Ruin’s Embattlement (Tenillo Guardians AIMC #19)

Desi

I was glad to have Isaiah out of the hospital, but I’d be a whole lot happier if he had agreed to come and stay at the compound where I could take care of him. Ruin and I both tried to talk him into it, but he was adamant he wanted to be at his house. I backed off when his brothers, Ivah and Isaac, promised they’d take turns staying with him. If one of them couldn’t, then they’d let the club know. Their sister, India, was beyond upset. Their mom still wouldn’t allow her to see Isaiah. Her brothers kept their mouths shut about helping Isaiah out of fear they’d be prevented from seeing their sister if their Mom knew.

Tyson volunteered to stay with Isaiah when Ivah and Isaac weren’t there. The two of them had always gotten along, so I was happy to see it. Tyson could not only help but also, when he was there, there was no need to have someone on guard duty. Ty might be quieter than Ruin, but he had the same protective instincts and knew how to take care of himself and others.

Now, if only we could find Mr. Vargas and make him and his hateful bitch of a wife pay for what they did. When I was told of the abuse the club suspected Isaiah had endured his whole life, I cried and felt murderous. I didn’t grill my friend, but I did ask if he’d been beaten before by his dad. The look he gave me gave me my answer. I hoped in time, he’d be ready to share it with me. If not me, then someone.

Not everything was depressing. It got delayed a few days, but as of yesterday, Shane and I were fully moved in with Ruin. Shane was having a blast even if his room was smaller. The novelty of living in the trailer was working for him. I found out he went to school after he found out about Ruin and me, and he announced to his class that he had a dad and that his new dad was a former Marine.

I discovered he did it when his teacher called me to ask if it was true. She said she was asking because if Shane was telling lies, she wanted me to be aware and for her to correct his behavior. I wasn’t so sure that was the reason. She came across as too nosy to me. When she asked when she could have a parent-teacher conference with the two of us, I was convinced she was. Ruin told me when I mentioned my suspicions to him, he had no issue going to meet Shane’s teacher. I was holding off on it.

Ruin and I had a meeting with the builder planned in a few days to present the house plan we wanted and get him working on an estimate of the cost, along with an idea of how long it would take to get on their schedule and have it built. I was nervous but in a good way.

Other than the unresolved drama with Isaiah, my life was the happiest it had ever been, and everything was falling into place seamlessly. During the day, I worked or spent time with my friend. In the evening, I spent it with my son and fiancé or with the two of them and our other family members. At night, I was with my man. Remembering how the Infidels found me all those years ago didn’t seem real sometimes. I was proud of how far I’d come. That scared, timid girl was long gone. I was strong and capable of taking care of not only myself, but I believed others.

Today, I was taking a girls’ day. Ruin insisted I go when they asked me. Sadie, Kayla, Joy, and I were all going out to lunch then to get our nails done. Kayla was the oldest at twenty-six. She was the big sister of our group. Joy was twenty-four. Kayla and I met her when Adara introduced her to the club. Joy had been a young girl sexually abused and had been terrified to leave her home until Adara worked with her. It wasn’t until Adara eliminated Joy’s abuser after he was let out of prison that she truly began to heal. She’d gotten well enough to go to college. She now lived on her own and had a job. This left our newest addition, Sadie, who was the baby. She was nineteen. All of us had suffered trauma, although thankfully, Kayla and Sadie’s traumas weren’t sexual. Kayla’s was due to losing Kinslee and not knowing if she was dead or not for months. Sadie’s was from being kidnapped by men who were after Londyn.

After lunch at Maddie’s, then stopping at Jitters to grab a coffee, we went to the nail salon. The hot water on my feet felt divine. I loved to have my feet massaged and buffed. We sat there chatting and having fun. When we were done with our pedicures, we each were taken to a workstation, and our manicures were started. Kayla and I were finished and were waiting for Joy and Sadie to be done when the door jingled, announcing someone had walked in. It had been happening the whole time we’d been here, so I didn’t pay attention at first.

It wasn’t until Kayla whispered in my ear that I glanced over. “Isn’t that Isaiah’s mom?”

I snapped my head to the right, and as I did, Mrs. Vargas’s gaze met mine. She narrowed her eyes on me and sneered. I might’ve stayed quiet if she hadn’t done what she did to Isaiah. However, knowing she let my friend be abused repeatedly and was protecting her dirt bag of a husband pushed my buttons. I was up and across the room in her face before I was cognizant I’d moved.

“You have a lot of nerve showing your face in this town. How do you think the good people of Tenillo will feel when they find out what you’re like? You walk around pretending to be better than other people when, in truth, you aren’t fit to be near them. You make me sick,” I hissed at her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, girl. You need to step back,” was her haughty reply.

“What if I don’t? What are you going to do? Beat me like you let your husband beat your son. For all I know, all your kids. You’re a lowlife. Only a lowlife wouldn’t protect her children and stand by a man who’s an abusive bastard.” I said this louder. The first time, it wasn’t loud enough for those in the salon to hear me. Since her response was made to attract attention, I made mine the same.

There was the tiniest flicker of alarm in her eyes before she gave me a confused look. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Please move. I’m leaving.”

“That’s it, run. Don’t want them to hear how you told your husband to run and hide? I’ve got news for you. He can only do it for so long. He’s only postponing the inevitable.”

Joy, Kayla, and Sadie came up to stand next to me. They were scowling at her. Panic filled her expression. She stumbled to the door, and then she hurried out. I went to it to watch her run like a rabbit. Having her scurry off wasn’t as good as punching her in the face would’ve been, but it did give me a tiny flare of satisfaction.

She practically ran to a car. It wasn’t one I recognized. I’d seen hers and her husband’s enough to identify them. As she got in it, I saw movement. Someone was in it. She was driving, so it wasn’t until she raced past the door that I got a closer look. When I did, I wanted to run outside and shout for her to stop. A man was slouched in the passenger seat. He had a hat on, but he was facing her as they went by the salon. I saw his face. It was Mr. Vargas. With trembling hands, I fumbled to get my cell phone out and dial Ruin’s number. It was torture waiting for him to answer. When he did, he said only one word.

“Hi—”

“I need you to listen. I just saw Mrs. Vargas at the nail salon. She’s driving a strange car. Mr. Vargas was in it,” I blurted out.

“What? Slow down and tell me everything,” he immediately responded. I took a breath and did as he demanded. When he asked if I could describe the car, he had all four of us giving him details. It must’ve made enough sense to him.

“Babe, I want you to get back to the compound. I need to call the others. Stay there, and I’ll contact you as soon as I know something.”

“I will. Good luck,” I told him excitedly.

Hanging up, we ignored the curious stares of the patrons and paid for our services. Joy and Sadie had ridden together, so they went their way. Kayla and I rode together. She had a place in town but spent a lot of time at the compound. The whole ride back to the compound, the two of us talked over what we saw. She was aware of what the club was planning to do when they caught up to Isaiah’s dad. The guys hadn’t kept it from the women, just the kids.

Coming through the gate, I barely threw up my hand as Konrad waved. I’d have to tell him I was sorry later. She dropped me off at the trailer, and then she drove to Cuffs and Kinslee’s house. I had no idea if Kinslee was working at the pharmacy. She’d finished her pharmacy degree after working several years at it. She became a tech first, then after she had the twins, who were now four years old, she finished the rest and became a pharmacist. She worked part-time.

I rushed inside and put away my purse. Pacing the living room, I didn’t know what to do with myself, but I knew staying here alone would drive me crazy. It was still another hour before Shane would be home from school. The club kids in school were carpooled. The various parents took turns taking them. Today was Sin’s turn. Yes, even the president of the club took a turn. If no one was available, then a prospect was tasked with the duty. There was a debate going on that when more than a handful of the kids were school-age, the club would have to invest in something big to haul them. As it stood, there were twenty kids and two more coming. Not everyone was done having children.

Taking out my phone, I called Mom. She picked up on the second ring. “Hi, honey, how was your girls’ day? Are you still out?” she asked cheerfully. I heard the murmur of voices in the background. Damn it, I forgot. She was working at Blossoms today.

“It was good. I’m sorry. I forgot you were working today. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“You’re not. Why? Is something wrong?” Worry crept into her tone.

“No, nothing is wrong. I just wanted to talk to someone and thought of you.”

“Well, you’re in luck. I can talk. Give me a minute to get to my office.”

I tried to tell her it wasn’t necessary, but she refused to listen.

“Okay, I’m in my office, and the door is closed. Tell me what you need to talk about.”

“It’s nothing that can’t wait until you get home. I just got bored and called you without thinking.”

“It’s more than that. Desiree, tell me what’s got you upset,” she said in her “mom” voice.

“What makes you think I’m upset, Mom?”

“Because I’m your mom, and I know your tones. That’s your ‘I’m stressed and worried, and I need to talk to my mom’ voice. Spill,” she ordered.

Knowing she wouldn’t stop until I did, I quickly told her about the run-in with Mrs. Vargas and what I saw in the parking lot.

When I was done, she exclaimed excitedly, “Oh my God, that’s great, Desi. The guys will finally be able to find him and make sure there are no more problems. Give me half an hour. I’ll be home ASAP.”

“Mom, there’s no need for you to come home early. I just needed to talk to someone. I’m about to drive myself nuts waiting to hear from Ruin. What if they can’t find him, and we have to sit, for God knows how many weeks or months, to get an opportunity to grab him.”

“Desi, from what you told me, with the description of that car, I’d be very surprised if Phantom and Tamysin don’t find where that lowlife worm is hiding.”

“Lowlife worm? I thought you’d have more colorful language to describe him,” I teased to distract myself.

“Oh, I do, but I’m trying to clean up my language, even when I’m not around the kids. I slipped up the other day, and Jasmine was shouting damn it for an hour.”

Picturing little Jasmine mimicking her MawMaw made me laugh, which caused Mom to moan and then giggle. It was just what I needed to ease the tension a little. When we were done, I told her so.

“Thanks, Mom, that’s all I needed. Don’t rush home. We’ll be here when you get back. It’ll take them time to track them. Love you. See you later.”

“I love you too, and yes, I’ll come over when I get home.”

As we hung up, I knew I needed to get out of the trailer. I decided to go hang out at the clubhouse. It was the place the men would go first when they came home. Making sure I had my phone, I left.