Captivate Me

by Ryan Michele

  “What are you doing here?” Ma asks.

  “Dad? What the fuck, Mom?” Princess practically growls.

  “Ah, so this is the little sweetheart Malcolm was telling me about,” he teases.

  I mean, who the hell teases at a time like this? I can’t see, and there is blood all over the place!

  “Yeah, I’m a ray of fucking sunshine. Is the fucker dead?” Princess asks.

  “Two bullets to the head,” he responds. “Thanks to that fucker Dagger there.” While I can’t see Dagger, I can hear his heavy breathing as anger pulses around him in waves.

  “What about the guys outside?” Princess asks, sounding like she’s going into some take care of business, I’m in charge kind of mode.

  While I don’t feel safe at all, Princess’ firm, resolute tone helps calm me. She really kicks ass.

  I think of Buzz hoping what that asshole said was wrong. And where the hell is Shaina?

  “Your guys are down, and I mean, down. Bullets to the head.”

  My heart grows tight. Some of the Clayton guys stayed back to protect us, while the others went off to do club business. Because they stayed, they lost their lives because of it.

  “All of them?” Princess asks, her voice not changing a bit.

  “The seven of them who are here. I’m assuming there are more?”

  “Not here. They had shit to do today,” Princess responds.

  “What about Pops and the guys?” I hear Ma’s voice, but it sounds really far away.

  “No fuckin’ clue. Got word of the move. Tried calling Malcolm, and it went to voicemail. I came here as fast as I could.” He pauses and sighs. “Looks like I’m a bit too late.”

  “Who’s hurt!” Ma yells, and I feel movement under my hands.

  “Fucking fuck me!” Dagger screams next to me, grabbing Tanner, and I jolt back.

  “Fuck, that hurts,” Tanner moans, and a small bit of relief hits that she’s at least talking.

  “She’s fuckin’ shot!” he yells next to me.

  “How bad?” Princess asks from beside me, and I jump again. “What’s wrong with you?” Her hand comes to my shoulder, and I flinch. Then I realize she’s talking to me.

  “I can’t see anything. Everything is blurry. It’s like I burned my eyes or something.” The fierceness of the burn has me aching for relief. Water or something cool would be good to put on them. Thank God I lay down and pretended I was shot, or I’d be in an even bigger mess right now.

  “Fuck, that light burned your fuckin’ eyes,” Princess snaps. “Just sit back and close your eyes until I can get to you. It’ll be a bit. You’re safe, though.”

  Princess moves to the blob I think is Tanner, but I still can’t make anything out.

  “I had Shaina, but I don’t know where the hell she is,” I tell her as I hear her moving and Dagger cursing.

  I clench my hands, feeling the sticky blood that is partially starting to dry. Tanner’s blood. Those assholes’ words roll through my head. “All your men are dead. I bombed them about thirty minutes ago.”

  Buzz can’t be gone. He just can’t be.

  “Where are the guys?” I ask to no one in particular.

  “I’m trying to call GT, but he’s not answering.” I notice the hiccup in Angel’s voice, but she masks it. She gives me a cold cloth. “Put this over your eyes for a bit.”

  I do, and everything is darker than before. Still, the cold is soothing.

  “What about the bomb?” I ask, trembling, thinking that we could blow at any minute.

  “Richard, Ma’s dad, is working on that. Says we need to stay put until he figures it out.”

  Fear scrapes through me, but I try not to show it. I can hear commotion and Princess barking orders. I hear commands for a man named Doc to get here now. I hear a deep voice that coincides with Princess’ as they “stich ’em up,” as they put it.

  A cold bottle is shoved in my hand, but no words before the body moves off. I feel the bottle. It’s water. I press the coldness against my eyes. It feels better than the cloth.

  “Shaina?” I question the group.

  “They’re working on her,” Blaze answers, kneeling down next to me.

  “Is it bad?” I ask stupidly. I saw the damn bullet go through her chest, so I know it’s bad. How in the hell did she move away from me? Guess that part doesn’t matter now.

  “Yeah, it’s bad.” She squeezes my shoulder, and then she is gone.

  I want Buzz. I want my phone so I can try to call Buzz. I want him right here beside me.

  I feel the tears well up in my eyes, and I do my damnedest to push them back, but one escapes and rolls down my cheek. The burn of my eyes increases with each tear that falls, but I can’t stop it. The burn in my eyes is as bad as the burn in my heart.

  I can’t lose him. I just can’t.

  My entire body aches. I’m definitely not twenty anymore. I push away the pain as the heat from that fucking house bellows out quickly. The large puff of smoke above us is going to have the cops here at any moment. I need to hope like hell my guys are able to move so I can get them the fuck out of here.

  I reach for my phone and notice a missed call from Richard. Not to the burner phone he gave me, but to mine. Fuck. This is bad all the way around, but I need help first.

  I dial a number quickly.

  “Done,” Spook says on the other line.

  “Went bad. Need backup now. Bring medics if you got ’em on hand. And we’re going to need some wiggle room with the local cops. Can you do that shit?”

  Spook sighs. “Another marker,” is all he says before he hangs up.

  “Pops!” Cruz calls as he and GT come out of the smoke. They’re covered in cuts and burns, but at least they’re upright and moving, even if it isn’t at a hundred percent.

  “I’m good. Help my ass up.”

  They reach under my arms and pull me to my feet. Each muscle in my body screams from the pain, but I get my bearings and stand tall.

  “Where is everyone?” I ask, beginning to move away from the flames, keeping my eyes out for any of those fuckers who were shooting at us, but I see none.

  “Becs, Rhys, and Tug are banged up, but they’ll be fine. They’re lookin’ for Buzz and Breaker, and we were sent for you.”

  “Any survivors in that fuckin’ house?” I ask. When I turn to it, I know the answer. No way in hell anyone made it out of there alive.

  GT shakes his head. “Fucker had us set up.”

  Anger burns in my soul. Fucking Richard gave me bad information. Fuck

  I engage the voicemail as I follow the guys and reach for the gun in my boot. The other disappeared.

  Message: “Fucker pulled one over on me. He’s at the clubhouse. I’m heading there. You need to move your ass!” Richard barks into my voicemail, and then the call disconnects.

  A hollow feeling hits me. We’re hours from home.

  “Right here!” Rhys calls out, and I rush toward Buzz. His eyes are closed. His chest is lightly rising and falling, but coming sporadically.

  “Wake the fuck up,” GT says, getting down on the ground and shaking the shit out of Buzz.

  “Fuck!” Buzz moans, and GT sets him back down on the ground, almost in a crumble like his legs can’t hold his weight. Buzz shakes his head several times. He has a large cut down the side of it that is oozing blood.

  “Your legs?” I ask him.

  He reaches down to them. “Feeling is starting to come back, but it’s not all there.” He sucks in a breath. “Where’s Breaker!” he yells quickly, looking around for him. He spots him, and unable to use his legs, army crawls quicker than I can get over there, cursing the pain as he rushes to his brother’s side.

  Tug is already working on him with Rhys’ help. While they do that, I call Ma. It rings and goes to voicemail. I call Princess, and it does the same. I call Derek, nothing. I call several members of the Clayton chapter who are supposed to be at the clubhouse and get nothing. Lastly, I call the clubhouse lin
e, and it just rings and rings.

  I call it again and hear, “ ’Low?”

  It’s Cooper, and he’s been crying.

  “Buddy, what’s going on there?”

  When he hears my voice, his crying becomes harder, but I hear him trying to clear his little throat to talk.

  “Pops, bad menz comed here. Lots uh noizes. Wegs pulled me down to da foor and laided on me. Lots uh blood on da foor. I heard Mommy say a bad word. I was gonna sceam, but Wegs putted her hand on my mouf and broughted me downstairs. I wants my mommy!”

  My mind reels. I need to know what’s going on upstairs, and I can’t do shit!

  “Pops, what’s wrong?” Cruz asks, and I look him dead in the eye, telling him without words that it’s not good. Really not good.

  “Coop, how long ago did you go downstairs?”

  Cruz looks perplexed with my line of questioning. He’ll get it soon enough.

  “Whiles ago,” he responds with a sniffle.

  “Is Legs downstairs with you?” Cruz’s face turns from confused to alert.

  “Yez, she’s tyin’ to get da kidz from cyin’.” he says, and I breathe for a moment.

  “Give the phone to Legs.”

  “I scareded,” Coop says, breaking my heart, but I can’t think about that right now. I have to find out what’s going on upstairs in the clubhouse.

  “I know, buddy. You’re strong like your daddy and mommy. Need you to pull that up and be a big boy for me right now. Give the phone to Legs so I can get shit sorted.”

  “ ’Tay,” he says quietly, and then there’s rustling from the other end of the line.

  I look at the men before me, telling them, “Ransom wasn’t in that fuckin’ house. He’s at the clubhouse right fuckin’ now.” I turn away, not needing to see all the looks on the guys’ faces. I know what it is: fear. We don’t fear much, but when it comes to our women and children, that, we fear.

  “Pops?” Legs asks shakily, and I hear crying children in the background. “Give them another sucker,” Legs says to whomever. “Sorry, trying to keep them quiet. Some of the kids were hysterical, but we got it under control … I think.”

  “What the fuck is going on?”

  “Three guys came in shooting. Several of us grabbed the kids and tucked them under our bodies. Three of the guys went down. I’m not sure who shot them, but they were dead. When we had a moment of clear, I grabbed Coop, and some of the others grabbed other kids and darted downstairs as fast as we could. There were gunshots and screams. I locked us in the safe room after the screaming felt like it was getting closer, trying to keep the kids safe.”

  “Fuck!” I roar. “Need you to go up there and find out what the fuck is going on,” I tell her. “Can’t get ahold of anyone up there.”

  “Got it,” she says with confidence. “Give me a few.” She hangs up.

  I turn to the guys.

  “We need to get a medic for Breaker now,” Buzz says, looking up at me with fear in his eyes.

  Fuck, this shit isn’t happening. It can’t be fucking happening.

  Ten minutes later, Stiff rolls up in a large box truck with Spook in the passenger seat, but before I can tell him what the fuck is going on, my cell rings. It says, “Richard calling.”

  I lift my chin to the guys as they get out and start getting our men help. Then I step to the side.

  “You gave me shit information!”

  “Calm your shit. Here’s the rundown. Ransom’s dead. Ma is banged up but fine. Princess was shot and refuses to get treated until Tanner comes to. She was shot pretty bad and they’re workin’ on her. Dagger and Mearna won’t leave her side. Shaina is in really bad shape with several wounds, and Doc is workin’ on her. A couple of the other women were shot, but not seein’ any real issues.”

  “Fuck.” I run my hands through my hair. “What about the guys and the kids?”

  “Most of the guys have a bullet to the skull. Only one who survived was some kid they call Derek, but he’s not doing the greatest at the moment. Kids, we just sent the rest of them downstairs. They’re shaken up but fine. Blood on ’em, but no casualties.”

  “Fuck!”

  “Need to get your ass home,” he states, which angers me more.

  “You shouldn’t have fed me the wrong goddamned information!” I charge back, feeling my heart thump hard. So hard a shooting pain hits. I breathe deep, and it settles.

  “I didn’t.”

  “Then why the fuck am I here, and you’re there?”

  He sighs. “He fucked with the satellites. Must have had eyes and saw you come to me. Fuck, I don’t know. You think for a fuckin’ minute I’d put my girls in any danger? Let alone a grandson I’ve never met?”

  I shake my head. All of this is too much to carry. Too much to bear.

  “Need to know how you guys are. Charlotte’s worried,” he says.

  “Most of us will be fine. Breaker is the worst. Shot to the chest. And Buzz’s legs are fucked up, but coming back. Mostly just burns, otherwise.”

  “Damn.” Damn is right.

  “Stay there until we get there. Have Ma call me as soon as she can,” I order and then disconnect.

  “What the fuck is wrong with Tanner?” Rhys asks, an inch from my face.

  Fuck, I hate this shit. I’m so damn tired of having to tell people bad news all the fucking time. It’s one thing after another, all the damn time. Never ending, and it’s getting old fast.

  Rhys’ face is a mixture of concern, fear, and rage. There isn’t any way to soften this blow.

  “Dagger and Mearna are with her. Tanner was shot.”

  Rhys’s face turns pale, something I’ve never seen on the man in my life. Been through some crazy shit with him, but to turn into a ghost … never once seen that.

  “It’s not good. You need to get back home.”

  Rhys doesn’t think. He turns and runs off fast through the trees. No matter what I could have said to the man, I expected him to do just that. If she dies, he’ll beat the shit out of himself for not being there.

  “What about everyone else?” Cruz asks.

  I look over at Breaker then up at Spook before seeing a man bending down next to Breaker.

  “He’s a doctor,” Spook says, and I lift my chin.

  I look at Buzz, who is now kneeling on the ground. His legs must be working again. He’s banged up but so intent on his brother that I don’t dare tell him anything about the club.

  I motion for the other guys to move away with me, and when they do, I tell them, “Ransom is dead. Princess was shot but is up and barking at everyone, so she’s fine. Our men are dead, and Derek is hurt pretty bad. Tanner and Shaina are in bad shape. That’s why Rhys just bolted. We need to get Breaker stabilized enough to get home. Cruz, GT, Tug, make your way back and try to catch up with Rhys. I’ll stay here with Becs and the rest. Make sure everything on the home front is good, and we’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  GT moves up to me and wraps his arms around me, slapping me on the back hard. “Be careful, old man.”

  “You, too.”

  He backs away, lifts his chin, and they’re off. A small bit of relief hits me that at least they’ll be there in the next few hours.

  I turn to Spook and the doctor. “How bad?”

  Breaker lies there, still breathing. His shirt and vest have been removed, and I can see the entrance to the wound is higher up on his chest.

  “I’m doing the best I can with what I’ve got. I’ve tied off the artery and stopped the blood flow. Luckily, the bullet didn’t hit any major organs, but it’s the loss of blood that is concerning me right now. He needs blood now.”

  I look at the bag of blood in Buzz’s hand that he’s holding above Breaker’s body.

  “You’ve got blood,” I point out unnecessarily.

  “Yes, but I don’t know if this will be enough. I need to call and get more, or he needs to go to the hospital,” the doctor replies.

  “Is he well enough to transport?”
If I can get him home, Doc can fix him up, and Buzz can give him the blood he needs, being a twin and all.

  “I don’t know if you should do that,” the doctor says.

  I look at Spook. “This doc know the life?”

  He tips his head the doc. “Needles knows.”

  I look at the doctor. “You get that I can’t take him to a hospital unless it’s absolutely necessary?”

  “Pops,” Buzz says, and I look at him. “If we can borrow a van big enough for someone to drive while I take care of Breaker and to haul the bikes, I say we ride home.”

  He must have heard me talking about the women and overheard what I said about Shaina. That’s the only way Buzz would even risk transporting his brother right now.

  “You sure about that, son?”

  “Need him home. The artery is closed on both ends, and as long as I keep the wound clean and blood going in, we’ll get there.” The way he says it makes me believe him.

  I turn to Spook who has two of his men beside him, Stiff and Boner. “Got a truck we can borrow?”

  “Damn, you’re just racking up the markers,” Spook chastises. My patience is waning, which he must see since he puts his hands up with a small smile on his face. “Figured you’d need it. Use the box truck Stiff drove here and make sure it gets back to us. I’ve got a ride comin’.”

  “Thanks, man.” Then I turn to the doctor. “I need blood now. It’s a five-hour trip; you do the math on how much I need. Get it here in fifteen minutes.”

  “I don’t know …” He starts, but I step closer.

  “I said fifteen minutes,” I bark, and he steps back.

  He peels off the glove from his hand, eyes wide as he pulls out his phone. Better.

  I can’t fucking breathe. My chest hurts so fucking badly as each mile passes. I can’t lose Tanner. I fucking can’t. She’s my everything. Losing her would be like losing myself, and I can’t fucking do that.

  “I love you,” Tanner tells me, wrapped around my body. I know she’s scared, and while I wish I could take that fear away, nothing I say will make it better. Doesn’t mean I won’t try.

  “Love you, too, babe. I’ll be back in a couple days.”

  She sniffles into my leather as her body gives silent shakes. My gut twists.