Page 28 of Loss
Closing my door behind me, I sit down at my desk and rip the envelope open. Pictures fall out and land all over my desk and lap as I slip the piece of paper out. Opening it up, I take in the words and rage consumes me.
You’ve brought a club princess into your ranks. Didn’t think you had the balls to do something like that. She was mine before she was ever yours and I will have her back before too long. For now, you’re going to stop looking into who’s pushing the drugs into Pine View and discontinue looking for the dealers around town. If you don’t, I’ll reunite with Annabell sooner than anticipated and you won’t ever stop me. It’s not like you can stop me now. I’m better than your club in every way and you’re doing nothing but making yourselves look stupid as fuck. Annabell is mine. Pine View is mine. Get the fuck out of town before I make her suffer for your disobedience.
If you do not cease searching for the drugs, I will make sure Annabell suffers every day I keep her alive. When I’m done using her for my own pleasure, I’ll cut her up into the smallest of pieces and send them back to you one at a time. I’m not fucking around and this will happen. Be smart about your decision because you can’t protect her from me. You don’t even know who I am.
Someone has the balls to not only claim that Annabell was theirs before she was mine, but to also threaten her. This shit isn’t gonna fucking happen. Not when I’m alive and here to keep her safe. I pick up the pictures and look through them. Someone has been following her around Pine View from the second she drove into town. That’s not what really pisses me off though. Someone was fucking stalking her when she was in Benton Falls. There’s pictures of her at the compound, walking on campus when she was at school, and driving through town. They’ve also included a few pictures of her changing her clothes. One of them shows her completely naked and I fucking almost lose my shit. The only thing stopping me is the overwhelming need to make sure she’s okay and someone has eyes on her right this second. Grabbing my phone, I call my brother.
“Vault, what’s up?” he answers on the first ring.
“Get somewhere away from Annabell,” I order him as I listen to him moving around somewhere at Hound’s.
“Okay. I’m in the storage room. What’s goin’ on?” he questions, on high alert because he can hear the fear and rage in my voice.
“Just got a note delivered to stop searchin’ for the dealers around the city. This fucker knows about Annabell and that she’s a club princess. Sent me a ton of fuckin’ pictures of her from not only here in Pine View but from Benton Falls as well. This asshole has been stalkin’ her and managed to get pictures of her fuckin’ naked, Valor. I want the garage closed now and you get her the fuck back here to the clubhouse. I’m callin’ church immediately and all the businesses will have to close for a while today at least. We’re not gonna let anythin’ happen to Bell and she’s gonna have to get used to havin’ me shadow her until we figure this shit out,” I tell him as he inhales sharply and I know it’s taking everything in him to control his own rage so he doesn’t destroy everything surrounding him.
“I’ll let the guys know and tell her to close everythin’ down. We’ll be there as soon as we can. I’ll let you know when we leave along with George so he can be ready to open the gate for us when we get there,” Valor answers before hanging up.
I send out a message to the rest of the guys to stop whatever they’re doing and make their way back here so we can meet. Before setting my phone down, I call Slim to find out if he’s gotten anything there about Annabell. I’ll need every single piece of information I can get if we’re gonna start to figure this shit out and keep Bell safe.
The guys got here in record time from each of our businesses around the city. Annabell is confused as hell, but she simply walks in the clubhouse and shuts herself in the office to get back to work. We all head into church and I don’t hesitate to call the meeting to order by slamming the gavel on the table in front of me harder than necessary.
“Meetin’ in session,” I bark, setting the gavel down once again and looking around the table at everyone. “Martin brought me in an envelope today when George relieved him from gate duty. No address or anythin’ on the fucker, just my name. when I opened it, a ton of pictures fell out and I didn’t look at them until after I read the note that was inside. I’m gonna hand that around so you can all see what it says. The pictures I’ll allow you to see are in the center of the table. Take a few minutes to look at it all and then I’ll speak again.”
The men all take turns reading the note I was sent and as each man gets his hands on it, the tension and rage filling the room only increases until it’s almost suffocating me. Valor is staring at me and I can see his rage simmering beneath the surface. We’ve known Annabell the longest and this is killing us more than the others. To know that some fucking asshole has threatened her life is eating away at me and I know it’s just a matter of time before I lose my shit and destroy everything in my path.
“How the fuck do they know her name?” Valor shouts once the note has been given back to me and the men are going through the pictures I’ve put out.
“I don’t fuckin’ know. What I do know is this person obviously knows her from somewhere and now he’s here in Pine View. I already called Slim and they’ve gotten nothin’ from this fucker. This is only here in our city. Slim is pissed as fuck as you can imagine. He’s ready to come down here and fuck some assholes up because they’re goin’ after his daughter. No one will stop Playboy once he learns about this shit. So, I’m gonna say it now to be prepared for him to show up,” I state, looking around the table because I have no clue how to proceed now that she’s been threatened. I won’t do anything to risk her.
“What are we gonna do? The call is yours to make, Vault,” Chrome says, leaning back in his chair as I grab a cigarette and light it before taking a deep inhale of nicotine.
“I don’t fuckin’ know. If we continue searchin’ for the assholes, I’m sayin’ we don’t give a fuck about her and that it doesn’t matter what happens to Annabell. By stoppin’ our search for these fuckers, we’re admittin’ defeat and admittin’ how much Annabell means to the club. Not just here, but to all chapters of the Phantom Bastards. We’re stuck behind a rock and a fuckin’ hard place right now. No matter what we do, Annabell is gonna be caught in the crosshairs. I have a feelin’ this twatwaffle is gonna go after her no matter what decision we make,” I tell the men surrounding me.
“I’m thinkin’ you're right about that. We should bring her in here and see what she wants us to do. This is Annabell’s life and not ours. The decision should come from her and not us just dictatin’ what she does and doesn’t do,” Valor says, thinking the same thing I am. “What did Slim say to do?”
“He told me we’d have their full support no matter what decision we make. As long as his daughter is protected, Slim isn’t gonna give a fuck what we do. Valor, you wanna get her and bring her in here?” I ask my brother knowing my leg is bothering me and it will be quicker for him to get her and return to church.
With a nod, Valor leaves church and goes to get Annabell. None of us say a word as I lean forward and grab the pictures because Annabell doesn’t need to see those right now. I’ll show her eventually and let her see them because this is about her life. She deserves to know that someone has been following her around for a long time. Hell, she might know who the fuck this person is.
Valor walks back into church with Annabell. This isn’t the first time she’s been in a meeting room and I hope it’s the last because it’s never good when we have to bring a woman or Prospect into church. She takes Valor’s seat as he stands behind her and rests a hand on her shoulder.
“What’s going on?” she asks, fear filling her voice even though she has no clue why we want her in here with us.
“I got a note delivered today and you were threatened, Bell. I’m gonna let you read the note so you can see what it says before I say anythin’ else. You know to keep this to yourself and not say a word to anyone. Slim already knows about it and I’m sure once Playboy finds out, he’ll be makin’ a trip down here. You know how your brother is. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he calls Tank and your brother-in-law shows up with him. Those men are protective as fuck of you and they’re not gonna take this shit lyin’ down. None of us are,” I tell her, handing over the note as Valor’s fingers tighten slightly on her shoulder.
Annabell’s face goes completely white with every word she reads. Her body starts shaking and she curls in on herself as much as she can while remaining in Valor’s chair.
“We got you, Pretty Girl,” he tells her, his voice almost a whisper as his own body shakes with the rage filling him at her reaction.
I’m honestly not doing any better sitting a few seats down from her. My eyes don’t leave her for a second as she sets the note on the table before her with trembling hands. I want to go to her and pull her into my arms and hold her close to me as I would’ve done in the past. That’s not something I can do anymore though. So, I will myself to remain in my seat and keep my eyes on her for a minute as no one says a word.
“What happens next?” she finally asks, her wobbling voice hoarse as she holds in her emotions. Annabell won’t allow herself to break down in front of everyone in this room.
“That’s up to you, Angel. We can either stop lookin’ for the dealers in Pine View who are puttin’ drugs into the hands of kids, or we can continue lookin’ and tell them that you mean nothin’ to us. None of the men at this table will make this decision because it’s your life and not ours that’s on the line. Yes, we will protect you with our lives, but you’re the one bein’ threatened,” I tell her, my voice breaking as she looks up at me, her eyes filled with pain and anger.
“I don’t want you to stop looking for them, Vault. It’s no secret what’s going on here with the drugs. Everyone is talking about it no matter where I go. I’ve heard about the overdoses and kids being rushed to the hospital. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if this continues on because you guys stopped looking for them,” she states, stealing her voice and backbone as she looks around the table at each man surrounding her. “If Playboy and any others want to come here, it only means more men are out searching for these assholes. The more men there are, the easier it will hopefully be for you to find them and get to the man in charge.”
“Okay. For now, I’m gonna become your shadow. I’ll have Doc come check me out today to make sure I can go to the garage to sit with you and move around more here at the clubhouse. You’re never to be alone for any reason. If I’m tied up with somethin’, I want other men on you. You’ll always know who it will be. I’d like you to remain at the clubhouse as much as possible and only go to the garage with the guys. You won’t be the one goin’ to get lunch anymore either. Let one of the guys make the trip instead. There’s one more thing you have to know. I was sent pictures of you, Bell. Not just from here in Pine View, but from Benton Falls as well. Slim hasn’t gotten anythin’ sent to him. That was the first question I asked. Do you know anyone who would’ve know you in Benton Falls that would stalk you and take all kind of pictures of you?” I question her, watching as her face pales even more and the shaking only gets worse.
