Stitch: Satan's Fury MC

by Wilder, L

  Smiling, I lifted her back into my arms and said, “Means I did something right.”

  “You did lots of things right,” she smirked.

  Laughing, I carried her into the bathroom and lowered her into the tub. Once she was settled, I eased in behind her. She rested her back on my chest, relaxing in the warmth of the water. After several minutes, she said, “I could get used to this.”

  “I know the feeling,” I told her as I ran the washcloth along her shoulders.

  “I wish we could stay like this… lock the rest of the world out, and get lost in our own little world for just a little while longer.”

  “We’ve still got tonight. We’ll make the most of it,” I told her as I kissed her shoulder.

  She turned back and looked at me as she asked, “Could we stay in tonight? Maybe order some pizzas and watch a movie.”

  “Yeah, we can do that,” I answered, thinking there was no place I’d rather be.

  “Then you could do that thing you did again.”

  “What thing?” I asked laughing.

  “Any of those things you did in there earlier,” she smirked.

  After we got out the tub, we spent the night curled up on the sofa eating takeout pizza and watching movies. When the second movie ended, I took Wren to bed and happily did all those things that she wanted me to do to her. The sun was just starting to rise when we finally drifted off to sleep. We’d been asleep for several hours when my phone started to ring. When I didn’t answer, it rang again. Realizing it was actually my burner ringing; I pulled myself out of bed and grabbed my phone off the dresser.

  “Yeah,” I clipped.

  “Need you back at the clubhouse now,” Maverick announced.

  “We got a problem?”

  “Fireworks at the construction company,” he started.

  “Fuck!” I shouted.

  “When Guardrail went to see about it, several guys tried to break in on Al. Two Bit and Lil’ Ricky were there to handle things, though.”

  “They were after Al. Those fireworks were just a decoy to get Guardrail out of the house.”

  “Yeah, that’s what we figured. Cotton is calling for a lockdown, and the meet with the Forsaken Saints has been moved up. They’ll be here in less than two hours.”

  “I’m on my way. Gotta take care of some things first,” I explained.

  Chapter 17

  Wren

  ‡

  “Slow down, Griffin. And remember who you are talking to. I don’t know what the hell a lockdown is, and I certainly don’t know what it has to do with Wyatt or me,” I snapped.

  “I don’t have time to explain it all to you right now. We’ve got to go get Wyatt, and go to your house to pack your things.”

  “And what happens after that?” I demanded to know.

  “You’ll stay at the clubhouse for a while. It’s the only way we can make sure you both are safe,”

  “Safe from what? What is going on?” I cried.

  “It’s nothing for you to worry about. You’re gonna need to trust me on this,” he answered as he pulled up his jeans. “We don’t have much time.”

  I tossed the covers back and reluctantly got out of the bed. Searching feverously around the room, I tried to find my clothes. “How long do you think this will take?” I asked as I started to get dressed.

  “As long as it takes,” he answered. He was already dressed and waiting by the door as I put on my boots. “Let your folks know that we’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

  My emotions were running wild, and I couldn’t tell if I was scared out of my mind or just flat out pissed. One minute I was in a peaceful slumber with Griffin by my side, and now I was being dragged out of the bed and told that I was going to be locked in their clubhouse. None of it made any sense, but I knew something was wrong. The sound of Griffin’s voice when he was talking on the phone worried me – actually it petrified me. His anger was palpable, instantly changing him into a man I didn’t even recognize.

  Sensing my trepidation, he walked over to me and pulled me close as he said, “It’s going to be okay, Wren. I need you to trust me on this.”

  He’d never given me a reason not to believe what he was saying, so I said, “I do trust you, Griffin.”

  “Then, let’s go get Wyatt.” He kissed me lightly on the lips, then took my hand and led me out the door. We didn’t talk on the way to my parent’s house. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. It was useless; I couldn’t form a single clear thought. My mind was filled with too many questions, and the look on Griffin’s face wasn’t making things any better. His fingers were gripping the steering wheel so tightly that I thought it might crumble beneath his hands. When we pulled up in the driveway, my mother rushed outside to greet us.

  With a big smile on her face, she met us as we were getting out of the car. “You’re so early,” she complained, giving me a quick hug. When Griffin came up behind me, she extended her hand and said, “You must be Griffin. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Clayborn,” Griffin told her as he shook her hand.

  “You’ve made quite an impression on Wyatt. He hasn’t stopped talking about you, and I’m pretty sure my daughter feels the same way,” she said playfully.

  “Mom,” I scolded, shaking my head with embarrassment.

  “It’s true,” she continued. “I asked him about Griffin after our little talk.”

  Before she had a chance to say anything else, I asked, “Where’s Wyatt?”

  “He’s inside with your father. He can’t find his tennis shoes.”

  I was just about to go in and help when they both walked out the front door. “Hey, Stitch,” Wyatt said excitedly, completely oblivious that I was standing there. He walked over to him and asked, “Where’s your motorcycle?”

  “It’s back at the clubhouse,” Griffin answered.

  “I wanted Papa to see it,” Wyatt told him. He quickly turned back to my father and said, “It’s really cool, Papa. It’s a Harley, and it’s got double barrel exhaust pipes. You really gotta see it!”

  “Maybe some other time,” my father piped in. “I’m Stan. Heard a lot about you,” he chuckled as he shook Griffin’s hand.

  “I told him how Wyatt’s been talking about him,” my mother said smiling.

  I thanked him as I took Wyatt’s bag from my father and said, “I wish we could stay longer, but Griffin has some things he needs to take care of. Thank you for keeping him this weekend.”

  “Anytime, sweetheart. You know we love having him here,” my mother said as she gave me a quick hug. “Have a good week, Wyatt.”

  “I will,” he told her, giving her a little hug before he darted for the car.

  I walked over to my father, and just as I was about to give him a hug goodbye, he said, “Wyatt thinks a lot of this fella, and from the look on your face, you do, too. Just be careful.” He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly as he whispered, “Love you, sweet pea.”

  “Love you, too, Daddy,” I told him.

  When we got in the car, Griffin pulled out his phone and called someone at the clubhouse. “Need you to meet me over at Wren’s house. You’ll need to help her get her stuff loaded and back to the clubhouse while I go to the meet.” There was a brief pause, and then he said, “Good. We’ll be there in ten.”

  As soon as Griffin hung up his phone, Wyatt asked, “Are we going somewhere, Momma?”

  “Yeah, buddy. We’re going to go over to Griffin’s clubhouse to stay with him for a few days. The bug man is coming to spray, and we need to be out of the house for a couple of days,” I explained. Normally such news would throw him off balance. He needed time to adjust to changes in his routine, but he seemed to like the idea.

  “We get to stay there… at his clubhouse?” he asked excitedly.

  “Yeah, bud. We do.”

  “That’s awesome. Can I take my game?” he asked.

  “Sure. And anything else you’d like to bring,” Griffin answered
. “And there’ll be some other kids there you’ll get to meet. Dusty is about your age, and he loves video games, too.”

  “Okay,” Wyatt said smiling.

  When we pulled up to the house, there was a motorcycle parked in the driveway. We all got out of the car, and one of Griffin’s brothers walked over to us. I remembered seeing him at the club the other night. He was a little younger than Griffin, and unlike most of the others, he wasn’t sporting any facial hair. I wanted to run my fingers across his cheek to see if it was as smooth as it looked. Then, he seemed so nice, sporting a big, bright smile, but today he looked different. Today, he had the same serious expression that Griffin was wearing, making him seem a little intimidating.

  When Griffin noticed me looking at his brother, he cleared his throat and said, “This is Clutch. I had him come over so he could help get you packed. I’ve got to get back to the club.”

  “You’re leaving?” I asked.

  “Don’t have a choice here, Wren. I’m the club Enforcer, and my club needs me right now. Clutch is one of my brothers from the club, and I trust him to take care of you both. Once you get your things together, he’ll get you over to the club where he can watch over you and the other women.”

  “Okay,” I agreed.

  “Hey, Clutch,” Wyatt said. “That’s a cool road name.”

  “Thanks, little man,” Clutch told him.

  “I’ve got to get over to the clubhouse. Prez wants all the officers at the meet. Just make sure they get the necessities and get gone,” Griffin ordered.

  “No problem. Cotton gave me my orders. I’ve got it from here,” he told Griffin. “And you can just take my bike back to the clubhouse. I’ll ride with them.”

  Before he left, Griffin walked over to me and said, “You with me on all this?”

  “I’m with you,” I answered, lifting up on my tiptoes and quickly pressing my lips to his. When he turned to leave, my stomach dropped and my chest grew tight with worry. I had no idea what he was about to face, and the thought of losing him filled me with dread. Watching him walk towards that bike made my anxiety skyrocket to an unbearable level. “Griffin!”

  He quickly turned around and before he could say anything, I rushed over to him, hugging him tightly. “Please be careful. I don’t know what is going on, but I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  He wrapped his strong arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest, and said, “Wren, it’s going to be okay. Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

  “Promise?”

  “I’ll be waiting for you back at the clubhouse,” he said. He stepped back, releasing me from his embrace and said, “I’ve got to get going.”

  “I know. I’ll go pack,” I told him as I turned and headed towards the front door. I heard the motorcycle engine roar to life just as I was closing the door and before I even had a chance to think, Wyatt came running towards me.

  “Do you know where my socks are?”

  “Umm… I think they are on the dryer,” I told him. “I’ll get them.”

  “And I need my good pajamas… and my slicky pants and pullover… and my…” he started.

  “I’ll get everything. Just get your suitcase out of the front closet and take it to your room. I’ll be in there in a second to help you,” I explained.

  Clutch was amused by Wyatt’s excitement, laughing under his breath as he watched Wyatt race back to his room. “He’s pretty stoked about all this, isn’t he?”

  “You have no idea. Once he gets there, he may never want to leave,” I laughed. “Griffin doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into.”

  “I think he does, and he seems pretty happy about it. You need any help with anything?” he offered.

  “Not yet. Just make yourself at home,” I told him. “And if you’re hungry, there’s some food in the kitchen.”

  “Want some coffee?”

  “I’d love some. Thanks,” I told him as I headed for the laundry room. Once I’d bundled all of Wyatt’s things in my arms, I started towards his room to help him put everything in his suitcase. When I walked in, he had all of his clothes and games in neat little stacks on his bed. “Got the rest of your clothes. Why don’t you put them in your suitcase while I go get my things together?”

  “Okay,” he answered.

  I went into my room and opened my closet door, trying to decide what I needed to pack. Since I didn’t know how long we’d be there, I had no clue how much I needed to take with me. After mulling everything over, I decided to stick to the basics – jeans and t-shirts. I grabbed what I could fit in my suitcase and started loading it in my bag. When I was almost finished, I decided to go check on Wyatt’s progress.

  Just as I was walking across the hall, I heard a man’s voice coming from the kitchen. It was low and husky, and even though I couldn’t hear what he was saying, something about it sent chills down my spine. Clutch roared back at him, and seconds later, I heard a thunderous bang. I’d never heard one up close, but I knew it was a gunshot. I stopped frozen in my tracks as pure panic washed over me. My first thought was to get to Wyatt; I needed to make sure that he was okay. I was headed towards his room when I heard Clutch call out to me.

  “Run!” he shouted.

  My breath caught in my throat when I heard another gunshot explode through the house, followed by the sound of footsteps charging in my direction. I slammed Wyatt’s door, locking it behind me. Adrenaline pulsed through my body as I hurried to pull his dresser in front of the door.

  “Wyatt, I need you to come over here. I’m going to help you out of the window, and then I want you to run. Don’t look back… just run!” I pleaded as I opened his window.

  The doorknob clicked back and forth, and when it didn’t open, a booming thud echoed through the room as someone tried to kick down the door. My breath quickened as I reached over for Wyatt.

  “Momma, who is that?” he cried. His little body trembled as I lifted him into my arms. I eased him out of the window, and just as he feet were about to hit the ground, I saw him. His face was distorted with rage as he stole Wyatt from my grasp.

  “Michael, NO!” I cried.

  Chapter 18

  Stitch

  ‡

  I was not a fan of lockdowns. Having everyone crammed in close quarters for days was not my idea of a good time, but the thought of having Wren and Wyatt there actually had me looking forward to it. I was ready to get the meet over with so I could help them get settled. I hated leaving them back at the house, but I trusted Clutch to make sure they got here with everything they needed. When I pulled into the lot, the club was already rumbling with activity. The families were coming in, unloading their cars as they prepared for the days ahead. Along with them, the brothers from the Forsaken Saints had turned up even earlier than expected. But that was a good thing – meant they were eager. We were all ready for the shit with the King Pythons to end, once and for all.

  When I walked in, the bar was packed. The brothers were all gathered around talking, waiting for Cotton to call church. I glanced around the room, watching the women scurry around the room making sure all the guys had what they needed. Cassidy was at the bar with Dive, the Forsaken’s Sergeant of Arms, and they both looked pretty fucking cozy sitting there talking. I shook my head and thought Cotton would have a field day if he caught sight of them. But then again, Cass was smart – she knew Cotton would be pissed to see her talking to him. Dive was a good guy as far as I could tell, but I wasn’t going near whatever shit-show Cass was starting. Scanning the room, I spotted Guardrail was sitting at one of the tables in the back, so I headed over to ask him about Allie.

  Before I had a chance to speak, he said, “She’s rattled, but she’s doing fine.”

  “And the construction company?” I asked.

  “We put the fire out before it got out of control. It’ll take a little work, but we’ll be back up and running in a few days,” he explained.

  “Why Allie?”

  “Doesn’t
matter. Going after her like that was a big fucking mistake,” he growled. “I’ll kill those motherfuckers with my bare hands for even thinking about touching her.”

  The bar instantly fell quiet when Cotton walked in. With a slight nod towards the back door, he let everyone know it was time for church. Just as he was turning to leave, he spotted Dive and Cass. He glared at them for a long moment, making Dive’s eyebrows furrow in momentary confusion. With a quick glance over to Cass, Dive realized how he’d fucked up. He didn’t say a word as he stepped away from Cassidy, looking at her like she had three heads and followed his brothers into church.

  It didn’t take long for everyone to fill the room. Rip took a seat next to Cotton, while Dive and the rest of his brothers stood behind him. Once the rest of us were settled, Cotton turned to Rip and said, “Appreciate you coming in early like this. We needed to make sure that everyone was on the same page before these motherfuckers strike again.”

  “Not a problem, but it’s been pretty quiet on our end,” Rip started. “Been waiting for them to make a move, especially with all that intel they gathered on our brothers and families.”

  “Came after us again last night. That’s why we moved the meeting up. Used explosives to set a fire at our construction company. Figured they did it to lure out our VP, so they could get to his old lady.”

  “Fuck!” Rip growled.

  “We managed to get her out before they could get their hands on her, but the attempt was made nonetheless,” Cotton explained.

  “Making a move like that, they’re calling for war,” Rip told him.

  “You got that right. We’ve had Big Mike looking into their club, identifying all their possible allies. They’ve got the numbers they need to make one hell of an attack,” Cotton replied.

  “Any idea where they might be holed up?” he asked.

  “Mike caught something on one of our surveillance streams last night. Looks like a couple of them are hiding out in one of the old warehouses in Angeles, waiting for more to come.”