulled up to the gate. Zipper who had just returned with Deke and Wiley, punched the code needed to open it.
A few minutes later, it pulled up to the door and a young black woman got out. She smiled at Zipper. “I got here as fast as I could.”
“I’m glad you could make it Glory. Deke is worried sick about his Spitfire being safe and so are the rest of us.”
Glory paused at the name, then she smiled. “Spitfire, eh? Well, Demon will protect her from whoever is after her.”
When she opened the side door, Zipper had to back up a step or two. The dog Demon was huge and pure black. It was hard to tell exactly what kind of dog he was.
Glory reached inside the van and attached a leash then he jumped down.
Zipper could see he stood waist high. He had long dark hair and huge feet. “What kind of dog is he exactly?”
Glory laughed. “I swear he’s three fourths coon hound but I know for a fact he isn’t. Best we can figure is he’s part wolf on his daddy’s side and Great Pyrenees on his mother’s. He’s big but he’s gentle and he loves kids.”
“You said he would protect her?” Zipper frowned.
“Oh, he will,” Glory assured him. “Demon gets very protective once he gets a scent. I’m just saying he can be gentle and he adores children.”
“Let’s go inside then. Deke wants to meet the dog before he introduces him to Cassie.” Leading the way, he let Glory lead Demon inside.
Everyone got quiet and turned when they came in.
Deke turned and walked up to Glory. “Zipper tells me your dog will protect my woman.”
“Yes sir, he will,” Glory assured him.
“Good.” Deke nodded. “Let’s get them together. I don’t want her alone for any amount of time. There’s a very sick bastard after her and I don’t want him to get close enough to hurt her.” He turned and started to walk down the hall to his bedroom.
Then the dog, Demon stopped. He wouldn’t go forward, instead he turned and walked over to the three children. He sat down and just looked at them.
“Demon, what’s wrong boy?’ Glory called out softly.
Demon sniffed the children individually but went back to the middle child Jack.
Jack plopped his thumb in his mouth and began to cry.
Alaina wrapped her arm around his shoulder but didn’t take her eyes off the dog in front of them.
Deke and Gator went over to the kids and knelt down to their level. “What’s going on here?”
“I’m sorry,” Jack whispered.
“Sorry for what?” Gator asked.
“Please don’t hit me? I didn’t know what to do!” He cried.
“Buddy, no one here is gonna hit you, but we need to know what you’re talking about,” Deke said quietly.
Alaina squatted down beside her brother and turned him to face her. “You have to tell him Jackie. They might be mad at us and we might have to leave here but you have to tell them.” Alaina had tears running down her face as well.
Reva knelt beside them and held Alaina and Jack in her arms. “No one is sending you guys away from here. I don’t care what you saw.”
Jackie wrapped his arms around Reva’s neck. “I saw a bad man dragging Miss Cassie into the woods. I didn’t know what to do. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell anyone what I seen. I’m so sorry!”
Deke and Gator froze at his words. Deke turned to stare at Gator then got to his feet and ran for the bedroom. Gator was right behind him and when Deke tried to open the door but couldn’t. He backed up and kicked the door open.
The bed was empty but the window was closed. Deke walked to the bed slowly. His footsteps dragged as his mind wrapped around the idea she wasn’t there. When he got to the empty bed, he noticed the hospital gown.
When Glory and Zipper entered the room with Demon, the dog went directly to the closet and growled. He followed a scent all the way to the bed. Then he jumped up on the bed and began sniffing the sheets.
“Dammit! I told you to have the window nailed shut!” Deked glared at Gator.
Gator went over to the window and tugged. The window wouldn’t give. “It is man. It is.”
Demon got down and walked over to the door. He finally turned and looked at Deke.
Deke turned to Glory.
“He’s got her scent,” Glory explained. “He also picked up another scent. He’s indicating they went out into the hall.”
The dog went out the door and stood by the door across from Deke’s room.
Deke opened the door and the big black dog went over to the open window.
They all know what happened now.
“Can he follow the scents through the woods?” Gator asked.
Glory nodded. “Yes, he can do that.”
Gator looked over at Deke. “Let’s go. We need to find Cassie before that bastard hurts her.”
“Let’s get some guns first. Then we’ll hunt his ass down.” Deke growled. “I feel the need to kill today and I won’t be denied.” He turned and went back to the main room. He walked over to Jack and Reva.
Reva was holding the boy trying to reassure him he wasn’t in trouble.
“Hey, big guy.” Deke placed his hand on the boy’s back. “I need to know everything you saw. Did you see the bad man’s face?”
Jack shook his head. “No he was turned away from me. But I seen Miss Cassie. She had her hands tied behind her back and a something tied around her mouth. I seen he was dragging her by her hair.”
“Did you see which way they went?” Deke asked.
Jackie nodded. Hanging his head, he whispered, “I’m sorry. I was so scared.”
Deke tipped his chin up and smiled. “You didn’t do anything wrong. No one here is mad at you and you’re not in any trouble. If I had seen that, I might have been afraid too.”
“Mr. Deke?” Alaina called out from beside him.
Deke turned and looked at her.
“Are you gonna find Miss Cassie and bring her back?”
Deke smiled but no one could see any humor in his eyes. “Yes, I am and that bad man is never gonna touch her again. I promise.”
Glory and Zipper brought Demon out.
Then Deke, Gator, Deacon, Wiley and Iceman grabbed weapons.
Deke held out his hand to Iceman and Wiley. “I need you two to stay here.”
“Why?” Iceman frowned.
“Because I need someone to stay here and protect the women and kids. If that bastard comes back thinking we’re all looking for him, he might think he has a clear shot at taking Peaches. If we miss him, you stand a good chance of getting him.”
“I can live with that.” Iceman nodded.
Deke turned back to Jack. “Okay little man, where did they go and which way did they turn once they got beyond the fence?”
Jack got down and ran to the door. He pointed at the fence surrounding the compound then called out, “They didn’t go through the gate but they did walk along the fence for a ways and turned that way.” He pointed to the left.
Deke looked down at the young boy. He hated to ask but he had to know. “Was she hurt?”
Jack stared up at him with tears in his eyes. “I don’t think so but the bad man was pulling her hair.”
Deke knelt beside him. “Thank you for being brave enough to tell me about this. I know you and your sister and brother have no reason to trust us yet but I hope one day, you will.” Deke got to his feet and walked over to the table where Gator and Deacon stood. Each was checking a weapon and Deke grabbed a gun off the table. He checked the slide on the pistol and put it in his belt. He grabbed a rifle and spotted the scope. He checked the bolt action and looked at the other two. “Let’s find this fucker and end his life.” He looked over at Glory. “Let’s find out what your dog can do.”
“He’ll find her.” Glory nodded confidently. She went out the door and walked Demon to the fence. Then she undid the leash and let him go with one order. “Find her Demon.”
The dog sniffed the ground for a moment then began walking left of the gate. He woofed at one point then began walking into the trees. Soon, he was running.
Deke, Gator and Deacon kept up but it wasn’t easy. They dodged trees, slipped and slid on the wet leaves on the wood’s grounds and tried to keep one eye on the dog as he ran ahead of them.
Demon stopped and began to growl. He barked a warning.
When Deke caught up, he saw a pair of wolves standing opposite Demon. They were growling back at the dog and trying to circle him. Deke pulled the rifle to firing position and let off a shot. He hit the first wolf but the second one kept coming. Deke worked the slide on the rifle and pulled it into position again. He got off a shot but it went wide.
The wolf turned and ran off but Demon was still growling.
Deacon took aim and made a third shot.
They heard a yelp and when Deke turned his head, he saw a wolf take off running. He stepped closer and that’s when he saw her.
She was tied to a tree covered in blood. Her head was hanging at an odd angle.
His large frame trembled all over and his breath was stuck in his throat. He walked closer to her and knelt on the ground beside her.
Gator was there cutting the ropes that bound her to the tree.
When the ropes let go, she fell forward into Deke’s arms. He sat there for a moment and rocked her back and forth. Tears rolled down his cheeks.
Gator tried to loosen his hold. “Boss, we need to check and see how bad she’s hurt.”
Deke laid her on the ground and stepped back. He didn’t know why but he was shaking badly. He’d never felt fear in his life and it took him a moment to realize that was what it was.
Deacon knelt down beside her and his fingers reached out to find the pulse on her neck.
Deke saw his head fall forward and he knew his heart had just stopped. He couldn’t lose her. NO! His bloodied hands were fisted at his sides. “Is she still alive?” His voice was a mere whisper.
Deacon nodded. “Yeah, but she’s lost a lot of blood. We have to get her to the hospital.”
Gator took out his cell and called 9-1-1.
Deke gathered her into his arms and began walking back to the compound. It bothered him that she never made a sound. He looked down and saw Demon walking by his side.
Glancing down at Cassie, he saw the bruises on her face. He tightened the grip he had on her and she groaned.
She shook her head from side to side and tried to open her eyes.
Deke stopped and called out to her, “Cassie, baby, I’ve got you. You’re gonna be okay.”
Cassie tried to open her eyes and this time it worked. Her eyes tried to focus but she was having some trouble doing so.
Deke frowned as he watched her. He looked over at Deacon with worry. “Baby, are you all right?”
Cassie shook her head. “I think I’m gonna be sick.” She groaned.
“Do you need me to stop for a minute?” Deke frowned.
Cassie shook her head. “I need to know the baby is okay.” She looked at him with tears in her eyes. “Robbie is crazy. He was going to leave me to the wolves then go after Leon. He thinks Leon is his father. God…” Cassie closed her eyes in pain. “…We need to warn him. He’s gonna kill Leon.”
“Hush,” Deke whispered, holding her close. “We’ll get back to the clubhouse and have Peaches call her grandfather to warn him. But I’m not worried about Leon, I’m worried about you. You have to calm down.”
Cassie shivered. “I’m so cold.” She tried to bury herself in his warmth but she still shivered badly.
Deacon came up behind them and whispered, “I think she’s going into shock. We need to hurry.”
Deke nodded and began to walk faster. Within minutes, they came to the fence line. Then they were inside. Everyone gathered around while Deke called out, “She’s lost a lot of blood and she’s going into shock. Somebody get me a blanket!”
Deacon nudged Deke to one side and began looking over Cassie’s wounds. He glanced at Reva and called out for some towels.
Reva brought towels and a basin of warm water.
Marnie brought them a blanket but didn’t want to get in the way, so she stood back holding it.
Deacon began bathing the blood away dropping the blood soaked towels on the floor as she used them up, then wrapped towels around the wounds Robbie left behind.
Peaches came to stand beside her friend and reached for her hand. Tears ran down her cheeks as she watched everyone work on her.
Iceman came over to her and tried to pull her away. “Come on honey, you need to let them get her ready. The ambulance will be here soon.”
Peaches turned to leave her when Cassie gripped her hand tighter. “You need to call Leon.”
“What? Why?” Peaches frowned.
“Robbie is going after him. Janelle told him Leon is his father. Robbie is gonna kill him, then come after you. He told me that before he left.”
“That’s insane!” Peaches exclaimed.
Cassie opened her mouth to say something but her eyes rolled back in her head and her hand dropped to the side of the table.
“Deke!” Peaches screamed.
Deke rushed over and grabbed Cassie’s hand.
Deacon pushed his fingers onto her throat. He had a hard time finding her pulse but finally he found it. It was weak. He caught Deke’s eyes and shook his head. “We have to get her to the hospital now.”
Just then, the ambulance pulled in and Gator went out to hurry the EMT’s inside. Everyone stood back as two men in green uniforms worked to stabilize Cassie.
“You need to know that she pregnant,” Deacon informed them.
When they loaded her on a gurney and pushed her out to the ambulance Deke, Deacon, Peaches and Iceman got into Glory’s van and followed the flashing red and blue lights all the way to the hospital. Demon jumped in just before the doors closed.
Ten minutes later, Deke watched helplessly as they pushed the gurney into the ER.
When the double doors closed, Peaches turned to Deke. “Tell me the bastard that did that to her didn’t get away.”
Deke silently stared back at her, then he turned and punched a hole in the waiting room wall.