Chelsea (The Club Girl Diaries Book 2) (25 page)

“Where are we going?” I grumbled as Optimus pulled me down the hallway.

“Church.”

I signed. “So why couldn’t I just lay in bed and wait for you?”

“Because today, you’re joining me.”

I dug my heels in, pulling him to a stop. “You’re what now? Is that even allowed?”

“News flash, Blackbird. I’m the fucking president. And I say for today, it’s allowed.” He rolled his eyes as I continued to stare at him. Women weren’t allowed in church—ever. “We’re gonna be fucking late.”

I let him continue to drag me down the hall, through the main room and inside the double doors that contained the room where they held their meetings. All the patched brothers were there. They all looked at me, but none of them seemed surprised. I assumed Optimus had already run this by them. Optimus sat at the head of the table in a large king’s chair, pulling me into his lap and adjusting me till I was comfortable before he banged the gavel on the large wooden table.

His voice boomed in the small room. “Obviously, shit has gone down and we need to start catching up because we’re missing something fucking huge here.” I was always captivated by the way that Optimus held himself in front of his brothers. The way they looked at him like a king. He was their leader and every single one of these men respected that. “Blizzard, you want to start?”

Blizzard nodded. “So our boy from the gym is a part of the DEA. Says he’s been following the DePalma’s which lead him here to us.”

The room grumbled, the obvious distaste for a member of law enforcement apparent.

“So now we have not just the Mafia on our ass but the cops too?” Slider groaned.

“There’s more to it than that,” I felt myself say before covering my mouth. I didn’t know what the protocol was for me being allowed to speak. I shot Op an apologetic look, but he just stared at me curiously.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s claiming he knew my parents,” I said quietly, ignoring the murmurs from the room and keeping my eyes connected with my man.

“How?” Blizzard asked from just to Op’s left. He leaned forward, eager to hear my explanation.

I told them what he’d said, about how he told me my father was a member of the DEA, about the club being responsible for my parents’ death
.

“Not possible,” Wrench said immediately when I’d finished. The other members all nodded. I knew these men. I had no doubt that they were not directly responsible. But the thought had occurred to me that he hadn’t meant this club, in particular, but rather another chapter.

“How exactly did he think he knew this? If they had any sort of proof, someone would have been arrested for it a long time ago,” Blizzard stated, opening the folder that he had sitting in front of him and flipping through the pages.

I shrugged. “He said the evidence didn’t lie.”

The room chuckled.

“I love how they say that, like they haven’t ever planted shit themselves in order to bring some big criminal down,” Leo said, shaking his head with a smile.

“Always thought this was strange,” Blizzard muttered as he pulled a single page and placed it on the table. “Your parents’ names were never listed on your foster records. All it said was that your mom and dad were deceased. Chelsea Weston, five-years-old, no known address, no other family. Nothing came up when we tried to look up your parents. It’s like they didn’t exist.”

“My parents weren’t married.”

Blizzard frowned. “They weren’t married?”

I shook my head. “I have my mom’s name. Not my dad’s. I remember asking why, they said it sounded prettier. I was happy, that was good enough for me.”

“Fuck me, it’s true,” Op muttered.

Wrench started tapping away at his computer. “You remember your dad’s name?” he asked as he continued to type.

“David. I don’t know his last name. Or I don’t remember them telling me.” I sighed and Optimus squeezed me a little tighter. It had been a long time since I’d had to have such an in-depth conversation about my parents. My chest was beginning to ache.

“David Blackwell, DEA-deceased 1998.” My hand went straight to my mouth as I listened to Wrench read aloud his search findings. “Nothing saying he has a daughter.”

“It wouldn’t,” Blizzard said looking over at me. “They hid her, so whoever killed the parents wouldn’t be able to find her.”

I stared at him in shock, my mind struggling to find a way around what I was hearing. “You mean to tell me, there were possibly people out there, people who could have taken me in and cared about me? But the fucking government decided to put me into the system just so they could hide me?”

“It was a smart choice really,” Leo said, looking at me with sad eyes. “Kids get lost in the system. Shuttled from foster home to foster home. They go missing? Nobody cares.”

“What the fuck happened to shit like witness protection?” I was angry, I wanted to yell and scream. What if there are people out there? Family, friends, people that could have raised me. But instead, they threw me into the system, hoping for the best but expecting the worst—the worst being that I would just disappear.

“What I want to know is why they think it was the MC? What do they have that constitutes evidence, but that isn’t enough to bring the club down?” Wrench asked curiously as he seemed to get lost in his computer screen, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

I curled in closer to Optimus and he tucked his face into my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Blackbird.”

“Think they’re setting us up?” Slide asked curiously.

“Definite possibility,” Blizzard agreed. “But who? The DEA or whoever killed them?”

Optimus cleared his throat. “Leo, give Kit a call and see if you can talk to Oz. See if he knows anything about a hit on a DEA agent, and whether anyone was locked up that year? Anything that might be helpful. If anyone is gonna, know it’s gonna be him. The old bastard is like a fucking elephant, he never forgets.”

Leo nodded, pulling out his phone as he exited the room.

“Let’s take a break, try to gather some more info before we sit down again and hash it out.” Optimus banged his gavel on the table and tapped me on the butt twice, telling me he wanted me to stand.

The boys all dispersed, but Blizzard followed us as Op took my hand and led me toward the dining room. We filled our plates with breakfast and took a seat at a table.

“What’s your view man? To me, this is one big clusterfuck.” Optimus asked Blizz as he took a seat next to us.

I tried to concentrate on my food and getting something in my stomach. But with all this information swirling around in my head I was finding it hard to force anything down.

Blizzard stabbed at his food. “It’s gotta be the DEA, I don’t know how else to explain it. How else would someone be able to edit court documents and prison details then wipe them like that? It doesn’t make sense.”

“The cop said he was here following the DePalma’s. But did he already know this is where Chelsea was or was it just a coincidence?”

“My head hurts,” I mumbled around a mouthful of food that I was struggling to swallow.

Op’s eyes softened as he looked at me. “I’m sorry, baby. But we need to sort this out and fast.”

I sighed, leaning my head on his shoulder. “I know. It’s just a lot to take in. I’ve been disconnected from my parents since I was five. Nobody knew them. Nobody talked about them. And now all of a sudden people are here, telling me things I didn’t even know about them.” I shuddered. “It’s weird.”

“We can talk about it later when the boys have done some digging and we have a better picture.” He wrapped his arm around me and tucked me into his side.
I felt safe there.
He looked over my head to Blizzard. “Didn’t you go out last night to pick up Rose? Where’s she at?”

Blizzard shook his head and shoveled some eggs into his mouth before he talked. “Tried to find her, but think she’s hiding from me. Called her and she said she was fine, that she was staying with her family. That’s all I got and she hung up.”

I instantly stiffened. I didn’t like the idea of her being around her dad. Although, I still had yet to meet the man, he sounded like a complete fucking asshole.

Op squeezed me. “What’s wrong? You think she’s in trouble?”

Blizzard was instantly alert, his food forgotten.

“I just don’t like her dad.”

“Why?” both the boys asked curiously.

I shifted uncomfortably. I promised Rose I wouldn’t tell anyone what was going on with her family and her dad. But we could protect her, the club could look out for her and help her.

“Her father is a little...strict,” I said, trying to find the right words so it wouldn’t send Blizzard off the deep end.

“Chelsea,” he growled, his eyebrows pulling together in the middle. “What does that mean?”

I chewed on my lip. “He wants her to excel. Maybe expects a little too much from her and can get a little heavy handed.”

I cringed, burying myself deeper into Op’s arms as Blizzard’s usually cool demeanor turned straight up angry. “He’s hitting her?”

“Sometimes I think, yes. Other times he gets more creative.” I screwed my nose up as I remembered seeing her hand all blistered and burnt.

“The hospital?”

I nodded. “He forced her hand onto the element.”

“Motherfucker!” He slammed his hands on the table, causing all our plates to jump and cutlery to scatter. “Why didn’t you fucking say something?”

“Calm down, brother,” Optimus growled.

“Because I promised I wouldn’t. I told her I would help her when the time came, but she’s gotta make that choice herself,” I told him sadly. I felt horrible. But I knew if I’d tried to take her away or get the club involved she would have just stepped back and started hiding things from me and I would never have been able to help her.

Blizzard pushed himself back from the table. “I gotta find her.”

“Blizzard, please. Just let her be! I’ll give her a ring later and check on her,” I pleaded with him, hoping he wouldn’t interfere. Not knowing what her dad would do to her if he did. His fists tightened before he let out a harsh grunt and stormed off.

Op gave me a squeeze. “So I guess he likes her, huh?”

I had to smile. Blizzard was a good guy, a bit of a manwhore, but a good guy. Maybe this was his changing moment. “I guess he does.”

“I’m going to help with the washing up,” I told Op, attempting to untangle myself from his arms but he continued to hold onto my tightly.

“The term
‘Old Lady’
mean anything to you?”

I smiled. “I’m not sure, could you use it in a sentence, please?”

“You don’t have to wash up because you’re an
Old Lady
,” he said sarcastically.

“You know, some might find that sentence offensive.” I felt a sharp pinch on my ass cheek and I jumped up. “Ow!”

I glared down at him, but he just grinned. “That’s what you get for being a smart-ass.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “How about this for a sentence. Now I’m your
Old Lady
I ain’t afraid to smack you in front of your brothers.”

I heard a half-choke half-laugh come from Slider, who was sitting at the next table. He beat his fist on his chest to clear it before he grinned over at us. “Bro, that’s why I don’t have one of
them.
”

“You just wait,” Op grumbled under his breath. “Fine, go help.”

I leaned down and kissed his cheek. “I’ll come find you when I’m done and we can go back to bed.”

His sour face turned into a smile and he tapped me on the butt as I walked away. I couldn’t help but grin as I walked through into the kitchen.

I was an Old Lady.

It wasn’t just that, though, I was Optimus’
Old Lady
. I was his woman. And while I hadn’t come here searching to belong to someone, the feeling that I had right now was overwhelming. My heart was piecing itself back together. I finally had the man I loved, finally found the place I belonged.

And after all the heartache and pain I’d been through in my life, I could finally say it was worth it. It was worth fighting another day, week, month, year. It was worth it all.

I hummed to myself as I stacked the dishes and began scrubbing them in the hot water. I didn’t mind helping out. I’d done it for so long now, I felt like it was just a part of my routine. Just because Op had taken me and claimed me as his, didn’t make me feel like I was any better than the other girls who stayed here.

I didn’t feel like I had moved up and was worthy of more than they were. I knew what it felt like to be looked down on because of what I did for the club, and I refused to gain that mentality. We all took steps in life to better ourselves, for some girls this was it and that was okay.

I was about halfway through the massive pile of breakfast dishes when I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket, the sound of a popular rock band
Ashes and Embers
echoing in the room. Harmony had introduced me to the band’s music as her mom was their publicist. I fell in love with them. Hopefully, one day I’d be able to meet them too. I wiped my hands on a dish cloth and wiggled the phone from my tight jeans, hoping I could get it out before it stopped.

I saw Rose’s name on the screen and frantically hit the answer button. “Oh my gosh, Rose. I’ve been worried about you! Where are you?”

“Hey, Chel. I’m sorry. I just…I had to go see my family.” Her voice was soft and disjointed.

“Are you okay?”

She cleared her throat. “Yeah, um…I’m actually just outside the clubhouse. I need to talk to you, can you come out?”

“I’ll call the guards, they can let you in,” I told her, trying to remember who was on duty today.

“No. I…I can’t see him. I need to see you. Please, Chelsea,” she pleaded. I could hear the strain and the tears.

I threw the dishcloth on the counter and headed for the door. “Okay, okay. I’ll be there in a minute.”

I heard a relieved sigh. “Okay, I’m sitting under the trees just up the road.”

“Okay, I’ll be there soon.”

I looked around the main room as I walked through, Ham was at the bar, but there were no other brothers around. “Hey Ham, I’m just walking out to the gate.”

He raised an eyebrow, it almost looked comical. “Why?”

“Rose is there, I’m gonna try talk her into coming in, but she doesn’t want to see Blizzard.” I rolled my eyes. Those two needed to sort shit out, it was obvious something had gone on between them, but she wouldn’t tell me what the deal was whenever I asked.

Ham chuckled. “Geez, always so much drama with you women.”

I pointed at him and smiled. “I’ll remember that.”

He just winked and turned back to his duties, filling the fridges with alcohol. Since Ham had pulled me off the edge of crazy that morning in the apartment, we’ve gotten closer. Ham is relaxed and fun, but I just have this feeling that he knows what it’s like to feel like you’re broken and have lost everything.

Maybe one day I’ll figure out why.

I strolled past the bikes that were lined up outside. I wasn’t sure where Optimus had gone, probably to sit with his brothers while they figured all this shit out. Optimus wasn’t the type of leader to delegate and expect not to be involved. He didn’t make his men do all the dirty work, he was always right there with them doing what he could to help. I guess it was just another reason why they respected him so much.

I smiled as I walked up to the gate and found Neil and Kev. I wondered who was on Harlyn duty. Neil was used following Harlyn around like he was her shadow. But then, I hadn’t been back for like a week so things could have changed.

Kev gave me a kind smile. “What’s up, Chel?”

“I just need to step outside and talk to my friend Rose.” His face quickly changed, so I tried to explain before he shut me down. “Look, she needs to come in so we can watch out for her, but she’s a bit standoffish because of Blizzard. I just need a few minutes to convince her to come in.”

“Where is she?” Kev asked, still a little suspect. He twisted the handle of the automatic rifle he had hanging from his side.

We both stepped out the small gap in the gates and I pointed just down the road where I could see Rose’s small figure sitting under a tree hugging her knees. She was close enough that if the boys ran, they could get to us in less than five seconds. Kev looked concerned. He lifted his rifle and eyed the area.

“You’re gonna freak her out, pointing that thing at her.”

He scoffed. “She ain’t even looking this way.” He scanned for a moment. “Okay, I should have a clear shot if something happens, but I’m gonna stand right here and watch.”

“Thanks, Kev!” I yelled, jogging down the pavement to where my friend was located. I started to talk as I got closer, “Hey Rose, come inside. The boys are a little jumpy about us being—oh my God!”

I threw myself to my knees on the grass as she turned her head to face me. One of her eyes was swollen completely shut and was turning an unappealing shade of purple. Her cheekbone was also puffed up and the center of her lip was cut so bad, I thought it may need stitches. There was blood in her hair and down the side of her neck and face.

I felt tears pool in my eyes. “Oh, Rose. Babe, come on. Let’s get you inside.”

I held out my hand to her as I kneeled on the ground, praying she would take it. Fuck Blizzard and what she felt about the club. She needed help.

She shook her head and kept her knees pulled in tightly. One arm was cradled to her chest—the one she had burnt—but this time I knew it wasn’t a burnt. You could tell clearly that it was broken as a lump protruded from just below her wrist.

“Who did this to you?” I whispered, tears clogging my throat.

A small noise came from her mouth like it was meant to be a laugh. “I deserved it. I didn’t do well enough,” she croaked, sounding like a two-pack-a-day smoker.

“Rose, you do not deserve this. I don’t care if he’s your dad. He should care about you, he should love you no matter what.” I tried to move closer, feeling the need to wrap my arms around her and carry all her pain away.

That was the point in which my world stopped.

All I could hear in my head was the word, no.
No, no, no, no, no.

The handgun sparkled in the small amount of sunlight that had broken through the shade of the tree as she raised it from beside her. It had been hidden by her body. Her finger was pressed to the trigger and the barrel was pointing directly at me. I stared down that dark black hole, mesmerized.

Was this it?

I pondered what it would feel like when the bullet hit me.

Would it hurt?

A thousand thoughts raced around my head until her sniffles finally pulled me from its trance. Tears streamed from her good eye and she attempted to blink them away as one hand was busy aiming the gun at my head and the other I assumed was too painful to move.

“Rose,” I cooed, not wanting to scare her. “Rose, what are you doing?” My heart was racing, but I fought to stay calm.

“I’m so sorry,” she sobbed quietly. “He’s making me, I don’t have a choice.”

I wanted to look over my shoulder and somehow signal Kev. I doubted that he could see what was going on as my body was sitting right in their eyeline, blocking Rose from their view.

“Who? You’re dad?” She nodded slowly. “Why?”

“To make me prove to him that I’m worthy of our family. You have to be worthy of wearing the name, DePalma.”

My heart stopped.

No. Not Rose.

She wasn’t one of them. She couldn’t be.

Rose was my friend. She’d helped me. She had supported me.

She sniffled. “If I don’t, they’ll throw me out and I don’t have anywhere else to go. I don’t have anyone else.”

“You have me,” I told her, holding my hand to my chest and fighting to keep the vomit at bay. “You have me. You have the club. We can protect you, we can give you family. Please, Rose. Don’t do this.”

A furious look came across her face. “No,” she snapped. “The club is evil! The club killed my granddad. They killed my family.”

“They what?” I asked confused, ready to defend them, but suddenly I heard the squeal of car tires.

“Chelsea!” Kev called, I heard heavy boots against the pavement.

“
Stop!
Or I’ll shoot her!” Rose yelled as she climbed to her feet, pointing the gun directly at me but staring over my head. A dark car pulled up at the curb and the back door flew open. “Move Chelsea!”

I slowly climbed to my feet, checking over my shoulder to see Kev standing a few feet away, his rifle raised and ready to shoot. I had no doubt that Neil was already running back to the clubhouse to get help. I could see two men in the front seat of the car, guns raised and pointing at Kev through the windscreen.

I had to go, or this was going to turn into a bloodbath.

Rose followed me with her gun as I slipped in the backseat of the car. She threw herself in after me and I was pushed back in the seat as we took off from the curb.

The clubhouse flew by and I shuddered.

I’d finally found my place and it was about to be ripped away from me all over again.