Page 6 of Ghost

“So, what’s the back story on these two?”

“The mother has been having some issues with an ex.” Viper ran his hand over his goatee and sighed, “They’ve had a couple of run-ins, and when she tried to break things off, he lost it and worked her over again.”

“Damn.”

“It gets worse.” Viper took a step closer, and his tone was filled with annoyance as he explained, “He’s a cop.”

“No fucking way.”

“Afraid so.”

“Now I see why you wanted to get them out of town.”

“Yeah, but don’t get me wrong. If push comes to shove, I’ve got no problem putting this guy six feet under. He certainly has it coming, but I’m hoping he will lose interest and give up this obsession he has with her.”

“Out of sight, out of mind.”

“Exactly.” Viper motioned for us to follow as he turned and started out of the room. “Come on. They’re just down the hall.”

I nodded, then exchanged a quick glance with Memphis and Goose before following Viper down the hallway. I could feel the tension building as we neared the room. When we reached the door, Viper turned to us and said, “We got her a new ID and social. She’s gonna go by the name Whitney, and her son will keep the name Toby. No sense in changing it. We also got her a new phone.”

“Good.”

He hesitated for a moment, then said, “You’re gonna have to be patient with them. They’ve been through a lot, and it’s going to take some time for them to come around.”

He eased the door open and led us inside, and my blood ran cold when I spotted the beautiful woman and her young son. Viper hadn’t exaggerated. They were both in rough shape. The woman’s wrist was wrapped in a makeshift splint, and her eyes were swollen with an angry shade of purple that spread down to her cheeks. There was a cut on her lip that was still fresh with blood, and her arms were covered in various bruises and cuts.

Beside her was a young boy who couldn’t have been more than ten. He had hazel eyes like his mother, but he had light brown hair, where hers was jet-black. His arms were covered in bruises that resembled handprints, and there was also a large, purple bruise across the thick of his cheek—one similar to his mother’s.

Damn.

Just looking at them pissed me the fuck off, and the longer I stood there staring at them, the angrier I got—and not just at the ex who’d put his hands on them. I was pissed at her, too. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t deserve this. I knew that, but there was a piece of me that couldn’t help but blame her for putting herself and her son in such a fucked-up situation.

It was wrong to think that way. This girl had been through hell, and no one deserves that shit, but the feeling was still there, gnawing at me. I inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly, but it did little to help steady the storm of emotions raging inside of me. I watched in silence as Viper walked over to the young woman and said, “I have some friends I’d like you to meet.”

She nodded nervously as she listened to him say, “This is Memphis, Goose, and Ghost. They’re members of Satan’s Fury, the MC out of Little Rock. They’re going to take you two back with them and watch over you.”

She glanced up at me, meeting my accusatory glare, and immediately looked back to Viper and asked, “Are you sure we can’t just stay here?”

“You know that’ll never work, not for the long haul. Leaving is the best option.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“I know it’s hard, but you’re in good hands with these guys. They’ll keep you safe.”

“He’s right. You can trust us.” Memphis took a step forward and gave her a reassuring smile. “We’ll do everything we can to keep you and your son safe.”

Whitney lifted her head slightly, and she looked over at him with a mix of wariness and hope. She studied him for a moment, then forced a smile and said, “Thank you. I really appreciate your help.”

“Glad to do it.” Memphis turned to me and Goose as he said, “It’s late. Let’s get these two loaded up and back to the clubhouse.”

I didn’t speak.

I simply nodded and followed them all out to the truck. We said our goodbyes, and with our guests in tow, we quickly loaded up and headed towards home. Whitney and Toby huddled up in the backseat, and it wasn’t long before they’d both drifted off to sleep.

I glanced back in the rearview mirror, and as I looked at Toby curled up next to his mother, I found myself thinking about the past—something I tried to never do. One memory rolled into the next, and it wasn’t long before I was thinking about the day that nearly destroyed me.

Casey

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