Duke bit his lip continuing to glance around the room looking for inspiration. Justice had Stew on the floor and Rex had the Scottish bloke up against the wall so they weren't going anywhere but it was the way that Duke looked at the three young boys that had everyone silenced.
"Who's got the least amount of convictions including parking fines?" I could see everyone's confusion as he asked the question. "Come on people start talking to me," Duke turned his finger in the air portraying a winding up motion.
"Don't look at me," Recon scoffed. A few of the guy's sniggered because Recon had been in and out of nick his whole life.
"Probably me," Lyric shrugged. "Why's that?"
"Coz you're calling the pigs and making sure none of these pricks try to make a run for it."
Lyric rolled his eyes and let out a sigh, "And what do I actually say about kicking the door in bruv and holding these blokes down until the feds arrive?"
Duke laughed, "I'm sure you can make something up...bruv!"
Recon sniggered at Duke's use of language, which made me smile. Even in a situation as horrible as this, they could make light of it and that's probably why everyone got on so well and had each other's back. They all had a mutual respect for each other and I had come in and thrown their hospitality and kindness in their faces because of my stubbornness.
"Diesel, take Josh. I think Skinner would like a little chat with him before we hand him over." I liked Duke's way of thinking.
Everything was happening so quickly but I wanted Stew to have some kind of punishment for the way that he'd treated me and for causing the death of Thomas. I tried to communicate but I still struggled to get my words out.
"What's up Cade?" Recon asked as I pointed to Stew.
He could see the frustration on my face and glanced between the two of us.
"What the fuck you looking at prick, I don't even know you in fact I don't even know why you're here." Recon slapped Stew hard for daring to open his mouth and returned his attention back to me.
"Is this the bloke who hurt you Cade?" I nodded and hung my head in shame. I wasn't comfortable with the situation especially talking to the club about my past experiences and the abuse I suffered.
"I don't know who he is, what you talking about hurting him?" Stew spluttered as Recon grabbed him hard by the scruff of his neck.
"That's all I need to know, right you're coming with me also." Recon pulled Stew through the living room as he protested his innocence and I knew that Recon would deal with him in the correct way.
"Right we better be making tracks," Duke stated to a hive of activity. Diesel threw Lyric Josh's mobile and Rex shoved the Scottish bloke onto the sofa alongside a fat balding man.
"Lyric, make up some shit but make sure those boys are taken away unharmed." Duke patted him on the shoulder before turning towards the door.
"Where's Hound?" Diesel asked glancing around the room.
"Fuck knows, he was with us when we came in." Recon stated looking down the corridor towards the front door. "Shit!"
I turned, watching Recon leave the room. "Duke," he shouted.
Everyone piled into the hall, I made my way to the door and peered over Justice's shoulder to see Hound unresponsive on the floor.
"Fuck, just take him. Get him in the van." Duke ordered with the panic evident in his voice.
Diesel, Rex and Justice surged forward and grabbed his lifeless body. They slowly manoeuvred him through the tight space and out of the house.
My heart raced, what had happened to him? Did he get hurt as they stormed the place or could it have been his heart again?
So many thoughts buzzed around my head but there was only one conclusion, that it was my entire fault. I had caused all of this mess. Paige would probably never speak to me again and Hound, well I had hurt him in the most horrific way by losing his trust.
"Come on we need to move now," Duke ordered the retreat of all club members as Lyric used the phone to call the police.
"I'll call Nina, she'll meet you down the police station." Lyric nodded as he turned his back to the group to speak to the operator.
I followed the guys, a little unsure whether they'd want me to ride with them because of everything that had gone on over the past week. They had offered me so much and I'd been a total arse showing a lack of respect to everyone.
"Cade come on man we need to get going," Justice shouted from the front seat of his 4x4.
I pointed to my chest, indicating whether he was sure that it was okay for me to join them.
"Stop being a fucktard and get in you prick." I nodded, and jogged towards the vehicle. We needed to get out of here before the police came but most importantly, we needed to make sure that Hound was okay.
Recon and Rex were dealing with Josh and Stew by binding them tightly and gagging them so they couldn't be heard before locking them into the back of the van. I wondered what might happen to them both but realised that it wasn't important as I knew the guy's would take good care of the situation. They were predators, it had been proven that Josh couldn't be rehabilitated because he had committed an offence not long after he had been released so he needed to be stopped one way or another.
"I've been told to take you to the clubhouse. James is there to check you over to make sure you're okay."
I rolled my eyes, "Really? I'm fine Justice, honestly I am. I just want to make sure that Hound is okay."
"Well I'll take you to the hospital first and once we know that he's settled I'm taking you to the clubhouse. I'm only following orders."
The man was impossible but who was I to argue. I nodded and he smiled knowing that he got his own way without too much resistance.
A&E was only fifteen minutes away but it was the longest journey of my life. Justice ragged the vehicle but even so it was taking forever and it seemed like we were stuck behind every learner driver on the planet. I willed them to move out of the way and prayed that Hound was going to be okay. Duke and Diesel couldn't be seen. We were speeding so god knows what speed they were travelling at in order to get Hound to the hospital for medical treatment.
We pulled up in the car park and as soon as we were stationary, I bolted from the vehicle and made my way through the winding corridor to the reception desk in A&E.
There was a dithering man in front of me, struggling to remember all of his vital details. I bobbed from side to side trying to see if I recognised anyone or could get someone's attention when a young nurse approached.
"Can I help you sir?" she asked politely as she glanced at my cut.
"I'm looking for Hound...I mean Frank Watson."
This caught the attention of the lady on the reception desk and she peered over her small rimmed glasses assessing the situation.
"And are you a relative?" The nurse raised her brows and nodded her head slowly so that it wasn't too obvious to everyone around us.
"Erm...yes, I'm his...son. Yes, I'm his son Cade."
She smiled, "Ok then Cade please follow me." The nurse turned and walked towards an electric door. She scanned her card and the doors opened, the nurse briefly looked over her shoulder checking that I was still following her and entered the door.
"Can you tell me if he's okay?" I asked anxiously.
She shook her head, "He's being examined as we speak. That's all I know because the other information is above my pay scale I'm afraid."
"Okay but do you know if the other club members are here?" I rubbed my hands together agitated as I frantically looked for information.
"Yes, that's why Val on reception has the hump. She wouldn't have allowed you through if you weren't family. Apparently Mr Watson has 'a lot' of family."
I sniggered, I bet everyone that came in stated that they were either a brother or a child.
The nurse swiped her card again at the end of the corridor and a few the familiar faces gave me a sense of relief but everyone was sombre as they waited for news.
"Is there no Maggie, Chloe or Paige yet?" I asked joining D
iesel.
He shook his head, "They're on their way but no one can get hold of Paige as yet."
I sighed, she was probably sulking and wanted to be alone while she sorted her head out. I removed my phone from my pocket, I needed to speak to her face to face rather than message her but I wanted to let her know just how much I cared for her. She had taken the plunge and declared her love for me even if the words weren't intended for my ears so the least I could do was to let her know exactly how I felt about her. She also needed to be here with her family, not by herself.
I'm sorry Paige, I've fucked up over the last couple of days. I need to explain the situation but I just want you to know that I love you. Yes, three little words hold so much meaning and I want you to know that I truly do. Please give me a call when you get this message, I have something more important to tell you.
I pressed send just as Justice walked through the door.
"For fucks sake it's like Fort Knocks in here. I've been trying to convince some old bag on reception that I was Hound's brother and do you know what she said?" I shook my head intrigued, "That Mr Watson must be a male slag like his father coz he has six brothers and four kids and none of them look the same."
The group laughed, the receptionist was only doing her job but the fact that we'd all said that we were siblings made the situation amusing.
"Is he okay Duke?" We turned towards where the voice had come from as Maggie walked through the door with a concerned looking Chloe.
Duke stood and walked towards her with his hands pushed firmly into his pockets, "I haven't heard anything yet Maggie but then I'm just his brother, they're waiting for you."
She nodded, "Where's the doctor?"
"Everyone went through there." Duke pointed to a brown door positioned in the middle of the far wall. Maggie approached it and cupped her hands around her face to stop any reflection from the lights as she looked through the window.
She banged lightly on the door but her knocks became louder as she became more agitated at the lack of response.
"Open the fucking door, I wan't to see my old man," she screamed.
The group fell silent as she banged the door with her fist and eventually she pulled her leg back to kick it. It rattled under the strain and she was becoming emotional but the group left her to it because she needed to let out some of her emotions, she needed to unleash her anger.
I was so engrossed watching Maggie that I didn't see Chloe walk towards me until she stepped directly in my eye line.
"You've got some nerve showing up here," she stated coldly.
I shrugged, "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice still a little husky from the drugs.
She laughed mockingly, "You know he's unwell but you pushed and pushed all the same."
"I didn't do any of this on purpose Chloe, I've had a lot going on lately." My response sounded weak in the grand scheme of things.
"And so have I but do you see me walking around like a spoiled brat coz that's just what you are Cade."
"Whoa Chloe, come on babe we're all upset about your Dad but it's no one's fault." Justice stood beside me offering some support but she was right, I knew he had a dodgy heart but I just added to his stress.
"Don't protect him Justice he's scum, if anything happens to my father rest assured I will hold you solely responsible." She spun on her heels and walked towards her Mum who had now gained the attention of a doctor.
"You okay buddy?" Justice asked placing his arm across my shoulders to pull me in for a discrete hug.
"That's no more than I deserved," I stated boldly.
"She's just upset and venting. There's life in the old dog yet, he ain't going anywhere." I smiled but I'm sure he wasn't convinced by my expression.
We were pulled from our thoughts as Duke's phone rang loudly. The doctor gave him a disapproving look but continued his conversation with Maggie as Duke dug around in his pocket and retrieved the phone.
"You're on loud speaker Natasha," he stated warning her.
"Duke, I can't hear you very well." I could hear a loud motor of a large vehicle in the background as she spoke and some of the guys glanced at each other with confusion.
"Is everything okay?" he asked with concern in his voice.
"Oh Duke, you gotta get over here quickly," Natasha sobbed.
"Where, get over where babe you're not making any sense." Duke stood and so did some of the brothers waiting to hear her response.
A siren blasted in the background making her response inaudible.
"You'll have to repeat Natasha, "Where are you?"
"At the Bird Cage Duke, there's been a fire." Her words got everyone's attention, some stood and others delved deep into their pockets for their keys knowing that they'd have to head over there.
He took a deep breath, "Is everyone okay?"
"It's a fucking mess Duke, it's carnage."
"Natasha, is everyone okay? Did everyone get out safely?"
There was a long pause and the commotion could be heard through the phone, "At this moment in time, two people have been reported dead." She managed to get the words out before breaking down.
"Natasha babe, stay strong. We'll be over there in fifteen minutes at the latest."
She sniffed loudly, "Okay."
Duke hung up and didn't need to say anything as everyone was ready to leave, he turned to Maggie, "Are you okay about us going?"
She nodded, "Hound wouldn't want you all sitting around feeling sorry for him when a major incident affecting the club has happened. Now go on, be off with you and I'll call you should there be any changes to his condition."
With those words it was like a stampede, everyone left the hospital waiting room ready to head over to the Bird Cage. I left the room at the rear of the mass expedition and noticed Duke cuddling Maggie tightly. He was offering her reassurance regarding Hound and she instantly seemed to perk up knowing the club were there to support her.
As a group we manoeuvred our vehicles from the car park, I was sitting in the front of Justice's 4x4 feeling a little anxious of what we may see when we arrived.
I wanted to make sure that Paige was nowhere near it, she didn't often frequent such an establishment now that she was clean but I needed to make sure that she was okay.
Paige, stop being stubborn and respond to my text babe. We can sort 'us' out at a later date but I need you to come to A&E as your dad has taken a turn for the worse. As far as I know, everything is going to be okay but it's probably best that you get up there with your mum and sister. I love you xx
Well hopefully that would do the trick and that she would now answer her bloody phone.
Chapter 8
Savannah
"It's so good to see you," I brought Amy into my arms and gave her the biggest hug I could muster. "You look so happy, you just have this glow about you." I pulled away to see Amy's cheeks blush at my comment and quickly stepped back to sit on a stool at the bar. "Why have you gone all girly and silly? You're allowed to be happy Amy."
She sniggered, "I know, it's just that I can't help but walk around with a smile on my face."
"Well don't stop then babe, embrace it." I lifted my drink and held it towards her, she acknowledged my actions and moved her glass closer to chink them together.
"To happiness," I said aloud as we both giggled.
"So what about you anyway?" Amy placed her glass onto the bar and rubbed her hands together as if waiting for all the juicy details.
"What do you want to know?" I asked, knowing full well that she'd want to know everything from start to finish regarding my time in France and the proposal.
"Erm the ring, I firstly want to see the ring." I held my hand out to display the rock on my finger.
Amy immediately squealed with delight, "Oh it's beautiful Savannah."
"I know right," just the mention of the ring and the proposal sent me back to the very day that Skinner proposed to me in Paris. It wasn't the most romantic setting but the love I felt when he asked
me the question is one of happiest memories of my life.
"So how long are you back for?" Amy was like an excitable child jumping around buzzing by my presence.
"Well I'm thinking 'forever'," I air quoted. "Skinner belongs in the UK and I've now completed my work placement which will be fantastic for my CV."
"Ah that's just great, I've missed you so much." We were interrupted by a screeching woman in the far corner of the club and I turned to see who it was.
"Who the fuck is that, can you see?" I asked Amy, straining my neck to see over the crowds of people enjoying the show.
"Nah but if she carries on, I can't see her being allowed to stay in here for much longer." We both glanced around the club and noticed an absence of club members.
"Well there doesn't look like many members are in tonight. Where are the guys at?" It was unusual to not have anyone at the club unless they were all on a job.
"I'm not sure to be honest, I chose to be out of the loop and only find out snippets when James is called to patch things up, literally." Amy rolled her eyes.
I knew James was busy with his own practice but the Aces and their demands probably made things even busier for him.
My phone vibrated, "Sorry can I get this Amy?"
She nodded, "Sure, is he missing you already?"
"Over protective more like," I sniggered answering the call.
"Bonjour."
"Hey Beautiful, is everything okay?" I loved it when he greeted me like this.
"Everything's fine babe, I'm just having a catch up with Amy. How's things your end?"
"I haven't managed to meet up with the guy's yet, no one's around or answering their phone's so I'm a little lost at the moment." Skinner seemed a little confused with the situation. They didn't know he was visiting this evening but even so there should've been someone from the club around.
"Same here, none of the guys are at the Bird Cage either."
"It's a little strange but I'll catch up with them soon enough." There was a pause before he spoke again, "Fuck!"
"What's up?" I asked frantically.
"A text has just come through from Recon, Josh has been released."
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