Page 41 of Saving Her

I should turn and leave, but something in me makes me speak out. Sadly, I think it’s because I want him to see me and tell me he didn’t mean what he said. I really need him to tell me he doesn’t think I’m the reason Diego is dead.

“Papi.”

They look up at me, but all I see on Papi’s face is anger and grief. It hurts me to see him like that. He’s not going to tell me he doesn’t blame me. He can’t, because he would be lying.

“Gabriella—”

“I’m going to have one of the men take me into town so I can get a change of clothes. I don’t have anything to wear home. Well, except the outfit Ayita gave me when I got here,” I interrupt. “I won’t be long. I would like to travel back for Diego …”

I tremble. I can’t help it. Right now, it is a mystery to how I’m still standing, but that isn’t the reason I’m shaking. No, I’m terrified that he will forbid me to return home. He could demand that I not attend my brother’s funeral.

“Si,” Skull answers, “that’s fine.”

I exhale in relief and briefly nod my head. “Thank you, Papi.” I look down at my feet. Briefly, King’s words about not looking down enter my mind. I immediately discard them. King doesn’t know me. My father does. He knows the monster I am. I quickly back out of the room, afraid to give him my back. I’ve seen what my father does to those that he hates. I shut the door and make it about five feet before I crumple onto the floor.

“Fuck,” I hear someone hiss. They pick me up and I know I should fight them, but I find I can’t. I can’t even breathe. It’s all just too painful. I lay against a man’s chest and let my misery swallow me.

Chapter 28

King

I wince as I take in the destruction that once was Ranger. Skull apparently is a master with a meat cleaver. It might even be his weapon of choice, since he’s currently on the third one and there’s two more nearby.

He has dissected Ranger piece by piece. I believe he started with the man’s fingers, or hell, maybe his ears. It had to be small to begin with because Ranger somehow lived through it until Skull began chopping off his arm just below the elbow. There is no stopping the blood from spurting everywhere when an artery is severed. I know because I got here just in time for that show. Blood now coats the floors, and the wall Ranger was facing. I’m not a squeamish man by no means, but fucking hell, this might give me nightmares.

“When are we heading out?” I ask when the room fills with silence. I’m not sure Skull recognizes that Ranger is dead because he’s still hacking away at the guy. I feel sorry for the cleanup crew on this one.

“Soon as Skull is ready. Bull made it back about ten minutes ago. He got a go at Ranger and then went to shower,” Dragon answers.

“Skull gave up his cleaver for someone else?” Right now, I’m having trouble believing that.

“Nah, Bull grabbed a different one. He’s the one that cut off the fucker’s ear and tongue. Said if he couldn’t talk or hear before, he couldn’t have betrayed his son.”

I nod. I think I could like Bull. He clearly keeps his head in this situation. Skull has let grief take over his rational thought process. He has no idea how much he has hurt his daughter. I found her slumped down in the hall, crying her eyes out. I picked her up and carried her to her room. Ayita—one of the Saint’s Outlaws’ old ladies, came running in. I stayed until she managed to get Gabby calmer. I stood by and heard her tell Ayita how her father blames her for her brother’s death. I got so upset that I had to leave. That’s the last thing Gabby needed unloaded on her right now.

I managed to get control of my anger, knowing there was nothing I could do. I want to get this shit over with, though. I need to get back to Virginia and somehow talk Shelby into trying to work this out. I want to get back to what we had when we first began. It was good. We at least need to try and see if any of our relationship is salvageable. We owe it to one another. Shelby is a good woman. My lifestyle is just too much of a shock to her. She can adapt. If nothing else, I can limit her exposure to the club. It’s not ideal, and nothing like the relationship I imagined, but I’m okay if it means having the happiness that Shelby and I once shared can be found again. I think I fucked up when I surprised her one day and drove her to the courthouse for a marriage license and a quick wedding at the circuit judge’s office. In hindsight, I should have talked to her and let her plan out what she wanted. I just wanted her tied to me. She didn’t want kids—at least not right now—and I didn’t like that there was nothing tying us together. Maybe I subconsciously knew that Shelby was having second thoughts.

I shake my head. I’m fooling myself. Shelby began having doubts when she started realizing that my lifestyle was violent, just like Mongrel’s—her ex—was. Slowly, she began judging everything I did for the club. I couldn’t please her, no matter what I did. Sighing, I admit to myself that I may have to leave the club if I’m going to save my marriage. It would kill me, but I’ll do it for her.

I just hope it makes a difference.

“I need to check in with Ford,” I answer. “I can be ready in thirty.”

“Go ahead. I figure it will be an hour by the time we’re ready here. That is, unless Skull doesn’t clean up afterward.” I look at Skull, any skin showing on him is red. His clothes are much the same.

“Good luck,” I mumble. “I’ll meet you guys out front in the garage,” I tell Dragon. He nods as I take off.

We’re in a building just down the street from the mill. Outside looks like a service station. In reality, it is the Saint’s Outlaws clubhouse. It’s kind of small but gets the job done. I think I’ve heard them talk about how they’re taking over the old amusement park that the Feral Kings occupied. It makes a great setup for a clubhouse. I have to agree. The place could be sweet with a little TLC.

I don’t bother getting on my bike. I just jog over to the mill and go straight to my room. I don’t know that I need privacy, but I’d like to talk to Ford about my plans with Shelby. He needs to know that I’m going to be leaving the club.

Most of the men here are staying in the open basement. For whatever reason, Hangman gave some of us our own rooms. They’re tiny—barely enough room for a full-size bed and a television with a small stand under it. The room where Ford stayed had a bathroom. I don’t have that luxury, but I don’t really care. I’ve slept in much worse. Flopping down on the bed, I dial Ford’s private number. I’m dreading this conversation because I know he won’t like my decision. I don’t really like it myself but feel like I don’t have a choice. I need to make this work with Shelby. I made promises and I’m not going to turn my back on them. If I do that, I’m no better than Dragon.

I frown at that thought. I’m confused. I’m still not sure the man my mother portrayed is who Dragon is. I saw the pictures and things he had his club send. There was a video clip that showed my mother slipping something into Dragon’s drink. Another one showed him talking to a man in a Saint’s Outlaw’s cut and kicking him out of the clubhouse with his old lady—who was apparently my mother. I had no idea that my mother ever belonged to any club. I need to talk to Hangman about it, but I haven’t found my nerve just yet. I’m almost afraid of what I will find.

Could it be possible that Dragon was telling the truth and he didn’t know about me?

“King, I was just getting ready to call you,” Ford says when he answers, thankfully pulling my attention away from my mother and the clusterfuck of secrets that surround me.

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