Placing my hand on the knob, I push the door open without bothering to knock. Boss’ nostrils are flaring and her fists are balled on her desk. Her hair spans down and she reminds me of a demon in one of those Asian horror films, specifically The Grudge. One thing’s for certain, she’s furious.
“Want to tell me what’s happened?” I question as I enter her office and shut the door behind me. A flicker of white causes me to look at the ground and I spot the vase she broke.
“Not really,” she breathes, her tone full of fury.
“Stoney piss you off?” She was supposed to be talking with him.
She meets her eyes with my own, reminding me of a cornered animal about ready to fight for its life. “One of his idiots killed their prisoner. He didn’t give them anything useful. We’ve hit a dead end with the cult, Cowboy. We’ve hit a fucking dead end!” She screams, picking her laptop up from her desk she throws it across her office and it shatters on the floor.
“Tala, breathe.” I don’t call her by her birth given name often but considering her emotional state I’m not left with much of a choice. This fascist cult has taken so much from her. Just as she was starting to mend the broken relationship with her father, he was killed in cold blood, by his own father. Tala has deep personal links with wanting this cult to be burned to the ground, and she’s on a mission to ensure it happens. Hitting a dead end . . . fuck. I can’t imagine what it feels like for her.
Her nostrils continue to flare and her neck begins to flush a cherry red color. If I’m certain of anything, it’s that she feels like her world is falling apart. “How am I supposed to—how am I—when they’re still out there? Fuck! They took Faith. They killed my dad.” Tears form in her eyes and she holds a hand over her chest, her harsh breathing suddenly turning to rasps. Tala falls to the ground on her knees so I break the distance between us and sit on the ground beside her, rubbing her back as she breathes, trying to help her calm down.
She’s our national charter president, the head bitch in charge, but to me she’s more than that. We share a daughter. She’s never confirmed it, but she’s never told me that isn’t the case. We’ve never said much about what we view one another as, but her and I aren’t really the talking type. We screw on occasion and when we do it’s intense as fuck. Hell, I think if we were, shit would be so much more complicated. She lives here and I live in Calgary. I’m only in town for the next couple days because I have some business to tend to for my club. I’m the president of the Calgary charter. And man, it seems like it’s a whole world away from Queens.
Tears stream down Tala’s cheeks, hitting the floor below us and her breaths slow down enough that she isn’t gasping for air any longer. I don’t wrap my arms around her and pull her to me, even though I want to, because I know better. I know not to touch her like that unless she tells me I can. She’s a complicated woman, and that’s all I can say about her. I know there are many demons that plague her, so I don’t attempt to even understand what that’s like.
“God dammit. I can’t believe this!” She slams her balled up fist against the floor in frustration.
“Tala, you’re not alone. We’re gonna get these guys. I promise you, we’ll get them. They’re only being cowards right now, sticking to the shadows because they know we’re onto them.”
“I hate how life works out, how my dad isn’t here to see Destiny. He wasn’t perfect, but he was trying. It’s—cause of that damn cult—he’s not here.” She chokes through her tears, emotions rolling through her in a way I never thought they could.
Tala’s dad was Rage, an infamous man to say the least. He was known by some as a legend, while he was feared by most for his crass behavior and unpredictable actions. Most called him a monster, viewed him as an animal. Hell, even Tala did. But, he was something else to her too—her father.
“We are going to get them. I know we will. I’ll help you in whatever way I can, even if I’m in Calgary.” I say, trying to boost her mood a bit. She’s never the type of woman who gives up, but that’s not to say she won’t have a few moments like this. Everyone does. It’s only natural.
She cranes her neck and stares directly into my eyes. “You won’t want to help me, Cowboy, not after I tell you.”
Reactively I bring my eyebrows together, “There’s nothing you could tell me that would do that, Tala.” I tell her, running my hand over the top of her back, passing over her neck, and starting to cup her face, but she tears herself away from me.
Her eyes fill with more wetness and the tears come out harder than they ever have tonight. “What’s going on, Tala?” I question while a sick feeling settles in my stomach.
“Destiny isn’t yours, Cowboy.”
“What?” I ask, standing up I somehow stumble backward and hit the wall. “What’re you talking about?”
She stares down at the ground, wraps her arms around herself and mascara starts to mix with her tears. “Her father is Stoney.”
“From the Devil’s Riot MC?”
She nods.
“You’re fuckin’ with me right now.” I say, praying this is some sick, twisted prank. ‘Cause man I love that little girl like she’s my own. I wanted her to be mine. I fuckin’ crave it.
Tala shakes her head, “No, I’m not. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth before now, but, I—I was terrified to.”
“Does he know she’s his?”
Tala doesn’t say a word.
“Fuckin’ tell me!” I scream at her.
“No, and he won’t. I won’t have him taking her from me.”
Holy fuck. I shake my head, “This is fucked up, Tala, and you know it.”
“Cowboy. Don’t you dare tell him.” She threatens, the look in her eyes shifting from sorrow to something rabid, more threatening than she’s ever looked at me.
“He deserves to know he has a kid. Don’t you think?” I ask her with a scoff, rolling my eyes while I still process the ugly truth—Destiny isn’t my daughter.
“You won’t tell Stoney jack shit, and if you do, I’ll personally strip you of your patch.”
My eyes widen with fury at her threat. “You’re not playin’, are you, Tala?”
“It’s Boss to you, Cowboy, and you’d best remember that. Get the fuck out of my office.” She seethes, pushing herself up from the floor.
I walk over to her door and turn back to look at her one last time. “I’m done with you, Tala. I’m so fucking done with you.” I pull her door open, walk through it and slam it shut behind me. While I’m not supposed to be leaving for a couple days, I’m sure as fuck not sticking around here. Not now.
Not when merely looking at Tala will make me want to strangle her.
Chapter Two
And now you’re just a stranger with my secrets
~Unknown
Boss
Present Day
For the first time in ages I had a dream about the day I told Cowboy, Destiny wasn’t his child. Well, I’m unsure if dream is the right word. Nightmare might be more accurate. After it first happened I’d have the dream once a week, then it slowly shifted to once every few weeks, but now it’s come back, just as Cowboy is due back to Queens to update me on how things are going in Calgary.