Kota (Rogues of Hell MC, Book 2)

Sheriff Mark Carter began questioning Luna, “What was your dad’s name? Or the name of the man you thought was your dad?” Allen asked.

“Dennis Matchy. I told you his name wasn’t on my birth certificate, so I really have no idea if he was my father or not. I was about five years old when the state came in and took me out of his house and that was when I went to the home and met Cat. He went to prison on a number of charges that included child abuse and I think drug dealing?”

“Do you recall what city this was?” Mark asked.

“Eau Claire, Wisconsin I think? The home I was taken to was in Odessa. Well, the orphanage I should say is in Odessa. When I left that place, the town listed was Eau Claire as the town I was from on my discharge papers.”

“What date was listed on your birth certificate?” Mark wanted to know. “And which hospital were you born in?”

“My birth certificate says I was born April 19, 1997 at St. Martins hospital in Eau Claire.”

Mark nodded. “Did your certificate have a mother’s name?”

Luna looked down at her hands. “No, according to what I was told while at the orphanage, my birth mother wasn’t listed on my birth certificate and she walked out of the hospital the same day I was born and never actually named me. She never even bothered to hold me or look at me, so I’m told.” Her voice sounded forlorn and full of sadness.

Cat reached for her hands to comfort her.

Mark cleared his throat and said, “We’ll check this out.” He looked over at Allen and nodded, he was done for now. 

When they got to their feet, Hawkins stared at them. “We’ll be checking on her story as well.”

Mark nodded. “We’ll keep you informed of whatever Billy Ray has to say about Isobel also.”

Hawkins snorted. “Just as long as you don’t take what he says as law. From what I know about Isobel and her kind, is that a lie will be more likely to sway you to their side. But the truth will come out and nine times out of ten, the truth will fuck them up.”

“We’ve dealt with the likes of Isobel and her kind before,” the Sheriff replied with a knowing look in his eyes. “Everything he tells us, we’ll verify twice before we believe it.” He looked around the room. “You boys take care of yourselves until we can find Isobel.”

Hawkins watched as the two men left the building then he slowly looked around the room.

Kota cleared his throat and said, “Dad when are we gonna talk about what we all overheard Isobel say today?”

Hawkins rubbed his hand along his jaw and shook his head. “She claimed she shot Jesse because he saw something he shouldn’t have, but what? What did he see? And why would she need us gone to find it?”

“No,” Cash spoke up. “She said, Jesse found something he never should have and he buried it on club grounds. That he never should have gotten his hands on it, especially once he realized what it was. And she needed it back. Now the question is what did Jesse find and where would he have hidden it after he found it?”

Hawkins looked over at Cash. “The only place he had access too, would be my guess.”

“The safe,” Cash suggested.

“Maybe.” Hawkins stood up and shrugged, “Only one way to find out.” He reached inside his cut and retrieved the key that Cat had gotten and handed it to him. “Let’s go find out.”

Hawkins, Cash, and Wilder led the way to the office.

The others followed.

Titan cupped Cat’s elbow and led her into the office where Hawkins slid the back wall open to reveal a huge floor to ceiling safe. It was an old bank safe that had been locked for twenty four years, ever since Jesse had been murdered.

Kota and Luna joined them and made their way over to where Titan and Cat were standing.

Hawkins inserted the key and slowly turned it to open the safe. It looked a bit rusty after being unused for so long but finally, the lock snapped open and Hawkins could lift the handle to open the safe.

When he opened the door, everyone could see what was inside.  A fair amount of cash filled the bottom shelf of the safe… the club’s money that Hawkins, Cash and Wilder put away from day one of the club’s existence. The next shelf held the charter of the club. These were the papers the three men who formed the club wrote the rules for the men under them. Every time they got a new brother, the brother had to agree to the rules the club lived by or walk away.

The Rogues of Hell MC lived by a simple set of rules, no drugs, dealing or otherwise. They had lost a few brothers over the no drug rule but that was one of the rules and everyone agreed.

Cash and Wilder moved closer when Hawkins found something he didn’t recognize.

On the top shelf was a handwritten note in Jesse’s handwriting. Hawkins lifted it out and stared at the slip of paper before he looked up at the others. “This doesn’t make any sense to me. All it says is Bojangles. What or who the fucking hell is Bojangles?”

He looked around the room and everyone there had the same look in their eyes. No one knew anything about any Bojangles. He looked at Cat and found her frowning. “Cat, do you know who this Bojangles person might be?”

Cat shook her head. “No I don’t.” Her eyes were hidden by Titan’s dark glasses but her body language told them she was telling the truth. “I was only three when he died and we left but I don’t remember any Bojangles from back then.”

Hawkins shook his head then and said, “Well I sure as hell don’t remember him talking about any Bojangles.”

Cat turned to look at the window and frowned. Her sight was getting better all the time but the light coming in was stronger now and it was giving her a bit of a headache. She got Titan’s attention and whispered, “I’m going to go check on Bear.”

Titan asked her, “Do you want me to go with you?”

Cat shook her head. “No, you stay here. I’ll have Luna take me back.” She turned to Luna and held out her hand.

Luna took it and they left the office area and made their way back to the Infirmary. When they stepped into the room they found Bear laying on a mattress on the floor under the window.

Cat sat down beside him and took off the glasses that hid her eyes.

“Are you okay Cat?’ Luna asked.

Cat nodded. “Yeah, I think so. The last time I lost my sight I was a kid and it took three months before I got it back. I was totally lost in the dark for so long but this time I’m coming back much faster and the light is really bothering me right now.”

Luna nodded. “Ok, so what’s with the wolf? I mean really, a wolf?”

“Hey, don’t knock my wolf,” Cat told her with a smile. “He led us straight to you when we found you in the woods.” She reached out her hand and ran her fingers through Bear’s fur. “I know he’s not my old dog, but he’s all I got right now. I couldn’t just let him die.” She sighed and leaned her head back against the wall. “You know about my gift right? You saw it when we were kids and you also saw how I was treated because of it. Those Nuns were not very open minded about things like that. Well, I came here because a woman was murdered, she called out to me. She didn’t want the wrong man to go to jail for her death. The man who was charged was Kota. I saw him in court and then Titan followed me and brought me here. I didn’t want to come either. I didn’t realize it at the time but I was born here. That old man Hawkins is my grandfather and Kota is my uncle. But you know the more I learn about this place the more I want to just get away from here. My mother brought nothing but death to this place. I realized that she murdered my dad and another man right in front of me when I was three years old. Then she was responsible for two more deaths around the same time. She only took me out of here to hurt Hawkins, she never loved me but she wouldn’t leave me here either.” Cat was silent for a moment then she continued, “I was with my grandparents, her own parents and she ran their car off the road. Killing her own parents and her sister and husband. That woman has no heart at all. Now she’s after you and me. She isn’t going to stop until we’re both dead, or she is.”

“But why me?” Luna asked. “I don’t even know your mother.”

“Maybe you do know her and just don’t realize it.” Cat shrugged. “You and I could be half sisters.”

Luna shook her head. “I really don’t think so. That just doesn’t seem right, you know? I mean I wouldn’t mind it but it just doesn’t seem right somehow. Growing up with Dennis Matchy as a dad was a lousy deal I’ll admit, but I just don’t see him as my dad either. Maybe I didn’t belong to either of them and my parents are still out there somewhere but if that’s the case, they don’t need to step up and claim me anymore either. I survived without them this long and I don’t need them anymore. Although why I ended up with Dennis is beyond me. He sure as hell didn’t want me.”

Cat chuckled softly. “Our lives were a mess back then and the situations we’re in now, doesn’t seem to be much better. The only difference is back then, we had no choice but now we do. Whatever we choose to do today is our choice. The only good thing about coming here is that I met Titan.”

Luna smiled and reached out to squeeze her hand. “I’m happy for you Cat, if anyone deserves a happy ending, it’s certainly you.”

“Hold off on that happy ending,” Cat warned her. “This situation isn’t over by a long shot. Isobel is still out there and now, she’s wounded and back on the run. I have a bad feeling this isn’t over yet.”

“What do you mean?” Luna asked.

“There are more ghosts in the woods other than just those that have already been found,” Cat told her softly. “Sadly, more trouble is coming. I can feel it in my soul, but I can’t tell them what’s coming. I can only feel it.”

“What is it you are feeling?” Luna asked.

”Betrayal, pain, I can smell blood in the air. The ghosts are waking up from their long sleep and they are looking for justice. The wolves have stood guard over them all this time but even now, the wolves are gathering for the day of reckoning that’s coming. That’s why I couldn’t just let this one die.” She ran her hands over Bear’s fur again. “The wolves protect the woods for a reason. I’m not sure what that reason is right now, I only know they aren’t going to hurt any of the men here. I also have a feeling that anyone who tries to come here and hurt these bikers or their families, won’t be so lucky.” Then she turned her head and saw a shadow standing at the door.

Luna turned her head and gasped as she saw Titan and Kota standing there.

Kota stared at her like she was crazy.

Titan ignored his look as he came into the room. Making his way right to Cat, he knelt in front of her. “Honey, what else do you feel?”

Cat lifted her hand to cup his cheek. “I don’t know, Titan. All these images are bombarding me, when they come all at once they get jumbled out of sequence. I haven’t said anything because….I just don’t know what’s coming. The only things I can figure out is the sense of betrayal, the pain of loss and the scent of blood in the air.”

“What kind of bullshit is this?” Kota snarled.

Hawkins and Cash along with Wilder and JuJu, Wanderer and Boots had joined them in the doorway.

Luna snapped her head around and glared at him. “It isn’t bullshit. She has a gift and it’s very real.”

Cat felt Bear stir under her hand and she looked down at the wolf and felt his tongue on her hand. “Bear, you’re awake.”

The wolf whined and began to move.

Titan moved away and watched as the huge animal struggled to get to his feet.

No one else dared to move.

The wolf stood next to Cat and she reached out for him. “Oh Bear, you made it. You’re gonna be okay now aren’t you?” She buried her face in his fur.

Bear nuzzled her neck and everyone in the room held their breath. Then the wolf licked her face. He covered her entire face, licking her.

Cat giggled and pushed the wolf away. “I believe your pack is waiting for you.” She began wiping away the slobber from her face then she blinked and looked at the window. Her eyes suddenly cleared and she could see again. “Oh, my god…” she whispered. She looked back at Bear and smiled. “Boots, is he gonna be okay?” she called out.

Boots snorted. “Yeah, I think he’ll be fine now. The bullet didn’t do too much damage and he’s strong. But he will recover better with his own kind if you ask me.”

Cat scrambled to her feet then she hugged the wolf. “Come on then, your pack is waiting.” She walked to the door and Bear followed her all the way down the hall to the back door. When she opened it, two of his pack were waiting there. She stepped back.

Everyone had followed her and the wolf. They all stepped back when seeing the new wolves at the steps.

Bear ambled out the door. The wolves were happy to see him, as they licked and bumped into him showing they were happy to see their leader. He led them back into the woods. He walked a little slower but the rest of the wolves turned and followed him into the shadows.

Titan slipped his arms around Cat and gave her a kiss on her cheek. “I’m glad he’s okay.”

“Me too.” Cat turned her head and stared at him for a moment.

It took him that long to notice something different about her. “You can see again, can’t you?” he finally asked.

Cat nodded. “Yeah, I can.”

“Can you explain what you meant before?” he asked her. “What you were telling Luna in the infirmary.”

Cat shrugged. “Exactly what I said. This isn’t over by a long shot. In fact, it’s only just beginning. I see shadows of the past coming back and I don’t think it’s a good thing.”

Hawkins and the others all heard her words and her warning. No one knew what or how the past would come after them but more than one man standing there felt a cold shiver in his soul.