STONE COLD_Sin Bastards MC_6 Page 2

She shook her head. “No, I don’t. The man that brought me here told me I was his wife but I didn’t believe him.”

  Calico’s fingers curled into fists. “Why? Why didn’t you believe him?”

  Jolene wrung her hands together. “I don’t know. He told me I was in an accident but I don’t remember. I can’t remember anything. I don’t know my own name but I would remember the man I loved, wouldn’t I?” She turned to him. “I do remember your hair. But even that confuses me.” She shook her head. “It’s so short. I remember it being longer.” She began to pace back and forth. “Why do I remember it being longer?”

  Calico shook his head. What the hell happened to her? Why isn’t she dead like everyone believed? He noticed a fairly fresh scar barley healed along her jaw. There was another level with her ear on the left side. It ran upward into her hairline and he wondered if that was from one of Gunner’s kicks. Her skin color was off, not by much but it still had a yellow tinge to it as if the bruises weren’t quite healed yet.

  Then he saw the ink on the inside of her left wrist. He grabbed her hand and turned it slightly to show the tattoo. He snapped off the wide, worn leather band that hid his tattoo. It was something he’d worn for a very long time now. Her tattoo was the other half of his, he moved to her side and brought his wrist to hers. Together, the tattoo was complete. It was a heart with Celtic knots and three names written in bold black ink, along the edge of the heart, Jolene, Clancy and Sawyer.

  Jolene gasped as she stared at the completed heart. Tears formed in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks as she studied the tattoos on their wrists. She raised her eyes to his. “Who are you?” she whispered.

  Calico raised his hand and gently brushed back a wisp of her hair. “I’m the man you loved once upon a time. I’m Clancy.”

  Jolene wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. “I think I still love you.”

  “What makes you think so?” he whispered and he held her in his arms.

  “Because this feels like I’m finally home.” Leaning back, she gazed into his eyes. “Am I? Am I finally home?”

  Calico didn’t answer but did hold her close. A huge lump seemed to be lodged in his throat. Closing his eyes, he took a moment to relish in the fact Jolene was back in his arms again, after almost twenty years. “Yeah honey, you’re home. It’s been a long while coming, but you’re home.”

  Jolene hugged him for a moment, then leaned away. “Is this real? I’ve been so confused since I woke up. First, the man called Max tells me I’m his wife, then he leaves in a hurry and you come here. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

  “When did you wake up?” Calico frowned.

  “Only a few days ago…Max told me I was hurt in a very bad accident. That he almost lost me but that he was glad I survived.”

  “You said you couldn’t remember anything, what can you remember?” Calico asked as he brushed a few loose hairs away from her forehead.

  “I don’t recognize this room at all, nor did I know Max. He told me we’d been together for a while but I didn’t like when he touched me and when he looked at me it felt creepy.”

  “That’s because you were never his,” Calico assured her. “He’s been trying to get you to come to him but you never did.”

  Jolene gasped. “Why would he lie to me? I don’t understand.”

  “Because Max was crazy and he’d been chasing you for the last twenty years.” Calico nodded. “You have kept away from him all this time, but when you were hurt and didn’t remember anything, not even your own name he stepped in and lied to you.”

  Jolene had tears in her eyes. “How do I know what the truth is anymore?”

  Calico smiled. “I think you know the truth in here.” He touched her chest just below her ribs.

  “Do you know what happened to me?”

  Calico closed his eyes against the pain of her question. Should he tell her what happened or fudge the truth about the beating? He only knew what Sawyer and Jordan told him about what happened that night. Maybe she should hear the truth from her children. “I think there is someone else you need to ask that question.” Calico brushed the back of his fingers along her jaw. “I can take you to them.”

  “Them?” she questioned.

  “Two very special people who will be very happy to see you again.” He smiled.

  “Who is she?” a voice called out from the doorway.

  Calico and Jolene turned.

  Jolene gasped and hid a bit behind Calico.

  Leon stood in the doorway and scowled at the two of them.

  “This is Jolene Moon.”

  Leon scowled. “I thought she was dead?”

  “So did I, but apparently, we were wrong.” Calico nodded. “She’s very much alive.”

  “I can see that.” Leon tipped his head to her. “Did Max not say anything when you saw him last?”

  Calico growled. “No, he didn’t.” His eyes narrowed as he remembered the last time he saw Max. “He did however, say something I thought odd at the time.”

  “What was that?” Leon wanted to know.

  “He said she would never be mine again, not like she was before. That her fire was gone forever.” His eyes widened. “That bastard!” He turned to Jolene. “How long have you been locked in here?”

  Jolene stared at Leon for a moment, then turned toward Calico. She kept trembling and looked nervous but when he held out his hand to her, she calmed down. “I don’t know. I guess it’s been a couple of days or so. Usually, Max brings my food to me. He told me it was because I was still too weak to come downstairs.”

  “When did you eat last?”

  Jolene smiled sadly. “I haven’t been all that hungry.” She turned and showed them a plate that still held the remains of a sandwich that had long dried out. The crust was hard and the meat inside curled up. “He brought me that a couple of days ago. It’s been pretty quiet since then. I was beginning to wonder if anyone was still here.”

  “Has there been anyone else watching over you?” Leon asked.

  Jolene shook her head. “I haven’t seen anyone in a couple of days now.” Looking around the room, she frowned. “I hadn’t expected to be locked in though. Max told me it was because he feared for my safety but it just felt eerie, like he was keeping me prisoner or something.”

  Calico wrapped his arms around her. “Well, you aren’t a prisoner anymore and Max will never hurt you again.”

  “Bring her downstairs and we’ll get her something to eat,” Leon ordered. “I have a team of men coming in later today to begin the task of going through his books and such. Calderone and I are just doing a quick search of Max’s office.”

  Calico nodded and assisted her to the door.

  She didn’t seem to give the room another thought as she went with him down the stairs and into the kitchen.

  He set her on a chair and opened the fridge to see what food Max had.

  A few minutes later, he put a sandwich in front of her and when she gazed at it, her eyes widened. She looked pale suddenly. “How did you know I would eat this?”

  Calico remembered that a sliced turkey meat and pepperjack cheese with mayo was her favorite. He grinned. “I told you I’ve known you a long time.”

  Jolene raised her eyes to his, then picked up part of the sandwich and began to eat.

  After a few minutes, she set the half eaten sandwich back on her plate and asked, “Can you tell me what’s going on?”

  Calico had been making himself a sandwich but at her question, he froze. He turned to look at her. The years since he’d seen her last hadn’t changed her much. She was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her blonde hair had a few strands of grey in it and there were a few wrinkles around her eyes but she still looked like he remembered.

  He reached into his back pocket and pulled his wallet out. Opening it, he took a small photograph out and pushed it across the counter toward her. It was all he had taken with him when he left this town twenty years ago.

&nbs
p; ~* * * *~

  Jolene kept staring at the man who claimed he’d known her a long time. She was beginning to get a headache from thinking too much about the past. Trying hard to remember anything gave her a migraine.

  The doctors told her to just let it happen on its own, but Jolene couldn’t do that. She felt as if there was something important she needed to remember, something more important than her own wellbeing that she needed to get back to. She just couldn’t remember what it was. It was frustrating because the answers she wanted were just out of her reach.

  Looking at the man again, she kept staring at his hair. She recognized it but for some reason it was shorter than she remembered. He had a thick full head of hair and the ends brushed lightly on his shoulders but in her mind, the strands of every color from dark brown to almost silver blond should be much longer.

  Jolene’s fingers trembled as she took the photo and studied it. It was a photo of the man in front of her and herself. But the photo held another figure, that of a small child. A small child she held in her arms as she stared at the man behind her. She raised her eyes to his. “We had a child?”

  Calico nodded. “Her name is Sawyer and she turned out to be a beautiful woman just like her mother.” He paused then added, “You also have a son. His name is Jordan.”

  She stared at him for a long moment as new memories slammed into her. Nothing very clear but memories of two other people that meant the world to her. Closing her eyes tightly, she tried to remember their faces but she couldn’t see them in her mind’s eye. Tears rolled down her face as frustration clawed its way through her. She opened her eyes and stared at him. “I don’t remember them,” she whispered. “Why can’t I remember them?”

  “Maybe you need to see them in person,” he suggested. “You said you were in an accident, what do you remember about that?”

  Jolene shook her head. “Max told me I was in an accident. I don’t remember anything other than waking up in the hospital. The doctors told me I’d been there a long time. They told me they kept me in a coma in order for my body to heal. They never did say what needed healing. A few days ago, Max brought me here but he didn’t say what really happened to me.”

  Calico gripped the countertop hard. “I think you should hear about what happened but I wasn’t there the night you were hurt. If you like, I can take you to your kids. They will tell you the truth.”

  She smiled. “I think I’d like that.” She noticed his grip on the counter eased some.

  “But before we go, I think you should know they think you died from your injuries.”

  Jolene frowned. “Who told them I was dead?”

  “They were there with you that night in the hospital. Your heart stopped beating. They wanted to stay with you but your monitor flatlined, they thought it was too late. They were in trouble with—well, someone was after them and they had to leave but if they’d known you would come back they never would have left you.”

  “What do you mean someone was after them?”

  “Max did some pretty horrible things to you and them over the years,” he explained. “He forced his way into your life and wouldn’t accept that you wanted nothing to do with him. Well, his nephew was doing the same thing to our daughter. Sawyer refused him time and time again, then the night you got hurt, this nephew, Micah came after her and Jordan again. So, they had to run for their lives. She kept her brother safe but it cost them you. When I found them a few days ago, I took care of Micah. I came here to bring your ashes back to your kids, so they could have closure.” Then he smiled. “Now, I get to bring you back to them.”

  “Are you sure they want me back in their lives?” Jolene asked.

  Calico walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “Yes, I’m very sure they want you, as do I.” He inhaled deeply, then exhaled. “I understand you don’t remember me and you might not know your children but please know this…” He tipped her chin up to look into her eyes. “I fell in love with you a long time ago. It was a forever kind of love and when you pushed me away, I left but now I’m back and I’m not going anywhere without you. This time, I’m not giving up on us and I know your kids won’t let you go either.”

  Jolene felt more tears roll down her face. She buried her face in the curl of his neck and breathed in his scent. She might not remember the man but she did remember this feeling. It felt more like home every minute, something she’d missed for a long time. Looking up at him, she smiled. “Please take me home wherever that might be.”

  Calico lowered his lips to hers. “Gladly. Sweet Jolene, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go for the rest of your life.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Calico walked down the hall in search of Leon or Calderone. When he found them they were in what he assumed was Max’s office.

  Leon was sitting at the desk looking at some books. Calderone was at his side reading over his father’s shoulder. Both men looked up when he knocked on the doorframe.

  Calico stared at them then stated, “I want to take Jolene back to Troy and her children.”

  Leon sat back in his chair and gazed at him for a moment. “Does she remember anything about the beating or what happened before?”

  Calico shook his head. “No, she still doesn’t remember anything. I was hoping that seeing her kids might bring back something but I’m not sure her memories will ever come back.”

  “That might be too bad,” Leon whispered.

  Calico frowned. “What does that mean?”

  “I’m not sure yet, but when I figure it out I’ll let you know.” Leon glanced at his son.

  “Will you be in Troy if we need to contact you or her again?” Calderone asked.

  Calico nodded. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he had to get Jolene back to her kids. Sawyer and Jordan needed to know she was alive. “We’ll be there.”

  ~* * * *~

  The Vincinti men watched the other man turn and leave.

  Calderone turned to his father. “Are you sure it’s wise to let her go?”

  Leon shrugged. “We know where to find her. We need to pinpoint when the item disappeared and if she was the one who took it. We also need to find the link to establish Max to this man.” He pointed to the ledger on the desk where Max had written several payments to a man he named ‘The Priest’. “Calico will protect her until we have more information.”

  “Let’s hope she gets her memory back,” Calderone stated. “The Council isn’t going to like this development at all. They will be screaming for her blood if it isn’t found quickly.”

  “We need to find it before the Priest can get to her. There won’t be anything left of her if we don’t. If he is who I think he is, he won’t stop until she’s dead. He doesn’t like leaving any witnesses behind.”

  “Yeah, I know. From what I’ve heard about the man, he’s been very careful in his career. No one knows what he looks like and he maintained that persona to keep his anonymity. Are you sure it’s the same man?” Calderone asked.

  Leon shrugged. “No I’m not, but there might be someone I could ask.” He threw the pen he had in his hand on the desk. “Damn it!” He got to his feet and began pacing the length of the office. “Max left us a fucked up mess to clean up.”

  “We knew he was hiding something. Sawyer and Jordan gave us a place to start. They told us Max was cheating the Family but we knew that already.”

  Leon snapped his head around the glare at his son. “Yes, we knew that but we did not know he lost part of our history. That, the Council will not forgive.”

  Calderone agreed. “Do you think that’s one of the reasons he kept her close to him? Could she have used it to keep him at bay?”

  “That’s one scenario,” Leon concurred. “If she took it, he knew he had to get it back. It was worth more than his life.” “Then we have to keep her close too, until we find it.”

  Calderone shrugged. “And I think for her own safety, we need to keep her out of The Priest’s hands.”

  “T
hat might be harder than we know,” Leon stated. “Once he takes a job from what I hear, he won’t stop until he gets what he was hired to find.”

  Calderone growled. “Great! Now, we have to babysit a woman who doesn’t even know her own name?”

  “Pretty much but we don’t have a choice. We need to recover the item.” Leon looked troubled.

  ~* * * *~

  Sin’s Bastards Mc Compound

  Three hours later, Calico turned off the highway and entered the driveway that would lead them to the compound. He felt Jolene’s hands tighten around his waist and he couldn’t help but feel her anxiety.

  From the moment she’d gotten on his bike, he felt the past rushing at him. He remembered well the feel of her behind him, the feel of her arms wrapped around his waist, the scent of her shampoo in the air as they rode down the highway. It just felt so right, he couldn’t contain this feeling of everything in his world being back to the way it should have been all these years.

  He’d known something was missing all this time and now that Jolene was back, he felt good again.

  He pulled up to the clubhouse and shut off the engine. His body still hummed with the reminder of the engine between his thighs. He got off the bike and reached for Jolene’s hand.

  She was trembling as she stepped off the bike and looked nervously at the front door. “Do you think they’ll be happy to see me?” she whispered.

  “Honey, they are going to be very happy to see you.” He held her hands. “They hated the fact they had to leave you behind but Micah didn’t leave them much choice. If they had stayed, he would have killed Jordan to get to Sawyer.”

  Jolene’s lips tightened in anger. “I hope he died slowly and in great pain.”

  Calico chuckled. “He did. I made sure of that. He learned the hard way not to mess with what was mine.”

  Jolene gave him her own quirky grin, one that he remembered so well. “Good, it doesn’t make up for what he did but it helps.”

  “I just wish I could do it all over again.” Calico clenched his fists. “I think I killed him too quick. I didn’t make him suffer enough.”