Page 26 of Arrow: Riding Rebels MC

“You know what you gotta do before you can pursue what I see in your eyes.”

I nodded because he was right.

Charlie was mine, but I couldn’t touch her until she became a widow. After everything that happened with Izzy, I vowed to never touch another woman that was attached. With Izzy, I didn’t know about her situation with my father, but he’d dropped hints as soon as I brought her home, so I should have. Charlie still walked around with her wedding rings on, so I really needed to chill because I didn’t go back on my word, least of all to myself. This week had been pure torture, and instead of running, I needed to face everything head on.

The last thing I was, was a simp, so I pulled out my cell phone and called Tech.

“Damn, thought your ass was dead. Made me leave my spot and you go ghost.”

“Stop crying and pull up. I’m at the bar.”

“Should make your ass come to me.”

I hung up on him because he knew that was the last thing I was going to do.

The faster I solved the mystery of Charlie’s ex, the faster she could be on her way and out of my system. I probably made myself look like a fool, and I would never get the petrified look on her face out of my head. It didn’t take Tech long to walk through the doors.

I raised my hand, and he sauntered our way.

“Dang, no invite?” Tech slapped hands with us all and copped a seat.

LaToya switched over with refills and a beer for Tech.

“If I didn’t vet her myself, I would think she was the ops. Her ass pops up at the right time, every time.” Boss held up his beer and looked into the opening, then sniffed.

“You’re a fool.” I laughed, then turned to Tech. “What you got for me?”

He handed me a folder that was thick and heavy.

Once I had it in my possession, I looked at him, but his face was blank. Whatever he found would set me off. Instead of torturing myself about who Charlie could really be, I opened the folder, and the air left my lungs. Gideon-motherfucking-Baxter.

I slid the family portrait over to Boss who was seated next to me.

“Nah.” Boss burst into laughter. “Yo, are you serious?” He looked at Tech, waiting for an answer.

“Yup. I found out that her pops owed debts out the ass, so her father gave her hand in marriage in exchange for her working off his debts. Gideon’s had her for the last seven years. Outside ofappearances, no one had any information on her. Do you think he sent her here?”

I’d had the same thought initially, but it immediately went away.

“Doubt it. The bruises Doc and I saw weren’t for show. She got up enough courage to leave. Her landing here was divine intervention, or witchcraft.”

I licked my lips and shook my head as I went deeper into the file.

Gideon Baxter was the son of the woman that our father killed our mother over. I vowed to erase their entire bloodline, but Boss had talked me out of it. However, what he did to Char—Cecilia was grounds for death, and I would make it happen. This was no longer just about her but my mother too. His mother played victim and got my mother’s life taken away, so I wouldn’t take it easy on him.

Boss hit my arm, and I looked up from the document that held his home and office information.

“You need to talk to her?—”

“He’s dying, so I don’t know what we need to talk about.”

“Don’t cut me off. You need to talk to her so she knows the full truth. I’m pretty sure that she thinks you’re joking or blowing smoke about your plans, but you need to let her know your connection. If it comes from anyone but you, she’s going to think this whole thing was to keep her here forhim. Let her know it all, Helix.”

I squinted at my brother using my first name.

He looked at me without blinking, and because I wasn’t trying to pay for new furniture for the bar, I let him have it. I gave my attention back to the file, and my brows dipped. It seemed like Gideon had in fact put out a bounty on Cecilia’s head.

He was willing to pay two million dollars to get her back, but the part that stuck out the most to me was the fact that he never mentioned Hendrix.

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