by C. M. Allen
Wiping a hand down his face, I could tell the news was going to be bad. “Shit Mav, it isn’t good. He crashed and they had to roll him back into emergency surgery. Said somethin՛ about him havin՛ more internal bleedin՛ that they needed to stop. The only thing I could get out of him was that whoever did this used military grade weapons.”
Cocking my head sideways to crack my neck, I tried to rein in the darkness that threatened to escape, knowing the answers I needed to save Harper were locked up inside the head of a man who may not make it. Taking a deep breath, I asked. “Why would he mention that? It’s not like all of us can’t get our hands on that shit. There’s nothin՛ special about them.”
“I know. But that’s the one thing he said you needed to know before his heart monitor flatlined and the room filled up with the medical staff that kicked my ass out.”
Unable to contain my anger, I let it out. “Fuck!”
Feeling a tap on my shoulder a few seconds later, I turned to see a rent-a-cop behind me. “Are we going to have a problem over here, gentlemen?”
Butch luckily took over. “Nah man. He just got some bad news about our friend that’s in there fightin՛ for his life. He’ll be cool.”
Glaring at us both, he shook his finger at us, “he had better be or you’re out of here, got me?”
I started to tell this piece of shit off, but Butch grabbed my arm to stop me. “We understand.”
Ripping my arm out of his grip, I headed for the front doors. When I stepped outside, I headed straight for my truck and punched the shit out of the side panel. The pain that curled through my hand felt too good to me, I needed the feel of pain right now, it was what I deserved for what I’d done to Harper. “Fuck!”
“Maverick!” Butch called out, jogging up to me. When he spotted my hand bleeding, he shook his head at me. The disappointment evident on his face. “Gettin՛ arrested and punchin՛ your truck is not goin՛ to help us find Harper man. You need to get your shit under control and get your head on straight!”
Knowing that he was right, that my emotions were clouding my ability to think straight, I told him. “I know you’re right man, but fuck, all I keep thinkin՛ about is what’s happenin՛ to her. Is someone fuckin՛ touchin՛ her? Beatin՛ her? Torturin՛ her?” Practically choking on my next words, I finally got them out. “Killin՛... her? I can’t just wait around here for Vulture to wake up or one of our contacts to get back to us, Butch. I’m goin՛ in-fuckin՛-sane!”
“Then let’s do somethin՛.”
“What? We have no fuckin՛ clue who has her.”
“Then let’s start eliminatin՛ the possibilities. Beginnin՛ with the most obvious. The Slayers.”
Feeling that dam burst inside, releasing the surge of anger to hurt someone, I agreed. “Let’s go.”
When we pulled up to The Slayers clubhouse a few hours later, we were met with several guns pointed in our direction.
This was probably not my smartest moment as President of The Deviants, knowing that my VP and I could both be killed here today.
It was the number one rule in our world; never have your Prez and VP in any kind of vulnerable position at the same time. It was the way a club could fall fast, and I knew what I was doing right now put my whole club in jeopardy. But, it was clear that I was willing to chance getting myself and Butch killed if it meant I could find a shred of information that would lead me to getting Harper back. If my father was alive to see me right now, he would have had my ass for this, knowing I put a brother’s life before a woman. Don’t get me wrong, he would have done the same shit for my mother in a heartbeat, but she was his wife. He always referred to girlfriends as some sort of second-class citizen when it came to their lives over a brother. “Think we’re goin՛ to live through this?” Butch asked, breaking through my thoughts.
“If we don’t that’d really fuck up our day, now wouldn’t it?” I answered with a chuckle to try and lift some of the weight off the situation we’d put ourselves in.
“Yeah, not gettin՛ laid anymore would really suck.”
I shook my head. “Always thinkin՛ with that dick of yours.”
The first Slayer to greet us was Stitch when he walked up to the driver side window where I sat. “You two fuckers must have a death wish. Either that or you’ve gone stupid?”
“We’re here to see Skull,” I said, holding the gun in my lap that wouldn’t save my ass but it would take out as many Slayers as possible before they killed me or Butch.
Stepping back, he laughed at my request before all the humor slid from his face, revealing the hate I knew he felt for us. “No one comes here demanding to see Skull. You got me, you motherfuc...”
“Stitch!” Skull shouted out, walking up behind him. “What the fuck is goin՛ on out here?”
He glared at us before turning to face Skull. “Seems these two think that they can just roll up onto our compound and demand to see you.”
When Skull reached the truck and saw who we were, I could see his eyes slightly widen in disbelief before he asked. “Did any of you check to see if these two fucks were carryin՛?”
Stitch almost goes pale when he realized his mistake. “Shit, sorry Prez. I’ll check them now.”
“Jesus fuckin՛ Christ! Get it done now!” Skull shouted at Stitch.
I nodded at Butch to let him know we’re going to have to give up our guns.
The ones they could see anyway.
We both held up our hands with our guns hanging from a finger. “Look Skull, you know there’s no way in hell I’d be here on your turf if it wasn’t important.”
“Yeah, you’d have to be pretty fuckin՛ stupid to bring just yourself and your VP alone to a fight. Hell, you are stupid for bringin՛ him with you period. Your father would roll over in his grave if he saw what you were doin՛ right now.”
The mention of my father out of his mouth causes the cage to rattle. “Don’t you fuckin՛ talk about my father.” I growled at him through gritted teeth.
“Enough of this back and forth bullshit! Get their guns and then show them to my office,” he barked out, before turning to walk away.
“You heard the man. Now get your asses out of that truck and hand over your weapons nice and slow.” Stitch ordered, still holding his gun on us.
Both Butch and I reluctantly did as we’re told.
A few of the members stayed behind us with their weapons pointed at our backs as Stitch walked ahead, leading us to Skull’s office.
Once we’d made it in, the door shut behind us. We were joined by Skull’s enforcer, Rooster, as well as his VP, Hatchet and then Stitch. All with guns at the ready to shoot us if necessary.
Leaning back in his chair, Skull let out a heavy breath, seeming as though he was tired. He was an older man with graying hair and beard, and around the same age my father would be today.
If he was still alive that is.
“So, what is so important that you would risk your lives comin՛ up here?”
“Someone came onto my property and shot Vulture before kidnappin՛ my woman. You wouldn’t have any ideas who that might have been, would you, Skull?”
Leaning forward quickly, his demeanor instantly switched from calm to one of rage. “Are you fuckin՛ accusin՛ me of bein՛ the one behind this? Because if you are, I would like to remind you of whose office you two fucks are sittin՛ in right now and how quickly I can make your asses disappear! Permanently!”
Moving into his space, I growled through clenched teeth. “Are you goin՛ to sit there and tell me you had nothin՛ to do with the attack on us at her parents’ house?”
Leaning back in his chair again, he steepled his fingers. “That was simply a miscommunication. It was out of my hands,” he shrugged, holding his hands up.
“Are you sayin՛ that you’re losin՛ control of your men then, Skull?”
“I’m not sayin՛ shit about shit!” he shouted before moving forward again into my space. “I’m fuckin՛ sayin՛ I didn’t have shit to do with your man gettin
՛ shot or that bitch of yours bein՛ taken.”
When he calls Harper a bitch, I’m up out of my chair and just about to grab his ass by the throat when all at once Butch grabs onto my arm and I have three guns pointed in my face. Seething with the need to kill this motherfucker, I warned him. “Don’t you ever fuckin՛ call her a bitch again, you hear me?!”
Standing up and getting within inches of my face, he smiled, the fucker actually smiled at me. “Your guest pass just expired son. So I suggest you and your VP here get your fuckin՛ asses out of my office, back into that truck of yours and off of my compound before I lose my temper. Do. You. Got me?” He threatened in a deadly calm voice.
“Yeah, I got you. But if I find out you had anythin՛ to do with this shit, nothin՛ is goin՛ to stop me from puttin՛ a bullet right between those fuckin՛ eyes of yours. You. Got. Me?”
“I’d remember the company you’re in right now if I were you. And I’d be very careful of the next words that come out of that damn mouth of yours.”
“Just remember what I said,” I warned him, holding his glare.
“Get them the fuck out of my office and off my compound, now!” he shouted.
As I’m just about to walk out the door, Skull gives me some parting words. “You know Maverick, I may not be the only enemy you’ve made out there. You might want to start thinkin՛ bigger.”
Looking back at him, I could see it in his face, there was something he knew about this. But if there was one thing I knew about Skull; he would die before he would ever help me.
Walking to the truck with guns at our backs, all I could do was run his words through my head.
You know Maverick, I may not be the only enemy you’ve made out there. You might want to start thinkin՛ bigger. What the hell did he mean by bigger? And who else had an axe to grind with me besides The Slayers?
By the time we reached our truck and hightailed it out of there, my temper was hanging on by a thread; which seemed to be the norm ever since Harper had been taken from me. “Well, I think that went well. Shit,” Butch spoke first with a slight chuckle, running his hand over his face and through his hair. “Do you think Skull’s behind this? Or do you believe he was tellin՛ us the truth when he said he had nothin՛ to do with it?”
Thinking about his reaction, my gut instinct told me he didn’t do it, but I was pretty sure that he knew something about who did. After what he did to Harper’s parents’ house though, I couldn’t rule him out just yet. “I don’t know, but I want eyes on them at all times. I want to know if any of them are goin՛ places they normally don’t. Or talkin՛ to anyone new that’s not already involved with them.”
“Got it. What the hell do you think he meant by thinkin՛ bigger about a possible enemy?”
“Don’t know that either, but I plan on lookin՛ into any possibilities of another enemy out there wantin՛ to get at us.”
Pulling up to the clubhouse, we were met by Chainsaw as we got out of the truck. “Any word on Vulture’s condition?”
I shook my head. “No, haven’t heard anythin՛ since he went back under the knife.”
“Motherfuckers. Do we have any idea who did this yet?”
“We’re workin՛ on it, Chain. Just had a sit down with Skull, but we couldn’t tell if he was behind this,” I said as Butch and I continued to walk towards the clubhouse.
Feeling a grip on my shoulder, I swung around to face Chainsaw. “You went to their compound? Just the two of you?”
“Had to. I had to see his face when I asked him.”
Wiping his hand down his heavy beard, I already knew what was coming from one of my father’s oldest and closest friends. “Jesus, Mav. Are you tryin՛ to get yourself and Butch here killed?!”
“I can’t just stand around here useless waitin՛ for our contacts to get back to us! I need to be out there findin՛ out who fuckin՛ shot Vulture and took Harper!”
“I understand that son, but you can’t go riskin՛ your life like that. And takin՛ your VP with you? You’re smarter than that. You’re lettin՛ your emotions cloud your judgement.”
“We’ll see how well you hold your emotions together if Emma is ever in danger one day, old man.”
As I walked away with my final words, I could hear Butch trying to calm Chainsaw down from my remark and tell him that it was his idea to go see Skull. But I knew as well as Chainsaw did. It didn’t matter who’s idea it was. It was up to me as their President to make that call.
Walking into the clubhouse, the first person I saw was Emma and it made me feel even more like a total shitbag for what I just said to Chainsaw.
I’ll need to find him later and apologize.
IT HAD BEEN THREE FUCKING days since Harper was taken and Vulture shot. He was able to pull through surgery all right, but then he ended up slipping into a coma right after. The doctors had no idea when he’d pull out of it. All they kept telling us when we visited him every day was that it was a wait and see situation. With Vulture laid up in the hospital all the way up in the Freedom Park Memorial Hospital, Butch and I had to take turns between staying at the cabin and driving back to the clubhouse to deal with any pressing business. Roman had stepped up the past few days and taken care of anything else that’s been needed.
Walking out of the hospital with Butch at my side, my phone rang. Looking at it, I saw it was Dekes call name, Dick sucker flashing up on my screen. Sliding my phone open, I prayed that he had a lead on who took Harper. “Tell me some good news, man.”
“It’s your lucky day, Mr. Reed. I’m en route to the hospital right now with your girl.”
My heartbeat stopped dead in its tracks and sped up at the same time with fear of what would be so wrong with her that he would be bringing her to the hospital, and the joy of knowing that soon she would be back in my arms. “Is she ok? What happened to her?”
“I’ll explain everything to you once we arrive. Our ETA is about ten minutes.”
Hanging up the phone, I found myself looking up to the sky and thanking the big guy for finally saving an innocent in this world. “He has Harper? What did he say?”
“He does, and he’s headed here right now. Said they’re about ten minutes away.”
“Is she ok?”
“Don’t know. Said he’d explain everythin՛ when he got here.”
Shoving his hand through his hair, he patted me on the back. “Well, thank fuck he found her.”
Looking at him, I let the tough exterior I held firmly in place every day fall away. “Yeah, I was pretty damn close to burnin՛ everythin՛ down. This woman means the world to me, brother. I know I sound like a fuckin՛ pussy right now, but she’s it man. She’s the one.”
Wrapping his arm around my neck, he pulled me in for a back-patting hug. “Don’t worry man, we’re in a hospital, I’m sure they’ve got some tampons in there somewhere for ya,” he said, laughing as I turned out of his grip and punched him in the arm.
“Fuck you man. Fuck you,” I said with a chuckle. It felt so good to finally be able to breathe again. The smile that was plastered across my face slowly faded as I watched the ambulance pull up to the emergency doors a few moments later. “She’s here. Let’s get over there. I want her to know I’m here.”
As we walked up, Dekes jumped out of the back of the ambulance first. “Now when you see her just know it looks worse than it really is or could have been had we not found her when we did.”
Hearing his words caused my heart to sink, but it was when they rolled the gurney out of the back of the ambulance with Harper on it, it shattered into a million pieces at my feet. “What the fuck happened to her?! Who did this?! Where did you find her?!” The questions just keep rolling out of my mouth as I tried to contain the darkness inside of me that needed to see this fucker’s blood on my hands that did this to her.
Dekes patted my back as we both walked alongside the gurney when they wheeled her in. My hand firmly wrapped around her lifeless, fragile one. “All in good time. Let’s get her taken care of first
and then I’ll fill you in on everything.”
All I could do was nod my head in response as my eyes took in all the damage someone inflicted on her beautiful face and God knows where else. It was fucking killing me right now to see her like this.
Broken.
Beaten.
Lifeless.
If she doesn’t make it through this, I know I will lose my life avenging hers.
If only I had walked away, then she wouldn’t be lying here so battered and beaten.
This is my fault.
As if Butch could read my thoughts, he laid his hand on my shoulder as we made our way through the first set of doors and down the hallway. “This isn’t your fault, Mav. She’s goin՛ to be ok. You’ll see.”
When we reached a second set of doors, two nurses and a doctor rushed out and take over as one of the paramedics relayed her injuries to the doctor that asked him what they had. “We’ve got a female patient with a broken wrist, facial lacerations, and a possible cracked or broken rib. There’s also several more lacerations and bruises covering the rest of her body. BP is 85/70.”
As I listened to all the damage someone inflicted on my girl it felt as if I’d been punched in the gut, and the already shattered pieces of my heart lying at my feet turned to dust. When the gurney stopped in front of another set of doors, I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “My God, what did they do to you, Sweetheart?” I asked in a choked voice.
I hadn’t cried for anyone since the day my parents and Nicole were taken from me, but I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes at the sight of her.
“Sir, please, we need to get her to the exam room. I will come find you when we know more. Give your name to one of the nurses so I can find you later.” The doctor said as they moved the gurney down the hallway.
Kissing her on the forehead one more time, I whispered in her ear. “I love you, Harper. So fuckin՛ much. I’ll see you again soon, Sweetheart. And I swear on my life that whoever did this to you will be met with an extremely painful death.” When the last of my words left my mouth, Harper’s body started to jerk like she was going into convulsion’s. “What’s happenin՛ to her?!” I shouted terrified that something else was wrong with her and I was losing her.