Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

ARIES

“Brother, you gotta keep it together.”

I glance over at my VP as he says this, but I don’t stop pacing a good portion of the clubhouse. It’s been nearly eighteen hours since I got the call from Cordelia. She checked in with me as I told her to, and the last time she called, they just crossed over into Mississippi. She was still sounding freaked over the fact Rory had yet to wake up.

“If you don’t chill, I’m gonna knock you on your ass and make you calm down,” Viper remarks. “It’s bad enough I’ve got a hormonal, pregnant woman.”

“Don’t you dare finish that statement,” Jade shouts, stopping our Prez from making a big mistake.

We all glance in her direction as Jade steps from the kitchen, a mug in her hand, the string from one of her tea bags hanging on the side. It hadn’t been that long since we all found out that she was knocked up. But she’s been a bit of a nut case since Viper got her pregnant. Usually, Jade is pretty chill, quiet, and shy almost.

“Darlin’, it’s the damn truth. You’re more hormonal, flipping out over the simplest shit there is. Just this morning, you were crying over a damn commercial on the TV. Then this afternoon, you shouted at me for not having a minute to fuck you.”

“Well, you could’ve taken a break,” Jade snaps. “Try and see if I let you have sex with me again.”

“Jade, you ain’t gonna get me from fuckin’ you later.”

I shake my head, look at Cyrus, and address him rather than pay more attention to my Prez and his woman. “I’m keeping it together.”

“Barely,” Cyrus grunts. “Who’s this chick with your sister to you?”

“A part of my past.” There’s no way I want to get into it where Rory is concerned. She fucked me up. Played me, for that matter. After what she’d done, Rory is the last woman I want ever to see again. I shove the thought away and stop pacing. “Soon as I find out what the fuck is going on, the bitch is on her own.”

“That still doesn’t tell us?—”

“VP, no offense, but Rory is something I won’t talk about. To me, the bitch is dead,” I tell him as Wolf walks in the front doors.

“Your sister’s pulling in right now.”

Wolf barely gets his sentence out before I plow past him, rushing out the door and to where Cordelia is parking her car. My sister barely gets the damn car in park before I’m there, snatching her door open, pulling her out from behind the wheel.

“Fuckin’ hell, woman,” I growl, holding her to me. I barely took a glance at her. I’d seen enough to recognize she’d been bruised up as well.

“I’m okay, Aries,” Cordelia states, shoving against my chest. “I’m fine. I told you I was good.”

“You’re not good. Your face is bruised up,” I tell her, taking in her face even more. “There’s a goddamn cut on your cheek.”

“It’s nothing like I haven’t had before. Remember, I might live in the city, but I was raised just like you, Tempest, and Fox were. I know how to handle myself.” Cordelia huffs and moves away from me. “It’s Rory who needs help.”

For the first time, I look in the backseat, following my sister’s movements. It’s then I see for the first time a woman barely recognizable. Blood-matted hair where it should be a striking blonde. Black and blue bruises where it should be clear, slightly tanned skin. Rory wasn’t one for being able to get a dark tan, but she’d always hold a natural look about her. The shirt was barely covering her, and she wasn’t moving.

“She hasn’t woken up,” Cordelia says. “The only sign of her being with me is the fact she’d moan every once in a while because of the pain.”

I can’t take my eyes off the broken woman in the backseat. Cordelia was right. She’d been fine compared to how Rory looked.

It takes me a minute more to be able to move finally. When I do, I yank the back passenger door open, reach in, and gently pull her out. No matter how pissed I am at her. How much I don’t want to hold her in my arms, I’d never wish this upon anyone, least of all her.

Rory whimpers in her sleep as I try not to jostle her. I’m pretty sure she’s got something broken.

Once I clear the door, I head for the clubhouse, seeing Wolf already holding the door open.

“Get Mace,” I shout.

“He’s already on his way,” Wolf states, eyes dropping to the woman in my arms and cursing. “Fuck. I didn’t see her in the back. I only saw Cordelia’s face.”

“The fuck,” Viper snarls the instant he sets eyes on Rory.

“Who the fuck would beat a woman like this?” Cyrus demands.

“She has to be in so much pain,” Jade cries. “Come on, let’s get her to Mace’s clinic.”

A few minutes later, I have Rory tucked into the bowels of Mace’s little clinic, which we’d finally finished putting together. It could honestly be used as a small surgical space if it were needed. We ensured no one would need to go to the hospital unless it was absolutely dire circumstances. Mace has everything from X-ray machines to Band-Aids, and anything he’d need under the sun in here to take care of all of us. It helps that Mace was more than just a combat medic.

I barely get her placed in the middle of the gurney when Mace comes racing in. He takes one look at her, eyes flaring bright. Yeah, he’s pissed. None of my brothers take kindly to a woman being beaten, but this takes it to another level completely. “Everyone out,” he orders, not even looking in our direction. He heads straight to the sink to wash up. “I’ll let you know in a bit what’s what with our patient here.”

“I don’t want to leave her,” Cordelia whispers.

“Come on, Cordy, we’ll let Mace help Rory while you fill us in on what the fuck happened,” I tell her, placing an arm over her shoulder and guiding her out of the room. It’s all I can do to keep from looking back.

I don’t know what happened to Rory, but no matter how much her being her fucks with my head, or that she did what she did all those years ago, she doesn’t deserve this.

“All right, Cordy, start talking.”

I waited long enough for an explanation, including giving her time to change and eat something. That waiting period has expired. It was time I knew what the hell was going on. Like why the fuck would Rory tell her to bring her to me?

I think that’s the one question that’s fucking with me the most.

“All I can tell you is that the men who jumped us, were sent to teach Rory a lesson and take her back. The rest, I’m sorry, Aries,” Cordelia shakes her head, sighing, “I can’t tell you.”

“You best tell me, Cordy,” I tell her, using the tone she knows well as the warning it holds. I’d never lay a hand on a woman, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to get answers out of her.

“Aries, I can’t,” Cordelia protests, eyes wide, that whole sweet persona coming through. “If I could, I would, but when Rory found me in New York and told me all that she did, I swore I’d keep it to myself and let her explain everything herself. You know me, big brother. You know I won’t go back on my word.”

Fuck me.

There’s one thing our parents taught us, and that’s when we give our word, we never go back on it. No matter how much we might want to.

Of course, she’d use that card on me.

“How about you tell us what you heard the men saying,” Viper suggests, keeping a tight rein of his anger. Considering we’re the newest charter for the club, he doesn’t like anything that could potentially look bad on the club.

We already had to deal with the bullshit of that death match fight club and getting Rosemary away from the sick-ass fucker who thought he could control Kevlar’s woman.

I shove the thought away and focus solely on Cordelia. “Just tell us what you can, Cordy. I’m sure there are some things you can share.”

Cordelia glances around, getting that nervous look in her eyes, and draws her bottom lip in. That alone is a tell that she knows plenty that she could spill. But what she’ll share? I’ve no damn clue.

Finally, she refocuses on me. “What I can share is that she never wanted to send you a Dear John letter. Rory didn’t want to break up with you, especially the way she did. She had no other choice. It was her choice to do it in order to protect you. There. I’ve said that, and that’s all I’m saying. I can’t tell you what the men were saying. I can’t tell you the reasons for what she did. That’s hers to share.”

“But the men were there to teach her a lesson and then take her back. To where?” Cyrus queries, brows furrowed. “What was Rory into?”

“I can’t tell you that part. The only thing I can answer in your questions is that Rory was a singer. She sung and danced.”

I knew Rory could sing. I used to love listening to her voice any chance I got. She’d sing along with the radio. That twang in her sweet, soft voice came out sometimes when it was a country song. Other times, it was like she was singing a melody. Then, there was the fact that she could also dance. Her body moving to the music could be hypnotizing. I’d been able to watch her for hours.

One of her favorite things had been dancing in the rain.

In fact, the day Rory turned eighteen, I’d taken her on a ride. We stopped off at some field where we set out a blanket and ate lunch. It started raining, and instead of getting back on the road, Rory got up and started laughing and dancing. Somehow, she’d gotten me to join her, and it ended up with us back on the blanket and me taking her virginity.

“So, she sang for a living?” I manage to ask, shoving the memories to the very back of my mind with the rest of them. I don’t need to be thinking about those days. Just as I don’t need to be worrying about what Cordelia revealed. For all I know, Rory lied to her about that shit too.

Cordelia slowly nods in answer rather than using words, at the same time biting down on her bottom lip. It means there’s more to that as well.

“Is there anything you can share with us, Cordy?” Wolf asks, leaning forward on the table.

I dart a glance at him, seeing the fierce look in his eyes. He’s not playing around with this shit either. Wolf is like a brother to me. Just as Kevlar is. I’ve known Kelvar since we were kids. Wolf and I met while in basic training. We clicked, and he and I have always had each other’s backs. Wolf had been there when I’d gotten the Dear John letter from Rory. He saw what that shit did to me.

“There’s nothing else I can share about the situation. I’ve said more than enough without going against my word.” Cordelia huffs and gets to her feet, hands planted on her hips. “Can I go see her yet? I need to check on her?”

“Gotta wait for Mace to say the word. No one goes in until he’s given the green light,” Viper tells her. “Why don’t you go ahead and crash in the room Jade set up for you. We’ll let you know when Mace has something to report.”

“Is this your way of saying you guys need to talk without me here?” Cordelia has a way of getting right to it even when she knows better than to butt in.

“Yeah, Cordy, we gotta talk. Club business, and you don’t need to be listening in,” I tell her.

Cordy huffs and rolls her eyes. “Whatever.” She starts toward the hall leading to where we have the rooms set up in the clubhouse, only to stop and turn toward all of us once again. “You better come get me when Mace has something about Rory.”

“We will.” I nod.

“Good.” She nods in return, and her eyes start to shimmer with tears. “And don’t be mean to her when she wakes up, Aries. I know what you think she did. What I thought she did. But it’s not at all what you or even I thought. She was doing what she thought she had to. For you. For . . . for . . .” She doesn’t finish her sentence. Instead, she pivots on her heel and races away. In doing so, my sister leaves me wondering what the fuck she meant by that last bit. What was it she didn’t finish?

“Want me to start looking into Rory?” Vulture asks, speaking up for the first time. The big bastard, no matter how huge he is in size, how deadly he can be, he’s silent. Moves without being heard, but also smart as shit. He kept to himself while we spoke to Cordelia. He simply listened.

“Aries?” Viper calls.

“I want to say no. I don’t give a fuck about the bitch.”

“But you want to know what the fuck is going on,” my Prez finishes for me.

“Yeah,” I confirm, nodding. “I think I need to know. Cordelia knew what Rory did to me. She knew I hated her. Hell, she hated her too. For her to want Rory back in her life, there’s definitely more to it, and I need to know. I don’t want to wait around until Rory gets around to filling me in. And Cordy ain’t gonna break her word.”

“Then I’ll start looking. I’ll have something in just a little bit for you.”

“Soon as you know something, we’ll meet and discuss it,” Viper remarks, looking at me. “Hate doing it to you, brother, but we all gotta know what we’re dealing with. Don’t need another situation like what Rosemary had.”

“I get it, Prez, and fully understand. Believe me, I don’t want to bring another situation to the club like that,” I tell him, shake my head, and continue. “But I got a gut feelin’ that it might just be one, if not close to it.”

“Yeah, me too.” Viper grunts and rolls his eyes to the ceiling.

“I’ll get right on finding everything we can,” Vulture states just before we hear a high-pitched scream. One filled with total terror.

Jumping to my feet, I rush out of the room, my brothers on my heels.