Page 156 of Patching Over

Because despite my horrible behavior, each and every one of them treated me kindly. The women shopped for me, the men were protective, especially Kracken, and I felt safe for probably the first time in my life after being taken.

It’s probably wrong of me to say I hate someone, but I truly hate my father. I hate what he stood for, I hate how he treated me and my mother, I just simply hate him, I muse.

“It’s not wrong, Moira,”Hannah tells me inside my head.“I’ve seen how he behaved. He’s an evil man. If hating him and what he stands for gives you the strength to keep on going, then hate him.”

This girl is smarter than her short years should allow for. I slowly shake my head. Hate is a sin. That’s what was drummed into my head my whole life by my father. Of course, the wayhetreated me was rather hateful, so maybe, just maybe, he was wrong?

“Hating someone just to hate themiswrong, Moira. But hate is just a feeling, and those are never, ever wrong,”Hannah tells me.

It’s a bit disconcerting to me that she can understand my thoughts, that’s for sure. She’s having a full-blown conversation with me in my head even though I’m not saying a word! Not only that, but she acts far older than she looks.

“Your feelings are valid, Moira. It’s what you do with those feelings that makes them either right or wrong,”she continues, sounding way too wise for me to argue with.“Now, I’m hungry, so let’s go get something to eat.”

If there’s one ‘advantage’ to being with the kids in the nursery this time around, it’s the fact that theydofeed them far better than the women who are kept for breeding. Well, at least until they become pregnant. Then, they’re on a specially formulated eating plan designed to ensure the child is healthy. I wonder if they realize that they’re doing it kind of backwards or not, because theyshouldmake sure the woman is healthybeforeshe gets pregnant. But none of these jerks can claim they’re intelligent, although I suspect it’s just the lackeys who are missing a few smarts. Because there’s no way that there’s not someone higher up in the food chain who’s dictating what they’re doing, and since they’ve never been shut down to my knowledge, someone has to be able to keep it on the downlow.

I allow Hannah to take my hand and drag me over to the table so we can eat. Might as well do what I can to build up my own strength so I can protect her and hopefully, myself.

CHAPTER

EIGHT

Kracken

As soon as we pull into the parking lot, the clubhouse doors swing open and five of the Cedar Creek brothers come striding out, heading directly toward Butcher’s bike. I can see from their cuts that it’s Wrecker, Dragon, Animal, Striker, and Python, and I presume they’re the officers based on the hardened looks on their faces.

I watch in fascination as Wrecker storms over to Selah, anger causing his face to turn brick red. He points his finger at her and starts yelling, “Don’t you ever pull any shit like that again. You hear me? We’re family, we take care of our own. I can’t make sure you’re taken care of if you’re out there on your own.”

With more members now surrounding us, I see Butcher looking around before he asks, “Where’s Mammoth?”

“That’s another problem we’ve been working on. He hasn’t checked in with us in over a week and his phone is no longer getting any signal so we can trace him,” Dragon informs us.

“What?” Selah squeals, her face paling as she clutches at her chest. “Beast can’t track him… at all? His bike? His phone? Nothing?”

“It’s as if he’s vanished off the face of the earth,” Wrecker tells her. “And another thing.”

“What’s that?” Butcher questions.

“Dad’s missing too,” he answers.

I don’t know all of the dynamics at play here, but the look on Butcher’s face as he growls out, “The fuck you say? I told you we should’ve put the asshole down a long time ago!” has me taking a step back.

“We know. But he was useful to us, and we still thought he had information we could use,” Dragon states. “His disappearance and betrayal is on me.”

“No. It’s on him,” Butcher replies. “Did he know where Mammoth was?”

Dragon says, “Not that we’re aware of. He went off looking for Selah. The only ones who knew where he was were me and Wrecker. Neither one of us shared that with him. So as far as we know, he has nothing to do with Mammoth being radio silent.”

While all of this is fascinating, my focus is on finding my woman and Selah’s little girl, not on whatever father drama seems to be at play right now. I’m about to speak up but one of the other Cedar Creek brothers starts talking instead.

“Hate to be the one who poses this question, but do you think he went back to the community willingly?” Python asks.

That comment stops me in my tracks. I know from some of what Selah shared that she came from that fundamentalist crapshow, but it sounds like herfatherhas been one of the fuckers we want to decimate. So why on earth would they have willingly had him here under their roof?Especiallynow that Hawg and Beast have determined they’ve been virtually underneath the noses of at least two of our chapters, likely foryearsfor all we know.How many women in our towns have been taken by these bastards to further their so-called cause?

“Not on your life,” Wrecker grits through his teeth. “You have no idea what it was like for him. He’s still recovering from some of the things he was forced to do and the things they did to him when he refused or was caught going easy on those he was tasked with punishing.”

“He wouldn’t do that,” Selah swears. “He wasn’t and isn’t loyal to them in any form or fashion. I realize y’all don’t know him, but we do, and I can tell you right now, if he’s with them, it’s not of his own volition.”

“So that’s a possible third person they have of ours that we need to rescue?” Banshee asks.

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