Page 84 of Skid
“She’s blaming her freak-out yesterday on . . . the earlier events of the day,” I delicately stated, refusing to divulge any of her secrets.
It was enough Devlin and James knew, but in turn, I knew their women’s secrets and had seen them at their worst.
“I know something is going on, and I know the basics, so you don’t have to give too much information, but we need to understand what’s happening,” Gunner insisted. I shook my head, knowing I would have to explain a few things that weren’t mine to share.
I exhaled and looked to the Callahans for strength before I turned to my brother-in-law and one of my closest friends to explain.
“What I’m about to tell you, and understand I’m not telling you everything, does not leave this room. You can never discuss it with anyone, not even Sadie.” Gunner’s eyes grew wide, but he nodded his agreement. Claw sat quietly, and I saw him acknowledge my request before I continued. “Grace was brainwashed by a cult when she was in foster care. They taught her that . . . fuck . . . they taught her how to be a good wife and mother, starting at age twelve. The foster parents were a member of something called The Community, and Grace said they basically trained her to be a sex slave for him, until he found her a husband.”
“Are you fucking serious?’ Claw asked.
“Unfortunately, it’s so much more than what I just told you. She ran away at sixteen and has been fighting guilt and shame for years.”
“That’s so fucked up,” Gunner grumbled, and I could see anger radiating off him.
“What does that have to do with last night?” Claw injected, “No offense, but I don’t see Needles being a member of a sex cult, so what got Grace so upset?”
“She thinks it was the culmination of a stressful day, but I could see real fear in her eyes when she saw him. It was instinct,” I explained, and Devlin opened his laptop. “For the record, I do not think he has anything to do with them, but something’s off.”
“I may have some answers, and they might not be the ones you want to hear,” James said, and I lifted my gaze to him.
“Are you accusing one of my brothers of hurting a woman? I know we’re outlaws, and some of our dealings are outside the rules, but hurting a woman is against what we stand for. So, you better have some proof to back up your accusations,” Claw barked, and I held up my hand to calm him down.
“James isn’t accusing anyone of anything. He’s just telling us what he uncovered. Give him a chance to explain before you get pissed off,” I returned and raised my voice. “Grace is my woman, and if I can stay calm, so can you.”
Gunner smirked, and Claw sat back, crossing his arms over his meaty chest as Devlin turned his computer so we could see the screen. James stood and pointed at the screen to a picture.
“This is Prescott Baker. He’s an investment banker in Springfield, Missouri, and is Needles’s former stepfather. He was married to his mother when your former president died, and a then fourteen-year-old Needles, or Monroe, as he was called then, was forced to live with them.” James continued as another picture appeared and Prescott’s slid to the corner of the background. “Prescott had lots of business organizations he was a member of, so I tried to connect him to Kevin Ringman, Grace’s foster father. I spent hours yesterday looking through Prescott’s life, and I finally found the connection.”
A third picture appeared, and we leaned forward as Devlin stood and began to speak. “This is how we connected Prescott, Kevin, and the name Grace gave me, Matthew Wilhelm. Matthew and Kevin went to middle school together and stayed friends through college, often going on vacations together. Prescott and Matthew are first cousins and closer than brothers. The three of them joined a club a little over fifteen years ago called The Community for Family Values and Education.”
The picture was of eleven men, all appearing to be around the same age, with one older man who stood in the center. They all wore black robes that covered their hands and rested on top of their feet. The older man looked familiar, and I looked at Devlin.
“Who’s the old man in the center?”
“That’s Baldwin Granger, Connie Ringman’s uncle.”
“Fuck. Are you telling me this man somehow convinced eleven men to become pedophiles and then used his niece in his sick game?”
“What I’m telling you is there are eight of them still alive, and I plan to go after each one. Starting with Monroe’s former stepfather,” Devlin responded, hatred pouring from him.
“Needles deserves to know what’s about to happen,” Claw remarked, and James shook his head.
“I hacked into Prescott’s life last night, and it seems he made arrangements with Kevin for when it was time to find Grace a husband. They planned to marry her off to Needles, only he left and came back to the club before they could make their move.”
“What?” I yelled, pushing back from the table. “How is that possible?”
“Each member must promise to teach the next generation. Prescott promised a son, only he couldn’t deliver. It seems like some of them fostered kids and others adopted, but they spared their blood children from their sick game.”
“I swear to God, I’ll kill that fucker. How could he be a part of all that and act like everything is fine,” I said. Gunner stood up from the table and walked in front of me, placing his hands on my shoulders.
“Do you think Needles knew about those assholes’ plans?” I shook my head. “Do you trust him?” I nodded, so he went on. “I heard a few things about what he lived through during those years. It changed him, and when he came back to the club, he was more reserved, more attentive. Smokey told me years ago that if someone ever pushed Needles too far, he’d bury them where they stood. Not once has he ever done anything to make me think negatively about him, so I believe he deserves to be told part of what’s going on so he can decide if he wants his retribution.”
“I agree with Gunner. Nothing about him shows he was aware of what they were doing, but some of the records we found indicated he survived some pretty horrific shit.” James reasoned, “He may want to handle Prescott himself, and if that’s his choice, I personally believe he should get it.” I sat down, pulling my hair and wanting to scream. This shit never ends.
