Only Witness, The (7 page)

              “Great. I'll give you a hand with it.” Vera folded the bills and stuck them in her pocket.

              “No need, I've got it. You can get the door, though, I've only got two hands.”

              “It's pretty...” Vera trailed off as Piper lifted the vanity with no effort at all, “heavy.” She finished the sentence and opened the door as the woman had requested. It took only a few minutes for her to transport everything to the truck.

              “Thanks, she really is going to love it.” Piper smiled for the first time. “Are you coming to the party?”

              “Actually, I wasn't invited.” Vera admitted. She tried not to let it sting, since she hadn't really thought about not being invited before. Maybe it was just for family.

              “Oh, well, maybe Deke will ask you the next time that you see him. The two of you are close, right?” The overly interested expression was back on Piper's face in full force.

              “Not really,” Vera replied, her level of discomfort rising now that Piper had brought up Deacon again. She knew when someone was sniffing around for information. “Is there anything else that I can get you?”

              “I see,” Piper replied. “Well, see you around.”

              “Drive safe,” Vera plastered a smile on her face and watched the woman walk away to the car. She stood on the porch for a moment, enjoying the fresh air and slight breeze. The sound of a motorcycle roaring past in the distance made her think about Deacon. It was rare that she didn't think about Deacon during the course of a day, and since he'd left the night before he was all that was on her mind. It could have been the sex, or it could be the impossible task he'd assigned her. 

              Vera realized that confiding in Gina, who was now very much pissed off at her, was a bad idea from the start. Now her friend would take pleasure in spreading the fact that Vera had slept with Deacon all around town, unless she could do damage control.

              Once back inside the shop, she decided that there was only one thing to do. She picked up the phone and dialed Gina. It was no surprise when she got voice mail, but she somehow managed not to choke on the apology she left in her message.

              The next time that she had a secret to tell, she sure as hell wouldn't go to Gina. Vera realized, though it was too late now, that her friend Susan would have been a much better choice. She picked the phone up again, dialed Susan's number from memory and got her voice mail. “Hey, you're probably up to your elbows in someone's insides or something else doctor-like but give me a call when you get a minute. I need to talk to you about something.”

              Vera returned to the counter, to the computer and the search for something antique and emerald for Adelaide.

Chapter SIX

              The thick woods on either side of the road were showing signs of the changing seasons. Deacon had noticed the cooler temperatures, the almost brisk nights. It was one of his favorite times of years. Normally, he'd have enjoyed the sight of them and let the ride clear his mind. He'd been summoned by The Old Man early that morning, the order disguised as an invitation he had no way to refuse. Bug and Jake weren't able to refuse it either; they rode behind him.

              Deacon forced his concentration on the road as it began to twist and curve. He felt the spot before he saw it come into view, the tree and marker left to memorialize the spot where his brother had been killed. It had been three years; thirty could pass and Deacon knew he'd never be able to pass the spot without feeling a sharp searing spike of pain through his entire being. In the three years since Finn had been killed, Deacon had never been able to drive past the spot and not think of him.

              He shoved down the feelings, forced his mind to stay on track. The summons from The Old Man hadn't been unexpected, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this was going to be really bad; so much that could go wrong. Recently The Old Man had changed. Once he'd been a father figure to most of them; though he ruled with a strict hand and inspired fear he'd always been fair. About six months back his nature had changed. Strict but fair was no more. Put quite simply, these days if you stepped out of line The Old Man was likely to take off your head, literally. The numbers were down as challenger after challenger fell in an attempt to take control of the pack, only to be cut down without the current leader even breaking a sweat.

              There was no doubt in Deacon's mind that the remaining members of the pack, The Old Man included, expected him to be the next one to issue a challenge. Three years ago, he wouldn't have had to. Finn was the younger brother, but even from an early age it was pretty clear that he was a born Leader. He'd been scary smart, stronger than he had a right to be, and Deacon had realized one day he'd bow to Finn proudly.

              Deacon's gut clenched tightly as they rounded the last bend and the cabin came into view. He'd expected cars, after all they weren't the only ones who had received the summons, but he didn't recognize the bikes already parked outside, or a good number of the cars pulled off towards the trees.

              “The fuck is this?” Bug demanded as they came to a stop. He had been seriously on edge about leaving Lake, his very pregnant wife, and seemed to be gearing up for a fight. There was no doubt in Deacon's mind that Jake was ready for a fight as well.

              “Not sure, figure we'll find out soon enough.” Deacon nearly cautioned the two men to behave, keep their heads about them until they knew more, but decided it would only make the moment more tense. Instead, he adjusted the holster underneath his jacket and started towards the house.

              The closer he got to the bikes, the more it nagged at him that they were familiar. He'd seen them before, but he wasn't sure where. It didn't matter; he'd see soon enough who was riding them and hopefully know why The Old Man had brought in outsiders to a pack meeting.

              Deacon made his way around the house. Jake and Bug right at his side, they entered the backyard to find a small crowd of people. The first person he laid eyes on was the leader of The Grievers. In that instant Deacon knew where he'd seen those bikes before. Without hesitation he moved forward, ready for violence.

              “There will be no violence,” Ezekial Black spoke from the porch. He'd been known as The Old Man since he was actually young; the name suited him now.  In his prime, he'd been as tall as Deacon; age had whittled him down so that he stood just above six feet tall. His hair was pure white and hung down his back in two thick braids. “Do you understand me, Deke?”

              “What the fuck is this?” Deacon demanded. “What are they doing here?” It was all he could do to refrain from going after the grinning leader of The Grievers, Josiah Callen. The Grievers were bad news.

              “I asked you a question, boy. Do not make me repeat myself and ruin my good mood.” The Old Man was standing in the yard now, his face a composed mask, but Deke could hear the growing anger and annoyance in his voice.

              “I understand,” Deacon told him. “I asked you a question as well, Leader. What are they doing here? They're outsiders.”

              “They are here at my invitation, as valued guests, and will be treated as such.” The Old Man looked around at the crowd. “I will take anything less as a direct challenge and react accordingly. Now, show your respect.”

              Deacon joined everyone else in the pack, dropping to his knees at the command with his head back, throat bared. The Old Man was asserting his dominance, reminding them that he was the one in charge.

“As I thought,” Ezekial let out a bark of laughter, “get up. We have much to discuss.” He didn't raise his voice because he didn't need to; it was as quiet as it could possibly be, with even the animals in the woods not making a sound. “I have called you all here to discuss the future. It has not been an easy road for us in recent years. We have suffered losses that can not be replaced, but we must look to the future. We must protect the pack!”

Pieces began to fall in place for Deacon—the presence of The Grievers and the speech about the dwindling number of pack members, there was only one reason why they'd be here. The Old Man was going to induct them into the pack. The thought of it angered him so much he nearly rose to his feet to challenge.

Deacon's eyes went to Bug. He'd made a promise to Lake to keep him safe. No one with loyalty to him would be safe if he challenged and lost. It was not an acceptable option. Instead Deacon would bide his time, train and grow stronger.

“We need an infusion of new blood, members willing to take risks to get things done, willing to protect the pack.” The Old Man focused on Deacon. “It is time to look to the future of this pack. Josiah, join me.”

The president of The Grievers was roughly Deacon's age. He'd been leading for nearly seven years, earning the gavel when he'd challenged and killed the sitting president. To this day no one knew what sparked the incident, but it had been brutal. The Grievers were brutal. They were a single charter club, like The Vikings, but that was where the similarities ended. The Grievers lived life on the road, no set home base, and followed their own rules. They were known for hard partying, running drugs, guns or whatever else would turn a profit. At one time there had even been rumors of human trafficking, but no one had ever been able to prove anything.

The last time The Vikings and Grievers had been in the same place together was at a bike show in the Nevada desert.  The good time and party vibe of the night had been shattered when one of the civilians at the event spilled a beer on Michael, the second-in-command of The Grievers. Anyone else would have shrugged it off, it wasn't the end of the world, but not Michael. Instead he'd proceeded to grab the man. Michael beat the smaller man to death with his fists but delivered the killing blow with a small bat embedded with nails and screws straight to the man's forehead. Josiah had immediately ordered the body cleaned up and put the fear of God in the other civilians who hadn't already fled.

              Josiah's voice brought Deacon back to the present. “Thank you for the warm welcome, it is truly an honor for us to be here as part of your pack.” He dropped to his knees, exposed his throat.

              There was a sense of ceremony to his words. Deacon felt his jaw clench in a hard line. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that he wasn't the only one. The majority of the pack looked confused, but he saw anger on some faces, especially Bug and Jake.

              “It is an honor to welcome you and yours into this pack, to know that the new blood you bring to us will help to create new life. We will be as strong now as we ever were, or dare I say stronger.” The Old Man announced as his gaze moved through the crowd. “To mark this occasion, we will join not only in spirit but in flesh. Piper, come forward and join us.”

              Deacon felt something inside of him clench tightly. In his anger over The Grievers being here and now welcomed into the fold, he'd forgotten about Piper. Forgotten to wonder why The Old Man wanted her here.

              Deacon watched as Piper walked forward. Her expression was unreadable, but if he knew her at all he knew she was scared. He was also scared for her because now he was sure he knew who would be joining in flesh to celebrate the new union.

              “My child,” The Old Man reached out and touched Piper's face as she came to a stop in front of him. Even from the distance Deacon could see how tense she was. “Now that you are home, where you belong, it is time for you to take your rightful position within the pack. It is my honor to present your future husband.”

              There was a collective intake of breath through the entire pack. Piper was the only one who remained silent, and Deacon was sure that she was in shock. Even he hadn't seen this coming, truly he'd thought that The Old Man was giving her to Josiah as a physical reward for joining the pack.

              “I understand that this is sudden and unexpected,” Josiah moved forward, held him hand out to Piper. “It must be a shock to hear that...”

              “A shock?” She didn't manage to bite back a laugh as she interrupted him. “A shock is walking in on your parents fucking. This is...”

              “Watch your mouth.” The Old Man snarled and stepped forward, his hand ready to take a blow at Piper, claws and all. Deacon braced himself. If he raised a hand to Piper there would be no course of action but a challenge.

              “Ezekial, please.” Josiah held up a hand, moved between father and daughter. “It's not unexpected that Piper wouldn't throw herself at my feet. You were the only one who believed that it would actually happen.”

              “Let me be very clear, this wedding is happening. Josiah will be paired with you, a female worthy of him. I will have you bound and brought to the altar if necessary; however, if you make me take that step, I will see you punished for it.”

              The threat hung heavily in the air. The Old Man's favored method of punishment was simple yet brutal, whippings carried out in front of a crowd to act as a reminder of consequences. Deacon took a deep breath, tried to clear his mind.

              “Wait,” his sister's voice called out before Deacon could center himself and act. “I willingly, without hesitation, offer myself in Piper's place. You speak the truth, Leader, our numbers grow fewer and fewer. We must work together to remedy that.”

              “Adelaide,” Deacon spoke up because he couldn't just stay quiet any longer. He certainly couldn't stand there and let her do what she was trying to do, especially with the way that Josiah was looking at her and the way she was looking at him.

              “This is my offer to make, Deacon. I'm assuming of course that I will appeal to Josiah and that our Leader will give us his blessing.”

              “Do not doubt your appeal to me,” Josiah moved to where Adelaide stood. “Leader, do you have any objection?”