For a split second, he froze in horror. I, however, did not. I used that moment to shove him off of me and get the hell out of there. I ran through the house and crashed through the back door, hitting the ground at a full sprint.
“You fucking bitch,” he roared from somewhere behind me, but I didn’t dare turn my head to look back. No, I kept running until I physically couldn’t run anymore. Only then did I turn to look behind me, and sagged in relief when I saw no one in sight. But after taking a few minutes to catch my breath, a new horror dawned on me. Even if I’d wanted to go back to Evelyn’s, I couldn’t, because I didn’t know where in the hell I was.
* * *
“That’show I found the bunker, and that’s why I was scared to leave. I was going to go back to her cabin, to make sure she was okay, but I didn’t know how to get there, and then it snowed. She wasn’t home when her son attacked me, but I’ve got to make sure she’s okay, and let her know that I’m okay. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know where I’d be right now,” I sobbed.
Copper curled his arm around my shoulders while I cried on his. “My friend, Badger, who owns the cabin and bunker knows Evelyn. He talked to some people from town, and I’m sorry, Locks, but Evelyn’s son did hurt her, or I assume it was him. She told the police she fell down her front steps, hitting her head and breaking her hip. She also reported you missing, but refused to give a name and only gave a vague description. The whole story makes more sense now. Sounds like she was trying to protect you.”
I gasped in horror and cried harder. “Where is she? I have to go see her!”
“I don’t know exactly, but I’ll find out. Badger said she’d been in a rehab facility in the city while her hip healed,” he told me.
“Did he say anything about her son?” I asked even though I was scared to know the answer.
Copper grimaced and shook his head. “No, he didn’t mention anything about her son, but you can damn well rest assured that he will pay for what he did to his mother and tried to do to you,” he said vehemently.
“I don’t want to cause any trouble. I just want to make sure she’s okay and do whatever I can to help her.”
“You aren’t causing any trouble. He committed a crime, a few actually, and he needs to be punished, just like anyone else who breaks the law.”
I cleared my throat, but couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes, “Yes, but, you’re the President of a motorcycle club—”
He stopped me with, “Layla, he was going to rape you. He physically injured his mother. Why do you care what happens to him?”
“I don’t care what happens to him, but I don’t want you to have blood on your hands because of me,” I explained.
He chuckled, “I appreciate the concern, but I didn’t mean I would deal with him; I was referring to the police.”
“Oh, well okay then,” I said. “Can you call your friend and find out where Evelyn is?”
“Yeah, I will, but let me fill you in on the other details first. Just like a Band-Aid. Ready?” No, I most certainly was not ready, but I gave him a curt nod anyway.
“You have a half sister named Annabelle. She’s married to my cousin, Phoenix.”
As a child, from time to time I wondered if whoever my father was had other children, but it was the last thing I expected to hear at that moment. “What?” I breathed.
“You heard me, Locks. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to meet you. She and Phoenix have twins, a boy and a girl, who are nineteen or twenty by now, and she has a boy who’s a year younger than them. She’s currently pregnant with another set of twins that are due in the next few weeks. Oh, and Ember, their daughter, is also pregnant, but she’s only got one in there.”
“Does she know about me?” I asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“No way. She would’ve looked for you if she did. She hated her parents from what I remember. Phoenix and Annabelle are a bit older than me, but from what I learned as an adult, she despised her father.”
“Are there any others?”
“Not that any of us know about. I’ve got a tech guy in the club, and Phoenix has one in his; we can get the two of them to do some searches and see if anything comes up,” he offered.
“Maybe one day. Let me absorb this first,” I said distractedly. My mind was whirling—a sister. I had a sister. An older sister. And nieces and nephews. I had a family! My whole life it was just Mom and me. When she died, I felt so alone, which admittedly, had a lot to do with why I wasn’t in a rush to return to reality.
“That’s fine, but I have to tell Phoenix about you. He’s family, and he’s also the President of the original chapter of Blackwings. In other words, he’s the President of Presidents. I can’t keep this from him,” Copper said carefully.
“I wouldn’t ask you to,” I answered truthfully.
“Annabelle will want to meet you as soon as possible. Are you ready for that?” he asked.
Was I? “I don’t think anyone is capable of being ready for the news I received today. I mean, it’s a lot to take in, but finding out I have a sister isn’t exactly bad news.”
“I’ll call him this afternoon after I give Badger a call about Evelyn. I hate to leave after dropping a bombshell on you like that, but I need to get to the clubhouse and get started on the mess over there. I probably won’t be back until later tonight. Are you going to be okay?”