Game Changer (Hell's Saints Motorcycle Club) (29 page)

“Interstate 7. Yeah family called it in a few minutes ago. Seems they pulled into a rest area and noted some suspicious activity. Looked like two women, one pregnant, were being held in the back of a van. Guy was standing in front of plate but it was a gray service van. Family wanted to get out of there quick. Guy was wearing a cut, but they couldn’t make it out. Young woman with him, early twenties, skinny, blonde hair. Sound about right?” The State Trooper was reporting into Prosper.

“Yeah. Thanks, man.” Prosper hung up.

Diego and Reno were looking at the map.

“Runs north.” Diego was saying. “Turns off here. And here.”

Prosper was on the phone again.

“Get guys up on North 7 up near junction 29. Gray utility van.” Prosper ordered.

Pinky and Dolly walked through the Hells Saints door and put a pot of fresh coffee, sandwiches, and several new packs of smokes on the table. They also brought in four shots of brandy but didn’t leave the bottle. Jules was in the other room getting a bag of medical supplies ready. Just in case.

It’s different being scared for yourself. When you’re scared for yourself, that’s bad. Really bad. But being scared for a life you are responsible for, that brings scared to a whole different level.
A whole different level.

Crazy goddamn Ellie. I knew it. I knew from the moment I saw her watching Diego and me from the woods that first night that she was going to do me harm. I felt it. I felt it in my bones the way you feel the winds of an impending storm or the drizzle of rain before it turns into torrents.

I knew she would try and hurt me.

But I never thought she would go after a pregnant me. I had underestimated her baseline of crazy. I had seen the mean but I had not recognized it as the pure evil it was.

And because of that, I had put the two things I loved most in this world in harm’s way. My sister and my unborn child. I was filled with self-recrimination.

I was also filled with anger and a sense of protective instincts that sent adrenalin coursing through my veins. The disappointment that I felt in myself would have to wait. I had better use for my fury.

Claire and I had left Mr. Shit for Brains in a pool of his own blood. By the tearing sound I heard when he tried to straighten himself up, my guess is that I had nailed his nut sack to his thigh.

Good for me.

Claire and I had scurried into the van and found the keys in the ignition. Not knowing the whereabouts of Miss Crazy Pants scared us and upped our sense of urgency to get off the side of the road and fast.

Neither of us had any idea where we were going and it was a damn good thing that Claire knew how to drive a shift. We decided out best bet was just to turn the van around until we figured out where we were.

I grabbed the cell on the seat and said a prayer that it was a smart one. But no, just like its owner this phone had limited capacity. Actually, it was locked on two numbers. One said clubhouse and the other said Lucius. This was not uncommon. Prospects usually carried throwaway. Throwaways could not be traced. This prospect could receive any calls coming in, but calls he made out were only to his president or his clubhouse. Other access was earned.

Figuring what the hell, Claire and I decided to press the “Lucius” button.

“Manny, where the fuck are you?” someone roared into the phone.

Claire and I looked at each other and I almost lost my nerve.

Claire nodded and I swallowed hard

“This is not Manny. Manny is on the ground somewhere with his nuts nailed to his leg. I’m Raine.”

“Jesus.” Lucius answered.

“You okay, Chica? Your sister okay?” Lucius’s voice sounded anxious.

They had been right. Prosper had put the word out.

“Yeah, we’re okay for now.” I answered.

“Where the fuck are you?” Lucius wanted to know.

“Just have Prosper call this phone.” I answered then I hung up.

Claire and I looked at each other and barely stopped ourselves from high fiving.

It seemed a little too soon to be that optimistic but for now, we figured we were out of the woods.

The phone rang and we felt the bump come from behind us at the same time.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Thank god.” It was Prosper.

Our smiles of relief turned to something else instantly.

“Ouch.” I said into the phone as the seatbelt strained against my swollen abdomen. I leaned forward to put my hand on the dash and release some of the pressure.

Then I felt it again. Whack.

We were being plowed into from behind

“Ouch? What the fuck is ouch Raine?” Prosper worried into the phone. I looked at Claire. I wanted my hand free to cover my stomach so I handed her the phone.

“We’re in the van. Something is hitting us from behind!” Claire yelled into the phone.

Then.

“I don’t know!” My sister’s hands on the wheel were shaking.

The whole contents of the van were propelled forward. We could hear the tools come loose and clang against the metal mesh of the divider. Claire’s chest hit hard against the steering wheel.

I looked in the rearview on my side and there she was, like some crazy phoenix rising from the ashes, Ellie was ramming us hard from behind.

“Claire, look.” I adjusted the interior mirror for her. “It’s Ellie.”

BAM.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. Prosper.” Tears were threatening my sister’s voice.

Then she was desperately looking out the windows.

“There’s nothing around here to look at, Pro
sper.” She was full on crying now.

“Stop yelling at me!” Claire sobbed into the phone. “That crazy bitch is ramming us from behind.”

“I don’t know which fucking direction. I can’t tell.” She was running out of brave and fast. I knew exactly, exactly how she felt.

Claire looked at me helplessly. Ellie crashed into us again. Hard. The seatbelt tried retract against my belly, but I held the slack in my hand. My arm outstretched against the dash.

I wanted to help, but I sucked at directions too. I looked around desperately.

Then I saw the little compass bobble thing on the dash. I pointed to it for Claire.

She took a deep breath and nodded.

“North, and there’s a marker. We are traveling north of interstate 7.” Claire breathed out.

*****

“FUCKING BITCH!” Ellie had pulled up beside us in a black escalade and took a sharp turn into us.

“CRAZY PSYHO!” Claire yelled back.

I screamed. I couldn’t help it.

Claire dropped the phone.

She looked at me and yelled, “Raine. Hold on. I’m going to have to force some road rage on this LUNATIC (and she spared a glance in Ellie’s direction) or she is going to run us straight off the damn road!”

I braced myself with my feet and hands. Then I thought again and reached for the blanket and put it between my pregnant belly and the dash. Damn old heap did not have airbags. That was a good thing for my baby I thought. But I still wanted to provide as much protection as I could if things went bad.

“Ready?” Claire glanced at me.

“Yeah.” I answered and put my hand to Claire’s briefly. Our eyes met and misted over.

“I love you.” We both said at the same time.

Then Claire swerved violently to the left catching Ellie off guard on a sharp corner. The escalade veered on two wheels throwing sparks as the muffler dragged on the ground. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw the damn jeep right itself.

She was coming at us again and fast.

Claire looked at me and said, “I don’t think I can out run her.”

I looked back at the jeep and at the road ahead. “Look, there’s a steep embankment to the right up there.”

“Yeah, I see it.” Claire was looking ahead.

“She can’t see passed this van. If you stay in front of her, just enough so she doesn’t ram us and then swerve to the left at the last minute, she won’t have time to corner the turn and will drop off the cliff.”

“Yeah or she’ll lock on to us with her fucking bumper and we’ll both get pulled over.” Claire looked at me.

Then the bitch bumped us again. Really hard

“We have to try it. Claire I think we have to try.” I was crying too by then.

Claire took her eyes off the road long enough to search mine for a minute.

I could see the terror in her eyes.

“It’s our only chance, honey. You can do it. I know you can.” I smiled at her through the tears and took my hand off the dash just long enough to clasp hers in mine.

Claire squeezed my hand and nodded once.

“Damn right I can do this.” Claire sat up straighter in the seat.

She swerved the wheel and looked into the rearview. Then she positioned the van right in front of Crazy Ellie. I looked in the mirror and helped Claire navigate to stay in front of her. Claire had the pedal pushed to the floor.

“Ready?” Claire’s hands were white knuckled to the steering wheel.

I just nodded.

“RAINE?” Claire had the pedal to the metal.

“READY!” I yelled over the roar of two engines.

Claire veered sharply to the left then and the whole van careened and squealed on two wheels for what must have been a mile before it finally landed upright then halted at a dead stop.

We looked behind us just in time to see the escalade miss the turn and fly high over the embankment. We listened for it and heard it land heavy amongst a sea of bent metal. The sound of thick tree trunks being broken in half filled our ears before the raging bull finally succumbed to broken glass and torn gas lines.

It went up in a roar of deep crimson flames.

Claire and I had gotten out of the van and were walking toward the edge of the cliff. Even though the crash was well beyond the steep ledge we could hear the hiss and pop of explosions going on around the vehicle and the heat was so intense I could feel it on my face.

I suddenly felt Claire clap her hands tight against my ears.

I looked at her face and her eyes were bright. Tears were streaming down her face.

Then I heard them.

The sounds that my sister met full on in her attempt to spare me from them.

Through the warmth of her hands I heard them.

The tortured screams of Ellie being burnt alive.

A roar of engine sounded toward us. We listened to them approach. The pavement reverberated with the sound. The welcome vibration ran through our bodies.
We could feel them
. A fleet of steel horses ridden by dark knights charging to our rescue. We knew before we saw them. Our men had come to take us home.

Our family would be waiting for us.

Our outlaw father and brothers and lovers. And their women.

The shadow people. The brotherhood. The ones I had hidden Claire and myself from so long ago when their dark images had given way to my every childhood nightmare.

They had now become the heroes in our story. Our dark avengers.

They were now our hope.

They were now our loved ones.

Loved ones.

These not so merry band of outlaws had taken us in. Had made us feel warm and welcome.

Had made us feel
wanted.

They had opened up their own care worn, damaged, hard hearts and saw what had been broken in ours.

And they had fixed them.

They had held our hearts in their hands. They had glued and stitched and hammered and nailed until our hearts were whole again.

Our outlaw family had succeeded where even royalty had failed.

They had done what all the king’s horses and all the king’s men could not do.

They had put us back together again.

Putting my hand on the life growing inside me, I knew that someday the shadow people would cast fire lit images on the walls of my own child’s bedroom. My silhouette would merge with theirs as they formed the dancing shapes.

And my child would feel warm and safe and secure in the seeing of it.

My child would not be afraid.

Claire and I stood on the edge of the road and waited for them. Holding on tight to each other like we always had

It was going to be okay. We were safe. We were together and help was on its way. We were golden.

I looked at Claire and started laughing. “Little sister, I am so relieved I think I just peed my pants.”

She looked at me smiling too.

“Seriously?”

Then I felt a deep pain in my belly that doubled me over.

“Raine, you okay?” Claire was holding on to me.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Except, I don’t think that was pee.” I was trying not to panic.

“That’s okay, it’ll be okay.” Claire was looking at me.

Then she really looked at me.

“Oh my god Raine, do you think your water just broke?” I could hear the rising panic in my sister’s voice.

I nodded.

“But it’s too early.” Claire was really scared now.

I looked at her, feeling that panic too.

Because she was not wrong. The baby was coming and it was too early.

And for the first time in a long time. I started to pray.

They were waiting. They were pacing. They were waiting and pacing and filling up the small room with their big bodies. Their inked biceps flexing as they brought cups filled with strong coffee and splashes of a little somethin’ somethin’ from the flasks they kept hidden on the insides of their worn leather cuts.

And they were scared. Prosper could see it in their faces, could feel it in the way they moved. They were frightened for Raine.

He looked around him. His boys. They were like caged jungle cats. Revved up on strong coffee and hard liquor, trying to keep themselves checked and on their best behavior waiting on the arrival of Raine and Diego’s baby.

Raine’s first baby.

Maggie would have been proud. Prosper couldn’t help but think of her. She would have been so proud of Raine.

And of Claire. That one had turned out to be a little fire brand, she sure had. Still waters…….yeah, in Claire’s case, they sure as hell ran deep.

The first thing she had done, the very first thing she had done, after they had gotten Raine safely to the hospital had been to move toward Diego and hit him.

Hard.

Claire had walked up to Diego and without a word had slapped him so hard that the sound had echoed against the cold tiles of the hospital waiting room.

Dolly had gasped and Reno made a move to stand in front of Claire. Diego put his hand out to halt him.

She had let them have their reunion. Had let them have their hugs and kisses and had allowed Diego to show Raine how worried he had been.

Claire had kept herself in check for hours.

Little sister had stepped aside while Diego had pushed passed her to ride in the ambulance with Raine.

She had listened respectfully and intently with him while Dr. Gideon had explained the risks of delivering the baby a month early.

Then, when she was sure it was all said and done. When she was sure that everything was stable and in place and working towards the good, she had walked up to Diego and slugged him.

Without a damn word, the little bit of a thing had let him have it and she had to stand on tip toes to do it.

She cracked him so hard that Prosper, sitting across the room, had felt it.

Everyone had held their breath.

“That’s for….” Claire began.

“I know what that’s for Claire and I fucking deserve it. Have at it. You might as well get it all out because I ain’t going anywhere and when Raine and my baby get on the other side of this, I don’t want anything getting in the way of us being a family. And I get that you being okay with this is a big part of her being happy. I get that my woman, my baby… you come with that.”

“Damn right” She said to him.

Then she looked at him hard. “You in this?”

“All the way.” Diego replied.

“You know Diego, what’s gonna happen in that room, that baby being born, that’s just the beginning of it. You showed up today. That’s one day. One day. Being a father, that means showing up
every
day.”

Then her eyes narrowed. “I know what happened to you before.”

The whole room held their breath at that and Reno placed his feet wide apart, getting ready to lunge between D and Claire if it came to that. Claire was going for it, and after what D had been through in the past twenty hours Reno wasn’t sure how he was going to react to Claire bringing it all up. But then, his girl had been through some crap, too. D was right, better she get it out.

Prosper folded his arms over his big chest.
Shit had to be said
, he thought to himself.

So he let Claire continue, “And I’m sorry for it. But it’s done. It’s over. I pray to God it never happens again to you or anyone you love but the truth is, Diego, it could. Getting passed this day, that’s the first part. Babies, they get sick. They puke and get ear infections and have been known to cry at ear splitting decibels for hours at a time.”

She took a moment to let that sink in, then she said, “And you cannot,
cannot
fall apart on them every time that happens because of letting those old memories get in the way. Later on, kid falls off a swing, or a bike, or a goddamn highchair, you gonna be there to catch that fall, Diego? You going to be able to get passed that old grief and
man up
?”

Whoa! At
man up
half the brothers in the room unwound their crossed arms and legs and stood straight up.

Prosper raised an eyebrow. Reno tensed.

“Because Diego, Raine and I we were raised by a man who could not get passed his grief. And I cannot even begin to count the many, the very many ways that it sucked. This baby does not deserve that. You don’t think you have it in you, you have one shred of doubt of what you feel for my sister and this baby, better you leave now. Because if you stay, I am going to be there every step of the way making sure you do “what the good daddies do.” At that she looked at Prosper.

Then back again at Diego. “I need you to be what we never had. I need you to be that for Raine, I need you to be that for the baby. And I need you to be that for me. Because I have got to tell you Diego, I am getting really fucking exhausted.”

Then she slumped forward just a little bit.

Reno was all over that, but Prosper put out his hand and stopped him.

Diego’s eyes went soft when he saw Claire finally let herself feel the tired. When he answered her, he did it from his heart.

“I love her, Claire. I love that baby. And even though you are a little pain in the ass, I love you too, little sister. So yeah, I am here. For the puking and the falls and the infections. For the croup and the nightmares. I am there for the first day of kindergarten and the first day of college. I am there on Saturdays and Sundays and every day in between. I am there every night and every fucking morning. I am there.”

“That good enough for you little sister?” Diego was looking at her.

Claire looked at Diego long and hard.

Well, finally.

Yeah, that was good enough for her.

Dr. Gideon came bursting through the swinging doors.

“Ready to come help me deliver that baby, son?” The good doctor twinkled.

And he was. Oh hell, yeah. Diego was.