Learning to Forgive (The Learning Series) (37 page)

“You changed me. But do you still want me?”

~Lyric

Lyric

At every stop I make on the way back to Mobile, I call to check on everyone and to see what changes have been made. Hyde’s position is still secure and there’s been no sign of disturbance at the house. You’d think I’d feel better about that shit, but it’s actually the opposite feeling that hits. I’m ready for this to be finished. It’s not just about revenge anymore. It’s about getting out and making a life for myself.

I call Lou and he assures me all is quiet at the warehouse. I still have a bad feeling though. In my gut, something isn’t right, but I can’t pin it down. So I do the only thing I can do to try to make myself feel better. I call Massey and check on Red and her sister. Every time, it’s the same answer.
“Everything is good and quiet.”
So I get back on the bike and high tail it down the road.

After parking, I walk up to the apartment door where Hyde is keeping watch, and knock.

“What’s the password?” Hyde asks from the other side.

“Fuck you, Hyde. You know it’s me.” After I give the hidden camera the finger, the door unlocks. Trudy is on the other side with her big ass dog Hero and Sissy guarding her. I bypass all three and grab a shot of whiskey to help me get warm. Riding with no gloves or jacket on is a bitch.

“Is all this really necessary?” Jax asks as he comes down the tiny apartment’s hallway.

Leaning against the kitchen counter, I take in the place. It’s a pay by the week, furnished with two futons in the living room, a full size mattress in each room, and thick blinds. It also has a washer and dryer because our time here is unknown. It’s not the Ritz, by any means. It’s not even as good as a Super 8 Motel, but it’s safe and discreet. I’m sure he’s used to better arrangements.

“Yes.” I leave it at that, grab clean clothes, and head to the shower. Afterwards, Hyde shows me last night’s surveillance tape. An unknown SUV drove past my house four times but never stopped. The windows are limo tint, so when we zoom in to try and identify the driver or passenger, we have no luck.

“Any word from Ryan?” He was supposed to get Cory out of Janet’s earlier last night since I couldn’t ask Lou or Javier to do it. They have no clue I’m associated with the government and that’s the only way I found out about the hit on Red. Hyde has been listening to certain satellite transmissions since he got here. They’re all in Russian, but luckily, he’s fluent in the language.

“Last night he called and had Cory at her dorm. Safe.”

“Good. Anya?”

He just shakes his head no.

Now time for the hardest part. Waiting.

Two days later, Hyde tells me he has something. It seems my car is on the move and headed south. When he moved in, Hyde thought a tracking system on all of our vehicles would be good as a backup plan, in case we’re left behind somewhere by Uncle Sam. You never know when The Reform will be ready to fuck you over, so we try to watch each other’s back as best as we can.

Grabbing my phone, I call Massey to figure out what the fuck is goin on. When he doesn’t pick up, I try again and again. After the fifth time with no answer, alarm tries to take hold and cloud my senses, but I reason with myself. Now isn’t the time for panic. Plus, I don’t need to let him know about the tracking device.

“He could be sleeping,” Hyde says as he watches the map on one of the many laptops set up on the table.

“Or dead.”

“Don’t start now, you fuckin pessimist. Let’s just watch the car for an hour or so, and then we’ll call him back. Massey has the panic room, right?”

I nod my head in answer. He knows too much inside government Intel and could be at risk. He wanted to protect his family from different enemies, so he built it underneath the house where a basement would be. A special venting system can lead you down from any of the rooms if you can’t get there by the trap door in time.

“Maybe it’s a trap to lead you out. Massey knows what he’s doing. I’m sure they’re fine.”

My mouth stays shut as I pace the worn, carpeted floor the next hour and a half. Dawn bleeds in around the edges of the thick curtains but the car is still heading south. With tension in my body, I dial Massey’s number.

Nothing.

Somehow, Massey has been overrun or he’s turned his back on me. I know for a fact my car isn’t there. It’s on I-65 south. Nobody can find the tracking device and remove it. It’s in the fucking gas tank. My one thought is getting to Red. I’m confident it’s her driving this way and I’m not sure how much fuel is left or if she has any money.

After hanging up the phone, I look at Hyde. “Keys.” He gives them to me without hesitation. My fury I can deal with. It’s one emotion I’m used to. But the fear I’ve experienced very few times in life is the emotion I’m focused on. “If she stops anywhere, let me know. Got it?”

I don’t wait for an answer. I grab an extra Berretta 92FS and some extra mags for it and my Glock. I slam out the door, not giving a shit about Polesky or any other threat who might be watching me. Red’s safety is the only thing on my mind. After I get her in my arms, I’ll worry about revenge. Not a moment before.

Another hour passes with the car traveling before it comes to a stop somewhere on the side of the main highway. When it stays exactly where it’s at for an hour, I’m sure she’s out of fuel. It takes me another three hours to reach the coordinates Hyde sends me. I find the shot-up Camaro parked at a rest area, and when I look inside, it’s empty. I wait outside the ladies’ room, positive Red is in there. And with any luck, Savannah is with her.

As an older woman exits the restroom, I stop her. “Excuse me. Are my wife and daughter inside? Both have strawberry blonde hair. The little girl is about four-years old.”

She looks skeptical at first, but finally answers. “Oh, yes. Y’all must have had a long trip to still be in your pajamas.” Then she leaves and my heart starts to slow. It
was
Blaire driving and she’s here. Safe.

Not caring about the rules, I walk into the tan, ceramic tiled bathroom and stop to listen. Not a sound. As I search out my surroundings, the large mirror to my left reflects the bathroom stalls to my right, and I look for feet but none are visible. “Red.” Her ass better be here because I don’t know where else to look.

Scuffling noises from the large handicap stall reaches my ears so I head towards it. “Red. It’s me.”

Then, like an angel in a large coat and rubber boots, she emerges from the stall. “Lyric? H… how’d you know we were here?” She walks up to me, her hair in a messy ponytail and her eyes tired and wide with fear.

When she’s within arm’s reach, I pull her to me in an embrace that I don’t want to end. Thoughts of her in harm’s way plagued my brain while I drove to find her, and now that she’s here in my arms, I’m scared to release her. But we’re needed back in Mobile. “Is Savannah with you?”

She turns her head to look back toward the stall. “Vannah. It’s okay, baby.” When her sister runs to her side, she immediately unwraps herself from my arms to pick her up. Two sets of hazel green eyes full of trepidation land on me for answers. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain it on the way.” I lead them out to Hyde’s car and load them up.

After a quick stop for some fuel and food, we’re once again on the road. Savannah sleeps most of the way, but every once in a while, she wakes to make sure Red is still with her. While she’s out, Red tells me what happened and how she’s scared Massey and Sylvia are dead.

“They could be in the panic room.” I try to ease her fears.

“Panic room?” Her eyes land on me.

“It’s a room he had built for safety. They could have hidden in there.”

I ask her question after question about what she heard or saw, but unfortunately, it’s not much. She only remembers a loud clattering woke them from sleep, the power being out, and seeing one man dressed in black that she hit with a bat. Supposedly no gunshots or screams were heard, but she admits her mind was on getting Savannah to safety. She doesn’t remember an unusual car in the driveway or anyone following her.

After walking into the apartment, Trudy helps Red get Savannah settled. Hyde pulls me to the side and tells me that there was some movement last night at the house. No cars were seen on the road, but video shows people coming in through the backyard and looking through the windows.

“That’s it? That’s all you special operatives, or whatever the fuck you are, have after three damn days of keeping us holed up in some unknown apartment with no fucking connections to the outside world?” Jax ridicules from behind me. “That could be some perverted teens or neighborhood punks.”

When my narrowed eyes meet his, I stalk toward him. My mind is brought back to my first encounter with this clean-cut pretty boy. I was ordered to get close to Trudy so I tried dancing with her, but I didn’t expect a pretty boy to come pick a fight with me when I did it. We were nose to nose until Ryan intercepted me from breaking him.

Ryan’s not here now. “If you want to leave, then get the hell out,” I growl, fed up with babysitting. A fucking tidal wave of resentment has struck me. “The one person I take orders from isn’t around right now. So I don’t give a shit about protecting you or anyone else besides Red and that little girl.”

“This whole thing is a shitty-ass joke. Either that or you two are out of your damn minds.”

“Then
leave
.” My breathing is labored as my fist clenches on my sides. I’m ready to hit somebody, and if Jax wants to be it, then I’m okay with that.

“Trudy.” Jax hollers while his eyes stay trained on mine. “Let’s go.”

“No, Jax. I’m staying.”

I can’t help but smile like the sonofabitch I am when I see his stupefied expression.

“What?” he asks with disbelief and faces her.

“I’m staying, Jax.
We’re
staying. Blaire has been through enough shit, and so has that little girl.” Her usually happy expression vanishes and a very pissed female emerges. “So someone in this goddamn room is going to explain everything to us.” Her eyes land on Hyde and me. “Aren’t you?”

I give Hyde a questioning look, waiting for him to agree to blow protocol once again. I’m not just ruining my cover but his as well.

He smirks and rubs his palms together. “Why the hell not? Anything to ruin that fucking place I’m game for. Plus, if Massey is out, then we’re basically non-existent to them. He’s the one who kept tabs on our asses.”

He’s right. Massey was our one connection with The Reform. Our
only
connection.

That night Jax and Trudy are still around after we tell them who and what we are. Trudy is in disbelief her ex was involved in the Russian cartel. As she holds Jax, I can’t help but think of Red in the other room. She didn’t want to hear any of it again, so she decided to keep her distance. Who could blame her? The girl has been shot at and attacked in less than a week’s time. On top of that, she’s met her long lost sister.

Without thinking of anything other than making it better, I stand from the chair I’m straddling and make my way down the hall. The closet light is on and shines on two matching redheads lying cuddled together on the bed.

“You can stop staring,” Red whispers. She’s lying on her side with her back facing me. Savannah is wrapped horizontally across her body. “I’ve had enough creepiness to last me a while.”