Page 21 of Tyrant

“It’s a fucking cult, everyone around here knows it.”

Tears cover her face as she quietly sobs. Her hands keep swiping at her cheeks and it makes me want to be her champion. Me, the grumpy asshole who buries bodies for a living, I wantto be her fucking hero. How ironic is that—the outlaw biker wanting to be good but only for a woman? Fuck the rest of the world.

“Where is she?”

“Graceful Joy, that’s her name. I call her my Gracie Girl. God, I miss her so much my heart literally hurts in my chest.”

“Where is Gracie, Sugar? He keep her?”

“I had to escape. I couldn’t get away with her because we’re never left alone unless it’s night and I couldn’t leave her there without someone to care for her. I thought if I got out, I could send the police in to help me save her.”

I grunt, having dealt with the local law enforcement time and again. “Yeah, the law around here isn’t like the others you’ll find in the city or wherever. Around these parts you have to pay them to get them to do anything for you or else they pretty much keep their noses out of shit.” Probably keeps them alive with all the crazy fuckers out in the boonies around here. On the flip side, people like Blair end up suffering because she has no way to get any sort of support when she more than deserves it. Unless you can pay for a lawyer, or pay for the cops’ help, you’re assed out and have to find another way to deal with problems.

“I found out the hard way when I went to their station. They acted like I was the crazy one. Told me to get a lawyer and file a restraining order. If Josef found out where I was from the order or the lawyer, it would’ve been over before it started, so I hid out. I’ve been trying to keep my head low, while figuring out a way to get my Gracie Girl back.”

“You come up with a plan yet?” I find myself asking, because I doubt going to Vegas with me was ever meant to be part of it.

“I tried getting a job, but no one would pay me under the table.”

“Friends?”

She shakes her head, chin down, peering into her lap like it has all the answers when in reality she has less than she did when she left the cult. At least there she had access to her kid, out here, she doesn’t have shit. No wonder why she took off the morning before I woke up; she’s got a lot of serious stuff going on in her life. “I stopped talking to everyone when I moved from school. I never had one specific best friend or anything, just several ‘friends.’ I have no phone, but it’s not like anyone would jump to help me, even if I did know their numbers.”

“Damn, baby. You’re in a fucked-up spot.”

“When I saw the marriage license in the hotel, I had to leave. I had no idea how to deal with any of it.”

I scoot to the end of the bed, taking her hand in mine. After a beat, she allows me to pull her closer, tucking her under my chin as I wrap my arms around her and just hold her. I don’t know what it is about this woman, but there’s something that makes me want to take away all the bad shit in her life and make things better for her. I know, a lot easier said than done. “Your face was on TV?”

“Yes.” She releases a heavy breath. “At the bus station, I saw the news reporting me missing. They claimed my parents, husband, and local church friends were terribly worried about my disappearance and if there were any sightings of me or other information to call the number on the screen.”

“Anybody recognize ya’?”

“I don’t think so. They had my college ID. My hair was shorter and lighter, it’s from a few years ago. Plus, I had on the hat and sunglasses.”

“Good girl,” I murmur. “He ever hit you, or was it all brainwashing mental abuse?”

“That’s the thing, he doesn’t have to hit anyone. If he declares someone a sinner, then the community demands the person to atone for their sins, to repent and ask for forgiveness.”

“I’ll ask it again and phrase it differently. He ever hurt you?”

“Yes,” she whispers so low, I barely hear the word leave her mouth.

Dipping down, I press a kiss to the top of her head and promise. “I’m gonna protect you and I’m going to hurt him if he comes for you. You’ll stay here and not have to worry about him ever again.”

“I can’t, I have to leave.” She pulls away, moving to stand about three feet away from me. There’s fire in her gaze which I love to see, but I’m the wrong person for her to aim it at. She needs to save all her anger for that twisted prick who runs the cult.

“You’re running from a cult leader and you think it’s a good idea for you to leave here? Are you crazy? He would be stupid to show up here. You’re safe. You take off and he could snatch your little ass right up.”

“If I stay here, I don’t get my daughter back. I’m going to walk out of here and you will tell your men to let me go.”

“Like fuck I will. And they’re not my men. They’re my brothers, or the prospects. I’m the Vice President here. We got Havoc, Creed, and Rogue. Anybody else tries to order you around besides us, you tell them to fuck right off and let me know. My mind is made up. You’ll remain on the compound while we get you filed for divorce from that crazy fucker.”

“My daughter-”

I stand, cutting her off. “We will get her. I’ll help you.”

Her forehead wrinkles as she folds her arms, cocking out her hip. She’s so goddamn gorgeous, I swear I can see why drunk me married her, he was thinking with his dick and not his head. “How can you help?”

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