Savage Sacrifice: Savage Angels MC #5 (7 page)

“Of course, I love Dane. It’s not that simple. There're other things to consider.”

“Like what?” asks Dave.

I don’t want to talk about this. With every question, it feels like Dave is carving me up from the inside. I glance up at him, and he seems so concerned, he moves and sits near me in another chair. He’s the closest thing I have to a family.

“You did background checks on Dane before we got married didn’t you?”

“Princess, I did a background check on everyone in that town that I thought you would come in contact with. Why do you ask?”

“You let me marry him, even though you knew everything about him?”

“Oh, princess, I’ve never
let
you do a damn thing in your entire life. You’ve always done as you pleased and marrying Dane was no exception.” Dave stands and goes to the bar and pours us a drink. He walks back to me with a grin and passes me a glass before sitting down. “It’s happy hour somewhere. Even if I’d told you all there was to know about Dane, you love him. You wouldn’t have listened and frankly, he would do anything for you. I do not approve of him hitting you, no matter the circumstances, and I will tell him so, but right now, he’s not the one I’m worried about, you are.”

“He lied to me, Dave. He told me that someone had left town when they were dead, and he won’t share any details with me. Dane won’t even discuss the MC with me. We’ve been trying to start a family and he missed a doctor's appointment, the one he promised he’d come to.”

Dave’s lip curls up on one side, and he tilts his head as though he’s studying me. He takes a sip of his drink and sighs.

“Did it occur to you that he didn’t tell you about Fith for the safety of others?”

“You knew?
You
fucking knew?”

He waves a hand at me and takes another sip of his drink. “As for the MC, think of it like a business, he’s not going to share all the ins and outs with you. It’s business. And after everything you’ve put your body through, now you want a family. Except you left your husband, came on tour and didn’t go to the doctors appointment, did you? If we’re laying all our cards out on the table, with all the trauma your body has gone through, it’s most likely you that’s holding the baby-making process up. Unless, of course, that hunk of a man of yours has some sexually transmitted disease that has made his swimmers more like floaters?” Dave says frankly.

“Think of the MC like a business?” I ask sternly. “It’s
not
a fucking business, it’s a bunch of neanderthals running around riding Harleys!”

Laughter rumbles up out of Dave’s chest. “It
is
a business, a very profitable one, and you know it. They own, garages, brothels, strip clubs, and if my talks with Sal are right, lots of real estate. At one time they may have been Neanderthals riding Harleys, but not for a while.”

I know he’s right, I’m just annoyed that he knows more about them than I do. I’m lashing out like a spoiled child.

I turn my head to look out the window to the city we’re in. “Where the hell are we?”

“Houston.”

I continue to stare out the window. “I didn’t want to go to the doctors by myself. I didn’t want the burden of it being my fault without Dane to lean on. I’m not sure if I could have handled that information on my own. It’s easier to blame him than to have to face my demons.” A tear slides down my face, and I brush it away.

“Kat, you know that speaks volumes, don’t you? The fact that you didn’t want to face it on your own? Princess, what are you doing on this tour without him?”

His question causes me to turn my head back to him, compassion is etched into his features and his blue eyes look sad. “I told you, he lied, he kept things from me, and he let me down.”

“Dane couldn’t tell you about Fith as it would have implicated Sal and God knows who else. As for keeping things from you, you have to give him time. It’s the way it’s done in his world, the women aren’t involved in
any
of their dealings. Then there’s the letting you down,” he reaches for my hand, “he missed a doctor's appointment, and you,
you
showed him by leaving, calling yourself Kat Saunders and going on tour? Shall I hold a mirror up to you, so you can see your own flaws?”

His words cut deeper because they’re true. My throat closes with emotion, and I can’t speak. Tears flow down my face, as words fail me. Dave stands and leaves the room. I’m left alone with a glass of Fireball, and my misery, and I know it will always be this way if I don’t find my way back to Dane. I’m not sure how to fix the mess I’ve caused.

There’s a knock at the door, I get up to open the door to the suite, and standing on the other side is Will. He takes one look at me and wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his body and out of the room.

He keeps walking and I have no idea where we’re going. Will takes his jacket off, places it over my head wraps his arms around me and ushers me out of the hotel and into a cab.

The jacket slips away and Will keeps me tucked into his side. The cab stops, Will grabs my hand and drags me out.

“Will–“

“No, don’t think, you do too much of that. Just keep walking, I want you to see something.”

Still holding my hand he takes me into a massive concrete structure, it’s not until we get inside that I realize we’re in a museum. We walk down the hallways, and Will seems lost in the paintings, he doesn’t even look at me, but his thumb strokes my knuckles continuously. After half an hour he stops beside a bench seat and sits down. There're a few people about but no one pays us any attention, most are lost in the art that surrounds us.

Will points at a painting in front of us. “This is my favorite. Every time I come and look at this one I see something different.”

I study the painting, it’s hauntingly beautiful. It’s a woman, she appears young and from the imagery around her, I think she must be dead.

“Why do you like it?”

“I knew the artist. He was amazing but one of those tortured souls. Life was too much for him. This painting was of a woman he knew who died. Michael never got over it. There’s a whole series of them. I own one. I like to come here and see it on display, makes me think that maybe when I’m gone someone might remember me in the same way.” He glances at me and gives me a sad smile.

“Your music will live on. You’ll be remembered.”

Will holds up my hand, kisses the back of it and places it on my knee, letting me go. “That’s sweet of you, Kat, but I’m not so sure. Enough about me, what had you so sad at the hotel?”

“Dave likes to get me in touch with my emotions. Sorry, guess you got me at a bad time.”

“Or a good time, depending on how you look at it.” Will places his elbows on his knees and leans forward, looking down. “I am sorry about rehearsals the other day. I’m guessing that’s why we’re having this big meeting in your manager's suite and not mine?”

I rub his arm. “No, it’s got nothing to do with that. Dave thinks we all need to rehearse more and he’s going to insist on it,” I lie.

“Your manager thinks
you
need more rehearsals? You lot rarely hit a wrong note. I know we’re the ones who need to practice more, it’s hard when your album is at number one and the guys don’t think we need to,” Will admits.

“What? That’s ridiculous. If you’re at number one or number one hundred and one you still need to practice. Surely they aren’t
that
conceited?”

A look goes across Will’s face, for a moment I think he’s mad, then he turns his head to face me, with a tight smile he says, “When was the last time The Grinders album sat at number one for more than a week?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” I ask genuinely surprised by his question.

“Seems to me, if you guys practiced less and had more fun, you’d be enjoying this tour a hell of a lot more.”

I’m stunned by his arrogance. If you don’t practice often and keep yourself in shape you can’t perform every night, it’s too exhausting and you burn out. I stand and look down at him, confused by his outburst.

“I’m going back to the hotel, Dave will be expecting me-us,” I say as I turn my back on him and head for the door.

“Kat, hang on. I’m sorry, I’m a jerk.”

“Yeah, I’m beginning to see that,” I respond without looking back.

I feel his hand wrap around my upper arm and I stop. “Kat, please wait. You’ve been under so much stress. I think you need to have a little fun. Today, here in the museum was fun, wasn’t it? I felt so comfortable with you, it’s one of my favorite places, and I shared it with
you
.”

I glance up at him. His face is one of hurt, as though I have done something wrong. “Will, we all need to rehearse,
every day
. If you don’t get that maybe you should be on tour with someone else.” I say stonily.

“Whoa! Let’s reign this in. I don’t want to tour with anyone else. Kat,” he reaches up and moves my hair off my face, “please don’t dismantle the tour. I think we-our bands-would be good for each other.”

“Will, you know I’m married, right?”

His hands fall away and he looks hurt again. “Yeah, love, I know you’re married, and I know he’s not here.”

I take a step back from him. “No, he’s not, but that doesn’t make me any
less
married.”

“No, it doesn’t, and I apologize if I’ve made you uncomfortable. I feel a connection with you, Kat, and I’m not going to lie, if you weren’t married, I’d be chasing you all over this tour. I respect your values, and I haven’t pushed, but we can be friends, right?”

Will is smiling at me nodding his head expectantly. The last thing I need on this tour is a disgruntled Will Van Ryken, Rockplay will be hell to tour with if I don’t fix this.

“Of course, we’re friends.”

Will lets out a breath and smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Come on, Kat, let’s get back to Mr. Lawrence and sort this tour out.”

“Sounds good.” He reaches for my hand and I let him take it as I don’t want anymore animosity between us, but it no longer feels good. I feel like a mouse who’s playing with a snake.

H
ouston, compared to Tourmaline, is a huge city. I’ve only ever been here once, and that was to welcome in the new President, Milo, of this Chapter. We don’t always see eye to eye as they still sell drugs and occasionally guns. Most of the other Chapters have seen the light and understand that expansion is what it’s all about. Milo likes the easy money, he doesn’t want to have to work hard. On more than one occasion he’s voiced his disapproval and claims I’m trying to gentrify the MC. As if anyone could do that.

Dirt and I are waiting inside the hotel in Houston that Kat is staying in. Judge has kept in touch, but I get the feeling he’s holding something back. He’s been around The Grinders more than any other member of the MC, I made him Kat’s unofficial bodyguard. Judge said the two bands are in a meeting in Dave’s suite, and that he’d ring as soon as Jasmin came back to their room.

So, we’re waiting. I hate waiting. I’d rather get on with it and interrupt their meeting, but I don’t want to push my wife any further away. I’ve had two cups of coffee, and I signal the waitress for another. We’re in our colors, no need to hide who we are, the world knows who I am, anyway. The waitress puts another cup in front of me, just as Kat and Will walk through the lobby holding hands.

“Dane what the fuck is wrong?” asks Dirt looking at me worriedly. I point at them, they’re standing at the elevators just past reception. Dirt turns his head. “
Fuck
.” He shakes his head and looks back to me. “What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to cause a scene like last time. But I sure as hell don’t like that fucker touching
my
woman.” The elevator doors open and they go inside, and I’m left feeling like a fool.

I pick up my cell and call Judge, he answers almost immediately. “They’re not–“

“Is she fucking him?” I growl.

“What?”

“Is Kat fucking that dirtbag Will Van Ryken?”

“I don’t know, Dane. I don’t think so, but I don’t know for sure.”

“How do you
not
fucking know? Did I not leave you here to look out for her? To protect her?” I ask, slamming my fist onto the table.

The waitress looks worried, and a few of the customers in the restaurant look at me with fear.

“Dave told me I could stay if I kept away from her. Told me I would upset their artist fucking process if I interfered. From the little I’ve seen of her, she keeps to herself.”

“I’ve just watched her walk through the lobby holding hands with the fucker. Come meet me. Now.” I hang up and look down at my hands. There are balled into fists, and I can feel my anger swirling within me.

Dirt clears his throat. “We don’t know any-fucking-thing. Did you see her face? She didn’t look happy to me. Don’t jump to any conclusions. Kat is a wild child, but she doesn’t like cheaters. Fuck, you
know
that.”

“If that was me walking hand-in-hand with a chick through a hotel lobby, what the fuck do you think
she
would think?” I ask flexing my hands as I do.

He nods and signals to the waitress, who practically runs to our table. “Yes, Sir?”

“Whiskey, a bottle, two glasses.” She nods and hurries away. “Relax. Have a drink. Let me go and talk to her.”

“And what the fuck do you think that will do?” I growl.

“For starters, Prez, you’re too wound up, a cooler head might be what’s needed.”

Judge walks into the restaurant and heads toward us. “Prez.”

The waitress comes back with the whiskey and two glasses.

“We’ll have another glass please,” I say.

I open the bottle and pour myself a generous serve, downing it in one go. I stand and look down at my men.

“I’m going for a walk. Alone. Dirt if she’ll see you, talk to her. I have my cell if you need me.”

Dirt stands. “Brother, it’s not a good idea for you to be walking around Houston by yourself, we don’t have a lot of friends here.”

“Let them fucking try something,” I growl as I stalk out of the hotel.