by Erin Osborne
“I know you’ve been following me Carl. Don’t act so shocked to know that I’m pregnant,” I tell him, letting him know that I’m not as dumb as everyone thinks I am. Well, as he thinks I am.
“Well, I guess we’re stuck here until that bastard is born. Then we’ll make our way back home,” Carl says. “I guess it’s a good thing Sami won’t be coming back with us.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, knowing I’m not going anywhere without my daughter.
“I don’t want that fucking brat coming back with us. All of your attention needs to be focused on me. Without her, that can happen,” Carl says, like he honestly believes that I’ll leave my daughter.
“Over my dead body will you take me without my daughter. You won’t really be taking us anywhere,” I tell him, having nothing but confidence in my man and the rest of the club to find us.
“We’ll see about that,” he says. “James, get these two bitches inside before someone happens to drive by.”
James leads us inside and to one of the back bedrooms. I’m not sure where Carl goes, but I’m thankful I don’t have to deal with him at the moment. I need to wrap my head around what’s going on right now and figure out a way to get my mom and I out of here safely. We’re lead over to the bed and James ties our hands loosely to the slats in the wrought iron headboard. What the fuck is he doing? Is he that stupid or does he just not care?
“Listen, you guys aren’t in any danger,” James tells us. “The guys will be here soon. This was all a setup so that we could get the situation under control. And get to him before he could scoop you up himself. I’m sorry I had to do this guys but it was the only way.”
I look at him in amazement. Now, I don’t want to rip his balls off quite so much. But, I’m still upset that no one filled me in on what the plan was. When I look at him, I’m sure that he can see that plainly on my face.
“We couldn’t tell you, you needed to have a natural reaction to this and you wouldn’t have had that if you knew what the plan was. Irish has been near you the entire time. You’ve been in his line of vision,” James tells me, making sure that our binds our extremely loose. “I have to go out there for now before he starts thinkin’ somethin’ is goin’ on. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
We watch as James leaves the room and closes the door behind him. I’m sure that he’s supposed to lock it behind him, but he doesn’t do that either. From his actions, I believe that we can truly trust him. He’s doing everything he can to ensure that we’re comfortable and nothing is going to happen to us. Let’s hope that Carl doesn’t come in here alone and see what James has done.
My mom and I pull our hands from the binds and try to get more comfortable on the bed. For me it’s not as easy as it is for her. I’m always uncomfortable these days and I know today is going to be no different. I just hope that we don’t have to wait very long before Irish and the rest of the men get here to save us. And to get rid of Carl before he can hurt anyone else. He needs to disappear and fast.
Irish
I have so many mixed emotions about today. On one hand I’m so excited to finally be done with this bullshit with Carl. On the other hand, I know that we’re putting my girl in jeopardy by putting her anywhere near her sick as fuck husband. Goose wanted to be the one that was with Whitney and her mom, but there was no way that Carl would believe that he could buy him out. Not when he’s so close to Sami and, in turn, Whitney. So, we had to go with James a new prospect that I really don’t know anything about.
“Are you okay with this?” Pops asks me, pulling up the bar stool next to me.
“No, I’m really not. Did Bailey call Doctor Sanchez?”
“Yeah. She’s got it set up that Whitney can go into the office in a few hours. That will give us more than enough time to get to them and make sure they get out safe and untouched.”
“No one can guarantee that Carl isn’t goin’ to lay a hand on my girl!” I rage out. “What would you do in my position? Sitting here in the clubhouse basically doin’ nothin’ while you know your girl is goin’ to the lion’s den. And that your unborn son is in jeopardy?”
“I’d be ready to bust up everythin’ in sight! James is with her and Grim and Joker are already close by. We’re just waitin’ to hear that the girls are there so we can head out. And you’re havin’ a boy? That’s great news Irish!”
“You better not say a word to anyone. No one else is supposed to know. We have to drive an hour just to get there. We should be leavin’ soon and not waitin’ for some phone call tellin’ us when to leave,” I tell him, downing the beer I have.
I have to get away from everyone as we wait for a phone call to come. The only thought running through my head right now is that James isn’t going to be able to protect my girl and son. Cassidy isn’t even going to be able to calm the rage and fear that’s consuming me right now. So, I go to the one place I can take some of my aggression out, the gym. Turning on the stereo, Failure by Breaking Benjamin is blaring out of the speakers and I think it fits my mood perfectly right now. I feel like a failure when I can’t be there to protect my family.
Tank follows me in the gym and I know that we’re gonna get in the ring. We’re not going to spar, we’re going to fight hard. He’ll let me take out my rage on him like he usually does in these situations. Pretty soon the rest of the guys will be in to watch us and we’ll put on the show of a lifetime. I’m not holding back and I’m going to do my very best to beat Tank’s ass. He may be a brother, but at this point, all I see is Carl. All I think is that he may be putting his hands on her right this second. Just because we have it looking like James is betraying us and working for Carl doesn’t mean that Carl’s going to follow along and not make his own moves.
“You ready to get your ass handed to you?” Tank asks, poking the bear further.
“I’m gonna be the one to hand you your ass!” I tell him.
The only thing Tank does is smile in my direction. We all know he’s the best fighter in the club and not a single one of us can even come close to beating his ass. However, I have so much rage and aggression flowing through my veins that I know I’ll have a fighting chance against him this time. That’s what the rest of the guys that have gone through this have thought, I’m sure. But, I have a girl and a son that I have to worry about right now.
The two of us go punch for punch. We both land good, solid hits to one another wherever we can reach. One of Tank’s lands square in my face and I can already feel my eye swelling shut and the blood starting to run down my face. It’s the price I’ll pay to ensure that I get as much of this shit out before I lay eyes on Whit.
It only takes about two minutes before the first guys wander in the room. Glock and Blade are the first two here. They make themselves comfortable leaning against the outside of the ring, as close to the action as they can get.
Tank and I go hard for about twenty minutes before Glock steps in the ring and pulls us apart with the help of Blade. Grim called and we need to head out in a few minutes. That gives Tank and I just enough time to get cleaned up so we don’t look we just went ten rounds.
I run to my room and hop in the shower real quick. Washing my body doesn’t take that long knowing that my girl is already in his hands. We need to get our asses there now before something bad happens that Whit and I can’t come back from. It will kill us if we lose this baby. Especially when we only have two months left until we meet our little boy. I’m already counting the days down and I won’t be able to handle losing him before we even get to meet him.
We’ve been on the road for what seems like forever. I know that I’m going faster than what I should be right now, but the only thing I care about is getting to my girl. Grim has called a few times and he can’t see a damn thing through the windows. This has me even more concerned than what I was already. Now, we really don’t know what the fuck is going on in there. Whitney could be in real trouble because Carl’s done something to James and we wouldn’t know a damn thin
g about it.
Finally pulling up to the dirt road we’re supposed to turn down, I slow down just enough to ensure that I won’t wipe out. I can’t have something happen to me when I’m this close to my entire world. We have a plan in place, but I don’t even want to follow it. I just want to burst through the door and get my girl. Unfortunately, I know that this will only put Whitney and Elizabeth in danger. More than what they’re already in.
Grim waves us over to where they’re hiding and we all park our bikes. I’m standing on the outside of the group of men so that I can be one of the first ones through the door. I know that they’re talking about the layout of the house and what James was able to communicate about what’s going on inside. There’s just no way I can pay attention right now. So, it’s a good thing that Goose is standing next to me. He’s paying attention and he’ll lead me in the right direction.
“Alright guys, surround the house. Irish, take the back door with Goose and Joker. Pops, you’re with me at the side and Cage I want you in the front. Pick more guys to go with you as we’re makin’ our way there.”
Goose and I quicken our steps so that we can get to the house and try to get a read on what we’re going to be dealing with. As soon as I hit the back door to wait for the count down, I hear a blood curdling scream that sounds like Whitney. I look to Goose and I know without a doubt that he’s with me. We don’t wait for the countdown or anything, the door is met by my foot and I kick it in with enough force that it almost comes off the hinges.
“Whitney!” I call out. “Where are you baby?”
“In here Irish. Carl’s in here with us,” I hear her call back with a shaky voice.
Whitney’s voice is coming from a door to my left. I get on one side while Goose takes the other so we can see Carl as soon as it opens. I slowly push the door open and poke my head inside. What I see has my blood boiling and I know I’m hanging on by a thread right now.
Whitney is covered in blood. Carl hit her more than once in the face and now blood is pooling down her face. Her eyes are swollen almost shut and I can tell that she put a fight up. My eyes immediately go to her belly and lower body. Thankfully there doesn’t look to be any damage to that area of her body. But, I can’t be sure right now. Whitney’s first stop will be the hospital and I’ll be making sure her doctor is there waiting for us.
“So, you must be the man that put this bastard in her belly,” Carl says, looking directly at me.
“And you better watch what the fuck you say about my woman! Do you think you’re helpin’ yourself out by gettin’ me more pissed off than what I already am?” I ask, grabbing my gun from the back of my jeans and aiming it right at Carl’s head.
“Do you think you’re in any position to be making demands here?” Carl asks me. “I’m the one with everything to gain and nothing to lose.”
“Losing your life isn’t anything to lose?” Goose asks, taking the attention away from me.
Before I can stop him, Goose is heading in the room. Carl doesn’t know what to do and I can see his options fleeting across his eyes. He’s getting desperate and I hope that he doesn’t put Elizabeth or Whitney in danger in his attempt to get past us.
“Now, I’d say Carl, that you have no options here. The house is completely surrounded, and you have nowhere to run. What are you goin’ to do now?” Goose asks, stepping even further into the room.
I see an opening and I raise my gun and pull the trigger. The entire time I keep eye contact with Whitney so she knows what I’m about to do. Like I hoped, she quickly falls to the bed and the bullet hits Carl in the shoulder. It’s enough to take his mind off of the girls, and Goose rushes to him and pulls him up off of the ground.
“Still think you have options motherfucker?” he says, getting in Carl’s face. “We’ve known where you were since you took the girls. How stupid can you be thinkin’ that you could buy a member of the Wild Kings?”
At this point, James appears in the doorway. He’s smiling at the fact that we got Carl and the girls are now safe. There wasn’t much he could do without blowing his cover. I know this, but I’m still pissed as fuck that he didn’t make sure Whitney was protected. That is until I look at him and see the gash on the side of his shaved head. Looks like Carl got to him before he tortured my girl.
“Are you okay?” Whitney asks James.
“Yeah. I’ve got a headache, but it’s all good now that the rest of the club is here. I’m glad that nothin’ worse happened to you Whitney.”
“You couldn’t do anything after he hit you with his gun,” Whitney tells him. “Irish, come to me babe.”
I can’t deny my girl anything, so I make my way over to her. She wraps her arms around me and I do the same. My world centers once I have her in my arms. I can feel our son kicking and moving around with her belly pressed up against me.
“Are you okay baby?” I ask, pulling back just a little bit.
“Yeah. Can we get out of here though? I don’t want to be here anymore.”
“We’re leavin’ right now,” I tell her, picking her up and carrying her out of the house.
“Irish?” she asks.
“Yeah baby.”
“I love you more than you know,” she tells me, looking me in the face as best she can.
“And, I love you more than you know,” I tell her, leaning down to kiss her softly.
This is a hell of a time for us to declare our love for one another finally. But, I’ll take it. I’ve known for a while that Whitney loved me, but I was going to take it at her pace. Now, I’m done waiting and we’re not going to take this slow anymore. Well, as slow as I think we’ve been going.
“Gonna marry you. Soon,” I tell her.
Instead of answering me, she curls in to me further and nods her head. I’m glad that we’re not going to have a fight over this. I’ve got plans in the works and her going along with the idea of getting married is going to help with that. Now, I just have to get with the girls and tell them we have the go ahead.
I’ve had Whitney at the hospital and she’s seen Doctor Sanchez. She assured us that the baby is fine, and that Whitney’s injuries are mainly superficial. They’ll heal soon and until then, Whitney is to be back on bedrest. She wasn’t happy to hear that, but she’s going to do what she has to in order to protect the baby the best that she can.
Now, it’s time for me to go take care of Carl once and for all. The guys have been waiting on me to get there before the fun begins. In the meantime, Killer is guarding him. I just hope he’s left something for the rest of us. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that Killer can’t stand men that put their hands on a woman. Make it a pregnant woman and he’s bound to flip the fuck out.
I head into the clubhouse even though it’s killing me to leave Whitney with James and Joker. We asked if Joker wanted to be a part of this, but he’d rather stay by his cousin’s side. He wants to take the place of me for right now and watch over her and our baby. Sami is also staying by her side. She’s been almost sick with worry. We couldn’t let her in on the plan either.
“Where the fuck is he?” I ask, as soon as I see everyone. “I want to get this done and over with now so that I can get back to my girl.”
“Let’s go. He’s down in a cell,” Grim answers me, leading the way down to him.
I walk in and see that Killer has already stripped him down and has gotten a few hits in. Carl is still awake, even if he can’t see very clearly right now. So, I take this opportunity to make sure that he knows I’m going to be the one to end his life.
“Did you really think you were gonna get away with this?” I ask, standing right in front of him and making him look at me.
“Yes. And I still will. Whitney will not be with you for much longer,” Carl responds like he has a leg to stand on right now.
“And how do you figure that when we’re about to end you?”
“You wouldn’t dare. There will be too many people looking for me. And if no one can find me, you can’t m
arry her because she’ll still be married to me,” he says smugly.
“Oh no. See, we’re masters at makin’ things look like it’s an accident. And I’m guessin’ that there’s enough people out there that want to see you dead. So, the cops will be lookin’ in their direction and not ours,” Grim tells him. “Yeah, we dug a little deeper and found out what you’re really in to Carl. Drug runnin’, gamblin’, and who was it that you owe a shit ton of money to?”
Carl stands there with his mouth hanging open. I guess he didn’t think that we’d be able to find out that much information on him. Too bad we’re more than just a bunch of dumb bikers. He won’t have the time to learn that you can never underestimate your opponent. Instead of thinking that no one would ever be able to bring him down, Carl should’ve spent more time trying to protect himself.
“We’ve all heard the hell that you put Whitney and Sami through before she got the courage to leave you. Now, we’re goin’ to enjoy doin’ the same shit to you,” I tell him, picking up the sledge hammer from the table of tools.
Before Carl can react, I bash him in the knees as hard as I can. His screams are like music to my ears. I bet my girls screamed like this too when he was beating the crap out of them. Putting the sledge hammer back, I pick up the pliers. I think the fucker needs some broken fingers.
“Before you do that Irish, do you remember what Whitney looked like when we first saw her?” Pops asks me.
I stand back and let Pops get his hits in. As he’s pounding his fists into Carl’s face, he lets him know that he’s her uncle and no one is ever going to lay a hand on his niece again. Carl’s eyes widen just a little bit at this new information. He had to have known something was going on since Elizabeth was with her. Unless he really is that stupid and didn’t think about it. After about fifteen minutes of Pops pounding Carl’s face in, he steps back and I look to Goose. I know he wants to get his hands on the fucker too. Everyone does, but I will torture him, and I will be the one that gets the kill shot.
“Go ahead Goose,” I tell him.