by L. Wilder
As soon as I got home, I searched the house for Cassidy. When she wasn’t there, I tried calling her again. This time, I left her a message: “Cassidy, I need you to call me. I saw something tonight. It was bad, and…” Without finishing, I hung up the phone. Those men had no idea who I was, and there was no reason for me to get all freaked out about it. I’d tell Cassidy what I saw when she got home and that would be the end of it. The club would take care of it.
I checked all the locks on the doors before curling up on the sofa, praying that my nerves would settle down, but being in this empty apartment wasn’t making it easy. My test was first thing in the morning, and I desperately needed to get some sleep. I was finally about to drift off when my telephone rang.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Henley Gray?” a deep, raspy voice asked.
“Yes?”
“This is Officer Ronnie Donaldson, from the Williamson County Police Department. I’m calling about the report you made of a shooting at the S&K on Park Street.”
“Yes, that was me. Did you catch them?”
“Ms. Gray, did you know that placing a false report is against the law?” he scolded with his voice deep and forceful.
“What? What are you talking about?” I asked defensively.
“We went to the location, and there was no sign of any disturbance. It’s the middle of the night, Ms. Gray. You wasted our time and the tax payers’ dollars.”
“That can’t be right. I saw them…. They shot him right in front of me! There had to be something… a body or blood?” I pleaded with him, trying to make him believe me.
“There was nothing. I don’t know what to tell you, Ms. Gray. We didn’t find anything. If there really was a shooting, they did one hell of a job of covering their tracks.”
“What am I supposed to do now?” I asked.
“We’ll go back and check things out again in the morning. I’ll contact you if we find anything,” he said flatly. From the sound of his voice, I could tell he had no intention of going back. I was regretting calling them in the first place. Hopefully, the club would be able to figure out what the hell happened.
Chapter 5
Maverick
My phone had been ringing for several minutes before I managed to pull off the road to answer it. When I looked at the screen and saw that it was Guardrail, I immediately became uneasy. He wouldn’t be calling so early in the morning unless there was something wrong. When he told me that Cotton had called us all in to meet at church, I knew without a doubt that something was off. It was in his voice… he sounded shaken, and it wasn’t like him at all. Guardrail had been VP of Satan’s Fury for as long as I could remember, and it took a lot to rattle him. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t good.
When I drove through the gate, I was instantly overcome with a feeling of dread. The parking lot was filled with all of my brothers’ bikes, but everything was still. No music from the bar, no talking or laughing… just an eerie silence that sent chills down my spine. As soon as I parked my bike, I headed straight for the meeting room. All of the brothers were sitting around the long oak table, their faces marked with grief. There were no words or expressions of greetings—this was not a typical call to church.
“Have a seat, Maverick,” Cotton ordered with a strained voice. “Been waiting on you to get started.”
As soon as I took my seat, I looked over to Guardrail, searching for some sign of what the hell was going on. His face was completely void of expression as he looked at the wall in front of him. Yeah, something was definitely wrong. My eyes wandered over to Stitch. His face was twisted with anguish, and the veins around his neck pulsed with rage. I could feel the anger vibrating off of him as he sat back in his chair with his fists clenched tight. He was the club Enforcer, and at 6’9”, he was not a man you wanted to tangle with. The hell that man was capable of inflicting would humble anyone. He’d never backed down from anything, and he had the scars to prove it, leaving no doubt how he got his road name. Looking at him, I could see the fury literally rolling off of him. Whoever had fucked up, Stitch was going to make them pay.
The tension in the room crackled around us as Cotton said, “As some of you already know, we lost one of our own last night.”
Stitch slammed his fist down on the table as he growled, “Someone was trying to send us a message with Skidrow’s death. Whoever the hell it was, they can consider the message fucking received!”
“There’s no doubt that they were trying to make a statement. One of the prospects found him this morning out by the main gate… tossed out like trash by the side of the road,” Cotton continued. Anger flashed through his eyes as he proceeded to explain everything that had happened. “His patch had been removed, and any sign of Satan’s Fury on his body had been burned.”
“Who do you think did this?” I asked, still trying to make sense of everything he’d just said. They hadn’t just killed one of our brothers… they had insulted our club to the highest degree by desecrating any and all signs of our club’s name on Skidrow’s body.
“Tony’s old crew wouldn’t have the balls to do something like this. It had to be someone else,” Guardrail scowled as he looked over to me.
“I want every man on this. I want to know where he was… who he’s been talking to. Hell, I want to know what he had for dinner last night. Any fucking thing that might help us find out who did this.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. It would only be a matter of time before we were able to track down the motherfuckers who did this. Our club had eyes and ears in places no one would ever expect. Whoever had done this had fucked with the wrong club.
“All of you know that Maverick has more than proven himself as an invaluable asset to the club over the past few years. He’d give his life for any one of you, and I’m naming him as Sergeant at Arms. Everyone in agreement say, Aye,” Cotton motioned. Before I had time to protest, the room filled with chants of approval. Fuck.
“Done. Maverick, get with Big Mike. See what you two can find out and get back to me within the hour.” Mike was the best hacker in the club, and if there was anything that might help us, he’d be the one to find it.
“You got it,” I answered.
“Guardrail, we need to make arrangements for Skidrow. Make sure he gets the respect he deserves. Get Dallas to the clubhouse. I want eyes on her at all times,” Cotton ordered as he stood up. Dallas was Skidrow’s old lady, and we all knew she was going to take this hard. “Meeting adjourned.”
It took several seconds for everyone to start moving. The shock of everything that had happened was still lingering in the room. Skid was one of those brothers we all felt close to. He was always there when you needed him, and I was humbled they thought I was the right man to follow in his footsteps.
Guardrail walked over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “You were the best choice. You and I both know that.”
“It doesn’t seem right. We haven’t even put the man in the ground, and now we’ve replaced him… with me, no less.”
“Now’s the time. Do him proud, brother. He’d want this for you, too.”
Chapter 6
Henley
My eyes burned as I answered the last question on my final. I couldn’t sleep at all last night, and my body literally ached from exhaustion. After turning in my exam, I headed out of the building toward my car. I was distracted as I searched for my keys that had gotten lost in the bottomless pit of my purse, therefore I almost didn’t see the two men who were leaning against my car. They were having a heated conversation and were totally unaware that I was even coming in their direction. I had no idea who they were, but there was no doubt that they were there waiting for me. Trying not to call attention to myself, I slowly turned back toward the front door of the building. Once I was back inside, I looked out the window, praying they didn’t see me. They were still talking when I grabbed my phone and called Cassidy.
“I was just about to call you. How was the final? Did you make your A?” she
asked.
“I’ve been trying to call you all night, Cassidy. Why didn’t you answer your damn phone?” I shouted.
“I’m sorry, Lee Bug. I didn’t even hear my phone ringing. You know how loud it is when these guys have a party,” she apologized.
“I think I’m in trouble, Cassidy. Bad trouble,” I told her as my voice shook in fear.
“What do you mean? What’s going on?”
“These two guys … they shot one of the men from your club, and I … I saw it. I saw it all, Cassidy. I tried to call you and tell you, but you didn’t answer… and now… Oh shit! They’re here! At my school… waiting out there by my car. What the hell am I supposed to do, Cassidy?”
“Skidrow,” she mumbled.
“What?”
“Where are you right now?” she snapped.
“In one of the Biology labs.”
“Okay… stay put. I’m sending someone to get you,” she ordered. “What’s the room number?”
“Mr. Yates’ class. Room 132.”
“It’s going to be okay. Don’t move from that spot,” she assured me just before she hung up the phone.
After locking the door, I slumped down the wall and my butt hit the cold, hard floor with a thump. I felt so alone as I sat there, thinking about how stupid I’d been. I had just gotten myself into one hell of a mess, and I only had myself to blame. I should’ve just gotten in my car and followed my initial instincts. I knew better. Nothing good ever comes from poking around in the dark.
I was still sitting on the floor when the sound of footsteps approached the door. Just as I was about to have a full-blown panic attack, a man with a deep, raspy voice called out my name.
“Henley? Are you in there?” he called as he turned the handle of the locked door.
I was too afraid to speak. I had no idea who it was. By now, whoever was after me had to know my name, and I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t them.
“Henley, it’s me… Clutch. Cassidy sent us to find you. I need you to open the door,” he said in a low, whispering voice.
I quickly got up off the floor and unlocked the door. When I opened it, four members of the club were standing there, staring at me. I instantly recognized Clutch and Scooter, but had no idea who the other two guys were. It didn’t really matter… they were here to get me out of this mess, and I was grateful that they’d come. “Sorry, I wasn’t sure who it was,” I whispered.
“You did good, Henley. Are you okay?” Clutch asked. I didn’t know him very well, but Cassidy once told me that he was the club’s Road Captain, whatever the hell that was. I didn’t care about his title. I was just glad he was there.
“I’m fine. A little rattled, but I don’t think they saw me,” I answered as I fumbled with my purse. He stepped through the door, his large body towering over me, and rested his hand on my shoulder. It was a small gesture, but his touch instantly calmed me. When I looked up at him, his fierce blue eyes were filled with concern. His face was hidden behind a long, thick beard, making me wonder what was hidden beneath it. His eyes never left mine as he helped me gather up my things. There was something about the way he was looking at me that tugged at my heart. I couldn’t stop staring at him. This man barely knew me, but he was willing to put himself in danger to help me. It wasn’t just him—they were all here, putting their lives at risk for me.
Scooter cleared his throat, pulling me from my haze, and said, “We checked the parking lot. The guys were gone, but they broke into your car.” Scooter was one of the younger prospects, and was just too damn cute for his own good. He had one of those adorable baby faces, and all the tattoos in the world couldn’t make him look like the tough guy he wanted to be. He was a good guy, and I’d always had fun hanging out with him when I went to the clubhouse with Cassidy.
“Did you have anything in your car they might have taken?” Clutch asked.
“Well, shit… my laptop. Was it still in there?” I asked hopefully.
“Nope. Looks like they got it, along with anything else you had in there,” Scooter told me. “We’ll do what we can to get it back.”
“Shit… it has all my school stuff on it. Why would they need that?”
“They’re going to do whatever they can to track you down, doll, but we’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Clutch said confidently. It freaked me out that those men had actually come after me, but it made me feel better knowing the club would be there to protect me. “Let’s get you back to the clubhouse. Cotton wants to talk to you.”
“Cotton? Why do I suddenly feel like I’m being called to the principal’s office?” When he didn’t answer, a feeling of dread washed over me. The last thing I wanted to do was get the President of the Satan’s Fury MC mad at me. I’d only met him a couple of times, but I knew he wasn’t a man whose bad side you wanted to get on. He was attractive, in an ominous sort of way. He was far from the oldest man in the club, but he was older than most. His white hair and goatee made him seem more distinguished, maybe a little superior to others. There was just something about him that made me feel… anxious. I’d always done my best to just be polite and avoid him as much as possible. He was the kind of man who commanded respect without saying a word, and now, I was going to have to actually talk to him—have a real conversation. What if I said the wrong thing? I didn’t even know what to call him. President? President Cotton? President Cotton, sir? Oh hell, I was screwed.
All eyes were on me as I followed the four burly men down the hallway. They didn’t fit the typical college scene with their leather vests and tattoos. I looked over at each of them and realized how differently I saw them. These men may be rough, but they had shown me nothing but kindness. I knew they would do anything to protect me, and just walking with them gave me a sense of security.
My rattled nerves slowly began to calm as we continued down the hallway. Several members of the football team scuttled out of the way as we walked past them. I watched as these tough football players unsuccessfully pretended they weren’t about to shit their pants as we passed by them. They were obviously threatened as they checked out the Satan’s Fury patch on the back of Clutch’s cut. The reaction from the females was vastly different. A couple of the hookers… I mean sluts… I mean pretty girls, smiled and flicked their long, beautiful hair as they tried their best to get the men’s attention. My lips curved into a smile when their efforts were totally ignored. Yep… even though these men were here to save me from God-knows-what, I was walking down the hall smiling like a big dork.
With people still gawking at us, I followed Scooter over to his bike. After he helped me get my helmet on, I climbed on the back and rested my hands on his waist. The engine suddenly roared to life as Scooter throttled the ignition and drove out of the parking lot. The seat vibrated wildly beneath me as we picked up speed, quickly jetting into traffic. Surrounded by the others, we sped out onto the open highway toward the clubhouse. I’d never ridden on a bike before, and I loved it. As I held tightly onto Scooter, a feeling of pure ecstasy washed over me as we glided down the highway. The freedom… the bliss of being out on the open road thrilled me. The sound and speed were overwhelming, but I felt safe riding with Scooter. These guys rode with such confidence that it made them seem invincible. I was enjoying the ride so much, I almost forgot why I was with them. Once we pulled through the gate, reality came crashing down on me. As soon as they had parked their bikes, Clutch motioned for me to follow him through the back door.
“Cotton is in his office,” he told me. My nerves jumped into overdrive when I took a step toward his office door, making it difficult to walk with my trembling knees.
“Okay,” I answered, wishing he was going in too. Dread washed over me as I tapped on the door. My heart jumped when he called out for me to come in. The door creaked loudly as I slowly opened his door.
“Hey… uh… President Cotton… sir? Clutch said you wanted to talk to me,” I stammered.
He got up from his large, wooden desk and walked over
to me. Looking genuinely concerned, he asked, “Are you okay?”
His voice was low and gentle, and it instantly set me at ease. “Yes, sir. I’m fine,” I answered.
“Just call me Cotton. Come on in and have a seat,” he offered as he picked up his phone and stated, “She’s here. Come down to my office.”
Just as he was settling back down in his seat, Maverick walked in. Shit! Now I had to deal with the two most intimidating men I’d ever met. I’ll admit it, Maverick was good-looking—extremely good-looking—but damn, the man was a giant. As he made his way over to me, my eyes roamed over his large muscles that bulged beneath his tight, black t-shirt. The scowl on his face was hard to ignore as he stood there, glaring at me. Just being this close to him made me feel like I was twelve again. Without saying a word, he sat down next to me and waited for Cotton to speak.
“Henley, Cassidy told us you saw something last night,” Cotton said with a hopeful ring in his voice.
“I did. I tried to call her last night, but she couldn’t hear her phone,” I told him defensively.
“I need you to tell me everything you can remember. Everything,” he demanded. The tiny crow’s feet around his eyes crinkled as he spoke.
Without any interruptions, both men listened intently as I told them everything that had happened over the past twenty-four hours. I could see the anguish in their eyes as they listened to the details of their brother being shot. I tried my best not to leave anything out, but I was nervous, and it was hard to think straight.
“Did the cop ever call you back?” Maverick asked.
“No, but I could tell he was just trying to put me off,” I explained as I clenched my hands together and rested them in my lap. “I’m pretty sure they thought I was lying. The guy said they found no evidence of a murder. I don’t understand it. I mean… they shot him. He was bleeding. There had to be something.”
“Guardrail and I went by earlier to check it out. There was no trace of blood anywhere. The place had been cleaned by someone who knew what he was doing,” Maverick informed Cotton.
