Allegiance (The Chicago Defiance MC Series Book 8)

by K E Osborn

  Then I see it.

  Vibe swimming toward the shore with Lily in his arms.

  I’m going to be sick. She’s out of it. Out. Fucking. Cold. While he’s dragging her along, I swim as hard as I fucking can to get to them. To her. Vibe pulls her further onto the shore and lays her flat, frantically undoing her tied arms, then he starts compressions.

  My heart wants to give out.

  I can’t fucking function.

  My body isn’t getting me to her quick enough.

  Medic rushes to them and takes over. A wave of relief floods me knowing an actual doctor is working on Lily as I finally reach the shore. My feet are like fucking lead as I stumble like a damn drunk to get to her. I fall at her feet as Medic performs CPR. Her face pale, her lips blue as I run my hand over my bald scalp freaking the fuck out.

  “Medic, help her.”

  Vibe stands then walks to my side. “He’s trying, brother. Let him do what he can.”

  My eyes glass over feeling helpless as his hands pump hard on her chest. “Dammit, Lily… c’mon,” Medic grunts, moving to blow air into her mouth.

  I turn, starting to pace, needing to expel some of this nervous tension. Medic groans as he fights hard for my woman. He keeps pumping and pumping, but then he slowly stops compressions and exhales. “Lift, brother—”

  “No! Don’t you fucking dare!” I drop to my knees at her side, pushing him out the way.

  If he won’t work on her, I’ll bring her back my damn self.

  I place my hands on her chest and start pumping. I have no idea what I’m doing, but feeling her body writhe beneath me when I push her is all kinds of agony for me.

  Medic falls on his ass watching me as Vibe walks around behind me as more of our brothers start to filter over.

  The fight seems to have been won.

  But this fight in front of me is only beginning.

  I lean down placing my lips over Lily’s and breathe life into her.

  There’s no way I’m giving up.

  Even if I have to work on her all damn night. I’m not letting her go.

  Vibe places his hand on my shoulder. “Lift, brother—”

  “No!”

  I breathe into her mouth again, watching her lungs fill with air. “She can do this. I know she can. She’s a fighter, Vibe.”

  Torque and Trax take in the sight of Lily unresponsive and me working tirelessly on her. Sweat beads on my brow as I breathe into her mouth again. “C’mon, Lily. Fuck!”

  I push on her chest frantically as Torque walks up to me. “Lift—”

  “I will not give up on her, pres,” I demand still working determinedly even though my arms are getting fucking tired.

  Torque gives a nod, and Vibe moves in grabbing my arms pulling me back.

  I grunt, turning and shoving Vibe away from me. “Fuck you! I said I’m not giving up on her.” I move back in, tears pricking at my eyes as I lean down pressing my lips to hers again trying to breathe life into her. But emotion overwhelms me, and I end up leaving my lips on hers and kissing her. “I’m so sorry, Lily. I’m so fucking sorry,” I murmur.

  That’s when I feel it, a small trickle of water against my lips. I pull back as her body convulses, and she starts coughing up water. Adrenaline surges through me, and I can’t compose myself. I start laughing like a damn madman as I grab her turning her onto her side to help her get all that fucking water up. “Yes! There you go, baby. Get it all out. I knew you could do it, Lily. I knew you could.”

  Her eyes flutter open and meet mine as she takes in a deep lungful of air. “Lift?”

  “I’m here, Lily. I’m not going anywhere.” I lean down and kiss her lips again as everyone around us cheers in celebration. I hold her close to me, never wanting ever to let her go again.

  “Lift, I need to check her over,” Medic advises, and even though I am reluctant to let her go, I do so because he has the medical training she needs right now.

  He grimaces at me like he’s afraid of what I might do because he stopped too soon, but he moves in and starts checking her pulse and doing all the things that are needed.

  Vibe squats beside me. “Good work, brother.” He squeezes my shoulder.

  I smile. “Thanks for finding her. If it weren’t for you…” I trail off when Torque walks over and something runs through my mind. My eyes snap to the container, and I gasp. “Torque, Bianca, she was in the shipping container.”

  His eyes widen as his head snaps back to look at the flaming inferno. Torque swings around ready to take off when Bianca and her men round another container with the last remaining Warrior in Bianca’s hold.

  She strides over to us looking the ever-respected Mafia Queen she is as she raises her brows at Torque. “Thought you might like this one. We have no need for him.” She shoves the Warrior forward so abruptly he falls at Lily’s feet.

  The Warrior looks at her, his eyes wide. “You survived?” he murmurs.

  “You piece of shit. You don’t get to talk to her.”

  He glances at me. “And who are you to tell me what to do?”

  My eyes meet Torque’s, and he nods giving me the approval to do whatever I want. So, I untie the gag that was around Lily’s mouth but was under her chin and walk up to the Warrior. He struggles against the grip that Bianca has him restrained in, but I tie his hands together and then yank him to his feet.

  “You and your men tried to drown my woman. Did you ever stop to wonder what that would feel like?” His eyes widen as he shakes his head. “Well, you’re about to find out.” I don’t hesitate and shove him straight into the frigid water. His body flails as he falls making a large splash. His heavy weight not faltering for an instant as he sinks straight to the bottom.

  I hesitate for a moment to turn around.

  Lily has seen me kill countless people here tonight.

  Most of them defending myself or others or defending her.

  This one, though? This was calculated, in cold blood.

  I don’t want to turn around and face her out of fear of what I might see in her eyes. Out of rejection. After all of this, she may not want this life. She might not be the kind of woman who can handle this kind of fucked-up shit.

  I need to man up.

  I need to make sure Lily’s okay.

  So, slowly, I turn. The look in her eyes is not what I expected. They’re full of fire, an intensity igniting inside of them. It’s like she’s being fueled by my actions, my emotions, like they are pumping her with some kind of adrenaline keeping her alive.

  It’s the same type of fight and vigor I see in Foxy’s eyes.

  In Sparx.

  In Sass.

  In Lala.

  In Starlet and Infinity.

  Now in Rowdy’s eyes too.

  It’s the fight of an Old Lady.

  The hunger, determination, and strength they all possess.

  She’s not just my woman.

  I know we haven’t known each other for a long time, but right here, at this moment, I know my future is with this woman.

  With my Lily.

  She’s a keeper.

  Because she battled to keep herself here. She tried with every ounce of energy she had in her to stay and fight this fight with us. If that’s not Old Lady material, I don’t know what is.

  I’m not saying I’m going to go about claiming her right now, this second. But I know, one day in the future, I will for sure.

  Lily slowly sits up, my heart rapid-firing in my chest as I approach her. She coughs a few times making me tense up.

  Medic shakes his head. “We need to get her to the hospital.”

  Lily watches me. “I’ll only go if Lift goes with me.”

  I move into her side feeling nothing but pure relief. She isn’t pushing me away after everything I’ve done today. In fact, she’s pulling me closer. “I’m not going to be anywhere but with you, Lily. You’re not leaving my sight again.”

  “Little dramatic, Lift. Woman’s gotta pee once and a while,”
Trax quips.

  I roll my eyes at my VP while my brothers all chuckle.

  Lily sits taller as if she’s remembering something. “Wait! You said something about police destroying evidence…” cough, “… you can’t let that happen! Lift, you can’t. Rowdy’s come too far…” cough, “… to let Raphael get away with…” cough, “… what he’s done. He can’t…” cough, “… be let back out…” cough, “… on the damn streets!”

  I pull her close to me trying to calm her racing thoughts.

  Torque steps in. “Let’s get her to the hospital. Lily, I need to ask… did they?” His eyes linger on her practically naked body, his brows furrowing as he asks the question I’m far too afraid to ask.

  My muscles tense as I tightly hold on giving her the support she needs at this moment. She has to know that no matter what, I’m here for her. Whatever they did changes nothing.

  She shakes her head. “No.”

  A wave of comfort scorches my veins like flowing lava. I never knew how cold I was. Since she’d been taken by Raphael’s associates and knowing what he was capable of, and not being sure if they were capable of the same heinous atrocities, had frozen me to the core.

  “They just banged me up. They…” cough, “… wanted me to look bad for when…” cough, “… you came in to get me. So, they…” cough, “… beat me with their fists and cut me with…” cough, “… their blades.”

  I tense up again holding her tighter. “Fuck! We tried to get her sooner, but it took some effort to find you.”

  “You got here. That’s…” cough, “… all that matters…” cough, “… but really you can’t let the evidence be destroyed.”

  “Things have a way of working themselves out. It will be okay. Right now, we need to get you to a hospital,” I tell her, pulling her up and into my arms. Lily seems to relax slightly at my words.

  “Bianca, you okay if we leave you with the clean-up?” Torque asks.

  Bianca nods her head in response.

  “Medic, call ahead and tell Foxy to meet us there. We have incoming,” Torque demands. Vibe picks up our cuts, and we walk toward the van with Lily held tightly in my arms.

  I thought I’d lost her tonight.

  On multiple occasions.

  Before we’d even had a chance to really work ourselves out.

  Now we have a chance. A real chance, and fuck if I’m not going to take it with everything I have.

  I just have to hope her lungs pull through the next twenty-four hours.

  VIBE

  The Next day

  Lily’s in the hospital being cared for by Medic and Foxy. Lift hasn’t left her side. Not for a single second. The way he never gave up on her is inspiring. But to be honest, if that were Rowdy who was lying unconscious like that, I would have been exactly the same.

  There’s nothing in heaven or hell that I wouldn’t do for my woman, so I get it.

  Rowdy’s been anxious to see Lily. I know she wants to go to the hospital, but I’m concerned that seeing Lily and the wounds on her body, might be a trigger for her. Might make her flashback to what happened to her. I don’t want that, but I also can’t stop her from seeing Lily if she really wants to. I need to play this the right way. But for now, for right now, there’s a job that needs finishing. This thing with the Warriors isn’t over. Lily might be safely guarded in the hospital, but that doesn’t mean this plan has come to its fruition.

  I lean in kissing Rowdy hard and deep like I fucking-well mean it. Her tongue is colliding with mine in a flurry of passion as I pull her body against me. I need to feel her, to remember her touch. She’s everything.

  Every-damn-thing.

  I’m doing this for her.

  As the energy surges through me, I pull back looking into her eyes. She doesn’t know what I’m about to do. This wasn’t part of her plan. But it was always a part of mine.

  Rowdy smiles at me and giggles. “What was that for?”

  I shrug. “‘Cause I love you.”

  “Well, that’s romantic of you. What occasion calls for it?”

  I lean in kissing her again briefly before pulling back. “I gotta go out on a run. Me and a couple others have to go do something, but I’ll be back in a little while. Okay?”

  She narrows her eyes on me. “You’re being weird. Why are you being weird, Vibe? Is what you’re doing dangerous?”

  “I’m a biker, babe, isn’t everything I do dangerous?”

  “That’s not funny.”

  I tighten my grip around her showing her some support. “I’ll come back to you.”

  “Promise?”

  I can’t promise her that. If I get caught, I could be going away for a long time. “I’m coming back to you, Rowdy,” I tell her. I just don’t know when.

  She seems satisfied and lets me go. “You better.”

  I lean in, pressing a long kiss on her forehead and then turn without looking back as I walk out of our room and head for the main clubroom. I know Finn and Dax are waiting for me. I have the prospects coming with because I can’t risk any of the higher patches in this. If we’re going down, then Torque can let me and the prospects go. I have his approval. From the moment this plan was put into action, this was always going to be the outcome. Lift wanted in, but he’s staying with Lily while she’s recovering in hospital, and honestly, I want to do this myself.

  As I make my way to the middle of the clubroom, Finn and Dax are all prepped and ready to go.

  Torque’s talking with them as I stride up. “Don’t forget, you’re both in this club because you want to be, not because you have to be. Earn your place today, brothers. Don’t do anything stupid or reckless. Watch each other’s backs. Keep this guy…” he points to me, “… in line if he gets too far off track. I’m looking at you, Finn.”

  I scoff as Finn nods his head taking in all that his president has said. “Yes, pres.”

  Dax rolls his eyes. “Kiss ass,” he murmurs, but only I can hear him.

  “You ready to go, boys?” I ask, and they both stand taller puffing out their unpatched chests.

  “Yeah,” they both reply.

  “Then… let’s ride.” I glance at Torque, and he tilts his head at me. “Be safe. Know who you can trust and who you can’t?”

  “Yeah, I think I got it down.”

  He grips my shoulder and exhales. “Good luck, brother.”

  I spin on my heels and head for my ride, my brothers all watching me as I go. No one’s making a fuss. They all know what we’re riding into—that the three of us might not come back from this for a long time if at all. It all depends on if we play this smart, if we’ve trusted the right people. I guess we’re about to find out.

  I pull my earbuds from the inside of my leather cut placing them in my ears. I always ride with music. It’s just what I do. It helps to calm my nerves. The small white buds push further inside my ears as I yank my helmet over my head. I switch on the music hearing the heavy beats of ‘Highway to Hell’ blare through the tiny speakers. It amps me up as I hop on my ride doing up the strap on my helmet. I glance back to the doorway to see Rowdy staring at me. If ever there were a time to feel nervous, it’s now. This could be the last time I see her. So, I take in her features, every inch of her face, the curves of her body. Fuck, I love her. But staring at her worried expression isn’t getting the job done.

  I start my bike and hammer down, pulling off toward the gate leaving her reflection in my side mirrors. Finn and Dax pull in flanking just behind me, and we drive out onto the access road. The vibration of the engine rattles through me sending calmness over my body. It’s like a kind of Zen that sets my mind at ease the second the engine kicks over. ‘Highway to Hell’ lyrics prepare me for what I’m about to do as the wind assaults my face. I ride with a speed I certainly shouldn’t be hitting right now, but I need to feel the tension easing if only a little.

  The hum of the tires against the asphalt reverbs through me as I edge closer and closer to where I need to be. The tension in
my shoulders is becoming more uncomfortable as I near the prison. When it comes into view, I let out a relieved breath.

  This is happening.

  The three of us pull up our rides, and I stand. Turning off the heavy reverbing bass music, I take off my helmet, pull out the buds, yank off my cut, and place them in all my saddlebag. The prospects do the same as I crack my knuckles needing a release. I crack my neck to the side ready for what is about to come. “You ready, boys?” I ask, and they both nod their heads in agreement.

  Puffing out my plain-clothed chest, we walk toward the prison gates.

  I know who I need to ask for.

  I know what I’m meant to do.

  Torque has it all organized.

  I can’t waver from the plan.

  Otherwise, my prospects and I will end up behind these bars and looking out from the other side.

  We step up to the gate and an officer stares at us. He knows we’re not your average run-of-the-mill visitors. We simply don’t look the type.

  “What do you three want?”

  I stand forward. “We’re here to see Officer Letum. He should be expecting us.”

  The guard’s eyes narrow on me, and I wonder briefly if I have the name wrong. But after a beat, he buzzes us through. “I’ll take you to him.”

  I hope like hell that Torque’s inside man is on the payroll. Because if he isn’t, this shit’s going to turn south real fast. We walk through the halls, being buzzed through gates and walking down dim hallways bypassing security checkpoints. It makes me wonder if this officer’s actually Officer Letum himself.

  Finally, we reach a heavy door, he opens it, and leads us inside. “He’ll be with you shortly.” He closes the door behind us. I tense as I glance around the room. The door has no windows, neither does the room. It’s basically like a large vault. I wonder if anyone can even hear anything that happens in here. I look up, and I can’t see any cameras. I couldn’t see any in the halls we came down either. I can’t help but notice a cupboard by the back wall that’s completely stainless steel. Sitting atop the cupboard is a box of surgical gloves.