Chapter 9: ELENA

"Char, what the hell did you see?"

"Hurt, she's hurt and hurt bad, El. I didn't see the whole of whatever happened. You know how I pick up emotions sometimes. Well, our new little sister had some shit thrown at her."

Char shook her head as we headed for the liquor cabinet. I had a couple hundred people in my backyard where I should be playing hostess, but like doc said 'they'll keep'.

"Colton will take care of it, and her, I know my son he's his father incarnate. Though I think Daniel got a little more of the sweet, and a little less of the gruff."

"Colton's a good boy, I'm sure he'll do right by our girl...now...GORGEOUS."

We started jumping up and down like two toddlers at Disney On Ice, big grins on our faces.

"What are you two hens cackling about now?"

Daniel sauntered into the room in his chinos and a nice silk tee. His hair was still wet from his shower, and he'd splashed on his special after shave.

Dirty dog, he knows what that particular scent does to me, so I can see where he expected the day to go. Thank you citizens of Washington state, for making weed legal. Other people get hungry, sleepy, or happy, but my man gets horny.

"Hey, Daniel."

Char gave doc her flirtatious grin, and if I was a less confident woman and didn't know how much she was in love with her own husband, then I would swear my bestie was trying to do my husband for the last thirty years or so.

"Hey, Char, what the hell you getting my wife into now?"

"Why do you always blame me? You do know Elena is a shit stirrer, right? She basically starts most of the shit we get into."

"What shit, Char, how much shit can you get up to in a book club?" I gave her my innocent as a lamb smile.

"Even I know you're full of shit with that one, El, now what gives?"

"Nothing, Daniel, we're just talking about how to help a new friend."

"Fine, don't tell me, I'll go see to our guests while you do your thing. Say, I have an idea, if you and the rest of your posse are going to be dancing around in circles later around the bonfire, then why don't we just light some weed instead of wood?"

"Daniel, you'll make everyone high, and where pray tell will you be getting all that weed?"

"Look into the backyard, El. Between Colton's guys, Stacy and Emory's friends and employees, and let's not even start on Carol and her teenage crew, I bet we have enough to start ten fires."

He laughed as he headed towards the kitchen and the back door.

"Okay, so what have we decided, Char?"

"We've decided that Colton will take care of little Katarina, and we're going to stay out of it."

"Fuck that."

"Why, Elena Lyon, such language from a lady."

"Whatever, I know from your reaction, and hers, that it has something to do with her being attacked, right?" I waited for her silent nod to confirm my suspicions.

"Well you know we don't let that shit slide, especially not when it's family. I'm tired of this violence against women shit. Can you believe those fucktards in DC let that bill die? Bunch of redneck fucks."

"I say since the women of America are no longer recognized by our government, that we should go all militia on their asses. We'll make Sherman's march through Georgia look like a walk in the park. Since they refuse to protect us, I say we start lopping off dicks."

"Give me the bottle, El, the day hasn't even started yet and you're starting your shit. I promised hubby that this year we'll behave." She shook her head as she downed her tequila shot.

***

COLT

***

It seemed like we were laying here for a long time, and she hadn't moved, hadn't uttered a sound. So that's why I almost jumped out of my skin when her soft, scratchy voice started.

"I was spending the night with my friend...I'd told her I couldn't make it, but then I got my stuff done earlier than expected, and I changed my mind at the last minute."

"Donna had met this guy Taylor a week before, and I tried cautioning her you know, but she was crushing hard on him, and I guess she let her inhibitions down."

"I got to her house, but her parents were gone for the weekend, and it was the first time they'd ever left her alone, so it was supposed to be our last sleep over before college."

"We spent the night watching all our favorite movies and making plans for our future and stuffing ourselves with pizza. I didn't know that she'd told this guy that she would be home alone..."

She stopped talking, and I grew tense. I knew that whatever was coming was going to be bad, and I tried to prepare for it. My natural instinct would be anger and the need for action, but she didn't need to see that right now.

I squeezed her to me, a silent message to go on. I wanted it done, and wanted her to tell me all of it, so I would know what I was dealing with.

"I got really thirsty after we fell asleep, like, around three in the morning I think. I went downstairs to raid the refrigerator, but I didn't turn on the light. I'd been there so many times I pretty much knew the layout of the whole house.

I got my drink and was on the way back when I heard noises at the door. I was gonna go see who was there. I thought maybe her parents had changed their minds and were coming back home.

Something stopped me from doing that,...I saw them come in, four of them, and they were high or drunk I'm not sure which. They were grinning and high fiving each other, and they didn't see me."

She started to shake, and my heart hurt as my stomach lurched. Fuck.

"They went up the stairs and started opening doors, so I grabbed the phone off the hook, but that's when I heard her scream."

She was full out shaking, so hard the bed moved, and I pulled her even closer and wrapped my arms around her trying to give her some of my warmth, and wishing like fuck that she'd never experienced what she was about to describe.

"They raped her, and took turns hurting her and laughing. I can still hear them laughing, and I'd dialed 911 without realizing it. The lady on the line kept asking me what was my emergency, but I couldn't speak.

Then she screamed for me, Donna, she screamed and screamed and I couldn't do anything. I was frozen in place.

"I Think I walked into the wall or something, but I knocked something over and somehow they heard it, and one of them ran down the stairs.

He yelled 'fresh meat' up the stairs to the others, they came, they tried...I fought them. I used every trick my dad had ever taught me, and I fought, but then they caught me by my hair."

One hand went to her beautiful hair as she gazed off into space, lost in that time, back there where she'd lived her horror.

"They beat me, with their fists...I'd dropped the phone after I banged into the wall, it was still on...by the time they finally got my clothes off the police were there."

"When one news reporter asked the operator why she didn't just hang up after I didn't speak, and how she knew it wasn't a prank call, she said it was because I'd given her the police code for a rape in progress. I didn't remember doing that."

"The phone was still open, and she heard everything that was happening to me, so that's why the cops got there so fast. I was lucky, but Donna, she. They hurt her so bad, her poor body was broken...she killed herself three days after getting out of the hospital."

"Taylor was never charged. He was on anti depressants, or something like that, and they say it made him do things, and the other three are awaiting trial."

"You can stop now angel, you don't have to say anymore. I'm sorry that happened to you and your friend, and sorry you have that in your life, but it's going to be okay now."

I held her as my mind raced. What she'd described was beyond horrific, and that she would carry that memory for the rest of her life pissed me the fuck off. But my next concern was how the fuck to reach into a jail in Arizona and fuck some shit up.

It was time to reach out to the brotherhood of the bike. My crew is what you might call the gentleman's club of the brotherhood, but one hand washes the other. I'll get my feelers out by tomorrow, and the three behind bars will have to be dealt with by other hands, but Taylor, that little mother fucker was mine.