Page 51 of Skid
I took a swallow of my beer and set the bottle down before I met his gaze and explained. “She’s carrying around something darker than I could have ever imagined. Grace doesn’t share information freely, and after this afternoon, I think I may understand why.”
“What happened this afternoon?”
“James and Devlin stopped by while she was taking a nap,” I explained and ran my hand through my hair. “They suspect something about her foster dad, and they wanted to compare notes.”
“Don’t make me keep asking questions. Tell me what you can so I don’t step into something sensitive. The last thing I want to do is hurt your old lady. She is your old lady, isn’t she?”
“Fuck, yes, she’s my old lady, and as soon as Parrot gets back in town, I’m ordering her cut. And to answer your question, they think he was involved with the Servants of God somehow.”
His eyes grew wide, and he leaned closer to me, looking around before he lowered his voice and spoke. “Isn’t that the cult that used the Bible to justify sex with girls?”
I closed my eyes and exhaled. Looking at him, I spoke with a deadly tone. “If you repeat this, I swear I’ll turn in my cut.” His mouth opened, realizing the weight of that statement. I explained, “She has nightmares, whimpering one word as she struggles against an invisible enemy. If he was connected to them, it makes sense that she has trust issues and violent tendencies.”
“Damn. Do you think he believed that sick shit?”
“I can’t be sure, and I refuse to ask. They are digging into some of the defunct members and seeing if there is a connection. It’s a long shot, and he may have just been a pervert, but after reading about their practices, I fear it’s true.”
I could see Grace and Sadie stand from the table, and I turned back to him, quietly speaking. “Sadie can’t know, and I don’t mind you asking Grace questions, but please be mindful she will sidestep on issues that connect to him. That’s the only thing I’ve figured out. She glosses over foster care, and according to her, life began when she ran away.”
Just as the ladies entered the far side of the large clubhouse, he asked in a whisper, “What’s the word?”
Turning my back to Sadie and Grace, I mouthed, ‘daddy’ and his nostrils flared in disgust. They approached, and Sadie stepped under Gunner’s arm as Grace linked her hand with mine. I looked down at her, and her blue eyes twinkled with happiness as she smiled up at me.
“I want to take Grace to the lake,” Sadie remarked, and I shrugged.
“The path is clear. Just take some flashlights,” Gunner urged, and Sadie giggled.
“Pierce Lake. Not the pond in the woods. I want to take her over to Pierce Bluff and grab some Papa Dough’s. I’m off on Wednesday and would love to have some girl time.”
I looked down at Grace. “Maybe you can grab some extra clothes while you’re there. Since you couldn’t pack much on the bike.”
“Only if it’s okay with you.”
“Of course, it’s okay with him,” Sadie urged, and Grace raised her eyebrows, looking for an answer. “And since it’s his fault you couldn’t bring any clothes, he’s paying for our shopping trip.”
Grace shook her head to decline when I kissed her on the cheek and smiled. “I think that’s a great idea.” Leaning closer, I whispered, “Get some sexy lingerie while you’re there.”
The four of us walked back outside, joining the party. It was tame for a Death Hounds party, and I think it may have to do with Grace. They all seemed to be enamored with her, and I couldn’t blame them. From the first moment I saw her, I was a goner.
The music blared from the speakers set around the front of the building, and I took Grace by the hand, pulling her to my chest as I swayed with the music. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed to her tiptoes as we danced along to the music. Her smile was genuine, and the love I felt for her was growing every second.
We drank, laughed, and talked until close to eleven, when Grace hid a yawn behind her hand. I looked over at her and could see the exhaustion on her face, so I stood from the table and scooped her into my arms. She shrieked as I walked away from the pavilion where everyone seemed to congregate.
“I’m taking my woman home. Later,” I yelled, and Grace snuggled closer to my chest as I walked to my bike.
After making sure she was secure on the back, I climbed on the bike and cranked the loud motor. Grace wrapped her arms around my waist as I pulled away from the clubhouse. The prospect opened the gate as I approached, and when I got to the road, I urged, “Hang on, baby.”
Her grip increased, and I hit the throttle and peeled out of the compound with a screech. The drive home was peaceful as I traversed the familiar roads. Having Grace on my bike, sharing my bed, and hopefully sharing my life gave me new hope, new energy.
I just prayed we could figure out what threats still existed and eliminate them before Grace realized what we discovered. I feared her ingrained shame would push her over the edge, and she would forever close herself off. If she took her heart back, I would go mad with loneliness.
***
GRACE SPENT THE NEXTday reading on the couch while I ‘worked’ in my office. Digging through everything I could find on the now-defunct cult, I made a list of members who weren’t arrested during the raid on their compound. The government had investigated them for three years, so there were extensive records on each member.
Devlin was able to use his connections, and we split the information, hoping to find a lead, and coming up empty at every turn. The frustration grew with each dead end. If Ringman wasn’t dead, I would drive to his house and torture the information from him, making him admit what he did not only to Aubrey, which I could prove, but also to Grace, which I suspected but couldn’t verify.
A knock sounded into my office, and I closed my laptop and turned off the monitor bank on the wall as I responded, “Come in.”
