Stryker's Salvation (A Savage Saints MC Book 3)

by J. Lynn Lombard

  Once we get outside, I inhale a deep breath of fresh air. It causes me to cough some more. Someone hands me a water bottle. I take it but then remember being poisoned and don’t drink it.

  “Don’t worry, it’s safe to drink,” Kayne reassures me. He takes the water bottle from my hand, uncaps it and takes a long drink, handing it back to me. I gulp down a mouthful and the refreshing liquid soothes my dry throat.

  “Thanks. Now, what the heck is going on?” I ask. I remove my shirt from around my head and put it back on. Looking around at my surroundings. We’re in front of an old abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. Smoke is billowing out of the basement windows.

  “Candy confessed to working with Sledge before Poison and Siren took care of her. She told them his plans to kidnap you and bring you here to make you suffer. I reached out to his President to find out why in the hell they’re here and it turns out Sledge went off the deep end after you escaped. He took off and they haven’t seen or heard from him in the last few months.” Kayne says.

  Blayde comes over and a look of sympathy passes across his face. “Kayne, we need to get Stryker to Doc. He’s really bad.”

  “Let’s go then.” Kayne leads me over to the waiting van. I climb in the back with Stryker and rest his head on my lap. His breathing still shallow and his skin is taking on a ghostly white color.

  The prospect is in the driver seat and he peels out of the driveway, kicking up rocks and dirt behind him. I want to yell at him to be careful, but Stryker needs to get to Doc quickly before he dies. I run my hands through Stryker’s hair, watching the shallow rise and fall of his chest. Deja vu flashes in my head from the last time we were in this position. Good lord, something’s got to give. But I have a feeling deep down, this is far from over.

  Prospect pulls into the long driveway at Doc’s place a little while later. Just like last time, there’s a stretcher waiting for Stryker when we arrive. Butch, Kayne, Blayde, Duke and Rooster lift him up and set him on the stretcher carefully. Doc is there waiting. She has long soft brown hair pulled up into a tight ponytail. She’s wearing a long white coat and has a stethoscope around her neck. She removes the stethoscope and listens to Stryker’s chest.

  “Get him inside and up to my OR room. Butch, will you assist me this time?” She looks at Butch with warm brown eyes. He swallows hard and nods his head. That’s interesting. I’ll have to file that away for later and ask him about it.

  Once Blayde and Rooster wheel Stryker up the ramp and into the house, Doc turns her attention to me. “Can I look you over real quick?”

  “OK.” I sit on the edge of the van and she presses her stethoscope against my back.

  “Deep breath in,” I do what she asks. “And release.” A strong cough attacks my body. “Again, please.” I do it again and cough, but not as harsh this time. She checks my eyes and listens to my heartbeat. “Everything appears to be good. Just a little smoke inhalation. That will pass after a few days. Are you a runner?”

  “Yes. I try to run at least three to five miles a day.”

  “Well, don’t run for the next few days. Give your lungs time to recover.” Doc offers me a warm smile.

  “Thanks, Doc. And thank you for helping Stryker.”

  “He’s one of the good ones. The whole Savage Saints are the good ones. They might do illegal things and get themselves shot or hurt, but they do it for a reason. You can use the same bathroom as last time or you can go upstairs and wait. I’ll come and get you when I’m done.” Doc rubs my back and heads inside. Butch is right on her heels.

  Something isn’t right. With as much as Sledge wanted me and went through all that trouble to get to me, something is off. It shouldn’t have been that easy for Kayne to find us and get to us at the right time.

  I rise from the van and pace back and forth. Thinking everything through. The moonlight casting shadows around the house. If Candy wanted me dead, she had plenty of opportunities to kill me right away, but she didn’t. She was poisoning me, making me think I was losing my mind. She was easily caught. Sledge shows up at the Clubhouse twice. Both times the guys were busy doing things. Coincidence? I don’t think so. He dragged an unconscious Stryker out of the Clubhouse with no one knowing. A man who easily weighs two hundred and fifty pounds and that was dead weight. I don’t care how strong you are, dead weight is hard to move. Unless you had help.

  “Oh my God,” I whisper into the night. I run up the stairs and into Doc’s house. Looking left then right, I head up the grand staircase where I found Kayne last time we were here. Once I reach the top of the stairs, I spot Kayne sitting on a chair. His head is bowed and he clasps his hands between his legs.

  “Kayne,” I whisper. He lifts his head and his ice-blue eyes land directly on me. I shiver with fear. “I need to talk to you.”

  He rises from the chair and motions with his head to follow him, pressing a finger to his lips. We walk back down the staircase and out the front door in silence. Once we’re away from the house and on the other side of the van, he speaks.

  “Something isn’t right.” Kayne paces back and forth, running his hands through his blonde hair.

  “I agree. I’ve been going over everything in my head and nothing is adding up.” I release a frustrated sigh. “I think Sledge had inside help. I think someone in the Club is working with him.”

  Kayne stops pacing and levels me with a look so cold, I’m surprised I’m still breathing. “Don’t even think about it. No one in The Savage Saints would work with that piece of shit. We might all have secrets, but none of my brothers would ever do what Sledge did. I have another theory.”

  “Then let’s hear it. Because I’m out of options.” I cross my arms over my chest.

  “I need to get Poison and Siren here first.” Kayne pulls out his phone and dials a number. “Yeah, bring them to Doc’s.” He pauses and nods his head. “See you in a few.”

  “Where are they and why aren’t they with you?” I question him.

  “Poison and Siren are at a secured place with Reaper and Texas. They’re bringing the girls here. It wasn’t safe for them to come with us when we rescued you. Now, let’s get back inside until they get here. I’ll watch the door and you wait upstairs. Duke, Blayde, Rooster and Prospect are already out here watching the perimeter. No one’s getting in or out without us knowing.”

  “Kayne,” I softly say.

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you for saving me and Stryker.”

  “You’re welcome. You’re one of us and we do anything for family.” He gives me a warm hug. Once I didn’t realize I needed until his strong arms wrap around my shoulders.

  “I need to know something.” I hesitate. Do I want to know the answer? Yes. I need to know. “What happened to Sledge?”

  “He’s currently at our repair shop waiting for you and Stryker to deal with. Ace, Tatt and Talon are there watching him.” A shiver passes through my body. “Don’t worry you’ll get your retribution.”

  “I’m not worried about that. I’m worried you’re stretching your guys thin and whoever’s working with Sledge will attack again.”

  “My guys know what they’re doing. Everything’s going to be OK. I know you haven’t really seen us in action. But trust me, I’m not the president for nothing. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve not many know about. You’re safe here for now, Holly. And the moment you’re not, we will move you.” Kayne’s confidence in his club is unmistakable. I can hear it in his voice. “Now, let’s go back inside and see how Doc’s doing with Stryker.”

  “OK.” We walk together side by side up the porch steps. “I’ve never told you this before, but I am grateful for the night you found me. If you didn’t, I probably would’ve been forced to go back and more than likely I’d be dead by now. So, thank you, Kayne. Thank you for taking me in and helping me.” I brush a stray tear from my eye and head upstairs before he can respond. I sink down onto the chair Kayne was sitting in earlier. My body’s exhausted from everything I’ve gon
e through the past few hours. My eyes close against my will and I fall asleep.

  Chapter 19

  Stryker

  Darkness surrounds me. I attempt to open my eyes, but a heavy weight rests on me. I can hear things going on around me and voices talking, but I can’t open my fucking eyes. I can’t talk, can’t move. I try again but something’s holding me back from pulling through the darkness. A coldness creeps along my spine. A warm voice punches through the cloudiness in my head. I can’t understand what she’s saying but the sound relaxes me.

  I drift off to sleep by the sound of her voice.

  Beep, beep, beep. A steady beeping noise awakens me and it’s annoying the fuck out of me. I try to move but I’m still stuck in a fog. My limbs are heavy. The beeping noise becomes louder the more I struggle against the fog in my head.

  Warm hands rest on my head, stroking my hair. I can feel that. A whiff of vanilla fills my nose. It smells like Holly. My Lil’ Bit. Is she here with me? Why can’t I move?

  I try to move again. My finger twitches. I hear muffle voices around me. I can hear a deep timber, but I can’t make out what he’s saying. I hear a muffled female voice. It relaxes me as the soft, warm hands move from stroking my hair, down my face, across my chest to my right arm. Her hand wraps around mine and I try to grip it back.

  More muffled voices fill the room, drowning out the beeping noise. Another warm hand grabs my left arm, gently rubbing it. The two female voices must be talking back and forth, but I can’t understand what they’re saying.

  I drift off again, relaxing into the welcoming darkness.

  The blade of a knife lodges into my side. I cover it with my hands and shuffle over to Holly. Once I reach her, I collapse onto my knees. She scrambles up to reach me. Her gentle hands run over my face, down my neck and latch onto the knife sticking out of my side.

  “Don’t,” I warn her. “If you pull this knife out, I’ll bleed to death.”

  Holly yanks her hands away, tears falling from her eyes in rivers. “I’m so sorry, Stryker. So sorry.” Her bottom lip trembles.

  “I’ll be a nice fucking asshole and give you two a minute. Then, Holly, you’re mine.” The man sneers in our direction.

  “I’ll never be yours, Sledge.” The venom in her voice is unmistakable. “I’d rather kill myself than to be subjected to you ever again.”

  “There’s the knife,” Sledge answers, pointing to my death lodged in my side. “Make it slow so I can fuck you as the life drains from your body.”

  His heavy boots stomp towards the door and swing it open. I peek over my shoulder, still on my knees and look. He has us in a room somewhere that leads out to a hallway. I don’t see anyone else hanging around the door. Sledge slams the door shut with a hard bang.

  I drop to the ground. My body turning cold. Shivers wrack through me.

  “Stay with me, please,” Holly begs.

  I awaken from the nightmare plaguing me. Sweat beads across my brow and the steady beep begins a more frantic rhythm. I struggle to get up but I can’t. Small warm hands hold me down.

  “What,” my voice croaks. My throat is dry. Someone thrusts a cup under my nose. I take a long drink, sipping the icy water as it quenches my sore throat.

  “That better?” Holly asks beside my head.

  I turn slightly to see her. Her face is pale, her brown freckles standing out against her ghostly complexion. Dark rings circle her vibrant brown eyes that stare into mine. She looks downright exhausted and ready to give up.

  “What’s going on? How long have I been out?” I ask.

  “Three days. We thought we lost you in surgery, but Doc and Butch performed a miracle.” A tear slides down Holly’s face. She wipes it away and stares off into the distance. Lost in her own head.

  “What’s wrong, Holly?” Before she can answer, the door to my room bursts open, and a frantic Kayne comes barging in.

  “We’ve got to move now.” He hurries to the dresser and starts throwing clothes at me. “Hurry up. We’ve been compromised. Rooster just checked the wiretaps and Karl’s men are on their way here. They want to finish what Sledge started.”

  “How’d Rooster get a wiretap on Karl’s men and when?” Pain shoots up my side as I struggle to put one leg into my jeans. It’s impossible and I’m trembling from exhaustion. This is a fucking pain in my ass. Gritting my teeth I finally slide one leg into my jeans. Holly is kneeling in front of me, helping me with the other one. Once those are on, she slides a pair of socks and my boots onto my feet. I pull my black Savage Saints shirt over my head, being careful not to rip the white bandage holding my stitches together. Once she ties my boots, Holly stands up and offers me her hands. Something is off with her. She’s normally not this quiet. Usually she’s giving me shit if she has to help me, which lately feels like a lot more.

  “C’mon, Stryker,” Holly whispers putting my good arm around her neck. We shuffle to the door in slow agonizing steps. Tightness burns my side with every movement, but I clench my teeth together and fight through the pain.

  Kayne swings the door open and peers down the hallway before leading us out. He still hasn’t answered me and it’s pissing me off. Together the three of us make our way down the hallway to the Grand Staircase. The stairs leading down make my heart sink. I forgot how many there were.

  “We can stop if you need us too,” Holly says behind a lump in her throat.

  “No, let’s keep going,” I answer.

  I prop my shoulder against the wall, leaning heavily on Holly as we walk down the stairs one at a time. Kayne is in front of us with his gun raised slightly, scanning everything, watching for any intruders.

  Once we reach the bottom of the stairs without incident, I relax a little. Holly grips my waist being careful of my bandage.

  “Prez, where is everyone?” I ask. Holly tenses underneath me and she won’t meet my eyes. “What the fuck is going on?” I roar, making Holly jump.

  “Calm the fuck down, Enforcer.” Kayne stands straight up, staring into my eyes. His cold blue eyes stare right into my soul. “Everything will be fine, but we need to get you the fuck out of here first. Blayde and Siren are outside waiting with the van and the rest of the club is at the repair shop.” Kayne turns on his heels, ending the rest of my questioning. We silently make our way out the front door and down another set of stairs. I’m winded and exhausted by the time we reach the van. I don’t know if I have the energy to pull myself inside. A loud muffler backfires in the distance and I fight through the nausea trying to overcome me and hoist my body up inside. Once I’m seated, Holly sits next to me, encouraging me to rest my head on her lap. I’m so exhausted from our little trip down the stairs, I carefully lay down and close my eyes, letting sleep overcome me.

  I’m jolted awake, confusion and exhaustion cloud my head. I shake it, trying to clear the fog. Holly’s soft hands stroke my hair in long tender strokes. It feels wonderful. I slightly shift my body until pain shoots up my side. I grunt.

  “Stop moving,” she whispers against my forehead.

  How’d we end up laying down? We were in the van, sitting in the seats and Blayde and Siren were in the front. Kayne climbed in the back. So how’d I end up on an uncomfortable cot with Holly laying next to me?

  “You wouldn’t wake up when we reached the repair shop, so the guys moved you in here. We’re in the back office. When you’re ready, I’ll take you out front.” Sadness creeps in Holly’s voice and I look at her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Don’t tell me that. You’ve been too quiet since I woke up. What’s wrong and what’s happening? I know something’s off. I can see it in your eyes.” I raise my right arm and gently stroke the side of her face. Holly closes her eyes at the contact and tears flow down her cheeks.

  “You weren’t supposed to be hurt. He wasn’t supposed to stab you. It’s all my fault you’re injured and it’s all my fault the Club is in danger.” Holly cries, backing away from me. “I’m
a terrible person and you need to let me go.” She whispers.

  “I’m never letting you go. You should know this by now.” I move closer to her and she climbs off the small cot.

  “You have to. It’s the only way he’ll stop. I’ll make this right, I promise.” Holly’s voice is harsh as she talks through the tears falling down her face. “It’s the only way.”

  Holly approaches me, setting her hands on my chest. She rests her forehead against mine and inhales. “It’s the only way.” She whispers again, planting a soft kiss to my lips. “I love you, Stryker. Remember that. I wish there was another way, but there isn’t.” Holly moves away quickly and slips out the door. Out of my sight. Dread fills my stomach.

  “Holly!” I shout, trying to get her to come back, but she’s gone. What the fuck? Where’d she go?

  I sit up slowly and raise off the bed, checking each injury as I do. Only a dull throb is in my shoulder where I was shot and my side is still hurting, but not like it was. I need to find her. Something’s wrong and if my suspicions are correct, she went to find Sledge.

  I shuffle my way to the door, one foot in front of the other. This is fucking bullshit. I open the door and familiar music drifts down the dark hallway. I look left and then right but there’s no sign of Holly. I carefully make my way down the hallway, toward the music. This is Poison’s music she uses right before she tortures someone into submission. Normally it’d bring a smile to my face, but with Holly taking off like that, all I have is dread filling my stomach.

  I enter the mechanic’s bay of the repair shop and in the farthest bay are three men hanging by their wrists to a pulley system. None of them look familiar but they wouldn’t be here if they didn’t threaten the Club.

  I spot Kayne leaning up against the counter, watching Poison walk around each man strung up at her mercy. There’s a glint in his eyes watching her, but that fades when he spots me. I slowly make my way over to him, ignoring the throbbing pain in my side.

  “You look like shit, bro. Where’s Holly?” Kayne asks once I reach him.