Chapter 28
Kane trailed Cara as she headed down the hall of the Pleasant Care Nursing home, on the way to see her grandfather, his mind still on his meeting with Red. The president of the Knights had a big hard-on for his twin. Kane couldn’t very much blame the man since Kaleb was instrumental in cutting off his channel to the guns they were running. He supposed that Red would still try to run them through Oregon, though skirting the Sons stomping grounds in hopes of not getting caught. Should that happen, he warned the man, then there would be an all-out war, with no hopes of fixing it.
Red wasn’t exactly taken by the idea of patching over to the Sons of Sangue as Kaleb had suggested. Though Kane came up with some viable reasons why it might be good for both clubs, Red couldn’t get past the idea that it was more beneficial to the Sons as his beloved MC, the Knights, would disappear. Patching over and making vampires out of another MC would increase the Sons numbers, making them stronger. They’d control all of Oregon as well as Washington. Of course, Kane had yet to let Red in on the vampire end of the bargain. That could come later. But he supposed Red was correct, they stood to benefit a lot more from the union. He’d give Red time, but in the end, Kane was pretty sure he’d be able to persuade the man into his way of thinking.
But first, they needed to find the rat.
Red might not be convinced there was a dirt bag in his camp, but Kane would bet his own life on it. Someone was aiding Rosalee in her vengeance and goal to see his twin dead. Someone had to help her string the steel cable across the road. And someone had to be feeding her inside information. Not a single Son could be guilty of such a betrayal. Every one of them hated Rosalee as much as he, if not more so, besides the fact they had nothing to gain from crippling their own MC.
Cara entered the doorway to her grandfather’s room, turning his thoughts to his mate and the fact that Kaleb had expressed his desire to take her high school best friend as his mate. Cara would be thrilled. Kane hadn’t so much as breathed a word, knowing that Suzi might want to tell Cara on her own. Three women in the clubhouse though? Kane shook his head. He’d no doubt be spending more time on the road.
“Cara.” Her grandfather’s smile was immediate, as was the love that shown in his eyes.
His mate kissed his weathered cheek and placed the piece of peanut butter pie on his dinner tray that they stopped to get at Tom’s Deli on Main Street. His pleasure at the sight of the sugary treat was evident as he immediately reached for it.
Cara gripped his hand, the flesh thin, leaving the purple veins sticking out in contrast. “Not until after you eat your supper, old man. You know the rules. Otherwise, I stop bringing it.”
He chuckled. “You’re a cruel woman.”
She laughed, and Kane resisted the urge to reach out and pull her into his embrace. Nothing warmed his heart quicker than to see her truly happy. Damn, he loved his woman. Even having seen her for the first time some ten years back, he never could have imagined the depths of his feelings now.
“If I were cruel, I wouldn’t have brought the pie at all.” She sat on the edge of the bed, while Kane walked over to the window and leaned against the ledge. “How are your nurses treating you?”
“Bah, you know them. If I didn’t use the damn call button, they’d leave me here to die.”
“I know better than that, Grandpa. These nurses love your cranky old ass, though I’m not quite sure why.” She smiled at him.
“Hey.” He chuckled. “Watch your respect, young lady. You aren’t too old I can’t turn you over my knee, you know.”
“No, but you’re no longer strong enough to do it. Besides, you’re a blowhard. You’ve never once raised your hand to me.”
“You never once gave me reason to. I think that piece of shit mother of yours did more than you ever deserved.” His pale blue eyes moistened. “You were a good kid. Still are.”
“Suzi stop in to see you tonight?” Cara asked, her brow furrowed. “She’s supposed to be working, but I didn’t see her on my way in.”
“She was here about an hour ago. Brought me my meds.” The old man rubbed his nape. “Damnedest thing though, I asked her for a blanket and she never sent an orderly back with one. She’s not usually forgetful.”
“Maybe she got busy.”
“I’m sure that’s it. She dropped her phone on the way out.” He pointed a gnarled finger at the bedside table. “I put it up there for when she comes back to take my vitals. The woman who came to get her seemed like she was in an awful hurry. Maybe something bad happened to that poor woman’s relative.”
“What did she say?” Kane asked, something raising the hair at his nape.
Cara’s grandfather turned his light gaze to him and shrugged. “Just that she had some sort of emergency and needed her. The two went hurrying out of here and I haven’t seen her since.”
Kane stood from his perch on the window sill. “What did she look like?”
“She was a tall one. About six feet if I were to guess. Dark hair, nearly black eyes. Pretty woman, big boned. Looked like she might be Italian.”
Cara’s grandfather had described Rosalee to a T. Kane hoped to hell he was wrong. “Think carefully. It might be important, Grandpa.”
“What is it?” Cara asked.
“I hope it’s not what I’m thinking, mia bella,” Kane said, before returning his attention to the older man. “I need to know exactly what she said.”
He twisted his lips in thought, then as if a light bulb had gone off, he replied, “She said, ‘Nurse, come quick … my brother-in-law is about to lose his head.”
“Jesus!” Kane blasphemed.
“Kane?” Cara questioned.
“Grab Suzi’s phone.” He gripped the elder man’s hand and shook it. “You’ve been a big help. But I’m afraid we have to run.”
“Go.” He waved them off. “I’m about to dive into that pie anyway.”
Cara trotted after Kane down the hall, barely keeping up with hm. “What is it? You’re scaring me.”
“You should be, mia bella.” Kane gripped her hand and squeezed her fingers as they headed for the front of the nursing home where they left his Fat Boy. “If I’m right, Rosalee has your best friend and she’s about to use her as a bargaining chip for Hawk.”
* * *
“How’s she doing, Blondy?” Kaleb asked as Anton walked into the living area of the clubhouse.
Anton ran his hands down his face, and truth be told, he looked a little worse for wear. Kaleb couldn’t help but wonder what had the big man bugged. He usually didn’t allow anything to get beneath his skin. Out of all the Sons, though largest in size, he was the most centered. Nothing seemed to ever bother him, when it didn’t involve club business. Kane and Cara left following the meeting to catch up with Red, then planned to stop by the nursing home to visit with Cara’s grandfather. Suzi came to mind and the likelihood of the pair running into her.
Kaleb couldn’t help wonder if she might tell Cara about Kaleb’s proposal. Kane’s mate would no doubt gloat with her I told you sos, but Kaleb no longer cared. Even Cara couldn’t ruin this for him. For the first time in a long time he was pretty damned content with his life and the promise of a future with Suzi. A silly grin crossed his face as he looked back to Anton, who took a seat across from him at the bar, oblivious to Kaleb’s good mood. He had agreed to hang back and take care of Tamera in Cara’s absence, since there certainly was no counting on Grayson.
“She’s holding her own. She just drifted off to sleep. If I were to guess, I would say another twelve hours and she’ll be through it. Who’s going to teach her to feed?” Anton asked.
“Probably Cara and Kane since Kane offered to take on the responsibility.”
“Man.” Anton brushed his overgrown, blond bangs from his eyes and blew out a breath. “I can’t help feeling sorry for her, you know?”
“You understand Gypsy didn’t ask for this, right?”
He nodded. “But that doesn’t excuse the way he’s handling it. He’s being such a ass. And that cute little redhead isn’t even furious with him. She blames herself.”
“I can’t argue that Gypsy needs a lesson in manners, but I’m not so sure I would’ve handled it any better.” Kaleb rubbed his nape. “Cara asked me to do something, make Gypsy step up to the plate. But, man, I just couldn’t bring myself to punish him for what clearly wasn’t his fault. Like you said, even his mate isn’t pissed at him. How the hell does that happen?”
“Doesn’t matter.” Anton’s lips became a hard line. “That woman is suffering in there all by herself. I’ll see this through with her. She needs to know that someone cares, offer her comfort that Cara can’t. I came out here to tell you that I’ll hold her through the night until the pain passes. Cara and Kane can teach her to feed.”
“You tell Gypsy about your plans?”
“He’s already proven he doesn’t care.” Anton growled low. “At this point, neither do I. It was his decision to make her go the change without a male vampire to help her through. You and I know that Cara can’t offer that comfort and only a male can alleviate some of that pain, absorb it into ourselves.”
“You think that’s wise, Blondy?” One of Kaleb’s brows rose. “Regardless of his actions, she’s still his mate.”
Anton shrugged. “Fuck him. Let him try to take me to task for it. Someone has to step up to the plate. I’m not fucking her, just going to hold her and help her get through the rest of it. You know as well as I do, the mate can make the change more manageable and he’s the one who decided to let her take on the pain all by herself.”
“The mate, Blondy, can make it more manageable. That’s the way it’s supposed to be,” he reminded Anton.
“But her fucking mate isn’t here. Looks like I’ll have to be stand in.”
“And if I tell you no?”
Anton braced his hands on the bar that separated the two of them. “I’ll do it anyway.”
“I thought you might say that.” Kaleb took down a couple glasses from the cupboard and poured them each two-fingers of the amber whiskey. He held his up glass to Anton. “If this causes a problem between you and Gypsy, then you two will solve it like men. You will not drag the club into your beef with each other. Deal?”
“Deal.” Anton clicked his glass with Kaleb’s, then they both downed the fiery liquid.
The main door opened, Kane and his mate walked in. The look on his twin’s face caused him immediate concern. “We got problems, Hawk.”
Kaleb didn’t like the way the hair rose at his nape, telling him something had happened he wasn’t going to like. Had the two run into Rosalee or did the meeting with Red go sour? “What’s up?”
Cara walked past the men to the rear of the house, leaving them to discuss business as she went to check on Tamera. Kane walked over to the bar and eyed the whiskey. Kaleb reached for another glass, then filled the tumblers. Kane laid a cell on the bar between them, his hand still covering it, then downed the Jack.
Sliding the phone in Kaleb’s direction, he said, “This belongs to Suzi.”
Kaleb narrowed his gaze. “Why do you have her cell?”
His twin’s concerned gaze held steady on his. “She’s missing, bro.”
“What the fuck are you talking about, Viper?” Kaleb tamped down his rising panic. “She’s at work.”
“She’s not there, Hawk. Cara and I checked. Questioning Cara’s grandfather … someone came into the room to retrieve Suzi. He described Rosalee to a T. Told Suzi she needed her right away because her brother-in-law was about to lose his head.”
“What the fuck?”
Kaleb sucked in a breath, poured himself another glass of the whiskey, and downed it, reveling in the fiery liquid. He slammed the tumbler on the bar. The whiskey burned his esophagus, roiling his gut. His breathing damn near stopped. Had he just led Suzi to slaughter by his declaration to take her as mate? Had Rosalee somehow overheard? The bitch had probably followed him to Suzi’s house.
“We have to find her, Viper. I will fucking kill your ex if she so much as lays a finger on her.”
“We can leave Cara here with Tamera—”
“No,” Anton spoke up. “You three go. Suzi may need Cara. I’ll stay with Tamera.”
Kane eyed Anton at his declaration, though wisely did not comment. At the moment they had bigger issues than worrying about a possible blowup between Sons.
Suzi’s cell vibrated on the bar, drawing all eyes. The caller ID displayed Caller Unknown. Kaleb snatched it up, slid the lock and took the phone to his ear.
“Who the fuck is this?”
“Why, Hawk, is that anyway to talk to your sister-in-law?”
“Cara is my sister-in-law, you bitch. What did you do with Suzi?”
Her tsk, tsk sounded through the earpiece and he might have thrown it if he hadn’t needed to listen to what she had to say. Only she could tell him the whereabouts of his woman. And right now, he was in the mood to take someone’s head. That someone was Rosalee. She’d not get out of this alive, not if he could help it. Tonight it ended. It would either be her head or his.
“Come alone and she lives.”
“Where?”
“The same spot you ended my Alec’s life, you will lose yours.” Kaleb heard a man’s chuckle in the background. No doubt the Knight rat bastard. “If you bring anyone else with you, then it will be Suzi’s head that is taken. Do I make myself clear?”
“Perfectly.”
“Don’t play me for the fool, Hawk. You know I’ll smell Kane or any of the other Sons long before you get here. They can’t come close enough to save your sorry head. You want your desired little mate to be saved … then do as I say,” she said, then the line went dead.
“What do you want us to do, Hawk?” Kane asked, his acute hearing no doubt picking up on the other side of the conversation. By the looks of Anton’s face, he had heard every word as well.
“You heard the bitch. If I don’t go alone, Suzi will lose her head. I can’t chance it.”
“Hawk,” Kane warned, “if you go alone, you will lose yours … and possibly Suzi will die anyway. Rosalee is a merciless bitch.”
“I will not endanger Suzi’s life. I’ll make Rosalee release her first.” Kaleb walked around the counter, and drew Kane into a bear hug. “I love you, Viper.”
Kane slapped him on the back, then fisted the material of his tee. “If this goes south, know that I will personally kill Rosalee and her worthless father, Mircea. I will get restitution.”
Kaleb stepped back and smiled. “I know you will, bro. But I have no intention of dying today. This ends now. Your job? Convince that bastard stepfather of hers that she deserved what the hell she got.”
“You got it. I love you, bro.” He pulled Kaleb in for another quick hug.
Kaleb stepped back. “Now let’s cut the theatrics. I’ll call you when it’s done.”
Walking over to Anton, Kaleb gripped his hand, and bumped his shoulder with his. “You take care of Gypsy’s mate, help her through this. And don’t let Gypsy give you any shit over it, you hear?”
“You’ll be back to ensure he doesn’t, Hawk,” Anton replied, clearing his throat from what sounded like emotion.
Kaleb grabbed the keys to his new bike and headed for the club entrance, steeling his jaw. His focus was single-minded, killing a primordial bitch … or die trying.