Sinner’s Redemption by Rebecca Joyce

Chapter Seventeen

Tessa

I got to my feet. I thought better when I was moving. Sitting and listening to him, my nerves were about to snap. I had so many questions I didn’t know where to begin.

Hugging myself, I paced the small, suffocating room.

I knew Montana was waiting for my condemnation, my anger, to tell him I was taking our son and leaving. I had every right to and this time he wouldn’t stop me, especially if I found out there was a threat to York. I would do anything to keep him safe, even if it meant I would never see Montana again.

I wasn’t stupid. I knew what Montana did daily wasn’t exactly legal. The man was the President of the National Chapter of the Soulless Sinners. He didn’t get that position because of his sunny disposition. The man was cunning, ruthless and deadly. I saw that firsthand when he killed Robbie and the other men who kidnapped me off the streets.

In the three years I dated Montana, I knew he was what everyone wanted, men and women. More so the women. Girls would clamor, seduce and do anything to get a piece of him. I knew he wasn’t a choirboy by any means. The man had a past. A very colorful and extensive past, but none of that mattered to me. Not in the beginning. All I cared about was that he was mine, that he wanted me and was faithful to me.

“During our time together did you ever stray?”

He shook his head. “No, baby. Not once.”

“So, for three years, I was the only woman you slept with?”

“Until you left,” he nodded. I knew he wasn’t a saint by any means. I left him. He was free to fuck whomever he wanted. So was I, not that I did. Still, the thought of him with another woman after I left sent a twinge of pain straight to my heart. The fact was I left. I knew the rules. Expecting him to stay faithful during the time I was away was an impossible feat. Hell, when I left, I had no intention of ever coming back here. I couldn’t be mad at something I technically started.

Moving on, I asked, “Could there be a link between this woman and the club?”

“The board is considering every option, but I don’t see how. The club only uses women for one thing.”

I knew that.

I watched as women clamored and paraded themselves around the club brothers, eager to get a biker between their legs. I watched countless times as girls begged, pleaded with Barney to attend a club party, but I was never one of those girls. I met Montana by chance when he showed up at the Gentlemen’s club.

Biting my nail, a thought popped into my head, and I asked cautiously. I knew I was treading on thin ice with my thought, but I couldn’t let it go. I had to ask, “Your businesses associates. Are any of them women? Maybe a woman you slept with, and the relationship didn’t end well?”

“First, I don’t do relationships. The only relationship I’ve ever had is with you. I fuck, Tessa. There is and never has been any relationship but you. Second, I have never fucked a female associate. Business is business and I don’t mix the two. It’s bad for business.”

“So not a female associate, then?”

“No.”

“Then has to be a former piece you fucked.”

“Yes. That’s what the board thinks.”

I snorted. “Jesus Montana, she could be anyone, then.”

“Give me some credit, baby. I’m not that bad.” He smirked.

“Really?” I questioned. “And just how many women have you been with? Ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred. Give me a number here Montana because, from what I know of your sexual appetites, you can’t go more than two days without nutting, and you don’t keep a girl longer than two months because you get bored. You told me that yourself once. You are forty-four years old. If you started having sex, say at sixteen, then that would mean you’ve had around,” I paused, doing the mathematical calculations in my head before saying. “That’s six women a year, since you were sixteen. That’s one hundred and sixty-eight women, give or take a woman, and that’s not including your one-night stands.”

“Hey, it wasn’t that many,” he whispered mulishly. “I don’t think.”

Shaking my head, I plopped back down on the sofa. “Jesus Christ, Montana. You’re a fucking man whore and now one of your past fuck toys is making my life a living hell. Do I have that right?”

“Yeah.”

“Great,” I muttered, my anger simmering low in the pit of my stomach. I knew logically what was happening wasn’t Montana’s fault, but because of his wandering dick, I was feeling the repercussions.

That pissed me off.

I didn’t ask for any of this. I fell in love with a man. That was my crime. I just wanted to raise my son and work in my chosen field, not have the love of my life’s past metaphorically fuck me in the ass!

“What is the board going to do about this? I mean, if this person is hellbent on fucking up my life, what is she going to do to yours? What if she goes after York or your parents?”

“That’s why the board locked us down. Until they find this woman and stop her, we will each have a brother babysitting us, twenty-four seven.”

I laughed, shook my head and got to my feet once more. “That’s just fucking great!”

“Tessa, I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry? Fuck Montana, this shit has nothing to do with me. One of your fuck toy is messing with my life. My life! And because of your fucking dick, someone tried to accost me, a cop groped and molested me, and some jackass abducted me. Not to mention I was beat up, drugged and damn near raped. Why? Because some bitch has a fucking hard on for you!” I shouted, making him flinch. When my rant was over, another thought popped into my head, causing me to narrow my eyes at the worried man before me.

“Wait a fucking minute,” I stared at the scared man. “When I was being held in the warehouse, you said you knew how to find me. How?”

Montana gulped. “Was hoping you’d forget that part.”

“What part?” I asked angrily, placing my hands on my hips. Something was telling me I would not like what he was about to say. In fact, I fucking knew I wasn’t. Bracing, I said nothing as he confessed, “After I branded you, you received medical attention.”

“That’s right.”

“Well, while Storm was administering first aid, he gave you a shot.”

“Yeah, antibiotics, so I wouldn’t get an infection.”

Montana cringed, shaking his head. “He inserted a tracker. It’s embedded under the skin of your brand. I knew you were it for me. I bought a ring, was going to ask you to marry me. I needed to protect you. If someone ever took you, I needed to know how to find you. But you left, and I forgot about it, until you disappeared over the weekend. I had a member of the board turn your tracker on. That’s how I found you.”

Taking a deep breath, I stared open mouthed at the love of my life. The man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and wondered just who in the hell was Montana Stone. Not knowing how to respond to the fact he literally has me low jacked, I quietly got to my feet and walked out of the office.

I had nothing more to say.

Over the next several days, the club brothers interrogated, fingerprinted and took photos of every inch of my body. If there was a scar, freckle, or blemish, they documented it. I had blood drawn, hair and skin samples taken and even had my biometrics entered the security system at Stone House.

To say I was fucking furious was moot.

None of the brothers gave a fuck.

They were extremely intrusive, leaving no stone unturned. My personal life was no longer my own. By the fourth day, I had enough and refused to answer another damn question. This whole mess wasn’t my fucking fault. They wanted to know anything they needed to interrogate their fucking club president.

I was done.

Sitting in the library, I was trying to decompress. I needed some alone time. Time to think about everything. Mainly, I needed to convince myself that after everything, Montana was worth it.

“Tessa?”

Looking up from the book I’d been trying to read for the last hour, I spotted a pretty blonde woman fidgeting in the doorway. I never met the woman, but seeing her tiny, protruding belly, I closed the book and placed it on the table beside me.

“Yes.”

“I’m Kali Vanderveer Stone. I’m Kansas’ wife. Can I sit?”

Kansas Stone. The youngest brother to Montana. He was the President of the Diamondback M.C. in Oklahoma. I remembered Mrs. Alice telling me about the brothers one morning at breakfast.

Smiling, I nodded. “Please. I would love some company.”

The pretty women smiled brightly. “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind. When Kansas told me you would be here, I was eager to meet you.”

“Why?”

“Because as long as I’ve known Montana, he’s never brought a woman home. I must confess, I knew about you. From before, I mean. Montana wasn’t the same after you left.”

I frowned. “Not sure about that. He got over me quick enough. My current situation can attest to that.”

Kali frowned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. What I meant was Montana went through a rough patch after you left. He was angry all the time. His drinking…let’s just say he drank a lot.”

“How do you know Montana?”

“My grandfather was Albert Vanderveer. He ran and operated the Vanderveer Cancer Research Center. Montana and my grandfather were good friends.”

I knew of Albert Vanderveer. He was a huge benefactor in cancer research. He spent all his time and money on finding a cure. There wasn’t a hospital in the world who didn’t know his name. “I was sorry to hear he passed. My condolences.”

Kali shrugged. “Thank you. It’s been hard some days, but it’s getting better. Kansas helps and so do the kids.”

Smiling, I looked at her belly. “When are you due?”

Kali beamed. “Christmas.”

Leaning back in my chair, I asked. “So, what brings you to the big apple? Business or pleasure?”

Kali laughed. “A little of both. The Vanderveer Cancer Research Ball is coming up and I must be here for that. And Kansas’ father requested his presence. Just so happened the call came a day before we left to fly to New York.”

“So, I’m guessing you and Kansas both know what’s going on then, huh?”

“Yeah.” Kali whispered, nodding. “Would you like to talk about it? I am a good listener. I don’t judge.”