“Tell me about your tattoo and I’ll tell you.”
I won’t, and I reckon he knows it because he doesn’t say another word until he stops the car outside the clubhouse.
“Leave your bag in the car, and when we get inside, stay close to me,” he tells me, and I don’t argue with him.
Since he’s been around, I’ve been safe from the club so there’s no where I’ll go where he isn’t around here.
At the last second before we step inside, Dex puts his arm around me and pulls me close to his side.
“What the hell are you doing?” I mutter under my breath.
“Keep quiet,” he orders.
Gabe and Zander blatantly watch us walk across the bar area and Baze’s eyes bug out when Dex lets me go and pulls out a chair for me. Without having to be told, I sit down and squeak when Dex pulls my chair closer to his.
I daren’t look at Baze. He’s not going to be happy about this, but do I give a shit? No. I knew he was seeing the club girls too, but I never saw it with my own eyes, so I could pretend he wasn’t.
“Where have you been?” Zander asks Dex.
“I wanted to see where Cameron was killed, and she needed some clothes and shit.”
“I don’t see any bags,” Baze grunts.
“It’s in the car,” Dex says, not looking at him, he slides his arm around the back of my chair and I wonder what he’s playing at.
“There was a handprint on one of the kitchen cupboards, Libby’s hand is too small, and his hand would’ve been too big, where’s Cam’s old lady?”
Dex needs to shut his mouth.
My mouth dries up with his next words and his arm around my shoulders is like a vine of fire.
“I reckon she’s the one you need to find, find her and you’ll have your killer.”
Seriously, he needs to shut up. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
“No one has seen her since before Cam’s death,” Zander tells Dex, flicking his eyes towards me and away again.
“She wouldn’t have gone far, she depended on Cam for everything. She wouldn’t know how to survive on her own,” Gabe says, and I shoot up to my feet.
“If that’s the case, I can get Slade to track her, no problem,” Dex says, ignoring my movements.
“You don’t know anything about my mom,” I try not to yell, “She had nothing to do with my dad’s death, although she should have killed him years ago. I would’ve helped her if she did.”
No one tries to shut me up; or stop me.
“Leave my mom out of this,” I warn them all.
“Or what, Libby?” Zander growls.
“Your mom needs to answer questions. If you hadn’t lied to us in the beginning, this could’ve been sorted out by now.”
In one slow breath, I let my eyes fall over Baze. His face stones over and he pushes to his feet.
“I can’t do this anymore,” I tell him, and he snakes around the table so fast, I don’t have time to move out of his way.
He throws me over his shoulder, my chair falling to the floor.
“What are you doing? Put me down, Baze,” I scream.
I get flashes of Dex still sitting with Gabe and Zander, the fucking prick. He better not say anything else about my mom while I’m out of sight. He told me to stay close to him and now he isn’t making a move to help me.
Baze makes easy work of carrying me up to his room and throws me down on the bed when we’re alone, in one movement, he’s leaning over me and gripping onto my chin.
“What were you going to say?” he demands to know.
“Nothing.”
“If they find your mom, she’ll crack and say anything I tell her to say. I told you to keep your fucking mouth shut, do it and I’ll still help you.”
In this moment, I realise, he couldn’t give a shit about me. He’s worried about himself; and trying to cover his own ass. His type of help is toxic for me.
“I don’t need your help anymore, I’ve got Dex now,” I bluff.
Well, it’s not technically a bluff. Dex wants to help me, I’m the one who keeps pushing him away.
“If you tell him what happened, I’ll find your mom and I’ll rip her fucking head off.”
Hold on. He’ll find her? Fucking prick.
“You don’t know where she went, do you? You’ve been lying to me, so I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
I feel sick. I could’ve ended this days ago and found my mom myself.
“What else was I supposed to do? You can’t keep your mouth shut for shit.”
“I didn’t tell anyone about us, did I?” I throw back at him.
“There’s never been an us, darling,” he spits out.
What the hell did I ever see in this guy? He’s an absolute selfish dick. I shove against his chest and elbow him in his ribs. While he falls to his side, I slip out from underneath him and fall off the bed. The last time we were in bed together, it wasn’t full of hate and mistrust.
“You’re such an asshole,” I spit, rushing up to my feet.
“Call me what you like,” he smirks, rolling off the bed to his feet opposite me, “It doesn’t change the fact that the club will never believe you if you tell them what I did.”
He’s so cock sure of himself. He’s probably right and I sigh. Brothers will always believe brothers.
“I’ll believe her.”
The two of us spin towards the door. Dex is standing in the doorway and he isn’t happy.
I’ve seen rage in my dad before, many times for many different reasons. But, where my dad’s rage was always frenzied and impulsive, Dex’s rage is controlled and strangely, calm. It seems difficult for him to tear his eyes away from Baze, but when he does, he looks at me and nods his head for him to go and stand by him.
I don’t waste a second. I move across the room without looking at Baze. Dex nudges me behind him and to be protected by him feels powerful.
“You were going to let a girl take the fall for something you did?”
He’s disgusted, and his tone screams it.
“You didn’t hear shit,” Baze argues.
Dex steps further into the room, leaving me in the doorway.
“I heard every word,” Dex growls, and his arm strikes out as fast as lightening.
Baze drops to the floor before my eyes and a small giggle escapes me in shock.
Normally, out of the two men, I’d bet on Baze to be the last guy standing in a confrontation. But, Dex is fast smashing every notion I’ve had about the men in this club.
He’s extraordinary.
Chapter Thirty
Dex
I knew I was right about Libby, and the hunch I had about Baze turned out to be right too.
The anger and torment I’ve been holding for months and months is rapidly building and the walls I’ve been keeping up are fast coming down.
What the fuck is wrong with this guy at my feet, wiping the trickle of blood running down from his nose with his sleeve? To let her take the rap for a fucking murder of all things to save your own ass. Pathetic.
I can’t keep everything bottled up anymore, and he’s the perfect substitute to release every ounce of anger I possess.
Pouncing on him, I don’t give him the chance to get back up to his feet. I throw a right hook and his chin wobbles from the impact. He recovers quickly and bucks me off him, his fist hits my ribs and he fucking winds me. Fighting for breath, I scramble up to my knees and throw another punch. I follow it up with another and another, before he can register where they’re coming from. It feels fucking good unleashing the violence. Leaning back on my knees, I catch my breath and give him the opportunity to fight back. I can take a hit and I need it right now.
He takes the advantage I’m giving him and swings his fist into my jaw. I follow through with the force and I’m met with him jumping to his feet and kicking me in the stomach. Lurching forward, I knock into him and he falls back on his ass.
“I’m going to tell Gabe you’re fucking
her and trying to save her, I’ll let them kill her before I’ll let her go.”
I smash my fist into his nose and a hint of satisfaction hits me when it breaks open under me.
“You’re the one who is going to die,” I tell him, as he swings a sneaky blow to my kidney.
“Get out of here, go,” I order Libby.
Baze doesn’t give me much time to see if she listens or not, he gets free and wraps his arm around my neck. Rolling on top of him, I slam my fist into the side of his face, he doesn’t budge on my neck, not until he roars in my ear and nearly deafens me.
He releases me and goes lax beneath me. Rolling off him, Libby is standing at his feet and has a single tear running down her cheek.
“Get out of here,” I growl, and release a heavy breath when she finally listens.
“Fucking bitch, if you run, we’ll find you,” Baze threatens.
With another kick to his balls, he’s more concentrated on his pain than Libby. Panting, I pull out my smokes now the pathetic prick isn’t getting back up. Within thirty seconds, Gabe is the first to bomb through the door, followed by Zander and the others. They all look to Baze still whining like a bitch on the floor and then at me.
“What the fuck?” Gabe growls.
“I heard him admit he killed Cameron, he was pinning it on Libby to save himself.”
“Bullshit,” Zander snorts, in disbelief.
“Why the fuck would he kill Cam? They were close, Cam was like a father to him.”
“Because he was fucking Libby, I’m guessing Cam found out and wasn’t happy. I don’t know, man. Ask him yourself.”
I put a cigarette to my mouth and light up, feeling pretty good with myself for setting him up to find out the truth.
“Baze? Brother?”
“Don’t…don’t listen to him. He’s in on it with Libs, he’s the one fucking her. I’d never go behind a brother’s back. I know our rules and I live by them.”
I don’t believe this. As I look around, they’re all indecisive. I’m giving them the truth and they’re thinking on it.
“You should leave now, Dex. I’ll let Cas know I’m grateful for the help you’ve been.”
I stare at Gabe. Is he serious? Do I get a gold star too? This is fucking bullshit. Baze hasn’t even risen to his feet to defend himself like a man yet, still clutching his dick like a bitch.
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll call Cas myself.”
They want me to leave, I’ll happily leave. Pushing past brothers that are supposed to be loyal, I grab my bag from the room I’ve been staying in and head the fuck out.
Strapping the bag to my back, I climb on my bike, and bring it to life. The sky is darkening, and I’m glad I can get out of here before the snow really does come.
On my way down the mountain, Libby sticks to the side of the road, clutching her bag to her shoulder and jumps when I rev my engine.
She visibly relaxes when she sees it me and turns back to carry on walking. I come to slow roll when I catch her up and then a full stop when she freezes and turns to me.
Now I’m far enough away from the clubhouse, I pull my phone out of my pocket and call Cas, keeping my eyes on her.
“Dex?”
“I need back up,” I tell him.
“What’s happened?”
“A brother killed Cameron and no one up here believes it.”
“Do you have proof?”
“I heard him admit it, and then he told me he was going to frame the girl they originally had for it. We fought but then Gabe showed up and told me to leave.”
“He told you to leave?”
“Yep.”
“Find a motel just outside of town, stay put until we get there.”
“You’re all coming?”
“Fuck yeah. Wait for my call.”
He hangs up and I put my phone back in my pocket. Libby hasn’t taken her eyes off me, and white mist bursts from her mouth with every breath she takes.
It’s freezing.
“Where are you going to go?”
“I have no idea, I suppose I’ll start with finding my mom.”
“I’ll have your mom found, until then, Gabe doesn’t believe Baze killed Cameron, so you’ll have to stay with me. I can keep you safe.”
Snowflakes begin to fall around us, and one lands on her nose. It’s pretty fucking cute.
“Okay, just to be safe.”
Safe.
I edge forward on the seat, and she makes quick work of climbing on behind me.
“You played me back there, didn’t you?” she asks, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“I had a hunch, and it worked,” I tell her over my shoulder.
Her hold around me is stronger than I’d give her credit for and I don’t think she’s holding on so tight because she’s afraid of falling off.
The nearest motel is a ten-minute ride outside of town and the parking lot is empty.
Libby climbs off first and I wonder how anyone could frame her.
“I saw how you looked at him earlier, do you love him?” I ask her straight.
“No.”
“Did you love him before you saw him with that girl?” I ask instead.
“No. Are we getting a room or what? We’re going to freeze standing around out here.”
I do not understand this girl, I do intend on finding everything out before Cas gets here.
Chapter Thirty-One
Libby
I’ve been past this motel many times throughout my life, but I’ve only stayed here once before today.
I was about eight when I was awoken by my mom screaming for my dad to stop punching on her. Her screams filled my ears so loudly, I can still hear them today, nearly twelve years later. Once my father was done handing out his punishment to her, he left to go to his precious club and my mom rushed up to my room.
I sat frozen on my bed, while she absently shoved half of my clothes into a bag and then told me to go downstairs and put my shoes on. We used to keep them in the cupboard under the stairs, so my dad didn’t stumble home drunk and trip over them. He didn’t like that and would take it out on my mom.
My mom came down with her case and my bag, she was in such a rush to get us out of the house, she forgot to put her shoes on. I’ve never forgotten that detail. She told me, you don’t need shoes on an adventure, but I had my shoes on. It wasn’t until I was older I understood her need to keep the worries away from me.
She held her tears in all the way to the motel, but I would rather have seen her tears than the blood drying around her nose and lip.
Even at a young age, I was happy we were leaving him. We were going on an adventure starting at the motel and mom was going to be safe.
Until, Cameron showed up the next day and dragged her home, expecting me to follow like the obedient child my mom begged me to be, so he didn’t hurt me.
The room today doesn’t even look like it’s been decorated since the last time I was here, but the sheets are fresh, and the bathroom is clean. Little things, I suppose. Oh, and we have our own beds. Dex only got the one room but two beds.
A shitty gameshow plays on the crappy TV and I pretend to watch it while Dex answers his phone. Again. It’s been going off all afternoon and evening.
He lights another cigarette while he listens to what the caller is saying and then puts the phone on loudspeaker.
“We need your mom’s name, date of birth and her cell number.”
I rattle off her details and read her number from my phone. Dex looked surprised to see I have one, but I shrugged him off and got on with it. When he’s finished with his call, he kicks off his boots and falls onto his bed.
“My club will be here in a couple of days, depending if the snow hits or not.”
“What will happen when they get here?”
“Baze will face Cas, who believes me, and in turn, you.”
“What about my mom?”
“Slade will call when he finds something.”
“What are we going to do while we wait?”
He smirks, “We wait.”
As if I didn’t know that was on the agenda. Waiting is all I seem to do these days, I waited day after day in the shed at the club, now I’m waiting for more bikers, and no doubt I’ll be waiting around for something after they arrive. Remembering being in the shed, a chill seeps through my body and I shudder. I have never been so cold in my life and it looks like I won’t be forgetting it any time soon.
“I’m going for a shower,” I blurt out.
He doesn’t pay me any attention as I lock myself in the tiny bathroom and turn the water on. I crank it to the hottest it will go and strip out of my clothes. I step under the hot spray and let it cover me.
The water burns my skin, but I refuse to move. I believed I was going to die, freeze to death if the brothers kept me in there any longer, I’m lucky I survived three nights out there.
I lather as much as soap as I can in my hands and rub it all over my body. I keep my hair away from the water and once I feel warmed through, I turn the shower off.
It doesn’t take long before I’m dry and opening the door. Dex has moved from his bed to the small table by the window and is smoking yet another cigarette.
I climb into bed and shudder from the cold sheets. I hope they warm up soon.
“Tell me everything there is to know about you and Baze. Don’t leave anything out,” he says, not wasting any time.
“Some things are private.”
“Not anymore, darling. I need to know everything for when my president gets here.”
I notice the TV is off and he has been out for food. I didn’t think I was that long. Bags of chips and a pizza box are at the bottom of my bed. I reach over for a bag of chips and he growls. Full on, growls at me.
“Start talking.”
Sometimes I think he can be nice and then he proves me wrong.
Eating a chip, I ask, “What do you want to know?”
“Tell me what was going on between you and him.”
“I rarely went to the clubhouse, it’s literally a man’s place with the exception of the club girls that hang around. Dad paid Baze to fix some bits and bobs around the house last summer, and I crushed on him hard. He was older and gorgeous, and looked good without a shirt. Hell of a lot better than the guys in town, not that my dad would’ve approved.”