Crank's Rescue (Hell Raiders MC Book 6), page 18
We drove up by Chancey's house, and I had to admit, I was relieved to see lights on, and the place looking normal. I rushed up onto the porch and knocked, waiting impatiently.
A long moment later, Chancey swung the door open, face wreathed in smiles. "You came back!" The force of her hug nearly knocked me over. "Oh my God, I'm so glad to see you!" She chattered on, carelessly waving Crank to help himself when he mentioned that we needed rooms.
As soon as he and Jimmy disappeared upstairs, she tugged my hand, leading me to the kitchen. I paused in the door, a little surprised to see Runner leaning against her counter. He acknowledged me with a nod, but his gaze returned immediately to Chancey.
"Runner said he thought you'd show up soon. I thought he was crazy. Figured Crank had hauled you off to a cave somewhere." She laughed again. "Oh, you have to see pictures of the baby! She's beautiful." She grabbed her cell phone and started flicking photos in front of me, explaining each one. "My sister is so happy, just over the moon." Despite the smiles, I detected a hint of sadness in the words.
"And what about you?"
She lifted a shoulder a little, still smiling. "I'm really good. Glad to have my bladder back, for one thing." Sorrow flitted over her face. "I really have to make a decision, though. I don't think I can handle staying here, at least for a while. Giving the baby back was harder than I thought."
My mind started to race. Would she consider Kentucky? Would Crank's friends welcome her? Because the prospect of a familiar face in the new surroundings sounded like a great idea.
Crank:
That kid fucking got to me. If my crazy scheme didn't pan out, I had no clue what to do, but I'd be fucked if I left him there for some other sonofabitch to beat on. Sarah thought I'd lost it, and maybe I had. But I followed my instincts mostly, and they told me this was a good kid, but he needed help, badly. I intended to give.
The tenth time I checked for a new text, Sarah busted me. "Waiting for something?"
"I am." I knew she wanted details, or at least a hint, but I couldn't do that yet. Just saying it out loud might ruin it all. So she would have to wait. I looked around for a distraction, and spotted a jaw-cracking yawn from Jimmy. "Hey, kid, let's get you settled upstairs. You had a busy day."
Obstinate little shit thought about arguing, but another yawn changed his mind. "Okay. I am a little tired."
I went up with him, waited while he brushed his teeth and changed into a pair of loose shorts. He slid into the bed, and I pulled the covers over him, even though he was perfectly capable of doing it himself. "You need me, you holler, okay? Even if it's a bad dream, or just nerves. I'm a light sleeper, so I'll hear you." I paused a moment. "I might have to go out for a minute, but if I do, Sarah will be here, and she'll help you, too. So just holler."
He gave a serious nod. "I will. Thanks, Crank. This is the best day of my life." He kind of snuggled into the pillow, closed his eyes, and just like that, he was out.
Good thing, too. I couldn't tell him this might be only temporary. Deep in thought, I headed back down to where Sarah and the others chatted in the kitchen. She looked up the moment I came in, but I avoided her gaze and detoured to the fridge for a bottle of water.
Her soft voice cut through it all as soon as I sat down. "Crank, honey, what are you doing?"
I started to answer, but my phone buzzed. A single word. 'Done'. The grin nearly cracked my face. "Looks like I'm getting a kid."
Confusion wrinkled her forehead, while Chancey and Runner looked from me to her. "What do you mean? You can't just take him home with you like a stray puppy."
I scowled, forgetting for a minute that she only wanted what was best, for both me and the kid. "His momma just signed custody over to me. It'll get entered at court tomorrow."
Her jaw fell. "H-how did you…"
"Doesn't matter. Only fucking thing that matters is that he's safe now." Fear hit me like a brick. "You with me on this?" I hadn't even fucking considered how she might see it.
She smiled. "I'm very with you!" She threw her arms around my neck. "You're sure it'll all work out?"
"Anything can happen, of course, but yeah, I'm fucking sure. My brothers are taking care of shit for me. By the time you wrap up here and get ready to go, it'll all be taken care of, nice and legal." Relief thudded through my veins.
"Go?" Chancey sounded alarmed. "Where are you going?" Damn, she looked like some bastard just pulled the lifeline from her hands.
The glance Sarah sent me as she returned to her seat spoke volumes. "I'm going back to Kentucky with Crank. My life is wherever he is."
"Oh. I sorta thought…Well, I don't really know what I thought. Maybe I can come visit you sometime." She rose and went to busy herself at the sink, wiping down things that already sparkled. Sarah went to her, leaving Runner and me sitting there.
He dropped his phone to the table. "You'd think I was a fucking invalid, or something."
"Come again?" Apparently I'd missed something.
"Dad and all the others keep asking if I'm okay. Think I'm going to go Nomad for a while, get some fresh air."
Well, that made sense. "Might be a good idea. You ever get to Kentucky, come by. The Raiders will make you welcome."
His chair scraped the floor as he shoved back all of a sudden. "Hey, Chancey, what kind of plans you got for the next couple weeks?"
She and Sarah turned to stare at him like he'd sprouted another head. "Nothing. Why?"
"You want to take a little trip with me? Check out the scenery in Kentucky?"
Huh. I hadn't seen that fucking coming. A new text came and I glanced at my phone once more. "While y'all figure out the details, I got some business to attend to." I stood and kissed Sarah. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Keep an ear out for Jimmy. Wouldn't surprise me if the kid had nightmares."
A small worried frown creased her brow. "Is everything okay?"
"Never better." I smiled and kissed her again. "Just need to settle a couple of things up so we can focus on getting home." I leaned closer, so only she could hear. "Talk her into this. It'll be good for you, too."
She hugged me close, clearly excited. "Thank you, Crank."
If Runner suspected anything, he ignored it, paying no attention beyond a lifted hand as I left. The drive to Betty Blue's went uneventfully, the darkened streets nearly empty. I parked and went inside, waiting for a Prospect to lead me back to the club's area. As intimidating as that first meeting with them was, this was entirely new fucking territory.
At first I thought they had dimmed the lights, or some shit, but as I rounded the last pallet and came into the open space, I realized they hadn't bothered with electric lights. Instead, a campfire provided the flickering illumination. What I had assumed to be a solid roof seemed to have been drawn back, opening the entire area to the sky above. Interesting.
I paused, taking everything in. The Ghost Walkers stood around, some talking quietly, others sprawled on the ground. They had shed the trappings of civilization this time, faces streaked with paint, and regular clothing replaced by traditional.
My skin prickled. This shit felt like accidentally stepping into a war camp, with blood-thirsty warriors planning the death and destruction of their enemy. I fucking filed that away to fill Kellen in. These motherfuckers would have a huge psychological advantage in a club war. We needed them on our side, if possible.
Off to one side, a cluster of men caught my attention. They huddled close together, and a closer look showed why. More than a dozen prisoners, all bound hand and foot, were tethered close together, guarded by a pair of vicious looking dogs.
"I hope you don't mind, I decided to combine our business with tradition." Fergus' voice right behind my shoulder startled me, but I managed to keep still.
"Don't mind at all. Ready to get started? I got shit to get back to."
White teeth flashed in the black paint covering the lower half of his face. "Sounds good to me." He raised a hand and all his men rose to their feet and fell silent. "Before we get on to business, we have some entertainment tonight. These white men are all child molesters. They have committed horrible crimes, some of them against our own. We will have vengeance for all their victims." He nodded to the other side of the room, and a low, ominous throbbing noise filled the air.
About the time I identified the sound as a drum, Fergus continued.
He turned to the prisoners. "The drums will carry your screams to your victims, and they will laugh with your suffering." One of the sick bastards retched at the thought. Fergus laughed and turned to me. "I hope your stomach is not weak, my friend."
I grinned. "Is Lanea here?"
He nodded. "Of course. Two of these men will feel the bite of her blades tonight."
"Good. If it's okay with you, I'd like to help with that one over there." I pointed to the man from the foster home. "I need information from Sennit about any other connections, and I think what I have planned will encourage him to talk."
Fergus shrugged. "Sure. Have fun. But when your methods don't work, one of my men will take over."
"I think they'll be able to save their talents for other things."
He waved Lanea over, and I stepped aside with her to explain quickly what I had in mind. The more I talked, the more she smiled. When we were ready, she called for the man to be brought over by the fire.
He screamed and begged, struggling against the pair who dragged him between them until the rope around his ankles was secured to a post, while the one holding his wrists wrapped around another. When the ends of the ropes were pulled abruptly, he fell so his head struck the floor with a dull thud. I hoped they hadn't knocked his ass out.
At Fergus' nod, I went forward with Lanea. I laid my cut over a chair not far away, and shed my t-shirt. Ready, I turned to where Sennit and the others looked on in dread. "Sennit, this one is for you. Unless you give my friends here all the fucking information they want, you'll get Hell Fire, too."
Suddenly, the fucking idiot got brave. "I remember you. You're the dumb thug that was sniffing around after Sarah Channing. You better stay with your own kind. She'll be mine before this is settled."
I shoved the anger back. "Nah, she's damaged goods, considering my kid is already in her belly." I let that one sink in, more than half wishing it were true, while I accepted the two-foot piece of re-bar one of Fergus' men brought. "Now, Hell Fire starts with this right here." I laid the steel in the edge of the fire.
The man stretched between the posts groaned in fear, while Sennit laughed. "A few burns? That's the best you can do?"
I stayed silent, just nodded to Lanea. Together, we cut the man's clothing away until he lay naked before the crowd. By the time we finished, the steel was hot. I picked two of the observers at random. "You, and you. Cut the ropes on his feet. Pull his legs apart, and bring his knees to his chest. You'll have to lean on him once this gets started, so be ready."
The men glanced doubtfully at one another, but shrugged and followed orders.
Lanea gave a blood-thirsty grin. "If he's too much for you, I can hamstring him. He won't be able to fight then. He'll have to just lay back and enjoy it, like he told me to do."
I considered briefly. It drastically raised the psychological stakes. "Good idea. I like it. Then besides shitting in a bag the rest of his life, if he's lucky enough to live that long, he won't be doing a lot of walking either."
At my nod, Lanea went forward. Her blade flashed in the firelight as it dipped into the man's flesh, severing first one hamstring, then the other. The man's screams filled the air, echoing off the steel walls until it seemed like a hundred men being tortured.
Finally, the noise subsided a little, and I pulled on my leather gloves, grabbed the cool end of the re-bar, and moved toward him. Pausing for a just a second, I gestured to Sennit with the steel. "Just in case you hadn't guessed, this goes up his ass. You see why we call it Hell Fire." The glowing tip of the metal held every man in the place mesmerized. Taking my time, I lined up, then gave a quick shove, careful not to go too deep.
The man screamed until he lost consciousness, just like they always did.
Fergus looked at me closely. "Damn. I didn't think a white man could teach a Plains warrior anything about torture. I stand corrected."
I grinned back. "Well, hang on, because we're just getting started."
Crank:
I had to admit to being a little shocked when Sennit needed no further encouragement to talk after the re-bar up the bastard's ass. Of course, he got plenty more. As soon as he said he would talk, I stepped back, and let Lanea and Fergus' men do whatever they needed. I was satisfied. I'd terrorized the motherfucker as badly as he scared Sarah. The only thing I needed was to get back to my woman.
The following day, I didn't bother giving her details, but I was pretty sure Sarah knew at least of the gist of what happened in the back of that bakery. She didn't ask for details, either, but I got the feeling she took comfort in knowing the lengths I was prepared to go to for her. As long as she felt safe again, the rest didn't matter.
I kept my head down and did whatever I could to make the whole thing easier for her, and spent time with Jimmy. He really was a good kid, but he needed guidance. The more I learned about his past, the more anger simmered in my blood. I needed to pay his bitch mother a visit before long.
Sarah:
Wrapping up my life took shockingly little time. I turned my resignation in with my reports, and found almost no red-tape attached. For some reason, Sennit cooperated fully with authorities, giving them the identities of several other pedophiles and confessing to his own part in the whole thing. Most of the others from the motel that day chose to cooperate, as well. I was pretty sure Crank and Fergus had something to do with their willingness to be so helpful, but I didn't care. The only thing that mattered to me was having it ended.
The day Mom and Dad came back from their cruise, I asked them to meet me for dinner at their favorite restaurant. I wanted Jimmy to come with us, but he wanted to stay at Chancey's. He and Runner had struck up a friendship that seemed good for both of them, so Crank agreed.
Crank and I reached the quiet little Italian place first, and had the hostess show us to the table to wait. By my reasoning, my parents could hardly pitch a fit in public when they met Crank. It felt like an insurance policy, especially since I had no real clue how he would react to the various names they might call him.
By the time they arrived, my napkin lay in shreds on the table in front of me. "Sarah, you didn't say you were bringing a friend." Mom leaned in for a hug. "Last minute?" Her gaze flicked in Crank's direction and her eyes widened subtly.
Crank stood, offered his hand, and introduced himself by his real name. He even managed not to growl when my mother wiped her hand after touching his. "Sarah's told me a lot about the two of you."
My dad's brows dropped a little. "Shocking, since she hasn't said a word to us about you."
"Well, sir, there's a reason for that." Crank glanced toward me.
"Mom, you remember what I told you about work? Sennit?"
She nodded as the waiter arrived to take our orders.
As soon as he left, I continued. "Crank kept me safe during that, and made sure Sennit and his friends were brought to justice."
Well, that did it. Mom suddenly turned all smiles. "Oh, you're the FBI Agent? You should have said so. I must say, your appearance is very deceptive, but I suppose you have to blend in with the criminals." She chattered on, while Dad watched Crank's reactions.
"Merrin, I don't think he's FBI." Dad's pronouncement brought silence to the table.
Crank nodded. "No, sir, I'm not. I'm also not quite the low-life you thought when we met either. The part you need to know is that I love Sarah more than life, and I have the skills and resources to keep her safe, and give her the kind of life she deserves."
Dad sneered. "As what? A crack whore? If you actually love her, you'll walk out of here right now and never look back."
Crank popped his knuckles under the table, a nervous gesture I'd never seen from him before. The grin he gave was one I had come to recognize as a warning, more like a snarl. "Actually, she could do anything she wants, including continue her work with kids. But the thing is, she chooses to make her life with me. We're leaving for Kentucky tomorrow. You're welcome to visit, of course, but I won't tolerate my family being judged." His voice softened a little. "I'll take good care of her, sir, and if for some reason I can't, my brothers will."
Mom cleared her throat, and turned to me. "We're so happy for you, Sarah!"
Did I just walk into the Twilight Zone? "Okay, who are you, and what have you done with my mother?"
She just laughed. "He isn't what we would have chosen for you, of course. But we've known for a long time you weren't cut out for the kind of man to be deterred by your father's scowl."
Just like that, the tension was gone. We had a good meal, talking and laughing as my parents became acquainted with Crank. By the time we finished dessert, they had even started calling him by that name, instead of his real one.
We spent that night in my childhood room at my parents' home, planning to pack a few things and make an early start the next morning. Crank locked the door, and settled his large frame onto the ruffly bedspread.
I raised up on my elbow, smiling down at him. "This isn't awkward at all."
His smile practically curled my toes. "Not at all. I hope your folks are sound sleepers."
Were they? I didn't know. "Why?"
"If not, they're going to hear us making love." He quirked one eyebrow. "But then, they might learn a thing or two."
"Oh, my God!" I tried to muffle my laughter against his chest. Then embarrassment set in. "No, I'll go to the guest room. I can't believe Mom didn't insist on that to begin with."
He brushed my hair back. "Hey, stop worrying. They want you happy and safe, nothing more. If you'd rather not, we'll wait. I'm not going to insist, and embarrass you like that."
