Chapter 32

Peg

Pulling up in front of a large, well-appointed house, I reflect how good it feels to be back on my bike, fresh air rushing around me rather than the recycled shit of the air con in the truck. It’s helped raise my mood. While Flash is still lost inside her head, I’ll have to content myself doing whatever I can to make sure the fucker who hurt her is taken out for good.

Kicking down my stand, I get off, and after removing my sunglasses and sliding them into my cut, go to stand by Hyde. “Ready to do this?”

“Uh huh.” Hyde’s studying the house we’ve arrived at. He waves his hand left to right, then up and down. “There’s money there. With a name like hers, I expected her to be whorin’ herself out for a livin’.”

“Might still be, Hyde. Might still be.” What did her parents think they were setting her up for, giving her a name like they had? Cherry Orchard. I shake my head in disbelief, hoping I’ll be able to keep my face straight when I meet her.

Slapping Hyde on the back, we walk toward the front door. I press the doorbell, hoping she’ll be in on a Saturday morning. Seeing how large the sprawling house is, I give her time to get to the door.

I’m almost ready to cut my losses when the door eventually opens, and a stunning blond beauty opens it. Seeing two intimidating bikers standing outside, she immediately tries to shut it again, but I’m ready, and have my foot in the doorway.

“Cherry Orchard?”

“Who wants to know?”

It’s her, I can tell by the guarded expression on her face. “We need to talk to you. Can we come in?” I might have posed it as a question, but I’m already pushing past, Hyde hot on my heels.

She stands with her hand holding the door, even though we’re already inside. Various expressions cross her face, as if she’s considering making a run for it. I put my hand on her arm and tighten my grip. As I pull her away from the doorway, Hyde shuts the door. It closes, and the lock engages with a satisfying clunk.

“What do you want?” Her voice sounds shaky, and I can feel her trembling through my fingers wrapped around her bicep. “I’m expecting my boyfriend, he’ll be here soon.” So that’s why she opened the door so carelessly. She was expecting somebody else.

It’s clear she’s going to offer us no hospitality, so I waste no time, conscious my interrogation might be interrupted. “Pete Mercer.”

Her eyes widen, and I feel her body tense. “What about him?”

“He your boyfriend?” Hyde makes the mental leap before I do. He can’t be. But perhaps someone as moneyed as this moves in the same circles.

“What if he is?”

Then you’re totally mad, Woman. While I don’t say that aloud, the vision of Darcy in the hospital bed comes into my mind. Should I warn her? Nah, if she’s in a relationship with him, she’d never believe me.

I get straight to the point. “You gave him an alibi for the other night. And I happen to know you’re lyin’. You need to correct that fuckin’ story you concocted for the police.”

She stiffens. “I told the truth.”

“You may have been mistaken about the day,” Hyde says gently. “That would be an understandable mistake.”

“Or you may just be fuckin’ lyin’,” I snarl.

Her body leans slightly away from me, toward Hyde, and I smile inwardly inside as she directs her answer to him, while shrugging off my hand. “I don’t lie.” But as her eyes flick to the side, I not only know that she does, but at this moment she most definitely is.

Hyde’s shaking his head with a sad expression on his face. “Thing is, Cherry, Pete Mercer hurt a friend of ours. Raped her, shot her, and left her for dead. That’s what he was doing when he asked you to cover for him.”

Her hand covers her mouth. “Pete wouldn’t do that,” she protests. But again, I read the signs she’s not being honest.

After Hyde carefully examines her with his eyes, he gives a slight chin lift to me, and I allow him to continue taking the floor. “I think you know that he would, sweetheart. Did he threaten you to say you were with him?” Hyde takes a pace toward her, and keeping his tone gentle, continues, “Did he hurt you?”

“He didn’t hurt me.” She refutes Hyde’s suggestion and I think this time she’s maybe telling the truth.

“Thing is, darlin’,” Hyde keeps with his reasonable tone, “we know you weren’t with him. And our friend who was hurt? Well, she’s Peg’s,” he points at me, “ol’ lady. And Peg is a man you don’t want to cross.”

Now she turns to me, her eyes meeting mine before quickly moving away. She inhales sharply as she catches the expression on my face. Unlike Hyde, I’m not in the mood to be friendly.

“Will your…old lady be okay?”

Ignoring the way she struggles with the parlance, I shake my head and say fiercely, “She was fuckin’ raped, Woman. What the fuck do you think?”

She moves toward the nearest chair and sinks down. With her head in her hands, it’s hard to hear what she’s saying. “I didn’t know it was something like that. I had no idea.”

“What did he tell you he needed an alibi for?”

“I didn’t ask, and he didn’t say.” She swallows a couple of times and seems to slump further. “He frightens me.”

Hyde goes over and crouches in front of her. “How does he frighten you, Cherry? Does he use his fists?”

A shake of her head, then she looks up with determination. “I can’t change my story.”

Hyde and I exchange glances. After a second, I offer, “You set the police right, and Mercer will be taken into custody and out of your way. Until then, we can provide you with protection.”

She stands, Hyde mimicking her action. She’s faced with two tall, muscular bikers, and still she’s not going to bend. “I’m sorry, you’ve wasted your time. I won’t be talking to the police. I can’t.”

“We can promise he won’t touch you again.”

For the first time she looks directly in my eyes. “I’m not worried about me.” Her voice is harsh.

“What’s he got over you, Cherry.”

While Hyde’s asked the question, she’s still focused on me. “Nothing on me. It’s my dad.”

“Your dad?” I snap.

She nods sadly. “He got into a bit of debt and got a loan from the Top Loans. Low interest rate. Pete told me they’d raise that to a level he couldn’t afford to pay if I didn’t help him out.”

“Fuck, Woman. And you’re still callin’ him your boyfriend?”

Now she looks down at the floor, unable to meet my eyes as she admits, “The other part of the bargain was me. He said we needed to behave as though we were in a relationship to make the story stick.”

“So, you’re givin’ him your body because your father’s in debt? Fuck, Woman.” As I wipe my hand over my face, I think perhaps I was right and she’s what her name suggests. A whore.

“It didn’t start that way.” She begins to justify herself. “I met him last week. He took me out on a date. Seemed nice. He was a gentleman. Saw him the next day, and things progressed, and he came home with me that night.” She breaks off, and a shadow flits across her face. “After that he disappeared for a few days, I didn’t know where he’d gone. Then he turned up, early in the morning. That’s when he told me I had to say I was with him the previous night.”

I place my finger under her chin. “You were okay with coverin’ for him?”

A shake of her head. “No, and that’s what I told him.” Her eyes glaze over as she recalls the conversation. “Pete changed, no longer the pleasant man I’d first brought home. He said he knew about my father’s loan, that it was with his father’s bank, and said the bank would make my father’s life impossible, that he’d lose everything if I didn’t do what he asked.” Now she’s looking at me again, her face full of determination. “It was my fault letting Pete get close. It’s on me to make things right. I’ve been trying to get him a loan somewhere else, but already the other banks seem to have been warned about lending to him. I’ve been trying so hard…”

So that’s how Mercer managed to get himself an alibi. By a threat. Feeling more sympathetic than I had before, I offer, “Come with us to the police. We’ll protect you and see if we can get your father out of this mess.”

A rise of her head, a straightening of her back. “I can’t. And I won’t. Not until I get my father in the clear.” Then a worried look cast at Hyde and then me. “Dad doesn’t know any of this, and can’t. Not until I’ve sorted things out. It would destroy him knowing someone was using him to get to me. He’s not well, and I don’t want to worry him.

“Now you have to leave. I can’t have Pete seeing you here. He’s taking me on a date so we can be seen together in public.” There’s a pleading look in her eyes as she looks up at me. “I’m sorry I can’t help you, but if I can get someone else to take on Dad’s debt, I’ll tell the police I got muddled about which night.”

I glance at Hyde, he’s jerking his chin at the door. Fucker probably wants me out of here before Mercer arrives. He’s got a point, I’ll probably kill him. Even now my fists are clenching in anticipation.

“Let’s take this back to Mouse.”

Hyde’s right. If flags have been raised against Cherry’s father’s name, Mouse can probably remove them. If her dad gets a new loan elsewhere, she’ll have no reason to keep to her story.

While part of me wants to stay and give Mercer the lesson of his life, if he turns up and sees our bikes, he might just take off, and will be warned we’re trying to break his alibi.

Reluctantly, with no other option, we leave. But I will be coming back. We’ve found the weak link in the chain, and now we’ve just got to break it. However much I want to deal with the fucker who’s hurt my woman so badly, now is not the right time. But soon, I promise myself. Soon.

With my mind replaying the conversation we’ve just had with Cherry, the ride back to the compound seems normal enough, the day heating up the asphalt under my tires. But any sense of normality goes out of the window when we arrive at the gate and find a commotion. An elderly man is standing outside, screaming at Fergus, telling him to open up and let him in. An expensive car is idling and empty.

Exchanging glances, Hyde and I leave our bikes. As we get closer, I see the man’s hands wrapped around the bars of the gates, his knuckles white. Then take in the words he’s spitting at the prospect.

“You’ve got my mother here, you despicable pieces of shit. Holding her captive.”

His mother? The grey-haired fucker must be sixty if he’s a day, and the only woman old enough to have birthed him would be… Ma.

“Whoa, there.” I put my hand on his shoulder, and he shrugs it off, but my gesture’s got his attention away from Fergus, who, I’m pleased to note, has been standing his ground.

“I demand to see her. I’m here to take her away… If you don’t let me in, I’ll go to the police and you’ll be charged with kidnapping.”

I’ve had enough of this. There’s one quick way to clear this up. “Prospect. Open up.”

Fergus looks relieved that someone’s taken charge, and soon the gate’s sliding open. Now that he’s free to step inside, it appears it’s suddenly become the last thing Ma’s son wants to do.

His watery eyes turn to me, his face suddenly pale. “People know where I am, you know. The police will come running if I don’t come back out.”

I huff a laugh. “Old man, we’ve got no beef with you. Or with your ma, who’s here of her own volition, I assure you. Follow me, and I’ll take you to see for yourself.”

I go back to my bike and start the engine, mounting up to ride the short distance to the clubhouse. The expensive car follows me and parks diagonally, blocking in several bikes, without a care he might be causing disruption.

“Where is she then?” He wastes no time asking when he gets out.

“This way.” I stride off to the clubroom door and step inside, pausing for a second, as once again a spectacular aroma is wafting through from the kitchen. My mouth starts to water as I wonder what we’ll be getting tonight. It also tells me my assumption was right and I know exactly where I’m going to find this man’s mother.

With the elderly man in my wake, I make my way to where the women have congregated. They look satisfied with themselves and are in the process of clearing up. Wraith’s hovering around Sophie as normal, and seeing me, nods toward the stove. “Pot roast,” he mouths.

Mmm mm. For a second, I forget the man behind me.

“Samuel!” Ma’s sharp eyes have spotted her one remaining son. “What on earth are you doing here?”

Samuel’s face sneers as he looks around the room. “More to the point, what are you doing here? I’ve come to take you away from this den of iniquity.”

I bristle at that. But Ma’s got it under control. “Are you indeed? You’ve come now? Where were you when my house was burning down around me? Tell me that, Son?”

Samuel takes a step back, and I feel like retreating myself. The expression on his face is blank as he explains, “I had a business deal.”

“Pfft. Just like you. Putting business before your old mother. Why are you here, Samuel? Why did you even bother to come?”

Now he’s moving forward again. “Because I heard a rumour you’ve taken up with this scum. Have you any idea what that would do to my reputation? I’ll be a laughing stock. I can’t have you staying here. I’m taking you away. I’ve made other arrangements…”

“Yeah?” Ma spits out. “And what might these arrangements be?”

He pulls back his shoulders. “A nice retirement home that I’ve picked out. They’ll have nurses to look after you.” He waves at the wheelchair. “And you shouldn’t be in that. You should be in bed, resting.” His eyes narrow as he looks around the room. “You’re making my mother slave for you. Don’t think I don’t recognise the smell of her hot pot cooking. She’s not well enough…”

“Hold your tongue!”

Fuck me! I thought Drummer’s voice could sound like thunder, but Ma’s got him beat. I hide my smile behind my hand.

“This scum, as you call them, are treating me better than you’ve ever done. If your brothers were alive…”

“But they’re dead and gone, Mother. All you’ve got is me. And now I’m going to be looking after you.” Ma’s changed since she’s been here, it’s clear she’s been enjoying herself. But the arrival of her son has drawn all the emotion from her face.

“The only way you’ll be looking after me is to dump me in a home, and never visit. I know you, Samuel, remember? I gave birth to you and watched you grow up. And I’ll tell you now, every one of these men here act like a better son to me than you’ve ever done.” She leans back in the wheelchair, and for a moment she looks exactly what she is, a tired old woman. Then she seems to come back to herself. “Get out of here, Samuel, and leave me alone. You know what? I don’t give a fuck about your business or your reputation. If you’d shown any compassion for me over the years, maybe I’d place myself under your care. But as long as this scum here will have me, then I’m staying. And that’s the last word I’ll say on the matter. Peg?”

I start, surprised to hear my name.

“Show him the way out, will you?”

“This isn’t finished, Mother.”

“Just get out of here, Son.” She spits the last word.

Samuel’s face is red, and his brow furrows as he looks around, clearly considering whether he can take her by force, then realises with the likes of Wraith, Hyde, and myself, the odds are against him. With a huff and a sneer, he turns and strides out. I follow, making sure he gets in his car, then wait, watching as he drives to the gate and leaves.

When I return, Sam’s got her arms around Ma. I hear a sniffling, a blowing of a nose, and then a strong old woman is looking straight at me. “What you looking at, boy? And there’s no point hanging around. Dinner won’t be ready for hours.”

I grin. She’s alright. “Sorry, Ma, but that sure smells good. Look forward to eating later.”

Ain’t that the truth? Already my mouth’s watering.