Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Kendell

WATCHING THE CLUB rally around Zoey when she went into labor at the cookout was truly an amazing sight to witness. Every single member and ol' lady was there to support Savage and her as they rushed her off to the hospital. When they all left, I was shocked to see Alex had remained behind and was starting to clean everything up as the kids slept on the blanket. I quickly got up to help her clean and keep an eye on the kids. There was no way in hell I was going to let her clean up this gigantic mess all on her own when they were kind enough to invite me to attend their event. So, we worked together and it wasn't long before the Prospects and Fallen girls came out to help us take care of everything. Alex made sure they all got something to eat before cleaning though. She wouldn't let a single one of them lift a finger until they had eaten their fill and had something to drink. Every single one of them listened to her and referred to her on more than one occasion.

I'd learned that the Fallen girls were in the clubhouse for the single men. They cleaned up around the clubhouse, helped cook, prepare for lockdowns and other things like that. When they weren't working, they were free to have sex with the men or just hang out and drink or whatever else they did. I even saw the girl Hawk had sex with in the gazebo. Legs kept glaring at me the entire time we were cleaning and I have no clue why. I don't know her, haven't said one word to her, and I haven't touched any of the men in the club. Alex explained to me how territorial these girls can get. Especially with three of the men no longer available to them. Apparently Trax and Savage were among the favorites and the girls miss them. Well, they can have all the men because that's not why I'm here.

After we'd been cleaning for a while, Alex got a call and took it while I made my way over to the kids as one of the little girls started to wake up. I kept her entertained until Alex made her way back over to us and looked down at me with a smile on her face.

"Zoey and the babies are doing good. She had two little boys and they are perfect. At least that's what Savage told everyone. Zoey had to have an emergency cesarean section and came through it really good. Everyone is heading back here now because she's gonna be sleepy and the two of them need time to bond with the boys. Her family will be showing up here soon too. We're gonna have members from two more clubs added into the mix," Alex informs me as I hand her daughter over to her and go back to cleaning up.

"I'm really glad that they're all doing good. If you need help, I can lend a hand. It's not like I have anything to do at the house. I make sure to clean it daily and that's already been done today. So, put me to work doing whatever you need help with," I tell her, not wanting her to do all this stuff alone as everyone else walks around picking up the rest of the stuff outside.

"Thank you, Kendell. Can I ask you a question?" she asks suddenly as she sits down at the picnic table.

"Yeah. Like I told Zoey earlier, you can ask, but I might not answer," I tell her honestly, not wanting to get into my personal life because there's really no point in getting to know these men and women too much. It will only hurt more when I leave once my sister and Gideon are ready to move on and start living their lives.

"What's going on with you and Hawk?" Alex questions me, looking down at her daughter as I grab a garbage bag and finish clearing away all the plates, silverware, and cups from the top of the table.

"Oh, nothing. He was just one of the guys who came to my sister's house when I called to get her help. While the rest of the guys were doing what they had to do, he got my nephew, Gideon, away from the kitchen where he'd been standing. He witnessed the entire beating happen with silent tears rolling down his face. Hawk is the first man my nephew has ever willingly gone to," I tell her honestly as I avoid looking at her because I can't deny there's some kind of attraction I have when it comes to Hawk.

"I've seen the way you look at him, Kendell. Just like I've seen the way he looks at you when you're not paying attention. That man has it bad for you and doesn't even realize it. All night long his eyes were locked on you. I thought he was gonna come over here when his brother, Eagle, was flirting with you. Eagle loves to push Hawk's buttons and Hawk was definitely ready to come rip his brother to shreds," Alex informs me as a blush covers my face.

"How do I look at him?" I question her, not sure what she's seeing because I try to make sure I'm always wearing a blank mask so no one can use anything against me.

"Kendell, you look at the man like he's a tall glass of water and you've been traipsing through the desert for weeks with nothing to drink. You look at Hawk as if he's personally responsible for hanging all the stars and moon in the sky and it was all for you. When Hawk looks at you, it's with a hunger so intense, I'm surprised everyone in the area doesn't spontaneously combust. Hawk can be an intense man and when he looks at you, a sense of calm washes over him. Like you keep all the demons he fights at bay with nothing more than him looking in your direction. Can you imagine what would actually happen between the two of you if you gave in and stopped fighting whatever it is that you're both feeling?" Alex returns, her voice full of the truth as she watches me picking everything up and tossing it in the garbage bag. "I think I'm gonna sit back and watch this one play out. Just know I'm rooting for the two of you and hope you become a permanent part of the family."

"Oh. Well, there's nothing that can happen between the two of us. I've never been in a relationship and I don't know that I want one. The relationships I've seen so far are far from good ones. My father beat the hell out of my mom until she couldn't take it any longer and the only way she saw to get away from him was taking her own life. I found her when I was fourteen years old and did my best to shield it from my sister. Now, I'm watching history repeat itself with Kelsey and her husband. When she gets through with the program here and is ready to move on and start her life over again, I'll be leaving with her. There's no point in starting something with Hawk, or anyone else, when I already know this isn't home for me," I tell Alex so she doesn't think that anything will happen between Hawk and me. Or that I'm harboring feelings for one of the other guys and trying to use Hawk as some way of making him jealous. I hate those kinds of girls and want to punch them because you don't mess with another person's feelings like that.

"Who says your sister and you can't remain here in Clinton City when she gets ready to move on from the warehouses? That's just an excuse if you ask me, Kendell. I want you to look deep inside and ask yourself what's truly holding you back from making a move with Hawk. He's a great guy. You'll never find one more loyal, loving, or faithful than him. It might not seem like he can give you all that, but he can. Hawk just hasn't found his girl yet. At least not until he met you," she states, getting up from the picnic table and taking care of the other kids as they begin to wake up. "Another thing you need to think about is that he put you on the back of his bike from what I've heard. Hawk has never once let a woman ride with him. He believes that seat is reserved for his ol' lady and no one else will ever take that spot. So many women have tried to ride with him and he's turned them all down. Hawk has a truck and an SUV he could've taken and he still chose to put you on his bike."

Thinking about Alex' words, I continue picking up until there's nothing left to clean up outside. Alex has already put everyone else to work in the clubhouse getting the rooms ready, cleaning everything, and getting a grocery list together so they know there's enough food for the new guys coming in to be with Zoey and Savage. With nothing else for me to do, I let Alex know I'm heading back to the house and take off. The walk is long, but it's peaceful and gives me time to think before I make it back there. Maybe Alex is right and we can stay in Clinton City to start over. It's something I'll have to talk to Kelsey about when she gets closer to leaving the warehouses. But, just because I remain in Clinton City doesn't mean I have to start anything with Hawk. I don't feel that he's the man for me despite Alex practically singing his praises.

I barely slept at all last night. Thoughts of Hawk kept me tossing and turning because no matter what Alex said, I know there's no comparing me to the girls Hawk is used to being with. They all have experience and can give him what he wants and needs when it comes to sex. Having sex twice is definitely not any kind of experience. I don't know anything about what I like, don't like, or want to even try doing when it comes to sex. When I think about Hawk, I feel as if he's a man that won't let me hide or get away with the way I was raised as being a reason for not experimenting and trying anything I want to do when it comes to sex. Plus, I don't want to get attached to a man only to have him fuck another girl in front of me. It would hurt too much. Because when it comes to Hawk I have a feeling my heart would get broken because he only wants sex and I'd want more than that when it comes to him. It's just a feeling I have. So, I've got to protect myself at all costs.

After showering, having my breakfast, and cleaning up the house, I grab my car keys so I can head to the warehouses. Forcing all thoughts of Hawk aside, I get in my car and head away from the compound. The parking lot is packed with bikes and SUVs I've never seen before letting me know Zoey and Savage's family members have arrived. I'm so happy to know they have such a strong and large support system. It's something I've always longed for when I was growing up. Even now, I still wish I had someone to help me carry the weight of everything going on. Instead, I paste a smile on my face and get through each day the best I can. Only when I'm alone in the house do I let myself fall apart where no one can see how truly weak I am.

The short drive to the warehouses leaves me comparing it to riding there on the back of Hawk's bike. There is honestly no comparison. I'd rather be on the back of a bike riding down the road instead of in my car with only so much wind blowing in through the open window. I can't even roll down all of my windows because they have those old hand cranks and it takes too much for such a short trip. So, I leave the rest of the windows up and only put mine down.

Trax and Savage got my car fixed up. They refused to charge me for the repairs too. No matter what I said or did, they wouldn't take a dime from me. I have a little bit of money in savings and so far I haven't been allowed to pay for anything here. The club makes sure they buy all of my groceries every week, they've fixed my car for free, and anything else I need, they provide it for me. Savage told me what was wrong with my car, but his words went right over my head. I have no clue what the hell he was talking about. All I know is the tire was sitting at an angle it shouldn"t have been in, and he said they did a few other repairs that needed to be done before returning my car back to me.

Pulling into the parking lot, I take up the normal spot I park in. After shutting my car off and rolling up my window, I get out and pocket my keys so I can get in with Kelsey and Gideon. Walking in the warehouse, I stop at the desk and sign in as always. Before I can leave and go in search of my sister and nephew, the receptionist stops me.

"Your sister is in her room. There was an incident before you got here and she's not having a good day. I don't know any details or anything. Her counselor asked me to let you know so you could kind of prepare yourself for her not being in a good place right now. She's in her room though," the young girl informs me as a million thoughts race through my mind about what happened to Kelsey and what kind of an incident took place here.

"Thank you for letting me know," I tell her, rushing toward my sister's room to find out what happened.

Kelsey's door is standing slightly open as I get to it. She never has her door open any amount for any reason. It opens for her to get in and out and then it's shut once again. Kelsey doesn't like everyone up in her business and will always shut strangers out on a daily basis. I'm the only one she's ever truly let in besides Martin and he wanted to take that away from her because if she had someone in her corner, then it means she'd get the balls to leave his ass. Thankfully I was able to tell her it was time and she agreed with me.

"Kels, what happened?" I ask my sister, watching as she tosses her clothing that's been purchased for her into a bag while Gideon sits on the bed and watches his mom.

My nephew has stains on his little cheeks from crying and Kelsey is still crying as she rushes around the room.

"We have to leave, Kendell. He found us. He's here in Clinton City and that means he's gonna take me back and kill me. He's always told me that if I ever tried to leave him that he'd kill me because I'm his and no one else will ever have me. You don't even know how many times he's threatened Gideon, Kendell. If he gets his hands on us, we're done. You'll be burying us," my sister tells me as she finally stops her frantic movements and collapses on the floor.

I drop down with her and pull Kelsey into my arms. "I've got you, sis. Martin won't get his hands on you. If you don't feel safe here any longer, then we'll get you and Gideon out of here. I've got my car and my papers are still in the trunk. I can leave the clothes I have at the house behind. Somehow I'll manage to get more. We'll leave as soon as you can finish packing. I'm gonna go find out what we have to do to get you out of here," I tell her, rocking back and forth with Kelsey as I used to when we were little and trying to hide from our father's abuse.

It takes a while, but Kelsey finally pulls back from me. I wipe the tears from her eyes and help her off the floor. After taking a deep breath, I watch Kelsey begin to pull all the clothing she simply tossed into the bag out and fold it. She's doing everything she can to hold herself together as Gideon watches his mom without blinking. He's so confused and doesn't understand what's going on. One day he'll know, but today I'll do what I can to make sure he's safe and doesn't get hurt.

Heading out of the room Kelsey's been staying in, I almost run into her counselor.

"Kendell, I'm glad to see you here. Kelsey told you what happened this morning?" she asks me with a look of pure anger filling her face.

"All I know is that she saw Martin here today. She didn't go into detail or anything like that. She's frantic and I was just coming out to find someone to ask what we have to do to get her and Gideon out of here," I answer her as we lean against the wall to let another woman pass us by and enter a room farther down the hall.

"I can't blame her for wanting to leave, but I think that's a mistake. But, here's what happened. Kelsey took Gideon outside to play after having breakfast this morning. She had just put him in the swing when she noticed someone standing and watching them. Kelsey looked closer and realized it was Martin. He was glaring at her and she swears he had a gun in his hand but it wasn't pointed at her or Gideon. She let out the loudest scream and several of us raced to the backyard and found her getting Gideon out of the swing. It took her a few attempts because she was shaking so bad. When we all got out there, he was gone. I told one of the Prospects who's on duty here and he went over to search the area. There was evidence of someone being in the parking lot for a long period of time based on the cigarette butts piled up and the garbage littering the ground," she informs me, her voice a whisper since we're not in her office and she won't let Kelsey's business be given to anyone else.

"Fuck!" I groan, knowing we have to do something to protect my sister. "I've gotta get them out of here. There's no way in hell Martin just found her randomly. Someone here has been in contact with him and told him exactly where she is. Martin's not a smart man and would never think to look at a warehouse for my sister and nephew. You guys have done nothing to change the outside appearance of the buildings, which is really damn smart if you ask me. I can't let my family remain here knowing he's so close."

"Kendell, your sister can leave at any time. She isn't being held prisoner here. However, men from the club are on their way over so they can go over everything. I know they'll want to talk to Kelsey. I can't say this hasn't happened in the past, but it wasn't because of anyone talking. One of the abusers saw their victim out in public and followed her back here. Your sister hasn't left the warehouses and has only recently started going outside so I know that didn't happen here. You could be right about someone being in contact with Martin. We'll make sure we let the guys know," she says as we both make our way back to Kelsey's room and find her sitting on the bed with Gideon in her arms.

None of us say a word as we wait for the members of the Fallen Brethren MC to show up. I have no clue how many or who will come here. What I do know is that the sooner we can get this situation figured out, I can get my sister and nephew out of here. It might be better to wait until the middle of the night so Martin won't be here, but I'm hoping my sister alerting others he was here is enough to scare him off for now. Martin is nothing more than a fucking coward if it comes down to him having to face a man. He'll back down every single time. It's different when it comes to women though. He has no problems hurting my sister and putting his hands on her daily. She deserves to live her life free without walking on eggshells daily. Gideon and her deserve to have a safe and loving home where memories are made and nightmares can be left in the past.