Catching Forever (BlackPath MC Book 2) (7 page)

      Devil

This man wants answers from me and I will give them. Looking at Callie just makes me want her more. She’s so beautiful. She’s cut her hair, but she looks almost the same. There’s something about her eyes. A sadness. I know I helped put that sadness there. I just want to be able to go back in time and fix this. To fix us.

  “Let’s get this over with. I want to talk to my wife. We are legally married and I want what is mine. She’s carrying my child.” I don’t know why Callie came here or why they think they have a say in anything.

  “I’m Hawser, President of the Troubled Fathoms MC and we are law here. Callie stumbled upon this town and did us a solid and we are repaying that now. I am guessing since you said you are Callie’s husband, you are Devil, so I have questions for you.” This man has a stick up his ass but I will play along for now.

  “Shoot.” I say, staying on point.

   “Did you marry Callie under false pretenses? Did you have an ol’ lady already? Did you not claim Callie before your club?” He knows how to get to the heart of things.

  “When Callie and I got married she did not know everything, but at the time it was an arranged marriage for business.” That’s as straight as it gets.

“I’ll dig through the shit your shoveling and take that as a yes to the first question.” Hawser is being an asshole. Nothing is that simple.

  “Take it as you like. I did have an ol’ lady, but I thought she was being held against her will by Callie's DNA father. I thought I was trying to get a woman back being held against her will. I was working a deal with Diamondback.” This sounds bad, but I really ended up loving Callie.

  “So once again, a yes.” What can I say, he’s right.

  “I could not claim Callie as my ol’ lady because I already had Bri.” The final nail in my coffin.

  “So once again, a yes.” Hawser is being thoughtful as if thinking it out. Maybe he can see my side. I was caught in a hopeless situation. “Dra if Callie will have you then it is a done deal. We’ve all voted and that is all we were waiting on.”

  “Wait one damn minute, no one is claiming my wife. I am claiming my wife and my child. She’s leaving with me or this will be war. Are you ready to go to war over one woman?” The tall slender one he called Krill is laughing but I’m serious as hell.

  “Devil, what you don’t understand is that is exactly what we have done before. We respect women here and you disrespected and lied to Callie. If you would have claimed her before your club like you should have, you would be walking out of here with her right now. There’s no worse disrespect for a woman than what you did. So you lose.” Krill is laughing again and I just want to pound his face in.

  “Well she can’t get an annulment in Texas while she is pregnant. So she is stuck with me and she’s coming home with me.” I won’t leave without her. If I have to, there will be bloodshed. Anyone that stands in my way.

“Surely you can see this is a family dispute and needs to be solved at home.” Dad is trying to reason, but I don’t want to reason. I want to rip the arms off the man that is touching what is mine. I wonder just how close they have become since she’s been here. Maybe she is like her mother after all, and I have been too blind to see it. 

Callie pushes away from the man and comes out from behind him. “I need some answers and I have a few things to say to both my dad and Devil.”

       
Callie

  “Hawser, is it ok? You told us all to shut up, I don’t want to disrespect anyone here.” I want everyone to see I am perfectly calm and have had plenty of time to think this out.

“This is your party girlie, say what you need to.” Hawser gives me a wink. Devil is not amused by it.

  “Dad did you bring the papers from Cross?” I’m hoping he didn’t forget. He reaches into his cut and takes the papers out. I walk over to dad and take the papers, but Dra is close behind me. I take them out of the envelope and I hand the ones to Hawser that are Devil’s. “Will you give these to Devil?” I know not to move in that direction because Dra would be right behind me. That would not be good. “You’re right Devil, I can’t get an annulment from you in Texas before the baby is born, and if I live with you until then, I can’t get an annulment at all. I have to divorce you. I had Cross investigate for me, but I can get one in Colorado after I am here ninety days and intend to live here. I will and I do. I didn’t live in Oklahoma long enough to be a citizen there. I have a postcard sent to me to prove my address. I enrolled in home classes at the closest Jr. College, so I have proof I intend to stay. These are my papers of intention. You are served with notice. I have no intention of keeping you away from your child, just me. Everything is spelled out in the agreement to be filed, at the back. We will have to go to court twice. Once for paternity and once for a child custody agreement. I think that is everything pertaining to our marriage and our child.” I stick to the basics. No reason to let emotions rule me. Just seeing Devil again is tearing my heart out. I didn’t think it would be this hard.

“So you think it is going to be that easy to get rid of me. We’re married. You and that child belong to me. I made mistakes, but I know we can work them out if you’ll just try.” Devil seems sincere but not once has he said he loves me. “Let me explain.”

  “What difference does it make? Is it going to change the circumstances? But go ahead and explain, just so you know, there is nothing you can say now to change my mind.” I’ll give him the time, but I won’t let him touch my heart again.

  “I was in love with Bri.” I look at Devil and I can see in his eyes he knows the huge mistake he just made. Never once has he mentioned love for me since he has been here. Only I belong to him, but he has said love when it comes to Bri. From this moment on he could say anything and it won’t matter. “I said I thought I was in love with her.”

  “No you didn’t, you asshole.” Ty is quick to point that out but I had already heard it and now I know what I am doing is right.

“Quiet down Tazer. Callie wants to hear him.” Hawser is still conducting how things go.

  “Like I was saying, I thought I loved Bri and I thought she was taken by Diamondback against her will. I had claimed her in front of my club and it was my responsibility to get her back. Diamondback sent us his demands. He wanted me to marry and get you pregnant. He said all he wanted was an heir. You’re his only child and he wants a grandson to carry on the name. After you were pregnant and we knew what you were having, I was to walk away. Give up my rights and he would release Bri. After our first talk with him he decided it didn’t matter if it was boy or girl, because his bloodline would continue.

But after we met I liked you, and the lines got blurred. I don’t know why you’re so pissed. We were a business agreement. You got Tommy’s killer and the name of the person who sent them. I want you back. Bri played me. Diamondback is not happy that I didn’t walk away, and now your ex is riding with your DNA father. What do I have to do to get you back? You know we had something good starting. Stop being so childish and come home with me.” Devil is standing there and he is pissed, but everything he just said is running through my head. I think I understand most of it. I know I’m numb.

  “Ok. Well you had plenty to say. Dad, do you want to tell me what you have to say while I digest his?” Dad doesn’t look happy with anything Devil had to say. So here is his chance to have his piece heard. This is just the thing I was trying to avoid by leaving home, but I see how well that worked out.

“Well, I only knew about the Tommy issue when you agreed to this Callie. I would never let Devil use you to get another woman back. One he had claimed. He knew that Blake, Trent and I knew who your DNA donor was. He threatened us with it. But I never knew Diamondback had anything to do with it. With any of it. When we left you to go on the run it was to go talk to Diamondback. He swears he wants no harm to come to you and he has a price on Karen, Bri, and Kizzy’s heads for what they did to you in our club, and what Karen did to you when you were younger. He is the one who had the information on Tommy’s killers, not Devil. When we were having our talk with T-Bone we found out Karen had a hand in that, too. Those men were after you. She had you sold overseas. They were supposed to kidnap you. That’s everything, Baby Girl.” Dad hated telling me that. One more thing to rack up against Karen. One day I will even that score. She will take nothing else from me.

“Damn! No wonder you ran Callie. You have serious shit going on in your life. You can stay with us.” Krill is laughing when he says it, but I know I am completely safe here. I feel Dra’s hand on my shoulder trying to give me reassurance.

  “Ok. Well, thank you, Krill. But it is time I take my damn life back.” I pat Dra on top of his hand and move out from under it and then I look at Hawser who has been taking this all in. As if anyone could understand this big mess that has become my life. I give him a quick wink to let him know I have this. With that he and Dra relax and Hawser gives me one of those smirky grins I have come to like from Dra.

  I walk over to my dad and give him a hug. “Dad, I love you. I know you did not tell me about Diamondback because you were trying to protect me. I understand, but I am an adult now and I don’t need that kind of protection anymore. You have to let me grow up. We know about Tommy’s death and all questions are answered. Karen will pay for her part in it, but we have to let it go before it kills us. I’m at peace about it. I love and miss Tommy, but we have to let it go. Now, I love you, so we’re good. I’m sorry I worried you. I needed time and space but I’m good now.” I move back away from dad and move between Dra and Devil and seriously look at Devil. I fell for the man I thought he was, not the man in front of me. I move back by Dra but turn and level Devil with dead eyes.

“Ok, Devil, now you. Please do not interrupt, I didn’t interrupt you, so please do the same for me. I heard you tell me you were in love with Bri, and you had to marry and impregnate me then walk away. I told you I needed honesty above all. You promised me honesty, loyalty, and commitment. That was the purpose of the pre-nup of sorts and signing of annulment papers before the wedding. You knew I didn’t know about Diamondback, but you had a deal behind my back. You knew what I had just gone through with Mase. Is that about it?”

Devil says nothing but I can tell it is taking everything in him to stay quiet. “One, you lied to me from the start. You were manipulating things to your advantage. You only wanted Bri back and had no intention of keeping your word. You say you loved Bri, but we had the start of something special. You were practically blackmailing my dad. We were a business arrangement and if you had been honest from the beginning I don’t know what would have happened, but what I can’t and won’t forgive or forget is you agreed to walk away from me when I was pregnant with your child and never have anything to do with that child. But now, all of sudden since you have been played by Bri, you want me and our child. I say, too little, too late. I won’t open myself up to you again.” I got it all out without breaking down. I hurt so badly for what I thought we had, but it was all just make believe.

  “Are you done? Can I talk now princess?” Devil is being sarcastic and has a hateful tone to his voice that I can see no one in here likes, including his dad, Steel. “I told you when I met you I wasn’t sugar coating shit for your ass. Just how well do you know this man that can’t keep his damn hands off of you right in front of me? You don’t have a choice in what you do or you’ll being answering questions about the death of Chaz. Remember that little bit of information? Your father would also like to know your whereabouts.” Devil has an evil grin on his face.

  “Devil, hold your tongue, son. You don’t know what you’re saying.” Steel is trying to reason with Devil. That is the first time I have heard Steel call Kylar, Devil. Something is not right.

  “Steel you better get your boy in line. He doesn’t need to threaten Callie like that.” Dad is going to go off if I don’t head this off.

“No he doesn’t. Because to get to her he has to go through me.” Dra is chomping at the bit, too.

“Ok. Stop. I have this under control.” I look at both Dad and Dra. “Devil you can call the authorities. Cross contacted them yesterday and brought them up to date. A six-year-old shooting someone in self-defense is not putting me in jail. In fact, I did my interview over the phone. The club has to answer questions, but nearly everyone who had anything to do with it are gone. They are not too worried. Then there’s Diamondback.” I look at dad and I know he is not going to like this but it’s a done deal now. “I am meeting with Diamondback in two days. Dad I hope you will be with me.” Dad looks almost relieved. Maybe I was misreading his hate for the man that gave me part of my DNA. “I set the meet up because I am guessing it is time. I’m not afraid and I will face him. It’s better than the unknown. I called Uncle Blake and he is setting up the meet. Neutral territory.”

“How the hell did Blake know how to get in touch with Diamondback? He’s been gone for two years.” Dad just doesn’t remember how resourceful Uncle Blake is. He’s one of the people who taught me.

“Dad, if Uncle Blake wants to know something, he finds it. Sorta like me. He taught me a lot.” Yes, he did, and I miss him. Dad and he are going to have to patch things up so I can have them both.

“I’ll be there Callie. Anytime you need me. Wouldn’t want it any other way.” I knew dad would help, but I see the concern in his face.

  “I’ll be there, too. You’re not going without me.” Dra wants to help. I just don’t know how close I want him.

“I’m claiming my wife. She’s my property. Her and my child. I’ll put that patch on her back.” Devil is seething and I know soon he won’t be controlling himself, so I better wrap this up.

“Callie you have a choice to make. You are in the Troubled Fathoms clubhouse and I have claimed you before my club. You can stay with me and be mine. Or you’ll have to go with Devil and be his. It’s your choice. I will wait until you are free from Devil and I won’t push, but you will be mine. You chose.” Dra is standing close but I can see Devil from my peripheral vision and I see him reach to his ankle. I know what is about to happen but I can’t speak, it’s all I can do to move. I jump in front of Dra to block Devil’s shot but I feel a jolt as I throw myself on top of him.  A hot searing pain hits the back of my shoulder but all I can think is, not Dra. He can’t take Dra from me. It’s funny the things you will realize when you think this might be your last thought. As we go down everything is a blur. I feel pain in the side of my head and then I just fade to black.