Текст книги "Redemption Road"
Автор книги: Katie Ashley
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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 19 страниц)
EIGHT
REV
After Annabel left and I apologized to Bishop, he and I silently stared each other down for a few minutes. I knew what I needed to say to him—what I had to say. But while the admission seemed to have flowed so effortlessly from my lips just hours earlier, I found myself tongue-tied, with a mouth full of sawdust.
After clearing my throat several times, I managed to croak, “You want the truth about what happened to me? The truth about what brought me out here?”
He shot me a surprised glance, and I knew that was the last thing he’d expected me to say. “Of course I do.”
Leaning back against the tile, I nodded. “Then here it is.”
For the second time that day, the bathroom became my confessional. I once again purged myself of the terrible secret I had kept hidden for so many years—and from so many of the people I loved. Telling Bishop was just as frightening as I had imagined it would be. When I finished, I felt as if all the muscles, tendons, and bones in my body had been stripped away, and I stood bare to my very soul in front of him. It was both terrifying and liberating.
Meanwhile I stared Bishop down, waiting for his response. Surprise flooded me at the sight of tears in his eyes. He swayed on his feet, like he wanted to close the distance between us but was unsure of how I might react. “Fuck, man, I don’t know what to say.”
With a humorless laugh, I said, “That seems to be the consensus when people hear the story.”
“And you never told Mama?”
I shook my head. “No one but Preacher Man and Breakneck knew.”
“Jesus,” he muttered as he scrubbed the tears from his eyes. “I just can’t . . . all those years . . .” His breath escaped in a wheeze. “When Preacher Man left, I was just a kid, but I still remember wondering what the fuck could have possibly gone wrong.”
“It was because of me.”
Bishop’s face clouded over, and he jabbed his index finger at me. “Oh hell no, it wasn’t. I don’t care what kinda guilt shit you’ve carried around all these years, but I’m not going to fucking stand here and let you blame everything that happened on you. To start with, it was that fucking pervert’s fault. And even though I hate to say it, Preacher Man was to blame, too, for letting it get the best of him.”
Now it was my turn to fight back the tears. Deep down, I had always feared that if Deacon, and especially Bishop, found out my secret, they would hate me for ruining the family. “Thanks, man. I appreciate you saying that.”
“It’s the truth. I mean every fucking word. I ain’t sugarcoating anything.”
I snorted. “You, guilty of sugarcoating? Never.”
Bishop grinned. “Damn straight.”
Pushing myself off the wall, I moved closer to him. “One reason I told you my story was because I felt you had a right to finally know. But there’s another reason as well.”
“What’s that?”
“Annabel.”
Bishop’s brows came together in confusion. “What does she have to do with it?”
“Everything. She’s the reason I came out to Texas. At first it seemed like Sarah was the only reason, but after everything that has happened, I understand now. While I might’ve saved Annabel, she did the same for me by allowing me to finally get rid of the secrets.”
“You told her before you told me?” he questioned accusingly.
“Yeah, I did.”
Although he appeared angry, I knew Bishop was hurt more than anything. “But I’m your blood, man. I’m your blood and your MC brother.”
I placed my hand on his shoulder. “I know that. Just like being in the Raiders bonds us with our brothers, the same thing can be said for me and Annabel and the abuse we suffered.”
Bishop rubbed his jaw while eyeing me thoughtfully. “I guess I get what you’re saying. But I gotta be honest and say I don’t really like it.”
“I’m not asking you to like it. I just want you to respect it. And I want you to respect her.”
His blue eyes narrowed. “I ain’t never disrespected her.”
“It’s two different things, brother. You need to respect her feelings. There’s nothing for her to go back home to besides two self-absorbed assholes for parents. While it might not make any sense and it won’t be easy, she should come to Georgia with us if she wants to.”
“You talked to Deacon about this?”
I laughed. “Are you suggesting I need to clear my business by him? Last time I checked, I made my own money and owned my row house at the compound.”
“It ain’t just your business. You’re bringing home a former Diablos captive and drug cartel’s favorite piece of ass.”
My fists coiled in rage at my side, and although I would have hated to do it, I could have totally decked Bishop at that moment, but I managed to hold back. “Do not ever refer to Annabel like that again.”
Bishop slowly shook his head back and forth. “Jesus, man, what has come over you with this girl?”
I threw my hands up in exasperation. “I already told you—”
“It’s more than just that.” He eyed me suspiciously. “You’re not ready to let her go, either, are you?”
“No, I’m not, but it’s not for the reason you think.”
“You sure about that?”
“While she’s healing, I’ll do everything within my power to help her. I don’t want Annabel to spend wasted years of her life drowning in useless emotion.” Staring straight into his eyes, I said, “I really would like to have you on my side.”
Bishop crossed his arms over his chest and grunted. “I should be offended that you even have to question whether I’m on your side.” His expression lightened. “You’re my brother—I’m always on your side. I might not like the shit you’re doing, but I’m with you.”
I couldn’t contain the smile that spread across my face. “I’m so glad to hear you say that.”
“Just remember, though. We never let puss—er, women come between us. Got it?”
“It’s a deal.”
The next morning began with a flurry of activity. There was a barrage of paperwork to have Annabel released. More money also exchanged hands to protect both Annabel’s and our identities. There would be no record of any American girl or American bikers ever being in the hospital’s vicinity. It cost a pretty penny to appease the crooked and corrupt police and medical officials, but in the end, it was worth every dime. While Bishop pressed me to ask Annabel’s father for reimbursement, I chose to ignore him. We had plenty of dirty money that had been confiscated at Mendoza’s compound by some of the other guys. What better way to spend it than on Annabel’s freedom?
While Annabel forced down some of the hospital’s breakfast, I got into the shower to get ready. I had almost finished when Annabel’s bloodcurdling scream had me barreling out the bathroom door, buck naked and ready to take someone out.
With her eyes widened in fear, Annabel cowered on the bed. Her horror came from the three strange bikers standing in the room. Of course, from where I stood, I could see that the back of their cuts plainly read “Raiders.” “Wait, it’s okay, Annabel. These guys aren’t going to hurt you,” I said. Quickly, I ducked behind Sidewinder so she didn’t have to see me naked.
“Rev?” she pleaded as if she couldn’t imagine safety among any bikers other than Bishop and me.
“Yeah. Give me one sec. Okay?”
“Um, okay.”
I raced back into the bathroom and threw a towel around my waist. When I came out, Chulo had his hands up as if Annabel was arresting him. I bypassed Snake and Ghost to go to Annabel’s side.
Chulo put his hands down and smiled. “We’re sorry to have scared you, but we just wanted to stop by and see you before you left.”
“You did?” Annabel asked.
He nodded. “I knew you would need something to wear, so I borrowed some things from my girlfriend.” When Snake snickered, Chulo smacked him on the back of the head. “They’re probably going to be a little big on you because I like my women thick.” He then held out the bag to Annabel.
She took it and smiled at him. “Thank you. That was very kind of you. Please thank your girlfriend for me as well.”
Chulo grinned sheepishly. “If it’s all the same with you, I would prefer not to mention that I was giving some strange woman her clothes.”
Ghost nodded. “Lucia would beat his ass if she thought he was cheating.”
While I chuckled, Annabel murmured, “Oh.” Her face tinged pink. “Well, thank you anyway.” When she started off the bed, her face came to eye level with my chest. For a moment, she paused as she stared at my intricate tattoos. She even took the time to read some of the lined verses. The longer she remained pressed against me, the more convoluted my feelings became. I inwardly berated myself for even momentarily enjoying the feel of having her so near to me. What kind of sick asshole would I be if I was remotely thinking of Annabel in an intimate way?
Finally her gaze swept to mine. “I—uh—I’ll go get ready now.”
“Okay,” I replied as I was grateful for her to put some distance between us.
She hurried past me into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.
“Sorry we scared her, Rev,” Ghost said apologetically.
“It’s okay. I should’ve mentioned you guys might be coming by.”
As the shower turned on, Ghost stared past me to the bathroom. “How’s she doin’?”
I shrugged as I reached for a clean shirt. “Good as can be expected, I guess.”
“I guess she knows to get the hell out of Texas, right?”
“Yes. She knows.” When I pulled my cut on over my shirt, Chulo whistled and shook his head. “What?” I asked.
“Don’t be wearing colors at the border. That’ll get your shit flagged.”
“Oh, okay.” I didn’t know why I hadn’t thought of that myself. As I pulled off my cut, I asked, “You think we’re going to have any problems getting out of the country?”
Chulo’s dark eyes narrowed. “You doubting our paperwork ability?”
“Of course not. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say your comment about the cut spooked me a little.”
“Mendoza has no idea who it was who took his girl. Yet. You have that in your favor.”
“Thanks for the pep talk,” I joked as I thumped Chulo on the back.
“Just covering all the bases, man. We’re still waiting for any confirmation on whether Mendoza is alive.”
The bathroom door cracked open, and Annabel stuck just her head out. “Why is there hair dye in the bag?”
Ghost ran his hand over his beard. “Yeah, uh, about that. I forgot to mention you would need to change up how you look. You know, since your red hair would really stand out at the border check.”
Annabel’s green eyes widened. “Am I in that much danger?” she asked, her voice wavering in fear.
“It’s only a precaution,” I assured her while Chulo added, “And we made you a brunette on your passport.”
“Wait, how did you get my picture?”
“The less you know, the better,” Chulo replied.
While she didn’t seem satisfied with his response, smart girl that she was, she didn’t question him any further. Instead, she ducked her head back inside the bathroom and shut the door.
After I stuffed my cut into my bag, I turned back to Chulo. “Anything else I need to know about getting across the border?”
“I think everything should be fine. Once you’re through the checkpoint, I would advise burning daylight and not stopping until you get halfway across Texas.” He grimaced. “’Course you got a senorita with you who’ll probably start bitchin’ to stop and take a leak or something.”
I chuckled. “I think we’ll make it fine. Annabel doesn’t impress me as the high-maintenance type.”
“For your sake, I hope you’re right,” Chulo replied.
Ghost threw out his hand. “We gotta be going, brother.”
I smacked his palm and then drew him to me for a hug. “Seriously, I can’t thank you enough for all your help.”
“Sticking it to the Diablos was good fucking fun,” he replied.
With a laugh, I pulled away. “We still owe you. Even though we’re going legit, we’re here for you guys when you need us.”
“Glad to hear it. Don’t hesitate to call us if you need anything.”
“I appreciate it.”
After exchanging handshakes and hugs with Chulo and Snake, the El Paso Raiders headed out the door. It was only a few moments later that Annabel emerged from the bathroom. I couldn’t stop myself from doing a double take. It wasn’t so much the baggy pair of jeans or the oversized, almost fluorescent, orange and lime green shirt. It was more about the fact that she looked completely different as a brunette.
At what must have been my lengthy stare, she brought her hand self-consciously to her hair. “Does it look okay?”
“Yeah. It looks great. No way would anyone recognize you now.”
She appeared relieved that a slight alteration would help disguise her identity. “I’m just glad it’s the kind that will wash out in a few days.” As she gazed down at herself, she said, “I know it’s probably a lot to ask, but when we get ready to stop for the night, I would really like to find some new clothes.”
I smiled. “I think I can handle that.”
“Thank you.”
“Ready?”
She nodded. “I think I’m all packed,” she mused.
I laughed at the forced good humor in her statement. “I do like a woman who can travel light,” I replied as I slung my bag over my shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Even though we were in the relative safety of the hospital, I kept Annabel tucked close to my side. I wasn’t taking any chances. When we got outside, we both had to shield our eyes from the glaring sun. We had spent two days under the fluorescent hospital lights.
After peering around the parking lot, Annabel asked, “Where’s the car?”
“Bishop and Breakneck are bringing it here.”
“It gets its own escort?”
I laughed. “I guess you could say that. The El Paso Raiders wanted to make sure it was kept safe until we needed it.”
“Safe from what exactly?” she asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. Something along the lines of being rigged with explosives.”
Annabel frowned as she lamented, “So many precautions just for me.”
“It’s not just for you. It’s for me as well.”
“But you only need protection because you took me from Mendoza.”
After shifting my bag on my arm, I shook my head at her. “Even if I had left you to die, I would still be a marked man. I helped storm the home of a Rodriguez cartel lieutenant where not only was his latest batch of girls ‘destroyed,’ but there was a substantial amount of money taken as well.”
“I guess I didn’t realize how much risk you had taken on.”
Without realizing that she was probably still skittish when it came to being touched by men, I reached over and brushed a strand of dark hair out of her face. Her green eyes widened, but she didn’t jerk away. “Sorry I had to rain on your little martyr parade.”
She gave a bark of a laugh. “Smart-ass.”
It was good to see her being lighthearted. We were interrupted by the roaring sound of incoming bikes. I jerked my head to the left to see Bishop and Breakneck pulling up to the curb. Following close behind them were two cars.
Even before I was told, I knew which one was for us. It looked to be a mid-to late-1980s Oldsmobile. It was the kind of car you didn’t have to worry about getting stolen because it was so hideous-looking no one would give it a second glance. But the engine sounded good, so it would do its job by getting us back to Georgia.
“Glad to see you guys. For a minute, I thought you had forgotten us,” I said.
Bishop grinned. “Forget your pain in the ass? Never.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered with a smile. “You guys holding back for an hour or two before heading to the border?”
“Yep. Don’t want to draw any unnecessary suspicion,” Bishop replied.
When my gaze cut over to Breakneck, I couldn’t help feeling a slight pang in my chest at the sight of him on my bike. “You take good care of her, okay?”
Breakneck smiled. “Quit wringing your hands like an old woman. I’ve been ridin’ longer than you’ve been alive, you little jerk-off, so get it out of your head that I’m going to fuck up your bike.”
I punched him playfully in the arm. “Thanks, asshole.” Truth be told, I was grateful to see him smiling, period.
“Whatcha think of the car?” Bishop asked Annabel. I knew he was goading her just to get a reaction. He couldn’t seem to let go of the fact that she was an “uptown girl,” as he jokingly called her. He had thought the same thing about our now sister-in-law, Alexandra, when we first met her, but Annabel and her privileged upbringing put even Alexandra to shame.
Although I’m sure she had never ridden in anything that wasn’t brand-new, Annabel smiled sweetly at Bishop. “Looks great. You know, if it’s older than twenty years, you can consider it an antique, and I love antiques.”
Shaking his head, Bishop grinned. “Oh, I do think I’m going to like having you back with us in Georgia, Uptown Girl.”
“High praise indeed,” she replied. Of course, she had no idea that when it came to Bishop, it really was the highest of praise.
“Okay, we should get going,” I said.
As Annabel started to the car, Breakneck said, “I put a pillow and blanket in the back. The moment you get through border check, you need to lie down.”
Annabel whirled around. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“I do. And last time I checked, I was the physician here.”
I braced myself for an argument, considering Annabel’s stubbornness, but instead she merely held up her hands in defeat. “Fine, fine. I’ll rest.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it. Another good thing about that car is the wide backseat.”
“Lucky me,” Annabel muttered as she opened the passenger-side door.
Breakneck reached in the pocket of his cut and pulled out a bottle of pills, which he handed to me. “Those are some painkillers in case she needs them.”
“Thanks. I’ll make sure she gets them.”
“There’s enough for both of you in there.”
“I’m fine.” With a smile, I offered him a joke from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. “’Tis just a flesh wound. I’d hardly admit to being shot when I barely got hit.”
Breakneck gave me a no-nonsense look. “You still need to take care of yourself. I know you’re going to be busting ass to get out of Texas, but you’re going to need to stop and stretch your leg some.”
“Okay. I will.”
Breakneck gave a slight nod before sliding his helmet back on.
“See you guys back home sometime this week,” I said.
Bishop nodded. “Be safe, brother. Let us know where you are and how it’s going.”
“Sure thing.” Then I slid into the driver’s seat, where I was blinded by the reflection from a set of sequined dice. “Jesus,” I muttered before removing them and throwing them in the glove box.
“Not exactly your style?” Annabel questioned teasingly.
“Smart-ass.” She smiled at me as I put the car into drive.
We had about a thirty-minute trip to the border. While El Paso and Juárez were separated only by the Paso del Norte bridge over the Rio Grande, both Mendoza’s compound and the hospital had been tucked far away from the city.
At first we drove in silence. When Annabel started to fidget in her seat, I asked, “Nervous about the border crossing?”
She nodded. “A little.”
By the way she was acting, I could tell her obvious fear was about more than just the border. “Tell me what else is bothering you.”
With a grimace, she replied, “It’s just little flashbacks of coming over with the Diablos.”
“I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “It’s okay. Guess it’s to be expected.”
“Yes, it is.” When she continued wringing her hands and crossing and uncrossing her legs, I asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Part of me does and the other part of me is afraid to. Like once I let go a little, I’ll just be opening myself up to emotional chaos.”
“It’s a bad metaphor, but a Pandora’s box of sorts?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Cocking her head at me, she said, “I hope this doesn’t sound snobby, but it surprises me to hear you speak of metaphors.”
“Because I’m supposed to be a dumb biker?”
Her face flushed. “I’m sorry. I hate when people have preconceived notions and end up stereotyping, and here I am doing it myself.”
I chuckled. “It’s okay, Annabel. Most bikers spout metaphors all the time, but they have no fucking clue what the actual term means. For me, I’ve always been an intellectual. I’ve been a reader as far back as when I was a kid, but after the rape, I seemed to enjoy escaping into fictional worlds more and more. Then, as I got a little older, I started wanting to read about history—presidents, soldiers, kings, and emperors. I figured I could learn something from them.”
“How fascinating,” she replied, with true sincerity.
“Most of my family wouldn’t share your praise. They think because I got a two-year degree from community college and can spout off quotes from literature, I’m trying to be above my raising.”
“But they’re so wrong.” She shook her head. “You’re truly a Renaissance man. As for me, I don’t know anything but math and science.”
“That’s what you needed to know to be a vet.”
She gasped. “How did you know . . . Oh, right, I told you in the hospital, didn’t I?”
I nodded. “Actually, I had already found out a lot about you through your missing-persons information.”
“Oh, I see,” she murmured.
“Don’t worry. It was nothing embarrassing.”
She laughed. “I would hope not.” Turning slightly in her seat to face me, she said, “Quote something for me.”
“What?”
“You said you could quote literature. I would love to hear something.”
“Seriously?”
Her face brightened. “Yes, please.”
“Okay, then. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Once again, the sweet peals of her laughter rang in my ear.
“ ‘It was many and many a year ago, / In a kingdom by the sea, / That a maiden there lived whom you may know / By the name of Annabel Lee.’ ”
Annabel’s green eyes widened in delight. “You know Poe’s ‘Annabel Lee’?”
“I do. I know ‘The Raven’ as well. Poe’s a personal favorite of mine.”
“I was named for Annabel Lee.”
With a grin, I told her, “I had a hunch.”
“My sister is Lenore from ‘The Raven.’”
“Your parents must have a love for Poe as well.”
“My mother majored in English in college.” Annabel rolled her eyes. “Mainly she was there to get the all-important MRS degree, but she managed to snag my father and finish college.”
I laughed. “I can’t help but wonder how someone like you came from two such horrible people.”
She smiled. “That’s a good question. It’s one I often ask myself as well.”
My amusement was short-lived when I saw we had come upon the border checkpoint. Annabel let out a small squeak of alarm as she shot straight up in her seat. “It’s going to be fine. We can count on the Raiders to make excellent documents. We’ll get right through.”
“Okay,” she replied softly.
“But try not to look suspicious.”
Her eyes widened in horror. “I look suspicious?”
“When you look like you’re going to piss your pants.”
She giggled, and I was glad to ease the tension in the car. “Okay, okay. I’ll be calm. I’ll be the best Mary Jones I can be,” she replied, alluding to the name on her passport.
Slowly, the car inched along in the line. When we reached the inspector, I rolled the window down and handed him our passports. He gazed at our pictures and then back at us. Time seemed to tick by agonizingly slowly. Beads of sweat, both from the heat and from my nerves, began to form on the back of my neck.
The officer handed our passports over to another man. He also took his time eyeing us and the documents. Just as I felt the tension threaten to overwhelm Annabel, the man stamped the passports and handed them back to the first officer.
After he shoved them back at me, he waved us on. The moment the car passed through, I exhaled the breath I had been holding. Once we were out of their sight, I gunned the engine, and like Chulo had instructed me, I began to put as much distance as I could between us and the border.
