Wayward Soul

by K. Renee

  As soon as we hear their bikes coming, we get into position and aim the guns through the trees, pointing right at where they are about to pass through.

  I see the first bikes coming up and I give the signal, my brothers firing. I watch the first three riders fall to the ground, hearing the screams. I can’t help the smile on my face as I shoot at the next two. The crash of metal on asphalt is enough to make me wince in pain.

  Watching the bullets blow apart the bodies is crazy. Blood is spraying everywhere, and the wails are getting worse. We shoot down the rest of the men and wait to see if more come. You can hear the wounded grunting in pain and choking on their own blood.

  When no one else shows up, we shoot the six men on the ground again and leave them in the middle of the road. The Wayward Saints don’t do well with people who come after our own. They signed their death warrants when they shot at me and Casey. Every one of those fuckers deserve to be put in the ground, but I will take the six we got tonight. We pick up the guns and ammo, then ride to the closest body of water. Everyone drops the guns and ammo into the water, and we hop on our bikes and make our way back to the house.

  When we finally get back, Prez calls us all inside. Once everyone is sitting down, he slams the gavel down on the table. “How did it go, VP?”

  Johnny looks around at the men at the table and nods. “Went exactly as planned.”

  Prez turns to me. “How many?”

  “Six,” I reply, stone-faced.

  I feel like he’s testing me and I have no idea why. Prez and I may not always see eye-to-eye, but I respect him and don’t question him. “What about the girl?” he asks, looking at Beau. A strange look flashes across Beau’s face.

  “Fucking spit it out, Beau,” I growl. If anything happened to my girl, I will fucking murder the prospect. He had one job and that was to keep her safe. I wait with gritted teeth.

  Beau looks at me nervously. “Well, some guy showed up at the apartment and busted down the door. He wasn’t wearing a cut, so I’m not sure if he was with the Black Hills or not. She’s pretty freaked out, but she’s okay. We got to her in time to keep him from hurting her.” He looks away from me.

  “Fuck!” I bark out. “Where is she?”

  I can’t fucking breathe. All I can think about is that Casey is even more scared than before. I need to go see her. I have to make sure she is okay.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I was almost asleep when I hear something slam into my front door. The wood splinters and the door flies open, slamming against the wall. Startled, I jump up and hide in the closet. I can hear men yelling in the living room, but I don’t dare see who’s out there. I turn my phone on and search for Gunner’s name. Hitting CALL, I stick the phone to my ear and wait for him to answer. He always answers when I call, so when it goes straight to voicemail, I start to freak out.

  Sitting on my closet floor, I rock myself. I pray that no one finds me and that they just leave.

  I wish I hadn’t ended things with Gunner. If we were still together, he would be here if we were still together.I hear something hit the floor and footsteps come towards my bedroom. The door opens and the smoky voice freaks me out.

  “Hey, sweetheart. I’m Beau. I’m a member of the Wayward Saints. Gunner had me and a prospect keep an eye on you tonight. Are you okay?” My whole body is shaking. How do I know I can trust him? What if he is one of the guys from the other night? “If you don’t believe me, call one of the guys in Vegas. Our guys are on a run, but I know you trust the guys there. They will confirm who I am.”

  Grabbing my phone off the floor, I dial Dom’s number. When he picks up, I feel a little bit relieved. “Hey, Case. What’s up?” he says in his signature drawl.

  “Is there a member named Beau out here in Seattle?” I say quietly.

  I hear him say something to someone in the background before he gives me an answer. “Yeah, Case. There is. Why?”

  Do I tell him the truth? Or do I just lie about what happened? Before I can say anything, he tells me not to lie to him. “He’s at the apartment. I think someone tried to break in. I’m just scared to trust him unless he’s really who he says he is.”

  I hear him murmur something to someone, then he tells me to hold on a second. A few seconds later, I hear another phone ring. “Hey, Brant. Yeah, I’m at the apartment. Someone broke the door down, but a prospect and I were here. Things are handled. I just want to make sure she’s okay.”

  It gets silent again, then Dom gets back on the phone. “Case, he’s okay. You can go out there. If you need anything, call me. Is Anslie there?”

  She obviously didn’t tell him about moving and getting married, so I just make up a story about her being out tonight. We say our goodbyes and I make my way out of the closet.

  I slowly walk towards the man standing in the middle of my bedroom. The first thought I have is that he is fucking hot! I don’t understand how there are so many hot men in this MC. Why can’t I find a nice boy that is hot?

  I spend more than enough time looking over his body before I look up into his eyes. I see the smirk on his face and I want to smack him. Bikers are so cocky. “What are you doing here?” I snarl.

  He laughs. “Is that how you treat someone who just saved your life?”

  I don’t want to be a bitch, but I’ve been a wreck the last few days and this is the only way I can cope at the moment. “No one told you to save me,” I grit out. “Where is he?”

  Beau looks at me with a weird expression. He probably didn't expect me to be mad. He doesn’t respond to my question, so I dial Gunner again. It goes straight to voicemail and I let out a string of curses.

  This causes the biker to smile even more. He tells me he has to meet back at the house for church, but there is a prospect still here. He also tells me he will take the guy who broke in with him. I nod. Curious, I follow him out into the living room and see the guy lying on the floor. He’s tied up and has blood dripping down his face. I look at his face to see if I recognize him, but I have no luck.

  Once they get the guy off my floor and out into the van, the prospect comes back inside and sits on my couch. I can’t help but stare at him. He looks familiar, but I’m not sure why.

  I turn on the TV and sit back on the couch. Thirty minutes into it, I finally figure it out. “We were in English class together a couple of years ago,” I blurt out.

  He turns and cocks his head to the side to look at me. I can’t help but look away under his intense gaze. “Yeah, I suppose we were,” he says with a small smirk.

  We sit in silence for another twenty minutes before I say anything else. “What made you join the MC?”

  He looks at me, then back at the TV. He’s quiet for a few minutes. “Because, unlike you, I don’t get everything handed to me. I’ve had a shit life and I’ve finally found somewhere I belong. These guys don’t judge me or talk down to me. They treat each other like a family and that’s what I want.” I regret saying anything.

  Chapter Eighteen

  When I finally get to Casey's, I see the door is still broken, so I make a call to get someone to fix it. Walking into the room, I see the prospect talking to her. Instantly, I see red. I don't want any other man talking to my girl. Making my way inside, I clear my throat and both of their heads snap in my direction. Casey looks like a fish out of water. Her mouth just opens and closes until she finally just keeps it closed. The prospect, Josh, doesn't even flinch. He either wants my girl, or he is going to make a great brother one day.

  Casey slowly gets up from the couch and stares at me. She looks upset. I'm too focused on her facial expression to register that she’s coming towards me, her hand flying towards my face. The slap is loud and my head jerks to the side. Josh doesn't even bother to move. I grab her by the arm and drag her into the bedroom.

  Once we get inside and shut the door, she rips her arm out of my grip and spins to face me. Pointing her finger in my chest, she starts to yell, "Fuck you, Gunner! This is all your fault. That
guy only came after me because of you! You made me part of something I don't want to be part of. How could you? My door is broken, and I have members of the Wayward Saints in and out of my apartment. I just want my life back. Why are you even here? Didn't you hurt me enough yet?" Tears are starting to fall down her face.

  Her fists are balled up and she looks like she's about to swing at me. Even though her huffing and puffing is quite cute, she’s upset and she has every right to be. It is my fault those guys came after her, but she needs to know I will always protect her whether we are together or not.

  "Beauty, I know you're mad right now, but I would never put you in harm's way on purpose. You mean the fucking world to me and I will always make sure you’re protected. I made sure my guys were watching your place. I'm here because I care about you and want to make sure you’re okay."

  Her lip trembles and I know she's going to cry even more, so I pull her to my chest. She tries to fight me, but I wrap my arms around her. I whisper in her ear, "No matter what happened between us, you will always be under the protection of the club." I can feel her body tremble and her tears are soaking my shirt. I hate I'm always the one making her cry. Maybe ending things between us really is the right thing to do. I just want her to be happy.

  We stand like this for a little bit before I hear voices and something drop on the floor in the other room. Must be one of the prospects that's supposed to be fixing the door. Casey’s trying to look over my shoulder, but I keep blocking her. Her tears are starting to dry up and she doesn't look as upset. She rests her head on my chest and I can feel her take a deep breath.

  "Case, I just want you to be happy. I hope you know that." She nods against my chest.

  Josh comes and knocks on the door, making her jump out of my arms. "Gunner, the door's almost done. You want us to get one of the guys to set up an alarm?"

  She shakes her head, so I tell him once it's done, they can leave. He nods his head and says good-bye to Casey. I want to break his neck for even talking to her.

  Her voice cracks when she speaks again, "Gunner, this doesn't change anything." I kiss her head and pull away, seeing tears running down her face. I kiss her lips and walk out the door.

  I spend the next few nights drowning in booze at the house. The club whores are slinking around me, but don't actually come near me because I flipped out on one of them the other night.

  She wasn't my beauty and I didn't want her touching me. My brothers seem to be keeping their opinions to themselves, which is good for them. The first one of them to open his big mouth will get his face beat in.

  I've been sitting at the bar all day when Johnny finally comes up. "Hey, fucker. You done wallowing yet, or are you still being a bitch?" he says, smacking my shoulder.

  "Fuck you!" I slur, trying to get up from my stool. I start to fall, but he steadies me.

  "Fuck, Gunner. You’re sloshed. Let's get you to your room before one of these bike bunnies tries to rape you."

  I can't help but laugh. "You and I both know I probably couldn't get it up anyway,” I say, holding onto him.

  He leads me to my room and pushes me onto my bed. I hear the door close, but I don't even bother looking up. Fuck. Even my bed smells like her.

  Before I know it, I'm passed out.

  Chapter Nineteen

  It's been six months since I last saw Gunner and I am still as miserable as the day I walked away from him for the second time. I can't get him out of my mind, but I still won't let myself call or text him. I try to remind myself that his life is dangerous and unsafe, but I miss him so damn much.

  To top things off, I miss my best friend, too. Hell, Anslie and I barely talk anymore. I hate that she married Charlie. I shouldn't have pushed her to hang out with him in the first place. I should have known better. He purposely keeps us away from each other. I've barely even been able to see the boys.

  I still remember the day I found out Anslie gave birth. That motherfucker didn't even show up! He supposedly cares about her, but he couldn't even be there for her. I have this nagging feeling there is more than meets the eye with them, but I don't say anything because I want to be able to see Anslie and the boys.

  I have been trying to get in touch with her all night, but she hasn't even responded. I know she is home all day since he doesn't let her work, so I try texting her again.

  Me: Ans, call me.

  I wait a few hours, but I still get no response.

  The next morning, I get ready for work and leave early enough to stop by Anslie's to get in some time with my favorite little boys.

  I pull up to her house and knock a few times, then finally ring the doorbell, not worrying if I wake anyone up. Something is wrong. I can feel it. She always answers when I knock. When she finally answers the door, I smile and say, "Hey, whore!"

  She gives me her best fake smile. "Hey, Case."

  I look over her features and see that she looks worn down, and then I see it. She has a bruise forming on her jaw and a few cuts on her face. Oh, my god. I can feel the tears well up in my eyes. She turns her head so that I can't see the bruises anymore. "What the hell happened to your face? Did that asshole do this to you?" I'm fuming and sad at the same time. That bastard is not going to get away with this. As much as I don't want to, I have to go see Gunner when I leave here. He's the only person I know who will be able to help me.

  "Where the fuck is he, Ans? Did he do this in front of the boys?" She nods and turns to walk inside. I walk in behind her and shut the door. Pulling her into my arms, I tell myself I am going to do everything I can to take this bastard down!

  When Anslie goes to wipe her tears, I hear the boys yell, "Antie Caswee!"

  I pick them up and plaster their faces with kisses. I've missed these cuties. I still can't believe how much they look like their dad. When they get older, Anslie will be beating the girls off of them with a stick.

  "Come wook, Antie!" Sev yells, dragging me to his room. He pulls me through the door and runs to grab something off his bed. "Wook! Wook!" he says, shoving a photo at me. I grab it and see the picture of Anslie and Brantley that I took while we were still in high school. I hear Anslie and Remy come into the room after us, but I can't stop my mind from wandering back to the day I took the photo of them. They were so happy. I don't remember what they were laughing at, but I could see the love they had even back then.

  Sev breaks me out of my wandering mind when he says, "Me daddy!"

  My mouth drops open. I look over at Anslie and she has tears in her eyes. "They know their daddy?" I ask.

  She shakes her head. "They only know the picture of him."

  Remy pipes in, "Poppa no like daddy! We no say him."

  I look down at his sad expression. They don't understand this, but they will one day. I pick Remy up and give him a big hug.

  I spend the rest of the morning with the boys playing tag and trucks. I don't have to work until four today, so I insist on watching them while Anslie gets some rest. She looks like she is running herself ragged.

  Leaving Anslie and the boys at the house just about kills me. I can't believe that bastard is hurting her and she hasn't said anything to me. We are like sisters. I would do anything for her and the twins.

  Before my shift at the diner, I make my way to Black. I hit the back door buzzer to get someone to let me in. One of the bartenders comes to the door. "What can I do for you?”

  “I need to speak with Gunner. It’s an emergency.”

  Looking me up and down, he shrugs and lets me in. I follow him back towards Gunner’s office. He leaves me in the hallway by myself, contemplating if this is a smart decision or not. My nerves are going crazy. I still remember the last time I was in here. He thought I was pregnant. I take a deep breath and make my way to his office door.

  I knock and I hear him yell to come in. I feel his eyes on me as soon as I walk through the door. I get wet just thinking about what I still want to do to this beautiful man.

  "Hi, beautiful.” he says looking m
e up and down. “What can I do for you?"

  I smirk. He thinks I'm here for him. "I need to get in touch with your cousin and Dominic."

  The smile falls from his beautiful face. "What do you want with them, Case?" he demands.

  “Anslie’s in trouble and I know Brant would want to know. Regardless of his attitude towards her the last few years, I know he’s still in love with her."

  He stares at me with his mouth open, then I watch his face change as he grabs his phone off the desk and dials. "Hey, man. I got Casey here. She says your girl is in trouble… Yeah. Hold up.” He hands the phone over to me.

  "Hello?” I say hesitantly.

  "Casey, what's going on?" I can hear the anger dripping in his voice.

  My voice quivers. "Anslie's in trouble. He's hurting her and I think it's been happening for a while." I hear his rough breathing over the phone. "This morning, I stopped by after she didn't text me back last night. She had a cut on her cheek and a bruise along her jaw that she tried to cover up with makeup. We both know she doesn’t ever wear it.”

  I hear him take a deep breath. "Fuck!"

  I can hear a girl whining at him to pay attention to her. "Brant, I know you love her, and I know you don't want her to get hurt. Please, help me get her out of there," I plead.

  I feel Gunner come up behind me. He wraps his arms around me, and I start to cry harder. He pulls me back into him and I melt into his embrace. He sits us both down in his chair. I haven't felt this safe since the last time I was in his arms. I hear Brantley call out for Dominic. He tells him Anslie is in trouble and they need to go. “Case, we're on our way," he grounds out. "She still at the apartment?”

  "No," I reply quietly. I can hear him grinding his teeth. "She lives with him. Meet me at the apartment and I'll take you over there." I sigh and sink further into Gunner’s body. Brantley hangs up without another word.