The Mortician, page 32
part #3 of Grimm Tales of Smoky Vale Series
The man looked over at his dead companion, and he burst out crying. He was completely useless. They were working with Puddu. Killed one of our brothers in a gruesome way and would’ve hurt Miles if he hadn’t escaped. That could’ve been excused. Chalked down to men going at each other’s throats, but involving a woman and child into this crossed the fucking line. The line we Reapers lived by. No touching our partners, our women, or children. We were fair game, but they were off-limits.
I discharged my gun. A bullet to his chest right where his heart was. His body jerked, and then he fell back. Where was the satisfaction? There was none. I still had no idea where Dana and Jessie were, and every minute that passed filled me with dread. Not everyone had the morals we did as Reapers.
I had to block my mind from thinking too much about what Dana and Jessie were going through. My priority was finding them safe and sound. And Randy had better pray like hell we found them, or I’d personally finish the job Puddu had started. Sorry, Dad. There was no getting out of this one.
Disgusted, I trudged out of the trailer and called Precious, who managed our cleanup crew. He owned the laundromat in town, which gave him a perfect excuse for owning all sorts of chemicals. He was also one of our off-site members, who was preferably not linked with the club so he could avoid suspicion.
We made a mess. Precious and his team came in after and ensured no evidence was left. Usually, they transported the bodies to the crematory, where I dealt with them, but now that Virtue owned the damn place, we’d need alternative arrangements.
“Precious Laundry, how may I be of service?”
“We need to arrange for pickup service for deep cleaning.”
“No problem. When do you need this by?”
“ASAP would be nice.”
“That’s going to cost you extra.” He stuck to our usual script in case someone was listening in on our calls.
“No problem. There are some rough stains I’m going to need out.”
“There’s no stain Precious Laundry won’t be able to remove. Name and location, please.”
I gave him a generic name and location, then ended the call. Now that the bodies were being taken care of, what now? I had no option but to go back to the club, find Puddu, and make him talk.
Determined to get answers one way or another, I rode back to the clubhouse. We didn’t usually take hostages, so this was a new situation for us. Unlike Fable’s case we’d needed Puddu alive, and Grimm had decided to take him to the shed we used as our repair shop. Our mechanic was a whiz with bikes and could fix anything. He wasn’t a pledged member, although Grimm had been trying to recruit him.
“Hey, got anything?” Noose asked me as I got off my bike. For the first time I could remember, Whip wasn’t with him.
“I don’t think they knew anything. You?”
“Grimm and Booker are inside with Puddu. He’s not talking.”
“Where’s Whip?”
He shrugged and looked away, a blush spreading over his face. “Somewhere around.”
Goddammit, the last thing I needed was for them to be having a lover’s spat right now. We needed everybody’s head in the game.
My phone rang before I could say anything, although what the hell could I say? That he needed to kiss and make up with Whip? And by the way, none of us cares if you’re getting each other off?
“It’s Zak.” Please let it be something good. I’d sent him the number Puddu had called for me to talk to Jessie, and Alan was supposed to be looking into it. “I can use some positive news right now, Zak.”
“And you’ve got it. Dumb son of a bitch has his GPS synced to his phone. Alan sent me the location. You got something to write it down?”
“I’ll remember it.”
“I’ll send it to your phone too, just to be sure, but you delete that shit after you read it.”
“Got it.”
“It’s a house on 24 Woodlawn Street. The owner is Pat Jennings.”
“I’ll remember. Thanks, Zak.” For the first time since I’d heard Jessie’s voice over the phone, I felt a glimmer of hope that we’d get her back.
“I’m on my way there,” Zak said.
“You know you don’t have to.”
“Even with my left hand, I’m still a better shot than you.”
I laughed, relieved I didn’t have to face this alone. “Thanks, man.” I ended the call. “We’ve got a location.”
“Thank fuck.”
Noose and I hurried to the shed, where I pulled the door open. Puddu was tied up to his own truck, blood trickling from his nose. His bloodied lips quirked up when he saw me.
“You got the money?”
“No, but I got a location.” I repeated the address Zak had given me. Bingo. His expression changed, and he struggled against the ropes. “I have to thank you for giving it to me, by the way. Calling that number and letting me talk to Jessie was the worst mistake you could’ve made.”
Puddu’s silence was good enough for me. I turned to Noose. “I’m giving you this kill. Don’t disappoint me, brother. A bullet right in his mouth.”
“Can’t I strangle him?” Noose asked. “Less messy.”
“Suit yourself. Have fun.”
“I will. I fucking despise anyone who hurt kids.”
I should be the one to kill Puddu after what he'd done to Cass and now my niece and ex. Although I loved the sweet taste of revenge, I didn’t have the time to take him apart limb by limb. A quick kill wouldn’t be that satisfactory after all.
Booker called Grimm to alert him to what we were doing. He promised to meet us at the address and to bring more men. With luck, we’d get the job done with only one or two. Several bikers passing through a neighborhood would raise too much suspicion.
We were at the gate of the clubhouse when my phone beeped. I held up my hand to stop Booker from riding off and checked my phone. It was a message from Cass, but I couldn’t afford to get distracted right now, so I slipped my phone back into my pocket without reading it, and we rode out.
Woodlawn was a low-income neighborhood, and it was reflected in the types of houses we passed. Number 24 blended right in—windows boarded up, lawn overgrown and choked by weeds, and walls that needed a fresh coat of paint at least a decade ago.
The problem with the motherfucking bikes was that they could be heard from a distance. As we rode up the driveway, a man shoved Jessie into the car parked in front of a garage with a missing door. Above the roar of our engines, Dana loudly wailed as she cried for the man not to hurt her baby.
I was off my bike before I’d even parked, my gun in my hand, aimed at the man. It seemed to be just him, but it was still comforting to know Booker and Grimm were at my back. Where the hell are you, Zak? They’d hired him at the firing range for a purpose, and since his dominant hand got maimed, he was a better shot now with his left.
“Let her go!” I shouted at Jennings. I cocked my gun. “You can’t get out of this alive if you harm her. She’s just a kid. Let her go.”
“Uncle Mort!” Jessie cried, struggling. “Help me, Uncle Mort.”
Her cries tore at the core of my being. “It’s going to be okay, Jessie.”
“Stay back!” Jennings held a knife up toward Jessie. “Don’t think I won’t hurt her. I will.”
“You don’t want to do that.” I held my gun up, barrel down. “Look, I’ll put my gun down. You can take me instead. Just let her go. She shouldn’t be a part of this in the first place.” I put my gun down on the pavement. I had a backup piece in the back of my jeans should I need it.
“Tell your men to put their guns down too.” His hand holding the knife shook dangerously close to the little girl. “I’m not—ah!”
Jessie clamped her teeth into the hand that was holding her to the man. Jennings jerked his hand back, freeing her.
“Run, baby girl. Run!”
I ran toward her as Jennings lunged after her. No way I was going to reach her in time. A bullet tore through Jennings. Several more followed. Jessie threw herself at me, and I caught her, my heart thudding in my chest.
“Jessie!” Dana screamed from the vehicle. “Oh my god, Jessie!”
But I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t assure her that Jessie was okay. I held the little girl to me, tears streaming down my face, my whole body shaking at how I could’ve lost her.
“I’m all right, Uncle Mort,” she said.
I stroked her face, not seeing anything much through the blur of tears. “Yes, you are.”
A police siren echoed in the distance. Goddamn, they were fast. There was no way we were getting out of this one before they arrived on the scene, but at least I knew Jessie was safe. We had done nothing wrong but to protect a little girl, and for once, I’d trust the law to determine that.
Chapter 40
Mort
We all ended up at the police station to give our statements. Luckily, Dana and Jessie didn’t know much of the details, so they could only corroborate what we’d told the cops. We had reason to believe they were being held hostage, which we’d informed the cops anyway, and when we’d found a lead, we went to check it out. Jennings had a knife on Jessie, who bit him. Jennings had the bite mark to prove that. He was shot by Zak, who’d gotten there ahead of us and had been listening in on the confrontation from behind a neighbor’s garage. The neighbor across the street had corroborated our story as well.
Case closed. Jamie’s uncle was one of the men who’d interrogated us, and he looked none too pleased about the whole mess, reprimanded us for not calling the police and letting them handle their jobs.
“You’re not law and order in this town, do you hear me?” he’d almost shouted. “At least you didn’t get anyone else killed this time.”
He must’ve been thinking about how Mason, who had died in a similar situation when we’d rescued Jamie and Fable.
When I came out of the interrogation room, Jamie jumped up from the chair he’d been sitting in next to Dana, who had a sleeping Jessie in her arms. My ex glanced up at me, her eyes dull and lifeless. I hadn’t asked her yet what they’d done to her, and I wasn’t sure I could. She had to have regretted the day she’d let Randy sweet-talk his way into her bed. She didn’t deserve this. No one did.
“Where’s Grimm?” Jamie asked, his arm twitching. He had circles under his eyes and looked exhausted.
“He should be out soon.” I walked him back to the chair. “Sit, you look tired, and I’m sure that’s not the way Grimm wants to see you now.”
“Thanks.” He sat. “I came here straight from the hospital. All I wanted to do was get some sleep, and this is what I came home to.” He burst into tears. Goddammit. Jamie never cried. He was the tough one of all our boys. “I’m sorry. I’m just really tired. I’ve been pulling some crazy shifts at the hospital.”
He did look like he was going to drop. “Isn’t there a stipulated number of hours that you should do and no more?”
“Yes, but have you seen the Smoky Vale hospital? If we didn’t all pull overtime because we love the job, the hospital would barely be functional.”
“That’s tough.” I frowned. “Where’s Cass?”
Jamie shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t go to the clubhouse. I came straight here as soon as I heard you were all down here. Zak and Booker left, by the way. They needed to get home to Fable, who’s freaking out.”
“You’ll be fine.” I squeezed Jamie’s shoulder. “Grimm will be okay too.”
I left him to sit beside Dana. She didn’t even look at me. Just held her daughter as if her life depended on it. She didn’t always have her shit together, but I knew she loved that child.
I took Jessie’s limp hand into mine. She was okay.
“What have I done, Mort?” Dana whispered.
“It’s not your fault.”
“I-I left you for him, and this is what he’s done to us.” She started crying. “I almost lost my baby because of him.”
“Randy’s sick, Dana.”
She didn’t say anything, but the tears didn’t stop coming. She might’ve betrayed me over and over, but I had cared for her once. I pulled her to me and hugged her. She’d been through a lot, and human contact was powerful. Cass and I—it had all started with human contact and become so much more.
“Dana, did they…” I swallowed, not sure how to find the words. “Did they touch her?… You?”
She shook her head. “N-not her. I couldn’t bear it if they’d done that to her.”
But she said nothing about herself. My heart broke for her. “Fuck, Dana, I’m sorry. You don’t deserve this. You should go to the hospital.”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
“There are things they can do, Dana, to make sure you’re safe.”
“I don’t want to go. I don’t want anyone to ever know what happened to me.”
“How about one person?” I nodded at Jamie. “He’s our club president’s boy but also a doctor at the hospital. He can do for you what they would normally do. Will you let him?”
She sniffed. “He’ll keep it confidential?”
“Yes. I promise.”
“Okay, but now what?”
“You can stay at the clubhouse for a while.” I was sure Grimm wouldn’t have a problem putting her and Jessie up, given the situation. She needed to be around people she knew she could trust. She might not know the brothers, but she knew me and knew she could trust me. “Or if you prefer going back to your apartment, I can have someone watch over you two.”
“If it’s not a problem, maybe we can stay with you for a couple of days. Just until I start feeling safe again. And Jessie, she needs you right now. I’m not sure if I’m of any use to her. I don’t even know if I’m fit to be her mother.”
“Hey, the fact that you’re concerned over whether or not you’re a good mother shows that you are.” I stroked her cheek. “You may not get everything right, but show me one person who does. Your daughter needs you, and there’s no one other person better to raise her than you.”
“You’d do a better job,” she whispered. “I should give her up to you. Funny, I always thought that you being a biker would get her into trouble, but it turns out it’s her own father who did that and you were able to save her. She’ll be safe with you. I know you’ve always wished she was yours.”
“I do, but not at the expense of not having you in her life. She needs you. I’ll be here to help you, and my brothers will be your eyes and ears around this town when it comes to her. But if you feel safer moving away from here, I’ll understand.”
She let out a sigh. “I’ve thought about it.”
“You should. Think about it some more. I hate the idea of not having her around, but if that’s the option you’re comfortable with, I’ll support you.” It would be tough. Jessie meant the world to me, but if it meant keeping her safe and giving Dana back her confidence, then I’d struggle through it.
She laughed softly. “You’re a good man, Mort. I hope that boy deserves you because I know for a fact that I never did.”
Cass’s message. Shit. I’d been so caught up with rescuing Jessie, then being interrogated here at the police station that I’d never read his text. I could sense a lot of apologies tonight in my future, but maybe he’d be too relieved to have me return in one piece to be too upset. Plus, he’d understand this had been urgent.
“I need to call someone, Dana. Give me a minute.”
I took my phone out of my pocket to check Cass’s message and call him, but the battery was dead.
“Hey, Jamie, can you call Cass for me? Tell him everyone’s okay, and we’ll be there soon.”
“Sure.” He got out his phone. “He’s not answering. I’ll send him a message in our group chat. Maybe he’ll respond to that.” But a minute later and Jamie shook his head. “He’s not replying.”
Grimm entered the waiting room then, followed by Ben Witter.
“Try to stay out of trouble,” the chief said. “Whenever you’re involved, someone always ends up getting killed.”
Jamie ran to Grimm, and the president held his boy to him. “Finally, we can go home now.”
He didn’t acknowledge his uncle, which I found strange, but I didn’t give it another thought. I was more worried about Cass. Why hadn’t he picked up his phone? Was he that mad I hadn’t answered his text? But he hadn’t replied to Jamie either. My stomach tied in knots.
I asked Grimm if Dana and Jessie could stay at the clubhouse just for a couple of nights, and of course, Grimm agreed to put them up in the Great House. That settled, Dana and Jessie ended up riding with Jamie in his car, and Grimm and I followed on our bikes.
“Go find, Cass,” Jamie teased when we parked. “I’ll show Dana around and get her settled.”
“Jamie, can I talk to you a minute?” Grimm glanced over at us, but I pulled Jamie to the side despite the president’s frown. He could kick my ass later, but this was confidential.
“What’s up?”
“It’s Dana,” I said softly, aware they were all waiting on us. “She’s been with that man for a few days.”
He nodded. “I understand. Jessie?”
Even the thought made my blood boil. “They left her alone.”
“Thank god. Don’t worry. I’ll handle it delicately.”
“Thank you.” And then for no reason, I hugged him. But I made it a quick one. I didn’t want Grimm a reason to have my head. “Now I have to go face the music with Cass.”
“Good luck.”
Grimm carried Jessie for Dana, and together they headed for the Great House. I ran toward the clubhouse, my adrenaline pumping. What a fucking day. All I wanted was to find Cass, take a shower with him, and bury myself in him all night. I didn’t even want to think about Randy until tomorrow.
Cass wasn’t in the mess hall where the guys were gathered. Noose and Whip sat by themselves, an intense expression on their faces. It seemed they had disagreed over something. Without stopping to answer questions about what had happened, I rushed to my bedroom, threw the door open, but my boy wasn’t there. Frowning, I dug up my charger and plugged in my phone. Then I went back to the mess hall.
