Chapter Fifteen
Brooke
Taylor has Gabe for a couple more hours, and my shift at the restaurant is almost over. So, I've decided to meet Hawk at the clubhouse, and then we can go pick up our son together.
“You did great today.”
“Thank you, Mario. Today has been great.” I brought in some baked goods from home. I had spent the whole weekend making deserts and baking cakes. I wanted to see what Draven thought about maybe adding some of them to the menu. Okay, perhaps it was wishful thinking, but you'll never know unless you try. That's what my sister always told me, anyway.
I made a champagne cake with light pink, tint frosting, that should be served with fresh strawberries. I also made a three-layer Italian cream cake, coconut and chopped pecan flavor. I then made a pink lemonade cake. Four layers of sponge, two baby pink in color, and two a darker pink, creamy lemon-butter frosting, and sugared lemon slices for decoration. Lastly, I made a mocha tres leches cake. I baked the cake after adding a little espresso coffee powder to the chocolate cake batter. It's always been one of my favorites to make because of how moist it always comes out. I topped it with creamy curls of whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.
I was so nervous about showing Draven what I'd made, but Mario told me to go for it. The worst Draven could say was no.
It turns out after both he and Mario tried my cakes, all four have been added to the menu! I decided to act modest, but inside, I was jumping up and down with joy. Draven told me how gifted he thought I was when it came to baked good. I had years of practice on the farm. I used to bake cakes all the time for my family. I miss it, that's why I bake for the MC whenever the mood takes me. Everyone seems to love everything I make, and that makes me so happy.
“You do good kid.” I smile at Mario. He's a nice guy. Mario is in his late forties, married for twenty-six years with seven children. He's also worked for the Vidal family since he was old enough to do so. He's fiercely loyal to the Don, and I'm pretty sure he does more than just cook. It's not my business, and I don't want to know anyway.
The air is fresh tonight. I take a deep breath, filling my lungs the second I'm outside the restaurant, and I smile because, right now, life is good.
A horn blasting makes me jump, and I giggle when I see it's Nova. She offered to pick me up tonight because my car is in the clubs garage with a burst radiator. Damn thing is a hunk of junk. Hawk wants to get it fixed up properly. BlackJack told Hawk it would be easier to buy a decent one. If I know anything about Hawk, it's that he likes to build things from the foundations, and fix what's broken to make it perfect. He's good at that.
I rush over to Nova's car. I climb into the back because I noticed there was someone already in the front seat. “Hey. Thanks for picking me up. Who's your friend?” I don't recognize the brunette sitting next to her.
“This is Alison. Alison, this is Brooke, Hawk's other half.”
Alison looks behind her and smiles at me. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, Alison.”
I notice we're going the wrong way five minutes into our journey. I say nothing, though, because, for all I know, Nova could be taking Alison home. However, the further we drive, the more I wonder. How far could this woman possibly live from Bardsville?
Finally, Nova pulls the car over across the street from a row of rundown houses, making sure the trees shadow the vehicle. This place is a dump. It gives off such a bad vibe. Bad things happen here, I can feel it.
“Nova, why the hell have you brought us here?”
“There's something I have to do. I shouldn't have brought either of you with me, but Alison here refused to be left behind, and I didn't have time to drop you home before I got this sorted.”
I shift in my seat. I have a very uneasy feeling. “Nova, what the hell is going on?”
Nova looks at me through the rearview mirror while explaining who Alison is, and what went down earlier today. I didn't even know Kong had a girlfriend. My eyes flick to her when Nova tells me how Alison's father has taken her son. I see her tears, even if I can't really see her face.
Nova then tells me just what we are doing here. “You plan to go into that house and steal a child?”
“No, Brooke, I'm going in there to take back what belongs to one of our own.”
“But you just said how dangerous this man is! If he sees you, he will kill you, Nova!” I'm scared; anything could happen to her!
Nova raises her eyebrow. She isn't fazed by this at all.
Alison turns in her seat and looks at me. “My father is a monster, Brooke. A monster of the worst kind.”
“So was mine, but this is crazy!”
“Your father was a monster to you?” I nod. “You have a child?” Again, I nod. “If your father had taken your child, you'd do anything to get that child back, wouldn't you?”
I can't deny that I would, but there's no way I'd do something like this without Hawk's help. I'm not taking away from Nova the fact she's so very strong, but she shouldn't have done this. “Surely the Snakes are making plans right now to get your son back? Shouldn't you have waited for them?”
“Look,” Nova snaps. I swallow hard. I love Nova, but I wouldn't want to mess with her, she's insane, and wouldn't think twice about killing me if I pushed her far enough. Consequences be damned. “I have every faith in the Snakes and their ability to protect the innocent, and especially our own. Alison is now one of us, and if there was no child involved, I'd have listened to Alison's story and let her know everything would be okay. However, there is a three-year-old child in that house, scared and missing his mommy. The longer he's in that house, the closer to death he is.
“Now, I have a job to do. Keep your heads down, and your mouths shut. I don't want to have to deal with any unexpected problems. Alison, remember what I said. If I'm not out in fifteen minutes, drive back to the clubhouse. You get yourself back to safety. Do not wait a second longer for me, no matter what. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
I want to say something to stop Nova doing this. I want to call Hawk and tell him where we are. If anything goes wrong...
“I'll be in and out as fast as I can. Hopefully with no problems.” My eyes are wide as Nova snaps her gun into place. She looks over at Alison and smirks. She then gets out of the car and tucks the gun into the waistband of her jeans at her back.
“Everything will be all right, won't it?”
I watch Nova lift her hood onto her head as she walks across the street, sticking to the shadows like some dark avenger. “I hope so, Alison. I really do.” I tak
e her hand in mine. Until Nova walks out that door alive and well, with the child if she's able, I don't know if anything will be okay.
I'm on pins and needles, biting my lip, heart racing as we wait for Nova to return. I'm on the edge of my seat, and I'm shaking cold with adrenaline. I honestly feel like I'm going to throw up.
“What if something bad happens to her?”
I stroke my thumb over Alison's hand. “I've known Nova for a while now, and I know just how strong she is in mind and spirit, not to mention body. If I know nothing else about her, I know she'll be just fine.”
I believe that deep down, especially from the things I've heard about her. Nova is cunning, smart; she was also a very good assassin that everyone around here had heard about. Shit, people all over the country had heard of The Exorcist. Nova probably killed more people than the gas chamber.
I know that she's trained for all sorts of combat and weaponry. She's skilled in all kinds of martial arts, self-defense, and all that goes with it. I know she can take care of herself in situations most wouldn't. However, that doesn't stop me worrying that she might be taken by surprise and killed.
“Alison? Does anyone from the MC know where you are?” She shakes her head, and I close my eyes.
Christ, everyone is going to flip the fuck out when we – if we – get back to the clubhouse. Shepard will have something to say on the matter, as is his right as president. No doubt Tank too. Kong will be angry with Alison for not waiting for him to sort this, and with Nova for bringing Alison back here, especially when she should have known better. If that happens, then Tank will flip out because no one says anything against Nova without risking a bullet through the brain. Then there's Hawk and how angry he'll be that Nova dragged me along for this. This is going to blow up in Nova's face one way or another.
Don't think about this stuff right now, Brooke. Worry about the aftermath later.