Slim's Second Chance (Phantom Bastards MC Book 2)

by Erin Osborne

  We finally get the signal from Renegade and his guys to pull over. There’s a small clearing in the woods surrounding our target. This works in our favor. The guys following me to the back of the house as we pull our bikes in so no one driving by can see them. The trees are our cover and we’ll take full advantage of it.

  Fox jumps out of the van and gives us the details he found while looking at his maps and whatever else he does. We need to stay close to the edge of the trees so we don’t get lost in the woods. There aren’t any trails or anything cut through here to mark our way. As soon as he shows us the path to take, I let my mind wander toward getting there as soon as we possibly can.

  Renegade, Ink, Hawk, Chains, and Bishop will be going to the front of the house. The rest of his guys will go with me. Our objective is for the assholes to think Renegade is cocky enough to ride up with a small group of guys thinking they can take the assholes out. They’ll keep them talking and distract them enough so we can make an entrance in the back and search the house.

  Any guys we see, the orders are shoot to kill. Other than that, we search the house top to bottom and take the rest of the guys out as we see fit. I want the man in charge and everyone here knows it. He’s mine for thinking he could take something that belongs to me. He’ll learn you don’t fuck with me or my family in the worst way possible.

  “You guys got a fifteen-minute start. We’ll set the clock and as soon as it runs out, we’re goin’ in. Once we have the girls out, I’ll make the call for the vans to come in. We’ll load them up in one and anyone you want to take with us in the other. Killer, Grave, and Psycho, you're in charge of blowin’ the place when we get done,” Renegade gives the order.

  I let him take lead on this because my head’s not in it. My only concerns are Shy and Kinsliegh. Once I know they’re okay, I’ll let my rage loose on the bastards. Until then, Renegade can lead the way and Playboy can take charge for me. We’re all working together here for a common goal, so it doesn’t matter to me where the orders come from.

  Nodding my head, I command the guys following me to make our way to the back of the house through the woods. I’m almost in a dead sprint trying to get there within the fifteen-minute time frame. We need the noise and distraction to happen before we can go in. If we’re too early, nothing good is going to happen and we’re going to give away the element of surprise.

  Killer, Playboy, and Tank flank me while we make our way through the dense woods surrounding the house. Fox is just in front of us leading the way so we don’t get lost. My guys have me surrounded so I don’t go off half-cocked when the house comes into view. They know I’m ready to spill as much blood as necessary. There are no limits to the lengths I’ll go to in order to make sure Shy gets back home.

  Even if that means they bury me in the process.

  Fox holds his hand up when we’re just about to the house. We all stop and wait to find out what’s going on from him. He bends down and I stand in silence as he shows us a tripwire. They’ve got the fucking place boobie-trapped. Killer and Fox follow the tripwire and show us where to go around it.

  The two men stay in front of us in case we come across any more wires or other indicators something is going to alert them to our presence. It takes extra time to get there and we’re almost to the house when I hear the unmistakable rumble of the bikes making their way to the farmhouse we’re heading toward. Fuck!

  I finally see the house come into view and my heart rate accelerates. This rundown building is where my girls have been kept. The place should’ve been condemned a long ass time ago.

  The paint on the house used to be white, at least that’s what it appears to be in the few places I can still see paint. All of the windows on the side and front of the house have been broken out and the porch is sagging with neglect and age. As I glance up to the top of the house, I see the roof has been poorly patched in places. It needs to come down and we’re going to take care of that today.

  Fox breaks out into a run and the rest of us follow him. Tank and Playboy are still on my side while Killer is in front of me and Stryker is following me. They’re going to make sure no one gets the chance to take me out if it’s the last thing they do. I’m grateful, but that’s not where my mind’s at currently.

  As we get closer to the house, I can hear arguing coming from the front. Renegade is lobbing accusation after accusation at the men he’s talking to. With any luck, all of them are occupied, but I’m not going to hold my breath waiting to find out.

  The back door bursts open and I brace for the impact of more guys coming at us. Instead, we’re met with a young man. He’s motioning for us to rush in and we don’t hold back. We honestly have no clue what we’re walking into, but we don’t care either. I’ll do what I have to so each and every man standing next to me makes it home to their family, but I need eyes on Shy and Kinsliegh.

  “Josh?” I ask.

  “Yep. They’re upstairs. It’s the only door that’s shut. She’s knocked out right now. I’ve tried to keep the baby quiet, but she’s miserable.”

  “What the fuck?” I roar out.

  Tank and Playboy run through the house and make it to the stairs just before me. I can hear the pitiful cries of my baby girl floating down from the second floor. My heart is in my throat as I practically shove my family out of the way so I can get to her. She needs me. They both do.

  They’re right on my heels as I slam through the door. The sight before me causes me to drop to my knees while an anguished roar rips from my throat. Kinsliegh is in her car seat. Her little face is beat red from being upset and crying. Kinsliegh’s little fists are flailing and her feet are kicking up a storm. Playboy passes me by to pick her up from her seat and comfort her.

  What has me dropping to my knees is Shy. She’s lying on a dirty floor covered in bruises. They’re varying colors and size from what I can see of her once flawless skin. Her clothes have been ripped to shreds and are barely covering her body. It looks like she’s sleeping, but I know that’s not the case.

  I crawl on my hands and knees over to her prone body. A tear escapes my eye as I continue to take in her battered body. This should have never happened to her. She should still be whole and untouched by the motherfuckers downstairs.

  I’m so focused on the woman lying in front of me, I don’t hear the door slam back open or see the gun raised in our direction. Tank suddenly shoots up from beside me and takes out the man who thought he would take us out while our backs were turned. I still don’t look up to take in the scene around me as everything continues to fade into the background.

  Reaching out, I feel for her pulse and find it beating strong. Relief floods me as I realize she’s been beat to hell, but she’s just knocked out and not knocking on death’s door. I’m not happy by any stretch of the imagination that she’s been beaten to fucking hell, but I’ll take that over losing her.

  Playboy is holding Kinsliegh as I drape my shirt over Shy’s body. I don’t want to move her any more than I have to. Not without knowing what injuries she actually has. The last thing I want to do is hurt her more.

  “Someone get some fuckin’ help for her!” I yell out, feeling more helpless than I’ve ever felt in my life. “I want the fuckin’ bodies moved and an ambulance called for her. Now!”

  The shuffling of feet and movement behind me signals the men in here with me are going to do what I’ve asked. Right now, I want to pull Shy into my arms and protect her from every evil fucking thing in this world. It’s not possible until I know what we’re dealing with, but she will get justice for this. I will make the motherfuckers that did this to her pay.

  Before I know it, EMTs are trying to pull me away from the only woman that’s ever really captured my heart. I go to fight, until I remind myself they’re here to help her and take her to the hospital so we can find out what these animals did to her. I back up and Playboy places Kinsliegh in my arms.

  This sweet little angel looks up at me and puts her little hand against my face.
I bury my face in her soft little body and take a deep breath. There doesn’t seem to be a damn thing wrong with her which tells me how hard Shy fought to make sure no one touched her. My heart explodes and for the first time in my life, I pray. I pray Shy comes back to us and this doesn’t push her away from me for good.

  The wait at the hospital was the worst part of this. Not knowing what’s going on with my woman or how bad she’s been hurt is torturous. My brothers from the Phantom Bastards and Satan’s Anarchy surround me in the waiting room. We take up the entire room.

  I’m not talking to anyone and I refuse to put Kinsliegh down. She’s the one last piece of Shy I have right now and I’m hanging on with everything I have. Playboy, Tank, and Killer haven’t left my side since we rolled up. Everyone else is giving me a wide berth and I’m glad no one is trying to talk. The rage I feel inside is bound to explode at some point and I don’t want it to be on one of these men.

  “Family of Cheyanne Carter?” a man in a white coat asks, walking through the doors.

  “I’m her fiancé. What’s goin’ on with her? When can I see her?” I ask, practically running over to the man standing before us.

  “Perhaps we could talk in the hallway. Alone,” the doctor says, trying to pull me away from the family behind me.

  “Nope. They’re all her family.”

  After taking a minute to look around and finally coming to the realization no one is going anywhere, the doctor tells me what’s going on. “She’s lucky for the trauma she’s been through. I’m not sure exactly what happened to her, but she’s got a lot of bruising on most of her body. There are two cracked ribs I’ve wrapped. There’s a large gash and bump on the back of her head and I’m guessing that’s why she’s been out. We’ve done tests and everything has come back normal. We’re just waiting on her to wake up. I’m having her moved to a room and when she gets settled in, you can go see her.”

  I nod my head, thank the doctor, and shake his hand. Taking a deep breath, I realize she’s luckier than I thought. That doesn’t mean the fuckers we have held aren’t going to pay, they are. It just means their death will come quicker.

  Knowing I have a bit of time before I can get in to be with Shy, I pull Tank, Killer, Playboy, Renegade, and Grave over with me. We need to get this shit finished and now. I don’t want any loose ends when my girl wakes up.

  “I want at them. Now. Knowing that she’s goin’ to be okay means I can take care of business before comin’ back to be here with her. Most of you need to stay here though. I don’t want any suspicion raised about where we’re goin’. Renegade make the decision about who goes and who stays here,” I say, placing Kinsliegh in her car seat.

  I make sure everything she’ll need is in her diaper bag before calling Alex over. Zach and Bear are with the men we’re going to pay a visit to.

  “You take care of Kinsliegh. She’s got everythin’ you’ll need. I’m entrustin’ my girl to you.”

  “Yes, sir,” Alex says, sitting down next to the baby and putting his eyes on her. He won’t move and he won’t let anyone get close to her.

  Alex is loyal and needs to be patched in. Same with his brother Zach. We’ll discuss that as soon as we get back home.

  A handful of guys follow me out to our bikes. We take off for the farmhouse Shy and Kinsliegh were held in. One of the guys found a shed out back and that’s where the living assholes were placed. The dead guys were put in a pile behind the shed. As soon as we’re done with the fuckers, they’ll join the pile and be sent to hell.

  My bike is barely stopped before I’m putting the kickstand down and shutting it off. I have one mission, one goal, and I’m not wasting any time getting down to business. The quicker I take care of business, the quicker I can get back to Shy and be where I really want to be; by her side.

  The men follow me in the shed and I see the men stripped of their clothes. There’s a distinct smell of urine and that tells me all I need to know. One of these fuckers is going to squeal like a little bitch. I just have to figure out who the weak link is.

  They’ve been worked over already. Both of their heads hang in pain. Bruises are already forming on their nasty bodies and I look behind me to the men surrounding me. They may have had their fun, but they knew I got to take the lives of these two.

  “You thought you’d get away with takin’ somethin’ that belongs to me?” I bellow out. “Did you really think you’d get a free pass for takin’ my woman and beatin’ on her?”

  “Fuck you!” the older of the two men says.

  “Not likely. Give me their cuts,” I call out.

  Even for these assholes, their cut means the world to them. Both heads snap up and watch on as I take their cuts from the outstretched hands behind me. I lay them on the floor at my feet, right in the dirt making up the floor of the abandoned building.

  “You can’t do a fuckin’ thing to our cuts. It goes against everythin’ you stand for!” the man says.

  “I don’t recognize your club. Or any club that chooses to go after women and kids. Since you’re not in a real club, I can do whatever the fuck I want to these pieces of leather. It’s not even a cut.”

  After wiping my dirty as fuck boots on the pieces of leather in front of me, I take out my cock and piss all over the material. Laughter comes from behind me while the two men in front of me start yelling and cussing at me. Fuck them.

  “Now that we have that little piece of business taken care of, let’s get on with our night. I have places to be and more important things to do. You can talk and make it easy, or we can have our fun. I have a few guys wantin’ to get their hands dirty too,” I say, looking at the man that’s remained quiet since I walked in the door.

  “We know nothin’. Even if we did, we wouldn’t tell you shit,” the first man says, spitting in my direction.

  Without thought, I reach out and punch the man square in the face. It knocks him out cold. Fucking pansy-ass bitch. Turning my attention to the quiet man, I get closer, right in his personal space.

  “You know you wanna talk. Tank, give me the saw,” I say, holding my hand out.

  The man in front of me starts squirming as his eyes bulge out of his head once the saw is placed in my hand. I let my gaze travel over his body as if I’m lost in thought about what I want to do to him first. I already know what I’m going to do to this fucker, I just want to play with him a little bit first.

  “He told you we don’t know anythin’,” the man says, almost pleading with me.

  “Tsk tsk tsk. You think I believe that? I’m not fuckin’ dumb. What do you think, boys, should I start with the shriveled-up piece of skin he calls a cock?” I ask, moving even closer to the man in question.

  “Take it the fuck off. He won’t need it where he’s goin’,” Playboy responds while the rest of the guys laugh.

  This isn’t a funny moment. We want this fucker to think we’re relaxed and just having fun. I’ve never been more serious in my life.

  “What do you want to know?” he asks as I lay the blade against his skin.

  “I want to know why you took my fuckin’ woman. Who are you fuckin’ workin’ for? What’s the end game here?” I ask, sliding it against his skin as droplets of blood start to appear.

  “Collette told us she took you away from her. She was a willin’ piece of ass and got under Haggard’s skin. Talked about the little bitch tryin’ to pawn a kid off on you and you were fallin’ for it. Promised us money and all sorts of favors to get rid of the skank,” he says, trembling from head to toe.

  “The fuck?” Renegade says, disbelief filling his voice.

  “You ever stop to think that bitch was playin’ you?” Tank asks.

  “Still doesn’t answer why we got pictures of all the women associated with the club. What’s that about?” I ask.

  The man remains quiet. I take the saw and begin to take each finger off his hand. His screams fill the small room and I cringe as it’s loud enough to make my ears ring. I stop after the first hand to
see if that’s enough incentive to talk.

  “Fuck! Fine, I’ll talk.”

  “Why the pictures of the women and kids? Who are you workin’ for? Why are both clubs bein’ targeted?” I ask him again.

  “We work for the fuckin’ cartel. They want us to expand into both club’s territory. Gives them a straight pipeline for their trafficking. Our contact is the one who sent the pictures and had the women and kids followed. Nothin’ is off-limits to them,” he says, thrashing around as I dig the saw into his gut the more he talks.

  “So, they’re targetin’ us for territory? They think they can run us off like that?” Renegade asks, coming to stand next to me.

  “What are they traffickin’?” I ask.

  “Whatever pays. They run guns, drugs, people. Like I said, nothin’ is off-limits to them.”

  I look to Renegade and then the men standing behind us. We may be criminals, but we have our limits. Drugs and people are things we don’t fuck with. If there’s a protection run, we have no control over what we’re protecting, but if it’s another human being, you can bet your fucking ass we don’t take it.

  “If you take us out, the cartel will come after you harder than fuck. We’re their connection in the States and their muscle so they don’t get their hands dirty,” the dead man standing says in an attempt to save his life. Pathetic.

  “You think we’re scared of goin’ against the cartel? They’re nothin’ more than pussies in suits,” Killer says.

  “Time for fun, boys. I think we got all the information this bitch has. I want to get back to my woman and kid,” I say, giving the men permission to take their rage out on the stupid fucks in front of us. “Wake that pussy up before you begin. I want them to feel every ounce and second of pain being dished out to them. The same way Shy felt it all.”