Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Kendell

THE DAY TURNS out amazing. Riding Hawk's bike with him is an experience unlike anything else. When I was leaving the compound and my car broke, I overreacted because the need to see my sister and nephew was overwhelming. Kelsey has been making strides over the last week and it's important that I show her how much I love and support her. To think that I would miss a visit with them broke me. That was all swept away the second Hawk touched me when he was putting the helmet on my head and then when I climbed on his bike behind him. Being pressed up against Hawk's strong, hard body was enough to make the deepest ache settle between my legs. Feeling his hard abs under my hands let me know just how strong he is and how many hours he spends taking care of his body and honing his muscles.

It wasn't until he left the compound that I truly felt free though. Everything faded to nothing as the wind whipped around us and I could take in parts of Clinton City as he rode through the streets. For the first time I took in details I'd never noticed before. Hawk didn't speed or ride recklessly. I followed all the rules he told me before climbing on behind him. When I saw the warehouses appear in front of us, I wanted to tell Hawk to keep riding. For the first time, I wanted to be selfish and remain on this bike behind him and ride into the distance without a care in the world. Instead, I watched as he pulled up to the warehouses and parked his bike next to another one that was already in the parking lot. This bike was different from Hawk's though. It's a dark blue bike that doesn't look the same as the one I'm currently climbing off of. My eyes are glued to the bike as Hawk gets off and steps in front of me, blocking my view.

"That's Zoey's bike. She's Savage's ol' lady and volunteers part-time as she works on finishing up her degree. She wants to be a social worker and helps others when they need it the most. So, when she's not at school or doin' somethin' club related, then she's here with everyone," Hawk informs me, his voice muffled as he finally removes the helmet and stares down at me. "I don't know why her bike is here though. She's not allowed to ride it right now. Savage must have parked it here so it's away from the clubhouse and won't be a temptation for her. If it's out, it means she plans on doin' some kind of maintenance or cleanin' it today when she's done."

Hawk's pupils dilate and the urge to kiss him consumes me as my body heats and I sway toward him. There's some kind of magnetic pull between the two of us, but being with Hawk is a sure way to end up with a broken heart. I don't believe he'd ever hurt me physically or mentally. Him breaking my heart is a completely different matter altogether though. The man is only out for his next fuck and I'm not okay with that. I mean, no I don't want a relationship with him, or anyone, but I know my heart would start getting attached to the man before me. So, I'll do whatever it takes to keep the distance I need.

Stepping back, I look at the ground between our feet.

"Thank you for the ride, Hawk. I'll find a way back to the compound when I'm ready to leave," I tell him, going to step away from him and toward the door I need to enter.

"Not so fast, Sparky. What's goin' on in that mind of yours?" he questions me, not one to hold back on finding out the answers he wants.

"Nothing. I just want to get in with my sister and nephew. I'll see ya later," I tell him, as he grabs my arm to keep me in place.

"Kendell, if there's somethin' you wanna say or do, then go for it," he states as if he can read my mind.

"I can't. I'm sorry, Hawk," I tell him as he drops my arm and lets me walk away from him.

Heading into the warehouse, I'm greeted by the receptionist as usual. I fill out the paper about who I'm there to see and sign in while she gives me a name tag I have to wear the entire time I'm here. The only ones who don't are the members of the club and the staff. Heading toward the rooms my sister and nephew are in, I don't pass anyone in the hall as normal. By now, everyone is out doing what they're scheduled to do for the day while the kids who are here are outside or with the staff specifically hired to take care of them while their parents are busy with getting the help they need to move forward. I've met everyone who comes into contact with Gideon and have loved them all so far.

For the first time in three years, my nephew is breaking out of his shell. He laughs and squeals in delight when we're outside playing. Gideon is discovering his love of dirt and getting as dirty as he can while playing. His entire face lights up when he finds something new to love and do during the day. To see my nephew be the little boy he was always meant to be makes my heart swell with love and pride for how strong he is. I've always heard how resilient kids are, but I get to watch how true that is on a daily basis as Gideon opens himself up more and more.

When I get to the rooms my sister and nephew have, I hear talking and laughter from behind the closed door. I knock, curious to know what's going on and wait for someone to let me in. I'm not going to invade my sister's privacy and possibly set her back by scaring her or something. It's important for me to respect any boundaries she sets in place and show her my unwavering support as she starts to heal from the trauma Martin has put her through.

"Can I help you?" I'm greeted by a woman I don't know.

This girl has the longest golden blonde hair and bright eyes that make her look so young and innocent. What stops me from barreling past her to check on my sister and nephew is the fact that she's clearly very pregnant. Her stomach stops me from moving into the door to check on my family.

"I'm Kendell and I"m here to see my sister and nephew. Who are you?" I ask her, as a bright smile breaks out on her face.

"I'm Zoey. I volunteer here and was just helping your sister get Gideon around for the day. We're gonna take him out to play for a while," she answers me while stepping back and opening the door further so I can get in their rooms.

"Kendell," my sister says, speaking for the first time since that fateful night when I got her away from Martin.

My baby sister jumps off her bed and rushes toward me. She wraps her arms around me tight and cries into my chest. Kelsey's entire body is shaking as her emotions overwhelm her. I hold her tight to me and start crying right along with her. Zoey steps back after closing the door and lets us have our moment while Gideon rushes up to get in the middle of us. He wraps a little arm around a leg on each of us and holds us while we soak up this moment.

"You saved us, Ken," Kelsey finally says, her voice breaking as she pulls back enough to look up at me. "You did what I couldn't and got us away from him. I love you, Ken and I owe you my life. Our lives."

"You don't owe me anything, Kels. I love you and I will always do whatever I need to in order to protect you. I'm just sorry it took me so long to get you away from that monster," I tell her honestly as Gideon steps out from between us and lifts his hands for me to pick him up.

Lifting my nephew into my arms, I hold him close as my sister steps back and finishes getting ready for the day. I really take in her appearance and notice the changes in her that I didn't see yesterday. Her hair has a healthy shine to it and the bruises are almost completely gone from her face, neck, and arms. Kelsey's eyes shine bright and are full of life in a way I haven't seen in years. Not since she started living with Martin and he started changing her. She's also put on a few pounds that she's been desperate to add and the clothes she's wearing today aren't hanging off of her body as they normally do. I can't stop the smile from forming as she looks up at me and smiles like she used to. I'm finally getting my baby sister back and I have the Fallen Brethren to thank for that. An idea forms in my mind of something I can do to show them all how much I appreciate them and the help they've given my sister.

"Are you ready to go, Kelsey?" Zoey asks as my sister stands from the bed and wipes her hands down the jeans covering her legs in a nervous habit she's always had.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. This is the first step of many and it's harder than I thought it would be," she answers as she moves around her bed and closer to the door.

Zoey doesn't pressure my sister to move faster than she is as she takes small steps toward her door and pauses. Taking a few deep breaths, Kelsey finally opens the door and steps out into the hallway. I hold my breath and wait to see what she's going to do until she disappears further down the hall. Zoey and I leave the room and remain behind Kelsey so she can make her own decision about doing this. Gideon doesn't take his eyes off his mom as I keep him locked in my arms. My entire focus is on Kelsey as she continues to put one foot in front of the other. She slowly makes her way through the warehouse and toward the door at the back. I see Hawk watching us from the corner of my eyes and want to sigh in exasperation. If there's one thing that could take my attention from Kelsey and Gideon, it would be him.

Kelsey doesn't stop until she gets outside and away from the door leading back in and to the safety of her room. I watch as she makes her way over to a picnic table and takes a seat while looking around the area. I've been out here daily with Gideon as he starts to squirm in my arms. My nephew is ready to play and I set him down before he takes off toward the swings. Swinging is becoming one of his favorite things to do. Gideon stands in front of the swing meant for babies and toddlers and turns his head back to look at me. At the last second, I watch him turn toward his mom.

"Mama, up," he says, his voice no longer a whisper as it used to be.

Kelsey gasps in shock as she puts her entire focus on her baby boy instead of focusing on herself as she needs to do. I watch in awe as she jumps up from the picnic table and rushes to Gideon's side. She lifts him in her arms and holds him close. Watching her body shake, I know she's crying as she realizes how much Gideon has held back even though he's only three years old. My heart breaks as I watch her fall to pieces for several minutes. Finally, Kelsey puts Gideon in the swing and steps up behind him to push her little boy. The smile on their faces heal a part of my soul I didn't realize was damaged. Together my sister and nephew are starting to heal and get past the trauma one stupid fucker caused them for far too long.

"Would you care to join me?" Zoey asks, rubbing her back as she remains standing next to me.

"Oh my! Of course. You shouldn't be on your feet," I tell her as I help her to the closest picnic table and watch as she takes a seat before joining her.

"I'm okay. It's the end of this pregnancy and I'm feeling it more and more every day," she says, a smile on her face as she looks around the yard at everyone out here. "I don't know your sister's entire story. What I do know is that you're the one that made the call and got her out of there. Now you're here with her because you were threatened by her husband as well."

"Yes. We grew up in a home where our father abused our mother on a daily basis. I learned early on to tell the signs of a person who's being abused. He was also a religious fanatic and made us all feel like shit on a daily basis because we were nothing but sinners and weren't following what we were supposed to be doing. Sex wasn't something I was supposed to know anything about and I'm nothing more than a whore because I lost my virginity before I was married. So, it didn't take me long to realize Kelsey was being abused. Until she was ready to leave, there was nothing I could do to help her though. I just did what I could for her and Gideon and made sure to never give up on her. I'm not the one who truly saved her though. Not only did Kelsey save herself by deciding the time had come to get out, but everyone here and the Phantom Bastards are the ones who saved my sister. If I hadn't come across that card, I don't know where she'd be right now. At least, I don't want to think about where she'd be," I tell Zoey, my voice clogging with emotion as I turn my attention to Kelsey and Gideon.

"I'm sorry you all had to go through that, Kendell. Can I ask you a question?" Zoey returns, her voice almost a whisper as she puts her focus on me and only me.

"Of course. I don't know if I'll answer it, but you can ask me anything you want," I tell her while keeping my focus on Gideon and Kelsey.

"We're having a cookout tonight. It's at the clubhouse and I know you're staying on the compound. Why don't you come to it and meet the men and women of the Fallen Brethren? I can see it in your eyes that you want to do something for what you see as them saving your sister while downplaying the role you had in getting your family out of a horrible situation. Come to the cookout with us and meet everyone. I'll be there and you'll like Reagan and Alex. They're ol' ladies like me," she says, a determination filling her voice, daring me to say no and make up an excuse not to go to a cookout.

"Well, I suppose I can. Am I even allowed to go to a cookout for the club since I'm not an ol' lady or a member?" I ask her, not sure if that's even something that's allowed.

"Of course. The club has taken you under their wings and you have their protection. They wouldn't have put you up in a house on the compound to keep you safe if that weren't the case. I know a certain biker wouldn't have any objection to you attending it either," she says, a smirk on her face as she looks over my shoulder and I turn to see what she's looking at.

Hawk stands a few feet behind us and is staring at me with an intensity I've never seen before. He shakes his head and gives us a smile before walking over to join us. Hawk sits on the opposite side of the table from us and looks at me and only me. It's unnerving to have his full attention on me as usual.

"Zoey, what's your bike doin' out?" he asks her, not looking at her at all.

"I washed it this morning. I couldn't sleep so I got here early and gave her a bath. She was dusty from sitting for so long. Kendell is gonna come to our cookout tonight. I thought she should get out of the house and join us. Meet the men and women of the club who she feels did all the saving when it comes to her sister and nephew," Zoey informs him and I can tell she's got some kind of plan forming in her mind as I break eye contact with Hawk and turn to look at her instead.

"Well, I was just asking if that was even allowed. I don't know anything about clubs or the rules. So, it's not a big deal for me not to attend," I say, looking back over to the swings where my sister and nephew are laughing and having the best time.

Hawk looks where I am and takes in the scene before him. For several minutes the three of us sit in silence and just take the pair in.

"That is all you and Kelsey, Kendell. Your sister made the decision to leave, but you're the one who took that card and kept it for the day she was ready to leave. We did nothin' but pick you three up and bring you here so she could get the help she needs," Hawk finally says, turning back to look at me once more. "And you're welcome at the clubhouse anytime you want. I'm sorry none of us have told you that so far. I can't guarantee you won't see things you'd rather not, but we're a good group of people and you'll be accepted without judgment."

"Okay. I'll go to the cookout. Should I bring anything with me?"

"Just yourself, Kendell. The ol' ladies are back at the clubhouse with the Fallen girls right now cooking and getting everything else ready," Zoey answers as she rubs her lower back the best she can before getting up when another biker approaches our table. "Kendell, this is my man Savage. Savage, this is Kendell. She's Kelsey's sister and living on the compound."

"It's nice to meet you," I say, taking in the couple as Savage wraps his arms protectively around Zoey and holds her close while placing a hand on her stomach.

"It's nice to meet you, too," he responds, bending down to kiss Zoey as I turn away from the scene.

"I'll be around here for when you're ready to head out," Hawk says, laughter filling his voice as I get up and make my way over to my sister and nephew. Hawk's eyes are on me the entire time, sending heat through my body as I try my hardest not to look back at him.

I spend a few hours with my sister and Gideon. We talk, walk around the backyard, watch Gideon play, and just take in the fresh air. Kelsey opens up to me a little about everything Martin did to her over the years and I can see the burden of her secrets lifting from her shoulders the more she speaks. My baby sister has kept all of this shit bottled up for so long and it only added to the abuse she was suffering at Martin's hands. She apologizes again for being stuck in her head for three weeks and not coming out of her room or doing anything with her son. Before I leave, she promises me that she's getting better and will do everything it takes to work through her pain and heal the damage that's been done to her. I let her know I'll be here every step of the way to support her and give her the strength she needs when she's not strong enough to get through the day. We hug and I give Gideon kisses before I head off in search of Hawk so I can head back to the compound to get ready for the cookout. I'm really nervous about attending it, but I do want to meet everyone in the club. Maybe just not all at once. I guess it's too late now to back out though.