THORN (A Brikken Motorcycle Club Saga Book 4) Read online

  "Yep, she's with me. Take the old highway out of Tacoma on the Northside." He paused. "Are you following me?"

  "Northside." She rushed into her daughter's bedroom and opened the six-drawer dresser under the window. "Then, where do I go?"

  "You'll go about ten miles and see a metal fence. Go to the gate. I'll leave instructions there for one of the members to let you in." His voice came in and out as if he moved around while talking to her. "Remember the clothes."

  She pulled out a pair of jeans and Nikki's favorite yellow top with the white daisies on the front and hurried out of the room. "I have her clothes. Is she okay?"

  "She's fine. How long will it take you to get here?"

  By the front door, she shoved her toes in a pair of Vans and worked her foot into the shoes. "Um, twenty minutes. I'm leaving now." She opened the door. "Tell her I'm hurrying to her."

  "Will do. Call if you get lost."

  The call ended. She shoved the cell in her purse, found her keys, and ran toward her car parked at the street in front of the apartment praying she could get the temperamental engine started.

  Twenty-five long minutes later, she stopped in front of a man dressed all in black, holding a flashlight on her. She rolled down the window.

  "Where's my daughter." She gripped the steering wheel tightly.

  "Are you Jessica Talbot?" The man placed his hands on the car door and leaned down.

  She nodded, not taking the time to correct him. "I need to see my daughter."

  "Go on in." The man pushed away from her car and slid the gate open, waving her through.

  She dimmed her headlights at the sight of all the vehicles and motorcycles. Creeping slowly forward, she pulled over to the left with the other cars and jumped out, looking for someone who could direct her to Nikki.

  She was going to kill Ed.

  A big, older man standing by the front door of the clubhouse raised his hand. She ran to him, holding on to her purse and Nikki's clothes.

  "Looking for your daughter?" asked the older man.

  "Where is she?" She hugged her things to her chest, fighting against going around him and opening the door. Nikki must be scared to death being here around all the strangers and loud noises, plus the late hour.

  "She's safe. I'll take you to her. My son has her upstairs in one of the vacant rooms where it's quiet." The older man stepped back and opened the door.

  Forced to wait for him, she hurried after him the moment he walked forward, staring at his back so as not to lose him in the large crowd of people in the building.

  A patch with a rectangle inside the outline of the state of Washington with bars across the whole picture was surrounded by the words Brikken Motorcycle Club on the back of the man's vest. A gray braid hung almost to the middle of his back.

  She shifted her purse and the clothes to one hand, grabbed the stair railing, and climbed the steps. A sense of doom swallowed her up. What if the phone call was a prank and the motorcycle club only wanted to bring her into their domain to hurt her? She should've made the caller let her speak to Nikki or Ed first.

  Swallowing her panic, she knew Ed was a member of the biker gang. While he'd sworn on his life that he would never bring their daughter around his club, she had to believe that Nikki was here. That grown men would not use or harm a child.

  The man stopped. "Thorn has your daughter in the last bedroom on the left. Go ahead and walk in. He's expecting you."

  She glanced ahead of her, back at the man, nodded her head, and jogged down the hallway. At the door, she never stopped. She turned the handle and searched the small room, her gaze landing on a man sitting in a chair holding her daughter to his chest with a blanket thrown around both of them.

  Barely registering the stranger holding her baby, she rushed forward and fell to her knees beside the chair, putting her hand on Nikki's back.

  Her daughter's slim body slightly moving as she breathed stole all the air out of Jessy's lungs, and tears of relief filled her eyes. If anything had happened...

  "There's a bathroom right outside the room at the end of the hallway. You can wake her up and give her a good washing before you get her dressed. I put the clothes she had on in that bag on the dresser," he said.

  "You undressed my daughter?" She slipped her hand between the man's hard chest and her daughter and lifted Nikki into the safety of her arms. Knowing every inch of her baby, she held Nikki tightly. Shaking with outrage, she hissed, "How dare you."

  "I think once you get a whiff of her clothes, you'll realize stripping her down was necessary. She'd pissed herself." Thorn stood, and forced her to look up at him. "You can relax, lady. I've got a boatload of nieces and nephews, plus have two younger sisters. I wouldn't hurt your girl."

  "Nikki doesn't wet herself." She stepped back, intimidated by his size. He was like a storm rolling over her. At least six feet four inches, she wasn't used to dealing with a man who topped her by at least eight inches. His loose hair hung wild past his shoulders and his black beard peppered halfway down his chest with gray hid his expression. She couldn't tell if he was upset, mad, or could care less about her daughter.

  Raising her gaze, she looked into the dark, chocolate colored eyes rimmed with black lashes. Fear for the situation coursed through her. She needed to get Nikki home, put her to bed, and make sure her baby was okay.

  She shifted Nikki and stepped around Thorn and reached down for her purse. He beat her to the bag and handed it to her, along with the clean clothes she'd brought for Nikki.

  "If you're not going to wash her down, go ahead and use the room to get her dressed." He stepped toward the door. "I'll be out in the hallway. Nobody is going to bother you."

  Before she could argue that her daughter was five years old, a baby, and if she wanted to carry her naked to the car wrapped in a blanket and take her home, she could because she was her mother, she found herself shut inside the room staring at the closed door. Her whole body vibrated. She put Nikki on the bed before she dropped her.

  Nikki was small for her age. Only five pounds at birth, she remained skinny regardless of encouraging her to eat more. She was a picky eater, and despite Jessy's concern, Nikki's size was the one thing the doctors weren't concerned over. The long list of worries over her regression into not talking was her main concern.

  She grabbed the clothes she'd brought and opened up the blanket wrapped around her daughter.

  Her heart sunk. Thorn had stripped her daughter completely down, even taking her panties. Her mother's intuition had her leaning forward and pressing her lips to her daughters' flat belly. She couldn't stop the tears as the proof of her daughter peeing herself rose to her nostrils. She dressed Nikki, who thankfully remained asleep. Not usually a heavy sleeper, she became more concerned when she put the Tee over her daughter's head, and Nikki remained asleep. Going with Ed always wore her out more than normal, and she'd believed her ex-boyfriend when he'd told her they'd spent all their time together at his rental.

  Wrapping her daughter in the blanket, she picked her up and held her tightly as she grabbed her purse and opened the door, practically running into Thorn.

  "I'm taking her home." She hitched her sleeping daughter higher on her shoulder, prepared to do battle to get Nikki out of the clubhouse safely.

  "I'll take you out." Thorn walked beside her.

  At the stairs, he put his hand on her lower back. She stiffened, making the steps even more difficult to navigate holding her daughter.

  Downstairs, people talked loudly over the blaring music. She pressed her cheek against Nikki's head, hoping she remained asleep and wouldn't wake up scared to death about being surrounded by rough-looking strangers.

  Thankful to see a door, she hurried out of the building as Thorn led the way. Searching the area, looking for her car, she caught sight of Ed.

  Surrounded by other bikers, Nikki's father yelled her name.

  Her heart raced. He tended to yell insults at her regardless of the audience, and she avoided
spending any time alone with him because of his habit of degrading her.

  Ignoring Ed, she hurried to her car. She'd deal with him when Nikki was in school and wouldn't witness her anger.

  Chapter Three

  Jessica put her sleeping daughter in the booster seat in the backseat of the older car. Thorn hung back taking in the tall, slim, young woman. She wore sneakers and tight jeans showing off legs that went fucking forever. He'd always appreciated a tall woman.

  Behind him, Talbot continued to mouth off, calling his wife's name. Not wanting to leave her or her daughter's side until she was safely in the car, he planned to teach Talbot a lesson on how to treat a woman the moment he had time alone with him.

  Jessica turned around and faced him. "Thank you for calling me."

  "Listen." He stepped forward, blocking her view of Talbot. "You need to know that this isn't the first time your husband—"

  "Ex-boyfriend. We were never married, and we definitely aren't together," she muttered, lifting her chin.

  He nodded, glad for that bit of news. Clearing his throat, changing the direction of his thoughts, he said, "I found your daughter sitting in an unlocked car in the field here tonight. She was soaked with piss. The smell in the car was toxic. I suspect she's been in there a long time."

  Her jaw dropped, and she gawked at him.

  He continued, speaking over the yelling in the background. "When's the last time you've seen your daughter?"

  She gasped. "What kind of question is that? I raise my daughter. Ed...he's barely in her life."

  He blew out his breath. "That's not true, Jessica."

  "Jessy." She half turned and raised her hand to her face. "I don't know what to think about all of this," she said.

  "Does he get her on the weekends? A week at a time?"

  "She was in the car alone?" She frowned at him, ignoring his question.

  He nodded, letting her deal with the facts at her own speed because he needed answers. While waiting for her to arrive, he'd had time to think. Over the last four years, he thought he was losing his mind. Now, he'd swear on his life that the child had been raised inside Talbot's car.

  How that was possible on Brikken land remained a mystery and would need to be rectified.

  "Ed was supposed to have her every weekend until she turns six years old, but he's not reliable. Sometimes he misses his time with her because he's busy." She rubbed her face, pulled her hands away, and wrinkled her nose. "My hands stink," she whispered, her voice breaking.

  Her kid stunk. How she hadn't realized that before now escaped him. It wasn't a smell she could ignore.

  "He always brings her back in clean clothes and bathed. This doesn't make sense." She looked up at Thorn. "He's left her alone before?"

  His chest tightened. He was the only person who had ever heard her child's cry, it would be his word against Talbot's.

  "Jessy, she's got a cry that just..." He patted his chest. "I've been hearing it off and on for four years. I've asked others if they heard the noise, thinking it was an animal or bird that was wounded. I've spent many hours out here looking, searching, trying to find what would make that kind of cry."

  She stumbled backward. He grabbed her arm, steadying her.

  "Oh, my God," she whispered, leaning against him.

  He held her slight weight, knowing if he let go, she'd collapse to her knees.

  "She doesn't talk." Her body trembled. "Nikki moans and cries instead of saying her words."

  He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes an extra beat. That would explain what was wrong and the odd noise she made.

  Talbot's yelling escalated. Thorn guided Jessy to the driver's door and set her inside. She needed to get out of here before he dealt with Talbot. Afterward, he'd deal with the abuse of the child.

  "I don't want him near her ever again," she whispered.

  She didn't have to say Ed Talbot's name. He knew who she was talking about.

  "Brikken won't let him bother you."

  "Promise?"

  "Yep." He looked behind the seat at her daughter asleep. "I promise."

  She found her keys in her purse and started the car. He held on to the opened door, unwilling to let her leave. Her hands shook, and she kept looking in the rear-view mirror.

  "Are you going to be okay to drive?"

  She hooked her blonde hair behind her ears and steeled her jaw making her heart-shaped face determined. "I have to be, don't I?"

  "I'll have a couple of riders follow you. If you feel funny or don't think you can drive, pull over and one of them will take you home." He stayed beside her.

  She shook her head. "I don't want them around me."

  He looked over toward the entrance to the clubhouse. D-Con, Jett, and Freddy held Talbot, not letting him loose. He wanted to stay and beat the shit out of his MC brother for the abuse and neglect he'd put on the child.

  "I'll follow you," he said, finding himself needing to make sure Jessy and her daughter were safe at home first.

  "No."

  He turned back to her. "I'll make you a deal. You let two riders follow you and make sure you arrive home safely, and I'll get answers out of your ex-boyfriend, and you can find out what he does with your daughter during the times he's responsible for her care."

  She refused to look at him but nodded. He shut her door and stepped back, whistling for Shore's attention out at the gate. Waving his arm over his head, he watched Shore move to open the exit. Finding Olin standing outside by the others guarding Talbot, he jogged over and asked his brother to get another member and for both of them to follow Jessy home.

  Knowing Jessy and her daughter was taken care of, he stalked over to where the others held Talbot. He pointed to the garage next to the clubhouse. "Take him inside."

  Jett appeared beside him. "I know how things look, but do you have the full story of what's going on?"

  He stopped and faced his oldest brother. As president, Jett required every situation to follow a procedure. The biggest crime a member could commit would be to go against Brikken. To break that loyalty that was demanded from them all meant either their patch removed or death, depending on the situation.

  To Thorn, family loyalty went hand in hand with the Brikken bylaws. For Talbot to neglect his daughter, he harmed Brikken. He would never trust an MC brother who hurt his blood.

  "Nobody can tell me that tonight was the first time Talbot left his daughter alone in that car while he attended a Brikken party." His jaw ached from the rage building inside of him. "I've heard that little girl cry for several years. Years. Think back to how many times I've asked you if you heard a strange noise or felt someone watching the clubhouse."

  Jett looked off into the distance of the night. "I know you've been claiming—"

  "Not claiming, man." He waited until his brother looked at him again. "That little girl I found covered in piss, crying her heart out, has spent more time in that car in her short life than I've spent on the seat of my Harley this year. I'd stake my life on it, and if I go in there and find out Talbot has neglected his daughter and used his old beater as a babysitter every time he's supposed to be watching her, I'm going to kill the motherfucker."

  "You can't step between a man and his woman." Jett rubbed his hand, where his useless fingers were hidden inside a riding glove. "Using Brikken land to neglect his child is the only crime we can punish him for."

  "Bullshit. That kid needs someone to stand up for her." He walked off.

  The hell with Brikken procedures. It'd taken four years for him to find that baby. Something about her gripped his heart. Whether others could've heard her or not, she spoke to him. Cried for him.

  He understood her pain.

  Jessy spoke of the child not talking. He had no idea what was wrong with her, and the reasons were unimportant.

  He pushed through the garage door.

  Talbot rushed him the second he stepped inside. D-Con and Freddy caught him before he could make contact.

  "You have no
fucking right to touch my daughter," yelled Talbot.

  Thorn stepped up to the man, pulled back his arm, and punched him in the mouth. The others held Talbot up on his feet. Already shitfaced, it wouldn't take much to knock him out.

  He needed answers.

  Taking his knife off the clip on his belt, he opened the blade. "How long have you kept your daughter in the car while you attended Brikken parties?"

  "Fuck you," said Talbot, slurring over the blood rolling over his lips and down into his beard.

  Thorn half turned, looked to Jett—who narrowed his gaze giving him permission, and faced Talbot again. He grabbed the man's vest, slid his blade between Talbot's Brikken patch and the leather of his vest, cutting the threads.

  "Oh, Jesus, no." Talbot's body sagged before D-Con and Freddy pulled him back up.

  Without his patch, Talbot had no protection against the members surrounding him. He no longer belonged to Brikken. Now viewed as a traitor, his life meant nothing to the three hundred and fifty odd Brikken members.

  Worse than nothing. Talbot was a risk. A piece of garbage that was now a threat to their livelihood.

  "You've used Brikken." Thorn's voice came out low as he barely held in his need to end the man's life.

  "No, man." Talbot's eyes closed at the realization that he was done. "This is private shit. Family shit. I'm loyal, brother. I wouldn't. No, don't do this."

  Thorn used the tip of his blade to lift the man's chin. "It would take two minutes for the blood to drain out of your body."

  Tears mixed with blood coming from Talbot's mouth dirtied the knife. He trailed the sharp tip of the blade along Talbot's neck, cutting through the first layer of skin.

  "Don't fight it." In control, Thorn tilted his head and studied the man.

  It would be easy to end his life. He'd neglected a child. The number of cries he'd heard was buried deep in his heart. He couldn't forget the sound. The mournful, fearful wails woke him at night and haunted his days.

  Tonight, a sweet, innocent face matched with the sounds that no child should ever make.

  "You have one chance to save your life." Thorn pressed the tip of the knife into Talbot's neck. "All I want you to do is nod. Lie and give me bullshit and I'll stick you like a pig."