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  Her cute little nose scrunched while she considered my offer. She stood and removed a large portion of the cash from her bag. “Can you put this in the safe for me, please?” Smart girl, keeping some of it handy if she needed it.

  “No problem. You two stay here and stay out of trouble.” I winked. “We’ve got church and then someone will be back for you.”

  “Church?” Ember asked.

  Reese answered, “It’s what they call their club meetings.”

  Ember nodded, “Oh, like Council.”

  “What?” Reese and I asked at the same time.

  Ember turned toward Reese. “You know, like those student council meetings they had at school?”

  Reese nodded and let it go, but I didn’t believe a student council was the council she referred to. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to press her for more.

  We had church once a week, twice if you were an officer. The officers met around lunchtime to go over anything from finances and business issues to potential threats to the club. Meeting earlier in the day gave us time to tie up any loose ends or gather more intel, if needed, before church with all of the members at 7 pm. That was our usual anyway. If we were waist deep in shit, Phoenix would call church anytime he deemed it necessary.

  Phoenix wasted no time informing those who didn’t already know about Ember’s presence in the clubhouse. He went over the events of the day, leading up to him suspecting her to be his daughter. The room erupted in shouts of disbelief as well as cheers and congratulations. Phoenix gave everyone a minute to quiet down. When they didn’t, he slammed the gavel down hard and barked, “Shut the fuck up! I’m not finished.”

  The room fell silent immediately. “Ember said she grew up in an orphanage across town. I thought the only thing out that way was the dairy farm, so I asked Byte to find it.” Phoenix held up what looked like an aerial view of some land. He pointed to a building on the picture, “This right here is what we believe to be the orphanage.” He used his finger to circle most of the picture, “...and this is the dairy farm. As you can clearly see, the orphanage is on the dairy farm’s land. I would also like to know what these other buildings are, but that’s neither here nor there at the moment. Do any of you know anything about the orphanage?”

  Heads shook, no one had anything to offer except Badger. “One of the prospects, Jamie, I think, grew up in Croftridge. We could see if he knows anything about the orphanage or the dairy farm.”

  Phoenix shot Badger a look, “We grew up in Croftridge, too…”

  “Yeah, but there wasn’t an orphanage, it really was just a dairy farm back then, far as we knew anyway. Plus, we were gone for over 10 years.”

  “Fine. Bring in Prospect Jamie.”

  Jamie walked in, eyes wide, his nerves on full display. That boy was going to have to toughen up if he was going to survive around here. Phoenix got right to the point, “You know anything about an orphanage on the other side of town?”

  “Not much, sir,” Jamie shakily answered.

  “Tell us what you do know.”

  “Uh, the kids from there, they don’t talk to the other kids at school. They always stayed together, ate lunch together, came to school together, and left together. They only spoke in class if the teacher asked them something. Other than that, I’ve only heard things about the place,” he explained.

  “What’d you hear?” Badger asked.

  “Uh, well, the other kids at school said it wasn’t really an orphanage. They said it is part of that dairy farm, that’s why everyone at school called them the farm kids. People have said all kinds of things about the place, human trafficking, drugs, child labor camp, a religious cult. The list goes on and on, but that’s all just what people say.”

  Phoenix asked, “You know Ember?”

  He shook his head, “No, sir. I mean, I’ve seen her before, but I didn’t recognize her until I heard her name. She didn’t look like that at school and like I said, they didn’t talk to anyone outside their group.”

  “What do you mean she didn’t look like that?” I growled. She just graduated. So did he. How much different could she look?

  “She had really long hair. Like down to her butt long hair and it was a different color. She didn’t wear any makeup and always had on those weird clothes the farm kids wore, sort of like school uniforms.”

  Phoenix shot me a warning look, then returned his eyes to Jamie. “Thank you. That will be all.”

  When Jamie left the room, Phoenix continued, “Let’s table this for now. I’ll see what other information Ember can give us. Byte, have you found anything useful?”

  Byte stood and cleared his throat, “No death records found for Annabelle Burnett. Can’t find anything indicating she is alive either. As for Ember, I was able to get into her birth records. She was indeed born to an Annabelle Burnett on today’s date, 18 years ago, here in Croftridge.” He paused and faced Phoenix, “There’s no name listed for the father.” He turned back to the room. “I have more recent satellite imagery of the farm property. The newer images show a large number of buildings on the property. It looks more like a compound than a dairy farm. I tapped into some financial records for the dairy farm and it is barely turning a profit. The rumors around town have suggested the farm was being used as a front for something else, this pretty much confirms it.”

  “Who owns the farm and the property?” Badger asked.

  Byte looked down at his notes, “Octavius Jones.”

  Phoenix and Badger cursed at the same time, “Motherfucker!” “Son of a bitch!”

  Duke asked, “You two know him?”

  “Not really. We went to high school with him. He was a little punk that was always causing trouble and starting fights. I beat the piss out of him one day for shoving a girl to the ground. Didn’t see him around much after that,” Phoenix explained.

  “I’ll see what else I can find on him,” Byte added.

  “Anybody got anything else?” Phoenix asked.

  No one did. “You’ll see Ember around the clubhouse until we get shit sorted. Until I say different, you treat her like she is my child; hands off and you protect her like you would me. Her friend is here with her, she also happens to be Carbon’s little sister. Same goes for her, hands off and keep her safe. Neither of the girls are to leave the clubhouse for any reason until further notice. There will be hell to pay if anything happens to either one of them,” Phoenix ordered.

  With that, Phoenix dismissed church.

  CHAPTER 7

  Ember

  Reese and I were watching television and talking when we heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” we said at the same time, then broke out into a fit of laughter.

  Phoenix opened the door, scowling at us. “You should ask who it is before you just allow anyone to enter your room.”

  I blinked up at him, “Are we not safe here?”

  “Yes, you are, but you can never be too careful.”

  “Okay.”

  “I wanted to see if you two wanted to come out to the common room and meet some of the brothers? They know you’re here and everything that happened today. They’ve been told to be respectful to both of you and maintain your safety.”

  I looked to Reese for help. I was still very nervous around Phoenix and his brothers even though they seemed to be making a significant effort to make Reese and I feel comfortable around the clubhouse.

  Reese softly smiled and took my hand, “I think that sounds like a great idea. Let’s go.”

  Phoenix led us out into the common room and introduced us to every biker present. There were at least 20, maybe 30 bikers in that room. I would never remember everyone’s name. I swear, sometimes I wondered if Reese had the ability to read minds. She whispered in my ear, “If you forget someone’s name, it’s right there on their cut.” She pointed to the leather vest worn by the man currently standing in front of us. Right there on his chest was his name, Ranger.

  “Thank you,” I whispered back.

  Range
r was an older man, but he seemed very kind. “If any of these jokers give you any trouble, you come see me and I’ll set them straight.”

  I felt my cheeks heat as I stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Reese stepped forward, “That goes for me, too, right, Ranger?” she winked.

  He chuckled, “Of course. I’ll see you two at breakfast tomorrow morning.”

  After Phoenix paraded us around the common room, he showed us around the rest of the clubhouse. Then he dropped a bombshell on us. “Until we have this situation sorted, I don’t want either of you leaving the clubhouse.” I opened my mouth to protest, but he held up his hand and continued, “Just until we get some more information. Things aren’t exactly adding up just yet. Inside these walls, I know that you’re safe and that’s what’s most important right now.”

  “Okay,” I reluctantly agreed. Part of me felt like I had gone from being trapped at the orphanage to being trapped in a motorcycle club, but another part of me was ecstatic that this man, who might be my father, cared so much about my safety.

  “I do have more questions for you, but I think we’ve both been through enough today. You two are welcome to hang out here if you want, but I have to get back to my office and catch up on some work. I’ll find you in the morning after breakfast so we can talk more.”

  “Okay, um, thanks for letting us stay and giving us a room.”

  He smiled a genuine smile, “No problem. You know where my office is if you need me.” He turned and disappeared down the hall.

  I wanted to go back to our room, but Reese convinced me to stay in the common room a little while longer. We sat down at a table near the bar and started talking about everything that had happened since she dropped me off that morning.

  A young guy came over to the table and asked if we would like something to drink. “Could I have a water please?” I asked.

  Reese rolled her eyes, “Bring two beers with her water.”

  The young guy nodded and went back to the bar.

  “Reese! Have you lost your mind? We aren’t old enough to drink alcohol,” I whisper-yelled at her.

  “We’re at the Blackwings MC clubhouse, not some snooty bar in the city. Besides, it’s just one freaking beer.”

  “You ordered two!”

  “One for you and one for me.”

  I leaned closer to her, “I’ve never had any kind of alcohol. I’m not sure now is the best time to try something like that.”

  “One beer isn’t going to get you drunk. Just give it a try. If you don’t like it, don’t drink it.”

  The young guy returned with a bottled water and two bottles of beer. I looked at him curiously when he uncapped our beer bottles at the table. “So you know it hasn’t been tampered with,” he explained. Tampered with?

  Reese waited until he left and explained further, “People can put drugs into drinks that will make you really sleepy and have a hard time remembering what happened. They’re usually called date-rape drugs or roofies. Rule number one in a bar or club, never, ever take your eyes off your drink or leave it unattended. By the time you realize what’s happened, it’s already too late. Now, give that a try.” She gestured to the beer bottle in front of me.

  I was just about to take my very first sip of beer when Dash and Duke sat down at our table. “Hello, ladies,” Dash said.

  “Hello,” I awkwardly replied.

  Duke cleared his throat, “I wanted to apologize for tackling you earlier today. I was just following orders and trying to contain you. In all fairness, you gave as good as you got. No hard feelings?” He extended his hand toward me.

  Deciding that I needed to have friends around the clubhouse and not enemies, I placed my hand in his and shook, “No hard feelings.”

  “Do you two want to shoot a game of pool with us?” Duke asked.

  “Sure, as soon as Ember gives that beer a try. It’s her first, ever,” Reese told them.

  I glared at her. They did not need to know that. She stuck her tongue out at me.

  “No shit?” Dash commented. “What are you waiting for?”

  “Uh, nothing I guess.” Trying to ignore the fact that everyone was staring at me, I lifted the bottle to my lips and tipped it back like I had seen others doing. I took a large gulp and quickly swallowed.

  I completely extended my arm, the bottle dangling from my fingertips, “Gross!! Somebody take it away!”

  They all started laughing. Dash reached out and gently took the bottle from my outstretched hand. “It’s an acquired taste.”

  “Not for me. I have no interest in ever tasting that crap again.”

  “All right, grab your water and let’s get a game started,” Dash said.

  I sidled up next to Reese, “I don’t know how to play pool. Can you show me?”

  I must not have said it as quietly as I intended because Dash was the one to answer. “I can. You can be on my team and Duke and Reese on the other team.”

  He explained the rules of the game to me, which seemed fairly simple. Next, he helped me pick out a cue stick and showed me how to hold it. I suggested he take the first turn so I could watch how he made a shot.

  When it was my turn, I went for the easiest shot on the table. Leaning over the table, I held the cue stick like I had been shown and took aim. I tensed when I felt a firm body at my back and warm breath next to my ear. A shiver went through my body when I heard his raspy voice softly giving me instructions. After I made the shot and sent a ball into one of the pockets, I felt Dash’s lips on the shell of my ear, “Well done, beautiful.”

  I felt myself blush and murmured, “Thanks,” before quickly turning my face away from him. I didn’t want him to see how he was affecting me.

  We played a few more games of pool. Dash continued to stand close to me, whispering things in my ear and touching me every now and again. His proximity was making my stomach feel funny, but I kind of liked it. I kept playing for as long as I could, but when it got to the point that I was going to fall asleep standing there, I said, “This has been a lot of fun, but I’m going to head to bed. It was quite a day for me and I’m exhausted.”

  Reese yawned and stretched her arms over her head, “Me, too. Catch ya later.” She looped her arm through mine and started toward our room. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

  ***

  The next morning, I joined Ranger for breakfast in the common room. He asked me if I had any questions about the motorcycle club. I did, actually. I wanted to know about prospects, so I asked him.

  After he explained the role of prospects to me, he filled me in on all the things he had planned for the newest batch. “I think I’m going to have Pete shine all my shoes later today.” He leaned in closer to me, “You got any shoes you want shined?”

  I was laughing so hard I almost choked on the bite of eggs I had just put in my mouth. That was how Phoenix found me, gasping for breath and sputtering eggs. “I was going to ask if I could join you, but I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea now.”

  Ranger answered since I was still trying to compose myself, “I was just telling her how I like to break in the prospects. I’m going to have them shine her shoes when they do mine.” Ranger smiled brightly.

  Phoenix shook his head at the older man’s antics, but sat down to have breakfast with us. “Is it okay if we talk out here or do you want to go somewhere more private, like my office?”

  “Out here is fine.”

  “You met Patch yesterday. He’s a club member, but he is also a doctor. He’s going to stop by later today to collect specimens from us for a paternity test. That okay with you?” he asked, hopefully.

  “That’s fine with me.” I don’t know why he thought it wouldn’t be. If he really was my father, I wanted to know.

  “I think we should know for sure, but regardless of the outcome, I will do everything I can to help you get out of whatever situation you’re running from.”

  My eyes shot to his, but I was at a loss for words. Several b
eats of uncomfortable silence passed by as I stared at him. “Really? Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me.”

  By this point, we were both finished with our meals. “Why don’t we go into my office for the rest of our conversation?”

  The man really didn’t like to waste time. As soon as I got myself seated in the same chair as yesterday, he asked, “Why do you need help getting away from the orphanage? You’re 18 years old now, you should be leaving there, whether you want to or not.”

  I began to fidget in my chair and started rubbing my palms together in my lap. “Well, uh, I always thought things were strange at the orphanage, but I didn’t really know for sure because I didn’t have anything to compare it to. Anyway, we weren’t allowed to go anywhere other than school and very rarely we would get to go into town for shopping. It just felt like we were being kept away from the rest of the world and I didn’t know why. I still don’t know why. So, as the kids in the orphanage got older, we were assigned chores to be completed every day. Most of the time, my chores had something to do with cleaning one of the buildings on the property. A little over a year ago, I realized that I could hear conversations from other rooms in the building through the air vents, so I started listening. When I started hearing things that I didn’t understand, I started paying more attention to the things going on around me and listening more carefully to certain conversations. I’m not sure, but I don’t think the orphanage is really an orphanage and…” I paused and looked up at Phoenix. I wasn’t sure if I should tell him this or not.

  He had been listening intently to everything I said and encouraged me to go on, “You can trust me. No matter what you tell me, I won’t make you go back there if you don’t want to.”

  That was what I needed to hear. I exhaled in relief and continued, “Again, I’m not sure, but from what I overheard, I think they do something else out there besides dairy farming.”