Truth and Lies: Chapter 21

This meeting with Sharp went exactly as I expected. They’re still blundering around, trying to find the girl and Mia. They’re going to get a surprise when they come back.

Making sure we are all prepared for anything that may occur, we discuss in Church who will stay around inside the clubhouse and who will be monitoring outside.

The club women will be told to leave for the day, we don’t want or need them involved, and the five prospects will be behind the bar or on the gate.

After making sure everyone knows what’s happening and that I’ve claimed Mia as my ol’ lady for the time being to give us leverage if they try and take her, we’re all prepared and ready for whatever happens next.

After breakfast and the meeting in the office with Mia, I roam the main clubhouse room, dining area, and kitchen. My mind is full of ‘what if’s,’ but that’s not my usual way of thinking, so I shake myself off and stand near the main door to wait for them to arrive.

Rogue walks over and stands beside me, ‘They’re on the way. Rock’s back from walking the streets, and they’ve had no sightings of the man or the girl.’

I give Rogue a nod to let him know I heard but keep my eyes on the compound gate. I have a feeling not everything is how it seems, and some surprises are in store.

Hearing bikes, I walk away and back to the office, where Mia sits by the window. I stand next to her, ‘They’re here, we’ll come and get you when it’s time. Be ready, be a Presidents’ ol’ lady.’ she turns to look up at me, ‘When this is done, you can choose if you want to stay an ol’ lady and we’ll make it work, or you can leave, the choice is yours.’ and I run my knuckles down her cheek gently, before turning and walking back into the main room.

The prospect brings me over a coffee as it’s too early for alcohol, and I want a clear head, ‘Thanks, Jig, don’t serve anyone alcohol. If they ask, the bar is closed on my orders.’

Jig nods and walks back over to the bar, where he makes himself busy washing down and clearing away from the night before.

The main door opens, and Drag, Buzz, and Fox lead Sharp and his brothers into the room. I stand and nod to Sharp, who walks over and shakes my hand. Then we sit around the table, ready to start the talk.

‘Okay, Rock has been into the town, talking to our contacts, and nobody has seen the man with your girl. If they’re here, then they’re keeping low to the ground.’ I take a drink of my coffee while I wait for two prospects to hand out pots of coffee and trays with cups and the fixings.

Sharp takes a drink and turns back to me, ‘Can your people have missed them? No disrespect Axel, I’m just trying to find out where to look next.’

‘No, my men miss nothing. If they’re here in town, they’re not staying in any motel or bed and breakfast houses. They are not even staying with the homeless community.’ I rub my forehead as I have the start of a headache, ‘The man your girl is with is an ex-Green Beret, he’ll know how to stay underground, not be seen, and he’s been living as a homeless person, so has allies on the streets.’

‘Fuckin’ hell, this just gets worse by the minute,’ Crack says, looking well and truly pissed off.

‘The man has a good reputation. He’s helped many in trouble on the streets. This is the intel I have from the street people. He stopped a girl from being raped, and he took an old lady home when she was lost, stayed with her until help arrived. There is more, but you get the idea.’ I state, ‘He’s not gonna hurt your girl, but if he finds out you have, then he could hurt you.’

Sharp stands, then paces back and forth a minute before throwing himself back into his chair. ‘Where do ya think he’ll be takin’ her? Any ideas on that at all?’

‘I’ll think he’s followin’ the trail of where Mia went.’

‘Why? Because Zara wants to find her?’ Gunner asks with some anger and resentment in his tone.

‘Well, Gunner, yea, I know who you are,’ I turn to him with my deadpan face, ‘You tell us why your daughter would run to a woman you put in prison rather than be with you and her mother?’ Yea, I put the fucker out there, fucking asshole is what he is.

Gunner jumps to his feet, ‘I don’t know what’s she thinkin’, fuckin’ runnin’ off like this.’

‘If you stopped with your bullshit, you’d know why. We all know why and we don’t even know any of you, but facts have a way of comin’ out.’ Turning to Ruger, I flick my eyes in the offices’ direction. That’s my tell to fetch Mia on my next tell.

Crack sits forward in his chair, placing his forearms on his knees, ‘Any chance you can share your intel, we need to find Zara before our enemies realize she’s missin’, my concern is for her, nothin’ else.’

‘Let’s find out some details, shall we before we jump onto anythin’ else. Let’s find out from Gunner what he thinks happened, because brother, I don’t think he knows fuck all apart from a gut reaction that he was hurt at what he saw at that single moment in time.’ and I sit up and stare right at Gunner, a fucking jerkoff is what he is.

Sharp turns to Gunner and nods for him to speak up and tell what he knows.

Gunner stands, then takes a few paces and back again, trying to get his thoughts in order. While he’s doing that, I notice Ruger walks out of the room. I know him. I know he’s at the ready.

Gunner stops pacing and starts to talk, ‘Miriam came into my life when Zara was about two years old. We got along well right from the get-go. We met at a bar where she was drinking lemonade of all things with a couple of the women she worked with at the bank.

‘She was the first woman I had met who wasn’t a club whore, so she’d no idea who I was or anythin’ about club life. It was refreshing not to be seen as a piece of club meat for the bitches I was usually around.

‘We got together after a few months, and she moved into my house with my girl Zara and me. They seemed to get on well, and Zara learned a lot of things with Miriam teaching her.

‘We were even talkin’ about havin’ a baby together when the shit hit the fan, and her true colors were shown.

‘The day this happened, I had been on a run, just got back, was tired and ready for food and sleep. I walked into the kitchen and saw Miriam on top of Cara, who was screaming for help. When I pulled Miriam off, Cara had a blade stuck in her shoulder, and she was screeching that Miriam wouldn’t allow her to see her daughter, which she had been trying to do for a long time.

‘My vision blurred with anger, and I turned to Miriam and backhanded her across the face. Zara was screaming something. I don’t know what. By that time, I was so livid I didn’t see or hear anything else.

‘I made sure Miriam was arrested and sentenced fast, taken out of our lives, and will be dead when I get my hands on her. Cara told me other shit that Miriam had been doin’, so I made sure her life was hard in the pen.

‘She pretended to love my girl, and that above everything was what had me instantly ready to kill her. She was a lying cunt and deserves everything she gets. Cara told me all that had been goin’ on when I was on runs, hitting Zara and treating her bad.’

‘ALL LIES…’ is said in a firm voice, having us all turn and see Mia standing with Ruger in the doorway.

Gunner lunges towards her, but I step in front of him, shoving him back, ‘You touch my ol’ lady, and you’re a dead man.’

The room is instantly silent, and Gunner gives Mia death glares, which she’s not responding to. She has her head up as I told her. She’s being the Presidents’ Ol’ Lady and acting it well.

I hold my arm out, and thankfully Mia takes the clue and walks to me, bobbing under my arm, and I wrap it around her shoulders. The fact she is much smaller than me helps.

Sharp stands, running his hand over his hair, ‘Fuckin’ hell, this is a mess. You never told us she was your Ol’ Lady Axel.’

‘No, I didn’t, because it’s not your fuckin’ business. My club has nothin’ to do with you, except you give us the respect we give you.’ I state blankly. He can kiss my ass.

The murmurs, cursing, and growling in the room quietens after a few minutes, and my brothers are standing around the room at the ready. The visiting brothers all look pissed, but at who, I’m not sure.

‘Mia, sit next to me and tell your story,’ I say, and gently seat her, but keeping myself ready to jump up if needed.

‘I met Gunner as he stated, we hit it off well, I liked him. We laughed a lot, had good conversations about everything you can imagine, from politics to paintings.

‘When I met Zara, she was two, a pretty little girl who needed a woman around her. She had many Uncles, and they all loved her, but the only females were club skanks who didn’t care about her at all.

‘The only thing I knew about Cara was that she gave birth to Zara, then walked out of the hospital and was never seen again. I never met her, saw her, or spoke about her with or to anyone, so when she turned up that day, I was so surprised I didn’t react for a moment.

‘She burst into the kitchen wielding a knife, screaming about she needed to be back in the club, she needed information for her Ol’ Man, she hated Zara and wished she never had her and that she was going to end her. She lunged at Zara with the knife, and I rushed to stand in front of her, taking a slice of the blade across my upper arm. Then I grabbed her arm, and we struggled. I shouted at Zara to get out of the kitchen and find someone to help.

‘When I looked at Zara, she was frozen to the spot, terrified, I think. So I shouted at her again to get help, still struggling with Cara.

‘Then I managed to get the knife from Cara, and she lunged again, we fell to the floor, I don’t know how but the knife was in her shoulder.

‘That’s when Gunner came into the kitchen and my life as I knew it ended. My life was ruined saving his daughter.’

Everyone started talking at once; disbelief, shock, and anger rushed through the room. Gunner is standing staring at Mia, still in a deadly manner.

Sharp stands from his seat and turns to Gunner, but before he can say anything, Gunner starts to shout, ‘You’re a lying whore.’

We all turn to the door when we hear a small voice say, ‘No, she isn’t, she told the truth.’ and standing there is Zara and a man we don’t know.