“I’m so sorry you got hurt, Candy. Thank you for taking care of him.”
Candy shrugged. “I wasn’t going to let Donk hit the kid. He was so little, and Donk’s superstrong. He could have killed him. It was bad enough that Bridges kicked him around. Boone and Junk too. All three of them. I didn’t like it, but there wasn’t much I could do.”
“Junk came out and took Zane back into the house and I could see there was no way to get Zane back, so I followed you here. I had to make certain you were all right, Candy. I was so worried about you.” That was genuine enough. She had been worried. Candy had really put herself in harm’s way to protect Zane.
Candy looked pleased. “No worries. He’s a cute little kid. Smart too.”
“You can’t get him back,” Lizard said. “Not without doing what Bridges wants you to do. You have to find them.”
“They aren’t out there,” Breezy objected. She took a deep breath. “I came to talk to you, Candy. I know you love your father. He’s a decent man.” He wasn’t. He was just as involved with trafficking as the others in the club. “I can help you get out of club life. I can find you a job and a good place to live . . .”
Candy frowned. “What are you talking about? The Swords are my life. I love what I do for them. I’m proud of it.”
“You’re proud of them whoring you out?”
“If I can bring in money for the club, then yes.”
“And carrying drugs for them? Accepting all the risks while they get all the profits?”
“Of course. We all do that for them. That’s our contribution. You always did whatever was needed, and you did it gladly.”
Breezy shook her head. “Candy, I didn’t do it gladly. Some things are wrong. The way they treat women is wrong.”
Candy looked horrified. “What’s happened to you? What’s wrong with you, Breezy? I used to look up to you. The Swords are my life. I would never leave, and whatever they want me to do, I’m doing for them. I think you’ve been brainwashed.”
Breezy became aware of Lizard standing between her and the door. He moved closer to it and then rested his back against it.
“I think Breezy’s upset that Bridges took her kid, Candy,” Lizard said, his tone reasonable. Understanding. “Is that it, girl? You’re upset that your daddy took your baby from you and gave you an impossible task?”
She was in a bad position. Candy wasn’t saying those things because her father was in the room, she was saying them because she believed them. In a way, Breezy understood. She’d been terrified to leave the only community she’d ever known. She knew club rules and how to behave. It had been safe there. She’d had to do things she thought were wrong, things she hadn’t liked, but she’d still known how to behave and feel comfortable in the environment. Sometimes, even after three years, she still struggled with how to behave outside the club. So, yeah, she could understand Candy’s reaction.
“Wouldn’t you feel that way, Lizard? He won’t give him back to me. He’s threatening to kill him.” She let her voice waver. Tears for Candy were close. She couldn’t take her out of there because Candy didn’t want to go.
“He’s not going to kill him, especially if it proves that Czar and Steele died in that place with everyone else.”
“Why does Bridges think they’re alive?” It was another chance to try to convince Lizard that Czar and Steele were dead.
“That fuckin’ Deveau is alive. Jackson Deveau. His daddy was sergeant at arms years ago. I remember him. A good brother. That was before we’d gotten so big. Before Evan took us international. Evan hated that kid. Wanted him dead. He got so that was all he could think about.”
“But Deveau doesn’t have anything to do with Czar or Steele, does he?” Breezy asked.
She felt like she was treading on thin ground. At least Lizard had given her an acceptable out for being upset and wanting out of the club. He still hadn’t moved away from the door.
Lizard shook his head. “The connection is through Czar, from what I understand. Turns out Czar has a brother married to some famous singer. They live in that area. That singer has a sister married to Jackson Deveau.”
Breezy allowed the silence to stretch out for as long as she could. “That’s it, Lizard? Bridges is threatening my son because Czar is or was related in a vague, convoluted way to Deveau?” She turned back to Candy. “Does that even make sense to you?”
“Damn it, Bree, you’re doing it again. Stop trying to protect me. Just get out of there. You can’t save Candy if she doesn’t want to be saved. Get out now.”
Breezy didn’t wince at the brutal command in Steele’s voice, but she wanted to. He was angry with her for even engaging with Lizard. He didn’t care if the man knew he was alive. He wouldn’t care if every Swords member knew. He wanted her safe. That was his first priority. Breezy hadn’t known any club could be like that. Steele continually assured her that the majority of the clubs were that way and it was the Swords that was the odd club out.
Candy made a face. “Nothing Daddy said made sense to me. I couldn’t even follow it.”
Lizard shrugged. “I don’t think they’re alive, but Bridges does and that’s what counts, Breezy. Go back and kill Deveau and maybe Bridges will be satisfied.”
“I found Deveau, Lizard. He’s a cop.”
“Get the fuck out of there, Bree,” Steele commanded. The bite in his words did make her wince that time. She could almost hear his teeth snap together.
She knew what Steele meant. She wanted to get out, but Lizard still stood right there at the door, preventing her from leaving. It did provide her with an opportunity to try to convince him that Steele and Czar were dead, and she wasn’t going to waste her chance.
“I was scared to try to kill him, but may
be it wouldn’t be that difficult. If I could get him alone somewhere . . .” She let her voice trail off speculatively.
For the first time, a smile broke out on Lizard’s face. “Now you’re thinking. It wouldn’t be that hard for you. You look young, and if he’s a cop, he’ll want to go all protective on your ass. He’s not going to think you’re in any way a threat to him.”
“If I did, do you think Bridges would let me have Zane back?”
Lizard shrugged. “I can’t say for certain, but I’ll try to convince him.”
“I didn’t find evidence of anyone left alive. He can’t expect me to find ghosts when the club couldn’t find them.” She tried putting a little whine in her voice. She’d never been whiny, so she didn’t think it sounded very authentic, but Candy whined all the time and Lizard would probably buy into it, given that both were female.
“No, but he might tell you he wants you back with him. He hasn’t liked you gone, Breezy. You were always good for him, kept him mellow. You kill Deveau and tell him you want to come back. He’ll let you have your son then.”
Candy clapped her hands together. “Do that, Bree. We could have such good times together.”
Breezy bit down hard on her lower lip to keep from agreeing. They’d have wonderful times getting beat up, used and sent out on dangerous trips as drug mules. Her father would treat her like his personal slave, and poor little Zane would be dodging slaps and kicks from his grandfather.
“Do you think he’d really give me back Zane if I agreed to come back, Lizard?”
“Of course he would. He wants you back with the club, Bree. At no time were you banned officially, even though Steele wanted that. You could have walked into any clubhouse and been taken care of, you know that. Steele made you leave, but if you’d gone to your daddy or come to me, we wouldn’t have allowed that to happen.”
She wasn’t so certain. At the time, the club revered Czar and Steele. They had a strong chapter because of those men. If one of them wanted a woman gone, it was going to happen. All it took was one man wanting her banned and she was. A home was never secure for her in the Swords club. She was just now beginning to believe Steele when he told her that most clubs were more like Torpedo Ink than the Swords. Even the outlaw clubs.