Chapter 2

Someone had carved a symbol into her skin that he knew all too well. The blood around where the blade had sliced her alabaster skin was congealed and dried so he knew the brand had been put at least three days ago.

Now he felt even more curious about her. How did she know the President of the Hade’s Messengers MC? They were over two hours away by land but from the amount of sunburn on her face and body, she’d been in that dingy for days.

While it was true the river came from Decatur all the way to Tarron’s Ridge, it must have taken her days to get this far by water. Especially, if she had to depend on the water flow of the river rather than a motor or a sail. By vehicle, it was well over a two hour trip between their compounds. Breed couldn’t imagine Blade, the President of the Hade’s Messengers coming here. Breed, himself would never step foot in Alabama again. He had nothing there, he never had. He took one trip there years ago and would never go back for any reason.

Breed was thirty-eight years old and felt too old to change his habits now. His one and only trip to Alabama had been to spit on his father’s grave and to leave a Cherokee curse on his final resting place. He didn’t want the man responsible for his birth to rest in anything but the hell he left back here on earth.

His father, Jared Macken had ridden through here almost forty years ago. He’d seen Breed’s mom in the town garden and taken her without even asking, then ridden away without a care in the world. His mom Marah never told anyone what happened until she began to show. She kept her head up throughout his whole life. She told him how he came to be but she also told him Breed was her finest legacy, to the tribe and to the world.

She told him Jared knew about him but that he wouldn’t claim him… ever. He had a wife back home and he also had a half-brother. Breed hadn’t cared one way or the other until the day Jared returned. He said he wanted to see his bastard son. Breed had only been fourteen at the time but he’d actually been full grown at six foot five. He hadn’t filled out yet and Jared had sneered at him calling him a freak. Then Jared raised his hand to strike his mother, Breed had grabbed his hand and held it in place. Jared tried to break his hold but Breed wouldn’t allow it. He’d be damned if Jared would strike his mother and his rage held the other man tightly.

Jared finally was able to pull free but he knew he couldn’t get close to Marah. He sneered and told her one day, he would come back to settle the score with her, someday when Jericho (Breed) wasn’t around to protect her. Then the older man had shut his mouth as several men came out of nowhere to stand around her. They crossed their arms over their chests and glared at him. Then his uncle Jack stepped forward and told him in no uncertain terms that if he did return, he would never see home again and that the cops would never find his body either.

Jared left that day and until the day he died, no one on Tarron’s Ridge had ever seen him again. When his mother told him Jared had died, Breed told her he was glad. That he didn’t deserve to breathe fresh air after what he’d done. Four days later, Breed had taken his one and only trip to Alabama to spit on his father’s grave. He also put a curse on his headstone.

Two months later, he got a call from his half-brother and he was furious. He blamed Breed for desecrating his father’s grave. Breed told him to go to hell. He told him that Jared had earned that curse and even if they replaced the headstone, the curse would follow him into the afterlife. Once given, the curse stayed with its victim and if they removed the headstone the curse would be passed on to whoever touched the headstone.

Breed knew his half brother was superstitious enough to believe in the curse. He could hear it in his voice. Breed believed in the curse as well but not for the same reason.

Breed looked down at the woman in his arms and knew who had given this woman the bruises and he needed to figure out why.

When they pulled into the compound parking lot, Greer had barely stopped the truck before Breed was on the ground and on his way to the clubhouse with the woman still in his arms. He kicked the door open and marched inside.