Page 30 of Drifter
“Many of the investors are not the upstanding societal members they claim to be.” His grin gets broader. “Motown, Decker, and Shooter will be making their move. Demon from the Pride brothers is going to be working with them. First step is to free Simon and get rid of the constant threat to Sasha. Then we find the proof and find a way to get it to the proper authorities to shut down the Russians. Then we take care of Dr. Edgar Sutton,” Hawk states with confidence.
Later that evening, the Redemption Rider brothers are hanging out at Sasha’s. There’s pizza and beer in abundance, and the guys added several more items to the menu in the way of wings, nachos, and whatever else caught their fancy. They make themselves comfortable wherever they find a place to sit. Some are on the floor, others in chairs, and they’re chatting up Etain and Sasha, keeping their minds off what happened earlier.
Simon is with us, and after getting the details of his father’s assault on Sasha, he blew a gasket and is ready to walk away from the company completely.
Hawk keeps Simon on track. “If you walk away now, we won’t be able to find the evidence we need to end the Russian bullshit that’s going on. There’s no guarantee that your father will stop putting pressure on either of you. You have to see it through, just like we planned,” Hawk states calmly and matter-of-factly.
“I’m not sure how I can look at him after today,” Simon grits out, his hands clenched into fists.
“You’ll do it because in the end, you and Sasha will be free of his reign of tyranny,” I remind him. “You’ll get to show your capabilities and make the clubs a ton of money. Sasha will get to live her life without fear. It works. We’ve got to stick to the plan.”
“What about Sutton?” Simon asks. “He shouldn’t get away with what he’s put Sasha through.”
“He won’t,” I answer, but I don’t offer any further information. Simon looks at me, and I can see the thoughts whirling through his head. “Sasha’s my woman, my love. I’m not a good man, Simon. I probably don’t even deserve Sasha, but I’m in love with her, and I can’t let her go. She loves me. If God has shone his light on me and given me this gift, there’s not a damn way in hell I won’t protect her. If that means getting rid of scum, then so be it. Sutton should be in prison, at the very least. The fact that he still thinks he’s going to get to Sasha and is blackmailing her father to find a way to make that happen, that’s signed his death warrant.”
Hawk sucks in a breath when I mention killing off Sutton, but Simon doesn’t bat an eye. “I wanted to be the one to finish him off. I should have that right.”
“You don’t have darkness in your soul,” I tell him. I hold up my hand to keep Simon from speaking. “It’s a good thing, man. Ugliness has touched your world, but not the kind that can’t be healed. I’ve seen men kill and be killed. The military doesn’t prepare you for the atrocities that occur in battle. In my case, I see Sutton for the disgusting slimeball that he is, and I have no problem removing him from our midst. This is mine to handle, and I will.”
“Have you told Sasha your plans for Sutton?” he asks.
“Nope. She’s an angel walking this earth, and I don’t want to taint her halo with my plans. As far as Sasha is concerned, Sutton is going to be a casualty of your father’s dealings with the Russians. Unless you plan on telling her,” I say, our eyes locking.
“I won’t tell her. You’re right. I don’t want Sasha to live with the guilt. She already feels guilty for what happened that night, even though she was the victim.” Simon lowers his tone, looking past me to his sister. “You know, when Sasha was little, she was so lively and carefree. Our parents tried to turn her into a Stepford wife. Sutton might not have raped her, but he took her innocence in another way. I’m in awe of the woman she’s become, and through it all, she worries about me. I love my sister, and if you can give her peace, then I will do whatever it takes to make sure she can be that girl again.”
Hawk clasps a hand on Simon’s shoulder. “Enough of this for now. Join the party. Meet the guys, hang out, and have a beer.”
“Sounds good. Tomorrow?—”
“You send me a message with the burner phone I gave you with the time and where to meet. You watch the door. We’ll do the rest. We’re stepping it up, and we’ll get this done,” I say.
I find Sasha sitting on the sofa next to Etain. I motion for her to stand, then sit my ass down in her place and set her on my lap. She nuzzles into me, continuing to chat with Simon, my brothers, and Etain like nothing has happened.
Chapter 16
Heart of a Devil
Sasha
Many people think of bikers and automatically jump to the conclusion that they are outlaws, trouble, and plain bad news, including me. When the Redemption Riders first settled in town, the whole town was upset. The chatter started, followed by insane rumors that even I knew were pure fiction.
I took it upon myself to go directly to the new mechanic shop they opened and have a look. It could have gone very badly, and in hindsight, it was a stupid thing to do by myself, but I let my heart rule me that day and discovered a group of awesome men who just want to build a place to call home.
Tonight, they made me feel like I belonged, and moreover, they embraced Simon. Two kids whose parents never had time for them, yet the Riders are sticking their necks out for us. As I look around the room, I hear laughter and men teasing each other. But I also see a family, and although Lee is not above being teased, Flex, Decker, Shooter, and the others, especially Declan, make sure Lee always has food on his plate and his glass is full.
They don’t care how tiny my cottage is; they find a spot on the floor, settle in, and have a good time. There’s no facade, no judgment. They’ve not once mentioned my father. I know they do this to keep from upsetting me. They hardly know me, and yet they’re taking care of me.
I find this deeply beautiful, and when I think that this should be Gordon and Dawn McGrath’s role, a searing pain pierces my heart. I used to think it was all my fault that my parents didn’t love me. I spent years trying to be better, what they wanted me to be, and found myself becoming less and less the person I wanted to become. When it finally dawned on me that I would never be good enough, I left.
Simon and I talk every day, and you would think I’d miss some small part of my old life, but I don’t. I don’t care about the magnificent girly bedroom, a closet full of designer clothes and shoes, or the convertible my parents gave me for my birthday. I left it all behind, and I remember the feeling of being unburdened. The sad part of it all is that I didn’t miss Mom or Dad. Not in the very least.
“Sash, we’re going to get free of him,” Simon says. I didn’t notice him leaving the group of men he was talking with earlier. “Drifter’s plan is going to work.”
I glance over at Drifter, who is checking on Lee and refilling his plate. “Dad’s evil. What if?—”
“There’s no what-if. This hell needs to end for both of us. It’s my fault too. I wanted to believe he’d change. When he pulled me into the business, Dad made all kinds of promises, and I got suckered again.” He shakes his head. “How could I be so stupid?”
“Don’t you dare call yourself stupid,” I say sharply. “All you did was trust a man who any son should be able to trust. A dad is a man who guides, teaches, and nurtures his son into being a good man. You saw that with your friends and their fathers and wanted the same. Unfortunately, Dad is a chameleon. He changes with his mood and with the situation to suit himself best. That’s not on you. That’s on him. Don’t own his crap.” Another reason to hate my father: making Simon feel small.
