Tank

13 - Are you her?

Nova

A week here is enough. I’m too close to being found out. If Ghost knows who I am or thinks he does, then I haven’t been as smart as I thought. I need to make plans to leave as soon as I can. I know I can’t just go without telling my father; I’ve only just found him. I’d hate to disappear on him again. I think it might just break his heart.

It’s not like Jett or Max will miss me; they haven’t said two words directly since they found out who I was. My other siblings would miss me. Willow has told me enough times that she loves having me home.

I’ve tried so hard with Jett, but nothing I say or do gets a reaction out of him. Even at dinner with our father, Lynette, Willow, and the kids last night, he was an asshole.

I try not to let it get to me, but it’s hard. Max is just a kid; the fact he ignores me is nothing. He’ll either get over it, or he won’t. However, the fact I don’t even know him means it doesn’t hurt as much as it does with Jett. Little Sophie is talking to me a lot more now that she knows VJ and Willow are fine with me.

I really like Lynette; she’s everything a mother and wife should be. She told me all about how she and my dad got together. How long she’s loved him. Lynette has been my father’s Old Lady for the past thirteen years and his wife for just as long.

She’s ten years younger than him, but that means nothing. I see how much she loves him. However, I have to wonder if he loves her the same way. After all, it’s not like the men in my father’s chapter don’t have many whore.s on the side. Though, those with wives and girlfriends don’t seem to mess around.

Dad might have said he doesn’t cheat on Lynette, but I have never known a biker who didn’t. That’s why I’d never date a biker. They’re all assholes.

But maybe my dad is as true as he says. He sure does look at Lynette like she’s everything to him, and how he holds her makes me wonder. I’ve never seen such tenderness between two people before. Butch was never tender with Celia.

My dad makes me believe that not all bikers are bad. But then I give my head a shake and remember that they’re all criminals, killers, drug pushers, monsters.

Then I think maybe Tank could be the exception to the rule. He doesn’t seem to be into drugs, yeah, he drinks, who doesn’t? He probably fuck.s around, but most men do. He’s a killer, or at least, he’s killed before now. Maybe not in cold blood but out of necessity.

Dating him would be extreme, but I wouldn’t mind him erasing some of the horrors stuck inside of my head. There’s no point thinking about that when the man can’t stand to be near me.

Is there anyone who can?

Maybe it’s a good thing. My father made it clear to everyone in his club that he’d end them should they come near me. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to Tank because of me. He’s a good man; I see it in his eyes, and believe me, I’m good at weeding out the bad ones. I’m good at reading people. Hell, I’ve had enough practice.

I drag myself out of my bed in this tiny apartment I’m now renting, thanks to my father while I’m here. He wouldn’t allow me to stay in a hotel, and I didn’t think staying at his place would be a good idea. I didn’t want to take one of the boy’s rooms from them. I don’t think Max would’ve thanked me for that.

Anyway, the sound of knocking on the front door pulled me from my sleepy state.

Great, that’s all I need at this hour, visitors. I’m tired. I’ve been training for hours. I know it’s not late, but fuc.k, do people not know it’s rude to call around at this hour?

I’m not stupid either; I know anybody could be on the other side of that door. I’m a little over-cautious sometimes, but I find that’s what’s saved my life more than once.

I look through the spy hole with my Glock in my hand, ready to fire if needed.

Assholes!

Why are they here at this hour?

I unlock the bolt on my door and open it to the four men standing on the other side. If I were anyone else, I’d be shitting myself right now.

I mean, four Hulk-sized men in biker get up, tattoos and scars, standing on the other side of my door?

Shi.t, it’s a good job I’m used to all of this.

“What the fuc.k is that?!”

“So now you’ll speak to me?” I say with a raised eyebrow while snapping the safety catch on my gun into place before sitting it in the drawer of the dresser next to my front door and closing it.

“I asked you a question.”

“Seriously, Jett, anybody would think you’d never seen a gun before.”

“Of course I have.” He takes a step toward me. “Point is, what the fuc.k are you doing with one?”

“What do you think I’m doing with one? Jesus, jackass.” I walk past them all and into my living room. They each follow me. “Wanna tell me why you four are in my house at this hour?” My eyes lock with Tank’s for a second before he turns away from me. Nice, now he can’t even bear to look at me.

“You remember Hammer, right?”

How could I forget him?

He seems older, though, with more lines on his handsome face. I know why Ghost has brought Hammer here. He wants information on The Exorcist. However, I have no idea why he’s brought my brother here. I guess the VP would want in on the action.

“Of course I do; my father introduced us all, remember?” I counter back.

“Don’t play games with me!”

“Why?” I laugh. “What the fuc.k are you going to do, macho man? You think because I’m a woman, I can’t hold my own against someone like you?”

“Why you...” He makes a move toward me.

“Don’t even think about it! I’ll fuckin’ kill you! Believe it, Brother.”

My eyes widen as my brother takes a step toward Ghost.

My brother is bigger than all of these men here, except for Hammer. My brother has more power. He might be pissed that I’m here but wouldn’t let one of them hurt me. I smile inside. The boy I once idolized is still in there somewhere, still protecting me just like he used to.

“We didn’t come here for this shi.t.”

“Then what did you come here for?”

“We came for some information.” That’s the first time I’ve heard Hammer speak since that day he gave me the information The Exorcist needed to do the job. His voice is huskier than before. Months of grief have taken their toll on him.

I offer them all a seat and a beer before taking a chair myself, ready to hear what they have to say.

“Ghost here seems to think you were the girl I met that day. The day...”

“The day you gave over information for a job you wanted The Exorcist to carry out?” He nods slightly. “So, he told me earlier. Ever thought Ghost is losing his touch?”

“Are you her?” Hammer has eyes that would melt even the coldest heart. There’s so much sadness in those brown eyes. He’s a tough man, but there’s such vulnerability there, too.

“I thought Ghost was crazy when he mentioned it, but looking at you now, I see the kindness in your pretty eyes. The same kindness I saw in that woman’s pretty eyes that day.”

Our eyes stay locked on each other for a moment. My heart is beating fast, but I’m neither scared nor nervous. I imagine that man could take down an army should he wish, but something about him makes me feel safe. Just as he did that day, he traveled miles to meet me, a woman in disguise, a woman he would never recognize on the streets should he see her out of it. The day, he looked horrified that a woman was collecting the information. He even told me that a girl like me shouldn’t be doing a job like that. As I told him that warm day, his concern was nice but not welcomed.

“Nova,” I look to my brother, “It won’t go any further than this room. Nothing you tell us will pass the four of us.” He points to each person. “Of all the people we work with, we are the ones you can trust the most with your life. I promise you.”

He has no idea of the secrets I hide, and there’s no way I could tell them who I really am. There are rules I live by. Just one person knows who I really am. It’s easy because nobody knows who he is, either. If anybody knew who I really was, they’d try anything to end my life. Most would have a reason to do so. However, the fact remains that my anonymity is paramount.

But no matter what I say here, none of them will believe me. So, I may as well give them what they want. Not everything, I’m not that stupid, but a little something that will sate them for now.

“You’re my sister, Nova. There’s no way on earth I would ever put you in danger.”

I know that deep in my heart. “Fine. Yes, I work for The Exorcist.”

Each man sucks in a hissed breath.

“Jesus Christ, Nova, you’re twenty-two years old!”

“So? Jesus, Jett. I have seen things you can only imagine. You may have killed people, but...” I stop myself. I cannot let them know the truth. My brother, maybe, but not the rest of them.

“But what?”

“But nothing. So, you got what you came for. You can leave now but make damn sure you tell nobody what I’ve told you.”

“I fuckin’ told you!” Jerk. I don’t like Ghost. How dare he sit there boasting like this!? “Wait till Shepard hears about this.”

“Wait till Shepard hears that you met with his daughter to hire a contract killer without wearing your cut, so your club was unidentifiable. Hiding the truth of which charter you belonged to was very wrong.” I tsk mockingly while shaking my head like a preschool teacher telling off her pupils. “Anybody would think Shepard had forbidden you from hiring someone from the outside.”

From the look on his face, I’d say I’ve just hit the nail on the head.

“There are many things you don't know about me, Ghost. You have no idea of what I’m capable of. Don’t think for one second that you can use this against me. It might just be the last thing you ever do.”

“We don’t kill or have our own killed unless...”

“I know the rules!” I snap, cutting him off. Of course, I know the rules. How fuckin.g stupid does this prick think I am? “I’m not one of you, jackass. My father may be the President of The Snakes Henchmen, but I was raised by the President of the Devil’s Hornets!”

I didn’t see my brother get out of his seat, but I damn well felt him grab my upper arms and drag me from my seat. “What the fuc.k did you just say!?” He bellows in my face.

“I’m not one of them either, Jett! Those fucker.s did vile things to me. Things that have taken years for me to get past, and I still haven’t fully!”

I feel my breath shudder in my chest. I’m angry right now. Ghost pushed me into this. I shouldn’t have snapped and told them anything. I have never snapped before. I am well-trained in the art of torture. Hell, I’ve been tortured to better teach me how to keep my damn mouth shut.

So why the hell did I tell these men I worked for The Exorcist?

Because these men are your true family, Nova. You might not know them well, but you know you’re safe with them.

I don’t know how I know that, but I do.

I also know they won’t say anything to anybody. If they ever do, I’ll end them and their family without so much as a backward glance. Believe me, it’s so effortless for me to do.

“Celia married Brett Collins. Butch was his road name.” Jett’s eyes scan me, and I can feel everyone else’s eyes burning holes into me. “I told you that she killed him. After that, she left me and went on the run.”

“She did what?” My brother’s disbelieving voice penetrates my whole body, making me shake. I hadn’t wanted to tell him that Celia had walked away from me. Leaving me to try and fend off those monsters yet again, but she had, and it took me two years to find her and get the truth out of her about my father and brother. “She left you?”

“Yes. The new President wanted her dead for what she’d done. She’d killed Butch, and in their eyes, she had to pay for that. I was in the hospital, and she didn’t want to wait around for them to find her. It took me two years to find her. She knew then that if I could find her, then so could they. However, she didn’t know what I had become.”

“And what had you become, little sister?” His eyes are so full of sadness for me. I can see him fighting the tears. He doesn’t know what I’ve been through other than Celia leaving me behind to face the wrath of those men, but he hurts for me just the same.

I can't trust these other men. I don’t know them, and I don’t really know my brother anymore, but he is my brother, my hero, always in my heart. If I can trust anyone with my secret, it’s him.

I touch his face gently, and he lets go of my right arm. I lean into him, my lips against his ear, “If I tell you this, you must never repeat it. If they discover who I am now, there will be hell on earth. Promise me.” He nods against my head. “I. Am. The Exorcist.”