Chapter Five

Valor

SAVANNAH TELLING ME that yesterday was my last day here in Benton Falls makes me laugh my ass off. She has no clue what the fuck is going through my mind about her because I haven't told her anything. My focus has been on her healing and making sure she doesn't push herself or get some kind of infection from the wounds Conrad fucking gave her. When she's ready to listen to me, I'll explain the situation with Kasey and the house bunny. I know the exact day she's talking about and it's not what she was thinking at all. There is no way in hell I'd fuck a house bunny because it's never been my thing. I mean, yeah I indulged a time or two and fucked one if I were at the clubhouse and drunk. But, if I had my choice, I'd rather go out and find some random woman to fuck instead of a woman we all know is more than likely chasing a patch and nothing more. I learned that shit real early since I was always at the clubhouse. Vault typically didn't fuck with them either until our dad was killed and he went off the rails.

Still, it didn't stop me from spending the day with the girls and realizing how much I miss them and the time we used to spend together. Ava, Chloe, and Miracle are the best girls I've ever met in my life. Every day they show me what it means to be innocent and filled with love. Something they learned from their big sister and no one else. Every single day Savannah shows her sisters nothing but love and supports them in everything they want to do. And these girls are busy as fuck from what I'm hearing.

Ava is in high school and not only is she cheerleading for football and basketball, but she also plays softball in the spring. Since she's sixteen now, Ava's looking for a job around town to fill the weekends when she doesn't have a game or competition. So far she hasn't been able to find anything willing to work around her schedule. I'm sure she will eventually. Plus she studies with a group of friends on the weekends she's not busy in order to maintain her straight A average. She's always been smart as fuck and I know she's gonna earn a ton of scholarships to college from the videos the girls have been showing me of her playing sports and doing the cheerleading thing. Ava fucking devotes herself to everything she does and doesn't let anything stop her from accomplishing her goals. Another trait she learned from Savannah.

Chloe is in her last year of middle school. She's a mix of Ava and Miracle. Chloe has no problem going out and meeting people, spending time in groups of her friends, and all that bullshit. Right now, she doesn't play any sports in school, but when she gets in high school, she wants to play tennis and basketball. She practices every single day and spends hours on the court improving herself the best she can. When she's not at school or practicing, Chloe is in the house helping Savannah with the housework or reading a book. Miracle and her talk about books all the time and share them between one another. They go to the library and borrow books weekly.

Miracle is the baby of the girls and she's the shyest of the group. She'd rather stay inside the house with Savannah than go out and put herself as the center of attention for any reason. Miracle loves reading and listening to music. I've caught her countless times over the years singing when she thinks no one's around. Miracle has the voice of an angel and blushes when I compliment her voice. She brushes it off and says I'm lying to make her feel good, but she's wrong. Her voice is filled with grit and a smokey quality that you don't hear very often. Miracle is very careful where she sings now and I know it will be a long time before I hear it again. Anyway, she doesn't play sports and hardly has any friends at school. Miracle keeps her circle small and doesn't trust anyone without getting to know them for a long period of time. I think I'm one of the few exceptions to that rule. I can't blame her though after all the hell the girls have been through. However, when she lets you in her life, you get to see the light, free side of her and I will do everything in my power to protect that from being destroyed by anyone.

Savannah didn't talk to me after she got back from the clubhouse yesterday. Playboy said something happened with one of the house bunnies but that none of the women were saying a word about it. Knowing my love the way I do, Savannah won't say anything to a single person because she buries that shit deep and keeps it locked up inside. I've seen her do it so many times over the years it fucking kills me every single time I watch more of the light fade from her eyes and her spirit shrink back just that much more. She resembles the young girl we rescued all those years ago and I hate that for her. Savannah is a fucking fighter and deserves to have the world handed to her on a silver fucking platter. I can't accomplish that, but I'll do my best to make each day of her life the best it can be.

Walking to the clubhouse, I'm heading to meet with Fox to find out what's been dug up on this Conrad fucker. He's been working nonstop on this and it took him a few days before he even figured out what Conrad's last name was. The fucker is smart and never parked where we could get a full look at his license plate for Fox to run through his programs. The best he could do was run a grainy picture of his face through the facial recognition software he uses and hope it would come up with the information we need to figure out who this cum guzzler is.

Standing outside the front door is Killer. He looks up at me from his phone and slides it in his pocket.

"Goin' to see Fox?" he asks me when I get up next to him and go to open the door.

"Yeah. I'm hopin' he found somethin' on this asshole. I want to make him fuckin' bleed for what he's done to Savannah. No one puts their hands on her and gets to live after doin' so," I state, my voice going hard and cold as I look at him following me in the clubhouse.

"What are you gonna do about her, Valor? I thought you'd claim her before movin' to Pine View and was surprised when she stayed here while you left," he questions me, walking in step with me as we head for Fox' office.

"Eventually I'll claim her. Savannah isn't ready for that shit. Somethin' happened before I moved and I just found out what it is. Most of it's a misunderstandin' but one part of the reason she pushed me away is somethin' I should've dealt with a long time ago. Instead, I let it fester and it made Savannah feel as if she wasn't good enough when that's not the truth at all. She's the best woman I've ever met and I need to make sure she lives the rest of her life as if she's the only woman I want and has the best of everythin' I can give her. Even if that's only my love, support, and attention," I answer him, not sure how much of the story he actually knows or what he's trying to put together from the little bit he's heard or seen over the years.

Killer doesn't say anything as we step up to Fox' door and I raise my hand to knock. Before I can, the door opens and Fox is standing there, exhaustion filling his face as he leans against the door.

"Glad you're here, Valor. I was just gettin' ready to call you. Finally managed to hit the motherload of information on Conrad and you're not gonna be happy about what I have to show you. This is one sick fuck and Savannah needs to get far away from him one way or another. He's not gonna leave her alone, Valor," Fox says, fear filling me from his ominous words as I step in behind him with Killer following me.

"What the fuck is so bad you found on him, Fox?" I question, taking the folder he lifts from his desk and opening the file.

The first few pages are filled with information about Conrad. I'm surprised to see that his dad is the governor. That's not something any of us were anticipating learning. Not much we can do about that, but I will get my fucking hands on Conrad one way or another. He fucking hurt my girl and tried to use a date rape drug on her. I'm not gonna let that shit go.

After flipping through the information about Conrad like where he went to school, his work history, and all the other shit Fox has been able to pull up on the dick, I flip the page again to find he's got a history of violence. I'm really not surprised as Killer and I look through the charges he's had pressed against him over the years. None of them have stuck for various reasons, but I know deep in my gut it's because Conrad or his family have threatened his victims or paid them off. Fox will find that information out if he hasn't already. Conrad has been accused of stalking, beating women up, threatening death, setting one woman's apartment on fire, solicitation of a minor, grooming, and so many other things. I'm fucking disgusted and wonder if there's more to why he was desperate for Savannah to go out with him than simply him wanting her. Did he know about her sisters? Is that the real reason he was after my girl so bad?

"Are you fuckin' kiddin' me with this bullshit? How does he fuckin' get off every fuckin' time?" Killer growls, anger radiating off of him and overwhelming me because I'm not far behind him as rage starts to burn in my gut and slide through my veins.

"His father is the fuckin' governor. He can't have his fuckin' kid gettin' arrested for one crime after another. From the rumors goin' around, Mr. Riley wants to run for President eventually and that would be a stain on his possible political future. So, he either threatens the victims or buys their freedom and the right to make his son pay for the hell he's put them through. All of them are young women and they can't stand up to the governor or whoever he sends to deal with them," Fox answers Killer as I continue to flip through the pages in the file and get more consumed with the rage filling me with every word I read. "Slim's on his way here now so he can hear about this shit. I think the best thing we can do is get Savannah and the girls as far from Benton Falls as we can. Maybe send them to Pine View with you and the guys at the new clubhouse."

"I want her there with me and that's my end goal," I state without removing my eyes from the papers in front of me. "If it has to happen now, I'm good with that. This fucker won't get his hands on my girls ever again."

"Glad to hear you say that, Son," Slim states as he enters the office. "Show me what we're dealin' with."

I hand the folder over to Slim who reads through everything. There's nothing else in those pages I need to read anymore because I've read more than enough about the cocksucker. Honestly, I feel as if I'm gonna throw up from everything Conrad has done over the years. This shit started when he was way too young to even know what most of the shit he was doing is. Standing next to Killer, I wait for Slim to finish reading the file. When he's done, he slams it on the table next to him and looks directly at me.

"He's fuckin' untouchable right now. His dad obviously watches his every move and condones the shit he does since he's always bailin' him out one way or another. You can't go after him, Valor. This one will have to be handled through the proper channels and we'll have to get every piece of dirt on this fucker we can. Fox, you need to get some rest before you continue on. Kingston can work for a while if he wants to and pick up where you left off. I want information on Conrad's entire fuckin' family. Valor, you go talk to Savannah and make sure you get her to go to Pine View with you. Put your fuckin' past behind you and make it happen. Those girls love you and it's gonna be up to you to protect them," Slim orders as Fox slumps his shoulders and looks at the ground. I know he's got something more to say.

"Guys, there's evidence of them bein' involved in a traffickin' ring. The governor and Conrad. I'm not sure if they're involved in the one we originally found Savannah and her sisters goin' to or not. But we never did get the man at the very top. We took out a ton of his guys, but not the head of the complete operation. What are the chances it's Governor Riley and Conrad workin' with these fuckers?" Fox questions, dropping a bomb on all of us as I feel my body start to shake and my heart beating so fast I feel as if it might burst straight out of my chest.

"Savannah and the girls aren't gonna have a choice. They'll be movin' to Pine View with me. I'm not gonna let these douche canoes get their hands on them again. I can't. It will kill Savannah if somethin' happens to the girls and I will die protectin' all four of them. They're mine and will be comin' home with me. Conrad won't know where they are," I state, walking out of Fox' office and heading for the house Savannah has made a home for the girls and herself. One I used to be part of before everything got fucked up.

Leaving the clubhouse, I rush across the parking lot and yard between the compound and Savannah's house. The sooner I can get her to agree to move to Pine View with me, the better I'll feel. And I know it's gonna be a damn fight with her. Savannah can be stubborn as fuck when she wants to be, but I know at the end of the day she'll do whatever it takes to protect her sisters from Conrad and being taken again and sold off to the highest bidder. If Conrad and his father are the ones behind the trafficking ring their mother sold them to originally, they're going to do whatever it takes to get the girls back. I have no doubts about the lengths they'll go to in order to get their hands on the girls again.

Rushing up the steps, I almost break the door in my haste to get inside and find Savannah. Miracle is sitting on the couch with a book and I know the other girls are out with the boys behind the clubhouse watching them ride the dirt bikes. That's where they were when I left to go see Fox. Today is a rare day that the girls aren't doing anything for sports or anything else. Almost running through the house, I don't stop until I'm at the door of the bedroom Savannah's been staying in since she got hurt. I wasn't about to trap her upstairs with no way to get down with the girls or me by taking her up to her room. There was no way in hell she'd be able to walk up and down the stairs every day with the state her ribs are in.

Knocking on the door, I don't wait for her to call out to me before I enter to find Savannah in the middle of getting dressed. I'm so panicked and filled with fear that I can't appreciate seeing her naked body on display.

"Valor! What the fuck?" she yells, grabbing the towel she threw on her bed and covering herself up with it.

"Savannah, we gotta talk. It can't wait," I tell her, my chest rising and falling rapidly with every breath I'm struggling to take.

"Valor, you're scaring me. What's going on?" she asks, serious as she senses my tone and sees how serious I am right now.

"Fox has finally managed to dig up some shit on Conrad. It's not good, Love. You're not the first woman he's done this shit too. He's got a sheet longer than most of us in the club and every single time the charges get dropped for one reason or another. His father is the fuckin' governor and either threatens the victim or buys their silence. That's fuckin' bad enough, but there's evidence Fox is still diggin' up that points to both Conrad and his father bein' involved in a traffickin' ring. Possibly the same one that your mother originally sold you and the girls to," I tell her, letting my words sink in as I try to catch my breath.

Savannah's face pales and she sinks down to the mattress on the bed. She releases her hold on the towel and doesn't even realize it's happened. I make my way over to her and crouch down so she can look me in the eyes. Savannah's eyes are glazed over and I know she's lost in her head, thinking about the memories that brought her to us in the first place. I know more than most about her past and what I've learned from her over the years is horrible. Their mother is a piece of shit and I hope she's dead now. If the girls never have to see her again, it will be a blessing.

"Love, I need you here with me," I say, grabbing her shaking hands and holding them in mine. "I'm not gonna let these fuckers get their hands on you and the girls again. I need you to keep an open mind with what I'm about to say. Can you do that for me, Love?"

"What?" she asks, blinking her eyes a few times as she comes back from her nightmares and looks directly at me.

"I want the girls and you to come to Pine View with me. I've got a house there you can stay in and no one knows where you'll be. Conrad won't be able to find you because we can get you a job with the club and keep everythin' off the books. The only way I can protect you four is if you're with me in Pine View. The guys here will do everythin' in their power to keep you all safe, but I'll do better. I've got more at stake than they do," I tell her, not releasing her hands and she's not pulling them from my hold.

"I can't just move to Pine View, Valor. I've got a life here. The girls have lives here," she says, tears filling her eyes with the threat that's possibly out against her sisters and her.

"They can build lives in Pine View, Savannah. Go to school, join the teams they're on now. Nothin' has to change but the location. I will do everythin' I can to ensure they don't regret movin' to Pine View and will be happy there. I'll make you all happy there because you're my girls. You've always been my girls and I will do whatever it takes to keep you all safe and happy the rest of my days," I state, my voice filled with determination as I keep my eyes locked on Savannah's.

"I'll have to talk to them and see what they say. I'm not gonna make this decision on my own. I can't do that to them. But, I'll do what I can to make sure they agree to movin' with you. This doesn't change anythin' between us, Valor. I won't be with a man who uses women the way you do," she says, her voice small and wavering with the emotions filling her as she finally pulls her hands from mine and gives me the look telling me to get the hell out of her space.

Savannah needs a few minutes to process what I've just told her. She needs to talk to the girls and make them see this is needed. I know she'll do whatever it takes to make them see reason so we can get the house packed up and move to Pine View. For now, I make my way to the kitchen so I can make dinner. The girls are gonna be hungry when they get back to the house. Miracle makes her way in the kitchen and helps me after turning on some music. Another thing I've missed over the years. Cooking in the kitchen with music and dancing is something I'll only ever do with the girls in my life.