Page 42 of Valley

“A baby shower?” I asked Casimir as we followed them inside. “I didn’t know, or I would have brought something.”

“Never fear,” he said, holding up a bag with a tag. “I only found out this morning. I added your name to the gift I picked up, so you’re covered.”

“You’re always one step ahead, aren’t you?”

“Of course, in this world, you have to be to survive,” he replied, as we started decorating the common room of the clubhouse. Several women stayed outside to entertain Katherine, along with the men who were in on the surprise.

Half an hour later, we were done, and Katherine was led in, still cradling Caden. “What did you guys do?” she asked, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked around the room.

“You never got your baby shower, mom, and now you will,” Bethany said, pulling her into a gentle hug.

Katherine took the seat designated for her, tears of joy streaming down her face. I couldn’t help but smile. This club was more than just a group of bikers; it was a family that cared for and supported each other in the most heartwarming ways.

“Katherine, we have a special video for you,” Aislynn announced with a smile. Ava switched on the TV and my heart sank as I watched, like all the other women present.

This was not the video they had planned to show.

On the screen were the men from the club, husbands and boyfriends, partying and engaging in graphic despicable acts right here in this very room. The video was a collage of recordings of the drunken men having very public sex; the sounds were included like whoever did this was going in for the kill.

The scenes were gut-wrenching, and I could feel my eyes welling up with tears, not just for me, because Jarrod was included in this horror show, but also for the others whose hearts were breaking in real time.

We couldn’t look away, too stunned to do anything but watch like a nightmare you couldn’t wake up from.

Finally, Daphne cried out and ran towards the TV, her voice cutting through the sobbing in the room. Casimir joined her, his fingers hitting the off button over and over, but the tv wouldn’t shut off. The images and sounds seemed to have a life of their own and suddenly, Patch’s voice boomed through the room, “Move the fuck out of the way!”

As everyone scrambled frantically, a deafening gunshot echoed through the room and shattered the TV into a million pieces, just like our hearts.

TIME SEEMED TOwarp, stretching out each secondas we all stared at the TV’s shattered remains, the jagged edges of the screen reflecting the volcano that had just erupted. The air seemed thick, stifling with the weight of what we’d just witnessed.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t understand, just stood there in the doorway, my mind reeling. Who the fuck would do this? Everyone—save me—was having a good time, laughing, drinking, until Lana burst outside, her face pale, shouting for us to come quick. What I saw on that screen—me, Tammy, Midnight, at that goddamn party over a year ago—in every graphic detail.

Katherine’s quiet sobs broke through the tension, her tears soaking into Caden’s blanket as she held him close, her knuckles white from the pressure.

Her voice, when it finally came, was a raw whisper, tinged with disbelief. “What the hell did you guys do?” The question hung in the air, sharp as a blade, her eyes wide and searching, desperate for an explanation that might make sense of the pornographic scenes they all just watched. “Was this recent?” she asked the burning question on all the women’s faces.

The women were clustered together near the door, whispering in hushed tones, their eyes darting between us, suspicion and anger mingling in their gazes. My gaze locked onto Madeline. The look on her face—disgust, disappointment—cut me deep. Finally, Patch, who seemed to be frozen in place, spoke, breaking through the tense silence.

“Of course not, Katherine, I would never...you can’t possibly think...” Patch’s voice was soft, almost too soft for him, as he approached her like she might disappear at any moment. But Bethany moved to block him, her body tense, protective.

“Not now, Patch,” she said, her voice a low warning, but firm. The women closed ranks around Katherine, shielding her from him. “What we just saw...it’s beyond traumatizing for her. You know her history.”

Patch’s jaw clenched, his voice low and dangerous. “Don’t tell me what to do, Bethany. Katherine is my wife. That’s my kid.”

“Aislynn?” Leather’s voice boomed as he stormed in from outside, his eyes wild as they darted around the room. “Where is she?”

“Daphne took her away,” Casimir answered, his tone clipped, his eyes narrowing as he looked at us. “She went home. Said don’t follow,” he added, turning to Hillbilly, who’d just come in, looking confused and worried.

Bethany turned back to Patch, her expression softening just a fraction. “I’m taking mom to your room to calm her down. Give her a few minutes, Patch. I promise she won’t leave without talking to you.”

Patch hesitated, then gave a tight nod, his eyes burning with barely restrained anger. As Leather and Hillbilly moved for the door, Patch’s voice sliced through the air. “Church. Now!” His gaze flicked to Midnight, who was edging toward Hadleigh. “Everyone!”

I glanced back at Madeline as we filed out, her eyes still locked on me, her expression unreadable now, like she’d put up a wall. She was talking quietly with Casimir, Sarah, and Randi, and the way Randi looked at Player—like he was something she’d scrape off her shoe—spoke volumes of the subject of conversation.

“What the fuck was that?” Player exploded as we crowded into the meeting room, kicking a chair out of his way before dropping into another one.

I leaned against the wall, feeling the tension ratcheting up another notch as the last of the club members packed into the room, waiting for Patch to erupt. He sat at the head of the table, his breathing heavy, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white. When the door finally shut behind the last man, Patch stood, his gaze sweeping over us like a storm about to break.

“Who the fuck did this?” he snarled, his voice low, deadly. His one good eye burned with fury as he looked at each of us in turn. “Because it had to be one of you motherfuckers!”

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