My father stops in front of them on his way out of the room, ”Here’s a picture of Sophie. Don't approach her or talk to her. Just make sure she's hanging out with the right crowd, and that she isn’t snooping around or digging into stuff she shouldn’t be. I want regular updates.”
“Yes, Boss,” one of them agrees, as he takes the photo from Robert's outstretched hand.
“Get this trash out of here.” Robert slaps them both on the back before leaving the room, closing the door firmly behind himself, crossing the hall towards his office and closing the door behind himself.
Not wasting any time, and needing to get away from the horror of what I have just witnessed as quickly as possible, I leave my alcove and dash back down the hall and up to my room.
I spend the rest of the night lying in my bed, wide awake, thinking over everything I heard and saw tonight. I have so many questions I don’t even know where to start. Who were those people? Who the hell is my father? Based on what I saw tonight, he is not the rich businessman that he has been pretending to be.
In fact, I’m willing to bet at least some of those people are part of The Feral Beast criminal gang I was researching. However, if that is the case, that would make my father their notorious leader. If that’s true, then what the hell is he doing in Crescentwood? Whatever it is, one thing I’m sure of, his presence here isn’t for anything good.
The next day, when I finally find my lady-balls and leave the safety of my bedroom in desperate need of coffee, there is a bank card and a new top of the range iPhone on the kitchen counter.
Looking around the foyer and kitchen, everything is as it normally is. You would never have known a secret meeting of violent murderers took place within these walls last night; but everything about this situation, this house, this town, suddenly feels dangerous. I’m no longer fighting just against my father, but against some criminal organisation he has at his back, and I have no idea what to do, or how to get away from it all. I’ve never felt so small, so lost in my life.
Chapter 12
TYLER
“Full club meeting tonight, Boss’s place.” Juan says, sticking his head through the door of my room at the abandoned motel we are currently using for our base here in California, before leaving me alone again, not needing a response from me. I’m not stupid enough to defy the boss’s orders.
Fuck this can’t be good though. Why would the boss insist on every member going to his house, potentially blowing his cover? He would only do that if he had something important to tell us, or something serious had happened.
As I park the car in the driveway of the mansion and take in the various cars, vans, and bikes in the driveway, it's immediately clear that everyone is here, even those we left behind to handle shit in Oregon.
Not wasting any more time, Aiden and I get out of the car, our masks of indifference in place so no one has any idea of our real thoughts; so everyone thinks we are as cold and heartless as they are. No one here can know what we really think of them, of this lifestyle.
Nodding to a few other members as we head inside, we quietly follow everyone else as we make our way through to the back of the house.
Doesn’t his daughter live with him? No one even knew he had a daughter until he told us about his plan; not that he shared much of that with us either. I wonder where she’s been until now; if she knows who her father really is. Surely, she’s somewhere in his gigantic house right now; or maybe she’s out with friends or something. It seems like a big risk to bring us all here though. Isn’t he worried about her seeing us? What would happen if she caught us all here tonight? The boss is as ruthless as they come. I don’t believe he has a heart, or understands empathy, so I don’t for one second believe he would be more lenient on his own flesh and blood, especially a girl. Women aren’t exactly seen as being of much worth in our world. They are good for one thing and one thing only. No, wherever his daughter is tonight; I hope she stays there, far away from us.
Stepping into some sort of office, the reason for this meeting is immediately obvious. Hell, the reason is tied to a chair in the middle of the room, dripping blood onto a plastic sheet beneath him.
Despite his swollen eyes, split lip, and bruises already starting to form on his face, I instantly recognize this guy. He’s one of our newest recruits, Rich, or Ron, something like that. I don’t make a point of getting to know the newer members. Hell, Aiden and I try to keep ourselves as distant from everyone else as we can. We aren’t like these people; this isn’t the life we want, but you can’t just leave The Feral Beasts, so we have to pretend we are just like them. For now.
The guy in the chair is beaten to hell. He’s slumped awkwardly, his hands, which are tied together behind the chair’s back, are the only reason he hasn’t fallen onto the floor already. The guy is basically unconscious, only emitting low groans of pain every now and again. I’m pretty sure he has no idea what is going on around him right now, although that’s probably for the best given I’m certain he’s about to die.
Other than the chair, there is no other furniture in the room, so there is sufficient space for every member to cram themselves in. Once the last member arrives and closes the door behind themselves, a hush settles over everyone; all of the men keen to find out why we are here, and inflict pain on this guy, for whatever he has done to incur the boss’s wrath.
The boss himself, Kirk Jones, or Robert Montgomery, as the people of Crescentwood know him as, leans against the far wall, watching each and every one of us like a hawk as we take in the bloody pulp of a man in front of us.
Kirk doesn’t look anything like his normal self. The usual shaggy beard, leather jacket, jeans and boots have been switched out for a close shave, slicked back hair and a fancy three piece suit. He currently looks more like he belongs in a boardroom; not amongst us unruly outlaws.
“Men,” he begins, bringing us all to attention and officially starting the meeting, “It’s so good to see you all again. It has been too long since we have all been together.
“Unfortunately, we are here under less than pleasant circumstances,” he sneers, casting a disgusted look at the man in the chair. “This meeting has been deemed necessary because justice needs to be served. One of our own has betrayed us, has been colluding with our enemies in a vain attempt to bring us down, but every man in this room tonight knows no one can bring us down. We are The Feral Beasts, we are invincible!” He declares, riling up the crowd of outlaws, each of them nodding in agreement at their indestructibility and readying themselves to take their pound of flesh.
As the men quieten down again, Kirk continues, his voice full of darkness and promises of the pain to come. “Tonight, he will pay for his crimes; for his lack of loyalty; for turning his back on his brothers.”
With that he slips on his brass knuckles and steps up to the man, continuing to beat at him, using smelling salts to return the man to consciousness every time he passes out.
Once Kirk has tired himself out, he steps back, retrieving a knife he had stored in a sheath tied around his waist, initially hidden from my view by his suit jacket.
“This man” he hisses, spitting at the basically unconscious man, “has wronged each and every one of us. As such, it’s only fair that all of us claim our own justice. There is no place for traitors here.” He finishes before hefting his arm up and slamming the knife into the guy's thigh, causing him to howl out in pain.