Wayward Soul

by K. Renee

  A few hours later, I feel the bed dip as Gunner gets up. I roll over and watch him pull on his jeans. He has the sexiest ass I have ever seen on a man. I reach over and pinch it. "Shit,” he yelps and jumps away from the bed. Giggling, I sit up and stretch.

  His eyes zero in on my chest and he gets a heated look in his eyes. Stalking towards the bed, he leans me back and kisses down my body. "As much as I want to fuck you all morning long, I have to go. Do what Brant and Dom say, yeah?”

  I don't want to go, but I will because he wants me to stay safe. Saying goodbye sucks. I nod and my eyes start to fill with tears. I sniffle, causing him to sit on the bed and pull me into his lap.

  "Beauty, don't cry. You’ll be back in no time and we can pick up where we left off. I'll call and text you every day. It's not the end, baby girl. It's the beginning." I nod and wipe my face against his chest. I take a deep breath, taking in his scent. His arms wrap around me and I feel a little bit better.

  The sound of his phone buzzing brings me back to the fact he's leaving. Gripping my face with his hands, he presses his forehead to mine. Taking a deep breath, I whisper, "I love you."

  Pulling back, he looks into my eyes. "Case...," he starts, but I cut him off.

  "No. Don't, Gun. Not if you don't mean it. If you ever say it to me, I want you to mean it."

  "Case, I don't know what to call what I feel for you, but I know it's more than I've ever felt for someone before." I can't help the tears that fall. Using his thumbs, he wipes them away and kisses me once more. "I'll call you later." I just nod and look away. Kissing my head once more, he gets up and finishes getting dressed, then walks out the door.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Leaving the bedroom this morning was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but her safety is way more important to me. I run into Dom in the hallway. "Hey, brother. You look like shit. You pussy-whipped like your cousin?" he says, smirking. Fucking asshole.

  "Fuck off, Dom. I will laugh my ass off when you find the one for you." I laugh at his expression. It's almost a cross between fear and disbelief.

  "Fuck that. I will never put a bitch on the back of my bike. You and Brant are pretty much married with a ball and chain, and you fools aren't even thirty yet."

  "You still mad he's in love with your sister?" I question. I never really heard how Dom felt about Brant wanting Anslie.

  "Fuck. I don't even know where to start on that. I can't believe my sister has kids with that bastard, but if I had to choose one of the brothers to claim her, I'm glad it's Brant. I just hope he does the right thing when they get back home. You and I both know that bitch Kendall isn't going to be happy with him returning with a family..." He cringes and shakes his head.

  Laughing, I slap him on the back. "Well, Uncle Dom, I think she's good for him. She and the boys will keep him honest."

  Dom just nods. "Yeah, but I'll kill him if he fucking hurts her again. I can't bear to watch her go through him leaving again." Hell, if I had a sister, I would have wanted to kill the bastard, too.

  "Yeah, man. Well, I have to head out. Keep an eye on my girl. I don't know when that fucker’s going to strike. You guys are the only ones I trust to keep her safe."

  I watch his posture change. "Case is like a sister to me. I won't let anything happen to her. And if you even think about hurting her, you'll wish you never knew me. You get me?" I smirk and nod. I'm glad the girls have Dom on their side. We slap each other on the back and I make my way to the door.

  As soon as I pull up to the clubhouse, my phone goes off. When I look at it, I see two messages.

  Beauty: I miss you already <3.

  Part of me wishes I wasn't sending her away, but the other part is glad I am when I read the next message.

  Unknown: My, my. I'm dying to know how much it will kill you when I get the sexy redhead all to myself. I'll let her know we’re family and like to share.

  I won't let that bastard get anywhere near her. Anger is coursing through my veins as I type out a reply.

  Me: You fucking go near that girl and I will kill you. I may not have been old enough to stop you from hurting mom back then, but I am now.

  Unknown: You think you’re better than me, kid? Guess again. I'll enjoy hurting this one.

  Fuming, I walk through the house on a mission to find our tech guy. He can typically track down anyone. When I don't find him, I make my way down the hall towards the bunks. When I finally get to his room, I bang on the door so hard, it rattles on the hinges.

  After a few knocks, Abe answers, a pissed off look on his face. "Who fuckin' pissed in your Cheerios, asshole?" he sneers.

  "Fuck you,” I throw back. "I need you to track a number. I want everything you can get on him and I want it now!"

  He takes in my tone and motions for me to follow him inside his room. It smells like cheap perfume and whiskey. I look over at his unmade bed and see a naked bitch sprawled out. "Yeah, she's a tiger. You should see what that bitch can do for your dick, brother,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows.

  "Nah. I got my girl. I don't need any biker sluts to keep me happy."

  He scoffs. "Are you fucking high, motherfucker? How can you stand there and tell me you're not going to fuck who you want, when you want?"

  "You wouldn't fucking understand, man. Just find the info on the number so I can get the fuck out of here and go on the damn run."

  Shaking his head, he returns to pulling up some website. "What's the number?"

  I grab my phone out of my pocket and rattle it off to him. The clicking of the keyboard gets louder. "Goddammit," Abe mutters.

  "What?" I ask cautiously.

  I hear the bitch in his bed start to rustle around. “Baby, come back to bed,” she purrs. We both turn towards her voice and I can see the surprise in her eyes when she sees me. Her intake of breath is noticeable and she grabs the sheet. “Oops,” she giggles.

  Shaking my head, I smack Abe on the back of the head. “Get me the fucking info,” I say through gritted teeth.

  We turn back towards the computer and I hear her huff, “I can take that grumpiness away with my mouth, sweetheart,” she says, sex dripping from every word. I don’t even bother turning around. This whore has nothing on my girl and the thought of letting her wrap her lips around my dick makes me want to gag. Her makeup is smeared and her hair looks like a fucking rat’s nest. I wouldn’t touch her pussy if she was the last bitch on earth.

  “Fuck off, bitch. I wouldn’t touch your whore ass with a ten-foot pole,” I say without even looking at her. Abe is still typing away on the keys, not paying attention. I hear her scoff at my statement and I know she's about to do something she’s going to regret. I turn around and face her before she can throw her shoe at me. “Get her the fuck out of this club. You are banned from the property,” I seethe.

  She sputters and looks over at Abe for help. I look at him and he just shrugs at her. He knows she fucked up and he won't go out on a limb for her. Whores are a dime a dozen around here. When one leaves, three try and take her place.

  “Abe…,” she whines.

  I just want my information so I can get the fuck out of here and on the road. My phone starts to buzz in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see it’s Johnny. “Yeah?” I growl when I answer it.

  “Where the fuck are you? We need to roll the fuck out,” he says with an eerie tone. Something must be about to go down.

  “I’m on my way. Be there in a minute.” I hang up without hearing his response. I know that will get me shit later, but I don’t really care. Turning my attention back to Abe, he’s just shaking his head at the computer.

  “I can’t get anything, Gun. I’ll keep working on it, though.”

  Huffing out in frustration, I make my way towards the door. I turn back to him and nod my head in the bitch’s direction. “Get her the fuck out of here. Call me when you get something useful.” I turn on my heel and walk out.

  When I walk out of the house, Johnny says, “About fucking time.”


  I walk over to him and I can see him look at me with a concerned expression. “Johnny, before we go, I need to ask you something.” Nodding, he follows me away from the rest of the guys.

  “What’s up, kid?”

  I glance over at the guys who are all bullshitting. “I need help. I have a problem I don’t think I can take care of on my own.”

  Johnny stiffens. “Please fucking tell me you’re not mixed up in something bad. I thought that Black was doing well.”

  “Naw, VP, it's nothing like that. You remember the girl from last night?” I watch him nod. “My past is threatening her. And I can’t let anything happen to her.”

  I can almost see the wheels turning in his head. “You care about this girl?”

  I can’t help but smile. “Yeah, man. I do. But she’s not safe until I can stop him. I just sent her away with Brant and Dom.”

  He just chuckles, slapping me on the back. “Damn, kid. I never thought I’d see the day you became pussy-whipped, but it looks good on you. Plus, it helps that she’s a fox.” He lets out a low whistle.

  Punching him in the shoulder, I continue, “I need help tracking him. You're one of the only ones who knows what I went through. You were there when Uncle Nick brought us to Vegas.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  A faraway look takes over his face and I know he’s remembering that day.

  Mommy has been in this place forever. I wanna go home, but Uncle Nick says she's not well enough yet. This morning, I heard yelling out in the hallway. Peeking my head out of the hospital room, I saw Uncle Nick and my daddy. My daddy was really angry. He was yelling and his face was all red. Uncle Nick shook his head at Daddy and told him he would never see me or Mommy again. Daddy turned towards the room and saw me. "Get your little fucking ass over here!" he bellowed.

  I shrunk back and Uncle Nick got in between my dad and me. "You come near either of them again and I will fucking put you in the ground. They are not your family. They are mine and I will protect what's mine,” he growled.

  “You fucking think that just because you married her whore of a sister, you have any rights over my wife and kid? Well, think again. You will regret fucking with me, Nick. I don't care who you are or what you are a part of. I will get my wife and kid back."

  I watched my dad storm off and felt my shoulder's sag. My uncle came up to me and wrapped an arm around me. "Hey, little man. Don’t worry. I won't let him hurt you or your momma again." All I could do was nod. He led me back into my mom's room, then went to find a doctor.

  Finally, Mommy is being released. After a very long drive, we pull up to a huge building with a big fence around it. Once we pull into the lot, several people come to the car and offer to help. A pretty lady, who looks a lot like my mommy, helps me out of my seat.

  "Hi, sweetheart. Gosh, you're such a big boy. I remember when you were just a baby."

  My momma looks over at her with tears in her eyes. "Hi, sis."

  The lady walks over to my momma and wraps her in a hug. They are both crying, as a man I don't know comes to help me grab my bag. "Hey, kid. I'm Johnny. What's your name?"

  I look over at my uncle and he nods. "Alec,” I whisper. "My name is Alec Foster."

  He smiles and shakes his head. "Hey, VP. I think we should change their names so he can't easily find them. He doesn't know your last name, so he can't track you, but he can track them.” Uncle Nick is nodding. I wonder if I can pick my new name.

  A few minutes later, six boys come running though the lot. "Daddy!" one of them yells.

  Three of the boys stop at Uncle Nick and look over at me curiously. "Is that him, Daddy?” the younger one whispers.

  He chuckles. "Boys, this is your cousin, Gunner." I can't help but smile at my new name. It sounds totally cool. I give them a small wave and they come running over to me.

  Johnny smiles. "Gunner." He thinks it over. "I like it."

  "Hi, Gunner! I'm Jase, this is my twin brother, Brantley, and he's Sebastian," he says. "Our youngest brother is inside because he's too little to come out here. His name is Elijah. And over there is Dominic, Robbie, and Raef. Their baby brother is inside, too. His name is Bentley." I take in all of these new people.

  Uncle Nick comes over to me and leans down so we are face-to-face. "These people are your family. We will always be here for you and your mom. We won't let anyone hurt you.” I can't help but smile at my uncle. For the first time in a long time, I relaxed.

  "Shit, you were just a skinny little bastard back then." We laugh. "You think he's finally found you after all these years?" Johnny's eyebrows are furrowed and I can't tell what he's thinking.

  "It would seem so, or he's known where I was and just waited for a good reason to come after me. I will kill that bastard if he hurts one hair on Casey's head."

  Johnny looks at me and just shakes his head. "You are fucking whipped, kid. Never thought I'd see the day. Since the day you boys turned fifteen, you've all been screwing anything with a pussy.” He takes a drag of his cigarette. "So, what’s he said to you?" I pull my phone out and show him the messages. "Fuck. This is bad, kid. We need a fucking plan and we need it now. Hopefully he doesn't know where she's going and will keep his focus on us. Let's get this run out of the way, then we can focus on finding the son of a bitch. I'll call Nicky when we get back and see what he says."

  "Thanks. I really appreciate it. You and Uncle Nick were like fathers to me once I arrived here.”

  He punches my shoulder. "Nah, kid. That's just what families do for each other. Let's hit the road." Walking over to our bikes, we climb on, the rest of the guys following suit.

  Two hours later, we make it to the drop point, finding our buyers already there. They look pissed that they had to wait, but fuck them. We have no set time. They call with what they want and we deliver.

  “You're fucking late, Johnny,” Miguel says from his black-tinted SUV.

  "Fucking deal with it. You want your shit or not?"

  He rolls his eyes, a few of the guys pulling black duffle bags out of their saddlebags, walking them towards him and his guys. One of his guys walks over to Johnny and me with the cash. Once we open the case and make sure the cash is all there, Johnny nods to the guys and they hand everything over. "Nice doing business with you assholes,” I hear Miguel mutter under his breath, then gets inside his SUV and takes off.

  "You’re gonna piss him off one day and he's gonna shoot at us, VP."

  Johnny just laughs. "Fuck that cocksucker. If he thinks he can take me out, he’s welcome to try.” Chuckling, I start my bike and wait for the cue to take off.

  We make the two hour ride back. As soon as I get off my bike, Abe comes running towards me. "Gunner, we got a problem.”

  Johnny comes walking up and leads us into church. "What did you find out, Abe?" Johnny asks as he takes his seat next to the prez’s chair. I sit in my chair on the left side, then turn my attention to Abe, who is now standing at the end of the long wooden table.

  "Well, the phone is a burner, so I can't track it, but I was able to get a location on the tower the signal bounced off of...," he begins, but I can't make out shit.

  When I slam my hand on the table, Abe's head jerks in my direction. "Abe! English, brother!"

  He looks at Johnny, then back at me. "Sorry, Gunner. I can't find his exact location, but I can get the general area. If I had his name and last known, I could run other searches..." He trails off and looks between Johnny and I.

  I notice his nervousness. "What is it, Abe?" I have no patience for this shit. I just want to take this fucker out and bring my girl home.

  "Um... Well... It looks like the text bounced off a tower in Tennessee. Why are we trying to track them?" he asks, wringing his hands. I'm getting a bad feeling about this. It’s almost like he knows something.

  I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pull it out and see her name on my screen.

  Beauty: Gun, I am bored out of my mind. Entertain me! :(.

  I smirk.
The clearing of Johnny's throat brings me back to the problem at hand. "Abe, his name is Jaron Foster. He's my father and I need to find him before he hurts my old lady." Abe's eyes widen. Everyone here knows I have never wanted an old lady, let alone claimed one. "The last time I saw him, I was ten. Find him and do it fucking now!"

  Johnny dismisses Abe and turns his attention to me. “Kid, you need to reel it the fuck in. I'm thinking Abe isn't telling us everything. I'll keep an eye on him and see what he does." I just nod. I need to get the fuck out of here.

  "Thanks, VP. I'm gonna head into Black for a while. I'll check in later."

  He snorts. "Go fucking get laid, kid."

  "I would, but I just sent my girl away. She will come unglued if I fucked any bitch other than her, and she can hold a fucking grudge."

  "Damn, Gun. This bitch has you by the balls."

  "Don't I fucking know it." I walk out of church and make my way to Black.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I hate that I feel like part of me is missing when I'm away from Gunner. How did this happen? I am not this girl. We stopped a few hours ago at some motel in God knows what state. I really don't want to go back to Vegas, but I don't have a choice. I trust Gunner and I know he is only sending me away to protect me. I just wish he trusted me enough to know I can keep myself safe in Seattle. It's not like I won't have him around if something happens. I wish he would tell me what is going on.

  I hear my phone ringing, so I get up off the bed and run to get it out of my bag. "Hello?" I say breathlessly.

  "Hey, beauty,” he drawls over the line. Just hearing his voice turns me on. I want nothing more than to rip all his clothes off and have my way with him. I hate being away from him.

  "Hi, Gun. I thought you were ignoring me,” I say, pouting.

  He chuckles. "Beauty, you know I wouldn't just ignore you. I was trying to get info on the person threatening you."